The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Audi S4 says it’s a babied rare gem, and with its long Avant roofline, it’s plain that this baby got back. Let see if the price tag has you getting behind it all the way.
My favorite cocktail bar recently closed (R.I.P. Sonny’s Hideaway), and that means no more Tiki Tuesdays for me, at least until I can find a new, soon to be just as beloved, watering hole. One of the joys of Sonny’s was Tiki Tuesday, an elaborate affair with grass skirts hung from the light fixtures, tiki idol adornments on the bar-back and a slew of cool Tiki drinks served in kitschy bar glasses. It was tiki-riffic
I could think of no better vehicle to serve as my Tiki Tuesday mount than yesterday’s “woody” Harley-Davidson chopper. Sadly, as I noted, the bar is no more. Sadder still for the seller of that wild and woody Harley, its $15,000 asking price found little favor with most of you. In the end, it dropped in a tsunami of nos, earning a 95 percent No Dice loss.
There are very few rides that you could imagine that might be less practical than the Harley we looked at yesterday. Admittedly, it was first and foremost a show bike, so practicality was obviously not at the forefront of its conception. And yet we all appreciate a little function along with our form. Wouldn’t you agree?
One car that embodies both of those qualities in spades is today’s 2004 Audi S4 Avant. A practical wagon of modest but capable dimensions, it also sports a rip-snorting quad-cam V8 under its hood and Quattro AWD for sure-footed application of that V8’s output. What more could you want?
In fact, many of us have lusted after the S4 for just these reasons. More than a few, however, have been scared off by the V8’s predilection for eating timing chain guides like they were Milk Duds at a Sergio Leone moviethon
With the 4.2-liter’s cam drive located at the back of the engine, replacement of those guides is an out-of-body experience. That can set you back… well, let’s look at what it cost on this particular car.
That’s right my friends, you can go ahead and cancel that kidney sale because this Avant has already had its timing chain refresh done at 102,000 miles or a mere 24k ago. That reportedly cost an eye-watering $7,000. Along with the engine work, the car received a new clutch, and both jobs were done back in 2014. The ad lists additional wrenching done since, all pretty typical stuff for an Audi of a certain age.
That’s not to say this car looks old. Not only has the B6/B7 S4 held up well on the styling front, but this car looks to be in fantastic shape for the years and miles. The Dolphin Gray Metallic paint may not be the most extroverted of colors the car could wear, but with a 340 horsepower engine and engaging six-speed stick making up the most important bits of the driveline, do you really want something that’s not going to blend in?
Underneath it all sits a set of 18-inch Podium monoblocks by Fifteen52 wrapped in fairly new Continental rubber. That combo goes well with the paint and the S4's subtle brushed brightwork.
The interior features the standard S4 sport buckets up front and contoured bench in the back. It’s all upholstered in two-tone black and white, with leather outers and suede center sections. Marring the overall aesthetic a bit are a worn headlamp switch bezel and an aftermarket double-DIN head unit. Other than that, it looks ready to rock.
That would be some rare rocking you’d be doing there too. The seller claims this to be one of only 600 S4 Avants imported to the U.S. The ad says that the car has been babied over the course of its life, and it comes with a “thick folder of service history” if desired. One thing that service history doesn’t include is the replacement of the a/c compressor, which the seller notes is presently non-functioning. Other issues in the car include some remaining clear bra material on the nose and a sunroof switch that works only when it wants to. The title is listed as clean, and the seller’s price is $15,000.
That’s just as much as yesterday’s Harley, but with its wagon roof and recent maintenance work, this should prove an eminently more practical expenditure of that cash. The question, of course, is whether it’s also a decent value.
What do you think, could this S4 Avant carry home that $15,000 asking? Or, does that price make this an Audi doody?
You decide!
Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Paul T for the hookup!
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