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Hi i thought i should introduce myself as i've posted a couple of times on the technical forums bugging people for advice, so thought it only fair to show and tell!
My name is Shane and i'm from London and i' recently bought my first s2 (avant) just over three weeks ago from sunny Colraine in Northern Ireland from a guy called Charlie an avid VW and Audi enthusiast who had bought the car only 6 months earlier.
I saw the car advertised on edition 38 just after GTI International. The plan seeing as my wife is expecting was to buy something a bit more practical than the 94' Audi 80 cabrio we have, something we could use happily for the family shop but also for weekends away. In all honesty the S2 avant was not the first choice. Having never been into speed and more into old skool stuff like aircooled VW's (i've got a 59 Karmann Ghia project and a 67 split bus on the way from the states) and even having a MK 1 passat my original thought was a mk2 passat estate or a mk 1 Jetta. Seeing the look on my wifes face when i plucked up the courage to show her a piccy of a black Jetta i was interested in quickly killed off that idea!
With the need to look for something "more modern" the choices were between a newer shape passat or an audi a4/a6. Something just didnt feel right as i studied the photos of a Passat synchro i'd requested pictures for, i just could nt see myself being happy driving it. Owning a mini cab firm a lot of the guys have had passats, great cars but initially that was my first thought, Mr Mini cab!!
Being advised of a site called piston heads it finally hit me when i saw those two little letters...s2.
Now forgive me for being ignorant. I really have no excuse but i had never taken any notice of s2's before and believe it or not my next confession is I'm also the "club displays manager" at Inters, so i hold my head in shame
.
What i had remembered though was that whilst shepperding a load of S2's in at the weekend of the show, one in particular had caught my eye, later to be discovered a L- reg Ruby Red Avant in some of the photo's in the galllery section. Little would i realise that I would be driving my own a month later. At the time i did nt even consider one.
Ok so having texted Charlie and seen the photos we quickly struck up a price and all i had to do was get out to Colraine. Having spent almost two weeks being excited about seeing the car, having conversations with Charlie over the phone, he duly picked the wife and i from the airport in a ratlook Mk 4 passat estate and i just remember the journey being a blur and me being like a kid waiting for santa at xmas. When we finally turned the corner to see the car, my wife said my face was a picture, i was grinning like a cheshire cat.
All this before i even drove it, the car was immaculate. I wanted it and that was that deal done.
Right as i've realised that i've waffled on for longer than i should i'll cut to the chase.
The car is a 95 model with 138k on the clock. Its all original, with a immaculate cloth trim. The original stereo has been replaced with an Alpine headset andit sits on its stock suspension with factory alloys.
The history says the car was based in west sussex before being taken over to Ireland by a friend of Charlies' whom he bought it off soon after it arrived on northern irish soil, with the prospect of moving to Canada upcoming Charlie's missus was keen on something a little smaller as a run around so the S2 was up for grabs, sadly for Charlie the job offer in Canada did nt materialise but being the true gent that Charlie was he was nt going to go back on his word, fantastic guy and hopefully we've made friends for life.
After a fun filled weekend in Colraine, the journey back was a pleasure. The car drove and felt like new. I've never been so excited by buying a car and hope to keep it in good order.
I've discovered a few faults since i've had it (to be expected), i scored a rear interior light from Laser Avant off here already, the temp gauge is not working (car doesnt overheat) but radiator was changed week before i bought it, need to work out how to check its not an air lock but think it may be the MFTS as i have the flashing 40 second red warning light which dissapears. All fluids are in check too and the fan is working. With free time coming up its the top of the list of things to do.
Yesterday i discovered that the exhaust is blowing, further investigation under the bonnet by myself has told me nothing more in truth, but it sounds like its coming from the top of the engine if that makes sense ( aircooled stuff is far less complicated!). So further investigation by a proffessional will be in order.
Regardless i'm overjoyed with it, the wife loves it, its my city sleeper, subtle enough for only the people in the know to take notice of and that suits me fine. I'm up for meets, i'm no engine buff by any means but i'm always willing to learn, listen to advice so keen to go to the next Reading meet that i was unfortunately not able to make last week.
I've added two piccys, nothing spectacular one from the ferry on the way home and the other because i got a parking ticket for NOT parking illegally outside my flat and i needed photographic evidence so excuse the state of the car. y aim is to get photos of the car with some of Londons tourists sights in the back drop so keep an eye open for them.
Sorry if i've bored you to death, feel free to say hi in reply, i look forward to meeting many of you in the future and advance apologise for numerous annoying questions!!
Shane
My name is Shane and i'm from London and i' recently bought my first s2 (avant) just over three weeks ago from sunny Colraine in Northern Ireland from a guy called Charlie an avid VW and Audi enthusiast who had bought the car only 6 months earlier.
I saw the car advertised on edition 38 just after GTI International. The plan seeing as my wife is expecting was to buy something a bit more practical than the 94' Audi 80 cabrio we have, something we could use happily for the family shop but also for weekends away. In all honesty the S2 avant was not the first choice. Having never been into speed and more into old skool stuff like aircooled VW's (i've got a 59 Karmann Ghia project and a 67 split bus on the way from the states) and even having a MK 1 passat my original thought was a mk2 passat estate or a mk 1 Jetta. Seeing the look on my wifes face when i plucked up the courage to show her a piccy of a black Jetta i was interested in quickly killed off that idea!
With the need to look for something "more modern" the choices were between a newer shape passat or an audi a4/a6. Something just didnt feel right as i studied the photos of a Passat synchro i'd requested pictures for, i just could nt see myself being happy driving it. Owning a mini cab firm a lot of the guys have had passats, great cars but initially that was my first thought, Mr Mini cab!!
Being advised of a site called piston heads it finally hit me when i saw those two little letters...s2.
Now forgive me for being ignorant. I really have no excuse but i had never taken any notice of s2's before and believe it or not my next confession is I'm also the "club displays manager" at Inters, so i hold my head in shame
.What i had remembered though was that whilst shepperding a load of S2's in at the weekend of the show, one in particular had caught my eye, later to be discovered a L- reg Ruby Red Avant in some of the photo's in the galllery section. Little would i realise that I would be driving my own a month later. At the time i did nt even consider one.
Ok so having texted Charlie and seen the photos we quickly struck up a price and all i had to do was get out to Colraine. Having spent almost two weeks being excited about seeing the car, having conversations with Charlie over the phone, he duly picked the wife and i from the airport in a ratlook Mk 4 passat estate and i just remember the journey being a blur and me being like a kid waiting for santa at xmas. When we finally turned the corner to see the car, my wife said my face was a picture, i was grinning like a cheshire cat.
All this before i even drove it, the car was immaculate. I wanted it and that was that deal done.
Right as i've realised that i've waffled on for longer than i should i'll cut to the chase.
The car is a 95 model with 138k on the clock. Its all original, with a immaculate cloth trim. The original stereo has been replaced with an Alpine headset andit sits on its stock suspension with factory alloys.
The history says the car was based in west sussex before being taken over to Ireland by a friend of Charlies' whom he bought it off soon after it arrived on northern irish soil, with the prospect of moving to Canada upcoming Charlie's missus was keen on something a little smaller as a run around so the S2 was up for grabs, sadly for Charlie the job offer in Canada did nt materialise but being the true gent that Charlie was he was nt going to go back on his word, fantastic guy and hopefully we've made friends for life.
After a fun filled weekend in Colraine, the journey back was a pleasure. The car drove and felt like new. I've never been so excited by buying a car and hope to keep it in good order.
I've discovered a few faults since i've had it (to be expected), i scored a rear interior light from Laser Avant off here already, the temp gauge is not working (car doesnt overheat) but radiator was changed week before i bought it, need to work out how to check its not an air lock but think it may be the MFTS as i have the flashing 40 second red warning light which dissapears. All fluids are in check too and the fan is working. With free time coming up its the top of the list of things to do.
Yesterday i discovered that the exhaust is blowing, further investigation under the bonnet by myself has told me nothing more in truth, but it sounds like its coming from the top of the engine if that makes sense ( aircooled stuff is far less complicated!). So further investigation by a proffessional will be in order.
Regardless i'm overjoyed with it, the wife loves it, its my city sleeper, subtle enough for only the people in the know to take notice of and that suits me fine. I'm up for meets, i'm no engine buff by any means but i'm always willing to learn, listen to advice so keen to go to the next Reading meet that i was unfortunately not able to make last week.
I've added two piccys, nothing spectacular one from the ferry on the way home and the other because i got a parking ticket for NOT parking illegally outside my flat and i needed photographic evidence so excuse the state of the car. y aim is to get photos of the car with some of Londons tourists sights in the back drop so keep an eye open for them.
Sorry if i've bored you to death, feel free to say hi in reply, i look forward to meeting many of you in the future and advance apologise for numerous annoying questions!!
Shane
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