C5 RS6 avant manual 778PS/869Nm - not what you think

[bam_bam]

Ok, so, long story short. Around the start of May, I picked up my car from MRC after having it there for a steering rack leak and a TC issue - the light would come on under WOT in 4th or 5th and the light would stay on, couldn't turn it off, only restarting the car would clear it. MRC was able to fix the steering rack leak but couldn't recreate the TC issue (I cannot blame them for this, it would be placing the driver in danger, both legally and physical). Anyways, after many false starts trying to make it up to Banbury to collect, I'd finally gotten up there, it had already turned out to be one of my more shittier days of adulting. I did the paperwork and got in the car just as it started to rain. I took the long route to join the M40, settling as the only car at a red light waiting to join the slip road. I got the green, made a pretty good start and did a full redline (not WOT) and caught 2nd with a considered change then stomped on it (very close to WOT), I got a WHOLE lot of wheelspin and massive understeer, I kept my foot in and noticed the TC light stay on full, the car was heading towards the barrier but then caught frontend grip went where it was meant to. Problem is the rear stepped out, a lot, and had me sawing at the steering wheel big time, I actually thought I was going to make it out of this, it was a big slide and still keeping my foot in, then, it came back at me like a nasty case of gonorrhoea, again going to full opposite lock and it was at this point that I couldn't keep my foot in. I was on the lock stops and looking directly at the armaco at it was getting closer. It was another long slide but off-gas. The front off-side headlight, wing and nosecone took the hit, then the rear swung around and hit pretty flush. The off-side rear wheel taking a lot of it but it caught some damage on the rear-quarter, rear light cluster and the rear bumper. A bit shocked I joined the M40 looking to come straight back to MRC and assess the damage, well, that was a long drive! I keep it under 50 and the TC light wouldn't come off. I got back to MRC and Doug scanned it yaw sensor had thrown an error, a strange one. It's probably safe to say that had the car had a fully working TC system it would've seen easier to gather that slide, IF that slide even happened.

I left the car and headed back to London on the train, another crap feeling. I made the decision to actually inform my insurer (I had thought about just fixing it myself but life is just too much at present). The insurer wrote it off straight away! They wanted to have it towed to a wrecker immediately and I said no (I still had personal effects in the car, not to mention the one-off nature of some of the bits on the car), I said they'll need to further assess the car before writing it off. It was inspected on the 15th of May by engineers and we've been arguing ever since. So after a very long and protracted 'fight' with the insurer, I have been offered a Glass's payout which I feel is 'ok' BUT in order to keep the car as a cat N (non-structural damage uneconomical to repair), the insurer will retain 39% of the payout. When I asked how much they valued the repairs at, he said ~£11,000. So, this has been my ongoing argument with them and their retardedness.

Now I have the decision to just take the payout and let the car be cubed. Or buy back and reshell the car (I'd more than likely do a 'loon as I don't like the C5 avant). Alternatively, there are you chaps in the community that may want to take on the car for a nominal price to either repair or reshell. As I've been dealing with this so long I'm well and truly over it, life goes on but it was running very well, it had £7k spent on it just before xmas and it's only covered 1200miles since (cambelt, new filters, rack, plugs, oil, themo, oil pipe unions, 01E gearbox replaced and a new clutch). It's ironic that I was driving it home just list it for sale... now, 6+ weeks later it's a different proposition. The car is currently at MRC and I need to make a decision very quickly, I need to get it off their lot asap. I’m of the mind to just walk away but the car will be cubed. It’s not the way I wanted this to end. Car is still MOT’d and taxed, mileage is about 68k.

Thoughts on a postcard, no sympathy please, I’m over it.

In before the T-Cut jokes:





The car mods are:
Engine
Custom Starter Motor
Custom MAP for the ECU and ABS, MRC Tuning
Custom Uprated ceramic Clutch kit
Low compression headgasket set
Reconditioned/Ported & Flowed heads
Custom Inconel Tubular manifolds – ceramic coated
Hybrid GT3071 Turbos with high flow compressors and back turbines/ internal wastegates 1000bhp capable
Custom brackets for wastegates
Custom oil lines for turbos
Custom water lines for turbos
Custom intake pipes for turbos
Custom Charge pipes
Custom 3” Race downpipes
Custom H&S exhaust with cabin operated “loud switch”
Twin air intake pipework/fcone filters and shrouds
New tensioners and chains for heads
Full cambelt kit (25/11/2018)
Large Injector Kit 750cc
2 Bosch Motorsport 10 bar fuel pump kits
Front Mounted Intercooler
Bumper modified to fit FMIC
2 auxiliary Side mounted water radiators
2 auxiliary side mounted oil coolers
Custom oil and water lines to coolers
Custom intercooler pipework
Water / meth injection Stage 2 with 7.5Ltr boot tank

Drivetrain
01E Gearbox with hardened gear set. (<1300miles on it)
01E Gearbox Brackets
01E Gearbox Mounts
Pedal Box Conversion to manual
Clutch switch added
Clutch master cylinder/hydraulic lines/reservoir and slave cylinder added
Propshaft for manual box
Front driveshafts for manual box
Custom adapter for gearbox
Custom Uprated ceramic Clutch kit (<1300miles on it)
Gearbox linkage arms for manual box/manual gearstick box/trim for cabin

Suspension
Bilstein PSS9 Suspension
H&R ARB Kit
B7 RS4 wheels
Corner weighted by Rick Kerry BTCC

Brakes
C6 front callipers
Custom AP discs with custom carriers, Ti bolts bobbins etc

Interior
TTS Steering Wheel
Recaro Sportster seats
Tailored Mats
RNS-E

[Billy_G]

Well that's shitty news, you cant let it get squished though! what would you consider as an offer on it?

[bam_bam]

Well that's shitty news, you cant let it get squished though! what would you consider as an offer on it?

Dunno. What would you value a 'very' powerful manual powertrain, C6 custom brakes and Recaro CS Sportsters at?

[V!per]

Bam - Is that just cosmetics than to sort out ?? Or did the suspension got it as well ??

That is sooooo tempting

[bam_bam]

Bam - Is that just cosmetics than to sort out ?? Or did the suspension got it as well ??

That is sooooo tempting

Off-side suspension would need looking at. I'd say about 5k would make it good again but then it'll be CAT N. I thought folks on here would be more interested in just reshelling the powertrain.

[Ajc]

Bugger . Not a good day at the farm at all dude.
I agree it needs too live on though. If you do decide youd like it too live on under your ownership , I'll happily repair it for you . It may come back too you as a black 04 plate with an auto box though

[rs4wagon]

if you want your money back you need to break it,otherwise it will be far off form 11K or it need another nutter like you or me (just doing engine rebuild and manual too) or forum member to know if worth more than 5K,dont even bother with ebay but i bet you know it already,imho just repair it,as its just cosmetic damage ,and keep her live

[Shoppinit]

Can you "undeclare" it from the insurance at this stage?

[bam_bam]

Can you "undeclare" it from the insurance at this stage?

I could. I really don't need the ballache right now though. I'd have to manage the repairs and do it within the confines of the insurers framework. They think it's 11k to repair, can you imagine the arguments? Or I'd just take the whole thing on myself then sell it, it will still have a crash repair stigma and I'd be worse off financially at sale minus repair. I'd be doing it all for 'legacy', which I totally get but I'm doing house renovation at the moment, I have three kids under 7, I need another project like I need to dry skullfucked..

[chunky79]

Reeeeetard

[mattmac]

Autotrader has this loon, its really cheap and in London, get MRC to swap it over, sell what's left to a specialist RS6 breaker, and you get what you really want.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified ... 5157994770

[Ben_r1]

Doesn’t look that bad to me, if you can find one breaking for the bumpers, wing and headlight then I reckon £400-£500 to repair that rear quarter at a reasonable body Shop.

It’s quite a beast, would love to drive a manual version to see how it feels.

[Jayjay101]

Mate I’m gutted for you!! Think you best bet is to reshell it in a loon(you have said you have wanted to in the past)if you can.

I know you don’t want the ball ache of breaking it but think you would be hard pressed to sell the whole thing in one go-and let’s face it your be pissed about something silly with dreamers if you did start to break it.

If not Can you not strip all the good bits off it and store them till your ready to start building a car up? I’d be happy to come and help you out(I won’t bring my wire cutters!)be a weekends work to get it stripped down.


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[TechNick]

Wow, that does seem cheap for one without any faults mentioned, even with 150k miles on the clock(?)

Autotrader has this loon, its really cheap and in London, get MRC to swap it over, sell what's left to a specialist RS6 breaker, and you get what you really want.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified ... 5157994770

[chunky79]

Mate I’m gutted for you!! Think you best bet is to reshell it in a loon(you have said you have wanted to in the past)if you can.

I know you don’t want the ball ache of breaking it but think you would be hard pressed to sell the whole thing in one go-and let’s face it your be pissed about something silly with dreamers if you did start to break it.

If not Can you not strip all the good bits off it and store them till your ready to start building a car up? I’d be happy to come and help you out(I won’t bring my wire cutters!)be a weekends work to get it stripped down.


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If he left his 3 kids with it for 1 hour, they'd have the car stripped.

Bum, you've just had some real bad luck with the car. Go get some Pork in your life, at least this has helped your decision.