# Newbie on a car hunt



## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Hi Everyone,Jo here, new to the site looking for a black TT 150 2003 - 2006, ideally with all the extra's. Thought i'd join and ask the experts, for any hints and tips for what to look out, or if anyone has one for sale that might suit. I'm based in Swindon and willing to travel for the right one - Thanks in advance x


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi Jo, Welcome to the TTF.
My standard reply for would be Mk1 owners

Service history is very important. cambelt/water pump every 65k miles or 5 years which ever comes first, dash instruments (dashpod) read correctly, coolant temp reaches 90 within a couple of miles & stays there.
Get written confirmation of cambelt/water pump change or reduce price by £500 & get it replaced ASAP.
If it has xenon headlights, make sure the headlight washers work, MOT fail.
3.2 V6 no turbo or cambelt to worry about, so should be more reliable, DSG may be weak link, unless you can find a manual.& a nicer exhaust note.
Don't rush into it. A good TT is a wonderful car, a bad un can be a money pit.
Plenty of good uns out there, but probably more bad uns, *so as I said don't rush into it.*
A cheap TT, could be the most expensive car you've ever bought.
Hoggy.


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## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

Welcome


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Thank you Hoggy, wise words, and thank you so much for your assistance, I've been looking for some time now, but being a typical girl, i'm getting impatient lol x


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Thank you for the welcome Yellow TT x


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## davelincs (Jan 1, 2010)

Hi Jo , welcome to the forum


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## mistress-mk1TT (Feb 22, 2014)

Welcome along lovely


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your car search. You may find this Buyer's Guide useful:

http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=552649

It's also available as an app (just search in your app store for Essential Buyer's Guide Audi TT) for £1.99.

There aren't very many 150s about, which is perhaps why you've been looking for a while. I wonder why you've picked that engine in particular? If it's for better fuel economy or cheaper insurance then getting a 180 makes very little difference. Some even prefer it to the 225 as it has a smaller and lighter turbo that spools-up quicker and gives you better boost in the lower rev range. Makes the car feel a little more spirited (though you can get the same from a 225 with a new map). There's certainly more 180s to choose from than 150s, especially if you fancy a roadster.

As Hoggy said, there's plenty of poor examples out there that could end up costing you a lot of money to keep on the road, so it pays to be patient with your search and spend as much as you can on your initial purchase. A full service history is important but it really doesn't matter if it is all with Audi. In fact as Audi charge an arm and a leg in labour costs I'd be more encouraged to see a car that has been serviced by a decent independant - it shows an owner with common sense who actually knows what they are doing. I'd also be looking for a file full of bills showing what work has been done to the car. High mileage is no problem as long as the car has been well looked after - you'll get less issues with a 100k car that's recently had plenty of work done than with a 60k car that's never been touched.

Happy hunting!


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## stillforreal (Feb 9, 2014)

princessjo said:


> Hi Everyone,Jo here, new to the site looking for a black TT 150 2003 - 2006, ideally with all the extra's. Thought i'd join and ask the experts, for any hints and tips for what to look out, or if anyone has one for sale that might suit. I'm based in Swindon and willing to travel for the right one - Thanks in advance x




Welcome from another Swindon based owner!!

Rich


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

stillforreal - Thank you for the welcome


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

mistress-mk1TT - thank you for the welcome x


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

davelincs - thanks for the welcome


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Thanks Mark Davies - and thanks for the link.

I'm certainly not again the 180 at all, good shout. I've kinda been ruling out the 3.2 and 225 just because I don't really need that sort of power. Ive been doing my search for the following criteria, MOT, cambelt/waterpump, under 100K, Black or Grey, with the windbreak. FSH or as best as I can get, and also been asking the number of keepers, I think that was it. The boyfriend said we could travel on the basis if we were going a long way, it would be in the hope it was as good as it sounded on paper, and the engine all in order etc. He's not a mechanic, but likes to have a tinker and has common sense (ish) lol.
Saturday we drove 3.5 hours each way to Huddersfield, the car was what I was looking for and seemed to tick all the boxes with paper work etc.......however, we could smell coolant from the exhaust, which i've been told is a major no no so we walked away.
Today we did another nearly 5 hour round trip, again this ticked all the boxes, but when we got there the service history wasn't what was advertised. It wasn't a full service history, the first service wasn't done until 53,000 and I was a little concerned over the stamps in the book so called Audi. They had no record at all on their main database of the services that were stamped in the book, it was actually the dealer on the stamp that I called! More worryingly they had no record of the cambelt and waterpump change indicated in the book, and also told me there was a recal for the ignition coil pack, and gave me the impression if it had ever been into a main dealer this would have been done. Anyways it all seemed a bit worrying, so we walked away .....so my search goes on.......


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

Hai and Welcome!

The 150 is the best ofcourse.....get it in dolomite grey its even better 

J
xx


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

princessjo said:


> I'm certainly not again the 180 at all, good shout. I've kinda been ruling out the 3.2 and 225 just because I don't really need that sort of power.


There's more than just the extra power, of course. The 150s are front wheel drive with a 5 speed gearbox while the 180s have the option of quattro and a 6 speed box. In truth the 150s probably don't need the quattro anyway. It's not a 4-wheel drive system in the normal sense that you'd expect on an off-road car. The TT is essentially a front wheel driven car in all its guises - all the quattro does is transfer power to the rear wheels whenever it detects a loss of grip at the front. It really only comes into play when you're throwing the car into bends at speed, so if that's not the kind of driving you do you'd hardly notice it not being there. However it's certainly worth having if you want to do some spirited driving - it's no coincidence that Audi won one rally championship after another because of it!

If insurance isn't an issue then consider the 225s too. About half the TTs in the UK are 225s so it's a large proportion of what's available out there so you'll have more choice and a better chance of finding a good one (though most of those are coupes - roadsters are more common as 180s), and of course as well as more power the 3.2 V6 makes a lovely noise!

If you can try driving them all.


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Lollypop86 said:


> Hai and Welcome!
> 
> The 150 is the best ofcourse.....get it in dolomite grey its even better
> 
> ...


Thanks for the welcome lollypop86, loving the grey, my coupe quattro was a lush grey one x


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Mark Davies said:


> princessjo said:
> 
> 
> > I'm certainly not again the 180 at all, good shout. I've kinda been ruling out the 3.2 and 225 just because I don't really need that sort of power.
> ...


Thanks for all your advice Mark Davies, I did have the coupe quattro about 6 months ago, I just want a convertible now though.....I want one of every model in every colour the roadster lol x


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

with dolomite being the top of your list 

J
xx


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## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

Some great info and help on here that I know I will be taking to my next viewing first thing Friday.


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Hey lollypop, how do I get to look on the cars for sale on here, and put a picture for my profile - do I have to be a member for so long before im allowed ? xx


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi Jo , Number of posts not disclosed..
To gain access to the market place, you can simply post and join in with forum activity and after a short while you will have shown yourself to be a likely genuine contributer and been granted full access. *This is free. *
Alternatively, if you choose to join the TT Owners' Club which includes a fee; because your personal and banking details are held on file, you are deemed less of a fraud risk, so the TT forum, wishing to get safe contributers into the market place as quickly as possible, will grant you access. So, either post away or join the TTOC - see their website shop
http://www.ttoc.co.uk/shop/index.php?ma ... 52354f1ad3

To show us a pic.
Sign up with http://www.photobucket.com, its free. 
Upload pics from you PC using "Browse", click the "cog wheel" & click "get links" click the "IMG code " text & paste into your post.
Or use the "upload attachment" facility below each reply. 
Hoggy. 

Hoggy.


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

What you going to see on Friday Volcom


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## stillforreal (Feb 9, 2014)

great choice!

Rich

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

still for real - that pic was my old one - still looking for my new one x


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## stillforreal (Feb 9, 2014)

I should have read the whole thread! sorry but good luck with the hunt!

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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Rich its cool, easy mistake to make, I didn't really mention much about having a TT before, so obsessed with getting a new one lol x


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## stillforreal (Feb 9, 2014)

fingers crossed for you Jo!

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## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

princessjo said:


> What you going to see on Friday Volcom


This one is a AUDI TT QUATTRO (225 BHP), BLACK, 2001, 96000, FSH, MOT Sep. no word on if the Cam belt and water pump have been done of late. But I will look at that when I see it. He is asking £2,999

This is the 3rd in the mix right now but I must have seen 20/30 so far being a bit picky but why not.

I will start a thread with the ones I have in mind right now and see what you guys are saying.


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

what hoggy said  get involved in some of the topics roling around and you'll get access easy 

J
xx


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Thanks Hoggy for the advise on how to get on the buying cars bit


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Thanks Lolly pop for assisting me on how to get on the buying cars bit......x


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## princessjo (Apr 21, 2014)

Seriously


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