TT 3.2 Mk1

[ST270]

I thought I would share a bit of a summary of my recent search and buying experience...

Folowing a recent sale of my Alfa GTV V6 there was a gap on the driveway and I thought about filling it with something i hadn't had before but always liked the design of... Mk 1 Audi TT. Specifically I wanted the 3.2VR6 and after having experiecne years ago with a DSG Scirocco i was happy with DSG again (manuals are quite scarce)

Reading many buyers guides and with some help from fellow pistonheads (thanks!) I was going in with my eyes open - after all the cars are now 17+ yrs old and many have had mutliple owners. Cue many mot history checks and queries to sellers re the main items (dsg/ haldex service, timing chain EML issues / head gasket/ rust / suspension etc etc.

This was a good way to whittle things down - after chatting with a dealer in Milton Keynes the description and confidence they expressed in their car helped me decide it was worth the trip (from Leeds) to view.... this was car 1....

Car 1 - Daytona Grey - great looking car - bodywork was straight, no rust to speak of with lowish miles and low number of owners... started the car from cold to check for any unusal noises (read timing chain rattle) - all was well. Stopped the engine to check the dipstick..... clean... Opened the oil cap and emulsion - lots of it .... great...

I took the car for a drive anyway as i had traveled a long way and it drove well... returned and pointed out a few issues to the dealer and the fact that a head gasket was required - plus if doing a HG then it makes sense to do the timing chain too as it was over 90K. The dealer said that there was no movement on price despite agreeing with me that it needed some significant engine work....

So wisely I left the car and mentioned that as they have been made aware of the HG issues they should notify any other potential purchaser (i know they wouldn't but i was a bit annoyed that i had a wasted trip).... half way home i check the advert and they had reduced the car by £1000.... obviously they were doing this in light of what i highlighted and were going to let some mug buy the car without fixing it...

Car 2 - Another week passes and i find another car which looks promising.... it is in Norfolk (another 5 hr round trip!?) After a lenghtly chat with the seller and photos / videos of the car and the S/H I arrange to visit this one with a view to bringing it home... Not forgetting to ask about the tyre condition and of course if there were any head gasket issues.... Seller assured me that there were no issues & tryes were new in August 2019 (with invoice).

So we set off early Saturday and upon arrival the car looked fantastic - it had been detailed / newly powdercosted wheels / nice SS exhaust / refurished dash (no broken pixels).

First thing i noticed was the rear tyres were far from new.... - check the oil cap and emulsion .... dejavu... i thought sod it i will drive it and on test the car had no power - clearly having missfire and compression issues...

Obviously having words with the seller for misadvertising and blatantly lying about the condition he said he would pay half towards the cost of sorting the head gasket....fair enough but he offered this very quickly whcih made me sceptical - plus i didn't want to buy a headache. Out of curiosity i called an Audi specliaist for an estimate on costs and they quote £3-£3.5k for HG and timing chain...!!! Nonetheless the car stayed where it was...

Becoming increaseingly sceptical about the state of the cars avialble - I found another car which identical coour and spec to car 2 but with lower miles and a comprehensive report of timing chain replacemnt / cam solenoids / tensiors / full s/h - the works... in Essex....??

Anyway after a third long trip I am very pleased with the third time lucky mantra and i have a very well sorted, great sounding, reliable & totally standard TT 3.2 now on my drive...

I have rattled on a lot here but the expereicne from start to finish soured my enthusiam for buying a good a car - in fairness the gentleman I ended purchasing this car from restored my faith... I know many folk will say "why go to so much trouble for a TT!?" - Simple - i like them & the design, they drive well, the Haldex system if fun in the winter months and the Mk1 are unique and surely a future classic (in the right condition!!)

Thanks for reading! (oh and a shoutout to my long suffering Dad and fiance for the road trips to see 2 duff cars... And one good one!)

Edited by ST270 on Thursday 15th October 17:55

Edited by ST270 on Thursday 15th October 19:42

[ST270]

[ST270]

[ST270]

[drewwa]

Interesting stuff. I spent a long time looking for a manual 3.2 but I couldn't find one I liked - and the DSG had too many horror stories for me. I ended up buying a 225 6-speed with only 60k miles on it. Totally standard, full Audi service history, low owners and not mucked about with (original stereo plus all manuals, paperwork and original bill of sale). Not as sonorous as the V6, but it was the condition I was after.

It's just a daily for me, but I've always liked the look at them and (maybe one day!) they'll be a sought after car.



Cheers,

Drew.

[ST270]

drewwa said:

Interesting stuff. I spent a long time looking for a manual 3.2 but I couldn't find one I liked - and the DSG had too many horror stories for me. I ended up buying a 225 6-speed with only 60k miles on it. Totally standard, full Audi service history, low owners and not mucked about with (original stereo plus all manuals, paperwork and original bill of sale). Not as sonorous as the V6, but it was the condition I was after.

It's just a daily for me, but I've always liked the look at them and (maybe one day!) they'll be a sought after car.



Cheers,

Drew.

Great looking car! Agreed there are many poor stories with DSG (and the V6 for that matter!) Mine has done 76K which is considerably less than all the others i viewed or that were on sale.

They are a lot more fun than journos gave them credit for - and they seem dinky compared to more modern cars!

Cheers

[paradigital]

Looks a lovely car. I really enjoy my MK1 3.2 DSG Convertible, they make a fantastic sound especially with a more meaty exhaust!

[nordboy]

I have a '04 3.2 TT roadster sitting in the garage that I don't know what to do with?

48k miles, and it's had a refurb'd DSG box. There seems to be a few electrical gremlins that I've just about given up trying to sort out. I got it with the view to spending some time sorting it, but as with most of these things, I just haven't got the time.

I'm half hoping that the values will go up and I can shift it onto someone who can sort it out.

[ST270]

nordboy said:

I have a '04 3.2 TT roadster sitting in the garage that I don't know what to do with?

48k miles, and it's had a refurb'd DSG box. There seems to be a few electrical gremlins that I've just about given up trying to sort out. I got it with the view to spending some time sorting it, but as with most of these things, I just haven't got the time.

I'm half hoping that the values will go up and I can shift it onto someone who can sort it out.

That's v low miles! Less liley to have engine issues for sure.. Maybe worth investing in electrical work being sorted and hanging on to? There can't be many left with under 50k!?

[sdh2903]

Nice. These have aged really well.

Just for info though emulsion at the oil cap isn't always a death knell for a Head gasket. Especially for a car sat idle on a forecourt.

[Jimmy No Hands]

sdh2903 said:

Nice. These have aged really well.

Just for info though emulsion at the oil cap isn't always a death knell for a Head gasket. Especially for a car sat idle on a forecourt.

This. In fact, quite a common occurrence on some models and perfectly normal. (I've sold used cars for 5 years)

I'm sure the OP is more than qualified and you look like you found a nice example, good luck with it.

[ST270]

Jimmy No Hands said:

sdh2903 said:

Nice. These have aged really well.

Just for info though emulsion at the oil cap isn't always a death knell for a Head gasket. Especially for a car sat idle on a forecourt.

This. In fact, quite a common occurrence on some models and perfectly normal. (I've sold used cars for 5 years)

I'm sure the OP is more than qualified and you look like you found a nice example, good luck with it.

I'm no expert but for both cars with the mayo, I wiped it clean from the oil cap and after a short test drive it returned on the cap... just obvious that work of some kind was required and who know what it could have cost.

It was more to highlight the benefits of checking any car for hidden issues as I'm sure many buyers would potentially miss this (especially if the seller was being economical with the truth or genuinley didn't know) 😉

[sdh2903]

ST270 said:

I'm no expert but for both cars with the mayo, I wiped it clean from the oil cap and after a short test drive it returned on the cap... just obvious that work of some kind was required and who know what it could have cost.

No it's not always the case at all. A short drive/lack of use/sat idling is exactly what causes the mayo in 99% of cases. The oil doesn't get hot enough to evaporate off the condensation that naturally occurs in engines and emulsifies. If you wipe it off and it reoccurs after a decent spirited drive then yes you may have a problem.

Funnily enough the engines I've had that have given more emulsion when not used have all been 6 cylinder engines.

[Jcwjosh]

ST270 said:

I do like the rear end on the Mk1 and think it looks so much better than the TT's that followed.

My dad had one when they were new and they felt very quick back then.. Lovely sound, i liked how low they felt and the grip they had. Personally i would change the wheel colour. Will be interested to see how you get on with these i have thought about one as a second car for a bit of fun but as you state a lot are DSG and high milers.

[ST270]

Jcwjosh said:

ST270 said:

I do like the rear end on the Mk1 and think it looks so much better than the TT's that followed.

My dad had one when they were new and they felt very quick back then.. Lovely sound, i liked how low they felt and the grip they had. Personally i would change the wheel colour. Will be interested to see how you get on with these i have thought about one as a second car for a bit of fun but as you state a lot are DSG and high milers.

Agreed it looks squat! - the wheels are freshly powdercoated so will stay for a while i think - the only thing i may do is fit some spacers as the reas look a little inboard...

[bangerhoarder]

They’re so cheap at the moment, they’ve dropped into the hands of people that aren’t interested and cannot afford to repair them - that’s why there’s so many duff ones about. I’ve done a thread on here about my 225 - I’ve spent much more than it cost to buy fixing it up, but then again it cost very little to buy!

They’re the best value bhp/£ you can currently buy. Contemporary S3 has risen now (though they rust) and the 3.2 A3 is rare (and looks dull to me). Cars that were similar money and power like the SW20 MR2 and Fiat Coupe have risen a lot, and Focus STs haven’t dropped this far (nor are they a coupe of course).

Cracking looking car though. Watch out for the Mechatronic unit starting to play up, keep the Haldex serviced, and enjoy.

[ST270]

So - had the car up on the mechanics ramp to give things a once over...

Aside from the rear brake discs being towards end of their life and (my ocd) wanting to replace the rear shocks as they are original and a bit crusty - all is very well.

The tyres are mismatched - legal but old so i think 4 new are required.

Thats it - no leaks, no damage - evidence of replacement cv boot and track rod end (as the s/h states)

Pretty pleased overall and looks like i have acquired a good honest example!

[TR4man]

My update for us ST?

I followed your example by buying this 3.2 a couple of days ago.

[ST270]

TR4man said:

My update for us ST?

I followed your example by buying this 3.2 a couple of days ago.

Good work! Looks a tidy example..

How's the history on the car, good buying experience? Any plans for it?

I've been using mine daily recently, had 4 tyres and spacers fitted and very happy as is now. Only other little addition was a Bluetooth module so I can now use for calls and streaming music whilst retaining the original concert stereo.

Thought about a ss exhaust but I have done the exhaust flap mod which liberates a little more burble and literally takes 30 seconds to reverse...

Hope your enjoying it!

[Cloudy147]

Nice car! We had a 2005 smaller engined version for just under a year in 2019. It was a really nice car overall and they look great! Just a bit on the small side for me, but really glad I've owned one and ticked the box.

Hope you have fun withyours!