# Salvaged Mk3 worth while?



## Hoskyn (Jul 7, 2015)

I am looking to buy a TT and appear to have two options available that are within my 15k budget. The first is I can buy a MK2 TT (preferably a 211ps black edition, Cat D that I have seen for sale) or I can go down a route that I am not experienced in, and that is buying a slightly damaged MK3.

This is the link to the MK3:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2015-AUDI-TT- ... SwZQRYYcrY

It is dented and scratched almost everywhere, but that does not bother me as it is just aesthetics and I can fix this over time and the damage that is on the car doesn't seem substantial enough to deter me, although I have yet to visit it or have it looked at by a professional.

Assuming I buy a second hand bumper, lights, fender and potentially the bonnet (subject to if it closes or is mangled) it should not be a terrible job to fix this up to a drivable standard within my budget? The drivers airbag shouldn't been too hard to replace although I am heavily unsure on the passenger side one.

I contacted the seller to ask if there has been any damage near the wheels as this looks like where most of the impact was in which they stated "Just wishbone is damaged on front and rear arm on rear wheel".

I am keen to hear your thoughts regarding this as if I can put 3k into the car and have it in a drivable state, I would rather pay that than to go for a Mk3 in an ideal world. I am aware there may be other potential problems that are not visible or stated although it does start and drive.

The car is sadly a few hours drive for me, hence the thread before I take the plunge to go a visit it. I only need it to become drivable, from there I will slowly over time have it back to mint condition.

Thank you.


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## EvilTed (Feb 5, 2016)

I am definitely no expert in this field but I'd be worried about the damage on the rear three quarter panels. In the good old days these were bonded to the roof so replacing them was not easy. Dunno about these modern buckets though.

The doors, front wings and front spoiler are bolt on so could presumably be replaced pretty easily, not sure how many second hand panels there are out there though, or at what cost?

Worth remembering that an insurance company wrote this off so fixing it properly isn't going to be cheap.


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

Only for the brave and for those who are not on a budget...


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

Two things would concern me about your intention:

1. You said, "I can go down a route that I am not experienced in . . . "

2. You're so unsure about doing this that you've had to ask on here.


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## mj989 (Dec 6, 2016)

you can refer to the diagram about the body structure.










and the different types of welding:


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

I've just had another look at the photos and I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
The company selling it probably only bought it for about 9K and it would probably cost more to repair than what it's worth on the used market nevermind £3K.
Even if it was a one year old TTS ( the tortoise model ) it would be hit and miss.Do yourself a favour and pretend you never saw it


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## blaird03 (Nov 9, 2013)

Save yourself the petrol money - if i was you


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## 90TJM (Sep 30, 2013)

Insurance companies should ensure cars like this are broken up as it just encourages a demand for stolen parts to repair them.


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## Shug750S (Feb 6, 2012)

Run away

Could be a money pit


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## Omychron (Sep 9, 2016)

Funny how the ad states "minor damage". What on earth do they consider as major damage then?? :roll:


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## tttony (Dec 21, 2014)

If you really know what you are doing and have the time and space it could be a worthwhile project PROVIDED that there is no structural damage. The worst/hardest part is the total replacement of the dash which is the only way to deal with the blown passenger airbag.

Bare in mind that, as yet, there are not many Mk3s in breakers for parts sources.


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## TerryCTR (Nov 12, 2009)

leopard said:


> I've just had another look at the photos and I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
> The company selling it probably only bought it for about 9K and it would probably cost more to repair than what it's worth on the used market nevermind £3K.
> Even if it was a one year old TTS ( the tortoise model ) it would be hit and miss.Do yourself a favour and pretend you never saw it


I resent that comment, we cant all get crazy fantastic deals on dealer stock terrapins


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

TerryCTR said:


> leopard said:
> 
> 
> > I've just had another look at the photos and I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
> ...


This is true but the car in question is the gastropod version, aka, a snail.

Consult the forum Guru..he knows more :lol:


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## ReTTro fit (Nov 9, 2014)

Passenger airbag is a complete dash replacement

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 4433allanr (Mar 11, 2016)

I think you've got your answer, buy a tidy mk2 and enjoy.


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## TerryCTR (Nov 12, 2009)

Driveable with good tread on that front passenger side tyre. Stick with the Mk2 for sure


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## Reasty (Feb 6, 2015)

Slight damage! :lol: they are not talking about the same car we are looking,the car we are looking at needs a shit load of money throwing at it including a new dashboard,I'm sure someone on here would be interested in the matrix lights tho,the rest is scrap,stay away from it,it's probably been ragged within an inch of its life to end up in that state so soon in the first place.


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## Omychron (Sep 9, 2016)

Reasty said:


> Slight damage! :lol: they are not talking about the same car we are looking,the car we are looking at needs a shit load of money throwing at it including a new dashboard,I'm sure someone on here would be interested in the matrix lights tho,the rest is scrap,stay away from it,it's probably been ragged within an inch of its life to end up in that state so soon in the first place.


That's what I was wondering too.
What on earth did they do to the car? It's got damage, well, everywhere.


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## Pat27 (Nov 24, 2016)

Unless you own a Body shop forget it, it'll need jigging plus it looks as if it may have front & rear suspension damage, There's a couple of wheels that are damaged , and it looks like the o/s headlamp is damaged


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## Demessiah is back (Dec 16, 2016)

leopard said:


> Even if it was a one year old TTS ( the tortoise model ) it would be hit and miss.


OP should do himself a favour and wait for a wrecked TTRS. Even a one wheeled RS would humble the rest of the range for both speed and style!


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

Demessiah is back said:


> leopard said:
> 
> 
> > Even if it was a one year old TTS ( the tortoise model ) it would be hit and miss.
> ...


Wise words Yogi.

I have already referred one of the unwashed for your delectation


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

Demessiah is back said:


> leopard said:
> 
> 
> > Even if it was a one year old TTS ( the tortoise model ) it would be hit and miss.
> ...


Put another record on it's becoming boring.

Sent from my iPhone so this is what Autocorrect thinks I mean.


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## Edinburra (Aug 19, 2016)

ZephyR2 said:


> Demessiah is back said:
> 
> 
> > leopard said:
> ...


+1


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## KevC (Jul 12, 2016)

Omychron said:


> Reasty said:
> 
> 
> > Slight damage! :lol: they are not talking about the same car we are looking,the car we are looking at needs a shit load of money throwing at it including a new dashboard,I'm sure someone on here would be interested in the matrix lights tho,the rest is scrap,stay away from it,it's probably been ragged within an inch of its life to end up in that state so soon in the first place.
> ...


I doubt it's been ragged. With damage largely down the sides I reckon someone's squashed them in to the central reservation by not looking over their shoulder before pulling out. Having said that, the camber on all 4 wheels looks shot, the left rear isn't in the middle of the wheelarch, multiple painted body panels and the airbags mean it needs a lot more than 3k spent on it. And then presumably it's really hard to insure for a decent amount and very hard to sell too. False economy.

Go Mk2.


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## 4433allanr (Mar 11, 2016)

If you had Ed China at your disposal, maybe...otherwise, no way.


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

It's beyond Ed China,get Fuzz Townshend on the phone


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

Still boring.

Sent from my iPhone so this is what Autocorrect thinks I mean.


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## 4433allanr (Mar 11, 2016)

leopard said:


> It's beyond Ed China,get Fuzz Townshend on the phone


Haha.


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## Blackhole128 (Dec 24, 2015)

KevC said:


> I doubt it's been ragged. With damage largely down the sides I reckon someone's squashed them in to the central reservation by not looking over their shoulder before pulling out.


I reckon that's spot-on. Definite Armco marks on the driver's side and a heavy front left impact.


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## fahdriyami (Sep 14, 2016)

I would go for the MK2 since that is an alternative option.

You simply can't trust these sellers. But if you're determined, get a shop (hopefully you know someone) to properly and professionally assess the damage first. Losing a little money on this assessment could save you a lot in the long run, especially if you reach a point where you've invested too much into the car to do anything else with it.

Good luck either way!


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## Blackhole128 (Dec 24, 2015)

Found a replacement dash complete with two airbags on eBay - was just over £1k for it. Was in Poland. I wonder whether their parts sources are legit? Always make me wonder if that's how stolen cars end-up.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-TT-2015- ... SwGjpXTWCJ

Sounds like the MK3 would be a money pit and you'd never recoup the price you paid for it.


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## Demessiah is back (Dec 16, 2016)

Are the mk3's component protected? I bet they are and in that case it would be a nightmare getting the replacement parts working. Especially if they are from chopped cars in eastern europe.


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## GoodThunder (Jul 19, 2016)

From what I see, I'd say this mk3 must be written off and scrapped.
Avoid by any cost. 
Go for something you can just jump in and drive.


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## mj989 (Dec 6, 2016)

Blackhole128 said:


> Found a replacement dash complete with two airbags on eBay - was just over £1k for it. Was in Poland. I wonder whether their parts sources are legit? Always make me wonder if that's how stolen cars end-up.
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-TT-2015- ... SwGjpXTWCJ
> 
> Sounds like the MK3 would be a money pit and you'd never recoup the price you paid for it.


I guess those come as a leftover from UK -> EU conversion. a UK salvaged car is bought by a Polish dealer at a good price (consider the GBP/EUR rate is very attractive) who then converts the steering wheel to the other side (from a local salvaged parts, or imported from US - cars are normally cheaper there (maybe not at current USD fx.rate..)), paints all nice and makes a profit still...

In the end such fixed car will run nice for a few months, but I believe will develop a ton of rattles later and rust will come out in a year or so.. I would avoid it also..


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## Dreams1966 (Oct 27, 2014)

Hi mate,

I have bought a couple of repaired recorded cars in the past and they have been fine. With this one however I'd be VERY nervous as the seller is very keen to point out the damage as minor and then states that the car is a Cat C near the bottom of the advert...

This is NOT minor damage as the RAC define it as "Vehicles written off after an accident, a flood, or fire damage are often classified as Cat C. In its simplest form, it means that although the car is repairable, the cost of the parts & labour would significantly exceed the value of the vehicle."

Also if a Cat C is repaired it will need to have a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) before it can be placed back on the road, these checks are carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

I think a nice MK2 would be a better bet... I loved my MK2 V6 Roadster.

Good Luck


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## Hoskyn (Jul 7, 2015)

I would love to reply individually to all, but I fear it would be a massive post.

Thank you so much for all your replies. Each one was extremely helpful. I went into this with extreme doubts and you have all helped further clarify the reasons why I should avoid this. I think I will be going for a lovely MK2 and enjoy it as it should be!

I really appreciate all your helpful comments and thoughts on this and I can safely say that I have since stopped watching this car and have no intention of going for it. Thank you all!


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## ROBH49 (Jun 13, 2013)

Hoskyn said:


> I would love to reply individually to all, but I fear it would be a massive post.
> 
> Thank you so much for all your replies. Each one was extremely helpful. I went into this with extreme doubts and you have all helped further clarify the reasons why I should avoid this. I think I will be going for a lovely MK2 and enjoy it as it should be!
> 
> I really appreciate all your helpful comments and thoughts on this and I can safely say that I have since stopped watching this car and have no intention of going for it. Thank you all!


Good luck with the search Hoskyn Let us know how you get on and post some pic`s when you find the right one.


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## Stehanson (Jun 19, 2016)

I saw that one myself few days ago.

Very light damage he says near the top, at the bottom he shows its a cat c write off, not even a cat d.

Walk on right past it, you can't see all the damage remember. You WILL spend more than the cars value new!!


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## Hoskyn (Jul 7, 2015)

Stehanson said:


> I saw that one myself few days ago.
> 
> Very light damage he says near the top, at the bottom he shows its a cat c write off, not even a cat d.
> 
> Walk on right past it, you can't see all the damage remember. You WILL spend more than the cars value new!!


I thought the exact same with regards to the description. " VERY VERY EASY BOLT UP DIY REPAIRABLE DAMAGE" is what they state and I am no expert but if it was that simple I feel as though it would be cat D, not cat C!

I think unless as others said, I have a lot of room and time or a lot of money to throw at it, it's simply not worth while. I will stick to a MK2 that I know isn't wrecked


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## carrock (Mar 17, 2011)

Hoskyn said:


> Stehanson said:
> 
> 
> > I saw that one myself few days ago.
> ...


Its a car that will owe you £25k by the time its finished and will be worth £17k tops due to its Cat D status.

You'd need to be a workaholic with his own Bodyshop, a penchant for unpaid overtime and lots of patience to even think about taking this on.

That advert is borderline fraudulent.


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## Wak (May 6, 2002)

Being that its a mk3 it's relatively new and would have a high value associated to it no?

So surely if the insurance made it uneconomical to repair it's going to cost a shedload more than 3k to repair and if they wrote it off at this age and current model it's a bigger task than you think !


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

Hi there Wak, surprised to see you on the Mk 3 forum, didnt think you left the Mk1


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## Wak (May 6, 2002)

deeve said:


> Hi there Wak, surprised to see you on the Mk 3 forum, didnt think you left the Mk1


not yet  but like to read about issues and questions outside of my comfort zone sometimes! :roll:

And this wasnt specifically a question about a mk3 as much the opinions of trying to rebuild a newly written off car. [smiley=gossip.gif]


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

Wak said:


> deeve said:
> 
> 
> > Hi there Wak, surprised to see you on the Mk 3 forum, didnt think you left the Mk1
> ...


Yep,stick around Wak, it's good to see you on the Third floor


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