Buying Audi's wrecked or through a broker

[Mann Law <mannlaw@indy.net>]

	Since I know a *little* about this subject, here are my thoughts, 
if anyone cares.

	First, on the prices of wrecked Audi's.  If you have someone that 
goes to the insurance pools on a regular basis, that you trust, you can 
find gold.  I have watched a number of Audi's sell for almost nothing.  A 
93?  100, loaded, front hit, for about $2k; S4 hit hard in rear / side, 
around the same price, etc.  Most of the people buying at these pools are 
not Audi rebuilders, they are parts people.  So, they are only going to 
buy when they believe they can make a profit on the parts, after parting 
the vehicle, storing, etc.  IF, you are a good body guy with extra parts, 
or are owed favors:) by a good body guy--and you have parts, there is no 
better car IMHO than a wrecked Audi.  The same is not necessarily true 
for more popular vehicles like SUV's, etc.  My family has, geez, probably 
5 or 6 Audi's that have been wrecked and, when fixed correctly, are not 
only cheap, but often times better than those you would pick up on the 
used market for much more money.  Key is, you can't be picky.  Would I 
have preferred an S6 wagon over the 91 200t I bought--sure.  But a deal 
is a deal:)

	Second, on auto brokers, be careful.  Now, this comment is *NOT* 
about the brokers whose names have been listed here---they could be great 
guys with great cars--I don't know them.  But, many times cars bought at 
Auction are there for a reason.  I know where I live, if a dealer takes a 
car / truck back under the lemon law statute, there is nothing to 
prohibit them from taking the vehicle to another state [Illinois in this 
case] and selling it at the wholesale auction--AS IS.  You may get a 
bargain, you may get your own little piece of hell.  Word of advice--know 
or try to find out about the broker you are dealing with.  Some need to 
keep a good reputation, some don't care.  

	I prefer wrecks to wholesale auction cars.  One reason is, most 
cars when damages were at least running--or else it would not be 
wrecked.  This is not always true at auctions, where I have seen 
unbelievable stop-gap measures taken to make the car "run" but only for a 
bit.  Plus, the right wrecked vehicle will be *much* cheaper than 
wholesale--if you fix it yourself or have someone [not Audi] do it for you.

	Caveats abound here, be careful on both.  And, if you are one of 
those people [more power to you] that "would never drive a wrecked car"  
I wish to thank you!  You help make it a buyer's market:)

	Bruce

ps excuse the typo's above--kind of fast writing today