RE: SOTW: Audi A8

[istoo]

TonyHetherington said:

Love it

I imagine lots of expensive things can go wrong on them, though

haha sign of a true shed, when it dips below a grand all those thoughts vanish!

gearboxes as i am sure might have been said are the achillies.

[M666 EVO]

bigrich4 said:

Spelling is not this chaps strong point is it?

Glad you said it and glad it was first. I would avoid on the strength of the bad advert...

[thewheelman]

M666 EVO said:

bigrich4 said:

Spelling is not this chaps strong point is it?

Glad you said it and glad it was first. I would avoid on the strength of the bad advert...

A little harsh, from the pictures shown the car isn't in a "rough" area, he's been honest in the advert, it's not as though he's done the advert in a text type lingo.

[andy97]

You could always race one:

http://britcar24hr.co.uk/cms/news.php?item.1112

http://www.oneighturbo.com/motorsports/24-hours-nu...


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Riggers]

andy97 said:

You could always race one:

http://britcar24hr.co.uk/cms/news.php?item.1112

http://www.oneighturbo.com/motorsports/24-hours-nu...


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't decide whether that's brilliant or a bit of a waste. Brilliant, I think...

[CDP]

Riggers said:

andy97 said:

You could always race one:

http://britcar24hr.co.uk/cms/news.php?item.1112

http://www.oneighturbo.com/motorsports/24-hours-nu...


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't decide whether that's brilliant or a bit of a waste. Brilliant, I think...

How on earth can the first car be a waste? It was condemned to the scrappage scheme so this is an excellent second life.

[johnpeat]

thewheelman said:

Another alternative, this V8 Lexus at just £900! they don't go wrong very often, & i'd bet you could drive it for a year & still get your money back on it, that or put the V8 in an MX5

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3179818.htm

This one's even better, but just over the shed budget http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3172097.htm

In truth, the only diff is that the older/Pearl one has been tidied-up before sale wheras the newer one is being sold 'as is' and looks quite tatty.

I'd rather have the older one because I prefer it's colourscheme (the newer one looks like a Toyota - inside and out) but 3 years is a long time and it's likely to need more work surely???

[CDP]

4mo said:

CDP said:

I wonder if that V8 will bolt onto the FWD transaxle used in Passats etc? It would be great in a middy-locost chassis.

Maybe not in a FWD passat but in sure it'll go in a 4wd one
Same engine with 2 extra cylinders.

I didn't mean keeping the Passat; just it's gearbox combined with this engine in a lightweight tubular spaceframe. If they are bolt compatible (which is a fair bet for VAG) then the possiblities are many. As they're built for a V6 TDI they should handle a lot of torque.

They're 300bhp before anybody's mucked about with them. I'm sure there will be tuning bits available from Germany and I know of a really good engine builder. 400bhp should be possible if you're not worried about keeping it quiet.

[nickythesaint]

If you wanted a decent A8, you wouldn't have to increase your budget that much:

http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

*1996 (P reg)
*Saloon
*100,000 miles
*Automatic
*4.2L
*Petrol

4 Doors, Automatic, Saloon, Petrol, 100,000 miles, Metallic Forrest Green, MOT-09-2012. Electric sunroof, Full Service History, ABS, Adjustable seats, Adjustable steering column/wheel, Air conditioning, Alloy wheels, Anti theft system, CD, Central locking, Child locks, Colour coding - Body, Computer, Cruise control, Driver airbag, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, Foglights, Front armrest, Head restraints, Headlight washers, Heated screen, Heated seats, Leather seats, Locking wheel nuts, Lumbar support, Metallic paintwork, Multi function steering wheel, Navigation system, Park distance control, Passenger airbag, Pearlescent paint, Power assisted steering, Radio, Rear armrest, Remote locking, Sports seats, Sunroof, Tinted glass, Towbar, Side airbags, Sunblind, Telephone, Traction control. Insurance Group:20, £1,990 may p/x

[johnpeat]

this all reminds me that I spotted one of these parking at the local ASDA this week.

They're scarce around here so it looked nice - then I noticed that the owner had parked it with about 10" of boot hanging out into traffic.

"Idiot" I thought - so I went around to the front, where his wheels were bang-up-to- the kerb, nose was 1" from the wall.

They're fking HUGE, basically, I've seen 7s and Ss parked in those spaces and they didn't seem to take up the same space (although there's a 760L which does!)

[Riggers]

CDP said:

Riggers said:

andy97 said:

You could always race one:

http://britcar24hr.co.uk/cms/news.php?item.1112

http://www.oneighturbo.com/motorsports/24-hours-nu...


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't decide whether that's brilliant or a bit of a waste. Brilliant, I think...

How on earth can the first car be a waste? It was condemned to the scrappage scheme so this is an excellent second life.

Must. Read. Posts. Properly.

[thewheelman]

johnpeat said:

thewheelman said:

Another alternative, this V8 Lexus at just £900! they don't go wrong very often, & i'd bet you could drive it for a year & still get your money back on it, that or put the V8 in an MX5

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3179818.htm

This one's even better, but just over the shed budget http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3172097.htm

In truth, the only diff is that the older/Pearl one has been tidied-up before sale wheras the newer one is being sold 'as is' and looks quite tatty.

I'd rather have the older one because I prefer it's colourscheme (the newer one looks like a Toyota - inside and out) but 3 years is a long time and it's likely to need more work surely???

More work? I really have no idea. Lexus are pretty robust cars, & generally their owners are far from car wreckers. I also prefer the dark one myself.

[BT52]

I have a 4.2 A8 40v

Bought it 4 years ago for £6k and it has been pretty much bullet proof.
You just need to make sure the transmission oil was changed before 100k miles.

They weren't designed to have it changed, but then they all started failing around 120k or so.

Not expensive to maintain. Pagid Brake pads (4 for each front wheel) are ludicrously cheap through Eurocarparts.

Needed a cat replacement last year and they are pretty cheap too.
Biggest cost has been a new sump, one of the few bits that CAN rust.

Not the most interesting car to drive, but 310bhp is plenty for a barge. Makes a nice sound and is very relaxing. Bose stereo is very good, and the solar panel sunroof that powers the fan when parked in the sun means the car is always kept cool, even with black leather.

Boot space is enormous and the passenger space is unbeatable (unless you get a LWB competitor).

Keep planning to sell it but it's just too damn good for the money I'd get.

Edited by BT52 on Friday 16th September 15:45

[MadDog1962]

Very nice and very classy exec-shed-luxo-barge indeed. But the really scary thing is Audi spares prices. If anything needs replacing finding cheap bits from a breaker would be very tough, and original dealer sourced bits are f&^%ing expensive. I still remember my lovely Audi Coupe GT5S back in the 80s.

As a well older PH-er I could afford to take the risk, but younger less well heeled chaps would be best off giving this one a miss. I'd get a Beemer or a Jag and save.

[BT52]

MadDog1962 said:

Very nice and very classy exec-shed-luxo-barge indeed. But the really scary thing is Audi spares prices. If anything needs replacing finding cheap bits from a breaker would be very tough, and original dealer sourced bits are f&^%ing expensive.

There are cheap new non-dealer parts available all over the place.
I have replaced door mirrors (LCD eventually leaks away), a popup headmap washer cover, and a parking sensor for peanuts.

BMW or Jag would DEFINITELY cost more to maintain.

[johnpeat]

thewheelman said:

More work? I really have no idea. Lexus are pretty robust cars, & generally their owners are far from car wreckers. I also prefer the dark one myself.

The thing which tends to get cars like this is rot and seizure - bushes perishing, fluids gradually leaking etc. - and that's more a product of time than mileage (in fact low mileages are often signs of lots of standing around which can even accelerate this stuff).

Some people would see a K Reg (110k miles) being more expensive than a P Reg (180k miles) as bonkers - and that K, whilst lovely to behold, has a recently steam-cleaned engine which is normally a massive 'OHOH' moment

[richardxjr]

That P-reg Mk3 is an absolute steal.

Some prefer them to the Mk4: no pesky nav screen and the pre-VVTi engine is even quieter at tickover.

[CDP]

Riggers said:

CDP said:

Riggers said:

andy97 said:

You could always race one:

http://britcar24hr.co.uk/cms/news.php?item.1112

http://www.oneighturbo.com/motorsports/24-hours-nu...


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't decide whether that's brilliant or a bit of a waste. Brilliant, I think...

How on earth can the first car be a waste? It was condemned to the scrappage scheme so this is an excellent second life.

Must. Read. Posts. Properly.

I wonder how much weight was lost when they stripped the interior?

[Rusty-C]

Riggers said:

Rusty-C said:

ninos said:

I know mate and I do get what you're saying but I have fitted induction kits to most of my cars and never go beyond that modification as i prefer the OEM look.

My current car has one but its standard apart from that. In fact when I first bought it the previous owner had a full stainless system, gold wheels (oh the horror), tinted rear lights which were all removed and replaced with standard equipment.

Well, I did try and warn you...

Aye, but ninos has a Hyundai Coupe, for which an induction kit is (arguably) suitable. You have a Volvo S80.

Actually I'm not sure what I'd rather have an aftermarket air filter on least - an A8 or an S80. Not a choice I'll ever make in the real world, I think ...

The Puma must be ripe for inductioning

[VPower]

I was after an S8, but chap at work let me drive his 97 2.8 and said £3k.
After all Jason Plato did test a 2.8 and said "She can certainly pick her skirts up"!

So three years of VERY pleasant and 40,000 miles of driving later I sold it for a "shed" (£1k) to a young lad who intended to just drive around Europe for the summer.
Dutch coppers stopped him as he looked too young and asked for hire documents.
They were SHOCKED such a young lad could OWN said car!

I too look at £1k a year at least to run and this just about stayed under that.

Mine did not have all the toys of a 4.2, but they certainly are well made.

As has been said, I had the gearbox oil AND filter changed and that tip-tronic box was a delight.

Kept thinking of getting a late S8 D2, but decided on my Jaguar STR instead!