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So - just sadly waved goodbye to our much-beloved Mazda campervan and have a couple of 1,000's for a station car. It'll be called upon to do a couple of 10-miles each way to the station a week and then light weekend duties. There's no flex in the budget. What we sold the camper for, that's the limit.
Logic / sensible head says find a cheap japanese hatchback for half that and put the rest into an account to cover potential bills. My wife would like us to find something with 4wd (we're relatively rural, roads are awful and we do get flooded / snowed in etc). Hnce I'm being pointed in the direction of the usual Jimny / HRV / Fiat Panda 4x4 options. Looked at various Terios / Fourtraks but without exception they're in various states of terminal rot.
And then I see an Audi TT Quattro, FASH, 100K on the clock. All the major services done etc. Would blow the budget in it's entirety. I suspect it'd be a lot of fun but I also think I'd always be a short distance away from a hefty bill...
So, WWSTWD?
(I'd just buy another Mk1 MX5 myself as I know them inside out and happy to work on them and parts are cheap, but that's a non-runner by all accounts. I think my wife recognizes the temptation to mess around with it would be too strong)...
nothing to add other than im fairly sure it will not fulfill any of your wifes idea of a 4x4......if shes worried about getting trapped at the house by floods and snow.
it's more a case of pushing the 4wd definition as far as I can vs. say, an MX5.
And then realising anyway that buying an older TT as a station car is probably a daft idea. My heart just sinks at buying something dull and sensible.
I think it was 'WhatCar' website had a piece saying that bargain-bucket TT's were a great idea. Followed closely by about 10 comments saying very strongly that they typically weren't - primarily due to a set of what appeared to be common faults...
Buy a Unimog.
Everyone wins.
The last really nice Audi.
Yup, I would.
I suspoect the chances of finding a unimog for under 2K is slim to zero...otherwise I'd think about it!
I suspect it’d be a lot of fun
I suspect the Panda 4x4 would be more fun.
I own a TT.
Nobody said Subaru yet?
This, and a set of winter wheels.
4wd doesn't get you much over winter tyres on roads. See a cold of videos online about 4x4 Vs winter rubber.
I suspect the Panda 4×4 would be more fun.
Hmmm. We had a 2007 one a few years back. It was ok - but very gutless which is a pain (we live in a hilly area and you had to properly give it a run-up if you wanted to get up anything steeper than a gentle slope). It also tended to eat it's suspension and seemed to be perpetually fogging up all the windows.
Option B
Cheap any ordinary car and 4 "Winter" tyres?
Option B
Cheap any ordinary car and 4 “Winter” tyres?
that's the sensible choice. FInd a small, preferrably Japanese, hatchback and stick some decent winter tyres on it.
it would be nice not to be so bloody dull though.
MK1 TT? Coupe or Roadster?
I have a MK1 roadster.
Firstly, it ain’t a 4x4. Its a Fwd with a Haldex transfer box to the rear, pressure and wheel spin bias.
Gearbox on yours?
Mines DSG auto. Only major problems with a DSG is the mechtronic shifter mechanism. There was a recall on very early models and it should have been checked if your AFSH Dealer is on the ball. If it’s a manual I’ve got no idea what to look for.
Clocks & Binnacle. Temperamental middle screen can pixelate meaning you can’t see all the detail, or it glows bright pink meaning the auto dim sensors failed £150 fix from a digital dash company (plenty about, I had mine done by a company in Waterlooville... check what they’ve done, mines been back three times in two years) Also the fuel gauge goes wonky, reads Full when it’s half empty. It’s another oddball fix that needs the clocks taking out - taking the clocks out is easy and the whole lot comes out in 15mins
AirCon blows hot all the time. This is the heat transfer sensor that sits under the dash near the floor by the passenger grab handle.. it’s a bastard to get out but easily doable with right hand no skin syndrome, New one is £140, can’t buy em S/h. Check that because the fault is intermittent.
Radiator fans, the small constant one overheats and blows its motor, cheap enough to change at £150.
Rear callipers/discs. Prone to ceasing, handbrake should run free and work properly.. if it’s stiff the callipers and pads are stuck, £80 per side for the calliper, £50 for two rear discs and pads are free if you buy the set.
Oil & filter. The engine has a belly pan and the screws cease so dealers don’t bother taking them out so don’t change the oil. Check it’s clear and check the service history. £22 filter, oil to suit.
Washer bottle. Prone to blocking up and not working properly by no water coming out of the jets. Pump fails and it’s under the passenger wing which means wheel off/arch cover off and new pump (wash the bottle while you are there to get the gunk out) £70 for the pump.
Alternator. Fails at about 80k, make sure yours is new/working well. It’s a pig to change and about £150 with same labour.
The cars have 86 sensors dotted all over the car, they’re prone to give false readings and you may get dash lights... 9/10 it’s the sensor and fault code reader is pretty good tool to locate the problem.
I’ve got the big engined one and I bought it new, all I’ve highlighted ^^ I’ve had problems with at some point in its 14yr life. It’s a fabulous car, utterly engaging and a joy to drive and own. I love mine to bits.
No doubt some moron will be on to say some disparaging remark about it being “a hairdressers car” mainly because they’ve lost thier Barnet and are jealous.
They've stopped being a cheap run around and prices are on the rise. They bottomed out about 2yrs ago and mines increased by £1200 since then.
FSH isn’t a pre-requisite as most work can be done by a home mechanic. Plenty of advice online at the TTForum of you want to research or need help.
HTHs.
(we live in a hilly area and you had to properly give it a run-up if you wanted to get up anything steeper than a gentle slope).
Sounds like 2CV technique! More driver involvement than a TT, right there 😉
My neighbour is an AA man and has an X5 and a MK1 TT. If it snows he takes the TT out as it's better than the X5 in the snow. His experience echoes the one above. There are a lot of things that can go wrong which is ok if you are happy to diagnose and fix them yourself.
Pretty certain the TT would be a better choice long term than a 'cheap Japanese hatch'.
Unless you want door pockets that will hold more than a parking ticket and half a packet of peanuts. In which case find a Golf 🙂
I want it!
bikebouy - that's fab - thanks. There's actually a couple up for sale locally. I'm looking at a larger engined coupe. Just because it's vaguely more practical...I've been made aware of the various fuel gauage / electric pod issues.
I'm happy to fix stuff myself - it's just when you've got to start plugging things into computers that I lose interest.
Right - off to check insurance...
/blockquote>
that's properly ace.
And it'd mean a road trip to pick it up - but I suspect I might struggle to away with 'I've got to pop out to collect the new car darling. It's in Italy - I'll be a couple of days'
The cars have 86 sensors dotted all over the car, they’re prone to give false readings and you may get dash lights… 9/10 it’s the sensor and fault code reader is pretty good tool to locate the problem.
This. Big time. Once youve had the first panic and realised its often just a 'fix the sensor' problem life is a little less fraught. Until it isn't the sensor.
A long time ago I realised that if it snows in the UK it’s completely acceptable, nay encouraged to take an impromptu holiday with pay without it effecting your leave days, why fight that? (This might not be the case in parts where snow is more regular).
If a TT will make you happy and your Wife rests easy under the notion that a lowslung sports coupe with the most rudimentary four wheel drive system will help in snow, why not.
Newer ‘old’ cars are always a bit of a punt these days, I mean they’re full of gizmos and whatnots that we’re built with a 10 year life in mind and legislation to ensure they won’t work if they play up, even if they’re not fundamental to the workings, but is doesn’t sound like it’s mission cricital to work first time, every time.
Ok, since it’s the 3.2 I have a few more “issues”
Coil Packs, Audi FOC change and they should be Grey not Black, if Black go to Audi for FOC change (they break down on inner 2&3cyl)
Plugs last a lifetime, mine are on the third set (£60) but my mates still on his original set.
The engines big, it doesn’t get loaded so most of its life is in the 1000-2800 range, there can be a “growl” low down and if you’ve got the DSG it’s because the box doesn’t use 1st very often at all. So nothing to worry about if it is a bit of a growler. Generally pulls away in 2nd or 3rd depending on right foot pressure.
Rear exhaust “flapper” some VW 3.2 owners (and some TT owners) bypass the rear exhaust flapper. It’s a mod that makes the flap open using both exhaust pipes.. it’s a stupid idea because at 50mph there’s a silly low rumble and it echos around the cabin.. my mates done this and he’s an idiot.
Sport mode (and launch control) Sport will work all through the Rev range and simply holds onto gears longer. It does have an effect on the engine and makes it more “umphy” and the exhaust flapper opens throughout the range to give that “oh, I’m going fast” sound. I’ve never used the launch control and wouldn’t know how to either. I’d suggest you make sure it works, but do it on private land and not the first set of lights you come to (more of that later)
The main radiator I mentioned above, but the secondary one does similar implosion as the engine gives off a lot of heat, if you are running the air con it kicks in even more so expect tick over at lights to kick in the fan, it’s not noisy but it’s noticeable so make sure it kicks in.. if it doesn’t (even in this weather) it’s pooped. £160 plus labour. If the dad stops working it might not be the motor, check the fuse in the box becuse they fur up and a quick clean will be all you need.
The gear shifter button (DSG) can stick in. You can’t shift the stick out of gear if it does, just get a screwdriver innit to free it and liberate with lots of WD40 in the gap.
Rear springs break, yea I know. The tops break and it’s hard to know if it’s happened until MOT time. Most of the weight is on the middle/front of the car but the front ones are well beefy man, but the rears aren’t. And the dampers leak at about 100k so best change the lot £300 incl labour.
Anti roll bar and rubber bushes on the suspension. Prone to crack like most cars but £50 buys you a set and you can change them all in half a day. Don’t get the nylon bushes becuse you’ll ruin the handling (IMO) my mates done his and it’s horrible and vibrates (IMO) he claims it’s better handling but I disagree 100%.
If, I mean If, the wipers are slow the motors knackered and is a proper pig to get at, let’s hope they’re fine (mine are BTW)
Engine again. There’s a silly little rubber pressure sensor tube that runs from the inlet on the injectors to some box way down behind the engine. It splits, it’s a common fault and makes the car run rich on cold start and the car will cut out until warm. £2 for the pipe and no skin or finger nails and two hours swearing... simple enough. Don’t be fooled by mechanics saying “ah, it’ll be Xxxxxxx” it’s this silly pipe thingy. Forgot to mention cam chain, see if it’s been done. Recommended at 100k but I know of cars still on the original at 200k... expensive at £1000 but for piece of mind you should do it.
You didn’t say if it’s a coupe or roadster? If it’s a roadster (like mine) then the small glass buffer screen housing can break. £140 for replacement and easy to do as it’s all just one big plastic covers thingy.
Heated drivers seat. The electric wire breaks if you constantly move the drivers seat back and forth...
Front sidelight bulbs, change them instantly for LED ones otherwise you’ll be changing them every other week becuse they blow if not LED. £10 for four.
Front light washers. Look like little aliens that pop out for the bumper under water pressure, make sure they pop out and back in again. If not could be indicative of crud in the pivot or more expensive means the water bottle pump is full of crud and about to fail (mentioned ^^)
Right, the good bits.
36-38 mpg (I drive like a grandad) smooth and comfortable cruising machine. Plenty of grunt and smooth power delivery across all the range. It will upshift (DSG) even when in sport mode or override mode (flappy paddles) at 6500, redlines at 7. It’s a feature. I often go to Lake Garda in mine, it’ll cruise at whatever you want and is quiet and very comfortable.
Appart from keeping an eye on the mechanics every so often (I always check it, I’m a nerd) it’s going to last well into 200k and bring a smile to your face.
Mines going in storage soon. It’ll come out in the summer and I’ll keep it until I die.
What colour is it?
There's two.
A coupe in the dark blue.
A roadster in grey.
Cheers for that lot - I'll put together a checklist - hopefully we'll get to test drive and I'll poke around them both...
I suspect the Panda 4×4 would be more fun.
+1
Hmmm. We had a 2007 one a few years back. It was ok – but very gutless which is a pain (we live in a hilly area and you had to properly give it a run-up if you wanted to get up anything steeper than a gentle slope). It also tended to eat it’s suspension and seemed to be perpetually fogging up all the windows.
I’ve got a 13 plate 0.9 Twin Air and gutless it is not, it gets me up and over snowy highland mountains perfectly. I do 70 miles a day in it and my only issue is how light it is so can get buffeted by high winds (but the weight in turn makes it nimble enough to get anywhere off-road)
I posted load on the roadster space a minute ago but the sites slow and lost it... 🤷♂️
Anyway, it’s not small but yeah there’s no space behind the seats unless the roof is up. I’ve had two large travel bags in there and a guitar..
Boots small’ish. No spare wheel it’s the pump/gunk stuff and the battery is in the boot under the floor.
You can’t use the storage behind the seats if the roofs down BTW.
The coupe obvz has more space, you can get a surfboard in and the seats fold flat..
Is there nothing Subaru that fits the bill?
I had a wrx Sportwagon and it was bloody ace in the snow!
Didn’t the Fiat Twin-Air engines have a known issue with hills? I seem to recall a consumer programme (might have been a Welsh one) got the original Stig (sans Helmet) to try to drive one up a typically steep AF Welsh Valley street and it couldn’t be done. Fiat fixed it with a software update somehow. Might explain the differences above.
Knowing what the budget is might help with suggestions.
Suzuki Jimney
Cheap, simple, petrol, Japenese , reliable, cheap to insure , cheap tax.
Get some big wheels , spot lights and a lift kit , then they are ace . slow.- but ace.
Knowing what the budget is might help with suggestions.
2K. On the nose.
Suzuki Jimney
Cheap, simple, petrol, Japenese , reliable, cheap to insure , cheap tax.
Get some big wheels , spot lights and a lift kit , then they are ace . slow.- but ace.
For under 2K you'll struggle to find anything that's not rotten. I've run MOT histories on a fair few and there's a fair amount of underseal being used to disguise all sorts of nasties. I'm buying this on the understanding its a zero-sum game = the first sign of big bills then it's scrap-time. I can do a fair amount of spannering but welding is beyond me and I've no interest in inheriting hundreds of pounds worth of work (even at mates rates).
See also Daihatsu Terios (Yaris engine), Fourtrak, Suzuki Vitara versions etc etc.
I'd rather get an HRV or CRV if we're going down that route. But god it's dull. We had a CRV for 5 years - a great car and nothing ever went wrong with it. But it's another variation on the auto-version of beige.
I’ve got a 13 plate 0.9 Twin Air and gutless it is not, it gets me up and over snowy highland mountains perfectly. I do 70 miles a day in it and my only issue is how light it is so can get buffeted by high winds (but the weight in turn makes it nimble enough to get anywhere off-road)
I think the Panda 4x4's within budget are pretty much all the 1.2 petrol and the 4x4 is a fair bit heavier than standard. Our previous Panda 4x4 (the same 1.2 petrol) was fun on the corners but it really would run out of puff halfway up hills - you'd be sticking it down into 2nd to get things moving again. I think quoted 0-60 is around 20 seconds...
Buy a Panda 100hp. It's in budget and an absolute hoot to drive.
Very lightweight and uncomplicated. Like driving a classic Mini but without the grief of owning and running one.
Hi bangernomics, I bought a TT 225 bhp 02 model a year ago as a fairly cheap but fun way of having a 4x4. Not regretted it a bit. Yes it has a few faults here and there but there is not a single car on the market that won't have it's "trade mark" faults. Just go with full Audi service history and check all breather pipes feel right. Shouldn't feel soft and squishy (techy terms). Those Bam engines on early models are brilliant. 99-06. Great fun to drive, comfy and I can get my kids in the back or put the seats down and put a 150 travel full suspension bike in. Win win
I miss my 225 TT Roadster. It was lovely, silver with baseball leather seats.
Always planted, the only time I ever got it to go sideways was in a gravel car park with the traction control off.
Had to have the binnacle replaced (Audi paid for it) and a new water pump, this was an X reg, I had it about 10 years ago.
Saw that they’d started to go for 2k ish, v.tempted.
I haven't read everything but we had a 2004 225 Roadster until last year. I loved it, it's not the most nimble or sporty thing, but it was good fun, comfortable, pretty quick and great with the roof down.
Over 4 years and 50k miles it was mostly reliable apart from a few issues.
1. Drain hoses for the roof had disintegrated when we bought it, rain drained in to the floor of the car rather than out through the rear arches. £50 for new hoses and a day stripping the interior of the car to fit.
2. Total brake failure 😮 Caused by the pipe from master cylinder to ABS pump rubbing through a coolant pipe. When the cam belt is changed a coolant pipe often gets bent out of the way to allow access, if it's left like it the movement of the engine will allow the 2 pipes to rub together. Ours went 30k miles before the pipe finally rubbed through and all the brake fluid fell out. <£100 to fix on the drive.
3. Turbo to exhaust manifold gasket blew. £400 labour to get it replaced.
4. Injector seals weeping a bit - £pennies.
5. Fuel gauge had a mind of its own - £25(?) for new stepper motor.
6. Thermostat. Can't remember how much but it wasn't expensive, slightly fiddly job.
We got rid last year as we were putting 15k miles/year on it since moving and I was getting bored of fixing niggly little things. It was largely easy to work on though and (most) parts weren't expensive.
The plan was to fit new wings & sills as they were rusted, it would have 100% smartened it up and if we weren't doing high mileage would have kept it.
On the rust note.
Panda rear axles love to rot out .... The spring cups fail and your car drops to the floor.
Worryingly the car doesn't even have to be old.
Panda rear axles love to rot out
Ours was starting to go, and that was on a four year old car.
The rear axle beams only fit on the 2wd version which has a torsion beam setup. The 4x4 has fully independent rear suspension with swing arms fastened to an auxiliary subframe. It’ll probably still rot but in an entirely different way as it won’t say “ford” on it.
Only thing to add about any Haldex equipped VWG car is that the haldex coupling will have to have its fluid changed every 40k. The clutch and pump pack give up if this didn’t get done. The control unit’s electrical connections can also corrode rendering the thing inop. The car won’t tell you this. Scan it with VCDS to check the circuit out. The prop shafts have a flexible rear coupling. These fail every 70-80k. The coupling has to be bought as a balanced unit along with the shaft. Skoda wanted £1300 for the part alone for my yeti! Symptoms are a resonance under light load between 70-80mph.
the brief screams AYGO / C1 / 108 . small for parking at the station , inconspicuous , cheap to run , cheap to buy and good in the snow.
I had a Mk2 3.2 VR6 TT Coupe and it was a hoot to drive. Lots of power, but understeery which I learned to cope with. Yes, it says Quattro, but you can't think of it as 4WD, it's just a means of moving a little bit of power to the back under specific conditions. If those are not met, it's a FWD sports car.
The 3.2 is thirsty. Any reasonable driving and it drinks fuel and, from the normal sized tank it has, that means stopping a lot. I used mine for commuting and soon getting strange looks for calling my van (40mpg) 'the economical choice'. Seriously, if I got more than 27mpg out of the TT I was having a good day.
It's also pretty cramped in the front, well, for me at least. You should also forget about it being a 2+2 and consider the rear seats to be storage for coats. It also has very wide shoulders, which means that it is difficult to park. Think of it as a slightly less practical Gold R32. That's pretty much what you'll be insuring it as.
the brief screams AYGO / C1 / 108 .
I’ve had a go in an Aygo. I screamed for ages.
I miss my 225 TT Roadster. It was lovely, silver with baseball leather seats.
Jealous, I always wanted to own the first batch with the baseball interior.
I have another add to the list. ( interesting to hear of a few other “niggles”, thanks for those they will be added to my quarterly check routine )
The hood. If it’s been folded back when wet it will start to create “smooth” patches where it sits folded on the glass rear screen and the front of the hood bar that fits to the front screen. Easy to get rid of, if you very gently rub a kitchen washing sponge (the ones with the scouring pad on) along the grain of the hood (it runs diagonally) you will lift the pile of the cloth. Then once dry clean it with hood cleaner (plenty of brands out there)
For maintenance of the hood I do the above, then wash it, then I go around the seals and scrub in the corners and edges where mould tends to grow. I do this by partially opening the hood. Then leave it to dry, apply black hood dye, and tent waterproofing then leave to dry. I do this every 6mths and it looks great and the water runs off it quickly.
Shiney steering wheel. Urgh. A light scrub with some 1000 grit scotch bright pads and then that “Matt Dash Wipes” stuff from Halfords.
Can’t think of anything else.
Tell is if you buy it (either one)
Is there nothing Subaru that fits the bill?
Forester?
Jaguar X-Type - loads of them about for 2k.
The bit where Ed fixes the gearbox with a washer is TV gold
it was a nut and bolt wasnt it
the selector fork rivet had snapped off the carrier rendering 1st gear inoperable.
I have a Mk1 TT roadster 1.8T 225. It great to drive, it feels very solid for a 16y old car. They have known problems, but so does any other car. It's important to buy with some care as a bad one can cost you some money in the long run. Service history is important & a car with the regular problems fixed should offer the best value for money. The body work doesn't generally rust much. If you are buying a roadster check for any damp on the shelf behind the seats which indicates the drain tubes are blocked. This can damage some of the electronics for the roof & central locking. For me they look great as well, but they are not everyone's cup of tea.
Oh, and there is a very knowledgeable forum for advice etc. In the 18 months I have been on the forum there has only been 1 mention of the manual gearbox selector fork snapping (and that was historic), so I think they are pretty infrequent problems (TTForum).
^^ that’s an easy fix BTW if the carpet is damp.
Partially fold hood, check two drain holes (small tray either side with a rubber drain hole) and get a wire coat hanger and make it a long piece of wire then poke it through the drain hole, then pour hot water down the hole... and repeat a couple of times. You could just pour hot water down and see where is escapes (near rear wheels under the body) if it flows, it’s fine. If blocked do ^^ .
Agree an easy fix, but it's just something to be aware of as it could have damaged the electronics. I just reread the OP, (And then I see an Audi TT Quattro, FASH, 100K on the clock. All the major services done etc. Would blow the budget in it’s entirety. I suspect it’d be a lot of fun but I also think I’d always be a short distance away from a hefty bill…) depending on the model (3.2 can have stretched chains (can be checked with vagcom) & DSG models the mechatronic unit) I think as long as they are looked after there are few items that would give really big bills. The 1.8 engines & manual gearboxes are generally very reliable. It's often the turbo, PCV & vacuum hoses that cause a lot of issues as they get old & tired, but they don't often stop you from getting home.
I have had mine 18 months & had to replace the thermostat (fiddley) & temp sensor (easy), 1 hose to the N75 valve (easy) & a vacuum hose (easy), these are all known issues. Its, needed a new battery & rear shocks & springs (fiddley), but they are consumable items as far as I was concerned. I have treated the roof pretty much as bikebouy has.
Bikebouy, just noticed this (If, I mean If, the wipers are slow the motors knackered and is a proper pig to get at, let’s hope they’re fine (mine are BTW) I had slow wipers on mine, the motor came out quite easily & was just a bad earth connection within the motor, which comes apart easily.
that’s an easy fix BTW if the carpet is damp.
Partially fold hood, check two drain holes (small tray either side with a rubber drain hole) and get a wire coat hanger and make it a long piece of wire then poke it through the drain hole, then pour hot water down the hole… and repeat a couple of times. You could just pour hot water down and see where is escapes (near rear wheels under the body) if it flows, it’s fine. If blocked do ^^
Be very careful doing this, the tubes are pretty weak and could well be about to disintegrate if they haven't already. I wouldn't poke anything spikey down the holes at all.
I happen to have an album here from the time we changed the tubes
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7Vgk4mahejvg3zmF8
I think I'll stick with French cars if this is how reliable German stuff is! 🙂
thems fighting words mick.
Dont you know french cars are the bottom of the charts for failing their first MOT *
* says more about the type of person that buys cheap french cars than the car IME
"I think I’ll stick with French cars if this is how reliable German stuff is! 🙂"
They are all getting pretty old now!
We should keep this thread going for TT Owners 👍
Saves going on the TT Forum..
Just a joke, honest! I know they are old and complicated = a bit of faff, and I've worked a few weeks inside Ehra so appreciate how much abuse they should be able to stand up to.
Just the previous page of xyz niggles, all simple fixes at £100-£150 a pop would soon add up to a scary number blowing the op's budget and marriage 🙂
Off the wall solutions that are more practical than a TT
Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Suzuki SX4?
Mercedes ML270 . old, made by rednecks in Alabama but so many buttons ( to go wrong )
Early BMW X5 , 4.4 V8
The econmomy is almost irrelevant as you do so few miles , so maybe an older luxo barge is not such a bad idea. Volvo XC70 ? only in Geartronic iirc but great when they work
I’ve got a Panda 100hp. I love it. Smile on your face every time you drive it.
Cheap to run and insure and nippy for Round town. Goes ok on the motorway too!
Forgot to mention..
Anyone contemplating a MK1 TT the parts are mostly derived from the Audi A3 and Golf, Golf R3.2. Not all obvz, because it’s a unique design but a lot of parts you can get cheaper my quoting the Part number rather than your reg number in Eurocarparts etc.
Also, brakes and discs (my recent change all round) go to Audi for the front discs and it’s £350per side.. go to ECP and they are £180 per side, go to Mintec and it’s £180 both sides.
You have to shop around. Ebay is a good place to start, there are parts suppliers on there that often have discounted stuff so it’s worth poking around there first.
I wouldn’t go to a scrap yard for anything. Most MK1’s that have met an untimely end have been stripped or crushed by now.
HTHs
"Just the previous page of xyz niggles, all simple fixes at £100-£150 a pop would soon add up to a scary number blowing the op’s budget and marriage 🙂" Your are right, that is why it is important to look for a good one where the "little" issues have been seen to.
"We should keep this thread going for TT Owners 👍
Saves going on the TT Forum.."
It would cut my forum browsing time in half 👍!
I've owned quite a few old performance cars, usually in great condition but often driven hard. With that in mind I'd say go for it but spend a bit less than you can afford, in case it needs some mechanical attention down the line. This was particularly true when I bought an Rx7 and the engine let go about 6 weeks into ownership. Still loved that car though!
My ex GF still has an early Audi S3, mechanically identical to the early TT's (her's was a 210 not a 225, but has had a stage one remap so is now about 260 anyway). They're generally pretty solid cars, but there's a LOT to go wrong on them if they're going to go wrong. We bought hers as a pampered ex Audi mechanic's plaything, it had wanted for nothing, it was 15yrs old when we bought it yet still felt like a new car. In the 4yrs she's had it, it hasn't been without its faults though. First one being age related and couldn't have been avoided, the car failed its MOT on emissions cos the CAT had died! A new CAT wasn't cheap... Can't remember off the top of my head, but with a couple of suspension bushes at the same time, the bill was well north of £500 to get it through that MOT.
Other than that, hers has had an appetite for engine mounts strangely, 2 of them now inside the 4yrs she's owned it. Quick, cheap and easy to fix, but quite alarming when one snaps!
Personally, I'd look for an S3 every time over a TT. I actually love the TT body shape, but 2 things usually put me off them... Firstly, there's lots of weird and wonderful interiors out there, especially a horrendous blue leather option, or the super boring silver body with black leather, not much inbetween super dull or gopping. Secondly, they have mostly, at some point in their life, been owned by middle aged women who know nothing about cars and don't tend to look after them. In both regards I find the S3 better, most were nicer colours, and they're far more likely to have been owned by an enthusiast who will have looked after it better than TT's seem to. Also, nice as the TT's seats are, the Recaro buckets in an early S3 are possibly the nicest seats fitted to any car that's ever been in production, they are very supportive but not at the expense of comfort, my ex's car even has heated seats too!
As for handling... Well stock TT's do understeer, they're not as dull as many people make them out to be, but they are setup to push on slightly in a corner. They're definitely a FWD car that has the benefit of a bit more traction out of corners as the Haldex kicks in. That said, it's pretty easy to transform the handling. A stiffer front Anti Roll Bar (off an S3 no less!) makes them turn in a bit sharper. Better suspension can make a difference, my ex's S3 had a proper coilover kit fitted already when she bought it, but set to only about 15-20mm lower than stock so as not to be too harsh, that thing goes round corners on rails, will cock its inner rear wheel before it understeers such is the grip!
If you go down the TT/S3 route, try and find one on 17" rims. The 18's may look cool, but the ride is quite crashy on them, and they tend to get damaged much easier. Tyres are the same width on both, so you're not giving anything up on grip, unlike with the 16" rimmed 150bhp models.
Other things to note...? Well a lot has already been said in this thread already. But I will add that service history really is key with these, and preferably by a specialist, someone that knows what they are doing as there's a lot more to go wrong on them than a typical Golf, as though the platform was the same, this has 4wd and a lot more electronics to take into account.
Running costs wise... Well I can't speak for the V6's (though I know they're thirsty), but a 1.8T isn't too bad. Certainly it's not cheap compared to the same car with a 1.9tdi engine in, but it's not ridiculous. My ex's car never dipped below 30mpg avg even on shorter runs, and I had as much as 40mpg out of it on one particularly steady journey (the day I picked it up, Sheffield to Worcester, motorway was stuck at 50-60 the entire way!), typically returned low to mid 30's avg consumption which I didn't think was too bad. A lot of the other running costs are only going to be similar to a Golf, but then you have additional costs due to the 4wd system too.
Personally, if you just need a cheap runabout to get to the station, don't do it... Not unless you've got another £2k sat around to fix it if and when it goes wrong. However... If you want a cheap and relatively reliable/practical sports car, that you don't mind spending a bit (rather than a lot, like with some cheap sports cars!) on to keep it running well, then give it a go... I know my ex wants to sell her S3 as she needs something more economical for the work miles she is now doing, and it would probably be in budget... Whatever you do though, do your homework and don't buy a money pit!
I had a MK1 TT 225 and loved it. Not much to add but the rear bench seat in the coupe is a designated Gp3 child car seat so my kids were able to sit in the back without a bulky annoying car seat...
I've still got the Thule roof rack and bike rack for mine if anyone needs one...