My 80 Avant (ex-project Ruby)

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Thought id start a project thread for what was previously known as “project ruby”.

Got up at silly am one Saturday morning and took the train to pick this up from Mick, a member of this very site. He advertised it cheaply, knowing it had a few problems / short MOT etc. After a lovely cuppa and a chinwag i fired up the Avant and set off on the 170 mile trip home. Big thanks to Mick for letting me drive it home using his tax disk!

The car made it in one piece, albeit a bit slower than estimated (couldn’t go over 60mph after Leeds, the pesky 3rd injector problem shook me to death over 60!), and the car has driven me to work every day since.

Main faults when I bought the car:

• Severe stuttering on acceleration, intermittently – have now swapped injector #3 for a mk3 golf TDI item I had spare, which has cured it 90% (still hesitates occasionally in the high revs, I’m thinking it may not be injector related)
• Lack of power most of the time – Replaced / tightened up boost hoses and vac pipes, power seems normal now.
• Pulls to the left pretty badly – Passenger side track rod end is goosed, need to replace this and get it tracked up, along with 2 front tyres.
• Oil & Coolant in need of change – done this, did the oil twice! (don’t ask)
• Coolant leaks – fixed one, found another two, fixed one, so one outstanding!
• No dash lighting – new bulbs done the trick.
• Heated rear keeps blowing a fuse – Bootlid has been replaced, probably just a faulty connection etc, not a biggie.
• Outer CV joint worn - New item sourced, not got round to replacing yet.
• Top mounts / bushes / drop links worn….most in need of replacement – ongoing.
• Exhaust snapped in the middle & blowing elsewhere – Fixed the snap, need a new backbox and probably need to get parts welded up etc.
• Temp gauge not working – Changed the coolant temp sender, to no avail! Going to have to investigate further into this.
• Tappy tappy head! – Flushed the oil, with no results. So when I get the cambelt done I think I’ll see if I can get the lifters replaced (a straightforward job I’m told)

Amongst other small things…………..

Had no time to properly clean and wax it etc yet…so no pictures to show, but heres a couple from the advertisement:

MOT is due on Saturday (dreading it!), so hopefully more work will be pushed through to get it road worthy for another year.

Plans:

• Clean up bodywork and interior
• Coupe front bumper (already bought a b3 item from the scrappers)
• Lower 60/40 or maybe just 40mm, not sure yet.
• Different wheels (probably OEM items unless something really nice comes up for cheap). Seen some Avus’ local to me for cheap so might refurb them and stick them on.
• 90 rear number plate surround
• Change drivers seat for a better condition item
• More POWER!!! (110 nozzles, possibly remap or install screw on turbo to wind boost up, FMI and a panel filter / drilled box)

These plans will more than likely change but we can all dream eh. That’s all folks!

Cheers,

Joe

Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:53 pm

keep us updated pal, get her breathing fire!

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:23 pm

Excellent - It's great to see a car go from one enthusiast to another Very Happy

Please keep us updated.

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:25 pm

I miss the old girl but glad she's gone to a good home.

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:39 pm

I have only experienced the valve lifter change I did on my brother's Passat TDi, but I'm guessing there's not much difference between the two engines, and it really is a doddle, get 8 lifters, a set of gaskets, set the engine on the timing marks, remove cam belt remove cam, change and reassemble...

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Well the MOT was due today. Threw it in with bald tyres to see what it would need.

And its actually not too bad!!

Needs:

Drivers side CV Joint - knew about that
2 New tyres - knew about that
3 New shockers - wasnt expecting that, but what the heck, good excuse to lower it now!!
Main beam not working - not sure what this is, i've put a topic in the 80 forum, need some help to sort this out
2 Rear brake flexis - didnt know this, but no biggy
Rear whel bearing needs nipping up - again, not a problem
Washer jets provifing insufficient water - should be reet once i blast them through with an air line

Got 10 working days to sort it so it should be ok.

Mick, did you change the storks on the car when you owned it? I'm just trying to solve this main beam problem, any info would be great.

Cheers,

Joe

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:30 pm

Joe, I changed the wiper side but not the lights,

Mick

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

@ Mick - cheers for that pal.

Good news is, i managed to fix them today! Just cleaned all the switch contacts up with some WD40 and its happy days.

Sorted my washer jets also, and did my CV joint.

But by far my greatest achievement of the day..........i took the towbar off!!

So just need to do the suspension, the flexis and swap the tyres over Cool

Joe

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 1:29 pm

But by far my greatest achievement of the day..........i took the towbar off!!

should be able to recoup some of your costs by selling the towbar

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Yeh......errrr....kinda gave it away to a mate who collects scrap!

To be fair i've not taken it all off yet so it wasnt complete, the bracket hanging off the bumper is still attached and i just pulled the wiring into the "cubby hole" in the boot and snipped it off / isolated it.

Came on here a couple of hours later and saw the adverts in the parts section for towbars! Gutted!

Ah well, think of the money i'll save in diesel for shedding all that weight!!

Joe

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Some parts arrived:

This weekend ill be:

Fitting suspension
Changing rear brake flexis
Nipping up rear wheel bearing

So its MOT worthy Cool

Then in the week im booked in for a cambelt change and Tappet renewal Very Happy

Hopefully all in time for my trip to Fort William next weekend. Its a 650 miles round trip so should be a good test for the old girl!!!

Joe

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:34 am

Looking good Joe
Your in for a busy weekend Cool

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

BUSY weekend.

Saturday:

Changed flexis - absolute nightmare. Had to make new brake pipes and all sorts, everything rotten to death. Took me about 5 hours with help. And i got brake fluid in my eye.
Swapped suspension - The old units were ridiculously knackered. No oil in most of them and rusty as hell.

Started at 9.30 / 10ish and finished at 7.

Sunday:

Swapped 2 tyres over for some legal ones. Didnt want to buy new tyres as ill be changing the wheels in the future. They'll do for now.
Put a number plate light in.
Took it home and gave it a really good hoover out and clean inside. Then a quick wash on the outside. I even treated it to an air freshener!

Crap phone pics for now:

Suspension needs to settle so it will probably end up a bit lower than it sits here. It rides really nice actually, pretty stiff but i like it that way. Coupled with the new top mounts and recent cv joint, the car now has no rattles when driving and feels taught. Quite happy for the first time since owning!

Got it booked in for a retest on Wednesday, and hopefully he'll do my cambelt / Tappets as well.

Progress at least.......

Joe

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:29 pm

looking mint lowered, your bro was telling me about u getting up early for saturday fitting of lots of stuff. did he end up giving u a hand? saw him in the stars (pub) friday.

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Cheers pal, it does look a lot better, needs a bit of tweaking and im on the hunt for some different wheels, probably 16 x 8s or something with small tyres.

Well our Matt doesnt do brake pipes, hates them! So Sparky gave me a lift. But Matt helped me do the suspension yeh. The set up on these is not too dissimilar from mk1 - 3 polos believe it or not, so its second nature to him!!

Away this weekend, but when im back gona crack on with painting my coupe bumper and adding some little touches.

Joe

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:28 pm

do i know sparky? max middleton? not sure lol

u get the spray from halfords or summat? wouldnt mind having a do at mine where the old bloke who had it before me 'touched up' small scatches with great globs of paint. ahh well cant win em all. ive got to put the central locking kti on mine soon sat in my boot doing naff all atm. see u soon

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Sparkys Maxs uncle yeh.

I get my paint from Autopaint on Gladstone Rd in farnworth, not a big fan of halfrauds stuff tbh.

You might be able to get away with buffing your bumper, filling in the scratches with a touch up brush, then buffing it off so the touch up paint sits flush with the rest of the paint, therefore "filling in" the scratch.

Joe

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Did a rather epic 670 mile round trip over the wekend up to the Highlands.

Managed to do it all on one tank of derv as well! Quite happy with that.

We've developed a rattle on the front drivers side, which i think is either the wheel bearing or the hex nut that holds the strut insert in has come loose.

The pesky 3rd injector fault seemed to rear its head on occasion, for no more than 10 seconds on the motorway at 70. I'm gona change the knackered engine mount, swap the fuel filter and bleed the fuel system to try and aleviate the problem, if it still does it next time i do a long journey, i might have to look into getting a new injector Confused

Have a filthy, bad pic for now.

More work to come on the weekend.

Joe

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 12:37 pm

rattle could be the drop links? You can buy uprated metal ones from E Bay for less than £30 pair delivered Wink

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:09 pm

mines in the body shop now anyways so hes guna sort it, my dad reversed into my door the other dah (doh!) so im having that sorted aswell as the scratches.

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Painted my grill black, looks a lot moodier now i reckon.

Cant find the rattle still, im pretty sure its gona be the hex nut that holds the strut insert is not tight enough. Had the car jacked up with weight under the wishbone, but drop links and bushes etc seem fine. Cant get to the damper to see if its got play in it without undoing the nut for the top mount, which i couldnt be arsed doind this weekend!

STILL not had my cambelt done! Tempted to just do it myself next weekend.

Desperately need to put my coupe bumper on, and find some bigger wheels.

Joe

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

Might be up for sale shortly for not a lot of money.

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:21 pm

Sorry to hear that Sad

Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:01 am

What sort of money are you looking at? I'm on the lookout for a decent tdi at the moment.

Cheers

David

Inexperienced Joined: Aug 07, 2010 Posts: 21

U end up with the rattle only after you had lowered it by any chance?

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 23, 2009 Posts: 95

I think it ended up being the drop links if i recall. Bought some metals ones off ebay which made a great difference.

Car was sold a while back now.

Inexperienced Joined: Aug 07, 2010 Posts: 21

Oh just curious as mine does exactly the same only sine it was lowered even though it has no play in the drop links

Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 2:49 pm

you might find that the cap on the top of the strut that you tighten down to secure the shock insert is not tight enough. Ive been there and done that recently...

changed shock absorbers on my car and despite me being convinced the screw caps were as tight as i could get them, i could feel the insert rattling around (put hand in through wheel arch and hold the shock absorber piston where it dissapears into the strut then get someone to bounce the car a bit).

took strut off again, wire brushed ALL of the corrosion off the thread on the top of the strut body and it all went back together nice and tight and no rattling! thankfully it was only one strut! Wink

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:46 am

After all that motivation, enthusiasm and hard work, why did you sell it?