£1500 TT or Alternatives
Discussion
Evening all!
I'm looking for something to really spark my love of driving again, and something that keeps coming up is the MK1 Audi TT 1.8T. I'm looking at a budget of around £1500 and it does seem a lot of car for the money. Anyone got any advice of what to look for? It'd be the coupe rather than convertible.
Also, does anyone have any other suggestions for a fun to drive car for £1500? Most MX5's for that money are rusty sheds, but I have considered something from the likes of MG (had a ZR) or maybe a Clio 172 (again, most are shed's for that money!)
Cheers!
I'm looking for something to really spark my love of driving again, and something that keeps coming up is the MK1 Audi TT 1.8T. I'm looking at a budget of around £1500 and it does seem a lot of car for the money. Anyone got any advice of what to look for? It'd be the coupe rather than convertible.
Also, does anyone have any other suggestions for a fun to drive car for £1500? Most MX5's for that money are rusty sheds, but I have considered something from the likes of MG (had a ZR) or maybe a Clio 172 (again, most are shed's for that money!)
Cheers!
I disagree with the above.
I have 5 other cars but recently bought a nice Roadster for 2500 and I love it to bits.
A few bits underneath were scabby but I have now sorted that.
Look for surface rust on front wings and side skirts.
Bushes can wear but if you replace them you can go back to the ore-recall spec ans make them really lively.
They seem to perish the vacuum hoses and some boost pipes so check for that.
With any 1500 car an inspection might be wise.
There are hundreds of TTS being broken weekly on Facebook so there is a plentiful supply of cheap parts.
They go well, respond well to remaps and don’t believe everything you hear about Audi’s numb handling. I am however upgrading bushes, fitting R32 anti roll bars and a haldex controller for a more rear drive bias
I have 5 other cars but recently bought a nice Roadster for 2500 and I love it to bits.
A few bits underneath were scabby but I have now sorted that.
Look for surface rust on front wings and side skirts.
Bushes can wear but if you replace them you can go back to the ore-recall spec ans make them really lively.
They seem to perish the vacuum hoses and some boost pipes so check for that.
With any 1500 car an inspection might be wise.
There are hundreds of TTS being broken weekly on Facebook so there is a plentiful supply of cheap parts.
They go well, respond well to remaps and don’t believe everything you hear about Audi’s numb handling. I am however upgrading bushes, fitting R32 anti roll bars and a haldex controller for a more rear drive bias
Edited by Caddyshack on Sunday 20th January 18:37
Everything I've read about the TTs points towards them looking good but driving 'numb', so I wouldn't be looking there if I was looking for a true "drivers' car" (although one needs to drive a car to really know, of course).
172/182 would be where my money goes, or good condition MX5 - probably NB at that money..
172/182 would be where my money goes, or good condition MX5 - probably NB at that money..
Edited by RSTurboPaul on Sunday 20th January 19:48
Cheers all so far. I know the budget is thin, but it's as much as I'd like to spend!
This is the TT that took my fancy first;
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
This is the TT that took my fancy first;
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
wjb said:
You should get a decent MK1 TT for that.
I had one a couple years ago, very underated cars and good value now imo
Also, consider a Mini Cooper, I paid £1250 for mine 6 months or so ago and it hasn't put a foot wrong.
I take it you don't mean the Cooper S? Never really considered one of them to be honest!I had one a couple years ago, very underated cars and good value now imo
Also, consider a Mini Cooper, I paid £1250 for mine 6 months or so ago and it hasn't put a foot wrong.
I've just bought a 180 roadster. Seems to be in half decent nick. If I can find out how to upload pics I'll stick a few up. Mine cost 2k, so slightly over your budget. It seems well built the interior is a nice place to be and it goes quite well. Apparently you can remap the 180 to 210-215....
Steve91 said:
I take it you don't mean the Cooper S? Never really considered one of them to be honest!
You could get a cooper s for that money, but you're more likely to get a decent cooper.I never considered one either, and wondered what all the fuss was about, but they really are brilliant to drive daily.
Caddyshack said:
I disagree with the above.
I have 5 other cars but recently bought a nice Roadster for 2500 and I love it to bits.
A few bits underneath were scabby but I have now sorted that.
Look for surface rust on front wings and side skirts.
Bushes can wear but if you replace them you can go back to the ore-recall spec ans make them really lively.
They seem to perish the vacuum hoses and some boost pipes so check for that.
With any 1500 car an inspection might be wise.
There are hundreds of TTS being broken weekly on Facebook so there is a plentiful supply of cheap parts.
They go well, respond well to remaps and don’t believe everything you hear about Audi’s numb handling. I am however upgrading bushes, fitting R32 anti roll bars and a haldex controller for a more rear drive bias
I agree they respond well to a remap, the steering is awful though and the gearbox is notchy, we have had ours for 9 years and I would take the Mk3 Mondeo every time.I have 5 other cars but recently bought a nice Roadster for 2500 and I love it to bits.
A few bits underneath were scabby but I have now sorted that.
Look for surface rust on front wings and side skirts.
Bushes can wear but if you replace them you can go back to the ore-recall spec ans make them really lively.
They seem to perish the vacuum hoses and some boost pipes so check for that.
With any 1500 car an inspection might be wise.
There are hundreds of TTS being broken weekly on Facebook so there is a plentiful supply of cheap parts.
They go well, respond well to remaps and don’t believe everything you hear about Audi’s numb handling. I am however upgrading bushes, fitting R32 anti roll bars and a haldex controller for a more rear drive bias
Edited by Caddyshack on Sunday 20th January 18:37
Coil packs, dash pods, thermostats, abs pumps, maf's front arm bushes, brake lines and cam cover gaskets, I've got the brake lines and cam cover to do on ours.
I had one for 6 years, they're great cars. What do you want from it? If it's lively handling then it probably isn't for you, they weigh the thick end of 1.5 ton and have typical fwd handling bias. On the other hand if you want a car that can cover ground very quick, feel confident poised and sure footed around bends and handle pretty much any road conditions, they're a really good bet.
Biggest thing to look out for is the cambelt, it's only a £400 job every 5 years so not the end of the world. Make sure the whole kit was done, not just the belt. Water pump worth doing too. They're very tunable, quite easy to work on abd plenty of parts. Dealer parts cost, main things here are going to be trim and coil packs. Freeware diagnosis software is a must. Big network of aftermarket parts outlets too.
Biggest thing to look out for is the cambelt, it's only a £400 job every 5 years so not the end of the world. Make sure the whole kit was done, not just the belt. Water pump worth doing too. They're very tunable, quite easy to work on abd plenty of parts. Dealer parts cost, main things here are going to be trim and coil packs. Freeware diagnosis software is a must. Big network of aftermarket parts outlets too.
TT is good cheap fun. it doesn't handle as well as an Elise, and its not as good a drivers car as a porsche boxster, but what do you expect for £1500?
I bought a 3.2 for £2800 with 80k on it.
Main things to look for are normal old car things, such as badly repaired crash damage, timing belt, haldex service etc.
Main issues that i can think of off the top of my head would be rust on the arches, damage to the sills from jack misuse (theres jacking bobbins, but they are crap and can tear teh floor, have a feel for some rubber donuts front and back and make sure the metal around them isn't torn/ buckled), Dashpods will almost all have lines out on the screen. Its £100 send away fix, but its a common issue. Rust at the top of the windscreen, lacquer peel on the roof rails (or anywhere really). Cooling fan failures (tunr the AC on, the left fan (from driver perspecitve) should spin, the right fan only spins when it gets hotter but fans often fail. This can be a fuse issue (seperate fuse box on top of the battery), but often is a new fan job.
Equal tyre wear. Haldex isn't keen on odd tyres.
If its lowered, it looks good but bear in mind the rear has limited travel anyway and the camber will be screwed up unless it has adjustable arms, so expect weird tyre wear (if you're lowering, I like springs and bilstein shocks, but thats just me),
inside the interior should hold up well, drivers seat bolster suffers as in any car but its a pretty tough interior.
Check the headlights work, as that cold be expensive!
All in, its an old, complicated car, so if you're handy with the spanners, its a fun if frustrating place to work, if youre not you best make friends with a garage quick!
as a driving experience, it often gets slated, and admittedly its not the most dynamic drive. That said, its a lot more fun that most generic euro boxes that people drive, it looks great (IMO) and with a few mods can be made fast and fun. I track mine, and though its not competitive against the other cars in the class (911's, Evo's, Audi RS etc, I've surprised a good few other cars.
I honestly don't thin you'll find as much fun for the money!
I bought a 3.2 for £2800 with 80k on it.
Main things to look for are normal old car things, such as badly repaired crash damage, timing belt, haldex service etc.
Main issues that i can think of off the top of my head would be rust on the arches, damage to the sills from jack misuse (theres jacking bobbins, but they are crap and can tear teh floor, have a feel for some rubber donuts front and back and make sure the metal around them isn't torn/ buckled), Dashpods will almost all have lines out on the screen. Its £100 send away fix, but its a common issue. Rust at the top of the windscreen, lacquer peel on the roof rails (or anywhere really). Cooling fan failures (tunr the AC on, the left fan (from driver perspecitve) should spin, the right fan only spins when it gets hotter but fans often fail. This can be a fuse issue (seperate fuse box on top of the battery), but often is a new fan job.
Equal tyre wear. Haldex isn't keen on odd tyres.
If its lowered, it looks good but bear in mind the rear has limited travel anyway and the camber will be screwed up unless it has adjustable arms, so expect weird tyre wear (if you're lowering, I like springs and bilstein shocks, but thats just me),
inside the interior should hold up well, drivers seat bolster suffers as in any car but its a pretty tough interior.
Check the headlights work, as that cold be expensive!
All in, its an old, complicated car, so if you're handy with the spanners, its a fun if frustrating place to work, if youre not you best make friends with a garage quick!
as a driving experience, it often gets slated, and admittedly its not the most dynamic drive. That said, its a lot more fun that most generic euro boxes that people drive, it looks great (IMO) and with a few mods can be made fast and fun. I track mine, and though its not competitive against the other cars in the class (911's, Evo's, Audi RS etc, I've surprised a good few other cars.
I honestly don't thin you'll find as much fun for the money!
Hyundai Coupe these have a decent chassis on them
2.0
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.7
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 406
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 407 more GT
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
CLK320 these are more fun than most give them credit for, but a set of springs livens these up
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
C320 Coupe as above but in a smaller package as I said a set of Eibach springs & you're on your way
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
330i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
325i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.0
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.7
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 406
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 407 more GT
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
CLK320 these are more fun than most give them credit for, but a set of springs livens these up
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
C320 Coupe as above but in a smaller package as I said a set of Eibach springs & you're on your way
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
330i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
325i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Edited by ZX10R NIN on Sunday 20th January 21:48
Big thanks for the advise! I'd like something that I can cruise in comfortably, yet take on some dirty back roads when it takes my fancy. My last 'fun' car was an MG ZR and it was just so much fun to thrash along lanes, but while my current MK1 Focus estate diesel is capable, it's just not at home in the bends.
What he said
That car in your link has TT owner's club stickers, so there's a good chance it's been loved. On the other hand they could date back a few owners and it could have been thrashed in the meantime.
140k. Clutch, turbo will be worth checking. Clutch and flywheel will be £1k fitted, £500 in parts if you can diy. Suspension will be well past its best, not necessarily a bad thing as its a good opportunity to upgrade it as someone said above. But it'll be £200 per corner if you're going to do it properly (new front wishbone bushes, arbs, adjustable rear control arms, plus springs/coilovers etc and then the full alignment). Ignition bits tend to play up. MAF and coilpacks are notorious for causing weak running/limping.
The thing with these cars is you can buy them cheap but if you like your cars just so thry can cost the earth to get them there. Have a look on the tt forum, usually a load of cars listed there that might have had some of this stuff done already.
That car in your link has TT owner's club stickers, so there's a good chance it's been loved. On the other hand they could date back a few owners and it could have been thrashed in the meantime.
140k. Clutch, turbo will be worth checking. Clutch and flywheel will be £1k fitted, £500 in parts if you can diy. Suspension will be well past its best, not necessarily a bad thing as its a good opportunity to upgrade it as someone said above. But it'll be £200 per corner if you're going to do it properly (new front wishbone bushes, arbs, adjustable rear control arms, plus springs/coilovers etc and then the full alignment). Ignition bits tend to play up. MAF and coilpacks are notorious for causing weak running/limping.
The thing with these cars is you can buy them cheap but if you like your cars just so thry can cost the earth to get them there. Have a look on the tt forum, usually a load of cars listed there that might have had some of this stuff done already.
Edited by 2gins on Sunday 20th January 21:53
ZX10R NIN said:
Hyundai Coupe these have a decent chassis on them
2.0
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.7
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 406
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 407 more GT
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
CLK320 these are more fun than most give them credit for, but a set of springs livens these up
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
C320 Coupe as above but in a smaller package as I said a set of Eibach springs & you're on your way
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
330i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
325i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
I' d prefer a manual being totally honest, but those BMW's are interesting. Hadn't realised decent examples of the E46 would be in budget!2.0
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.7
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 406
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
3.0 407 more GT
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
CLK320 these are more fun than most give them credit for, but a set of springs livens these up
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
C320 Coupe as above but in a smaller package as I said a set of Eibach springs & you're on your way
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
330i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
325i Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Edited by ZX10R NIN on Sunday 20th January 21:48
Good call on the Hyundai Coupe though! Completely forgot about them, and I've done some reading today and they get some pretty good reviews. Think I'm leaning more towards the 2.0 over the V6 for economy reasons, and there are loads about for the money I'm looking at!
Anyone with experience of them? I've read that a suspension upgrade makes the world of difference to them?
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