New S3 owner from Scotland

sideways steve

sideways steve

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Joined
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Location
Paisley, Scotland
Morning everyone !

Just thought I would pop in here and say hello as it seems to be the best forum around for S3 related info :)

Having been a VW fanatic years ago then switching to the darkside and going all JAP I have finally came back full circle and bought myself a nice tidy S3.

I have had literally every performance japanese car available from my Turbocharged 230bhp Mk1 MX5 to a 643bhp Skyline R32 GTR.

I have also had a couple of RX7's in there as well as an Evo 9 FQ340 more recently.

Due to my wedding approching I decided that the Evo was not a very good daily car so I set about searching for something more refined and grown up.

I had always fancied an S3 and started my search for the right car however I stumbled across a nice 2000 Facelift A4 Avant 1.8t Sport with a revo remap and some nice subtle mods and ended up buying it ! the problem was it was lovely looking, drove well and was fairly quick but it still was not an S3 so once again I began searching.

After a couple of weeks of viewing a few cars an searching the length of the UK for a car I eventually found what I was looking for !

I had said to my better half I wanted either a Nogaro Blue or Imola Yellow S3 and luck would have it that a very well cared for Nogaro Blue S3 came up for sale down in Cardiff. After a few phone calls and some checks a flight was booked and off we went to buy the car.

I can honestly say when we arrived we were not dissapointed ! For a car which is nearly 11 years old it is mint. The paintwork is stunning as is the unmarked leather recaro interior. Although shes slightly higher on mileage than she should be she is backed up with a FULL Audi service history and a massive folder full of receipts from both Audi and Specialists.

As I do all my own work on cars I dont have any issues with the mileage being a liittle high as this will soon balance back out as I dont do many miles whereas the previous owner was doing 130 miles a day to work and back !

I have already began tinkering even though I said I would be leaving it standard....... but then I said that about all my other cars ! LOL

I fixed the DIS on boxing day so now I can actually see what its saying which is nice !

I have had a lot of experience with all sorts of cars and tuning them so from this forum I am hoping to be able to give as much help to people as I hope to receive when it comes to tweaking the S3 !

Anyway, enough rambling on and here is a wee photo ! Bear in mind this was taken after it had just driven 415 miles home to scotland so its a little dirty ! It has now also had the plate removed and will be having my own one put on when the V5 comes through :)


4a33fa0b.jpg
 
Welcome to ASN. Its always good to have another Scottish member. Nice car. Enjoy the forum.
 
Just touched on 140k, it was a low miler until the last guy bought it and he bumped it up very quickly ! So realistically its averaging out at 12k a year rather than the 10k per year that is deemed to be average for most people.

I can honestly say though that it feels like its done about 40k. Its super tight and been cared for regardless of cost. :)
 
hi mate ive just come from the jap seen evos subarus and starlet turbos
 
Thanks for the welcome folks :)

Ive never really left the Vag scene even when I was all Jap, always had lots of friends still into Vag so it really was only a matter of time before I came back ! LOL
 
sideways steve said:
Thanks for the welcome folks :)

Ive never really left the Vag scene even when I was all Jap, always had lots of friends still into Vag so it really was only a matter of time before I came back ! LOL
Click to expand...

Where in Scotland are you?
 
Sandra said:
Where in Scotland are you?
Click to expand...

Hello, I am over in Paisley but I regularly visit family in FIFE so can be spotted travelling between Glasgow and Dunfermline most weekend LOL. what about yourself ?

jq_quint said:
Welcome Steve, These are the colours I will probably pop for once I get round to getting one.....

Looks great...
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Cheers ! I had looked at other colours but I have had too many Black cars and cannot be bothered with the added hassle of trying to keep one clean and shiny in Scotland anymore ! I see you have had an S4 ? how did you find it ? I am planning on buying an RS4 (B5) in a couple of years time once the wedding has passed. We plan on keeping the S3 as the second car in place of my fiancee's beetle as she loves the S3 ! LOL I had also looked at some S4's when looking for the S3 but only one jumped out at me and that was a 380bhp MRC tweaked Imola Yellow S4 Avant. I just couldnt justify spending too much on another car just now so had to give it a miss !
 
harvey01 said:
hi mate ive just come from the jap seen evos subarus and starlet turbos
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Cool ! Nice to know I am not the only one !

I was always an Evo fan and was not really into Scooby's. I did own a WRX for all of 3 days but I just couldnt bear driving it having previously had a fairly well tweaked Evo 6. There really was no comparison between the two ! LOL

I did have to admit though that it was quite plesant to drive, but I think its a case of you either prefer one or the other and for me it was Evo all the way.

I never did have a Starlet turbo however a friend had a Glanza V which I remapped for him and we got some good results. I think the car actually still kicks about in Ayrshire somewhere and last I heard it was still running my remap and still pushing around 210bhp :) not bad for a wee 1.3 litre engine !
 
sideways steve said:
Hello, I am over in Paisley but I regularly visit family in FIFE so can be spotted travelling between Glasgow and Dunfermline most weekend LOL. what about yourself ?



Cheers ! I had looked at other colours but I have had too many Black cars and cannot be bothered with the added hassle of trying to keep one clean and shiny in Scotland anymore ! I see you have had an S4 ? how did you find it ? I am planning on buying an RS4 (B5) in a couple of years time once the wedding has passed. We plan on keeping the S3 as the second car in place of my fiancee's beetle as she loves the S3 ! LOL I had also looked at some S4's when looking for the S3 but only one jumped out at me and that was a 380bhp MRC tweaked Imola Yellow S4 Avant. I just couldnt justify spending too much on another car just now so had to give it a miss !
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Im down in ayrshire, so not that far from you.
 
Yeh just down the road :) got a few friends down in Ayrshire one of whom happens to be an Audi tech at lomOnd Audi :) handy man to know ! Lol
 
Its always good to know an audi tech, maybe he will get you parts cheaper from the stealers, lol
 
sideways steve said:
Cheers ! I had looked at other colours but I have had too many Black cars and cannot be bothered with the added hassle of trying to keep one clean and shiny in Scotland anymore ! I see you have had an S4 ? how did you find it ? I am planning on buying an RS4 (B5) in a couple of years time once the wedding has passed. We plan on keeping the S3 as the second car in place of my fiancee's beetle as she loves the S3 ! LOL I had also looked at some S4's when looking for the S3 but only one jumped out at me and that was a 380bhp MRC tweaked Imola Yellow S4 Avant. I just couldnt justify spending too much on another car just now so had to give it a miss !
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Agree with the comment on black although my s4 was quite nice in black...I loved the S4 and although it was completely std it went really well (although handling wasn't great in std form), was tempted to map it but the wife popped another out combined with the fear over the turbo breakdown cost I let him go...I would have another though..would go estate i think....
I'm planning to also get an S3 as a second car, unfortunately my 7 seater V70 is here to stay,,,,,, (x4 kids)....
 
Sandra said:
Its always good to know an audi tech, maybe he will get you parts cheaper from the stealers, lol
Click to expand...

I can get some discount but its more off labour than of parts so not much use to me ! LOL However when I need info abut how to do something hes a very handy person to know as he can check Elsa or give me info based on his experience :)

jq_quint said:
Agree with the comment on black although my s4 was quite nice in black...I loved the S4 and although it was completely std it went really well (although handling wasn't great in std form), was tempted to map it but the wife popped another out combined with the fear over the turbo breakdown cost I let him go...I would have another though..would go estate i think....
I'm planning to also get an S3 as a second car, unfortunately my 7 seater V70 is here to stay,,,,,, (x4 kids)....
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Oh no dont get me wrong, I totally agree, Ive had loads on black. My A4 was black and is below (for sale at present btw if anyone is interested !) and also a few pics of my other cars that have been black.

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IMG_0011.jpg
 
Cheers for the comments folks, but out of them all I have to say the S3 is genuinely the nicest to drive as an all rounder.

Dont get me wrong, having 643bhp in the GTR was phenominal but it was a right handful to drive if you just wanted to have a normal drive about.

The Evo was far more drivable but it was ridiculously thirsty and expensive to maintain properly.

The RX7 was simply awesome, there really is no other way to describe it. The black one in the photos was my second one and I had done quite a bit to it. It was running approx 300bhp @ the rear wheels and it was ballistic. The handling was awesome, the looks in myopinion were unrivaled, the only downside to it was the fuel cost ! Circa 11 MPG driving carefully = Not good ! LOL However the way I had her mapped meant on long motorway journeys I did manage low 30's which was fine. Just a shame I dont do too many long motorway journeys ! LOL Also its actually a myth about how unreliable a rotary engine is. I did have to rebuild mine however it was due to me pushing the boundaries when mapping it. they are very sensitive when it comes to tuning and you MUST ensure fuelling is spot on or you will blow it literally within seconds ! With proper maintenance and regular oil changes you will easily see more than 100k miles from a rotary engine.
 
Nice to meet you. Enjoy the forum. Only fairly recently joined myself and the guys/gals are great.

You'll find everything you need on here from manuals, advice to general banter.

Cheers

James
 
Cheers Jim,

Actually regarding manuals.... if anyone wants a copy of Elsa I have bought a copy on DVD (well 3 DVD's) and when it comes I would be happy to share it if anyone needs it.
 
Nice looking cars you have had :D

Just outside Glasgow myself and not long in to the audi scene

Had pulsars, r5 gtir, 205's but lovig the audi fast and comfortable

welcome to the forum
 
djx11b said:
Nice looking cars you have had :D

Just outside Glasgow myself and not long in to the audi scene

Had pulsars, r5 gtir, 205's but lovig the audi fast and comfortable

welcome to the forum
Click to expand...

Hi there, nice to meet someone with a similar view on things !

A lot of my friends think I am mad moving from the Jap stuff but they dont understand how nice these are to drive and how much easier it is to live with as a day to day car than most of the ones I have had.

maybe I am just getting old or something ! LOL
 
Gorgeous past cars mate!
I've often contemplated making the jump the other way to Jap turbo stuff, but every time it comes back down to image/economy//having to live with it.

When you turn up at a job interview in that RX7, people instantly form an opinion, be it good or bad.

Turn up in a smart A3/S3, and there's no danger of getting anyone off on the wrong foot, be it a potential employer or your girlfriends mum!
 
Yeh I know where your coming from but I guess it boils down to whether or not you are bothered by people like that. But thats just me, people who really know me know what I am like and thats all I care about LOL :)

Totally see where your coming from though and to an extent you do feel much more sophisticated driving the likes of the S3 or the Porsche Boxster I had compared to any of the Jap cars I have owned !

But then in saying that I turned up for the interview for my current job in the Skyline and it actually helped spark up a bit of conversation after the official work related chat was over with :)
 
scottm4 said:
Welcome to ASN mate!
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Hey mate, don't suppose you were on the M8 heading toward Glasgow last week were you ? LOL Noticed you also have a Nogaro S3 and my other half said two passed her when she was coming back from Livingston in mine the other day !

I figured there can't be that many kicking about as I hadn't seen another up here until I got mine and now I've seen about 3 ! LOL
 
sideways steve said:
Hey mate, don't suppose you were on the M8 heading toward Glasgow last week were you ? LOL Noticed you also have a Nogaro S3 and my other half said two passed her when she was coming back from Livingston in mine the other day !

I figured there can't be that many kicking about as I hadn't seen another up here until I got mine and now I've seen about 3 ! LOL
Click to expand...

Nah wasn't me mate, there are a few now about Edinburgh since the price has gone down! Oh your RX7 looks stunning BTW!
 
Yeh it seems that anything that has a turbo fitted has dropped in price drastically recently :( Its a shame really as it ends up being inexperienced drivers that head out and buy such cars and they generally don't last very long before being written off :(
 
Alright dude that's some nice jap cars you had there. I stay just over the water and work in Hillington so no doubt will see you about.
 
audi upgrades
Your new s3 was owned by a member on here, nathan his name was. He seemed a decent chap and was fairly clued up on them and had modded his quite abit before returning ut to stock for sale. Think he moved on to bmw, m3 or 130 coupe i think. He might still be on here, think his username was NATTIE

welcome anyway
 
audi upgrades
superkarl said:
Your new s3 was owned by a member on here, nathan his name was. He seemed a decent chap and was fairly clued up on them and had modded his quite abit before returning ut to stock for sale. Think he moved on to bmw, m3 or 130 coupe i think. He might still be on here, think his username was NATTIE

welcome anyway
Click to expand...

Yeh nathan was the guy I bought it from :) He is indeed a nice chap and seemed fairly knowledgable. I wasnt aware it had been modded much though, I know its had a couple of things done such as the sport cat and downpipe but everything else is pretty much as it were when it left the factory. Will have a nosey through his posts LOL
 
Yeh he took all the mods off and sold them. I dont think his car was remapped though, but i could be wrong, he was one of the few of us running standard map WOO big up! Lol.

So what are your plans with the car? Apatt from driving it lol
 
Makes them more desirable in the future tho and the prices will start to go up but who knows when, I see in the picture of your S3 you posted has the surrounds of the headlights painted black is that so or is it just my imagination?
 
superkarl said:
Yeh he took all the mods off and sold them. I dont think his car was remapped though, but i could be wrong, he was one of the few of us running standard map WOO big up! Lol.

So what are your plans with the car? Apatt from driving it lol
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Ach in fairness I prefer to start with a blank canvass anyway, at least that way you know what you have to start with and troubleshooting any issues is easier. Luckily it seems Nath has looked after this one and shes running sweet with no codes coming up on Vag Com :)

I plan on driving it like you say :) Also will be doing some track days next year when the weather is better as it seems like ages since I was last on track !

I have already fixed the knackered DIS and next i have a wee exhaust leak to sort out and the carpets to dry since I have now hopefully sorted my leak !

I had fancied lowering it a little but the roads around here are such a state that its actually nice not having to worry about grounding it on every bump ! I may opt to stick some eibach springs on the stock shocks, we shall see :)

I will deffo be having her remapped. I will probably just leave it at that though as far as performance goes (at least until after the wedding in September) I also fancy adding some spacers to the wheels as I feel they sit quite far in.

I was contemplating having the windows tinted too but have not decided fully. Really I just want to sort all the wee niggles like the marks on the wheels, the iffy drivers door handle, passenger seat microswitch and the broken aerial and then just enjoy the car as I usually always end up tinkering rather than actually enjoying using the car ! I also have some nice gauges to fit that I removed from my Evo but I need to find a way to fit them neatly without having to drill or cut anything (probably going to get a spare a-pillar and modify that)

I have no doubt I will do some bits and pieces to it but realistically I cant afford to spend much on it as were saving hard to have a good wedding and a phenominal honeymoon ! The main advantage is that whatever I do labour will be free as I'll be doing it myself :)


scottm4 said:
Makes them more desirable in the future tho and the prices will start to go up but who knows when, I see in the picture of your S3 you posted has the surrounds of the headlights painted black is that so or is it just my imagination?
Click to expand...

True mate, yes it has black headlight internals :) Nath done it as a mod and it looks quite cool ! the only issue is I dont know if hes damaged one of them as the auto adjust on the pass side is not working and it points very low. I am planning to remove both headlights at the weekend then strip them down to see whats broken/worn out.
 
You can adjust the height of the headlights using a screwdriver, When you open the bonnet look down on your lights and there will be two white screws turn them clockwise or anticlockwise to see if it helps!
 
scottm4 said:
You can adjust the height of the headlights using a screwdriver, When you open the bonnet look down on your lights and there will be two white screws turn them clockwise or anticlockwise to see if it helps!
Click to expand...

That was the plan, however the manual adjusters are also knackered LOL worth noting though that if you do want to adjust them that way you need to put the lights into "learn" mode with vag.com to prevent them from trying to self adjust themselves back again !
 
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