Big mileage log...

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Discussion

hoegaardenruls

1,218 posts

131 months

Tuesday 3rd December 2013
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I remember one VW Bora driver who must have hated me when I got to the head of the queue and found him spinning his front wheels on fresh snow trying to get up a slope. I was just a case of pull out, and drive past in the S3 when others were turning round..

I'd imagine the TT would be just as good in the snow...unless the previous owner just stuck on some Quattro badges smile

Vince70

1,939 posts

193 months

Tuesday 3rd December 2013
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Did you manage to find another bumper in the end...

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Tuesday 3rd December 2013
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Not yet, bud. So far the quotes I've had have been silly money, I.e.e getting on for £500. Part of me is tempted to drop into the Coachworks and get it filled and re sprayed... But then part of me can't really be arsed either. I continue to be the one that seems to notice.

Vince70

1,939 posts

193 months

Tuesday 3rd December 2013
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I've been keeping an eye on eBay for you.. But the mk1 TT bumpers seem to be going for silly money..
The weird thing is the MK2 TT bumpers are two a penny and basically can be had in whatever colour you want..

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Tuesday 7th January 2014
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What better way to welcome in my first run of 2014... Than a near breakdown and a new alternator!

We decided to spend C'mas and New Years out of the country meaning the TT was sat idle and getting peed on non stop for a couple of weeks. After a slow start, my run across London started brightly before I noticed the electrical system beginning it's tell-tale, stage by stage shut down. Luckily for me, the battery was reported as nearly new and performed it's heroics by getting me to work in the nick of time.

Cue the RAC! The patrol that came out to me at the office was an absolute hero. Swiftly diagnosed the fault... The original OE fit alternator had put up with nearly 200k but had finally given up the ghost! Whilst I phoned my local mechanic in preparation of a costly repair/replacement and long and dull recovery across London, the RsC chap was cheekily tee-ing me up with an alternative option. This I liked a lot! Well, as much as you can when spending a decent chunk of your supposed January financial cut back unexpectedly!

Cut a long story short, the patrolman charged the battery enough to get me a couple of miles down the road to the garage. Kingston's AutoQuick. Why? Just £266 for a replacement Bosch alternator all installed in time for the end of play today. The ever helpful RAC chap even gave me a lift back to the office whilst they repaired the car.

I've just driven her back home again and she's back on top form.

Nearly at 5000 miles in my ownership by the way. Still feels like cheap thrills to me!

IainT

10,040 posts

237 months

Wednesday 8th January 2014
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Fantastic - that's a great bit of Service from Mr RAC Man!

We had a slight hiccup with our 3.2. Wife went to go to work on the 27th and it failed to start. Not battery, just not catching. Started fine later in the day and has been right as rain since but I suspect some rain got blown where it shouldn't!

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Friday 7th February 2014
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Busy week for the TT has seen it cross the 5k barrier in my ownership. It's turned into an absolute hero purchase. Bar a bit of routine parts replacement, some fluids and the odd high street car maintenance 'contribution' (all documented on here), it's proving great fun. Cheap thrills indeed.

Just topped up the power steering oil thanks to some timely advice from a former TT owner. As a result, the steering is far, far lighter and quieter than any point since I've owned her.

Still need to get my hands on a cheap replacement front bumper...

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Sunday 27th April 2014
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So, she's still going great guns.

A little bit of work done on her to date but delighted to say it's pretty much buttons.

Had to cut out and Replace a power steering fluid pipe that had corroded. As you'd expect, the steering was making all kinds of noise and was reminiscent of a 1980 drive! My local guy did this for £50 all in.

New set of front tyres. Given this exercise is all about cheap thrills, I was talked into giving a set of Jinu us a go. After protesting about possible ditch finder characteristics I was given a 'return if you don't like them' offer by the fitter who runs them on his track day car. Can't say fairer than that. Dunlop's they are not... But for the £100 they cost they are proving to be surprisingly grippy.

Had the front seats restored as they were beginning to look like the toes on a primary school kid's school shoes. Again, buttons.

I've started getting the car alarm flat battery alerts this past week. Looking into this a wee bit, it's looking like a £100 replacement if I box clever with online parts.

Other than that, I mustn't grumble.

abbotsmike

1,033 posts

144 months

Sunday 27th April 2014
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This is good to hear! At least partly on the back of your high mileage experiences, when the other half made noises about a TT, we went and found (and bought) a 2002 225 coupe on 88k. Cost a smidge under £4k, and so far it's needed a thermostat and two rear tyres.
Come the summer it will get serviced, and once I've finished my exams I'll deal with the airbag light (probably a seat plug) the brake pad light (loads of meat left on the pads still, just the wear sensor playing up), look to address the terrible fuel economy (hovering around 24mpg according to the computer, so probably less!) and crack out the rotary to sort out the paintwork. Then it just needs the wheels refurbing and we might even be able to turn a profit on it in a year or two!

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Sunday 22nd June 2014
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Another good week for the little lady with the busy odometer.

The TT just slipped through the second MOT since I assumed ownership. Not a single issue to cause a fail and only two advisories to consider moving forward. One a broken exhaust bracket (mid) and pitted front brakes. Other than that, it's just a £50 bill this time around.



Edited by MulsanneKinky on Sunday 22 June 17:52

IainT

10,040 posts

237 months

Monday 23rd June 2014
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Can't help but feel a little jealous. We part-ex'd ours a week ago for a new A3 as it developed yet another expensive and potentially ruinously expensive fault. Warning light on dash came on - ABS pressure sensor failed. ~350+VAT but it's not always the root cause - often an issue with the ECU which would add up to a few K...

Got offered a lot in px value so we no longer have a 3.2 on the drive. Wifey's not missing it too much though as he A3 is a lot more compliant over the nasty Cheshire roads.

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Saturday 12th July 2014
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Just returned from the latest in a series of quality runs in the old girl. Stunning performance (relative to 180bhp) on open London-Kent border roads with the car purring in 4-6 gear and delivering a spritely, balanced run. I cast my mind back to early runs I gave her and it's obvious performance has improved. Only the noticeable rattle from the broken exhaust bracket and the nagging awareness of the cracked front bumper to irritate me.

A cheeky run down to Goodwood FOS in her last week culminating in a dash up and down half of the hill run. As you'll see from the snap, the sprint up was past some rather exhaled company (in the Macca P1). More than the odd officious eyeball around so I was treading carefully. Back down was pretty much all clear and it would have been rude not too!

It's funny, I'm not sure the previous owner would have ever thought she'd make it past a few hundred miles, never mind a blast along one of the UK's most iconic strips of tarmac. I draw immense satisfaction from that.

A VIP from McLaren also nabbed me outside of Goodwood House as I parked up, full of enthusiasm for what he called 'a design classic' and 'a pure piece of driving fun'. I couldn't have put it better myself!





The evening blast home from Goodwood (along the deserted A264, M23, M25) was an absolute treat. The greasy roads giving me an opportunity to work the Quattro and the supposedly 'grippy' Jinyu tyres. I'm delighted to report the boots held up remarkably well.

Now, just the small matter of a tax disc to service this month...

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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A minor scrape for the TT this week. Driving back from the Coast, my wife (who was driving the TT) allowed my daughter to stretch her legs by - briefly - putting her feet up on the dash. The wee lady thought it would be fun to press her feet against the windscreen, much to it's displeasure. The result, a father nasty set of cracks and a £75 excess to have the windscreen replaced.

On a positive, Autoglass we're absolutely first class on the repair job. An Audi enthusiast fitter (owner of a nice looking S3) who showed a real enthusiasm for the ongoing 'Big mileage Log' project and the fun I'm having for my £2k initial outlay. I'm now the proud owner of a lovely new windscreen currently sat gleaming in the glorious sunshine.

As you would imagine, after so many miles the old glass had a few dinks and scratches plus some of the surrounding trim has been displaced and never quite returned to it's original position. All this was put right which should mean a few less rattles etc.

Ultimately £75 I hadn't planned on spending but every cloud, etc. etc. etc.

Edited by MulsanneKinky on Thursday 31st July 15:39

RobbyJ

1,565 posts

221 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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A lady a few doors away from me has an original TT factory painted bright pink that can't have covered more than 500 miles since new and has sat in the garage for the last 5 years and hasn't moved an inch. Yes it's pink but it's still a waste but as it was a gift from her late husband I suspect it will stay there until it becomes one of those "barn find" threads in 20 years time!

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Friday 1st August 2014
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I've been promised a similar photo of a bright pink Bentley from our valeting company wink

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
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£170 worse off today after a bit of a hissy fit from the TT.

I've been given extended driving rights to her over the last couple of weeks. It had been all fun and games up until Friday when she started losing power and misfiring a couple of miles from home. On a positive, she just about agreed to get me back on the drive. She also gave me just enough to get her over to my recently acquired mechanic, Yusuf Car Repairs of Petts Wood.

A bunch of new coil packs, a set of new plugs and I finally got the Coolant Temperature Sensor replaced and she's running good as gold again.

I've also decided to take the plunge and get the cam belt, water pump etc. etc. done plus the annual service. Same place, and £280 parts (all manufacturer) and labour. With no paperwork to confirm it's been done recently, it's worth the risk, especially having just replaced the coils, plugs and alternator.

In other news, I've just passed 10k miles in my ownership. I'm still very much of the belief this is proving to be a most worthwhile project!

Edited by MulsanneKinky on Friday 29th August 02:17

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Saturday 30th August 2014
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So, she's running like a dream again. Resplendent in new cambelt, water pump etc. etc. Yusuf Car Repairs also did a service for me and - much to my delight - gave the engine a good clean and lubcricated all the hinges and catches etc. I'm big on those little touches. £280 including parts and labour. All original OE fit parts too... And good to see all the removed items laid out for my inspection upon arrival. Looks like I got to the water pump just in time. Clear signs of impending collapse and with plenty of work mileage coming up I drove home cheesed off at having to spend another decent chunk of change but smiling at the prospect of having - touch wood - extended the life of our bit of weekend fun a good few miles more.

Going to get her out on the local A roads tomorrow morning, early doors.

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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Sods law.

Should have left her at home today as opposed to venture out for an early morning run. Just found a flat rear tyre. Flat refusing to pay £140 on a new tyre or £80 on a mobile repair from some pushy chancer listed locally via a GoogleAd so HiQ West Wickham beckons tomorrow AM. Looks repairable, fingers crossed.

Sulking a bit. Had hoped to be able to keep the wallet in the pocket (automotively speaking) for a few weeks.

Vince70

1,939 posts

193 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2014
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Sorry to ask was the £250 for the cam-belt as I've the same lump in my A4 and was wondering what the price would be to get it done.

MulsanneKinky

Original Poster:

268 posts

139 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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£240 for cambelt, water pump etc. etc. Yusuf Car Repairs, Petts Wood did a service for me too.

All parts were original OE fit. Price included parts and labour.

Also, he turned it around in less than a day and gave me back all the parts replaced.

She's still running like a dream. All VAGcom codes addressed head on so no lingering issues with coolant temp sensor etc. As a result, there has been a notable improvement in fuel efficiency.

Good luck with you A4, Vince!