For Sale: Audi Quattro Parts (58036)

[Grastens]

With my newfound excitement for RC cars and the continuing desire to live/eat/pay rent, I have come to the conclusion that my Audi Quattro and I must part.

I acquired it in a survivor state from eBay, missing several pieces and electronics. I modified it into a runner with an MTroniks ESC and an HPI SF-10W servo to go along with a dummy servo (to mount the steering servo; it was for use for an unused MSC configuration) and an AM receiver. As such, the car was never restored; doing so would have quickly gone to waste with my efforts to drive an old chassis and experience the original rally models from Tamiya. The Quattro you see here was not significantly changed from the one I received that day in the mail from Switzerland. While I am doing my best to describe the car, I have also attached pictures in case words fail me.

Among the positives of this car:

- Almost everything is there: the only missing pieces are the front rally lights and metal brackets, battery zip-tie cables, and proper rear suspension collars (I used co-opted rear suspension mounts). Even the original driver figure is there, as are all other trim pieces for the body shell.

- There are a few spares: I am including all the spare parts I have for this car, comprising metal tubes for the front end, some long screws, king pins, a rubber battery cable grommet, various retainers and brackets, and a complete set of motor plates, all in new condition.

- In addition, a rare 'short' front bumper will also be included, and a spare 540 motor (it fits; I have used it in this car).

- Even the broken parts can be fixed: the front bumper has been glued poorly, but all the plastic is on it. Some cracks and extra holes appear in the chassis tub, but are not that drastic.

- Relatively-fresh gears: I shredded an idler gear, and so ended up rebuilding the entire gearbox (to find the source of the problem!). Since then, the car has been run probably twice.

- Electronic equipment: since I did modify the chassis slightly to pass bullet connectors through the restrictive motor cable opening, I saw fit to include the electronic speed controller with the car. This is an MTroniks Sport-Tuned 20, which is fully waterproof like the HPI SF-10W servo. The original AM receiver is not, but the chassis tub is already weather-resistant; my electronics were waterproof as this is standard practice on my runners. All you need are an aerial tube, a battery with a Tamiya connector and an AM transmitter with matching Tx-Rx crystals to get going!

- Ball bearings: I have equipped this car with ball bearings everywhere except for in the rear axle, when I could not remove the rear hubs during the overhaul.

- Wheels and tires in good condition: they may be dusty, and the wheels are certainly not white, but they can be easily restored. The tires have shown no signs of cracking and still grip well, with lots of tread left.

- Velcro battery straps: this is only a positive if you plan to run this car, as they are ungainly but much easier to use than the original plastic zip-tie straps (which were missing anyways).

Now, the negatives:

- The front right upper suspension mount and arm are both broken: the former has been fixed with metal wire and glue, and the other with just glue. The breakage is far more prominent on the former.

- Survivor condition: this is a negative if you are looking for a shelf-queen; a lot of the parts on this car are functional but not shiny - remember, I used this car as a runner. However, if you are looking for a pure restoration this may be your project!

- Modified chassis: as previously mentioned, I hacked out the motor cable pass-through on the chassis tub. This was the only modification I made, and is the reason I included the ESC for which the hole was made. The holes at the bottom of the chassis were made by the previous owner.

- Body condition: bumpers are repairable, but the shell is already quite tattered, scraped, and poorly-decalled. This was how I received the shell, and so this is how it remained. I recommend a reproduction part for the polycarbonate shell, which is thankfully easy to find.

- This car is missing the front auxiliary lights and the hardware to mount them.

- Hard rubber parts: almost all rubber pieces are there, but have gone hard; not even the silicone treatment could soften them. The missing battery cable grommet is included as a NOS spare, though!

- 'The Grastens Paintjob:' I painted the driver figure, which as you may have guessed means that it is functional but not good-looking up close. However, the driver can easily be stripped of its current paint and redone to your liking.

All in all, you get a survivor example of a rare car, with many important bits and full electronic equipment all in place. With proper attention, it could become a beautiful piece to grace your shelf - or you can continue to drive it and enjoy a classic Tamiya in guilt-free condition!

I am asking for $375 CAD - this includes postage with a tracking number to almost anywhere in the world (European bidders are thus welcome!). Today, this translates to about 275 EUR, approximately 200 GBP, or around $300 USD. PayPal is preferred, with payments marked down as a 'gift' or with additional fees paid.

Of course, I am open to offers, so if you have either those, questions, or requests for more pictures please feel free to send me a PM!

Thanks for reading, if you got through it all - now you can appreciate the pictures:

Edit (May 1, 2015): This car has now been divided up into subassemblies: front suspension, rear suspension, chassis tub, wheels, spare parts bags, and bodyshell. Enquire via PM; all assemblies have relevant mounting hardware to bolt onto a complete car. Parts are presently on eBay.

[Grastens]

The car is still here, and I am still flat-out broke - again, I will listen to your offers!

[Grastens]

Still around, and mulling a potential price drop - but again, offers welcome! I wish I could afford to hold onto it...

[adam1973]

It seems people always want something for nothing... Look at my 2 sale items, reasonable prices, plenty of views but zero offers etc....

[Nobbi1977]

Maybe it just needs a wider audience? EBay or such like

[Grastens]

It seems people always want something for nothing... Look at my 2 sale items, reasonable prices, plenty of views but zero offers etc....

Now, who would it be who wants something for nothing in this situation? Because I really hope it is not me that is selling nothing for something!

As for eBay: I used to sell on there until somebody stung me for bad feedback on what I thought was a routine sale. With the new fees, I will be getting none of that money anyways... But worthwhile to think about.

[Nobbi1977]

I am sure many people look that these sale threads and think "ooooo I would love that, but I would only pay x" they will never offer X because they do not want to low ball another member or be seen to be cheap. Selling anything rare or collectible is hard because it is only worth what someone will pay and sometimes it is hard to find anyone who wants to pay.

[Wooders28]

It seems people always want something for nothing... Look at my 2 sale items, reasonable prices, plenty of views but zero offers etc....

Some of the stuff I have for sale i would give it someone for nothing!

[Grastens]

Still here - still waiting. Item will be semi-disassembled for shipping.

[Grastens]

This Quattro is all packaged up - getting a shipping quote should be easy, while it looks for a new home.

The listing itself is flexible - if you want a chassis without electronics or the spare parts, we may be able to work out a better deal.

[speedy_w_beans]

I found when selling RC items I had to spread the listings across multiple sites to get more views and move items faster. Tamiyaclub, RC Tech, Carolinas RC Racers, and Craigslist were the sites I used. I sold the most through the local racers' forum, then the remainder was split pretty evenly between Tamiyaclub and RC Tech. Craigslist is filled with flippers who lowball all the time, but you get the occasional sincere inquiry.

Don't be afraid to pursue multiple avenues at the same time; it doesn't matter where the cash comes from.

[Grastens]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice - the present deal I was working on with appleby20 fell through. Canada Post just doesn't give too many great options for shipping responsibly overseas, either...

As such, the car has been broken up and parts will be listed on eBay shortly.