Jeff_DML

My A4 is about to have it 3rd birthday if a few weeks and since the warranty is over I was thinking of doing some more mods. No more fighting the dealer anymore;-)

Anyways I currently have a 1.8T FWD manual with the following mods.
-Clear corners
-Neuspeed sport springs, bilstein shocks
-17" Tsw Imola Rims

Basically the car looks and sounds pretty close to stock. I have got nothing but compliments about it too.

What I want to get now is exhaust and a boost guage. To me these changes make a big difference to the car. The gauge will make it look pretty ricey and the exhaust will make it loud for the average car buyers.

Here is the question for people who have sold there modified A4s.
1. Did you sell it as is or try to restore it back to stock? Gauge would be easy to remove, exhaust not
2. Where alot of potentail buyers turrned off by the mods, i.e. was your car difficult to sell?

My girlfriend needs a new car before me so I dont know when I will get a new car.

TIA
Jeff

Jim

I would think that a lot of people would ASSUME that the car was driven harder than the average non-modded car. I personally would tend to believe that if the car was in good condition, the enthusiast who owned also maintained it to a high standard. However, there are WAY MORE regular people (read: car buyers) out there than there are true car enthusiasts. Keep in mind though - A stock car will appeal to anybody who is interested, a modded car will only appeal to those who actually like your choices in mods. Personally, while I drive a modified 93 S4, I would prefer to buy it the way I bought it (unmodified) rather than modified. In addition, you will probably not even come close to recovering the money you spent on the mods if you sell them on the car. You will get better value by selling them separately.

Dr. Mike

Hello,

This depends on many factors, as Jim points out there are more people that want a plain-Jane A4 they can depend on than a full-blown racer.

Where you diverge is probably not too far from most modded cars here:

Wheels-add value, so long as you aren't running 19s or 20s (ack!) or have really gaudy tastes, the A4 looks more attractive (IMHO) with 17s or 18s.

Simple mods-chip/exhaust/filter-if your car is past the warranty, and the "normal" buyer doesn't notice a difference (too loud exhaust, etc.) and you fill them in to how to care for things, it should be no problem, but don't expect added value here. So long as you've taken care of the car, the motor has a long and happy life left, and therefore only answer the questions the buyer (assume plain-Jane) asks. Don't brag about 1/4 mile performance, or how you drifted the last curve at your recent Auto-x, that will decrease value to most buyers.

Major mods: KO4, other bigger turbos, intercoolers, you either have to revert to stock, or you are really limiting your potential market for a buyer.

In addition, it also depends on where you advertise. If its the local paper, people will expect a reliable car that is stock-next to stock. If you want to sell a full-blown racer, the back of a Motorsports mag would be a better bet.

In summary, simple appearance mods and a cool exhaust may add slightly to the price. Middle of the road mods, nothing at all. Full-blown mods will add if the right person buys it.

I sold a 96 Integra GS-R for 2k over book to someone who wanted a used racer. I had all my own service records and a history of timeslips, plus did a full check of compression, voltage, and an extensive test drive to prove all was still running strong.

Good luck!

Mike

phatAudi

especially with major engine mods. People are skeptical and concerned with engines which have been messed with. But minor things such as exhausts, add-on bodykits, or rims do not hurt the resale value. But you will not get the money you put into the car back. Don't expect to sell the car for more simply because there are mods added. Most of the time, it'll be more worth it to take off all the mods possible and switch it back to stock. Then sell the parts separate.

James R.

I sold my 99 for a pretty penny...to a person who never even so much as drove it. He decided he wanted it from pictures and a dealer inspection...then on the truck it went I think he paid nearly $2000 just to ship it from Cali to New-York, he couldn't have been happier when he got it...the car was in mint condition. Here's what it looked like...I actually got 500 more than that for all the effort involved in getting it certified...on the truck etc.

This was the for sale add...

http://www.geocities.com/jrpsl

Regards,

James R.

2001 A4 1.8TQMSXP (StopTech A4 Brake System, StopTech SS Front - AWE SS Rear Lines, Oettinger Pedal Set + Dead, Oettinger RE's 17x8, Yoko AVS Sports 225/45/R17, European Xenon Housings, Bailey BPV & RS4 Grill)