My A2 "Top spec" project (AKA my Holy Grail)

[Birchall]

Hi,

I have added the current spec of the car for those who don't want to read through many pages of chat.
I will update this as anything changes (A project is NEVER finished!!)

P.S. My car is featured in September's Audi Driver magazine (out September 7th). If you want to read more!


Standard Options that were on the car originally
Sport Spec, including DIS, Double DIN, OSS (Working perfectly, touch wood!)
17” Sport Alloys, Sports seats with lumbar etc.

Standard Audi A2 options that were retrofitted (mostly by Tom (TIMMUS) Thanks Tom)
Starting at the front and working back (more or less)
Headlamp washers
Front fog lamps (with LED bulbs)
Auto dimming Rear-view mirror
Auto Headlamps (with “coming home/ leaving home” function)
Cruise control
BOSE
Rear Electric windows
Rear cupholders (my favourite standard option)
Spacesaver wheel and mountings
Rear Power socket
Rear parking sensors
Additional boot light

Improvements / Mods
Remap by Stealth (from 75 to 104bhp)
Six speed conversion
RNS E system
.......With SDS (Voice activation)
.......Bluetooth phone system
.......SatNav with Speed Cameras and 7 didgit Post Codes
.......AV Input (all supplied and fitted by HazyDayz)
Fantastic flat bottomed MFSW (again by HazyDayz)
White dials
TT aluminium pedal rubbers
Latest style window switches (not soft-touch!)
RemoteKey
.......Giving remote closing of the OSS
.......One-Touch opening and closing of all windows via drivers interior window switch
.......Remote opening and closing of all windows (one touch rather than holding the button down)
.......Remote opening of the Fuel Flap (quite useful!)
Second rear fog light wired in (thanks Tom)
AV Input (for Camera / TV)



Interior
Complete custom interior (cost more than the car cost me to buy!)
With Black Alcantara headlining and pillars
Golf Recarro front seats trimmed in white perforated alcantara and smooth black leather
Heated seat panels (standard)
Twin iPad minis built into the headrests
Standard rear seats trimmed in white perforated alcantara and smooth black leather
All door cards trimmed in white perforated alcantara and smooth black leather
Carpets trimmed with white leather
LED bulbs in all interior lights (including the second boot light)
6 Speed emblem from an S3 gearstick
PVR video, to record incidents etc. (automatically)

Exterior
Complete (and I mean complete) Colour change to white with black features
Votex kit fitted including the rear spoiler

18” R8 V10 style wheels and 215 35 18 tyres with flush valves
Bi-Xenon Headlights (Dipped and Main)
LED Sidelights
LED Fog lights
LED Reversing lights
LED Number plate lights
LED Indicator bulbs Using a modified flasher relay



I have probably forgotten a few things but will update this post as and when changes are made.

Just one before and a some "after" pictures (the before state was amazing too!!!) The last few are as it is now





My story of how it got to this follows!!!

I have been a fan of the A2 since buying one new for my wife (back in 2001) and then finding that I REALLY enjoyed the A2 and used it as often as I had chance (perhaps the reason why so many A2s have high mileage?)

Back in 2011 I wanted to buy a new car, but there was no new A2 or I would have bought one.

The next best thing seemed to be an A1, so that was it!
But as cars are such a great hobby of mine (44 years now) building and owning many weird and wonderful cars, I didn't want a basic A1.
So I ticked every possible option on the list (and I mean EVERYTHING). The final bill being £29,000 !!!! For an A1!
It was crazy to do this, but I like being crazy every now and then.

After 2 years of ownership I was getting bored, it was a great car but just lacked "Character" if you know what I mean?

The replacement just HAD to be an A2, after owning cars for 44 years and changing them every year (at most) I had tried every type of car imaginable, ranging from a smart car to a Bentley, NOTHING was as complete a car as the A2.

So having just got rid of a FULLY specced A1, the hunt was on for a fully specced A2, and so the project starts!!!

I had a few "Must haves" that were not really feasible as a retro fit (nothing is impossible but.....)

So the base car for the project had to have an OSS,
After trying to locate the parts to convert a non-DIS car to a DIS car I decided that, even though it is a totally feasible retro fit, it was more hassle than it was worth, so the base car HAD to have DIS.
It also had to have a double DIN dash so I can retro fit an RNS -E system (again, a double DIN dash can be retro fitted, but it is too much hassle (in my view)
I was not bothered about colour, because the plan was always to spray the car in an ideal colour.
I wasn't bothered about leather either, because I wanted a custom Leather interior (looking reasonably OEM, but "Special")
Wheels were not an issue either, because I will be fitting 18" RS4 9 Spoke alloys (yes I know the ride will be FIRM)
I wanted to find a car with as full a spec as possible, retro fits are very expensive!)

The big difference with this project when compared to others on this great forum is something that I am not proud of, and that is this is going to be a "cheque book" project.
I am 61 and no longer able to contort my body into the shapes needed to do most of the work, so my only option is to pay for the work to be done.
So I wouldn't recommend this approach to anyone, because the cost is going to be huge and the value of the car at the end will be a fraction of the cost.
To prevent this post from turning into one long post I will break it down a little and the next post is relating to the search for the base car.

Steve B

 

[Birchall]

The search for the base car

The project was named "The Holy Grail" because I would be looking for something that is so rare that it probably doesn't exist and even if it did exist the chances are that it would not be for sale.

So the search started.

I didn't want an ultra low mileage car, these have a MAJOR drawback !!!! You are so scared to use them and increase the mileage that it defeats the whole object of the A2 and that is that they are so nice to drive.

I wanted the following spec as a minimum.
OSS
Double DIN
DIS
Average miles
GREAT service history
No serious damage
Must be a 2003/4 (i.e. not a "Special Edition", so that ruled out virtually all late 2004/2005 cars!)
One owner (or low number of owners) _ There is no real logic to this but previous one owner cars I have owned have been very well maintained;
Oh, and the most important thing to me, it must be a tdi (no disrespect to petrol owners, it is just that I do like the tdi)

I set up automatic searches on Autotrader and eBay and scoured everything else such as Piston heads and gumtree.
No surprise that the ideal car did not come up that often and I managed to miss those that did.

I heard of a tdi 90 from a member on here and was planning to use that car as the base, but finances didn't work out (my house sale was providing the funds and that was dragging on for months)

But then Tom (Timmus) came up trumps, he knew of a 2003 Sport tdi (75) that had been extremely well cared for and with a great spec.
So that was it!!!! I now have the base for the project.

This is it!






Steve B

 

[Birchall]

The planned work

Hi,

My plans for this great little A2 are as follows


(Red means now completed)

BOSE
4 electric windows (OEM)
Auto Dimming rear-view mirror (OEM)
Rear power socket (OEM)
Twin rear fogs
Rear parking sensors (OEM)
Heated seat looms and dash panel (OEM)
Front fogs retro fit (OEM) - (Wiring done, lamps will be fitted during the paint job)
Power for an in car DVR (the tiny cameras that record your journey in case an idiot crashes into you and blames you!)
Headlamp washer conversion.
ALL of the above mods are being done by Tom (Timmus) the guy is a star and a perfectionist!!!

Additional mods not being done by Tom

6 Speed conversion (Big thanks to David "DJ 190" for help with the parts)
Remap

Both now done by Vince / Stealth

A full leather custom built interior including alcantara panels and full alcantara headlining (by my favourite trimmer !!!) Now complete

Votex kit (Big thanks to "A2look" for helping find this for me)

Multifunction Steering wheel (late model, but with a single stage air bag)
RNS-E

8.5J x 19" Imola alloys 215 35 19 Tyres (so low a profile that the tyres look like elastic bands)
VW Golf (Recarro) heated leather seats (Thanks to "Hooley for these and the heated seat looms and dash)

Suspension lowered 25mm

A full respray in white with gloss black features



I have probably forgotten lots but I will add as I go

Steve B

 

[Birchall]

Progress

Hi,

Progress so far.

Tom has been getting stuck in
The BOSE, rear electric windows, rear power socket, twin rear fogs and looms for the rear parking sensors are all virtually done

He is working on the rear view mirror, front fogs, power for the DVR at the moment


I have just been told that the alloys (OEM RS4 9 Spoke 18s) are ready. I just had them refurbed (completely including a total strip) by Wizzard Wheels over near the Brooklands museum) These guys have done a lot of work for me, they are not cheap but the wheels are refurbed to brand new condition (if not better!)

I have the rear bumper with the parking sensors and the control unit

The six speed conversion kit is safely sitting in David's garage waiting for me to collect

The Votex kit is waiting to be collected (next week)

The golf seats are still with "Hooley" at the moment

So the project is well and truly started.

I am off to Beauliue on Monday (couldn't they change the name to something I can spell) to give Vonnie the once over (Her car of course, sorry Vonnie!) to see how good a white A2 looks in the flesh!! I know it looks great and so I will probably opt for white, but it is a big decision and so I want to be sure.

The project continues!! (Perhaps I should have written a book, these posts seem to be longer than I thought.

Steve B

 

[Leopard680]

Good luck with the project; love reading about this sort of thing! One question; I do a lot of continental driving and would like to have two rear fog lamps. How is this done?

 

[dan_b]

Good work. I presume you'll be getting cruise control too?
Mk1 or Mk2 RNS-E?

On the suspension front, I would have thought you'd be speaking to Tom about Spidan springs, he knows their parts catalogue inside out! Put them with Monroe Reflex shocks I think would be your best way forward for ride compliance.

 

[manhattan$]

Great project Steve! I have subscribed to keep up to date with the progress.

Check out Lamborghini White and Bentley White as it is the same colour as Audi's Glacier white but with more metallic flake.

 

[Birchall]

Good luck with the project; love reading about this sort of thing! One question; I do a lot of continental driving and would like to have two rear fog lamps. How is this done?

HI,

It is reasonably straightforward, Tom (Timmus) has done this for me and it is basically running a feed from the existing rear fog to the other light unit.

Steve B

 

[Birchall]

Good work. I presume you'll be getting cruise control too?
Mk1 or Mk2 RNS-E?

On the suspension front, I would have thought you'd be speaking to Tom about Spidan springs, he knows their parts catalogue inside out! Put them with Monroe Reflex shocks I think would be your best way forward for ride compliance.

Hi Dan,

I forgot that, it was the first thing that Tom did for me.

I will be starting off with the MK1 RNS-E but then I will be moving that to my wife's A2 when I am sure that I have sourced the right version of the MK2 (Hardware version etc.)

I need softer springs or perhaps just standard TDI springs to compensate for the lack of tyre wall, but I will consult Tom and everyone else before I make the final selection.

Cheers
Steve B

 

[Birchall]

Great project Steve! I have subscribed to keep up to date with the progress.

Check out Lamborghini White and Bentley White as it is the same colour as Audi's Glacier white but with more metallic flake.

Thanks for that, I will check them out, that is the way I want to go, not just a flat white.

Steve B

 

[A2Steve]

I wish you all the best of luck with this project Steve. It takes a lot of guts to do something as bold as this especially with the setbacks you've mentioned.. Really looking forward to seeing this progress. Any chance of some pics?

 

[Crazylegs]

Brilliant stuff
I have been waiting for this thread to appear..

Excellent list of extras there and the car already looks great without any work done to it..

Can't wait to see the the DVR and how you have it wired, (did you go for the E-Prance Mini 0801 from my thread) also looking forward to seeing these Bespoke leather seats when they are done..


The A1 sounded like a lovely car but of course you always want to put your own stamp on things, thats what gives a car character and of course knowing you have designed and done a lot of the work yourself also adds to that satisfaction, you obviously have long pockets and like things that are a little different from the norm (A2) which is a good thing..

Can't wait for the next update and maybe pics of the project as the work takes place

 

[Birchall]

I forgot a few things

The Cruise control (thanks Tom)
The space saver wheel kit (thanks Tom for fitting this, bought from another helpful member)
The rear cup holders (which I still think is the best optional extra you can get for the A2, by far) it just looks so OEM and is VERY useful.

Oh and the Golf Reccaro seats have a huge oblong headrest, perfect for digital TV screens! So that is what they will get!!!!!.

I will probably get the rear windows tinted slightly/
I will be looking for a Votex rear spoiler (nearly had one but it was not available after I won the bid on eBay)

The one mod I do not have planned is the "comfort blinker" I still prefer to just hold the pressure on the indicators (without fully turning them on) to get a similar effect.

Any suggestions for other mods will be most welcome.

Steve B

 

[Birchall]

Any chance of some pics?

I think that having pictures on the project thread is almost essential, but Tom has the car at the moment and he is a superb photographer too, so hopefully I will get some pictures from Tom soon.

I will make sure that there are pictures of every mod.

Steve B

 

[Josall]

Steve

looks like an awesome thread to follow, good luck with it, envious to say the least, I look forward to the final spec and pictures............

 

[Birchall]

Brilliant stuff
I have been waiting for this thread to appear..

Excellent list of extras there and the car already looks great without any work done to it..

Can't wait to see the the DVR and how you have it wired, (did you go for the E-Prance Mini 0801 from my thread) also looking forward to seeing these Bespoke leather seats when they are done..


The A1 sounded like a lovely car but of course you always want to put your own stamp on things, thats what gives a car character and of course knowing you have designed and done a lot of the work yourself also adds to that satisfaction, you obviously have long pockets and like things that are a little different from the norm (A2) which is a good thing..

Can't wait for the next update and maybe pics of the project as the work takes place

Yes, that post about the E Prance was great!!!
At the moment I have short pockets and even shorter arms!! But when the house sale completes (hopefully within two weeks) I will have enough money to complete the project.

It has to be ready for Audi's In The Park this year!!!

Steve B

 

[murdo]

I'll add my tuppence worth and look forward to seeing this build unfold. I've seen the base vehicle 'in the flesh' and it's a remarkably clean one owner example. Only 65k on it and a full Audi history if I recall correctly. As worthy a blank canvas as you'll find I think.

Also agree with the comments on the white paint. While the flat OE paint is lovely and is stunning on an A2 (to my taste anyway) it is true nevertheless that white paint definitely dumbs the lines of a car - and having kept an ibis white A3 for 3 years I always pondered that it'd be far better as a pearl finish.

Bring it on Birchall .

 

[redbull_a2]

I will be following your progress Steve. Looking forward to seeing some pictures.

 

[johnmed]

Add me to the list of those who've seen the car 'in the flesh' and subscribed to this thread. Love project threads. Nice to see a few forum members having input in the car's transformation too.

The car is indeed in safe hands with Tom up there in sunny Lancaster.

 

[Crazylegs]

I have to agree with Murdo
Pearlescent would be stunning!