After a long search... picking up an A2 Monday..

A

Axit

A2OC Donor
United-Kingdom
Hello everyone,
Not owned a car in this country for many years, opted to struggle with motorbikes.. but the rain and winter coming has beaten me back to car ownership.

the A2 has always caught my eye, being such a quirky looking car.

anyhow after many dissappointing ebay battles, one which ended early last night, i found a 29500 miles 1.4 sport on a 03 plate, being kept by a dealer. i was hoping for a private sale, but the recent ebay loss, left me no choice.

Anyhow, Silver 03 29,500 miles leather, and couldnt be bothered with all the other bits. It needs center caps, on the recon 17" alloys, and a broken window winder in back, an air vent also looked a bit pushed in, buttons all looked well used considering mileage.
One female owner, who has bashed her baby seat all over the place, plenty of miner marks on paint work, but no dents. Bound to find plenty more faults after Ive paid for it on Monday .
I reckon the cars had a life of lots of short jorneys, theres wear on the door side drivers seat and i feel the previous owners love was more on the baby than the car..
So a possible clutch in the future as the bite point felt a bit low.. time will tell.

the car was up for £4994, the mention of £4500, resulted in a face of sucking a lemon, so I settled on £4850.
So having left a deposit today will be picking up car Monday, I see the car pre prepped, so will be shinier on Monday, and a 6 month warranty thrown in.

So the deal with a car dealer and all his speal, as left me feeling aprehensive, but somewhat excited, At last I`ve got one.

So I might need some pointers in the near future. Mmmm heaters and a windscreen, if only bikers had thought of that idea..
Thank you for listening, comments on the price would be grateful.. John.
 
Welcome to the A2OC!

Your car has been spotted on the forum as per this thread, post 110

http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?10915-1-4-petrol&p=182298#post182298

Its expensive at £4850 for a 1.4 petrol, that's no doubt. But at 29k miles with some nice spec its a bit of a 'one off' so taking into account dealer mark up and the cost of a warranty, the figures start to soften a little bit in your favour.

Is there a full service history with the car? The cambelt will also have needed changing on age regardless of the low mileage. I'd want the assurance of this, plus a service at that price tag. I assume that the missing wheel centre caps, broken vent and window winder are being replaced as part of the bargain?

Have you considered an AA/RAC inspection before parting with your money? This would be peace of mind and the mileage could be verified as the wear and tear to the interior you describe sounds a bit at odds with such a low mileage. I'd noticed the wear on the buttons which is common and with one lady owner stated, they don't react too well to long nails. The wear on the seat is a bit of a puzzle though. The bolster doesn't look saggy - just creasing to the leather, and that could be simply down to never having been cleaned or moisturised properly in 10 years. Can you be more specific about the wear that you noted on the seat?

I'm sure all is well, and as you say, its just had a bit of tough love over short trips - but if I was paying above 'top book' retail money, I'd want to assure that everything was tip-top.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.
 
Welcome to the world of a2 ownership. I do hope that car is a good 'un...... personally I would have walked without having absolute assurance to the points raised by Murdo. There is always another car, just needs patience and not giving out desperate to buy signals. However you are in the best place if you need advice for anything which needs sorting after purchase.
 
I know Ive been a sucker, and i felt like one, even had a tough time sleeping last night.

But sadly i was desperate, In my opinion Ive done enough searching over the year, and when you keep setting your sights on ebay auctions with money waiting, I was duped again on Thursday, when a auction was ended early. Having already bid £4850, and was willing to go to silly money for a purchase. Then after a final desperate internet search found this car, I had already made my mind up I was going to by it... I was won over by the mileage and location.

You have to also take into account location, I`m based in Romford, Essex, so the Orpington car was simply 25 mins bike ride which was still a pain. The alternatives were;
05 Blue 1.4 TDi, 54000 miles in Leicester.
05 Grey 1.4 TDi 44655 miles in Manchester
04 Black 1.6 FSi 33250 miles in Edinburgh.

So whats done is done. The deal doesnt include, center caps, winder winder, the guy said, he can pull the air vent back out, so that might help.
The paperwork is not much just 2 receipts for service work in 2011, at docklands audi, with no stamps in book (possibly down to owner not realising stamp process)
And the Vosa MOT breakdown has a history of past 5 years with mileage intervals of 2000 per year.
I have a London taxi outside with 21000 mile on it, and going by the engine dust under the bonnet, I thought it was convincing for the mileage.

I agree with your comments and if the shoe was on the other foot, I would be saying the same things. I will be tempted to run it through Audis for a service at more cost.
But the deal is done, Fate is in the hands of the Karma Gods.
Its far easier having an opinion when you already own one.
Will see what happens Monday. Thanks for the comments, john.
 
And I will add, prices for the other alternative cars;

05 Blue £5895
05 Grey £6490
04 Black £3950, so they are in demand and prices are already getting silly.
 
Axit said:
But the deal is done, Fate is in the hands of the Karma Gods.
Click to expand...

Hi John, You said it yourself mate. What's done is done. I bought an A2 earlier this year from a small dealer, and it was a bit more expensive because of that. On the other hand, within a week or two, I noticed that the intercooler was split (common on diesels), so I called up the dealer and he fitted a new one for free, even though no warranty was offered. I think they are obliged to do this for faults that come up pretty quickly after the sale, which a private seller certainly would not have to. So, you may gain some peace of mind from the fact that he is a dealer.

I was also very keen to have an A2 as quickly as possible, but it took me a month or two to really bond with it, because there were some niggling faults to sort out. Now after 8 months, I'm really happy with it. Originally, the economy of the diesel was a key decider because of my long commute to work; but now I appreciate many other aspects of the car.
I'm hoping it all turns out to be fine for you too.
Cheers, Geoff
 
Axit said:
And I will add, prices for the other alternative cars;

05 Blue £5895
05 Grey £6490
04 Black £3950, so they are in demand and prices are already getting silly.
Click to expand...

To be fair, they are overpriced. If im interested in a car on ebay, the 1st question I ask is, if the seller has a 'buy it now' price, theres no harm in asking and it lets you know if the car is worth watching over the duration of the listing time.

But none of the problems mentioned are serious, and as its from a dealer you do have SOGA to fall back on if anything is not quite right.
 
Asking prices and selling prices are 2 different things.... however once any niggles are sorted and assuming you are intent on keeping it a few months down the line any overpayment will soon be forgotten in the enthusiasm for the car. I probably slightly overpaid for mine in 2008 but I got rid of a troublesome A6 by way of trade-in and got a high spec car with Audi dealer warranty.
 
Hi john,
I made that mistake with my first A2 too, a light metallic blue 1.4tdi. I had viewed over 12 cars and it was the best of them all. As you've experienced, distance came into play along with cost. It was not a great car with all the usual faults like drop links and anti roll bar bushes...however when I bought my current car i was much more prepared and let my head decide. Still ended up travelling to Peterborough to buy it after looking at nearly fifteen cars.
Most things can be fixed easily but Audi charge £102 /hour labour a cost I recently endured to get a diagnosis. Try and find an indipendant somewhere and save pounds.

James
 
If there are receipts from docklands Audi but no stamps in the book, I'd recommend you call Audi customer services, quote the cars vin or registration number and they'll have details of all work done within the franchised group. This may be a pleasant surprise on a one owner car if there is evidence of paperwork from a dealer.

Audi UK are very helpful with this, I've called them to check the history of several used cars - plus you can have the service book retrospectively stamped by the dealer. Our A2 had the first service missing from the book. Fortunately a page had been left blank, and when my pre-purchase call to Audi UK confirmed the work had been done by Leeds Audi, i sent them the service book and they stamped it for me.
 
Thanks Murdo, I will call Audi`s before the final payment. Thanks for all the other comments, nice to have support from whatever source.

A second look will determine the outcome, the car is scruffy, considering the overprice. And I will comment on the amount of effort that has been put into the car since leaving the deposit, I`m a stickler for customer service., I still have the option of not wanting the car anymore. Knowing how my sister treats her cars, that is pretty much what I`m seeing in this one, what breaks stays broke.

I`ve always hated painted alloy wheels, to cover the digs and thats what I`m getting, it did annoy me how the dealer said it was him that paid to have the wheels done, and its obvious they have been re done, so I would be surprised that someone in the trade would pay for what I saw.

Thr dealers getting top money for what could simply be a trade in, which means its all profit having made on the other car.

I just want no hidden agenda`s, I know its overpriced and scruffy, but as long as no expensive other jobs arise in the future I`ll be happy, and its not a "lemon"..

Time will tell... John.
 
I'm a bit late to comment on this thread, but my immediate question is whether the cambelt has been changed? Given its mileage, the answer is perhaps no, but it should be changed on the basis of age anyway.

I am really surprised to see a 1.4 petrol selling for close to £5000. Is the deal done and set in stone, or is there still a get-out clause?

Cheers,

Tom
 
Pity you're a little way away from me John.
I'd happily put the car on the ramps for you and offer a full inspection and report (FOC) to take back to the dealer to rectify any issues that may exist.
Alternatively, I could do this for you after you collect the car although not ideal.

blue skies
tony
 
Ok the deal happened, I had them running around for locking wheel nuts, beacause on Thursdays visit each wheel only had 4 out of 5 nuts, and the locking nuts was in the boot, with no key for them, after arriving home i found the locking wheel nut key in with the handbook, ... thats life.

I contacted Audi`s who confirmed all the service work upto Nov 2011, which made me feel better, the service indicator is showing service due in 1500 miles, and there was a warning on the last service about cam belt scheduled due to age and not mileage. So I am aware.

the passenger side vent is broke and will have to be looked at, I just tried pulling out with pliers which made me realise, probably a replacement, and the rear seat on one side seems to be jammed up right,

But the biggest problem is..... I love it, its WICKED FUN, and having only drove it back home 30 miles I`m hooked, brilliant what a fantastic little car. I`m amazed at all the high end/ big car kit thats rammed into this little bubble, electric lumber support on the leather seats, parking sensors, a fantastic concert II stereo, air con..etc amazing.. its a tardis, when inside it feels roomy and I`m 6`2``, amazing so for all the doubt and the overpricing what the heck....., "ITS BRILLIANTTTTT"... better then I ever expected.

To hell with the missing center caps, and busted air vent etc... who cares.... i just wanna go driving..

Thanks for all the support and level headedness which I think I`m gonna need. Looking for a local mechanic to do the cambelt if anyone can recommend one in the Romford, Essex area that would be great, Or Tony if you are capable of the work I would happily pay a fellow owner, so i can crap on about all the stuff I`m sure yous lot have heard a million times, and at the moment with my new baby, I`m thinking the further away the better....
Considering one of those pop up garages, not happy about me car sitting outside in all this rain.... Thanks everyone, John
 
Axit said:
Ok the deal happened, I had them running around for locking wheel nuts, beacause on Thursdays visit each wheel only had 4 out of 5 nuts, and the locking nuts was in the boot, with no key for them, after arriving home i found the locking wheel nut key in with the handbook, ... thats life.

I contacted Audi`s who confirmed all the service work upto Nov 2011, which made me feel better, the service indicator is showing service due in 1500 miles, and there was a warning on the last service about cam belt scheduled due to age and not mileage. So I am aware.

the passenger side vent is broke and will have to be looked at, I just tried pulling out with pliers which made me realise, probably a replacement, and the rear seat on one side seems to be jammed up right,

But the biggest problem is..... I love it, its WICKED FUN, and having only drove it back home 30 miles I`m hooked, brilliant what a fantastic little car. I`m amazed at all the high end/ big car kit thats rammed into this little bubble, electric lumber support on the leather seats, parking sensors, a fantastic concert II stereo, air con..etc amazing.. its a tardis, when inside it feels roomy and I`m 6`2``, amazing so for all the doubt and the overpricing what the heck....., "ITS BRILLIANTTTTT"... better then I ever expected.

To hell with the missing center caps, and busted air vent etc... who cares.... i just wanna go driving..

Thanks for all the support and level headedness which I think I`m gonna need. Looking for a local mechanic to do the cambelt if anyone can recommend one in the Romford, Essex area that would be great, Or Tony if you are capable of the work I would happily pay a fellow owner, so i can crap on about all the stuff I`m sure yous lot have heard a million times, and at the moment with my new baby, I`m thinking the further away the better....
Considering one of those pop up garages, not happy about me car sitting outside in all this rain.... Thanks everyone, John
Click to expand...


Wow John, now THAT'S enthusiasm!

... and yes, I can help. I have access to a fully equipped workshop (and special Audi tools), and can competently carry out any service, repair, modification or upgrade on these fine cars. Drop me a PM and we can arrange something that suits.

blue skies
tony
 
I cannot recommend Tony enough. He's far from your average mechanic. A2-specific knowledge is very, very thin on the ground, even in Audi dealerships. Tony is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum; he knows the A2 down to the last plastic washer and will work on your car to his own high standards of perfection.

Tom
 
Totally echo that point!
timmus said:
I cannot recommend Tony enough. He's far from your average mechanic. A2-specific knowledge is very, very thin on the ground, even in Audi dealerships. Tony is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum; he knows the A2 down to the last plastic washer and will work on your car to his own high standards of perfection.

Tom
Click to expand...
 
Tony i will be in touch, when I`ve come back down to earth from all this excitement, gonna try and get an air vent as well for you to fit,.but unfortunately i have to go and earn some money, already soved the jammed back seat from the help of this site, which lead to panic hoovering until the 10 years worth of crap build up was gone, theyve never been lifted folded down but not lifted..

the worlds a better place when you have an A2 to play with.... but very distracting.. john.
 
Ok found an air vent on fleaby, £27, thatll do, its in the post on its way, OK whats next ... oh yeah work,... John.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top