Here comes my write-up about my visit to Leighton Buzzard
@Proghound 's last Tuesday.
I had agreed with
@timmus to do the following work on my A2:
- speedometer dial conversation to km/h
- colour DIS upgrade, as my full DIS was on it's way out (I lost the top quarter of the pixel just by driving from Canterbury to Leighton Buzzard, and as you all know, it's only going to get worse...)
- Cruise control retrofit
- Bluetooth module built in for music streaming through my Concert Headunit
- Twin rear foglight, so car is suited for both RHD and LHD
I arrived 5 minutes late and was greeted by Ian who seemed very happy with the Continental Summer tyres I brought for him. Tom was finishing his lunch and came outside after a few minutes. Within a few minutes we had already spoken in Dutch and German as well
So, Ian and Tom sorted out the tarp to cover the car, as it was quite hot that day. I initially planned and making the most of my time and visit the lovely Leighton Buzzard, but after Tom started his magic on the car, I decided to stick around. Watching Tom work the electricals on my car was so fascinating. He doesn't mind you asking questions, he explains everything he is doing while he is doing it. He had everything prepared into the tiniest of details. It's very similar to a good dentist who explains what they're doing as they're doing it.
Tom did all of the above work to a standard which you don't find that easily anymore. I am convinced that all the work he did will easily last the lifetime of the car (and mind you, I am going to keep this car going for as long as I can). He got rid of the engine warning light, courtesy of a firmware issue (if I am not mistaken) by updating the latter.
Not only did he do all the work above, but because we were discussing a few other minor issues, he was also more than happy to help me out with those as well. He added a USB port which is only live with the ignition switched on - which in hindsight turned out to be a nice addition as I broke my 12v socket yesterday when installing a new hand brake tray. He fixed the mother of all electrical issues, the rear reading light. He also sorted out a small issue with the door (which was of my own creation as I changed the door check strap). Ian gave me two extra screws for the door panel, which were lost during previous ownership.
Before I was allowed to drive off, Tom gave me a tutorial for both Colour DIS and Cruise Control. On my way back, traffic was good to put Cruise Control to the test. Very intuitive (much more so than on my Volvo XC70) and it makes longer journeys so much more pleasant. I was streaming music as well, makes the most of the audio system in the car. I have never experienced Bose one, but from my experience in other cars, the standard Blaupunkt ones are some of the best I had in a car.
All in all, this is the best afternoon I have spent in a while. It was nice to get out again after three lockdowns. Meeting Ian and Tom was like seeing friends again. It was nice to share our mutual passion for the A2, Ian even taught me few things I didn't know, which made me love the car even more. All I can do to conclude is to recommend the work Tom does and to thank Ian for his hospitality so that A2 owners down in the Southeast can access Tom's services much more easily.
I am also happy for the fact that I offered two novelties: a) the LHD cluster conversion with colour DIS, a first for Tom and in all likelihood a world's first, and b) an apparent software issue with the reset button on the right stalk, which Tom had never seen. Not sure whether he has found the cause yet.