# TT for free free



## soccerbrace (Aug 17, 2011)

Hey everyone! I just picked up my TT for FREE about 1 week ago and I am learning all about it. Here is a pic:



















I have tons of questions, but I know that I have to use the search function. I am looking forward to being part of this community- the bloody Yank


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## davelincs (Jan 1, 2010)

Hi Soccerbrace, welcome to the forum


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## AwesomeJohn (Apr 25, 2006)

Hi, welcome to the forum. How did you get a free TT? DId you steal it and is that why your plates are missing? :lol:


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## soccerbrace (Aug 17, 2011)

Well I had a budget of about 5000-6500 and I was looking for a Subaru. All of the Subarus that I saw seemed like they were overpriced by about 1500 more than I felt they were worth. I saw this TT for sale for 6k, so I called the owner and asked her if I test drove it and I liked it, would she come down to 5500 and she said yes. Then I text her and asked her if it had been in an accident ever, and if the timing belt had been done. She said that she didn't know what a timing belt is, and that it had been in an accident, but she would come down to 5k. I said ok, and we arranged for a test drive.

I got there and the girl selling it must've been 17 years old, and the sister must've been 19. They were both blonde and had absolutely no clue about the car, and could not answer a thing about it. I checked out the front bumper where the accident had taken place and it just seemed like she didn't know about how close she was to a concrete parking lot stop. When I asked why she is selling the car, the 17 year old said "because I can't drive a stick" So I said ok, and we went for a test drive. The 19 year old got in the car.

As I was backing out, reverse felt a little weird. So did first, and when I put it into second, and stepped on the gas, the RPM went up but the speedometer did not. I got on the interstate and I could not get past 60MPH. I looked over at her and said "the clutch is going out" and she shook her head yes. I get off at the next exit so we could head back on the interstate. When I am waiting for the on ramp light, the car was reeking of burnt clutch. I asked her "why didn't you tell me it needed a clutch?" She said that she lives in Vegas, and it is her sister's car.

We get back into the neighborhood, and it won't go into second. I tell the 19year old to call the 17 year old to pick us up. She calls, and tells the 17 year old to come and the 17 year old tells her mom what happened. While she was on her way, I was finally able to get it into gear. I started it in first and drove back to their house in first.

When I got there, the mother comes out and asks, "is that all that's wrong with it?" referring to the clutch. I reply, "well, the clutch will be about 2000, the bumper will be about 11-1200 after paint, and the timing belt will be about 1300, and there are tons of little knick knacks that are wrong inside". She asked "how much is it worth to you?" and I simply just gave her an i'm not interested shrug. She said, "tell you what, if you want it, you can have it" And that was it!

I couldn't believe it! The glove box (amongst a few other things) was messed up. I finally was able to get inside the glove box and recover a few maintenance records. There was a phone number on there, and I called it. It was the previous owner. He happened to be a mechanic too. The car has 152K on it, and he told me that the timing belt was done at 115K so I still have a while before that needs to be done. It turns out that the car had been sold to the girl 130 miles and 3 weeks ago. I asked how the clutch was working before she got it. He told me that it was working fine. I told him that it is totally burned out now and we both had a good laugh.

I have since ordered nearly every knick knack that was wrong with it including: slave cylinder, clutch master cylinder, clutch, and flywheel. Awaiting parts, then I can install it.


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## AwesomeJohn (Apr 25, 2006)

Great story!


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## T3RBO (Dec 9, 2003)

I'm sorry but that sounds like you ripped off two young girls and their mother because they knew nothing about cars... Quoting 2k for a clutch, 1.2k for painting a bumper and 1.3k for the cambelt seems excessive!


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## Darklien (Mar 5, 2011)

A bit unsavoury IMHO but if you have worries about conning those young girls and their mother then happy motoring. On the other side it is down to the owners to agree the sale, no one forced them to sell/give away the car!

Hopefully they have learnt a very harsh lesson as a result of this experience.


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## Smeds (Oct 28, 2009)

He's talking dollars so may not be that far from the truth. He said he wasn't interested and the mother said to just take it, seems fair to me.


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## soccerbrace (Aug 17, 2011)

Yeah, 1300 dollars is what Audi would charge, and even more for the clutch. The bumper will cost what I was saying it would cost. They told me to take it. I did not take advantage of two young girls. They told me to take the car off their hands before it got towed. The mother told me that I am doing them a favor.


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## Smeds (Oct 28, 2009)

More importantly, were they fit?


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## soccerbrace (Aug 17, 2011)

Smeds said:


> More importantly, were they fit?


Fit? As in were they pretty? I am in the U.S. so I am not sure that I understand your slang haha. If you mean are they cute, then yes, the youngest one was. haha

I feel I need to add that at least once a week, I stop and help someone whether it be needing a jump, or changing a tire, or towing them to safety, or letting them make a phone call. I have always asked myself when all this doing good is going to come back to me. This donned on me when she OFFERED it to me free. Please do not try to make me feel bad about accepting something that was offered to me.


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

haha, crazy! 

Welcome aboard.


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## T3RBO (Dec 9, 2003)

soccerbrace said:


> They told me to take the car off their hands before it got towed. The mother told me that I am doing them a favor.


To me it seemed like you scared them with a 4.5k bill to make it roadworthy, so they said just take it :?

But if that wasn't the case then fair enough... welcome


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## soccerbrace (Aug 17, 2011)

T3RBO said:


> soccerbrace said:
> 
> 
> > They told me to take the car off their hands before it got towed. The mother told me that I am doing them a favor.
> ...


It is true that there would have been about $3300 U.S. dollars in very near maintenance in repairs. Additionally, I would have absolutely talked them down quite a bit. I am a tough cookie when it comes to buying cars because I know what needs to be done, and when, and what problems to look for on certain models. Either way, I didn't want the car honestly. I have a project truck at home and I really wanted a daily driver so I could focus on that. While I was on the test drive, the clutch just happened to fail. As I mentioned before she offered it to me. I was going to walk away carless, but I was offered a free car. Please let it be clear that I was going to walk away when it was offered to me. 

Thanks for the welcomes!


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## C.J (Mar 24, 2009)

Welcome.

So this girl just lost 5k in 3 weeks?

An interesting story, and I can't imagine that even happening in the UK.


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## Chris**** (Aug 9, 2011)

Do you think they knew it was a manual? Hence the burnt clutch 

Bet the daughter got a right mouthful from the mother :lol:

Welcome


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## itfben (May 13, 2011)

Quality story! He did not ask for it free he was offered it, i woulda taken it free. They wasted a lot of his time! And they clearly needed rid. Win win all round.


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

Good effort! Clearly she really couldn't drive a manual. Not even Les could burn out a clutch that quickly!

Well if you weren't looking for another project you might have done well to stay clear of this forum - it won't be long before you start picking up ideas of what to do to it. Can't believe I'm the first to say it, but it needs lowering . . .


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## denviks (Sep 5, 2011)

welcome to the club...... great story.


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## adamholland31288 (Nov 8, 2011)

so why are the reg plates missing again? lol


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## boydward (Oct 3, 2011)

Result !! Welcome to the forums.


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