Buying an S2 Coupe - Am I walking into a world of pain.

[Tractor Dave]

Have you had a spin in an Avant

[B5NUT]

Not an in S2 avant, but I've had Avant cars for the last 20 years, and I really want the Coupe version. Don't get me wrong I love Audi Estate cars so much so, this is what my Audi ownership looks like in the last 22 years.

A4 B5 saloon (My first car and still have it)
A4 B5 Avant
A4 B5 FL Avant
Audi Coupe 2.6E (Only had it a few months)
A4 B7 x2 Avant
S4 B7 Avant
RS4 B7 Avant
A3 8V Sports back (Looks like a small Avant)
A8 D3 saloon
A6 C6 Avant
A6 C7 Avant

So I really fancy a change to a coupe

[B5NUT]

Cannot believe how difficult it is to find one of these cars :-(

Search so car has been
1 Very nice S2 offered buy a forum member but In black, and I really don't what a black or while car.
1 Sold the the day I enquired about it.
1 Over priced and completely rotten, covered in marks and in need of a full respray and a lot of work/money.
1 In Ireland but I would have to pay 20% import duty (Thanks Brexit) and a massive amount of paper work to register the car.
1 In wales but not heard back form the seller unfortunately so think they have had a change of mind selling the car.
1 Down near Cornwall but it's over my budget and has a cream interior and don't think my OCD could handle all the marks.
1 That is the older model with the 5 speed box which is not what I want.

The rest of sale at the moment appear to be Avants, which again I want to avoid.

[B5NUT]

Also any other place to look for these cars, currently looking at the following sites daily.

https://www.s2forum.com/
https://www.ebay.co.uk/
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/
https://www.pistonheads.com/
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/?ref=app_tab
https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/
https://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk/
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/
https://collectingcars.com/
https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/
https://husseys.co.uk/car-auctions
https://www.manheim.co.uk/our-centre...l#?quicksearch
http://westbury.kfsnet.co.uk/
https://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/
https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/cars
https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/cars-for-sale/search/
https://www.motors.co.uk/
https://www.cargurus.co.uk/
https://www.preloved.co.uk/
https://www.gumtree.com/
http://rs246.com/

Noticed some of the Auction houses have gone trade only due to covid. BCA being one of them

[Tractor Dave]

When you are looking for an S2, you can't afford to be too fussy otherwise you will end up with nothing. These cars are 25+ years old so you aren't going to find anything perfect.

[B5NUT]

I'm not trying to be too fussy, the one that was in a bad way needed a lot of work and the seller was asking £15K for a car that needed a full respray as almost every panel was damaged. I know the age of these cars as I have a 96 A4 that I've own since 98 and that needed a lot of work to get the car restored. On the budget side of things I'm stuck with what I have being just over £18K.


Colour wise I don't want a black or white car, I want a 6 speed box model, as my A4 is 5 speed and feel like it could do with an extra gear. I don't mind some rust and a little bit of damage, but I don't want to by an S2 that is covered in rust and damage that I would not what to been seen in. The Avant model S2's available just a couple of £k more and they are in far better condition. I would be happy buying a fixer-upper as it were but at the 9-10K mark not 15. Not sure how much it would cost to respray a full car but I think a good job must be around £3-4K.

I would like an S2 that has seen some care & attention to it, rather than one that has been used and abused.

[Tractor Dave]

I'm sure something nice will come along. You just have to be patient.

[Ian Simmonds]

I'm sure something nice will come along. You just have to be patient.

Absolutely indeed…. As I posted in another thread most S2’s are long term keepers and never/only through change of circumstances appear on the market. Eventually, the right one will appear.

[B5NUT]

Yer, I'll just keep looking.

Is there any difference between say a 94 model S2 v a late 95 model, I've seen sales adds taking about elipsoid lights being on a runout model! Is there any other differences on the last of the S2 model.

[Tractor Dave]

Late models have airbag steering wheel instead of pro con 10, different (more comfortable) front leather seats. I think Elipsoids were fitted earlier, around 93/4 maybe? There are much bigger differences between 3b and ABY.
What you will find is that many cars will have been changed and modified over the years and current owners don't always know what's been changed.
Whilst renovating my Avant, I found someone had fitted OE Boge RS2 shocks and springs.

[larsaskogstad]

They are all ****. There is 2 options. 1 super expensive with previous owner done all the rust, changed everything as a hobby object.. -or- 2 . Needs fixing and overhauling

The ones that are expensive and shiny and "mint" have usually been sitting too much in a garage somewhere that you need to change everything anyway when you start using it Usually better paint and interior but thats about it

I would recommend getting one with a nice interior, good paintwork, without sunroof . Check that plastic trims are okay etc.
Those things seems the most hardest to come by, at least over here in Norway.. Engine can always be rebuild but all the small ****** parts that Audi Tradition wants thousands of dollar for will ruin your project

[B5NUT]

I am keen to get the spanners out again, I'm currently restoring my 96 A4. It's a 1.8 ADR so no turbo but it was my very first car. At the moment it's being sanded and preped for paint so it's all a bit boring at the moment.

Few restoration pics of my A4

Before
Mobile Photo 13 Sep 2010 11 13 41.jpg
Mobile Photo 13 Sep 2010 11 16 21.jpg
upload_2020-9-25_12-57-31.png

Few After

upload_2020-10-6_1-0-23.png
upload_2020-9-26_11-46-22.png
1617980827507.png
Don't mind putting the work in but as you say it's knowing what to watch for as I found with the B5 some parts were very difficult to get hold of.

[Fat Audi 80]

Kudos. Can't wait to see what you will do with an S2!

The problem with trying to buy a really good one is no-one will sell a really good one. Mine is probably as mint as they go even with 190k miles and I won't be selling it anytime soon as I know it is impossible to replace. Anyone with a good one knows this too. (Those that have sold them regret it)

Also, because they are not £50k they cannot be bought with silly money, so again no-one will part with theirs as it is not worth it.

Sad but true.

Best of luck

Steve

[B5NUT]

Thanks, I'm just going to keep looking. There are a few nice Avant's for sale, so I'm sure a coupe will come along at some point It's just a waiting games I guess.

[B5NUT]

So I have found one... Deposit paid and going to collect on Saturday.

The car is standard with no modifications from what I can see and have been told, it's a late model car 95/96 so is there any I should look out for?

I have VCDS but I guess I won't get much information from what little ECU's the car has.