# Selling a modified car



## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

After 3 years of ownership I’m considering whether to move on or not.

I’m not going into my figures, however I’m struggling to put a price point on my car - I knew this day would come sometime!

I fully understand and recognise that I’ll never get back what I’ve put in, I knew this with each and every mod I did, I also recognise that my marketplace has been reduced considerably!

However, as a rule of thumb is there a percentage or any advice that could guide me?

For example, £10k of mods may reach £3k resell value?

I’d welcome any advice or tips, cheers!


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## Cookeh (Apr 27, 2017)

To the general public, £10k in mods will result in a net loss over a stock car. You might reach that £3k resell value if you happen to find an enthusiast whose looking for almost exactly your build - but as you yourself say, your market place is considerably reduced.

I know a few people that have spent £1k or so putting it back to almost stock, and they make far more money this way. You can resell the mods for more value than they'd be worth bolted to the car, and will get a larger resale market for the stock-ish car.


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

My immediate thought is what have you done, what are the mods?

I can see a mod that fixed a known manufacturing deficiency will be worth something.

Some bling thing you just fancied doing not so much.


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## Rappy (Oct 2, 2020)

I would share car details.

A bit hard to gauge without knowing more info.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Most of the guys on a car site i'm on, take off mods they can and put back on original OEM parts and then sell on the parts, they seem to get more that way


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Sad times Charlie. 

You’ll need to find an enthusiast if you want to sell your TTS as it is with all the lovely mods. I’m pretty sure a non-enthusiast wouldn’t pay more than a similar model standard car, if they were prepared to buy at all, so you need to reach out to those enthusiasts.

How much you’ll get for the mods is like the proverbial ‘how long is a piece of string’ I’m afraid. I would put emphasis on the condition of the car more so than the modifications (if you don't want to remove them) and would try the TT Forum and Pistonheads to reach like-minded people who will appreciate your car and the mods.

When I had my Mk1 TT I removed all the mods (coilovers, wheels & tyres, back seat delete kit, Liquid TT gauge etc etc) and sold the parts on the TT Forum for good money.

Looking on the bright side a new car brings a new enthusiasm and you can start all over again! :lol:

Alan W


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

If you're selling a modified car your market will be far smaller. You'd be waiting to find a very specific buyer, but they'll probably know they don't need to pay too much extra.

The advice is always you make more money taking the parts off and selling them individually.


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Thanks all, returning to OEM isn’t an option for me!

Most mods/upgrades here:

R-Tech stage 2+ ECU and DSG Tune (375BHP & 404lbs ft torque) March 2020
Wagner GEN2 Competition Intercooler @63.7K
Upgraded HPFP internals and OEM Cam follower March 2020
New Injectors March 2020
CTS Air Intake March 2020
Runner Flap Delete March 2020
RS4 Rail Pressure return valve March 2020
BCS Powervalve full sports cat exhaust March 2020
Upgraded Vagbremtechnic front and rear brakes with Brembo pads @61.5K
H&R Lowering springs, Top mounts, bearings @61.5K
H&R 5mm spacers to the front @61.5K
SuperPro Rear ARB @66.9K
SuperPro Front Anti Lift Bush Kit @66.9K
SuperPro Rear Trailing arm bushes @66.9K
Tyrol Sport Front and Rear Deadset Kits @66.9K
OEM Rear Anti Roll drop links @66.9K
Recaro PP seats – July 2020
P3 V3 Guage with Anaglogue @63.7K
Cloude9custom rear seat delete July 2020
BFI Schwarz Gear shifter August 2020
Alcantara door card inlays and central arm rest Jan 2021
Alcantara Trimmed steering wheel Jan 2021
Front splitter/fuel cap/Wing mirrors/rear valance all wrapped in Shadow Black Nov 2019
Painted Calipers (metallic gunmetal) Nov 2019
OEM RS Front grille
Rear lights upgrade/front lights smoked July 2020
Pioneer Headunit installed by 4Masters member (John Kleis of Reading) April 2019
OEM 19” Peelers July 2020
Genuine Audi rings and gecko puddle lights Jan 2021
Genuine Audi Footwell lights Jan 2021
Genuine Audi Door warning lights Jan 2021
Genuine Audi Door handle lights Jan 2021
All internal lights upgraded to LED Jan 2021
Number plate lights upgraded to LED Jan 2021
ECS Dipstick March 2019
Millers CFS 5W40 Nanodrive NT+ Oil


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

A couple of pics..pretty standard externally really just blacked!



















































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## bonelorry (Nov 11, 2009)

CharliesTTS said:


> Thanks all, returning to OEM isn't an option for me!
> 
> Most mods/upgrades here:
> 
> ...


Superb Spec, I have owned 3 x MK5 Golf Edition 30's and 2 x MK6 Golf R's...4 of the above where all R-Tech Tuned.

All of the above will certainly add some value and looking at the pictures it has been tastefully done with some very sought after parts and for anyone wanting to take a Stock TTS to Stage 2+ will no doubt save a fortune.

As you said returning to stock would be a big task and take considerable time.


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

With that list you need an enthusiast forum to get any premium on sale - I don't even know what half those things are.

A lot of people are happy with the standard car and won't pay a penny more for that lot, maybe even view them as negative (not their taste, boy racer/driven hard etc),


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Put it on pistonheads and hope there are a few tempted buyers who want the car 'as is'. If it's been carefully done and with decent gear it might well command a premium.


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## Rappy (Oct 2, 2020)

Good car & spec :thumb:

How many miles & MY?


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Thanks again to all! :thumb:

68.5k miles March 2011


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## andy665 (Nov 1, 2005)

Personally, I would suggest pitching it at roughly the same price as a non modified example.

You are appealing to a limited part of the market but the mods may make it easier to sell if you pitch it at the same price as a standard car - thats what I have done in the past (Golf Mk4 V6 4Motion, Bora V5 etc) - both sold very quickly


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

Man, that's some car with some very bespoke mods and tastefully done Charlie.

Difficult for you pal to A) Part with it and B) Getting what you want for it or what it's worth to you.

Add into the fact we're in Lockdown with limited disposable cash for many people due to COVID and it's a pretty bad time to be selling such a bespoke car, unless........... as said above, a TT forum member or TT enthusiast wants a well specced modded TT.


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## Ultra (Feb 25, 2006)

Keep it, it'll be a hard car to replace if you are not down grading.


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## Lexus-is250 (Feb 4, 2017)

Personally Charlie i have brought various bits off of you but this is a step too far for me. Unless the wife wants a change of car. 

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## roscopervis (Aug 22, 2006)

My take on it is this - some cars when modded absolutely kill it's resale. This tends to be premium marques like Ferarri, Porsche, Lamborghini where originality is key, particularly if the car is a rare model and the buyers are 'money'.

With your Audi, a lot of those modes aren't mods in the big sense. Nice oil (good choice by the way), genuine Audi lights in the doors, LED replacement interior lights, OEM drop links, paining the calipers is just putting your taste on it and easily changed. The new headunit is also pretty common so not uncommon.


The things that may be the problem are the hard to change things that is to your specific taste - the rear seat delete, the retrim of the door cards, the wrapping, the smoking of the lights, the gear stick, the exhaust. You have to hope that someone either likes your taste otherwise it's just expense for them to change. This is where the money issue really hits. 

The performance mods may be worth something, but you did this for you. Again, if someone is looking for a tuned car, usually, they want to do certain things to their taste. I would say that the base is good and that is a selling point. 

Personally, I'd be happy with all the mods that added performance, but I wouldn't touch the things you've done about the looks. It's your car though so ask what you want for it in places where that car might sell and hope that somebody else can see the value in what you've done. 

What do you want to get instead?


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

CharliesTTS said:


> After 3 years of ownership I'm considering whether to move on or not.
> 
> I'm not going into my figures, however I'm struggling to put a price point on my car - I knew this day would come sometime!
> 
> ...


why do u want to sell? boredom of the motor?

there nick on here whos had 41 cars! ive had 2 in 13 years (3 including the pug)

and cant think what i'd get if i sold the R32. your TTS is similar, it wont lose much more value than what its at now. mk 1's are appreciating now.

youre making money by keeping it.............man maths to please the wife  its tax thats a killer.

i'd float it on the forums at a price thats platable to you. personally i hate losing money - tight yorkershire man. but would avoid any main stream sites as you'll look desperate to sell and get hammered with 'whats your best price' and 'swap for a vxr corsa and a moto crosser fella'


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

roscopervis said:


> My take on it is this - some cars when modded absolutely kill it's resale. This tends to be premium marques like Ferarri, Porsche, Lamborghini where originality is key, particularly if the car is a rare model and the buyers are 'money'.
> 
> With your Audi, a lot of those modes aren't mods in the big sense. Nice oil (good choice by the way), genuine Audi lights in the doors, LED replacement interior lights, OEM drop links, paining the calipers is just putting your taste on it and easily changed. The new headunit is also pretty common so not uncommon.
> 
> ...


When I worked for a well known supercar dealer, Ferraris with sports exhausts, such as Tubi exhausts never reduced the prices and didn't put buyers off. We found that many buyers of Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis weren't bothered about mods, and in a lot of cases, condition. Many cars were sold to rich young men who drove them to within an inch of their lives, neglected them, then just traded them in for another when they became bored with it. We had a 911 GT3 which had been modded to within an inch of its life by Gemballa and pushed out 600bhp. We did struggle to sell it, and when we did sell it we bought it back many times. The only reason was that it was too fast, most buyers were terrified of killing themselves in it. One customer took it for a test drive and dropped it to third gear at 90mph in the dry, and the rear lost traction. A seriously bonkers car which was very difficult to drive sensibly. A very handy driver who used to race modified production cars on the track took it out, and said that it was quick up to 125mph, but then above that it scared the pants off him, he refused to buy it. So it is a limited market. The Gemballa sold for a fraction of its new price of the standard car, plus the conversion.


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Thanks for everyone’s comments - I understand all view points and can appreciate each and everyone of them!

The reason for contemplating a sale is a mixture of thoughts, hard to put my finger on any one thing in particular, just woke up and thought it’s maybe time for a change, sounds stupid I know but it is what it is!

As for what car to buy - I really like the look of the Mustang - chalk and cheese I know?


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## Nick-ST (Mar 4, 2013)

kingswood said:


> why do u want to sell? boredom of the motor?
> 
> there nick on here whos had 41 cars! ive had 2 in 13 years (3 including the pug)
> 
> ...


Thanks for mentioning me :lol:

Charlie your TTS is smart but if you are considering a Mustang (better be a V8) then I say go for it. You only live once and V8's are going to be all but gone in 10 years time


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

My GT86 is modified, but nothing too silly.
Coilovers, rear lights, exhaust and some interior trim. Rear wheel spacers. That's the grand total of about 2k maximum. I've still got all the original parts, but to be honest I don't think I'd bother changing them prior to it going. 
It's only lowered around 30mm so to the untrained eye doesn't look lowered, unless it was next to a standard one. All the trim I've fitted is the black Japan and Australia OE trim so fits perfectly.

I'd probably either weigh the old exhaust and suspension in, or stick them on one of the owners groups on Facebook for pennies to get rid.

When I come to change my plan was just to trade it in, I can't be doing with people who think they're Mike Brewer turning up to mess me about.
Picking out faults on what will probably be by then a +10 year old car that has been used every day.

Except I've no plans on getting rid of it


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Yes..V8! :thumb:


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## Coatings (Feb 10, 2020)

Yes hit up the Audi forums and even VW’s as someone looking for a lesser car to afford new mods my spring for yours. Put up in ebay asking for cars worth and half of what aftermarket mods are worth. 

The stick factory mods i would put a premium on but remember they can get these modsalready on other cards if OEM.

I don’t know If you guys have Bring a Trailer auctions but that would be a good place.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Such a stunning car and spec I’d keep it personally. Then again I would say that because I’ve modded my M2 Competition with the aim of keeping it out right. Best of luck in your sale.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

I'm going to go against the grain here a bit, the last two cars i sold were modified and, combined with their condition, got double the market value - although the sums involved weren't massive. It does very much depend on the car as has been previously stated.

ATR's seem to go fr around £3/£3.5k for half decent ones; i've turned down an offer for £5k+ for mine, again because of the condition and modifications. I expect in years to come the completely stock ones left will be worth a fortune and modified ones will command much less, but it isn't years to come, i'm enjoying the car now and it isn't locked away in a temperature controlled room.

I couldn't strip back to OEM, as that will involve brakes, suspension, flywheel, wheels etc (+ sourcing some OEM parts and paying someone to change it) and is far more hassle than the money I would make by splitting it all up.

I had to wait for the right buyer on both my previous cars, but when the right buyer came, they were dead keen.

I presume things like the rear seat delete can be easily reversed and you have the rear seats? If so, things like this aren't going to affect the sale and give the buyer an option whether they want rear seats or not. 

Now isn't the right time to sell, but when life is back to a little normality and the sun is shining in the sky, if you are prepared to wait for the right buyer, then you should be able to command top dollar, or over and above top dollar.


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## 20vKarlos (Aug 8, 2009)

In my experienced opinion, here’s how I’d price this car... 


Your car in standard form = Private resale money
Your car in modified form = Retail re-sale money...

Why, well for a few reasons. 
If you’ve spent a fortune in parts, any potential buyer will see this and know that this car has been owned by an enthusiast and someone that takes care of their car. 
If they can see that the car is clearly in very good condition and it has had £5k spent on it over two years for instance, they’d be inclined to think, this guys had a no expense spared attitude to this car.

However, if it’s had £5k of parts added and the car looks horrendous, it’ll probably get ignored and any potential buyer would move on to the next car. 
Even if the car looks alright in photos, the potential buyer would see the history and see that it’s had £5k spent on it for general repairs and still walk away. 

It’s different for a modified car and yes, you will have to market it in the right places but it’ll be worth it to someone, so in my opinion, price it at Dealer money


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

ridders66 said:


> When I worked for a well known supercar dealer, Ferraris with sports exhausts, such as Tubi exhausts never reduced the prices and didn't put buyers off. We found that many buyers of Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis weren't bothered about mods, and in a lot of cases, condition. Many cars were sold to rich young men who drove them to within an inch of their lives, neglected them, then just traded them in for another when they became bored with it. We had a 911 GT3 which had been modded to within an inch of its life by Gemballa and pushed out 600bhp. We did struggle to sell it, and when we did sell it we bought it back many times. The only reason was that it was too fast, most buyers were terrified of killing themselves in it. One customer took it for a test drive and dropped it to third gear at 90mph in the dry, and the rear lost traction. A seriously bonkers car which was very difficult to drive sensibly. A very handy driver who used to race modified production cars on the track took it out, and said that it was quick up to 125mph, but then above that it scared the pants off him, he refused to buy it. So it is a limited market. The Gemballa sold for a fraction of its new price of the standard car, plus the conversion.


This is the kind of post that makes forums what they are- I love stories like this, it's gold. Thank you for sharing.


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Have you reached any conclusion yet on whether to keep or sell the car yet Charlie?

It's not an easy decision with a car that you have poured a lot of time, effort and money into and enjoyed over the years but once the thought of selling comes to mind it's difficult to ever have the same feeling for it as previously.

If you decide to keep it I think the love could be lost and you will end up selling it and moving on because ownership may not feel the same again although I could be wrong.

One thing is for sure and that is that you _will_ regret selling it once it has gone but that's life and car ownership for us enthusiasts! :lol:

Alan W


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

I’ve got precisely nowhere! :lol:


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

https://mustangrental.co.uk/

maybe an idea to scratch the itch without losing ur audi and a stack of cash


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Not far from me either!! :thumb:


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

Great idea for an extended test drive (without an annoying salesman next to you). £2000 for a months rental :O Im in the wrong job!


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

straight6hatch said:


> Great idea for an extended test drive (without an annoying salesman next to you). £2000 for a months rental :O Im in the wrong job!


dont shoot me but £2k seems reasonable for a months rent! my mates paying £600 a month on a PCP for a M4.

Park the TT up, rent the Mustang for all of June. thrash it, get bored of 15 mpg. show ur mates it and then you'd have had enough anyway!

the TT is timeless german class, the mustang is a rough loud texas yank at an AL in Mexico - all loud and no manners!


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Any updates or further thoughts on the sale of the TT (or not) Charlie?

Alan W


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## Coatings (Feb 10, 2020)

As a former mustang gt owner I say go for it. Most who talk trash about it never owned one and maybe never had a V8.

I've owned plenty of german and Japanese sports cars. I was at the lot looking at a 435ix when i decided to test drive.

It was a wrap. Boosted v6's can't compare. More fun to drive than an m4 and the exhaust notes.....plus as said before the V8 will be a thing of the past.....

Now own a camaro pro charged. 604whp so much easier to get crazy HP out of a v8.










Do it and mod it like you did the aAudi.... it'll be one of the funnest cars you've owned

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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Alan W said:


> Any updates or further thoughts on the sale of the TT (or not) Charlie?
> 
> Alan W


Nothing definite as yet..but going to wait a few months until hopefully some normality resumes!

I'll be able to test drive a couple and see for sure! :thumb:


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Coatings said:


> As a former mustang gt owner I say go for it. Most who talk trash about it never owned one and maybe never had a V8.
> 
> I've owned plenty of german and Japanese sports cars. I was at the lot looking at a 435ix when i decided to test drive.
> 
> ...


Thanks and yes I've been reading up on potential mods..also started to put a must have spec together as well :thumb:


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

saw ur sale ads and thought about the car!

have u decided yet?

surely the nice weather had made you realise how good the ttrs is?

I took the R32 out today after falling out with it for squeaks, rattles, dodgy intermittent misfire issue but in the sun and that sound I forgot all about it!


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Well, life changes dramatically sometimes..having met my wife later in life..we’ve been renting..we’ve suddenly have the chance to purchase our own place..albeit smaller!

So the Audi is up for sale..with no plans to replace it until we’re settled in the new place - maybe in a year or so's time!

Having said that..apart from an internet tyre kicker - I’ve had little interest at all!


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