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Post by grimep on Jun 14, 2020 21:07:04 GMT 1
I bought it so might pop up here once in a while to cry into my tea....
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Post by valhalla on Jun 14, 2020 22:42:42 GMT 1
I bought it so might pop up here once in a while to cry into my tea.... You might even be pleasantly surprised, especially as it's low mileage - even with your Mum at the helm!
Service the thing to the ends of the earth and back, check everything, and get familiar with the car, then enjoy it. If you jump into any car and just drive it.....this one is probably no better than the rest out there, so it will do what all the armchair experts say that the A-class will do, which is bankrupt you.
You already know enough about it to justify quick-frequency oil changes for the next few services (change the oil and filter every 3,000 until the oil starts to come out clean, and the cap stops looking like Hellmanns) and to look for problems associated with "owners of a certain age" such as burned clutch linings, metal filings in the gearbox, etc. etc. Just budget for the lot, look for the trouble before it comes looking for you, then relax once you have got a decent car properly sorted-out.  |
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Post by grimep on Jun 15, 2020 11:45:20 GMT 1
Good advice thanks and fingers crossed but it could turn out to be a great buy, its low mileage and good history, aircon is cold which is a novelty. I've been through the service records and it has been regular, 6k oil changes, has only covered 200 miles since last oil change which still looks clean, and there's now no mayonnaise - a garage that serviced it 3 times used Forte flush so perhaps they cleaned it up.
I've got a short list of jobs - new battery, new front discs & pads (rears already done), check subframe etc for rust (I might spray some Dinitrol or Comma wax on as this car could be a long term keeper), check boot for wetness, clean out drain holes near wipers, probably change the brake fluid. The motor that adjusts the NS wing mirror angle isn't working, so going to have to figure that one out but otherwise seems cool.
I like small cars, and while they look a bit goofy from the front I think the W169 A Class is a clever design, spacious interior, loads of headroom, boot bigger than a Golf. Obviously a 95Hp non-turbo engine isn't going to accelerate up hills but as a local runabout, mainly for the Mrs, it should be ideal.
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Post by trickydicky on Jun 15, 2020 20:38:48 GMT 1
I used to look after one of those dinky Audi A2 TDi things for a bloke
It was ok to work on to be fair and all aluminium body shell so lighter than you would expect
He was getting some ridiculous mpg out of it, and it was fairly brisk thanks to a decent power to weight ratio
It was a pretty clever design for a small car I always thought, much more interesting than some of the dross rolling off the line nowadays
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Post by grimep on Jun 17, 2020 17:16:26 GMT 1
A2, a bit of a townie/trendy car, but at least they weren't run-of-the-mill. Margins for Audi must have been slim, not a big seller and probably fairly costly to make.
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Post by trickydicky on Jun 27, 2020 1:10:41 GMT 1
A2, a bit of a townie/trendy car, but at least they weren't run-of-the-mill. Margins for Audi must have been slim, not a big seller and probably fairly costly to make. I was reading they did a 3L version which was super light without PAS/AC/improved aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres (in germany) that could do 100km on 3 litres of Diesel (hence the 3L) It also featured the first stop/start system (ever) and a special automated gearbox that allowed it to "freewheel" in some situations Like yourself I thought it was just a fashion statement car for Yuppies, but it appears the car designer had really set himself a target until the marketing guys got hold of it and started adding the weight back on!!! I think it was probably 20 years too early!!!! |
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Post by Joepublic on Jun 27, 2020 6:04:53 GMT 1
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Post by trickydicky on Jun 27, 2020 12:34:32 GMT 1
I think the concept of an aerodynamic lighweight diesel supermini is great I just hate what Audi felt it had to do to the concept to sell it in numbers They need to revisit this car before they build a 1500kg Audi A3 EV It would make a nice little EV with a conversion |
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