Viewing 36 posts - 1 through 36 (of 36 total)
  • Selling car – worth repairing minor rust?
  • cheers_drive
    Full Member

    I’m going to sell my 10 year old, 125,000 mile Audi A3 in the next couple of months. Judging by Autotrader it’s worth 3-4k, generally in good to v.good condition apart from some rust bubbling on one wheel arch.
    Is it worth spending £500 on getting the rust repaired or just sell which will obvious lower it’s value and may make it harder to sell?

    hora
    Free Member

    The problem is will the repair look exactly like all the other arches post-repair?

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    I’d hope so.

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    fanatic278
    Free Member

    If it is less than 10 years old then Audi will fix the rust for free. I’ve had three VWs fixed under warranty – 4 new wheel arches, 1 new boot lid and 1 resprayed boot lid. They mostly just replace the panel with a new one. The respray needs redoing.

    hora
    Free Member

    The problem is it’d look better, if it looked better I’d worry that corner has had a accident repair from an accident etc and how good the repair was. Catch-22 in a way- any pics?

    I buy privately and I’d prefer an honest car (to a degree).

    On balance I’d get a Chips away round too to have a look. If he/she can do it for £150 all in and also buff up the other arches. Why not?

    £500 I presume is a proper job not a cosmetics. You are selling not keeping. Even if you were keeping would you spend £500? I wouldn’t.

    core
    Full Member

    I’d be f****d if I was spending £500 to get some bubbling on a wheel arch done, find a local bodyshop, they’ll do it for much less, or, just leave it, doubt it’ll detract £500 off the value!

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    i wouldnt.

    its an old car – old cars have cosmetic issues.

    even a chips away repair wouldnt sway me as they will fix the exterior .

    when im rooting round a car a fingers under the arches will give your repair away straight off as esp on VW/Audis the bubbling on the outside ofthe arch is the later stages – the innersides usually worse.

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    fanatic278 – Member
    If it is less than 10 years old then Audi will fix the rust for free. I’ve had three VWs fixed under warranty – 4 new wheel arches, 1 new boot lid and 1 resprayed boot lid. They mostly just replace the panel with a new one. The respray needs redoing.

    Audi used a paint thickness measuring device and said that it had been previously repaired in that area so it’s not covered. Must have been repaired by the previous owner – I bought it a 6 years old. The paint device picked up a repair that I had done in another area so I took his word for it.

    £500 was a based on some googling, maybe it would be less.

    MrNice
    Free Member

    the £500 is to replace the wing and re-spray? if the rust is bubbling up then I agree it’s likely worse inside and you’ll need to replace the panel

    fanatic278
    Free Member

    Audi used a paint thickness measuring device and said that it had been previously repaired in that area so it’s not covered. Must have been repaired by the previous owner – I bought it a 6 years old. The paint device picked up a repair that I had done in another area so I took his word for it.

    In which case I wouldn’t bother. How about touching it up yourself?

    peakyblinder
    Free Member

    I’d say leave it or break the bondo out!
    (pro tip: never buy a car off me).

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    Some photos of the rust, it’s gotten worse since I last looked at it a month ago.
    [url=https://flic.kr/p/raY7Vw]20150414_100301[/url] by Cheers Drive, on Flickr
    [url=https://flic.kr/p/s7UYzB]20150414_100239_HDR[/url] by Cheers Drive, on Flickr
    [url=https://flic.kr/p/s7Q8oQ]20150414_100252[/url] by Cheers Drive, on Flickr

    peakyblinder
    Free Member

    that actually is quite bad – I have a 30 year old peugeot with less rust than that. Would probably make me think “Accident in the past”.

    So yeah, bondo and rattle can or find someone cheap to fix it up.

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    The bit it the last picture has got much worse recently, I think look to get it fixed as I wouldn’t want to spend £3.5 k on a car with rust

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    looks exactly as my 10 year old golf did on the arches – i wouldnt be so convinced of an acccident. also your sill plate is going there on both ends as well as missing a bolt.

    peugeot bodywork does last well in comparison.

    I wouldn’t want to spend £3.5 k on a car with rust 10 year old run of the mill car

    then theres the just sold my car to someone whos spent their savings on their shiny new audi just to find mr bondos been at it and the repairs failed in months…..

    peakyblinder
    Free Member

    Rust on multiple surfaces in the same area and bolts missing, on a car that should be in a bodywork warranty period – and you wouldn’t think “Accident” maybe? Given the number of A3’s for sale I wouldn’t bother with a viewing.

    I never said bondo was permanent or ethical!

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    all im saying is vw audi cars are not renound for their non rust properties…..

    they rusty quite badly and always have ime …..although i live in the equivalent of the american rust belt.

    infact they used to warrenty wings often backs that up…..

    issue probably lies in a have ago hero doing a repair on there the first time the rust came to light instead of following the proper procedure of warrenty.

    remember – bondo doesnt rust 🙂

    peakyblinder
    Free Member

    ..and rust never sleeps! (I also have an old VW so I’m basically locked in a never ending battle with the brown foe).

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    i have an old land rover – i know the feeling all too well…..

    breatheeasy
    Free Member

    looks exactly as my 10 year old golf did on the arches – i wouldnt be so convinced of an acccident

    Diesel by any chance? I think there’s a known problem with the wheel arches of Golfs circa 10 years old – the inners apparently were badly designed/fitted and rubbed the arches causing rust to get a hold. Wouldn’t be suprised the AUdi is the same.

    Sounds like it might have been ‘fixed’ already.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    nah 1.4 petrol.

    all 4 arches. started on the inside by the time you see it bubbling on the outside your about 3 years too late to remedy it with any effect for reasonable money.

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    £3.5k for a 10yo Audi? Blimey, either used car prices have gone up massively or someone needs to realign their expectations!

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    My brother and I replaced the wings on his Mercedes yesterday. The car is largely rust free apart from the front wings. When I my Land Rover needed some parts from a breakers recently I spied an E class Merc in the same colour with recently replaced wings in the same colour. We snaffled the headlamps too as the lenses were opaque. Total cost £80 for the parts and about an hour and half to fit them. Job done.

    Id have a look on ebay for some good wings in your colour and swap them rather than trying to repair the already rusty ones. They are dead easy to replace.

    hora
    Free Member

    mcmoonter- yadda yadda yadda

    Nevermind that- nice Roller!!

    £3.5k for a 10yo Audi?

    thats not a bad price. They weren’t cheap new were they and secondhand they are still very popular at any age.

    DaveyBoyWonder
    Free Member

    You need to find another body shop. I’ve just paid £500 to get the entire drivers rear quarter of my T5 done as well as the rear bumper removed, repaired and repainted by a top quality body shop.

    For the front arch on an A3, couple of hundred tops, surely?

    andyl
    Free Member

    I have to say, for all the stick that Citroens and Peugeots get at least they don’t rust like VAGs and Mercs.

    mcmoonter – your clean bits stick out!

    edit: just saw the rust pics.

    Definitely go get a 2nd quote and if more reasonable do it. That will take away a lot of interest.

    Jason
    Free Member

    I had a mk4 Golf with similar rust, left it for ages as I thought it wasn’t worth fixing. It was only when I wanted to sell the car that I found I could buy a new sprayed wing from ebay for £100, and then I fitted it in an hour or two. It wasn’t a genuine wing, but the quality was fine, and the paint match was good. It was more than good enough to px the car. If I had been keeping the car longer I would have fitted a geniune VW part.

    I would guess those wings just bolt on so if you are mildly handy with spanners it should be easy to fit a new one. Have a look on youtube there is probably a video showing how to do it.

    andyl
    Free Member

    Like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-A3-04-08-DRIVER-SIDE-O-S-WING-PRE-PAINTED-TO-ANY-STANDARD-SHADE-/291359277152?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43d65dc060

    I would normally rather get a 2nd hand genuine part than a pattern part due to fit and quality but that ^ might be an option.

    Possible match here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BREAKING-AUDI-A3-FSI-2-0-O-S-WING-MIRROR-WILL-FIT-TDI-SPORT-BREAKING-FOR-PARTS-/261846796585?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cf7490929

    A lot of repair places will happily source and paint a 2nd hand original body part instead of buying in cheap pattern parts or expensive new original ones. Keeps the insurance costs down and can sometimes be the difference of a repair or a write-off.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    now thats fixing it kind of moneys.

    500 quid is ludracris but 100 quid to replace it is good tackle. youll lose more than 100 quid on the car as is…..

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    mcmoonter – your clean bits stick out!

    It’s my brother’s car. He took it through a car wash on the way home, he said the colour match was pretty good once all the mud was washed off the rest of the car.

    Tallpaul
    Full Member

    Don’t bother repairing it. Certainly not with a new panel bought from eBay!

    It’s 10 years old and done 125k. Buyers will expect some cosmetic problems.

    The issue here is not the condition of the car, it’s the OP’s expectation on value. It’s not worth £4k. It’s probably worth £3k, but I’d be surprised if it sells quickly if you advertise it for more than this.

    FYI, I just chopped in a 10 year old Golf Mk5 in GT spec but <100k miles. Same rust issue. It’s trade in value was £2k. Add £500 for private sale and 10% premium for the Audi badge and I’d be very surprised to see much more than £2750-£3000 for any A3 of the same age, irrespective of spec, unless it’s low mileage and/or MINT (of which the OP’s is neither).

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    £500 was a guess based on googling. I’ve just been to the local body shop and they said £250 to dress and paint or £380 for a new wing.
    However, having had a closer look all round the car the drivers side is also showing the signs of beginning to rust, arggghh!!

    The first link that Andy sent might be an option, time to find out how much work is involved in doing it myself.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Trade in ? I dont see the cost of the repair being recouped here.

    monkeysfeet
    Free Member

    its a shame VW won’t repair it. My brother in law has just had both wings done on his 05 Bora rplaced by VW. the soundproofing stuff they use in the underside of the wings retains water causing the wings to rust from the inside out. His was a recall too and he was the 2nd owner.

    agent007
    Free Member

    For £250 I’d get it done. Think you’ll find it hard to sell for a decent price with that amount of rust in place. First thing I’d be thinking as a potential buyer is ‘well if he’s let the rust get that bad, what else has he neglected’?

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    In the end I didn’t repair the rust and put it on Gumtree and the local Facebook selling group for £3k and sold it 3 the second viewer for £2900. Considering the rust on 2 wheel arches I don’t think that’s bad.

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