A2 parked up for 12 years!

S

SarahK

Member
Hi everyone,

I am new to the owners club but need some help so here goes....

I have an Audi A2 1.4 % door Petrol 2002/02 in pale blue metallic colour with 89,000 on the clock that I have owned from new. It was much loved and fully serviced up until 2012 when I moved abroad. As I only expected to be abroad for a short time the car was parked up in my mother-in-law's driveway in Surrey. Due to life that short time turned into a long time and it has sat there for the last 12 years untouched and is still there.

A mechanic took a look at it recently popped in a new battery and got it started and moving. However, I won't pretend it doesn't need work.
His assessment of costs was 4 new tyres, MOT, Service, Brakes-front replace discs and pads and rear needs a good clean as the handbrake was left on, Callipers may be seized and need replacing or rebuilding. There may well be other bits like sorting the gear shift etc. he only had a quick assessment of the car.

It also needs a really deep clean. It was clean when parked up so hopefully will spruce up with a professional valet.

I would love to see it on the road again but is it worth restoring? It was a lovely little A2 and could be again.

Thank you for any advise you can give.
 
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SarahK said:
Hi everyone,

I am new to the owners club but need some help so here goes....

I have an Audi A2 1.4 % door Petrol 2002/02 in pale blue metallic colour with 89,000 on the clock that I have owned from new. It was much loved and fully serviced up until 2012 when I moved abroad. As I only expected to be abroad for a short time the car was parked up in my mother-in-law's driveway in Surrey. Due to life that short time turned into a long time and it has sat there for the last 12 years untouched and is still there.

A mechanic took a look at it recently popped in a new battery and got it started and moving. However, I won't pretend it doesn't need work.
His assessment of costs was 4 new tyres, MOT, Service, Brakes-front replace discs and pads and rear needs a good clean as the handbrake was left on, Callipers may be seized and need replacing or rebuilding. There may well be other bits like sorting the gear shift etc. he only had a quick assessment of the car.

It also needs a really deep clean. It was clean when parked up so hopefully will spruce up with a professional valet.

I would love to see it on the road again but is it worth restoring? It was a lovely little A2 and could be again. Would anyone be interested in taking it on? I am open to offers or suggestions and can provide photos on request.

Thank you for any advise you can give.
Click to expand...
edit: Hi Sarah as per Market place rules you need to state a price or near offer.
also photos would go a long way for any interest inside and out and location of where the car is according to your postcode car is at Ambergate?
 
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Hi there,
Thanks for the quick response. This video is all I have at the moment as I am in Derbyshire but the A2 is in Surrey. I will get more photos. Not sure if I want to sell yet.
 

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Welcome Sarah. Definitely worth considering a restore with having reasonably low mileage and 1 owner. Do you have a full service history and receipts for the years you had it? That will add values.

If the car is still in Surrey then many people on this forum recommend B&F in Hounslow run by Gary who have a lot of experience with A2s and by all accounts have reasonable charges.

Good luck
 
SarahK said:
Hi there,
Thanks for the quick response. This video is all I have at the moment as I am in Derbyshire but the A2 is in Surrey. I will get more photos. Not sure if I want to sell yet.
Click to expand...
What part of Surry please, I am in Horsham near Gatwick
 
SarahK said:
Hi there,
Thanks for the quick response. This video is all I have at the moment as I am in Derbyshire but the A2 is in Surrey. I will get more photos. Not sure if I want to sell yet.
Click to expand...
Maybe the mods/admin can speak to you about moving this thread to a general forum. You wont then have to give a price but it should not then be for sale while you explore repairability and likely repair costs. If you then decide to sell then create a new market place ad with a price.

The servicing and brake work is well within the skills of many on this forum with the right tools and parts are available. The gearbox and handbrake could be more problematic due to accessibility and availability of some parts. I would be concerned with possible mould inside but pictures may show that.
 
Hi Sarah,

Welcome.

You could do a lot worse than contacting Gary at B&F Autos in West Hounslow. They really do know their stuff with A2's and don't charge stupid money. I think they would be very good at bringing your car back to life and would probably be able to arrange collection, as driving it after all this time would a very bad idea. Even starting it up is ill advised.

A one owner A2 is a rare and wonderful thing to own.

All the best.
 
PS

I second the comments made about WOM Automotive, but B&F are a lot closer to Surrey than Derbyshire. I stress that the car must not be driven until a new cambelt and water pump are fitted. And oil changed etc. etc. To do so is to risk breaking a cambelt and that is "game over".
 
Thanks to everyone for all your help.

I will talk to Gary at B&F in Hounslow first as he is the closest to the car. I will also talk with WOM Automotive but I would need to get the car transported to them. Thanks Dave for moving my thread to the general section. If I decide to sell I will come back with photos and a price.
 
Further thought Sarah. You A2 was parked in a driveway for 12 years. Did it have a cover or was it washed regularly? Pollution can damage paintwork as well as sap from any overhanging trees. And overhanging trees attract birds and their droppings can be quite corrosive. As soon as I see any dropping I'm out with a bucket of water and a soft brush to wash it away. Happened twice this week :(

Unfortunately, damaged paintwork will impact value significantly and in my experience finding a decent body shop is difficult as so many just aim for a quick cosmetic job to satisfy an insurance company or a trader looking to spruce a car up for resale.

Give it a two or three foam washes with plenty of water and gentle massage with a soft brush. I use a soft brush that goes on the end of the hose. I think this is more gentle than a bucket and sponge which can grind in the dirt.

If you can get your A2 back to life then you will probably have one of the very few A2s that have been with a single owner for over 20 years.
 
If you are keeping the car its worth more to you as you have had it from new.

if you are looking to sell don't spend any money on it to be honest, as I'm guess it will need new timing belt water pump etc. all new tyres as they should be changed at least 10 years and any other things that may need doing to get it through the MOT plus labour if you are not doing the work yourself, when you factor the labour This will cost a lot more than the car is worth in the market.

Good luck whatever you do
 
rasA2 said:
If you are keeping the car its worth more to you as you have had it from new.

if you are looking to sell don't spend any money on it to be honest, as I'm guess it will need new timing belt water pump etc. all new tyres as they should be changed at least 10 years and any other things that may need doing to get it through the MOT plus labour if you are not doing the work yourself, when you factor the labour This will cost a lot more than the car is worth in the market.

Good luck whatever you do
Click to expand...
Not to mention the braking system is likely to be seized and with perished flexi hoses.
 
Alternatively, you could look on the bright side.
The car owes you nothing, and as it is has little value.
If you spent £1,000, (unlikely, but worst case), getting it re-commissioned and valeted, you'd have a very nice car, with emotional investment, ULEZ compliant, a pleasure to drive, and membership of the best one make car club in the universe.
Good value I'd say.
Mac.
 
PlasticMac said:
Alternatively, you could look on the bright side.
The car owes you nothing, and as it is has little value.
If you spent £1,000, (unlikely, but worst case), getting it re-commissioned and valeted, you'd have a very nice car, with emotional investment, ULEZ compliant, a pleasure to drive, and membership of the best one make car club in the universe.
Good value I'd say.
Mac.
Click to expand...
100% agree, I was driving mine today and thinking I wouldn't swap it for another car.
 
Worth every penny getting it back on the road in my opinion. Where else could you buy a known car for the money it will cost to get it back on the road...and you know for a fact it hasn't been thrashed to bits over the last 12 years...unless your MIL had a spare key and took it for a joy ride every now and then!!!!!!
 
There would probably be far less work to do now if she had done so Andy! So not necessarily a bad thing :)

@SarahK - When it comes to cars, there are two phrases that nearly always hold true, assuming the car isn't a total basket case:

1) "It's always cheaper to keep 'er"; and
2) "Better the devil you know"

This second one is perhaps not quite so relevant in your case as due to the time the car has been sitting, you don't yet know the full extent of what it needs. Nonetheless, if you gave your car a birthday and got the garage to go right through it with a bundle of new parts, you still won't spend anything more than it's value on the open market - and you couldn't buy as good a car (any car) with only one owner from new and correct any faults for that kind of money, so purely on an economic basis I would suggest you keep it - That is of course assuming you do need a car now you're back in this country.

The great thing about an A2 as a project like this is you know there won't be any rust to deal with - it will just be a full service with all fluids changed, brakes and anything made from rubber / perishable materials needing replacement (cambelt, tyres, brake seals, ignition components, coolant hoses etc.).

I would suggest your garage could address everything, get it MOT'd and give you change from £2000. Now I challenge you to find another one owner car with less than 100k miles on the clock that has had all those items addressed for that budget.
 
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