February 1999
I had been looking for an Audi S2 for several months and finally found one which caught my eye. The conditions I had for
purchase were fairly simple. It must be a Coupe with the 6 speed gearbox. Colour was not important providing it
was not red or white and the mileage had to be less than 80000. Evidence of abuse and I would walk away.
This example was a 1993 on the later L registration. Colour was black which although very appealing at the time,
I have realised it's not a great colour. The slightest mark always shows up and it never really looks clean.
Mileage was a respectable 73000, although the speedometer had been changed by the previous owner so the reading was
only 18000.This didn't bother me that much because it was in the service book and was done by the main Audi dealer.
Major plus points which convinced me it was a good car to buy were as follows: 4 Pirelli P6000 tyres had been fitted
about 6 months previous and the timing belt had been changed at a shade over 50000. It already had an immobiliser
and the service history was complete. The Alpine CD player, while nice to have, didn't really affect the decision.
There were a couple of minor faults which were to be sorted prior to purchase. The blower motor was only working
on the 4th speed and the rear bumper was slightly cracked. This was pointed out to me by the vendor before I'd looked
at the car so I was encouraged by this.
A comprehensive test drive convinced me even more I should buy it. It was much more solid than my then
current transport
and was squeak and rattle free. That it was faster made it even better.
A deal was agreed where I would trade in my Audi Coupe quattro 20v and drive away the S2 the following week, Insurance
dictated an alarm would need fitted and this was done in addition to the repairs.
I took a friend on the 230 mile journey the following week as I collected the new acquisition.
The first item to be purchased was a set of locking wheel bolts to help deter theft of the standard Avus alloys. I
decided to go for the VAG ones at it makes it easier to get the correct length and thread pitch.
The part number for these was 601VAG143.
September 1999
A track night at Knockhill was a chance for me explore the performance of the car properly for the first time since
purchase. Although it was raining for the bulk of the 2 hour session, I did discover a couple of things.
The S2 was a completely different proposition from my previous Audi Coupe 20v quattro. It was at least 10-15mph
faster on the main straight and this was in the rain. The 20v had only been used in the dry at Knockhill.
The other thing I found was that the brake discs had started glowing orange within 3 laps of going out. Knockhill
is famous for being hard on brakes.
Apart from this, the car behaved impeccably although there was a driver error which resulted in a harmless slide
off just before the chicane.
November 1999
Probably hard to believe but this is the first month since purchase where there has been any expense required. With the
exception of insurance and petrol the car was completely trouble free for the first 8 months of ownership.
First expense was front brake pads. My friend, who at the time had a type 85 90 quattro,
was happy with his EBC Greenstuff pads. I thought I would give them a try as the front pads were starting to wear.
These came to an alarming £96.09. At that price they would need to be good - time would tell.
At the same time I opted to change the front brake discs. I had check the discs and while they were not
completely worn out, they would not outlast the pads. With the performance pads, I decided to try some non-standard
discs to see if they improved the braking. The brakes were adequate but would fade if really pressing on. There was
also signs of vibration which indicated the discs were starting to warp. This was probably due to the abuse they
had suffered at Knockhill.
The discs chosen were Tarox which had a good reputation for not warping which I was keen on. The discs again were
not cheap at £199 + vat. I purchased these after a websearch and got them from
The Global Performance Centre. There were several options and I went for the
Tarox Japan which are cross drilled with 6 grooves.
This was followed by the 80000 service which was due. This service is usually the most expensive of the cycle,
particularly as it involves a timing belt change. Since this had been done 30000 miles previously I opted not to get this
done. The total service cost was £205 of which roughly £60 was parts with the rest labour and vat. Most expensive
item was the Bosch platinum spark plug F5DPOR at a cost of £6.27 + vat each. These have a 40000 mile change requirement
so even though they are expensive, they last a long time.
December 1999
The service had highlighted a few areas of concern, namely rear discs and belts,
but it has also confirmed suspicions I had about the dealership.
To quote front and rear wishbone bushes requiring replacement was a mistake. This was the third time
a member of my family had had this item highlighted at service in the last 6 months and it was the second
time they'd done it to me.
I'm not going to name the dealer concerned but it won't surprise you to know they have recently lost the Audi
franchise.