OK so today I went to view that silver R32 and I came away both angry and slightly upset I will warn you this will be a long read but worth it.
So first thing is Id like to point out that this dealership has been around in Cardiff for many many years and always seems to have high end cars on the forecourt, you only have to visit the website to see that.
Anyway knowing this I had confidence that this R32 would be well looked after example as he only seems to have great cars.
I checked the website and it stated that this car has Full service history, a Miltek catback non-res and a remap by AMD.
I emailed the owner of the showroom and asked for further info on the service history he told me it was full VW or VW specialist.
I called AMD to speak about the work done on this car, they told me that it more than likely had a stage one and the miltek from them and if that's the case it would be running around 260bhp but could not tell me much more without the postcode of the previous owner and name.
So anyhoo first thing I did when I got there was take a good look around the car and I mean I must of spent around 30 mins or so, First thing I noticed was the passenger headlight was full and I mean FULL of bugs, the paintwork was great however there were flat spots and you could see it requires a good MOP. I also spotted over spray at the bottom of the drivers wing where it met the door and the aerial would need replacing. Also the passenger headlight washer was not sitting correctly in the bumper and there was a clear gap where water could get in.
Then it was time to check inside, I have to say other than needing me inside it for around 3 hours with my maguires products it was in great shape, no wear on the steering wheel, seats looked great and there was no marks on the headliner, However I did spot that the passenger side Alli trim on the center console was stuck on using sticky pads I was like really.........
Popped the bonnet, and the engine bay was stinking and I mean it made a non looked after diesel look like show room condition really really annoyed me and the coolant bottle was brown.
Then I grab the key (which was only one and extremely worn) checked the lights etc but was unable to try the climatronic because I was unable to start it due to it being in the middle of the showroom
All the lights worked, dash lights worked fine I honestly forgot to test the sunroof, but this is where I spotted another problem, the passenger heated seat was broken I was devastated.
So next up I looked under the car and checked the springs, these looked newish and I could see they were "R racing" the discs looked ok, good for another year or so, I noted redstuff pads even thou the ad said yellowstuff........
Then I asked to see all the paperwork for the car that he had, I sat at one of his desks for an absolute age it seemed and he didn't even offer me a drink!!!! the guy didn't honestly seem bothered if he made a sale at all, now if this was a general gimp that worked there I could maybe slightly understand but he was the owner I mean the guy had a Lambo LP700 parked outfont and for me the possibility of spending 7k and going into debt is a really big deal for me. Anyway back on topic....
So the first thing that really made me *Face palm* was when I checked the service history, remember earlier I stated I was told it was full VW/Specialist history? WRONG!!! there was history in there but from lots of "Joe bloggs" garages infact I don't think I even spotted one VW garage
Furthermore the first service in the book was at wait for it............................................................................. 38k!!!!!
and all that was done at this stage was the oil! not even the oil filter was changed!!! next service was brake fluid and sparks and 47K........ At this point I was thinking errrrrrr what about the heldex system? well that was done for the first time at *drum rolls* 56k! and only the oil, oil filter, heldex oil oh btw yes you read that correct the second oil change of the cars life was done 20k after the 1st one at 38k!!, I then read on and discovered that the heldex system got fully replaced at 68k now there is a surprise this is what happens when it isn't serviced every 20k and the total cost on the receipt was £1600!!! and even after that is was correctly maintained however it was done better than before. I also noticed that there was a check done on the heating system and the car would not give hot air and a unit needed replacing but I could not find any evidence of it being carried out. At this point i should of walked out but I was caught up in the moment slightly so thought id see how this went.
So at this point all that has ever been serviced on this car was the oil (now and again) heldex system (now and again) a couple of air filters, pollen filters and the normal wear and tear things.
There was also a receipt from AMD tuning, and the miltek, redstuff pads, and remap where all done by them totaling £1550!
I then asked about a test drive ( I thought at this stage I want to hear it and see how these 32's drive) to which point he said no because he is on his own but I could come back in the week if I called in advance.. I then thought hell if I can knock some money off this I could put abit into it to get it how it was meant to be loved ( I will point out hear I have no idea why I was thinking this after checking that service history) I explained about the heated seat not working, no evidence of the faulty heater unit being replaced, the holes in the service history, the headlight full of bugs, the over spray and told him that I was a serious buyer and not a tyre kicker and with all this in mind I would expect him to lower the price based on these findings to which he flat out laughed and said "no chance!" he said and I quote "This is the cheapest R32 on the market and its a stunner, furthermore its a second hand car so you can expect a few things wrong and he was 99% certain he got the car sold next week anyway" at that point I thanked him for his time and walked away however I was angry, gutted when leaving.
What I will confirm is I have defo made my mind up that I want one now and I am going to take my time finding the correct example and hopefully if all goes well with the person I have contacted over a 3 hour drive away from me I might end up having a seriously rare, and already famous DPB R32!!1 Watch this space
