Bluey

Taipan

Member
I recently purchased a Cobalt Blue 1.4 Petrol SE from a fellow club member and thought I would start a progress thread charting my ownership. The car has been nicknamed Bluey, due to it's Cobalt Blue paintwork. Whilst technically speaking it's the wife's car I have a lot of affection for it already, mostly due to the fact that it seems to have such character. I tend to go for eclectic cars and the little Audi is no different thankfully.

The car was honestly described in the advert as being saved from the scrap heap. Luckily for me a lot of remedial work had already been done by the previous owner and now it's down to me to get the car up to standard. I do all the mechanical work on my cars and adopt a preventative maintenance mindset, so a few things may crawl out of the woodwork once I start to dig a little deeper than a pre-sale tyre kicking.

A few observations so far:
- The 1.4 Petrol is a fantastically rorty little engine, if a little reluctant lower down the rev range. The car rides impeccably (as it should with brand new SE spec springs and dampers all round) and even the 17 inch wheels don't spoil the composure, though I suspect they weigh a tonne.
- The car handles really well. Okay, there is body roll and ultimately understeer but up until that point it just grips and goes with little fuss. It's really good fun on the B660...
- A tank of super costs £35 and lasts for an age. I'm not really into mpg but I can't say that its efficiency is a bad thing!
- The aftermarket radio (Chorus 1 was specced originally) gets patchy reception at best. It is LOUD though, I suspect the car has aftermarket speakers.
- The various cabin switch gear - whilst in full working order - is looking a little tired.
- The car wears its miles incredibly well. 120k+ and no rattles or squeaks. It's whisper quiet inside.
- The false boot floor is a brilliant idea. As is the rear seatbelt docking slots.
- It's fun watching cars behind morph into A2s as you drive along.

To-do:
Short term
- Investigate EML - Done
Replaced oil separator hose that had a sizeable hole due to incorrect rerouting of the hose at some point in the past.

- Investigate windscreen wiper not working - Done
Re-seated wiper on spline, correctly tightened nut and replaced blade with Bosch AR70N.

- Investigate vibration under moderate to heavy breaking - Done
Replaced front brake discs and pads both sides

- Investigate driver side mirror fault - Done
Replaced both side mirrors

- Deep clean - In progress
Interior is pretty grim. Seats out and full wet vac/steam clean of all the interior surfaces. Full exterior degrease and decontamination before DA polish, wax and sealant process. Engine bay and full underbody will also be done now Spring is here. Useful opportunity to assess the state of the bits you can't see.

- Audio - Done
Replaced aftermarket radio with Concert 1.

- New licence plates - Done
Replaced with new licence plates

- Purchase an OEM owner handbook - Done
E-bay comes up trumps again

- Replace wiper blade - Done
As above, replaced with Bosch AR70N

- New mats all round - In progress
Only really need the drivers mat but doubt a single mat will match. Looking for ones that come with the OEM leatherette border. Awesome GTi don't offer these annoyingly.

- Boot struts - Done
Replaced with Stabilus offerings as I wanted to retain the OEM damping at the top of the travel

Mid-term
- OEM 16" SE wheels
- Michelin PS3s
- Source and fit engine undertray (Done)
- Grease intermittently squealing starter motor
- Respray front end and general paint touch up, including a couple of small areas of aluminum corrosion
- Remove a couple of parking dings
- DVLA V888 process
- Build number (it's on an "X" plate, so I'm wondering how close to the beginning of production it was).
- Original spec sheet from Audi
- Recover steering wheel
- Recover/new gear knob
- Replacement drivers side air vent (Done)
- Replacement fuse cover
- Go through the whole cabin replacing or refreshing all the switchgear.
- Replacement handbrake button
- Resolve passenger headlight fogging
- Replace drivers speaker grille

Long term (maybe never)
- RNS-E
- Rear Parking sensors
- Alcantara and leather interior
- MFSW
 
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Hi Taipan,

What a great post.

Very well written and very informative (do I detect an Aurhor or similar perhaps?)

Great to hear of the work you plan and we look forward to hearing if we can help in any way.

Could we have some pictures please?


Welcome to a great club and it sounds like you have been well and truly bitten by the A2 bug!! (there is no known cure! - Thankfully)

Steve B
 
Nice thread and I look forward to watching progress unfold. Putting two and two together and you have bought from an experienced member - your testimony of the honest buying experience is nice to read and in keeping with the sellers profile.

ULP (Chris) also lives in St. Neots and he drives a lovely 5 seater, silver, TDI - you might see him around. I am just down the road in MK, and recently rejoined the ranks with a Cobalt Blue FSI.

I'm not familiar with the A2 ever having a long brake pedal, so less a characteristic and more mechanical or a significant difference from your daily drive.

Pictures are always a welcome addition to feed the needs of the members; especially on threads like this one. Our paths might cross in due course - perhaps at a social; check out the calendar.

Cheers,

Darren
 
Nice write up. Thanks. I also have a blue, pretty early 1.4 petrol. Mine is Atlantic blue though.
Regarding the wiper, I always recommend trying out the Bosch AR70N, before replacing the wiper arm. Floppy wiper, but fits the old arm.
 
Hi Taipan,

Welcome to the club. It's nice to read that you're so impressed with your A2; you'll fit right in! It's also nice to read that you've got lots of restorative work planned.

- Audio - In progress
I would like to return to OEM with a Concert 2. How realistic that is I don't know as the car originally came with a Chorus 1 and I've heard retro wiring can be a pain.

Long term (maybe never)
- RNS-E
- Rear Parking sensors
- Alcantara and leather interior
- MFSW

You're right that pre-2002 A2s have different wiring to the stereo head unit. This means that they cannot support later generation head units (like the Concert II CD player) unless the wiring is updated to the later standard. This is a service I offer and have done for plenty of other club members with early A2s. Without the update, it's also not possible to add RNS-E.

All the best with Bluey. Keep updating this thread as you go. We all know what A2s look like, but that doesn't mean we don't want to see lots of photos. :)

Cheers,

Tom
 
Thanks for the warm welcome chaps. I'm on my phone at the moment, so will reply more fully tomorrow.

Indeed I do, we are in Eaton Ford Taipan, happy to meet-up and talk A2's - not seen your car around yet, I'd definitely remember an X-reg Cobalt blue model! The B660 is a good road, I also tend to enjoy my
morning trip down to Black Cat via Chawston, a nice road for driving on.

We're just to the South of St. Neots, in Tempsford. I believe I saw you out and about the other day! Well at any rate there was a silver A2 parked up in Eaton Socon Tesco car park.
 
Thanks again for the warm welcome and interest.

Could we have some pictures please?

Pictures are always a welcome addition to feed the needs of the members; especially on threads like this one.

We all know what A2s look like, but that doesn't mean we don't want to see lots of photos. :)

I will endeavour to get some photos taken over the next couple of weeks, once the wife allows me some time with the “good” camera. My plan is to photo log most of the items listed above, for posterity if nothing else!


Nice thread and I look forward to watching progress unfold. Putting two and two together and you have bought from an experienced member - your testimony of the honest buying experience is nice to read and in keeping with the sellers profile.

That’s correct Darren. I always try and buy owner club member cars, as I know that they not only have access to forum expertise but also a vested interest in the car. The seller was an absolute gent to deal with and it speaks volumes that, considering the starting point for his project, the issues listed above I would firmly place in the ‘niggles’ category.


I'm not familiar with the A2 ever having a long brake pedal, so less a characteristic and more mechanical or a significant difference from your daily drive.
That’s interesting to hear. Coincidentally the low pad warning flashed up yesterday on the DIS, so it seems a new set of discs (look ready for a change) and pads is in order. Once changed I will reassess the brake pedal feel and proceed accordingly depending on results.


Regarding the wiper, I always recommend trying out the Bosch AR70N, before replacing the wiper arm. Floppy wiper, but fits the old arm.
Thanks for this. I had read that there were alternatives but as things stand the current wiper isn’t doing too bad a job in my opinion. This of course may well change.


You're right that pre-2002 A2s have different wiring to the stereo head unit. This means that they cannot support later generation head units (like the Concert II CD player) unless the wiring is updated to the later standard. This is a service I offer and have done for plenty of other club members with early A2s. Without the update, it's also not possible to add RNS-E.
Very useful information, thank you. Could you let me know a little more regarding time and cost? I assume you would need the car in front of you for the remedial wiring work? Feel free to PM me if you would prefer.


That's possible, I often pop in on the way home from work - there are a few nice A2's around, there is an Akoya Silver SE that is often parked up opposite that Tesco's, plus another silver SE I regular see around in Eaton Socon - happy to talk A2's anytime!
Welcome! Im not far away in South Peterborough near the A1 if you ever need any A2 help.
Nice to see a few local owners. My wife was commenting how she is looking forward to the random waves she will no doubt receive from passing A2 drivers :D
 
I have added a couple of items to the issues listed above:

Short term
- Boot struts - In progress
I notice that when the boot is opened the struts continue to hiss for a while after their work is done. I had this with my RS4 of the same vintage and will source and fit replacements.

Mid term
- Headlights - In progress
I noticed after rain and in the mornings that the passenger side headlight has fogged up. I have read the silicone pack 'fix' information and will undertake this when I have some spare time. The reason this is not listed as a short term fix is because with the warmer weather we will have over Spring and Summer I envisage this will not be as much of a problem.
 
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I have added another item:

Mid-term
- Drivers speaker grille - In progress
The drivers side speaker grille is cracked and will need replacing. It's only an aesthetic thing as the (aftermarket) speaker still works perfectly - and don't I know it!
 
- Purchase an OEM owner handbook - Done

I managed to track down an original A2 Owners Handbook on EBay. On the face of it there were a fair few available, but it transpired that the owners handbook was updated at various points in the production run. I had to search out the correct 2000-2001 version, which is a rarer (and more expensive!) beast. It's the small things!

Anyhow, mission accomplished.

 
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Love the attention to detail; feeds my OCD a treat... :cool:

I managed to track down an original A2 Owners Handbook on EBay. On the face of it there were a fair few available, but it transpired that the owners handbook was updated at various points in the production run. I had to search out the correct 2000-2001 version, which is a rarer (and more expensive!) beast. It's the small things!

Anyhow, mission accomplished.
 
- Purchase an OEM owner handbook - Done

I managed to track down an original A2 Owners Handbook on EBay. On the face of it there were a fair few available, but it transpired that the owners handbook was updated at various points in the production run. I had to search out the correct 2000-2001 version, which is a rarer (and more expensive!) beast. It's the small things!

Anyhow, mission accomplished.


If I'd known I have the complete owners pack for a 2000-2001 model A2 sat in my kitchen cupboard checking dust.
 
- Replace licence plates - Done

Whilst from afar the licence plates that were on the car didn't look too bad, once close up you could see that they were delaminating, separating and generally looking quite tired. They were held on with mismatched screws, one of the rear locating holes had been stuffed with a rawl plug and the front bumper had been messily drilled with new locating holes to the top left and right of the plate, which I thought rather unconventional!

(Please ignore the dirty state of the car, that's on the list!)



Once removed it wasn't actually too grubby back there. Bit of trapped dirt, some old sticky pads and a bit of residue but I was expecting worse. Front was completely clean, which was nice to see.



All cleaned up and new rear plate attached including GB moniker, as I don't like sticking those onto the paintwork everytime we go to France. I dispensed with the screws as a method of attachment as I think sticky pads create a cleaner looking result.

Such a simple change, but works wonders for freshening up an older car. No pics of the front plate, but you get the idea.

 
Completed a very simple job that I now realise I hadn't noted down on my original to-do list.

Like so many, my key (only one came with the car) was showing its age. The buttons had depressed into the clicked down position, the pad was looking very glossy in places and had worn through in others.

Key comparison.jpg

I sourced a replacement pad on EBay and took my time to find an option that had painted depressions in the material rather than those that just had painted symbols. Naturally I was a little worried about damaging the housing whilst removing the old part, but it was so worn that it pretty much fell out with little persuasion - the replacement pad fits snugly and feels much more pleasingly to the thumb! Whilst the replacement item isn't a perfect colour match, it's very close. Certainly close enough for my (overly) critical eyes.

New key.jpg
 
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The car is off to Tony tomorrow to retrofit cruise control, discuss audio options and generally give the car a once over, more for my piece of mind than anything else. Whilst I'm relatively proficient with the spanners, I'm certainly nowhere near the knowledge and skill levels of a specialist.

Having found out that A2 Cars is around the corner from IKEA the family is accompanying me...
 
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