15” Wheel Name
- Thread starter irisha2
- Start date
Proghound
Admin Team
Welcome aboard, you've done well to get a white one, they're very rare - at least they are on this side of the Irish Sea 
Looks very smart too 
Those aren't A2 rims that it's wearing though. They'll be from another VAG - possibly an A3? - with compatible bolt pattern and offset, probably to replace 16" or 17" originals to improve the ride over poorer road surfaces. The stock 15" was a shiny chromed 7-spoke. There was also a 6-spoke 15" option with straight rather than curved spokes, and ridges along them, I think those were included in a European trim spec because they're much more common on LHD cars.
Looks very smart too Those aren't A2 rims that it's wearing though. They'll be from another VAG - possibly an A3? - with compatible bolt pattern and offset, probably to replace 16" or 17" originals to improve the ride over poorer road surfaces. The stock 15" was a shiny chromed 7-spoke. There was also a 6-spoke 15" option with straight rather than curved spokes, and ridges along them, I think those were included in a European trim spec because they're much more common on LHD cars.
irisha2
New Member
Ah! I didn’t see them in the “all wheels” thread so I was curious. After some sleuthing it seems as if they are from an early 2000’s A3.
It’s a shame someone went through all that trouble of switching them, I am thinking of replacing them with 16” rims for aesthetic purposes along with a 25mm or 35mm drop (not sure how extreme I want to go!).
And thanks for your kind words about the condition. It has 84,000 miles on it and seems to have been given a decent amount of care (timing belt changed a few years ago at 76,000 miles), albeit not babied. I’m looking forward to bringing it back up to spec over time!
It’s a shame someone went through all that trouble of switching them, I am thinking of replacing them with 16” rims for aesthetic purposes along with a 25mm or 35mm drop (not sure how extreme I want to go!).
And thanks for your kind words about the condition. It has 84,000 miles on it and seems to have been given a decent amount of care (timing belt changed a few years ago at 76,000 miles), albeit not babied. I’m looking forward to bringing it back up to spec over time!
Yes you have a nice rare white A2 there as @Proghound says.
For some reason the A2's made for the Irish Market were a quite no frills basic spec with non colour coded wing mirrors and door handles and most without central locking or climate controlled air conditioning either.
The wheels are usually steel with wheel trims too, rather than alloy wheels so I presume a previous owner has thought to upgrade it by fitting the 15" alloy wheels that it's currently wearing which are indeed from a mk1 8L A3.
I notice it is also wearing a full set of mudflaps which are a nice upgrade and also pin stripes running along the sides which I think is the first I've seen on an A2 so I think someone has cared for and taken a pride in it sometime in the past which is good.
BTW the centre caps (although they look like the popular lightweight Pepperpot alloy wheel centre caps) are actually smaller so won't fit, just in case you had the idea of fitting some in the future.
Anyway good luck with your new car and I hope it serves you well and soon gets under your skin, as they tend to do
For some reason the A2's made for the Irish Market were a quite no frills basic spec with non colour coded wing mirrors and door handles and most without central locking or climate controlled air conditioning either.
The wheels are usually steel with wheel trims too, rather than alloy wheels so I presume a previous owner has thought to upgrade it by fitting the 15" alloy wheels that it's currently wearing which are indeed from a mk1 8L A3.
I notice it is also wearing a full set of mudflaps which are a nice upgrade and also pin stripes running along the sides which I think is the first I've seen on an A2 so I think someone has cared for and taken a pride in it sometime in the past which is good.
BTW the centre caps (although they look like the popular lightweight Pepperpot alloy wheel centre caps) are actually smaller so won't fit, just in case you had the idea of fitting some in the future.
Anyway good luck with your new car and I hope it serves you well and soon gets under your skin, as they tend to do
irisha2
New Member
I don’t believe it has air conditioning, and no button on a fob for locking all the doors (but rotating the key in the door does lock all the doors).
It definitely is not one of the high spec ones I see around, it has a cassette player (no Bose), no OSS, nothing like that.
But in Ireland the need for air con is rare, and I would prefer less to go wrong than more features to be honest, so I’m happy as clam with the specs.
I may start a rather boring “build thread” as I fix minor things. Thankfully not a whole heap wrong with it!
And yes, I’m sold on the engineering of it and I like oddball cars. I think it won’t have a hard time growing under my skin, that’s for sure.
It definitely is not one of the high spec ones I see around, it has a cassette player (no Bose), no OSS, nothing like that.
But in Ireland the need for air con is rare, and I would prefer less to go wrong than more features to be honest, so I’m happy as clam with the specs.
I may start a rather boring “build thread” as I fix minor things. Thankfully not a whole heap wrong with it!
And yes, I’m sold on the engineering of it and I like oddball cars. I think it won’t have a hard time growing under my skin, that’s for sure.
Sorry, yes I meant remote central locking.
As you say there's a lot to be said for 'less to go wrong' in fact the relative simplicity compared to a lot of the modern day vehicles is one of the endering factors of the A2 to me
Riba
Member
If you do and want to get rid of these, ping me. It would be an upgrade from the rusted steel ones I'm having on now.
I'm in Limerick!