Most of the people who fail a project like this fail because they don’t realize how much it takes to restore a car like this. You, OTOH, seem to understand it well.View attachment 282571
Hello, fellow Audi R8 owners and enthusiasts! My name is Jeremy and I live in central Illinois. I just (Thanksgiving 2022) purchased a salt-water flooded Audi R8, from Copart, after Hurricane Ian. My goal is to restore it slowly and keep it for many years. I am starting this post to network with you “regular” R8 owners, and perhaps a few other ambitious folks who bought one of these, for there were/are several available.
I hope to log here with words and pictures as much as I am able, so bear with me.
Specs: 2008, V8, gated manual with less than 30,000 miles (maybe less than 25k).
Major Damage:
Minor Damage:
- Salt! (Yes, into the manifold intake boots of the engine, at least!)
- Flooded to the roof
- Interior components, electrical
- Windshield cracked
- Minor cosmetic external and undercarriage damage (see video)
- Broken off water pump
- Hole in sump cover (the “oil pan”)
Accomplished so far:
- Too much blinker fluid
- Smell (mostly under control)
- External bodywork, rear right taillight cover broken
Future Concerns:
- Seats out with no battery power (that was tedious, to say the least… I might detail in a later post)
- Some interior pulled
Assets
- Electrical components (I already purchased a nice used wiring harness, but…I’m color-blind!)
- Engine (long list of things, more on that as we dig in)
- “Burn-out” by an overwhelming list of tasks
My qualifications:
- Frame, drive train, wheels, etc. are straight
- Brakes work (after a little pumping)
- Doors, engine bay, and frunk open and close VERY cleanly! Well… the frunk release… well, anyway, as good as can be expected.
- Ahhh, did I mention… it is a manual! (I don’t know how guys get flood-cars off trailers when they are automatics locked in park, but would love to hear if/how you can.)
- Ebay, R8talk for parts
- A great network of folks on R8talk!
My crazy goals:
- Mechanically inclined (sometimes reclined
- General working knowledge of basic components
- Not afraid to work, or get my hands dirty
- Not in a hurry!
- Rebuilt a few motorcycles (race and street)
- Have some tools, small heated garage
- I have an excited wife concerning the project (she likes seeing the R8 in our garage
Advice given me thus far:
- Making the R8 as analog as possible (I hope to remove many “bells and whistles”, if possible.)
- Starting a video series to tie in vehicle restoration with the Gospel of Jesus’ redemption of mankind.
- “I would advise against it.” (direct words of the Copart broker!)
- “Don’t do it, it will grenade in six months.” (friend who knows the business of cars)
- “I have Audi-tech friends that have the garage, tools and experience, and even THEY wouldn’t attempt such a feat!” (motorcycle racer friend)
- “Wow, that’s a big project, if anyone can do it, you can…”
- “The two best days of your life, the day you bought the boat, and the day you sold the boat.”
- “If you have the time, you’ll get it done…”
- “If you can dream it, you can build it.” Requote I heard from Burt Rutan.
Jeremy
Christian, husband, father, Gospel preacher, machinist, author… and now Audi R8 owner… and restorer
Just do yourself a favor and replace all electronics, including the wire harnesses. You can never clean all the salt, which will corrode your electronics/wires, sooner or later. The rest will be all about replacing interior trims, taking a part every single part, cleaning and putting it back together.
With enough time, and patience, it is a good project.
