Worth it? RS6 Fixer

RS6_fixer_2
What if we told you you could get your hands on an Audi RS6 for $14,900? That’s 444hp out of a twin-turbo V8 with only 20k miles on it. What’s the catch? The catch comes in what they don’t tell you.

Sold As Is, Theft Recovery, Engine Work Needed, Light Body Work, Left Front Fender Dmg,

…is all they tell us about what we’re potentially up against. Were this a 73 Nova, that’s like a weekend worth of work. But we’re talking about two turbos, five valves per cylinder and an all-aluminum front clip, meaning even the smallest repairs are no small issue.

Looks good from this angle
Looks good from this angle

For reference, the book price to replace the (liquid-filled) engine mounts on the lesser 2.7T A6 is over $3k. That’s just for starters. You’re easily looking at $10-20k worth of repairs depending on what “engine work” is needed.
A Slushbox? Really?
A Slushbox? Really?

Upon initial consideration, we shrugged these concerns off and gave in to the persuasive “dude: RS6 ,$15k” argument. But what’s really giving us pause is the knowledge that for all your efforts (or more accurately, some dude named Hans’ efforts and your blank check), you’ll be rewarded with a car in a shade we can only describe as “Old Guy Blazer Blue” equipped with an automatic. The C5 A6 style is classy and restrained, but also a little dated. Your hard-won prize could easily be taken for some Best Buy manager’s 2.8 V6 with a body kit and some phat rimz, yo.
Dude: carbon fiber engine cover
Dude: carbon fiber engine cover

On the other hand, “dude, RS6: $15k“.

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20 responses to “Worth it? RS6 Fixer”

  1. Jeff Glucker Avatar

    It cost over $700 to replace the fuel sending unit in my wife’s POS A4 1.8t…
    yet that engine might be impressive, say in clapped out 1982 BMW 633 CSi?

    1. jeremy! Avatar

      yes. do it. get a small business loan, a second mortgage, sell a kidney. oh wait.. the csi is still a slushbox!

  2. jeremy! Avatar

    upon closer inspection, id be pressed to think those inter-coolers came out unscathed in what ever adventures this car has taken.
    not to mention the fact that audi shoves there engines so far forward that any front end damage would more then very painful.
    but then again… twin-turbo v8. the man-verses-himself literary technique is back again.

  3. engineerd Avatar
    engineerd

    These always seemed to be a decent sleeper to me. The styling is, nowadays, a bit bland and boring. That engine is anything but.
    Though, I’m not sure it’s worth the pain and agony to get it back into decent shape. Maybe someone with a bigger bank account and more patience should take this on.

  4. The Old Man Avatar
    The Old Man

    And, when you are done, you have a very pricey car with a salvage title. Good luck when it gets stolen, wrecked, or you have to sell it to pay for your kid’s college.

  5. Tom A. Avatar

    Oh how I love the RS6. It’s like a rhinoceros with some Gene Kelly DNA spliced in.

  6. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I’m big on that whole instant gratification thing, and there are plenty of Jag XJRs available for less than $20,000. Sure, you’re down 55hp, and will probably end up costing you the same in the long run, but it’s just so damn charismatic.

  7. .357 Avatar
    .357

    I’m thinking Audi 5000 estate engine swap.

  8. Alfisted Avatar
    Alfisted

    I’m with Maymar. The Jag will still have enough power to get me in trouble, is prettier and won’t come with a black mark on its permanent record.

  9. Leeeeena Avatar
    Leeeeena

    I actually love the color, but I cannot get over the slushbox. I was starting to drool over the pictures, but stopped dead at the interior shot.
    The manual gearbox isn’t dying out! It can’t! *rocks back and forth in corner*

  10. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar

    D’you reckon there’s $14,400 worth of interior/body parts here?

    1. jeremy! Avatar

      dont even try, it will get the curse. i can almost guaranty it.

  11. jeremy! Avatar

    oh how right you are. i could not imagine trying to keep one alive with visible damage.

  12. pj134 Avatar
    pj134

    So all I need is an 840ci shell to put this in?

  13. superbadd75 Avatar
    superbadd75

    Damn, this is the second thing I’ve read today that makes me question getting rid of that old Fox “Stang!

  14. Formerlythegreatestdriver Avatar
    Formerlythegreatestdriver

    “Your hard-won prize could easily be taken for some Best Buy manager’s 2.8 V6 with a body kit and some phat rimz, yo.”
    That’s the best part, yo.

  15. Formerlythegreatestdriver Avatar
    Formerlythegreatestdriver

    This is annoying. Did you guys import some Jalopnik SW or something? Damn nibbles!

    1. Tim Odell Avatar
      Tim Odell

      It seems to be only you. Hitting submit more than once? Refreshing the page right after submitting? Running some kind of weird script.
      Also, I’ll just go ahead and delete that double-up.

  16. Bruno_JBSLima Avatar
    Bruno_JBSLima

    Perfect sleeper. When the guy in the E46 M3 thinks he’s had your best buy manager 2.8 V6 he’ll be surprised bi how much 450 horses and AWD can do

  17. Chris Perry Avatar
    Chris Perry

    I was considering buying this too until I called him. He told me the same thing and wouldnt take any less than what he was asking. I wouldnt do it because the guy said that they can’t even figure out what the issue is and they’ve been repairing vehicles for 30 yrs or something. He was like “I can’t find the source of the problem” which scares me to death. About a couple weeks ago I found an 07 RS4 with LIGHT body damage and ran flawlessly. All it needed was 3k and It would have been perfect again. It was all bolt on stuff too anyone could have fixed it. Guy sold it for 27k I guess he had a stroke and lost use of one of his hands so he couldnt fix her himself. Not too happy I missed out on that deal.