I BOUGHT A FIRE DAMAGED VW GOLF R MK8 BRAND NEW!!… 

I am sure you have done the following, but if not: 1) remove, throw away and replace the cabin air filter and 2) rerun the ozone machine with the hvac fan running on high to eliminate smoke on heater and ac coils and ductwork interior.

Dean, it would be best to have the car insurance inspected, allowing the Cat N to be removed and the car would be given a Cat I classification. With a Cat I it would allow the new owner to insure the car for full market value and if sold on it would retain almost full value on the second hand market. If you don’t do this yourself at least offer an inspection to the new owner before mileage is added to the car as it will be easier for the car to pass inspection with new tyres brakes etc. Added bonus is that it will make good content for a video.

A Cat-N writeoff can invalidate manufacturers warranty - so be careful saying it has 3yr warranty - that might not be the case

I can’t imagine why my insurance keeps going up £200 to £300 pound every year. Something needs to be done about insurance companies just writing off cars that shouldn’t be written off. The only person who pays are the customers in there premiums.

Dean it was 20k not 30k under list price if you paid 29k for it. Would recommend getting the underside pressure washed as smoke fallout can be corrosive due to what has been burning around it. Other wise nice car for the someone.

After running an Ozone machine its recommended to open all the doors and allow the O3 to escape and mix with normal air. The air inside the car isn't safe to breath and can cause Hypoxia as it lacks oxygen. You'll notice a distinct smell, just try not to inhale it too much until its aired out. The machine you have is more advanced than mine though and I assume the second phase helped to combat this. Also, always try to run it with the HVAC system running with AC on and ideally replace the cabin filter after.

If you're using an O Zone generator, ideally, after using, you should vent the car before getting in and breathing inside the car. Also, run it with the air on re-circulation mode.

The OBDEleven scanner can do the SFD unlock btw! VCDS is in the process of getting approval from VWAG to get it all working

I wouldn’t pay 49k for a Golf, ever!!

I'm not having a pop at you the RU-vidr, But my car insurance renewal has doubled from last year. And your video highlights why. Insurance companies are too keen on writing cars off with next to no damage and wiping thousands off the values. They could have done exactly whet you have and sold it on at much less of a hit. Meanwhile us motorists literally pay the price for their losses.

Ozone is great for removing smells but it's also toxic. When you use it, air out the cabin or room afterwards before entering.

You should have first cleaned to remove smoke residue and THEN ozoned....😊

As a current VW tech this is cool to see how knowledgeable you are about these cars and especially the PDI process. I’ve also heard the story of the car with 30k miles and still had the travel blocks fitted to the shocks. Heard the tech who carried out the PDI was fired too

can I give you a tip sir buy glade aerosol to remove smoke and cigarette smell

You need to change the cabin/pollen filter and use an a/c conditioner as smoke would have gotten into air ducting

Hello Dean , we used to "clean" containers wich where loaded with fish ,just by smashing (smashing ,no slices,no salad,no swans cut out of it ..) some cucumbers in it ,leaving them for a few hours (closed) ,and than ,as they came back at the ramp , they smelt really fresh! no fish smells or whatever. Not meaning to smash them in the Golf,but smashing them first and leaving them in a bowl(..not a plastic one..) in the car..

Shame it’s not like a Ford. You can as a user take a Ford vehicle out of transport mode by turning On the ignition, pump the brakes 5 times and put the hazards on. This would wake up the sleeping modules. Might be worth a try on the Golf. I did this all the time when I worked on Ford cars, I was a Ford diagnosis test engineer improving their IDS then WDS diagnostic tool.

There is a reason it was written off. Smoke and in particular soot is very corrosive - think acid. It doesn't even have to be in the same room just nearby. Given that the fire was going from 1am till 11am it means that car was likely sat in smoke for at least 10 hours if not more. As there was soot or ash inside the car the electrical components now have a greater chance of failure. So it might be running today but, will it be running in a year? Shoving an ozone machine in it to get rid of the smell has done just that - got rid of the smell. It hasn't removed the potentially harmful layer of dust and soot inside the car. So roof lining, seats, carpets, plastics, dashboard etc etc. It's highly unlikely VW will warranty anything on that car now due to the smoke damage so it's probably best that its being 'raffled'. Personally, I'd take the cash 🙂

PDI's changed since my day when we used to check function of all seat belts, seat functions, h/vac, switches, spare wheel / tools present oh, and shear ignition lock bolts (BL). Then adjust door strikers and tighten everything in sight underneath. Shame you couldn't get dealer marked index plates, bit of a giveaway on it being a cat car Dean.

Personally I'd of done a full valet with deep clean on all the cloth before anything to help get rid of the smell

Just bought 10 before you even finished explaining about the car. The underneath needs lanogaurded with it being mint to protect it from new

Hi dean perhaps you could to do a video on how you went about getting such a cracking buy from co part would like to know how you came across this car .....good video keep it going 😊

I had a kitchen fire years ago and the specialist cleaners appointed by the insurance company insisted that every single electrical item in the entire house was thrown away as the smoke is supposedly corrosive to electrical components. I’m guessing that something to do with that is the reason it was written off.

I loved my Golf Mk7.5 R estate Lapiz, dynaudio, roof and lane Ass. Best already company car I ever had.

My dads mrs had an Audi sq2 that never had the chocs removed from the dampers during pdi she had it 2 years and didn’t realise until she hit a pothole and something broke

Two years ago the VW dealership left suspension chocks on my new Golf MK8 GTi Clubsport. It was genuinely dangerous, amazed that nothing was permanently damaged. I was told that it happens more often than it should do.

The UK is fucking nuts man. It stood in some smoke... no fire damage... Also didn't know the R was available as an estate! F'kin awesome!

No need to release the parking brake manually, it will release automatically when you're in gear and step on the gas.

Great job you’re a good mechanic just keep going. I really enjoy your show. I just found it because Chris mentioned it. Thank you so much George Magnin.

Thank you for the discount on the plates :) - much appreciated

Just so you guys know you can remove the CAT N or CAT S off ANY car its done by a company called AUTOLIGN and for £250-£325 (depends on size of the car) the car will basically go through a inspection and it should be good to go and you will get a V5 with a clean record. Will also appear as HPI clear also after the car passes the inspection. Will save you a lot of money when selling the car.

I wish I’d have known this, I’d have hoped for my local dealership to be involved in a fire rather than take delivery. Worst car I have ever owned by a long way. The list of faults and problems with the golf and its subsequent replacement was longer than a football field. I’d not even pay £2 for a golf.

I’m actually from Perth, drove past after I had finished my backshift at work and the fire services were attending it. Never did I think on of my favourite RU-vidrs would mention my hometown!! Awesome find! I’m surprised they write a car off when you can do as you’ve done and basically still have a factory fresh car! (Almost).

I had a 2021 mod E-hybrid, i lease it, oh how i regret it, , it was a deal for 3 years, after 1 and a halv year, i returned it, after many times in and out of the shop to fix things, never golf again

battery cover on +side is fitted in video just the wrong way round probably due to ctec charger on it in showroom just need to pull it up and turn it round and put the 2 pegs back in the wholes on the battery vw will fit the engine cover foc as its a service campaign

That’s a beauty of a car. Was looking at a 2015 golf r estate today, will definitely be entering this competition

Dean is the competition open to people in the republic of ireland, im from london myself but here 20 years and would support and try to win a motor. Have a look at Rking competitions they deliver the car to anywhere in ireland or the uk, seeing as you have the transort to shift motors migjt be worth venturing out

My cavalier has recently been broke into and she is cat N the 1 thing I noticed is her insurance tripled in price used to be £350 a yr for insurance and now she is £977 a year Now you may think that's just because of increase no because we have a second cavalier that also got broke into but they never put a category on it as it was just a door lock and they got that fixed it is still £350 a year insurance

good job you got a result.vw have to be one of the most expensive motors to buy even there vans are crazy prices guess why most stick to audi,

I just picked up a mk8 R 20Y from that very dealer 😅 they are in a temp showroom atm whilst the original is redone. Thankfully my car hadn't arrived until after the fire!

I remember that car in the showroom after the fire. Others sadly had the windows open during the fire and suffered more smoke damage.

All new cars from 2018/19 all have a system on them called Security Gateway. You have to pay a monthly subscription for your diagnostic computer to communicate with the car to do anything from the basic service reset to checking any ECU faults. That’s probably why your computer couldn’t connect with the Golf

Did anyone notice "TITLE TEXT HERE" at 15:00?

Great video Dean. Suppose ozone machines are a little out of vogue given the environmental implications. I've still got a small one in the garage cupboard - I bought a second hand car back in 2015 and the seller lied about whether it had been smoked in. Ultimately I kept the car for 8 years before finally getting rid. On a hot summer's day you could still get a faint whiff of tabs, I don't think you ever fully get rid of it. Just depends on your sensitivity to it all i guess.

I like this kind of videos, and this time you where really lucky to get your hands on it for a amazing low price !!! Nice video !!!

There was a blue Taycan there in the parking, any chance of a video featuring one? Some salvage repair maybe just like the Q4.

Great video & car Dean! & kudos on the heated gilet- same as one I have and it’s a lifesaver when your powerbank is charged up anyways 😅👊🏼

I remember when this car was in Whitburn Copart. There was indeed other VW cars with delivery mileage on them on the site.

Going back to your salvage video look at Copart there are 2 VW ID3s one cat S, and one cat N something need to be done about the categorization of cars because the cat N is ridiculous keep up the fantastic videos

Change the pollen filter i would aswell

Dean try this stuff on the leather seats in the car, it will smell of fresh leather for some time after the application. I have used it on my ‘65 Riley Elf, the car smells great after using it. Gliptone Leather Conditioner GT11

Love the channel but can you mix up the cars a bit more not just endless VAG group ( I own 2 lol ) it would be more interesting just a thought or just change the name to Saving VAG Salvage but anyway carry on doing cars it's a interesting watch

Great video. You should talk to Cars For Paul as he has someone who can do the main dealer token diagnostics remotely. We use fogit fog machine for smoke and smoking damage before we do a deep detail. We also use the ozone machine which is really good.

Cameron’s of Perth. A major blaze which broke out overnight in their workshops. The reason for this has not been disclosed, however I have my own theory. A VW dealer in Wales would not charge my VW ID3 in their workshops whilst in for service and a battery recall a few days later.

Nice one! You have to air out the car after using the ozone and you might as well change the cabin filter bc smoke damage.... maybe you can get that category removed by those specialist that SRUK use?

I bought a car from quattro tech last year. Brilliant garage! I'm not local at all but would make the 2.5 hour journey to buy a car from them again.

I bought my new Passat that was in the Cameron's VW fire, all good, but the headlights are dusty and the interiors smoke smell I can smell coming back after valet 2 months ago. Hopefully all good in long run, I didn't even check if my car is category N tho 😬 as bought from another dealer that bought alot of Cameron's stock.. Great purchase you got tho, the asking price was far too high anyway, for what it is. Manufacturers trying to claw back what they can before European sales plummet when they can't sell combustion vehicles anymore..

My sister in law got her Octavia delivered with the suspension chocks still in. She kept complaining about how harsh the ride was... 😂

Wouldn’t it be better to run the air blowers recirculating whilst cleaning the smell up also new filters ect when you put blowers on won’t the smell come back

Get it down to Autoline and get the Cat N marker removed from HPI. Will fly through the test with it being brand new!

Quattro-tech - Always Spot on Service!

It stuff like this that is making everyone insurance go up and someone should investigate what the hell is going on because there is no way this car should be written off.

For the smell, just replace the cabin air filter and it will eventually go.

Great video Dean, tickets bought so cant see this one hanging around very long.

Was The Car Won? There is Nothing In The Feb 4th Link??

Very nice purchase m8 looking forward to seeing what's plans for it

First time watcher and now subscriber, where have I been ??? Saw you on another channels episode recently and YT put you up as a recommendation.Interesting video. I love a Golf R but they are way overpriced now and up against some stiff opposition in that price bracket. So even as a Cat N the VW warranty still applies ? I suppose their service systems wouldn’t even know ?

I’m obsessed with people who drive cars without holding the steering wheel correctly. I’ve watched cars on the motorway have a front tyre blowout and instantly cross all three lanes .!!!!!!!😢

The things i would do for a golf r estate 😅😅. Never got them in the us market. But a top loaded golf r in states is like 54/55k usd. And they sell like as soon as we get them.

Great piece of detection. Dean shows a bit of research can be rewarding. Is that correct? The manufacturer's warranty still stands after it's been given a cat N title. That alone makes a mockery of the way insurance companies behave with this type of damage if you can call it damage!

nice car I'd say just get interior full professional valetted that will get rid of any residue

The imobilisoris is ere black box under dash by lights see if its missing it shud say meta systems spa

On ford's you Press brake & hazards repeatedly to unlock transport mode maybe its the same.

Your local Audi dealer forgot to correct tyre pressure on my Q2, however I got fantastic mpg at 50psi.

There was a car dealership in Durham that burnt down. Plenty of vehicles parked outside that looked okay, though I guess the keys got destroyed. I did wonder what they might do with them.

You mentioned that the interior was covered in a fine ash / soot. Would you not thoroughly detail the interior prior to using an ozone machine?

Remember to change the cabine filter

Meguiar's Air Con Bomb, I bought a car from a dealer, there was a smoker smell in the car once the air freshener wore off. Once I used the air bomb according to instructions, never had a whiff of it again.

All the electrics in that car screwed, and you have accelerated that by using the fogger, the acid laden smoke from the fire will screw all the printed circuits

It’s ID Era Oddis only unfortunately,still a superb buy dean 👍

In Australia a new golf R 8 is c$78k…. That’s under £40k with 5 yr warranty and better standard spec than the UK.

Little warning. Ozone is hazardous. Do not breathe it. I really hope that you vent the car before you jump into it and you just forget to mention it.

Try Opening the bonnet and then do coding again. New VAG vehicles requires bonnet to be open to code them.

Madness writing that very expensive Golf off. No wonder insurance costs so much. A good interior shampoo would do it wonders.

its categorised new car ....so at least 30% off from seconhand price ....its means if NON recorded Second hand retails for approx 30k - 30% 20k - Category = maybe you got it for 15k Max

What a great buy, a true bargain and its the first time I've guessed one of your prices right 👍 Tickets should sell like hot cakes, although road tax is going to be hefty .

Would we not be valeting the car before the ozone treatment? Otherwise we have scentless smoke damage. Could be wrong but I guess the headlining carpet seats be scruffy. Also air vents cleaned and seats out.

Wait to see what sway bar you install.

Tip For anyone If you have a smelly car you can buy dry ice put it in water close all the doors windows and it will clean everywhere.

I can answer your question around why it was written off. The building & vehicles were contaminated throughout with asbestos during the fire. All the vehicles were written off for this reason

WOW new car prices are mental, no way I’d pay that even though it’s a mega car. Wish I had your knowledge but yeah £1.99 sounds a good price to pay! Loving Skoda project.

Wow! Nice find Dean - will be an awesome car to win! Can't beleive they didn't just clean it like you did to be honest!

I've just put tickets on this car. Hoping to bring it back to Scotland!

What a great purchase 👍

I’m not sure about you have 3 years warranty bro, it’s a written off and no longer a Vw problem, but I maybe wrong. Keep up the good content.

Just to let you know you can have a salvage marker removed you need to have an independent inspection done by special companies (Autolign) is one such company

Needs contrasting coloured wheels that but for £1.99 I'll take it.....

I was yhowhat they don’t have detailers 🤔 but Iv worked at dealerships before and all they do is wash it slap some polish on and clean the windows , they’re really cleaners not detailers , but that crazy to write it off for the smell of smoke , major come up

What an absolute bargain, love these sleeper cars. Great content as always

It would have been written off not because of the smell, but the risk of carbon traces on the electrical system. As we know fire and carbon go hand in hand and carbon is conductive. Seems like the cars got off lightly in this instance, but for an insurer to gauge severity of smoke damage is near impossible, hence the write off. After all these cars were sat in what is effectively a smoke chamber for days.