The Hunt

Seek..

Surely the best part of any purchase is the hunt, tracking down that 911, that 911 Part, or more broadly in this instance, something to put on the Driveway. Not knowing what you want to hunt can really put a dampener on that experience. With the prospect of the 4Runner being collected any day soon, and subsequently being without a Car at all, the hunt took on more of a frenzied pot shot at the usual go to Car Classified Websites.

I calmed myself, this was an opportunity, not a chore. I like a V6, I like a German Car, I like 4WD, I need to be able to get a Bike in the back.

I had owned a couple of VW Mk5 Golf R32, but the styling wrapped around a 50 Year Old Man [me] would be incongruous; I needed something less conspicuous, less aggressive, but equally as interesting on the road. After a brief and somewhat delusional muse at Audi S4 Avant listings, I found the limited release A3 Sport Quattro model. With 1,600 or so produced from 2003 to 2009, with a 3.2L VR6 Engine delivering 250BHP, mated to either a Direct Shift [DSG] or 6 Speed Manual Gearbox and putting some 250BHP to the deck via the Rally famous Quattro 4WD System, only 700 or so remained OTR / SORN. I narrowed my search to the half dozen or so that were on sale.

..and Ye Shall Find

There was one that stood out among the pack, with zero modifications, in a polite Silver, Blue Leather throughout, no Sunroof, 3 Previous Owners [Seller included], a Service History and 74K on the Clock. It was a DSG Model.

Everything looked clean, the Engine Bay looked tidy, the Photos had been taken with the intention of selling and presenting the Audi as well as possible. Moreover, the description read as though it was written by someone I could buy a car from; I sent the Seller a message..

Having successfully sent my Phone Number through, the Seller messaged me and we arranged a call the following day.

First Contact

Jakob, a Film & TV Set Carpenter, clearly loved the A3 and was keen to tell me of its history with him. The longer the Call went on, the more I felt that I had found the Car for me, it was quite ridiculous really, but sometimes things just seem right; right time, right place, right Seller.

A day or so later I was headed to East London for a Viewing and Test Drive, I had arranged 24H Insurance on the Audi and was armed with a Cloth, a Torch and a Clear Head to make sure I didn’t get emotionally involved, over excited about the prospect of buying the A3. Of course, I wanted the A3, I wanted it and I wanted it to be as good as the Phonecall with Jakob had been.

Jakob’s honesty about the condition, servicing, imperfections and flaws was so refreshing and made my inspection so much easier, anticipating that he wouldn’t be following me around the Car ready to play down any issue I found that he hadn’t already made me aware of. He told me of an issue with the Front OS CV Boot during our initial phonecall, it had split and spat Grease inside the Wheel and wheel arch. Looking closer, it seemed perished, which was odd given it had been replaced a few months prior, evidenced with an invoice from the A3’s regular Servicing Garage. Jakob had already booked the A3 in with them to have that rectified, and to find out what had happened that would explain the perishing of the new part. This was the action of someone who loved their Car, and who valued their honesty; it bolstered my trust in the purchase.

As for the rest of the inspection, everything was as expected with Fluids good, Paintwork and Bodywork as described, condition matching the Photos in the Advert. I started the engine and listened for any rattles or issues under the Bonnet, the low burble of the VR6 kicking in after a few moments of the engine warming. I had forgotten how calm they sounded.

Slipping into the Driver’s Seat, it was necessary to reverse off the frontage of Jakob’s workplace onto the Industrial Estate we had met at. Tick: Reverse works. And almost full lock too. Pulling away the DSG moved smoothly up through the Gears, resting in Fourth as we drove slowly to a T Junction, and turning left, down through a couple of Gears. It felt very good; no jolting, no struggling, no harsh changes. I did a few laps of the industrial estate which really gave me a chance to test all those manoeuvres that reveal something wrong or needing attention. There were Speed Bumps, Mini Roundabouts, Three Point Turns, long straight sections I could test the Acceleration and Brakes on and it felt great.

With the understanding that the outstanding CV Boot work would need to be completed, and Jakob’s insistence on investigating why it had happened, we agreed to chat once he had the A3 back. I was already planning which evening I would be able to return and drive the Audi home. I could barely hold that Poker Face.

Das Boot

So, what of the CV Boot..? Well, it turns out that Mechanics are human too, and it was simply a case of a mistake. Personal events meant that some confusion occurred and the wrong side CV Boot had been replaced and the perished one ignored. This had then failed catastrophically, almost expectedly. One Genuine Audi CV Boot later, fitted free of charge, and the confusion was corrected; the Audi was good to go.

We spoke on the Phone and cleared the CV Boot issue from our minds, it was now time to talk Brass Tacks. How much of the Asking Price was I going to offer..? What could I squeeze out of the Deal..? How low would Jakob be willing to go..??

I didn’t knock him down a Penny. The whole experience had been so damned good, so frank and so easy that I didn’t feel that it warranted me spoiling it “so I am going to off you your Full Asking Price, Jakob”. We had an understanding, a rapport, he had presented the Audi honestly and that was worth more than £50, or £100, or even £200. He knew this too. I transferred a Deposit and arranged to collect the following evening

Click & Collect

As I approached Jakob’s workplace, an Industrial Carpentry Warehouse, Jakob was out front hoovering a freshly washed Audi A3 Sport Quattro, it was quite something. Who washes a Car when they’re about to hand it over..? This level of honesty and sincerity is who.

I had arrived 20 or so minutes head of the DVLA Online Ownership Transfer window closing, so after a Balance transfer and a review of some paperwork [which included the CV Boot invoice], Jakob handed me the Keys and we walked outside to the A3.

We shook hands, I told him I would look after the A3, and I drove off into the East London evening. After a 98 RON Tank Fill, I wended my way down to the Thames, through the Blackwall Tunnel and on to the A2, then the M25 and finally the A21 to Tunbridge Wells. The Audi felt smooth, calm, quick and quiet all the way; it was perfect.

As the Sun finally set, the roads emptied, I pushed the Audi confidently to the Speed Limit, maybe above it just a little bit [wink] before arriving home and pulling onto the Driveway.

That was a Good Day.