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HAHAHAHA thats gold 😂 Yeah it's one of those things where I think the car was just so unknown that even eagle eyed VAG enthusiasts may have scrolled right past it - especially since an automatic W8 is both underwhelming and pretty much valueless. Definitely a limited market - that car really only has value to an insane person such as myself haha The manual W8s have the same transmission (01E) as the B6 generation Audi S4 with the 4.2L V8, so I suspect the manual box is probably the most valuable bit of the car, but most people don't realise its the same gearbox. In fact, many people can't even conceptualise that a W8 is almost in essence a V8. You are dead right on the international market front - people on the W8 Facebook group go nuts over the manual bits, even the Recaro seats are a hot commodity. Just a bit limiting being in NZ shipping to overseas, but I'm confident I could quite easily make my money back. The split piece factory BBS are worth a little bit too. If the car is pretty gone, I'll keep majority of the bits, and will maybe even embark on swapping a silver wagon to manual so I can have the sedan and matching wagon just for that extra nerd clout hahaha.

NZ is great for getting less popular and rarer cars cheap, just as well because you have to spent a small fortune importing parts.

That is to be decided for once I see it in person. So it turns out its 1 of 4 (everyone thought there were 3 but alas...), so if I resurrect it, I'll have 50% of the manual W8s in the country... and if I don't well that just makes my silver car more rare - and I get all the parts I could ever dream of. I bought the Carjam report - has been a single owner car since 2010, and it looks relatively tidy. It got WOF in October 2022, and then for some reason got deregistered as a result of the engine damage? Very strange. Will contact a crash certifier to triple check it isn't somehow logged as flood damaged, as it's just a bit weird it got written off for engine damage by an insurer? Maybe the motor is hydrolocked? Nevertheless, at $951 I am pretty happy, just need to figure out how to get it from Hamilton to Auckland - transporter suggestions?

Yuss!!!!!... Now I can tell my Mrs about you, and I won't look as bad...

You should feel sorry….. I’ve just bought the dam thing 🤣 *Deep sigh*

Kiwi Car Life’s video of my W8 (for anyone interested).

245/40 if you have the 8.5" rear

I was going to ask the purchase price, but thought it might be rude! 😁 I guess there is a very limited market for a poked W8 passat though. For that kind of money, it'worth it just for a spare trans, and it wouldn't surprise me if someone would pay that for the ECU alone (internationally!). Manual mk5 R32 ECU's seem to sell for about NZ$800, and a manual W8 one has to be orders of magnatudes more rare!!! If I was single, I'd have probably bought it myself... or if I bought it, I'd be single now... same, same. 🤣

Very cool to have the car represented on the 'tube ... watched a few of this guys videos just now and the intro has startled me every time 🤣

Finally got it back together and driving. I had an assistant helping me put the subframe in and it got it caught on one of the front studs and bent it slightly. I had undo it from the body to release the threads were caught inside the mount (These aftermarket alloy parts seem much softer than BMW bits). Ordered some brand new studs. lock nuts and bolts and did it by myself the second time with more patience, it went it fairly easy with some raw hide hammer persuasion. Solid bushings. These have certainly modernized the car as claimed. Rear end wag\disconnect between front and rear is reduced and car is more composed with more grip in all driving, will be even better with the alignment redone. Driveline slop is reduced also when shifting and accel\decel. Id imagine with a high end dampers and springs would really do it justice with all the other supporting mods. Only downside (for me at least) is the added NVH\knocking from diff backlash etc. Its much more pronounced due to no rubber isolation and i can also hear more rumble and a whine from the diff at certain speeds\frequencies, especially around 110-120kph (bearings arent the best). I will have to look into putting my helical into my old diff to try and reduce it as i dont think i could live with it long term. ZF detents. Decided to do these while the box was out. Special thanks to @Vass for the tool loan. Mine weren't bad as such but doing all the detents has improved the shift quality more than i expected. I can see how these boxes get blamed for vague shifting. With all new bushings, detents and E60 shifter its the best stock'ish config BMW manual box ive driven. E36 M3 flywheel\clutch. Wanted to try the last M5X BMW to use a dual mass flywheel with conventional clutch. The M54 etc SAC pressure plate isn't the worse but has a stiff travel with little feel. The E36 M3 pedal effort is noticeable reduced and you can feel the engagement point off the floor far better. Makes it easier to drive in general combine with all the other related things. At this point i think its already at the OE+ type build (give or take). I drove a guys typical E46 the other day and this feels like a different car, for better or for worse.

Something else that's been on the list to get sorted ... steering wheel with controls on it for a future head unit (really want the Blaupunkt Frankfurt) and the cruise buttons for my ECU map changing (will need some K line to resistance ladder magic I think !?). So I got a wheel from Ebay and to add a little spice I got a Mewant genuine leather cover for it also. I think this will be the very first cosmetic thing done to the car !! 🤪 Keeping it pretty simple, perforated and solid leather with a grey centre marker.

Its crazy though wof and reg cars are only getting bid up to 27-28k on trademe and a dereg non runner gets 19.... just crazy

[ Paint Society ] for those like me stupid enough to attempt at home...

This is a great run - go earlyish on a Sunday (7-730) and should barely see a soul: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bp+Connect+Bombay+216+Mill+Road,+Bombay+2675/-37.3095384,174.950796/Glen+Murray/Naike/Huntly+Power+Station+Te+Ohaki+Road,+Huntly/@-37.3704054,174.9049307,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m27!4m26!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d0d4d40d679478b:0xb34a9b0d875289a9!2m2!1d174.9813202!2d-37.193165!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d12b4d944d2d029:0x500ef6143a2c9f0!2m2!1d174.9651017!2d-37.4437363!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d6d4ab1dc1497dd:0x500ef6143a2cb10!2m2!1d174.9556069!2d-37.5146918!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d6d3886891ca36b:0x9d6d803fb86339e8!2m2!1d175.1515218!2d-37.5445082!3e0 Basically Bombay to Huntly via Highway 22 backroads, then turn around and come back the way you came. Bombay BP > Tuakau > Pukekawa > Glen Murray > Naike > Huntly Power Station