Audi mk1 225 quattro project
Discussion
Evening,
I picked up a 2003 TT mk1 225 quattro today that needs some TLC. Its got a new clean, no advisories MOT but at 21 years old its clearly seen better days. I’ve tasked myself with a mini project over the winter to make it look better.
It’s missing and requires:
Battery cover. There is a fuse box resting on top of the battery. If anyone has a good image of how it should be stored that would be great!
Engine undertray (one sourced on eBay this evening and will collect locally but need to find the correct fittings)
Tape deck is in safe mode. (I have the code in the manual)
Parcel shelf is there but the fittings have snapped so it’s just in the boot
Lights are foggy.
Wheels need to be refurbished
Tyres are legal but odd mixture so will replace , looking at Michelin Cross Climates.
Engine cover is there , but missing plugs to hold it in place
Cracked and scratched bumper.
A few lines on the LCD dash are missing. Still very useable but will get it sent off to be repaired
It wasn’t the cheapest, nor most expensive and there were better examples out there, I just took a shine to this one after passing it for weeks and feeling sorry for it. It was originally from Audi Tetbury, Gloucestershire and was most recently serviced by Dialynx in Hook, Wiltshire so it’s been a fairly local car for 20 years. Now in North Somerset!
I’ve never had one before and I bought it in an effort to keep some miles off my m4 that has now completed 8k in 6 months…. Audi TT Facebook groups are very helpful and I appear to be able to get all I need off eBay. I can’t wait to give it a good wash and see what else is hiding !! No rust hopefully.
I picked up a 2003 TT mk1 225 quattro today that needs some TLC. Its got a new clean, no advisories MOT but at 21 years old its clearly seen better days. I’ve tasked myself with a mini project over the winter to make it look better.
It’s missing and requires:
Battery cover. There is a fuse box resting on top of the battery. If anyone has a good image of how it should be stored that would be great!
Engine undertray (one sourced on eBay this evening and will collect locally but need to find the correct fittings)
Tape deck is in safe mode. (I have the code in the manual)
Parcel shelf is there but the fittings have snapped so it’s just in the boot
Lights are foggy.
Wheels need to be refurbished
Tyres are legal but odd mixture so will replace , looking at Michelin Cross Climates.
Engine cover is there , but missing plugs to hold it in place
Cracked and scratched bumper.
A few lines on the LCD dash are missing. Still very useable but will get it sent off to be repaired
It wasn’t the cheapest, nor most expensive and there were better examples out there, I just took a shine to this one after passing it for weeks and feeling sorry for it. It was originally from Audi Tetbury, Gloucestershire and was most recently serviced by Dialynx in Hook, Wiltshire so it’s been a fairly local car for 20 years. Now in North Somerset!
I’ve never had one before and I bought it in an effort to keep some miles off my m4 that has now completed 8k in 6 months…. Audi TT Facebook groups are very helpful and I appear to be able to get all I need off eBay. I can’t wait to give it a good wash and see what else is hiding !! No rust hopefully.
Edited by oldaudi on Wednesday 20th November 20:38
Sounds good, I had a project Denim Blue 225 for a bit that turned out to be too tatty to realistically ever catch up with so traded it in for a tidier Mauritius Blue 225 about a year ago. It's a great little car. I can recommend the cross climates, I mostly use mine as a runaround in the winter and they cope with everything up to snow really well without much compromise on dry roads.
The consensus is not to bother with the boot cover, they all rattle whatever you do. The rest of your list seems sensible though.
The consensus is not to bother with the boot cover, they all rattle whatever you do. The rest of your list seems sensible though.
My specialist subject, if I have one at least. I've run mk1 TTs for ten years now, but I'm no mechanic - just a tinkerer.
The classic hit-list:
Check the oil pickup (drop the sump). They block and lunch the engine.
Check the dipstick tube for damage. They crumble into the sump, block the oil pickup and lunch the engine.
Check the power steering pipes. They rot.
Check the PCV and vaccuum lines. They crumble and it'll run poorly (or your brake assistance will fail!)
Check N75 and N249 operation - these manage boost in different ways and can be a source of issues. Treat them as service parts.
Coil packs should be VW revision D or newer Bosch. Cheapo ones will cause grief. Audi R8 (red) ones work well - the gap around the plug helps with heat management.
They can sound better by opening up the air box. Fitting an open filter is not normally any benefit as the standard intake is well designed.
The intake and boost pipes from the turbo can split.
The standard intercoolers aren't great. Removing the bumper to upgrade is easy.
They respond well to a remap, but more than 270bhp needs other work.
Service the Haldex. Cheap and easy. Check the earth strap while you're at it, as it'll stop the unit from working. If it doesn't have a strap, fit one.
Headlight level sensors break. It can pass an MoT if these are removed.
They're heavy on suspension parts, but they're easy to replace and cheap.
Parcel shelves are rubbish. Aftermarket ones may be a better option.
Speakers crumble with age. Doorcards are very easy to remove to fix this. Same for door lock microswitches and regulators.
Handling is very dependant on a four-wheel alignment. This can transform the car. Rears may be out as the trailing-arm bushes fail - not too hard to change.
Dashpod repairs have gone expensive, but I've had good results. Gauges and LCD screens fail. Specialists replace these.
Bonnets are aluminium and can dent easily.
Rust. Under the sill trays, they can rot into great holes. Wings and suspension arms go crusty, but wishbones are cast on these.
Central locking can be odd. You need two keys to recode the remote.
There's plenty more! Start with the sump.
The classic hit-list:
Check the oil pickup (drop the sump). They block and lunch the engine.
Check the dipstick tube for damage. They crumble into the sump, block the oil pickup and lunch the engine.
Check the power steering pipes. They rot.
Check the PCV and vaccuum lines. They crumble and it'll run poorly (or your brake assistance will fail!)
Check N75 and N249 operation - these manage boost in different ways and can be a source of issues. Treat them as service parts.
Coil packs should be VW revision D or newer Bosch. Cheapo ones will cause grief. Audi R8 (red) ones work well - the gap around the plug helps with heat management.
They can sound better by opening up the air box. Fitting an open filter is not normally any benefit as the standard intake is well designed.
The intake and boost pipes from the turbo can split.
The standard intercoolers aren't great. Removing the bumper to upgrade is easy.
They respond well to a remap, but more than 270bhp needs other work.
Service the Haldex. Cheap and easy. Check the earth strap while you're at it, as it'll stop the unit from working. If it doesn't have a strap, fit one.
Headlight level sensors break. It can pass an MoT if these are removed.
They're heavy on suspension parts, but they're easy to replace and cheap.
Parcel shelves are rubbish. Aftermarket ones may be a better option.
Speakers crumble with age. Doorcards are very easy to remove to fix this. Same for door lock microswitches and regulators.
Handling is very dependant on a four-wheel alignment. This can transform the car. Rears may be out as the trailing-arm bushes fail - not too hard to change.
Dashpod repairs have gone expensive, but I've had good results. Gauges and LCD screens fail. Specialists replace these.
Bonnets are aluminium and can dent easily.
Rust. Under the sill trays, they can rot into great holes. Wings and suspension arms go crusty, but wishbones are cast on these.
Central locking can be odd. You need two keys to recode the remote.
There's plenty more! Start with the sump.
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