Due to my need for a larger vehicle for my business, I have to put my favorite car on EBay. This 2000 AUDI TT with the 1.8 liter turbocharged engine has been a thrill for me to drive ever since I purchased it. I believe the design of the TT is always going to remain as one of those timeless and will always look sleek and beautiful. It is amazing to me how greatly engineered this car is that the visual difference between a 2000 and a 2010 model are almost identical and they still look very sharp and modern. From my very first test drive I was amazed how incredible smooth it drove and how powerful the 1.8 liter was when the added turbo. The gear shifting is incredibly smooth with the manual 5-speed transmission and it is an absolute joy to drive. It has a great Bose sound system and speakers and a cassette player in the dash and a cd changer on in the armrest of the back seat. To be honest, in most cases I find myself turning the radio off just to enjoy the sound of the turbo spooling when I drive. This AUDI TT has 124.000 miles on it and almost all of those miles are highway miles. The car was always kept in a garage or covered parking and never experienced any harsh winters or snow in Florida. It is a non-smoker car. This car was my first AUDI and after all these years, I am still amazed with the quality of the parts and the craftsmanship of almost every single section of this car. After every wash and wax, it shines like new again.
As an avid car enthusiast and a builder, I tried to do my best to keep this car updated and upgraded without turning it into a compilation of kit parts. I purchased this car based on the great ratings it got in almost every single auto review. When I got the car, it went through a very diligent mechanical inspection and during this time practically everything that was aging was replaced with newer counterparts. I believe that when a car reaches the 100000 mile mark it needs this kind of an overhaul to bring it back to its original form. Here is the list of all of the mechanical upgrades and maintenance that happened within the past year:
1) Replacement of the timing belt. This was my biggest concern since the only complaint on the Audi reviews was this belt causing some owners trouble around the 80.000 mile mark. This was a crucial upgrade.
2) New camshaft seals
3) New valve cover gaskets
4) New swaybar
5) New bushings
6) New Tie Rods and ends
7) AC update
8) New rotors
9) New Brakes
10) New Tires
11) New Floor mats
12) Replaced all of the interior lights with brighter LEDs
We also replaced all of the plastic hoses around the engine with the new Audi parts. Also did a diagnostic test to make sure that everything was mechanically running right. During this time the turbo was checked along with the transmission, spark plugs and wires. They all looked practically new. Also I took the car to an upholstery shop and got the leather seats treated to remove some of the minor wear from the previous owner. There were no tears and they still look really nice. More recently, the oil and the air filter was changed only 2 weeks ago. This car only uses synthetic oil and premium 93 octane gas. While we are on that subject I want to mention that I was utterly amazed when the trip computer actually showed me on the highway that the range was more than 430 miles on only one tank of gas. This surprisingly efficient engine averages almost 30-35 miles to the gallon but gives you all the power that you need with the addition of the turbo.
As far as the cosmetic upgrades goes, the biggest difference of this Audi TT when compared to any other on Ebay or on the road are the R8 styled projector headlights with the led daylights that gives the car a completely new look. People always compliment about how sleek the car looks at night. Besides the look factor, these new headlights are much better than the factory originals and they are brighter. Also, the rear taillights are blackened to make the rear end of the vehicle a lot more aggressive. Don’t worry, you can still see the lights when they come on. Besides these upgrades, the custom tinted glasses make a huge difference in the look of the car and actually keep the car surprisingly cool even in the Florida heat. The car also has 3-level heated seats that I only used once to make sure that they were working, a cruise control and additional side airbags and the SRS traction system.
Before I realized that I had to sell this car, I was going to make a final visual upgrade and get the wheels painted the same color as the car to black out the car. I wanted this for 2 reasons. I really wanted the complete black look for the car and also there are currently some minor scratches on the wheels. They are not bad but I really wanted them gone…If this is something that you would be interested in as a winning bidder, I already know how much this painting process costs, so just let me know and I can get it done for you before you pick up the car or get it shipped.
I also made a blog for this car and you can see more detailed pictures there as well.
http://auditt2000turbo.blogspot.com/2010/09/audi-tt-2000-turbo-on-ebay.html
I think it would be unrealistic to expect a car to be perfect as it ages so here are some of the small issues that will need attention but will not cause major problems or safety or comfort issues in anyway.
The handle for the glove box gave me a little trouble. It is fixed right now but in case it falls again the latch on the inside is perfectly operational and does not keep the user from opening and closing the glove box.
There is a small ding on the lowest part of the front fender on the passenger side. It is barely visible. (I did not see it while I was purchasing the car) Since the car is black it blends into the shape of the car. The body shop I talked to mentioned that this was a very easy fix if I chose to get it done but so far it never bugged me.
Almost all of the Audi’s from this generation have had some kind of issue with their gauge clusters or the LED monitor that is in the cluster. On this car that bug is on the Gas gauge. For some reason the gauge is off about half of the dial meaning when the gauge shows that the tank is half full, in reality it is almost empty. This was something that I was informed when I bought this car from the past owner. The fix for this was about 1000$ at an Audi dealership. Because of this, I decided to not give this problem much attention since it has no effect on the cars safety or the engine. The fuel information is also shown on this gauge can also be seen on the digital display in the dash. By looking at how many miles I could drive on the trip computer I could very easily determine when I had to get some more gas.
Also this LED display was missing several pixels but in all my driving it was never something that ever bugged me.
Besides these minor issues, this car was never abused, raced or re-tuned. I always used synthetic oil and premium gasoline in order to keep the drive train as clean and healthy as possible. I will also give the buyer the old seat covers that I got from the previous owner along with a new set of wheel caps.
Although I am sad to let this great car go on Ebay, I am pleased to know that the buyer will be very satisfied with what they get. As an avid driver and a car enthusiast, the quality of the ride of this AUDI surpassed some of the BMWs and Mercedes’ that I have driven in the past. In some cases I found myself making up excuses to go out just so that I could drive this car to places. J
If you are out of state and would like to come and pick up the car after the auction, I can drive it to either Tampa International Airport or Orlando International Airport for pick-up at no cost. If you would like to see the car before the end of the auction, please contact me via email so we can arrange the best time for a meet up. Feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have. I will do my best to help you as much as I can. Please check out the blog for more detailed picture.
Thank you and good luck with the bidding!
