New Member Says Hello

[AntB]

Hi.

There's a back story to how I've got here (isn't there for everyone?) but from a 2003 V8 MG estate I found myself in a 2018 Kia Soul EV and now I'm having a further change. The yellow car in the photo is my new summer transport and the cheapest A2 in the country has been bought for winter and autumn. It's currently getting its first MoT in a couple of years and then it'll be pulled into service for carrying the kids and their bikes etc.

I may have a few questions about the A2, so I just thought I'd introduce myself and say hello first.

Ant

 

[Robin_Cox]

Welcome!!

Do you have any more information about the A2 - which engine it is and so on?

Is that a Dolomite Sprint? The first car I was ever transported in was a brand new Dolomite 1500TC ; however sadly I'm not enough of an aficionado to be able to tell what I am looking at without a lot more assistance. There are a few other Triumph fans here (Stags mostly as far as I am aware) so you're in good company.

 

[PlasticMac]

Hi.

There's a back story to how I've got here (isn't there for everyone?) but from a 2003 V8 MG estate I found myself in a 2018 Kia Soul EV and now I'm having a further change. The yellow car in the photo is my new summer transport and the cheapest A2 in the country has been bought for winter and autumn. It's currently getting its first MoT in a couple of years and then it'll be pulled into service for carrying the kids and their bikes etc.

I may have a few questions about the A2, so I just thought I'd introduce myself and say hello first.

Ant

Is the yellow one a Dolomite?
Mac

 

[AntB]

Yup, yellow car is a Dolomite Sprint, restored in the 90s and not really used since then. It's had a bunch of work done since I got it, including some respray, new rubbers everywhere, waxoyl removed from the underside then a full reapplication of the stuff. I've a phobia of rust, so I'm pleased with the A2!

The A2 is a 1.4 petrol. It's a five seater and (until the former owner's son filled it full of pound coins) had a Symphony stereo.

The only mods I'd like to do are:
New head unit with CarPlay etc.
Bike carrier (roof bars) then tow bar with better carrier.
Winterfelgen A8 alloys.

Thanks all for the welcome ?

 

[RZX]

Ooh I couldn't afford a sprint at the time so I had a 1850hl, still a nice car.
Welcome to the best car club in the world (IMHO).
Look forward to hearing your upgrades on the A2, word of warning they are addictive, I bought my 1st as a winter car 5 years ago and now we have 4 of them in various guises. ?

 

[Proghound]

Welcome to the forum Nice Dolly Sprint as well as the A2 ? I hosted one in my garage for a while, now I have a yellow A2 in there

Regarding the headunit, I suspect your car is just over the cutoff point where the unit and its lighting became CAN-activated rather than through direct 12v feeds. If you still have the OEM headunit in there, if it says Symphony II that would confirm it. It shouldn't be hard to find a replacement that hasn't been used as a piggy-bank though. Or might it still be worth your while to have that one out and open it up? You've nothing to lose!

 

[AntB]

The head unit is long gone, there's some sort of 7" x 2" Sony thing in there. And the glove compartment falls to pieces when you open it. Overall though, it's pretty neat. It was for sale at £475, so I reckon I did pretty well ?

 

[Proghound]

Double-DIN and rear 'leccy windows certainly isn't a bad start, that's two big desirable retro-fits you don't have to think about in the future It all looks remarkably good inside for the money, I'd say you've done well there ?

Through this forum I'm sure you'll be able to find a replacement Symphony II to at least get you back to a decent audio starting point (you can easily add a Bluetooth adapter to it), and some assistance with the glovebox. Our resident ethical breakers @A2Steve, @Clackers, @Ami, @sciroccorrado may be able to help you. Or have a look through the Market (account upgrade required - see your welcome email) to see if there's anything going.

 

[Ami]

Hi & welcome to this wonderful forum:
I have a black glove box, the cubby hole compartment & a stereo, I also have an almost mint Air conditionin controller,
pm me & I will send you my contact details, I am in Horsham West Sussex so I think long way away from you.
All the best,
Ami

 

[sciroccorrado]

I'll have a check, I'm not too certain if I have a symphony ii in stock atm.

 

[AntB]

Hi & welcome to this wonderful forum:
I have a black glove box, the cubby hole compartment & a stereo, I also have an almost mint Air conditionin controller,
pm me & I will send you my contact details, I am in Horsham West Sussex so I think long way away from you.
All the best,
Ami

Looks interesting. I'll send you a message about the glovebox bit, the air con controller being nicer would be a benefit also. I'm a bit set on a newer CarPlay arrangement though. The turn of the millennium was good, but I'd like to avoid going back to the need for paper maps ?

 

[Proghound]

@Kleynie, can you put up a link to the double-DIN unit that went into Adam's car? That was modern all-singing-and-dancing with navigation, wasnt it?

 

[simon martyn]

Welcome aboard Sir.
You will find many words of wisdom heading your way. My somewhat limited knowledge tells me that it's not a hugely good idea to put non Audi audio kit in. There are many however who have succeeded. @Kleynie being an example [Mentioned above] The resident club genius on all matters electrical is @timmus. Based in Lancaster but has an annual surgery in Leighton Buzzard. @2work is another useful point of contact for advice on all matters stereo etc.

 

[2work]

Afternoon Ant,

If you decide to go for an OEM looking option then the RNS-E PU with all the additional peripherals should be considered. They are quite easy to install and should you got stuck then there is plenty of retrofit advice available online. If you have a spare hour then a good place to look to understand what these factory items are capable of is my Project OEM+ thread, it’s a bit wordy but a great source of information.

I actually have a spare pre-shaped RNS-E PU with correctly configured harness adapter, similar to this item I sold some time ago (you may be required to upgrade your account to view the above link, account upgrade guide here).

I also often head down to Portsmouth on business so could probably meet up to hand deliver if you’re interested.

Kind regards,

Tom

 

[PlasticMac]

Yup, yellow car is a Dolomite Sprint, restored in the 90s and not really used since then. It's had a bunch of work done since I got it, including some respray, new rubbers everywhere, waxoyl removed from the underside then a full reapplication of the stuff. I've a phobia of rust, so I'm pleased with the A2!

The A2 is a 1.4 petrol. It's a five seater and (until the former owner's son filled it full of pound coins) had a Symphony stereo.

The only mods I'd like to do are:
New head unit with CarPlay etc.
Bike carrier (roof bars) then tow bar with better carrier.
Winterfelgen A8 alloys.

Thanks all for the welcome ?

Just wondering why you don't (or anyone doesn't), fit an OEM radio, (Chorus or Concert II), with BlueTooth adaptor, and use a sat nav app on your phone? The app is continuously update, with real time traffic etc, and keeps the OEM/period look.
Old tech nav systems are never up to date, even if update CDs/DVDs are available.
Mac.

 

[dj_efk]

Just wondering why you don't (or anyone doesn't), fit an OEM radio, (Chorus or Concert II), with BlueTooth adaptor, and use a sat nav app on your phone? The app is continuously update, with real time traffic etc, and keeps the OEM/period look.
Old tech nav systems are never up to date, even if update CDs/DVDs are available.
Mac.

Yep this is by far my preferred route. Akoya has a RNS and I think it’s a waste of time personally compared to mounting my mobile phone somewhere handily close yet out of my external field of vision; and connecting it to the car’s entertainment system via Bluetooth

 

[timmus]

Just wondering why you don't (or anyone doesn't), fit an OEM radio, (Chorus or Concert II), with BlueTooth adaptor, and use a sat nav app on your phone?

That’s my approach, Mac, and has all the advantages you mention. See here:

iPhone Integration - A Cup Holder Transformed

Eight months or so ago, I finally changed my sturdy but simple Nokia Brick for an iPhone. Almost immediately, I started thinking about how to integrate it into my A2. I wanted a solution that didn't result in any wires, holes or cradles on show. In other words, if the iPhone wasn't in use, then...

www.a2oc.net

Since writing this thread, the XCarLink adapter has been replaced with an alternative that supports higher quality audio transfer.
I really must get ‘round to updating the dock from 30-pin to Lightning.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[AntB]

Afternoon Ant,

If you decide to go for an OEM looking option then the RNS-E PU with all the additional peripherals should be considered. They are quite easy to install and should you got stuck then there is plenty of retrofit advice available online. If you have a spare hour then a good place to look to understand what these factory items are capable of is my Project OEM+ thread, it’s a bit wordy but a great source of information.

I actually have a spare pre-shaped RNS-E PU with correctly configured harness adapter, similar to this item I sold some time ago (you may be required to upgrade your account to view the above link, account upgrade guide here).

I also often head down to Portsmouth on business so could probably meet up to hand deliver if you’re interested.

Kind regards,

Tom

That looks great. May I ask please how the map updates work and also if the unit has DAB radio?

Also (and this is a guess) I'm guessing from your reply that my (exactly zero) effort at online anonymity is paying off, as you have my approximate location straight away? ?

 

[2work]

That looks great. May I ask please how the map updates work and also if the unit has DAB radio?

Also (and this is a guess) I'm guessing from your reply that my (exactly zero) effort at online anonymity is paying off, as you have my approximate location straight away? ?

Evening Ant,

I tapped on your username which displayed the location that you entered at the time of registration. Hopefully this is correct as you’re not far of my route of choice when heading that way. I’ll next be down either late January or early February.

Unfortunately the RNS-E in any revision does not natively support DAB but there are options available, some of which can become expensive. Just depends on how much you like the look of the RNS-E and want to get the it out of it.

Personally I use my iPhone for DAB+ features with it wirelessly connected to a factory AMI. It gives me a perfect streaming solution doesn’t lose any of the quality that some aftermarket devices seem to provide. I have used the Xcarlink (with a Chorus 2) for many years but wouldn’t go back now, the streaming quality wasnt as good as a factory item and the calling features it supported wasn’t very good at all to be honest. These type of aftermarket items are a nice simple fit but you can get factory type items for the same price (or cheaper) if you’re willing to keep your eyes peeled and jump on a bargain when one presents itself.

With my current setup I simply call upon Siri to open a particular station/app or Alexa for any of my playlists. All whilst the iPhone is being wirelessly charged with a factory QI wireless charger that’s seamlessly incorporated into the handbrake tray. Although this all works brilliantly for audio, I do admit that the navigation data will soon be out of date. People are working very hard in the background to enable/provide a solution past the latest Audi 2020/21 navigation discs…

Kind regards,

Tom

 

[AntB]

Evening Ant,

I tapped on your username which displayed the location that you entered at the time of registration.

Ah, yes, that's a lot more likely. Sorry, I was being a bit dim.

I've had some more time to read through older threads now and it seems that with an aftermarket stereo the real option is then which bit of your A2 do you not want to work any longer.

On this basis, an upgraded OEM item with a bluetooth connection option's the best way forward. I'll take on whatever people think are the most sensible options, with or without satnav.

I've also looked up online and in terms of systems with the satnav screen it seems there's something of a market out there offering the Audi satnav updates, so that's less of a worry also.

So, while I'm here, please can we also sort out:
Tow hook and tow hook mounted bike carrier
If there's an available roof bar set up still on the market (most of the Thule items, e.g. using the 1195 fitting kit which is no longer available, are no longer available).

Thank you please thank you.