2004 Audi A4 Avant 1.9 Tdi quattro
Discussion
It was my car but I had lunch with the current owner and thought it deserved a place here.
Ten or eleven years ago I bought the S line quattro diesel as an interesting commuting car. The high trim spec - leather seats and bits and bobs - meant it took a bit of finding and I had to settle for a higher mileage car than I wanted. I'd had Audi 80 and A4 quattros before so this was just the next one.
As far as I can recall it had 130,000 or so miles on it. But the VAG 1.9 turbo diesels were good for 200,000 so it would do for a while.
A mechanic I knew who took on private work looked after it and did a good job, but as the car approached 200,000 in 2018 he advised me against throwing more money at it.
He reckoned, before too long, it would need at least a new turbo, a new clutch and flywheel and odd bits of welding
"The only way it can survive is for a mechanic to have it and do all the work himself."
As I'd get £100 scrap weight for it at the metal recyclers, I offered it to him. He said he was okay with his bike, he had a Husqvarna at the time if I remember correctly. I said, no, not buy it, have it. He'd given me mate's rates for ages and the car owed me nothing.
So he took it on. And he's had it ever since. Whenever I see him for a drink or lunch he stops mid conversation and says, "You gave me a car." It's a standing joke now, but I'm guessing it's not a regular thing to happen.
To date, he's fitted a new turbo, clutch and flywheel, clutch slave, rear main seal, injector loom, cam cover gasket, shocks and springs all round, all rear suspension bushes, brake pads all round, rear calipers and bits of welding. He said he's sure there was more but couldn't remember.
It gives me such a lot of pleasure to see it still going.
He's aiming to get it to 300,000.
Ten or eleven years ago I bought the S line quattro diesel as an interesting commuting car. The high trim spec - leather seats and bits and bobs - meant it took a bit of finding and I had to settle for a higher mileage car than I wanted. I'd had Audi 80 and A4 quattros before so this was just the next one.
As far as I can recall it had 130,000 or so miles on it. But the VAG 1.9 turbo diesels were good for 200,000 so it would do for a while.
A mechanic I knew who took on private work looked after it and did a good job, but as the car approached 200,000 in 2018 he advised me against throwing more money at it.
He reckoned, before too long, it would need at least a new turbo, a new clutch and flywheel and odd bits of welding
"The only way it can survive is for a mechanic to have it and do all the work himself."
As I'd get £100 scrap weight for it at the metal recyclers, I offered it to him. He said he was okay with his bike, he had a Husqvarna at the time if I remember correctly. I said, no, not buy it, have it. He'd given me mate's rates for ages and the car owed me nothing.
So he took it on. And he's had it ever since. Whenever I see him for a drink or lunch he stops mid conversation and says, "You gave me a car." It's a standing joke now, but I'm guessing it's not a regular thing to happen.
To date, he's fitted a new turbo, clutch and flywheel, clutch slave, rear main seal, injector loom, cam cover gasket, shocks and springs all round, all rear suspension bushes, brake pads all round, rear calipers and bits of welding. He said he's sure there was more but couldn't remember.
It gives me such a lot of pleasure to see it still going.
He's aiming to get it to 300,000.
I had one of these also (non quattro) for around 2 years. Solid solid car. Sold it to one of my colleagues for £500 at 180ishk and he took it to 215k before scrapping it as it needed a subframe. I jostled with the idea of buying it back off him for scrap value as it was everything you could want from a shed.
It was frugal, hardly asked for a thing and was quick enough it was the pd130 and had a plug in mappy thingy.
Miss it!
It was frugal, hardly asked for a thing and was quick enough it was the pd130 and had a plug in mappy thingy.
Miss it!
I bought mine for £2k in 2013. It's an 02 plate. It was on 158k when I bought it and recently passed 341k. I stuck a new clutch on it a while back as I use it for towing but still on the original turbo etc. I've done a few bushes and springs over the years.
Went to the Alps in December with no issues.
Went to the Alps in December with no issues.
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