2005 Audi TT Quattro

Purchase Details

Date: 2024-Feb-21
Location: IAAI in Mebane
Winning Bid: $400 Total Fees: $350.50
VIN: TRUUT28N551003598

The Joys

This was one of the few cars that I put in a very low bid on and expected to not win. It actually came through as the winning bid. Once repaired, this car was the closest to the platonic ideal of cheap public road fun. Fast enough, manageable problems, and open air. Needed a coil pack, and some hose replacements and a couple of body panels and paint. Easy to reassemble. This reinforced the idea that smaller cars are actually significantly more fun to work on. The simple reduction in space requirements for a garage, the lower cost of parts as the overall material usage is lower, and the reduction in components from something as simple as 2 doors and two seats means ousized reductions in work loads.Was able to coordinate with the previous owner and return the custom plate placeholder to them. Convertibles are truly great fun in central north carolina in every season except summer.

The Struggles

Of all the vehicles in this list this was probably the most straightforward to repair. That may be a function of expertise developed, as this was 10+ vehicles into the process. On the other hand, diagnosis of the issue did take a few test drives. Ultimately needed to be sold while it was still running as it started to feel like the motor mounts were about to give way. This led to thumping under acceleration and a difficult time shifting into gear occasionally. Copart ruined this process by terminating the delivery agreement. The delivery agreement was for something similar to the other locations like $85-$105. After purchase they said they would not deliver. No explanation, no alternative, just that they would not deliver it. I had to pay approximately $400 to a separate delivery company to get it to my location, which is close to the winning bid amount.