Hello from the Netherlands

ekkels34

Member
Hello fellow (wannabe) A2 owners,

my name is Gert Ekkels and I live in the eastern part of the Netherlands, close to the German border.

Our family owns 2 A2's: my wife a 1.4 (AUA) 2001 petrol and I did own a 1.4 (BBY) 2003 petrol from 2014 till mid 2016.

Then this special A2 showed up at our local garage and I was able to buy it. It is a 1.9 TDI (ATD) with a DSG6 gearbox.
The previous owner had bought a German 1.4 TDI (ATL), but wanted an automatic gearbox. A (talented!) Dutch mechanic tried to change the gearbox to a DSG7, but didn't manage to get it without vibrations. Then they tried a DSG6, but without avail: the vibrations were still there. Then a colleague suggested to use a 4 cilinder 1.9 ATD, which fitted just perfectly, and the vibrations were gone!
I've owned it for a more then a year now, and I still enjoy every km (mile) I drive.

I'm planning to buy this English A2 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-Aud...ng-Equipment/232549349202?hash=item3625057752 which was mentioned in the 1.6 FSi thread and hoping to get some assistance in exporting...

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Welcome to the club. A great A2 history and passion for the car. A wolf in sheeps clothing the 1.9 TDI.
 
What an amazingly persistent mechanic and owner. I bet it's an amazing drive - is that the 100bhp from the golf and polo?
Lovely looking car too.


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My wife would so like an Auto, she has a restricted license, and this one I’d like myself!


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Wow, what a car :-O

Very impressive engineering. That answers a lot of peoples questions....yes it can be done :)
 
Genius - my ideal fossil fuel car. With the venerable 1.9 TDi unit, it'll last forever, or until the diesel runs out, which ever comes first.

Thanks for posting, now to find someone in the Uk who'd be up for the challenge.
 
Welcome to the A2 forum and what a cool conversion.. As a very happy owner of a 1.2 TDI with the somewhat crude semi auto gearbox they came with, the only upgrade I would really love is a DSG7 conversion. That would simply make my car perfect, so I am a little bit jealous.. :)

Please tell us more about the whole conversion and how it affects the driving experience, fuel economy, performance etc..?

Alex
 
Thanks for sharing details of your special car.

Comments about engine vibration with the DSG gearboxes could possibly be explained if the conversion used a '4 cylinder' flywheel.

We've just been discussing flywheel and clutch upgrades on Steve's project car and discovered our 3cyl TDis use a unique flywheel with built in counterbalance weights. If the assumption about the original conversion of your car is correct it certainly highlights the importance of retaining or mirroring the 3 cyl flywheel design on any gearbox or flywheel upgrade

Cheers Spike

http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthrea...-A2Steve-s-second-project&p=294034#post294034
 
(Sigh) Oh if only there was a RHD auto A2.

I have hjeard of many cars being converted from LHD to RHD, surely it is feasible?

Could a 1.2 be converted to RHD, has anyone had a look at if this is feasible?


I suppose the loss of a genuine 1.2 might put people off this idea.

Steve B
 
I have hjeard of many cars being converted from LHD to RHD, surely it is feasible?

Could a 1.2 be converted to RHD, has anyone had a look at if this is feasible?


I suppose the loss of a genuine 1.2 might put people off this idea.

Steve B

Yes I am confident that all things automotive are possible but at what cost?
 
Yes I am confident that all things automotive are possible but at what cost?
Cost could be kept very low if a RHD donor car can be found.

I suupose the other option is to convert the 5 speed manual to take a 1.2 Auto gearbox. But I assume it means a lot of effort regarding the electrics etc. But a LHD yo RHD conversion may be more feasible.
 
Thanks for the warm welcome!

The credits for the conversion are for the previous owner (who was willing to spend a lot of money) and the persistent mechanic. The complete thread in the Dutch Audi A2 forum can be found here: https://audi-a2.nl/index.php?p=/discussion/2643/a2-1-4tdi-1-9tdi-dsg-ombouw.

The engine was taken from a Seat Ibiza and indeed a 100 bhp; the DSG6 from a VW Golf5.

Special parts are only the left engine support (a mix form the Ibiza and the original A2), the engine steady mount and the drive shafts.
Electrics was even easier: it needed only on extra wire for the extra cilinder.

The DSG communicates by CANBUS, so the gear selection is visible in DIS.

The car is street legal :); it has been checked and approved at the Dutch DVSA. Tuned a bit @125bhp and does 56 MPG.
It's hard to describe the driving experience (besides the normal A2), but with smooth shifting and an extra amount of torque it always puts a smile on my face.
The extra weight in the front is noticeable in the curves, but the Koni's and H&R anti-roll bar handle it well.

I'll post more pictures in the next few days...
 
Thanks for the warm welcome!

The credits for the conversion are for the previous owner (who was willing to spend a lot of money) and the persistent mechanic. The complete thread in the Dutch Audi A2 forum can be found here: https://audi-a2.nl/index.php?p=/discussion/2643/a2-1-4tdi-1-9tdi-dsg-ombouw.

The engine was taken from a Seat Ibiza and indeed a 100 bhp; the DSG6 from a VW Golf5.

Special parts are only the left engine support (a mix form the Ibiza and the original A2), the engine steady mount and the drive shafts.
Electrics was even easier: it needed only on extra wire for the extra cilinder.

The DSG communicates by CANBUS, so the gear selection is visible in DIS.

The car is street legal :); it has been checked and approved at the Dutch DVSA. Tuned a bit @125bhp and does 56 MPG.
It's hard to describe the driving experience (besides the normal A2), but with smooth shifting and an extra amount of torque it always puts a smile on my face.
The extra weight in the front is noticeable in the curves, but the Koni's and H&R anti-roll bar handle it well.

I'll post more pictures in the next few days...

I want one inRHD!!
 
Cost could be kept very low if a RHD donor car can be found.

I suupose the other option is to convert the 5 speed manual to take a 1.2 Auto gearbox. But I assume it means a lot of effort regarding the electrics etc. But a LHD yo RHD conversion may be more feasible.

The 1.2 and 1.4's seem to use the same steering racks. There's no RHD ANY engine compartment wiring loom, so that might need adapting. So possible but why? Driving both LHD and RHD, you soon come to realise that, apart from overtaking, the pro's and con's balance each other out. For example, at a T junction on a journey made to a former work place, the joining road was on an incline and at such an angle that it was impossible for the driver in a RHD car to see if anything was coming from the left. The safest thing to do if you were going right was to check the road and drive on the right until you could see the road in the mirror. Someone in a LHD car could see everything. A mirror image of the junction would have reversed that advantage. As for overtaking, if moving your head a foot or two makes that much difference, maybe overtaking is not advisable?

RAB
 
The 1.2 and 1.4's seem to use the same steering racks. There's no RHD ANY engine compartment wiring loom, so that might need adapting. So possible but why? Driving both LHD and RHD, you soon come to realise that, apart from overtaking, the pro's and con's balance each other out. For example, at a T junction on a journey made to a former work place, the joining road was on an incline and at such an angle that it was impossible for the driver in a RHD car to see if anything was coming from the left. The safest thing to do if you were going right was to check the road and drive on the right until you could see the road in the mirror. Someone in a LHD car could see everything. A mirror image of the junction would have reversed that advantage. As for overtaking, if moving your head a foot or two makes that much difference, maybe overtaking is not advisable?

RAB

Very true indeed!

I have owned many classic American cars and the thing I like most about a LHD car is that you can just step out of the driver's door directly onto the pavement.

The only disadvantage I had was on overtaking, but to be honest it was probably SAFER that way.

I overtook less and when I did overtake I made SURE that the road was clear or I stayed put.

T junctions varied and so they did cancel out, some junctions were easier in a LHD and others were easier in a RHD.


The thing is though that some people are less confident drivers than others and if you are a not a reasonably confident driver then it might not suit.

The other thing to consider is that LHD cars have a lower value in a RHD country, but that is balanced out (and then some) by the fact that a 1.2 is quite a special A2 and so making it "non-OEM" will reduce its value.

So if you fancy a 1.2 but would not like to drive a LHD car then it is an option.

You would need a really good Auto electrician (Plus almost certainly some pointers from RAB) to modify the loom and a donor car for the swap (basically dash, steering rack and some trim).

There will be LOTS of small challenges because of things like the fuel release and alarm button locations, but doable.(trim from the donor and wires rerouted / extended)

Steve B
 
I'm planning to buy this English A2 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-Aud...ng-Equipment/232549349202?hash=item3625057752 which was mentioned in the 1.6 FSi thread and hoping to get some assistance in exporting...

I live in The Netherlands and have exported from UK and imported into NL a Porsche Boxter, not an A2 but still quite a nice car :cool: last August. Feel free to contact me if you need help.

And indeed, driving a RHD car in Europe takes a bit of getting used to, as does driving a LHD car in the UK on holidays... But it is great fun driving an A2 diesel in the morning and a Porsche Boxter in the afternoon :)
 
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