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Hi folks.
I am in the motions of buying my first B5 RS4 in Avus Silver and believe i am getting it at a knock down price (£8K). It has no body damage but will prob get a respray as there are scratches around the door handles, stone chips on the bonnet, peeling paint round the boot lock and scratches on the bumper at the tail gate. Wear and tear i guess. She has done 121k miles and is due a cambelt service and probably new discs and pads. Everything seems to work fine and she has got a full Audi service history. She needs a bloody good valet inside but that seems all.
I am prepared to spend the money to make her immacculate.
Should i have any real concerns before i part with my cash?

Would be worthwhile getting it checked over by an independant. If it needs new cams & new turbos the car is nowhere near as cheap as it first looks !

I know that the car hasn't been thrashed as it belongs to a friend.
I take it the turbo's and camshafts are a seriously costly affair??
It's going through my head that i may be better off spending the extra cash by getting a lesser miles car.

£8k sounds good but as mentioned, factor in the cost of new discs and pads front £600+ if you do them yourself the rear almost as much cambelt £500+, cams if bad can be £2k+......If it's been mechanically looked after though you should be ok and great bargain.

£8k sounds unreal! There are Cat B's being advertised for more than that!

£8K!!! Not good,not good at all for owners.But then i guess that all that is happening is cars with low miles/mods/history etc will stay at 'sensible' money and the gap will grow to 'poorer' cars.
NB:not suggesting the car in question is poor before anybody jumps on me!

£8k gotta be worth a punt hasn't it?

Pads/discs = £5-600 as mentioned.
Camshafts + cambelt =£2-2500 if both needed, if not £700 for a cambelt
2x K04s = £1500 possibly
Re-spray = £1500

If the camshafts and tubs need changing wont be a bargain at all. If they dont need changing quids in.

get it to MRC/Unit 20 for a full health check and they'll let you know...

Thanks for the input lads.
The car has been well looked after mechanically and it's really the cosmetic stuff that's letting it down.
As i said, the owner is a friend (who is minted) so i'd like to think i'm getting a bargain.
As for damaging the market value, i don't think there is an issue. By the time i spend the cash it needs, i don't think i'll be terribly far short of the normal market value...except mine will be immaculate!
By the way, i'm struggling to get a spray job for less than £2.5k up here in chilly Aberdeen!!

121k miles is not such high mileage given the age

go for it, even worst case scenario you will be paying market price but you'll 100% know any issues are sorted

anything less and your quids in

In my opinion, and I have done the same, it´s better buy a cheaper car with some needs than an expensive one that looks brand new and after some miles you will have to spend money anyway. If you make the repairs you will know that it was repaired and it´s fine, if you buy it because it looks good you will probably have to spend money after a few miles and the car will be expensive at the end. If you are buyng it for 8000, even if you spend another 6000, where will you find a car for that total price and at 100% in brakes, clutch, cams, paint, tires, etc...
Go for it.

mates rates are great.

save up and go for somthing that will not need as much money spent on it

£8k is an absolute bargain whether it needs cosmetics and a cambelt or not! Never seen one at that price outside a right off!

If the car has been well maintained and has a FSH, it's definately worth a punt at that price. 121k and thrashed is absolutely nothing if it's been maintained properly. I don't particularly class 121k as a "high mileage" example these days.

I would imagine mine will be at a 121k in a couple of years and it won't be getting sold for £8k!!

Pity your not closer to me (Perthshire), I could have Vag-Com'd it for you!!

By the way, If someone offers you a "proper" re-spray for less than £2.5k then it's not done properly.

Myself and Hektor here on the forum has found a superb Coachworks in Glasgow. If you require any further info on that, then PM me.

I'm in Aberdeen and could give you a few suggestions on where to get the spray work done. I also know were you could take it to get it vag-com'ed.

No point in getting anything sprayed at the moment though, I'm going to wait until the weather improves and the gritters are off the road (Which seems like never at the moment).

Not many B5 RS4s up here so you'll be joining an exclusive club.

we have a B5 RS4 with 123k miles on it, all wehave done to it is the timing belt job and rear discs and pads, possible clutch slip now but still driveable.

IF your pal is that minted I am sure the car will have had anything it ever needed. Why does it need a respray? is it just stone chips or has it been exposed to salty air all its life?

@ 8 k I am a bit worried your getting a car of similar mileage as ours for such a low amount of outlay OR is your pal giving you a bargain to you as a mate?

as said get it to Unit 20 in Cheshire or MRCin Banbury for a good healthcheck and going over. Engine is a dam good one and capable of high mileage without anything major doing to it.

Regarding mechanicals you could have ahigh mileage car needing nothing because its been treated caringly.... or have a low mileage car that had its arse thrashed to within an inch of its life
and then punted on.

Going on what you say I would go for it as well,its one hell of a car, and not many around so keep this one working and enjoy it:)