[urq] Resale regarding Stock VS "Replica"

[Ben Swann]

My take..  I believe these cars were very rare and unique but had some flaws that could
be improved upon and should improve the value.

Engine - This was not the hot hitting power plant that would make a numbers matching
block meaningful like a Yenko  Camaro or special build GTO.  The original turbo engine
was improved upon a few years after introduction and used in other cars.  I think it is
nice to retain the inline five originality, but using a 20 valve turbo or redoing a 10V
using the engine control and niceties of the later engines should not hurt value.  Why
not use EFI in place of the original problematic CIS system, a bigger turbo?  I tried to
retain the original engine "look" on my conversion which runs much better and is far
more reliable.  I keep the original engine in a crate just in case.

Transmission - again it's a Quattro, but the later 5000 turbo trans is not a bad
upgrade.  Who's checking numbers on that anyway?

Suspension and drivetrain - if it is worn or broken it would need fixin'.   Regarding
the struts, I understand that it would be difficult to improve upon the original oil
filled tubes and heavy duty control arms, so you might want to think about using
lowering springs and Strut inserts - this is one place that one might want to really
stay original for the purpose of resale and even overall driveability.  Just fix the
worn bits.  I find the original suspension makes the car very tossable, yet stable and
quite frankely difficult to improve upon.  Tires are tires - the originals are surely
long gone anyway and wheels are a personal choice.

Brakes - I'm going with bigger vented rears from V8 Quattro and master cylinder.  I
already have larger fronts from 5ktq, but plan to install some Porshe Monobloks - I
think there is nothing special about the original brakes that when they are long in the
tooth, put something better in.

Interior - What is so special about the original dash that tended to crack and switches
and wiring that may be problematic - fix and improve upon, relay high load devices, etc.
are all positives.  I installed the dash from a later 4000 quattro - they hold up
better.   I think most restorations for any mark would include wiring modifications for
the better and still be called original.  The original stereos were cool, but I don't
think having the original working Blaupunkt would add value to the car - maybe one that
does what a new stereo would but retains the look and feel of the originals.

The original seats in mine were nice, but I thought nothing of replacing with a set in
better condition.  I also liked chocolate over tan, so did a complete interior swap.  If
yours is shot, a Sparco probably would look nicer and not be a detriment even though the
original leather seats were pretty cool and worth patching up.  

Paint - Its just paint and  if the car is rusting or clearcoat pealing it would make
sense to prevent further deterioration.    This is probably the one area where one might
want to consider retaining the original color code however.  It's a toss-up.

I don't think my carbon fiber sport replica hood decreases the value of the car either.

So overall I think it is good to retain the body integrity - no mods needed since it is
a timeless design.  If the original paint can be made nice, great!    If the car was
already stripped, or a basket-case, anything is fair game.  The cars are unique enough
in their own right and were hand built, so I think all this is just a continuation of
the process that started at the factory.

Ben

[Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:03:44 -0700
From: Johnny B <pre95 at live.com>
Subject: Re: [urq] Resale regarding Stock VS "Replica"
To: urq <urq at audifans.com>
Message-ID: <BLU142-W15881C682170027E62EFF3C8780 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Well thanks for all of the replies guys! I definitely appreciate the insight and must
agree with what you all have said, in building what I WANT, not what others will want. I
dont plan on selling the car (ever) and if it ever did come up to market it'd be due to
some unforeseen horrible circumstances. So it seems my path is a bit less foggy now, at
least regarding the modifications I would want off the bat. Now I need to come to terms
with what I need to hold on to, and what may be up for sale (like my pristine early dash
and interior...). 

A Ur-quattro has been a dream car just out of reach for years of my life... now that I
have one I feel like the dog that chases the cat all afternoon only to be confused as to
what to do next when he finally corners it (my dog in this instance simply whines...
wimp). 

So where do I go from here? Well, I suppose my wallet will lead the way from here... 

Oh, before I forget, someone had asked what I meant by "replica" specifically. I was
referring to an A1 / A2 style rally replica. I have seen several come up for sale both
in the UK & US calling out for big big cash considering they are indeed a replica and
not an originally rally car. One up for sale now is asking $79k US....... 

Johnny]