The sad story of the theft of my MK2 Cavalier SRi left me car-less and I needed some new transport. I didn't just want any old car though as I don't do boring and standard. I went out looking around for a few weeks but just didn't find anything that floated my boat. I'd seen a couple of nice Vectra's including a mint, low milage LS saloon, but it was an LS and very plain and boring! Then, one day in a small dealers, there it was, this mint looking Audi 80 Sport Edition!

What grabbed me right away was how it stood out from the other, normal, everday cars the dealer had for sale, like low-spec Escorts, Rovers etc. I'd Always loved red cars, like my Nova Antibes and had fancied another red car for a while. I took it for a test drive and although it wasn't as quick as my Cav, it was lovely to drive and great to have Power Steering for the first time, so I bought it!

Looking back, I ought to have haggled a bit on the price as the spare tyre was bold and there was a hole in the back-box, but I bought it with my heart and not my brain lol

Things didn't start well though as within a few days, the rear brakes were leaking brake fluid everywhere! The dealer was helpfull enough about it though and sorted it for me for a trade-price deal - I should have pushed more for him to pay more, but the car didn't come with a warranty, so not a lot I could do about it.
Anyway, two brand new calipers later and all was well.

I was enjoying driving the Audi now, it sounded mint and went well and I got quite a few admiring looks as I drove round. As time went on though, a little niggle popped up - the battery kept going flat and I was stranded in the middle of Sheffield one day and had to get the RAC out! Well, after a new battery, all was well again until I started having a problem with the clutch.
It's a hydraulic one on these and I thought one of the seals was leaking on either the master or slave cylinder. The biting point was getting gradually lower down until it got to the point where I couldn't disengauge the clutch and get out of gear!
I blead the system and it was ok after that so I'm not sure what was causing the problem.

Quite a while later, I started getting a load of dodgy clunking and knocking from the front end, especially when I set off from a standstill. Anyway, it turned out to be an engine mount that had gone. This was an easy enough fix though.

The next problem was a chattering noise from the engine.....when I popped the bonnet, it was coming from the timing belt cover!!! I removed it and found the belt was very loose...NOT GOOD! Luckily, it hadn't jumped a tooth or anything, which it could have!
I stripped the engine down to find one very melted timing belt tensioner pulley!
These are plastic on these engines and the bearing had burnt out and melted!
Fixing this should have been easy but it wasn't!
Fitting the new part was easy but it was pain in the ass to get the timing right afterwards! The Haynes manual was as good as a chocolate fire-guard for a start! My Dad ended up speaking to a mechanic mate at the garage he buys his cars from and he got a tech print out for how to time it up, but this was wrong too!
In the end, I used some common sence to get the TDC position and got it working!!! I don't know why the Haynes and the other tech print-out were both wrong....maybe something different with the spec of the engine over the years? I don't know, but the Haynes and tech print-out both got it wrong with what marks to align on the top pulley etc. The lucky thing is that this is a "safe engine" so although the timing belt was fitted incorrectly, no valves got bent when I tried to start it! With a lot of other engines, I could have ended up buggering up the cylinder head and pistons!!!

Anyway, with the new pulley fitted (and belt whilst I was at it) all was fine again until the next problem. This time, knocking and clunking again, like I'd had with the engine mount, only worse. I checked the engine mounts but they were fine, so that eliminated that. The problem was, me, my Mum, Dad and lil sis were due to go on holiday to Scotland and I was taking my car, but I simply didn't have time to fix the problem. To be honest, this issue was kind of the last straw as I was getting realy p**sed off with the car now, so I went on the hunt for a "temporary" replacement!

Looking back, it was perhaps a bit drastic to go and buy another car just to go on holiday in, but that was the idea at the time. I was then going to fix the Audi when I got back and sell the temporary replacement!
This "temporary" replacement was my Nova GSi, which, erm, I've still got lol. Saying that though, I've also still got the Audi!

Anyway, the storey goes that I used the Nova for a few months, then I started to have problems with that too and I eventually decided it was about time I did something with the Audi, which had been sat in my Dad's garage feeling sorry for it's self! I fixed the knocking and banging, which after all this, ended up just being lower wishbone bushes! I replace the whole lower arm including a new ball joint too. The Audi was then back on the road........the story shall continue soon........