Project Snowfall ❄️

irisha2

irisha2

New Member
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I picked up this 2001 A2 with 84,000 miles on it, and I am surprised at how undervalued these are. It would be a challenge to get a better car for twice or three times the price I paid for it (€1,900). I think it’s just because normal people don’t understand them - fine by me. It is odd and charming, and delightfully over-engineered. Driving it home, the steering is tight and because it isn’t all that powerful it begs you to wring the most out of it. At the same time, it feels comfortable at motorway speeds and fits four.

But you knew all that, didn’t you? Because this is an A2 forum. I’m singing to the choir.

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All that said, it is a 21-year-old used car. It has had seven previous owners (although I get the sense some were dealers/auction houses). It hasn’t been babied, although the previous owner had it for seven years and didn’t neglect it.

There’s a lot to be sorted, which is why we’re on a project thread - possibly the world’s most boring thread of all time.

It will be about as boring as watching snow fall, because I will be spreading the projects out as my time and budget allows - think years, not months.

Also, unfortunately, I don’t have access to a garage or driveway here in Galway, a lot of the work that involves putting it on a lift or spending multiple days will be done by a shop - although I wish I could be getting my hands dirty (I enjoy working on cars).

Drivetrain:
- oil change
- fix oil leak from bottom of engine (hopefully just out of drain plug)
- chatty tappets when cold (need adjusted?)
- coolant flush
- transmission oil flush
- TBD mechanic looks it over

Interior:
- replace soft touch window switches (classic!)
- replace soft touch headlight switch & fix it falling into the dashboard
- replace fuel flap button
- clean or replace headliner
- replace shifter boot
- anything to be done about peeling soft touch throughout?
- new stereo (ideally Bluetooth)
- remove old alarm system
- hazard light coming on with right turn signal
- handbrake handle
- possibly light tint
- deep clean / valet

Exterior:
- fix broken plastic side skirts
- adjust other plastics (mudflats) to fit tighter
- remove pinstripe
- refurbish hazy headlights
- paintless dent removal of the one dime-sized dent on the car
- deep clean / valet

Suspension:
- dampers
- lowering springs
- endlinks
- rusty components (a-arms, etc)

Wheels / Tires:
- possibly 16” rims
- new tires
 
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Photos to get a sense of all the minor issues.

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“The dent”

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Hazy lights
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Ripped up side skirts (also missing jacking point plugs). Any ideas where to get replacements?
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How did this get wet in the first place? I have no idea. Hopefully I don’t have to chase down a leak in a non-OSS roof as well as fix a stained headliner. I wouldn’t even know where to begin on where this could be coming from.
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Sourcing a new handbrake handle may be a challenge.
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I assume some sort of flap is supposed to go here.
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Previous owner fixed this with a wood screw through the side. Hopefully I can get a new set of switches and figure out how to mount them properly.
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This is classic Volkswagen AG 2000’s soft touch, isn’t it? I bet it felt very nice to touch when new. Was it worth it, Volkswagen? Was it worth it? 😂
 
Don't worry about sourcing parts, me and Andy will be able to sort everything you need over time.

I was reading the list of jobs saying "remove pinstripe, remove pinstripe" in my head so very glad to see it there.
 
I've got the following in stock

fusecover
handbrake bandle and button
jacking hole cover (let me know which one you need as they are sided).
the hazard light coming on will be the hazard relay, i've got a few in stock
door toggle switch, i've got a good one

the headlight switch looks fine, it just needs to be pulled out stuck back together from the rear and put back in place properly


The headliner is probably spray glue thats gone wrong as they tend to sag.
 
Welcome to you, Sir.
Also custodian of 1.4 AUA petrol with hard touch switches. Ebony black and known as "Battersea".

Best of luck and the above mentioned chaps are highly recommended for their exemplary service.
 
Seems we embarked on the similar voyage, I got mine few weeks back and your 'to-do' list is almost the same as mine. 🙃 I decided I won't bother with replacing the soft touch controls, they will degrade again anyway.

BTW I am down in Limerick but may settle down in Ennis soon and I got a VCDS if you ever want to have the codes checked. I also like to do my own maintenance so we can join forces. Mine is 1.4 Petrol as well.

Check your wishbones, yours should be cast aluminium, in that case you don't have to worry about them falling apart due to corrosion, but maybe they have been changed in the past for the pressed steel ones.
 
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Riba said:
Check your wishbones, yours should be cast aluminium, in that case you don't have to worry about them falling apart due to corrosion, but maybe they have been changed in the past for the pressed steel ones.
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More to the point if they are cast wishbones, check the balljoint rubbers and renew at the first sign of perishing. The balljoints on the cast arms are integral, so when they go they take the arm they're on with them, and that's not a nice easy DIY job.
 
Those ripped up skirts are probably the result of damage to the aluminium floor structure where a garage has jacked the car on the sills. If you get your head under there you’ll be able to easily check for this. Hopefully it’s not too bad but in extreme cases there could be a hole in the floor right where many of the key electrical components for the car are located.

This one really does look very doable as a rolling project. Nice save.
 
dj_efk said:
Those ripped up skirts are probably the result of damage to the aluminium floor structure where a garage has jacked the car on the sills. If you get your head under there you’ll be able to easily check for this. Hopefully it’s not too bad but in extreme cases there could be a hole in the floor right where many of the key electrical components for the car are located.

This one really does look very doable as a rolling project. Nice save.
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Ah, that makes a lot of sense, and what a shame. I’m sure independent shops aren’t used to seeing these, easy enough to make that mistake.

I’ll check it more closely underneath and see what’s what.

I don’t want to take it to the dealership on account of my wanting to keep my arms and legs, and there aren’t any close-by A2 experts that I’m aware of. I’d be thrilled to be told I’m wrong (West Ireland).

I’ll be sure to let the shop I’m having check it out know about the jack points and the fact it’s aluminum and easily deformed.

How to tactfully tell an expert how to do their job is another thing altogether. 😂
 
irisha2 said:
Ah, that makes a lot of sense, and what a shame. I’m sure independent shops aren’t used to seeing these, easy enough to make that mistake.

I’ll check it more closely underneath and see what’s what.

I don’t want to take it to the dealership on account of my wanting to keep my arms and legs, and there aren’t any close-by A2 experts that I’m aware of. I’d be thrilled to be told I’m wrong (West Ireland).

I’ll be sure to let the shop I’m having check it out know about the jack points and the fact it’s aluminum and easily deformed.

How to tactfully tell an expert how to do their job is another thing altogether. 😂
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I normally print a 72-font warning not to jack the car anywhere other than the suspension / mounting points in A4 sized paper and leave that on the drivers seat if I have to use a garage where I’m not sure if they’ll know this instinctively. I also point it out to them when I arrive and make a joke out of it - still gets the message across!
 
dj_efk said:
I normally print a 72-font warning not to jack the car anywhere other than the suspension / mounting points in A4 sized paper and leave that on the drivers seat if I have to use a garage where I’m not sure if they’ll know this instinctively. I also point it out to them when I arrive and make a joke out of it - still gets the message across!
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Wouldn’t A2 paper get the point across better? 🤔
 
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