What are A2's like to work on as a project car?

A

A2projectcar

New Member
Hi
I'm brand new to A2's - always liked then from afar and as I work in Automotive R&D always thought they were ahead of their time. Now they are to be had for £500 on ebay as project cars - some MOT but needs work etc, i'm sorely interested in snapping one up for some quality spanner time. However I'm not finding much on google & youtube as to what they are like to work on and if there is anything that's really expensive to fix and best avoided at my price point. I'm only looking at petrols - but any advice on whether the A2 is really worth taking on at my price point or any advice at all really would be very much appreciated.
 
I'd suggest having a look in the project section of the forum for ideas on what can be achieved with A2s - some at very little cost, some at huge cost.

Personally I'd say they are excellent as little projects, but be prepared to take input from experts in the field as some things can be done quite easily, but it's not obvious from the start.
 
sciroccorrado said:
I'd suggest having a look in the project section of the forum for ideas on what can be achieved with A2s - some at very little cost, some at huge cost.

Personally I'd say they are excellent as little projects, but be prepared to take input from experts in the field as some things can be done quite easily, but it's not obvious from the start.
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Thanks Sciroccorrado for the reply - I'll go through the project forum as you suggest. It's a car a lot of people know very little about - and I work in an industry where people know a lot about cars generally! - two conversations one colleague tells me the A2 does'nt have a bonnet and will be a nightmare, next conversation with another colleague and he tells me not only does the A2 have a bonnet they are easy to remove - probably why they are so cheap on ebay I guess with this level of mis-information. Regards Ian
 
A2projectcar said:
Thanks Sciroccorrado for the reply - I'll go through the project forum as you suggest. It's a car a lot of people know very little about - and I work in an industry where people know a lot about cars generally! - two conversations one colleague tells me the A2 does'nt have a bonnet and will be a nightmare, next conversation with another colleague and he tells me not only does the A2 have a bonnet they are easy to remove - probably why they are so cheap on ebay I guess with this level of mis-information. Regards Ian
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ha ha - You gotta love the A2's bonnet situation. The second is definitely correct, but it's well hidden ;) and indeed not only is it easy to remove, it weighs naff all and the actual engine bay is quite easy to work in. I think the main thing about the A2 is it is unconventional and you have to rethink a lot of pre-conceptions of car design.
 
A2projectcar said:
Thanks Sciroccorrado for the reply - I'll go through the project forum as you suggest. It's a car a lot of people know very little about - and I work in an industry where people know a lot about cars generally! - two conversations one colleague tells me the A2 does'nt have a bonnet and will be a nightmare, next conversation with another colleague and he tells me not only does the A2 have a bonnet they are easy to remove - probably why they are so cheap on ebay I guess with this level of mis-information. Regards Ian
Click to expand...

ha ha - You gotta love the A2's bonnet situation. The second is definitely correct, but it's well hidden ;) and indeed not only is it easy to remove, it weighs naff all and the actual engine bay is quite easy to work in. I think the main thing about the A2 is it is unconventional and you have to rethink a lot of pre-conceptions of car design.
 
I've done just what you're hoping to do. I bought a 2002 1.4 petrol with 80k miles for £600. It has a short MOT and has needed a fair amount of work so far.
It makes me wonder if I should have paid more for one in the first place but at least you know everything's new when you're replacing it.
I knew little about them before buying one. This forum is fantastic though for help and advice. No Haynes manual is available for them but there are official Audi workshop manuals available on eBay.
Look at my other threads I've started to give you an idea of what you might encounter.

They are fairly easy to work in. Bonnet is easily removable. I've carried out a full service on mine including the timing belt and nothing is especially difficult. Some things are just in strange places like the air filter down in front of the offside front wheel.

Look into which optional extras were available if there are some you'd like or dislike, and look at cars that suit your personal requirements.
I bought the first car I saw as it was local and had quite a high spec. Has a working opensky roof, rear electric windows, one of which needs looking at though. Climate control, headunit with multichanger to name a few. Just make sure everything works and make sure your project budget caters for what doesn't work!
All the best in finding a bargain.
Ross
 
The A2 is a great car To work on. When I started breaking A2s I could only do an oil change, now I can strip it down to a bare shell. It's all logical sensible mechanics.

If it has to be a petrol get the 1.4 it's a much more reliable engine.
 
I'm used to working on MK1 and 2 golfs and I've not had any issues with the A2. My son bought a project MOT failure last summer, so far we have replaced the cambelt, rear suspension in its entirety, the exhaust system, the brakes, a rear door and many other small trim pieces. I've not found that I need any more tools than I already had. Actually Vie found it very easy to work on, especially with the removable bonnet.
 
We bought a 1.4 SE for about £500 at short notice as my wife's car started blowing smoke and I need to look at the turbo (Daihatsu Copen 660 cc). So far I have done a full service, waiting for better weather to do a cambelt change, changed the driver's door lock and microswitch, just about to fit a replacement sports steering wheel and glovebox.

How much tinkering you do depends on what YOU want to do to it. 1.4 engine is basic and the shell is aluminium so you don't get rust problems. There are many items that you could retrofit, it just depends on what you want to do with it and how quickly.
 
Thanks guys for taking the time - Rosstbeef sums my position spot on - should I buy something more expensive in the first place? - thanks A2Steve for the advice on the 1.4 reliability. I'd noted no Haynes - but also very little content on youtube - which is a first for any subject!.

Really appreciate you all taking the time to reply Regards Ian
 
Hi,

Another new owner a month ago was asking about a Haynes manual. This was my reply then. - Andy
 
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