Dutch Introduction

[DuncanA2]

Hello flexie A2 enthousiasts,

I’ve been a member for some time but have neglected to introduce myself properly, her goes. My name is Duncan and I from the Netherlands. We are owners of two A2’s. First one is a black 1.4 AUA we bought in 2012. My wife needed a car and this was the safest one we could find and afford? back then. At first I was not that keen on the A2, but it grew on me. By the time I was in the market for a new car, I decided that I wanted an A2 as well. So I bought a 1.4tdi ATL90. I’m on t he road a lot for work, so diesel was an obvious choice. Of course I tried to find one with as much bells and whistles as possible to make the journeys comfortable. I ended buying the ATL from an notary, who bought it from the first owner in Germany. So only 2 previous owners. As far as I know the only accessories it is missing are the headlight washers, navigation, cd-changer and parking heater. Since I’ve bought it, I’ve modded the car to my likings and skills aside from regular maintenance. Very happy with it and hope to keep for a long time to come.
I really appreciate your forum, due to its expertise and passionate forum members. Never a dull moment! So keep it up and I will make use of you advice and expertise and try to attribute where ever I can.
Kind regards
Duncan

 

[2work]

Hello Duncan,

A massive welcome from me and thank you for recently sharing the details of your armrest retrofit.

I am yet to get the files to the company that I am using for the Bespoke Footrests, just a matter of time and I’ll have an answer from them.

Kind regards,

Tom

 

[Jeetesh]

Hello and welcome.

Can I be really cheeky and ask for a full list of modifications that you’ve done please, I like reading what people have done to theirs. I’ve had a look at the ‘about’ section which details your car but pictures show a few more.

thanks in advanced.

 

[Phil FSI]

Hello Duncan
Fantastic looking A2. I like the chrome under the number plate, like my old A8.
And colour DIS too, and I love the gear stick gaiter! All lovely.
We used to travel to The Netherlands often to holiday before the pandemic and I enjoyed spotted a few there, maybe they were yours.
Hopefully we will get back to your beautiful country, roads and canals one day. We miss it so much.
We don’t go there in the A2, we pull a caravan with the ‘big’ car.
Phil

 

[timmus]

Hoi Duncan,

Nice to see you on this forum. My usual annual trip to NL didn't happen this year due to Coronavirus, but hopefully I'll see you again in 2021.
A few more Dutch members have enquired about Colour DIS, so there's already an excuse to resume services from my Den Haag retrofitting station.

Groeten,

Tom

 

[DuncanA2]

Thank you all for your comments. Yes Tom @timmus did my colorDIS upgrade, still very happy with this feature. Especially the oiltemp?. In the Netherlands the MOT is called APK but is not as rigid as your MOT so many modifications are allowed or condoned. What has been altered /modified:
Interior lights exchanged for led lights
Courtesy lights in front and rear doors
USB adapters in rear Doors for the kids.
Matt Chrome ventilation knobs from A6 4B
Ventilation wheels illuminated red
Lightsensor with Matt Chrome light knob
A3 Matt Chrome electronic window knobs
A3 MY’13 flat sport multifunction steeringwheel
A1 leather armrest
TT 8N gearknob with gaitor and ring
Under handbreak storage
Rear cupholder
2x Led light in trunk and 2x rearlid
Sunscreen original a2

exterior:
Polo WRC gti brakes front
Koni fsd shocks with spidan springs
Front grill extension from a4 cabrio B6
Led dynamic turnsignal in mirrorcaps
17 inch 9-spoke for next summer.
16 inch fabia VRS for winter

audio:
All doors completely dampened 4kg each door
Complete Floor dampened
BT rsap for music streaming
helix P-DSP
High - scan speak
Mid - RAdical Audio RM 50
Low - hertz Mille (the old ones)
Rear door 8” woofers (support)
Trunk woofer as per Bose but then homemade I think that’s about i

for the future:
MYP 6-speed upgrade
Have my front and rear bumpers repainted
Finish Project headlight and rearlights (ongoing)
Maybe RNS-E upgrade

kind regards Duncan

 

[Jeetesh]

Wow, that’s a mighty list!

 

[DuncanA2]

Excuse my ignorance for knowing all the right designated words in English. I didn’t know de exact words.

main goal is to keep the a2 in the best state it can be as possible, within reason of course. It isn’t daily driver and not entirely in showroom condition??.

 

[Menno]

Hej D! Nice to see you here ?!

(en (nog) geen Eekhoorns op dit forum.. ?)

 

[Alan_uk]

Hi Duncan and welcome. That's an impressive list of mods!

May I ask whether the red courtesy lights in front and rear doors were your own design or a kit? Were they easy to fit?

I would guess you had to bring a cable into the door from a switched supply or is there a suitable supply point already in the door but then they also need an automatic switch of some sort within the door.

 

[DuncanA2]

Hi there,

I’ve forgot to mention that a few years back, I got hold of a set of original Hella dark lasered rearlights. For those of you who might have wondered.

As to the question about the courtesy lights, they are parallel connected to the interior lighting. So they operate at the same time you would expect when opening one or more doors. Same goes for the puddle ledlights I integrated in the mirrors. So when it’s dark outside and you open the car the sides are illuminated besides of the Leaving Home lighting. All this of course vice versa when closing the car , ComingHome. This can be achieved by wiring in to the door from the CCCM. I have to look the scheme and pictures I you want.

 

[DuncanA2]

The interior lighting is controlled by earth connection instead of power connection.
At the CCCM terminal 1/2 (brown/ white wire 0,35mm2 = earth ) .
Place a Diode in the cablestring and take the earth wiring before the diode.

Place a fuse in line with the 12V at the big red continuous 12V provision next to the CCCM.
!!!! take off the Battery - between the life 12V feed and the battery is no Fuse. If you touch the car by accident you will risk writing/ damaging of the car. Please be careful!!!

Both wires, power and earth, can now be wired to each door and connected to whatever type of lighting you prefer

hope this helps?

 

[DuncanA2]

Did I mention I am crazy about rims? Over the years I have had my share. Call me crazy, my wife does ? Some if them will be familiar.

 

[dj_efk]

Nice car!

What was involved in terms of preparation work in order to install the TT gearknob? Might go this route...

 

[DuncanA2]

IIRC not much other than I had to buy the tiny bolts and rubber nuts to gaten the ring. The gaitor has holes corresponding the ring, so that lignes up right. The only tricky part is to align the ring onto the console as you only have “meat” to drill the holes on the rear part of the ring, in direction of the handbrake. Once your done, it is plug and play. I used kind of rubber fastners that have a threaded nut at the end. The fastener goes through the hole and upon fastening the rubber expands and fastens the ring into the console. Bit sketchy description but I don’t know the name of such fastners. ?hope this helps.

 

[Alan_uk]

I used kind of rubber fastners that have a threaded nut at the end. The fastener goes through the hole and upon fastening the rubber expands and fastens the ring into the console. Bit sketchy description but I don’t know the name of such fastners. ?hope this helps.

Today I saw those fasteners mentioned in another thread:

Snapped numberplate light screws!

I would like to get some help about rear numberplate light screws. Unfortunately the previous owner didn't care about it. The fact she had 2 broken numberplate light just make me sad. Anyway I bought 2 brand new and just got it today. So when I tried to take out the old ones the screw just...

www.a2oc.net

2nd photo. They were called rawlnuts

 

[DuncanA2]

Those are the ones I used!? thank you very much