Optional extras removal from one Avant and fitting into different Avant

[careless_adi]

Hi all,

Due to an OAP not looking right and pulling out hitting the side of my car, the insurance company are looking to write my car off. I'm totally and utterly gutted. It took me MONTHS to find the right A6 Avant!!

I've starting looking for a replacement, but I can't find anything with the right options like mine has. My car is a 56 plate 3.0TDI Quattro with quite a number of optional extras that it looks like will be difficult to find on another.

My question is - can I rip some of the optional extras out of my crashed car and fit them into another one?

Optional extras that I want to take with me include;


Bluetooth hands free - do I need to take the mic (wherever that is!) too?
Auto dimming side mirrors - is it just a matter of replacing the glass? Are there any other cable looms I need to take out?
Digital TV tuner - is this in the same unit as below?
DAB tuner - is this in the same unit as above? I'd imagine I have to take out the window with the TV aerial too, but what about the loom connecting the two?
Memory seats (passenger and driver) - Can I take the buttons out and simply plug into the wiring loom in the new car - having sourced the trim with the right cut out for the buttons of course?
Interior Illumination pack (lights in each foot well and in each door card) - again, simply take the lights out and then plug them into an existing loom?
Adaptive Xenon headlights - can I just take them out and plug into a different car that doesn't have them? Or do I have to modify something?


Kit that I'm sure I can't take with me;

Manual gearbox
Electric steering column with memory
Adaptive Air Suspension all round


I get that if most of the options are transferred over to a different A6, some VCDS programming would be needed.

I'm considering getting an old banger for the time being until I find the right A6 Avant with the right options.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[IsDon]

Can open, worms everywhere!

I'd say it's possible. How many spare man hours Do you have?

Most of what you want to do would also require coding, and some would be component protected as well.

I suggest the amount you want to do it wouldn't be worth the effort. Just wait until the right vehicle comes along.

[Chriseybaby]

Can't you buy the car back from your insurance company after they have written it off and repair it yourself?


Sounds like you do have some rare options there.

[Guest 2]

Big can of worms. It's not as simple as just "swapping" parts over lol

[zollaf]

insist the car is rebuilt... its your right to be put into a position as if the accident had never happened, thats what insurance is for..

[Novica]

As Zollaf wrote, take car back and repair it, it is difficult to retrofit most of the parts, if your car is not damaged so hard, repair it. It has really good equipment.

[dan2485]

Once you have accepted the offer from the insurance the car belongs to them, you will not be allowed to remove any parts.

If you have the space to park the car up i would think about stripping the car for parts as this will give best money back if you do this.

[zollaf]

don't accept anyting from the insurance when you are not at fault. get the car repaired and send the other driver the bill, tell him to pay or meet you in court, including the bill for your courtesy car. your contract is with him, not his insurance company. don't speak to them, speak to him, if they call, tell them not to call you. he is at fault, not you.

[careless_adi]

Hi all,

Just to give you an update.

The 3rd party insurance company are finally giving me realistic values to scrap my car, or to keep it + cash.

I'm thinking about keeping the damaged car and getting it repaired. I've attached photos of the damage - what do you guys think? Apparently, the wheel arch bit is made of aluminium. Not a lot of accident repair centres can weld aluminium which might push the price up.

29114291152911629117

[gupsterg]

Defo know front wings are alu, wouldn't be surprised if rear are as well, try a magnet on them to see?

SSP 323 pages 10 & 11 have some info regarding what panel is what.

To me as just an owner doesn't look as bad as I thought it would be and surprised it's being wrote off.

[rowdy-999]

The alu bits may be bonded on.
As you're down south, unless you have mates in the business, expect that to cost a lot to repair.

[H_MAGIC]

you could bodge that repair with some panel beating and filler but insurance wont do that and neither would I if it was my car, insurance would replace the rear quarter panel and also the rear door, cant really see the damage on the front door but looks like that could be repaired,
I would estimate over 1k from backstreet garage easily up to 5k with a insurance body shop, depending who you take it but as the others have said I would truly be looking at the 3rd party to be paying for the full repair.

[bops6]

Personally I'm Suprised the writing it off.
Had mine insurance repaired few months ago without a question, mine wasn't quite as bad but I did 2 new rear doors a new rear bumper and repair to 1 rear arch and repair to 1 sill then spray both whole sides.
I'd ask to see there estimates for repair and go elsewhere for another opinion.
If you take it back with cash will out be Cat c or d

2007 3.0tdi asb le mans
hybrid turbo, decat,miltek, 20's etc
330-350 bhp
450-500lbst

[careless_adi]

Hi all, thank you for your input.

The insurance company has offered me £5,600 and to keep my car. I've had an estimate for £3,250 with a reputable accident repair centre which happens to be in the same town I live in. This is to replace part of the rear quarter panel, replace rear door, touch up front door and respray. I'm still waiting on another 2 quotes to come through. The car would be a cat D if the insurance company doesn't repair it.

The quarter panels are steel, as is the rear passenger side door (that needs to be replaced anyway, part number 4F0833051G I think), the inner wheel arch is also steel which is great news, as the insurance guy who came out to look at it originally thought it was aluminium which pushed the price up and limits what repair centres I can use. A magnet helped with this - thank you for the suggestion! I might send a magnet in the post as a Christmas present to the insurance guy.

I don't know any 'friends' in the industry unfortunately.

[zollaf]

cat d doesn't need an inspection anymore...

[royclark]

Looks like a new/used rear door and the rear arch repair (rear arch is steel)
Forget the market value. What is it worth to you ?

[rowdy-999]

£5600, and your car seems like a good deal to me.

[big]

That doesn't look too bad at all, I am surprised it is written off too.
I'd buy it off you in that condition.

I know an excellent bodywork repair garage in Burnham On Crouch, Essex (TR Hutton and Son) Hutton's - Your Car - We Care (http://www.huttonsuk.com/) who do aluminium welding and could make a fantastic job of that.

Rob

[Not_Anumber]

Take the deal and then shop around for the best price on a repair for cash. this isnt serious damage.

Think like a car trader- better still pop into a couple of local 2nd hand car dealers and ask who they use for their own body and paintwork. They wont bite and they will give you good advice especially if you tell them you want to repair the car to sell it, thats the language they speak. A couple of bottles of wine will make them even more eloquent.

I know several car traders who buy cars with light damage, beat out mildly damaged panels and replace those which are harder hit. Removable items such as doors can be sourced second hand for a lot less than new and often plastic trim the same. Thats the norm and a fair proportion of the cars you see driving around will have been through a similar process.

Looking at that damage I would say it is more likely to be regarded as Cat D than Cat C. In real terms it is hardly damaged at all, mostly cosmetic.

[WesleyP]

But it back and get it repaired, that looks to be relatively easily repairable by a decent bodyshop.

[crazy4alfa]

Not a great deal of damage. Abroad - max 1500 euros.

[rick81]

Buy it back
Doesn't look that bad tbh