need some advice on repairs please

A

audry

Member
Hi all,

This is my first post, so please forgive me if it's not that great!

I have recently bought an A2 1.4 TDI, which I really like, but...

Well I feel pretty stupid but I did not notice some damge to the car when I purchased it. Underneath the front (where the bumper joins the plastic underside) there is some damage. It is not too bad but it does concern me. It looks to me as if someone has driven the car up a high kerb, and then reversed off. I could live with this but I have also noticed that the off-side wing has an uneven shutline, not by much. It seems to indicate that the front wing has been moved back towards the driver's door slightly.

The car drives well and the bodywork looks fine in terms of finish.

It worries me that I have bought something that has been in an accident, though I do know the car has never been a write off I worry that maybe the spaceframe has been damaged and repairs not done appropriately.

Does anyone know where I can take the car to properly ascertain how bad the damage is and find what is the best remedy?

I am grateful for any advice, thanks in advance,

Audry
 
Welcome to A2 ownership and i am sure other members will help you out. Did you buy privately or from a dealer?
 
If it was a low speed (<10mph) shunt, then it is a very common thing to happen to a car and as such all mainstream cars, including the A2, are designed for it. Beneath the plastic front fascia is an aluminium bumper beam. This is a quickly replaceable part (bolt off, bolt on).

Bent metal is the same, whether it be steel or aluminium. So any accident repair garage will be able to look for damage. Where the A2 is unique is that being aluminium very few garages have the facilities to repair it. It sounds as if you are just after an initial inspection. So a local repair garage will do for this.

It could well be that only the wing and bumper fascia were damaged and poorly repaired. If so, most skilled garages will be able to repair these parts alone.
 
picture is worth a thousand words, if you could post pict of the alignment issues then it is a lot easier to help. I've been involved in frontal collision of close to 20mph and the front bumper construction would absorb most of the impact and the spaceframe was not damaged.
 
Hi all,

thanks for the replies.

first off, I did buy from a dealer (right now I can think of lots of very sensible questions that I should have asked when making the purchase!) the dealer did not make any mention of accidents/repairs etc, but I am not sure if they are obliged to.

i feel more reasured about gaining advice from someone local to me and less worried about major probs with the spaceframe.

all the panels on the car look fine.

i will try to post a photo of the shutline.

best to all,

audry
 
Thanks for the referral Spike - much appreciated.

Couple of points Audry:

The undertray/bumper join is very prone to damage, caused mostly by exactly what you mention - driving onto a high kerb and then reversing off. The good news is that the bumper responds well to heat and can be reshaped. The bad news is that the under tray doesn't respond well and a new one, if needed, is around £75. It's perfectly ok to run with a couple of briken lugs though.

Secondly, the wing is probably OK - the shut lines are so tight on the A2 that any movement back towards the door, even 3-4mm, will mean that the door will catch.

If you want to pop up, you're more than welcome an could possibly combine a full inspection and diagnostic scan with any other jobs you might want/need doing.

PM me for details.

Cheers,

Mike
 
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