Do you keep a track of your A2 spending?!

I started keeping spreadsheets for my cars back in 2020. But for my current two, I hadn’t, until today.

The Range Rover L322 I bought blind on eBay, has cost me less in parts in 2 months, than the A2 has in about 2 weeks. And in fairness to the Range Rover, that was just servicing. No breakdowns! The A2 includes a new gearbox.

So I’m going to close that spreadsheet and forget it exists…..
 
Well, I have just spent 330 EUR on another bunch of parts ;). But I do not consider it was expensive, since all this is just a regular once per few years maintenance... Brake discs, pads, rear brake shoes, coolant, major service pack (with water pump and additional pulley for accessories), wiper, oil separator and a few other items (coolant temperature sensor, additional oil dipstick, etc.).
After this (I really, really, really hope :)) only the clutch replacement and a set of new tires are still on the table. Which means around another 400 EUR in parts. Well... I knew what I got into ;).
And then the upgrades will take place, loool.
But I do like to keep the costs known, although sometimes the look at the growth rate of the end sum is quite appaling.🤣
I had an approximate budget in my mind when I started this project and as far as it looks now, I will be at that value with car sorted, but without estetic things, so without respray, etc. I guess I will be around a third over the budget, which is not so bad :).
 
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gangitano85 said:
Was diesel really £0.57 per liter back in early 2005?
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2005 was an anomaly. The years are 6 Apr-5 Apr as in the beginning I was working for myself and wanted to align with the tax year.

2nd, when I bought the A2 on 25 Feb 2005, it came with a tank or 1/2 tank of fuel.

My s/s says it was 81p per litre. I think that includes the vat
 
Had mine 15 months, spent under £1500 including purchase, cam belt change and a new clutch ;-)
 
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One of the primary reasons I bought an A2 was for cheap motoring. Currently it has cost me just under £5k (including purchase price, fuel, insurance, maintenance etc) for just over 20k miles in a little over 2 years, which works out at 25p/mile. If I depreciate the purchase price over 6 years it comes in at 20p/mile, which is what riding a motorbike used to cost me. With the current cost of fuel, I fear it's going to get more expensive to run. Time I started to think about some more eco-modding.....
 
bought my A2 on boxing day 3 months ago for £1,000, have had to pay £500😭 on rebuilding brakes as part of the MOT. Think I've had 7 tanks of fuel which is about £400. Plus changing to the A2 for some reason doubled my insurance premium from £35/month to £70/month(!)

Feels like quite a lot, and I'm not overly impressed by the fuel economy - really struggle to get near 60mpg, its more like 55 most weeks.
That being said, now that the only significant mechanical issue with the car (brakes) is fixed, hopefully I can have a year of cheap motoring with it. I dont plan on spending a penny more than is needed.
 
I paid £1500 for ours in September 2019, and have spent considerably more than that on maintenance and some repairs since, but it has also done 43,000 miles in thar time too. I don’t go overboard, but do try and keep on top of things. So, serviced every 10,000 miles, jobs completed as and when required etc. Currently on 176,000 miles.
 
I have excel for my cars that started with fuel usage monitoring and as a place to write down error codes to investigate later. Now keeping track of repairs and spending too.
2,5 years and around 1150€. Buying not included.

Mostly A/C compressor that was broken from buying, adding cruise control and programming ecu (1.2TDI), new battery, front wheel bearing with buying tool for it. Oil, insurance etc included. But i am DIY guy, so no repairman money in there.

And then there is fuel itself. Have not keeping track of it's price from start, but last 15600km cost me 600€.
And the more fuel price rises, happier i am to have an A2 1.2 :)

During next tank i'll get my first ton of fuel burnt at around 28400km mark. A8 has done double of that with 6,4tons of fuel. Not getting near that thing with current prices...
 
Just one comment. After deciding to sell my “holy grail” white TDI several years ago I did add every thing up to see what it cost me.
The total was £27,000 not including my time. Selling it at £10,000 was not the best financial outcome, but there is a ceiling for an A2 and I did not build it for profit. But the pleasure out of building it was immense.

Bottom line is I am stupid but I enjoyed the journey.

Steve B
 
I keep a record of all that's been done to the car's I'm just not brave enough to add it all up but as Steve says I'm doing it for the pleasure not profit
 
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I am keeping a spreadsheet of mine. I am aware that as a petrol, its value (as we speak) is less than its Diesel equivalent. However, I only paid £1000 for a 66000mile car. To get an MOT, cambelt and service etc doubled that straight away. By the time I've sorted the Yaw sensors, and the front suspension clonks (WOM will be doing these) then I will be over triple in total I expect. Then the OSS packed up mid-service (!) so that will need a bit more. I would add I have also replaced all four tyres, powdercoated the alloys and have new Audi centrecaps! So in my naiivity, I still think if I were to buy a 1.4 Petrol with MOT and that mileage (with working OSS as mine was on purchase!) then I am just about breaking even. But then its a car thats sorted (as a 22 year old can be!) not a car purchased for more waiting to have a Yaw sensor go for example. Thats my logic anyway. The spreadsheet is a bit scary when I see how quickly things have added up, but then I also think its still cheap motoring. Next, I will be doing that cost per mile one at the end of the year! Great idea!
 
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3wheeler said:
I am keeping a spreadsheet of mine. I am aware that as a petrol, its value (as we speak) is less than its Diesel equivalent. However, I only paid £1000 for a 66000mile car. To get an MOT, cambelt and service etc doubled that straight away. By the time I've sorted the Yaw sensors, and the front suspension clonks (WOM will be doing these) then I will be over triple in total I expect. Then the OSS packed up mid-service (!) so that will need a bit more. I would add I have also replaced all four tyres, powdercoated the alloys and have new Audi centrecaps! So in my naiivity, I still think if I were to buy a 1.4 Petrol with MOT and that mileage (with working OSS as mine was on purchase!) then I am just about breaking even. But then its a car thats sorted (as a 22 year old can be!) not a car purchased for more waiting to have a Yaw sensor go for example. Thats my logic anyway. The spreadsheet is a bit scary when I see how quickly things have added up, but then I also think its still cheap motoring. Next, I will be doing that cost per mile one at the end of the year! Great idea!
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Oh bitter experience has taught me that paying top dollar for a car - any model - with everything done is far cheaper than buying a cheap one and bringing it up to standard. I’d just not had the money available to do this before when buying other cars in the past - so when I decided to buy an A2 I thought I’d test out the theory by buying the best I could find in terms of condition and spec with all known weak points addressed for £4000 or so once the cambelt and oil chain etc. were attended to.

The result was that I still vastly over-spent on the car anyway upgrading it further! 🤡

Oh well…
 
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Jason_e said:
I started keeping spreadsheets for my cars back in 2020. But for my current two, I hadn’t, until today.

The Range Rover L322 I bought blind on eBay, has cost me less in parts in 2 months, than the A2 has in about 2 weeks. And in fairness to the Range Rover, that was just servicing. No breakdowns! The A2 includes a new gearbox.

So I’m going to close that spreadsheet and forget it exists…..
Click to expand...
Remember the tortoise 🐢 & the hare.
 
I keep a book with all bits of A2 in it.
I bought the 75TDI with a non working OSS for £900. But after running it for 3 months I noticed lots of issues or upcoming issues so took it off the road. All the back axle ( refurbished) new suspension, brakes, hand brakes & brake pipes.
I have bought cast wishbones for the front which will also get new brakes, suspension etc, the ECU, egr wiper arm and drivers door opening catch has had the Depronman treatment. Pepperpots have been purchased and will need new set of rubbers, new timing kit and water pump, MOT then off to the next phase.
I have bought the MK1 Heated leather TT seats and will get Timmus to sort along with adding cruise control. Then off to have the OSS sorted, hopefully after all that back to Tom some driving enjoyment.
Oh I also keep a log of jobs done in the driver's sunshade. At the moment it looks like a barn find but still love it. 🥰
Probably will cost more than my 2003 A4 Avant that I bought back in 2017.
 
Audi needs
Car 2000 Paid
Cam belt 370 Paid
Ball joint 200 Paid
Knocking from back of car 0 Fixed
Alignment -pulls to the left 50 Fixed
Brakes discs and pads 230 Fixed need looking at again
New tyres x2 180 Paid
New reg plates 10 Paid
Gearbox service 250 Paid
Oil and filter and flush 120 Paid
Hub caps 36 Paid
2 buttons - filler and alarm 50 Paid
Starter motor 88 Paid
Alternator 200 Paid
Anti roll bushes 60
Upholstery clean 25 Done
Track rod ends 120
Auto electrics filler release 200
Roof lining 100

Blaubaukt stereo 100
Spark plugs
De-rust and underseal 100
Clutch 350
Paint 300
Total £5200

Expensive toy
 

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