I saw this audi for sale on craigslist and im interested in buying it but I would like other opinions

97 v6 quattro
transmission recently rebuilt
216,000 miles
leather-woodgrain
automatic
some scratched as an old car would have
no radio
plates due last month

medium sized dent on the bumper(will get annoyed if i keep looking at it)

2500(could work price down to 2300)
Im know, im cheap but let let me know what you think......

 

have a auto-body guy knock the dent out,it looks easy to fix too,i have access to a body guy that charges cheap prices for body work.

 

If they have documentation that the trans has been rebuilt then $2300 seems fair. It'll probably need a head gasket shortly if it hasn't already been replaced. Other than that it should be a great car.... As long as you aren't looking to make it go fast-wrong engine for that.

 

I'd do some more looking - in my area, I see 30v cars in that price range.

 

how much do you think the price range is for fixing that dent?

im just a college student looking get a nice car. I love the a4s and i want to make i look nice(new headlights,pioneer system, and other few mods) and im not interested in making it go fast. Im not really an engine tech guy but i want to learn more about these cars as they are interesting. I keep hearing that 216k miles is too much for that car and the engine wouldnt last that long but im not sure.

I look daily and in my area and theres not much A4s for sale by private owners. Most of the are selled by overpriced dealers.

 

Well, first check out the newbie guide which is here: https://www.audiforums.com/forum/audi-a4-8/newbie-guide-version-2-a-80968/ It has a lot of valuable information that'll help you find the right A4 for you. If you're going for pure style then 30v ('98-'01) is far superior to 12v ('96-early '98; right?). It'll give you reliability and you won't have a complete slug.

As for the 216k mile remark it's been noted in the past that with proper maintenance and upkeep your A4 (especially with the v6) will last well into the 400k range. Don't let that make you think you can buy a higher mileage vehicle though; the rule still remains the lower mileage the better.

Now onto the dent in the car. Being a bodyman I'd be inclined to pop that out the proper way with grinding, a stud gun, and painting. I'd probably charge you $800-$1000 for that. With that being said see if you can get a quote from a paintless dent repair company; they use a hi-power vacuum and a suction cup to pull the dent out instead of the traditional way. Since no real bodywork is required it's worlds cheaper.

On to the tranny. Get documentation for ALL MAJOR REPAIRS. I keep all the receipts from all the major work I've had done that I couldn't do myself due to time constraints or what-have-you. Also with 216k on the clock you'll want to ask about timing belt, water pump, etc. It's all the newbie guide I posted the link to at the beginning of this post. Good luck!

 

I really think the rebuilt trans is worth something. Without that I'd expect to pay $2000 or less. The 12v 2.8 is Audi's most reliable engine by far. It'll go a long long long time as long as the oil is changed regularly. When I worked at the dealer there were plenty of 12v's that came through with well over 200k miles. Usually only for a head gasket or egr related issue. Other than that they are like tanks.... I remember an old 12v A6 that was serviced regularly by us came through with like 456k miles! I got to drive it home to the customer after it's SECOND head gasket, and it was like butter.

 

OP - don't restrict your search to your immediate area. If you get the wrong (ie neglected or abused) A4 it will make you want to throw yourself off a tall building. If you have to travel an hour or two for the "right" car it'll be worth it. Everyone replying thus far is spot-on.

I'm honestly quite sure you can bring up a whole slew of members who didn't do their due diligence in selecting the car. Just type "oh ****!!!" into the Search bar - their terrified/suicidal posts will probably come up.

 

i loled for a whole minute

 

I was one of those members I didn't do my due diligence when searching because I was so pumped to get my own car finally. I test drove it once then bought it. Shortly thereafter the car took me to the cleaner's with a $1270 repair bill for a new wheel bearing and complete new back brakes. Longer story short: be careful and get that **** checked out thoroughly by a mechanic AND a tranny guy since it was recently rebuilt. Don't shoot yourself in the foot like I did.