A4 Cabriolet.....ANY advice on buying?

[Abb]

Hi all, am a new member and was really after some advice on what to look for when buying a A4 cab. Have decided on a B6 model, petrol,black in colour with red leather and hood! Auto if I can with a max eng size of 2.4 V6, max mileage 45k. Finding it hard to find one with a red hood, so was contemplating buying one and having it fitted later! Plans for sure include 19" wheels, with a drop of approx 35mm, and a full dechrome (if thats poss, really cant get away with all the chrome!). Just want to make sure I dont buy a pig to start with!
Thanks in advance.

 

[markyzs180]

hi and welcome to the forum!

usual stuff really, full audi history etc etc

first thing people will say is.....don't bother with the 2.4!!

2nd thing thet will say is if you go for multitronic (auto!) make sure the gearbox oil has been changed! they are supposed to be donereligously at 40k intervals but often get overlooked!

good luck and i'm sure far more knowledgable people will be along with some more advice.......

 

[taylormartin]

hi and welcome to the forum!

usual stuff really, full audi history etc etc

first thing people will say is.....don't bother with the 2.4!!

2nd thing thet will say is if you go for multitronic (auto!) make sure the gearbox oil has been changed! they are supposed to be donereligously at 40k intervals but often get overlooked!

good luck and i'm sure far more knowledgable people will be along with some more advice.......

I have the 2.4, whats wrong with it,

 

[markyzs180]

I have the 2.4, whats wrong with it,

nothing really bud, but if you;re looking to remap etc everything is geared to the 1.8, hey, mines a diesel!!

 

[taylormartin]

nothing really bud, but if you;re looking to remap etc everything is geared to the 1.8, hey, mines a diesel!!

Yeah i totally agree, 2.4 is good if you're not really bothered about engine/tuning mods.

 

[markyzs180]

Yeah i totally agree, 2.4 is good if you're not really bothered about engine/tuning mods.

phew....thought i'd really p****d you off there mate

 

[Corb2000]

With respect to 2.4 V6 drivers, the 3 litre is a lighter engine (more alloy, less iron) with more power than the 2.4 but similar economy and emissions. I regularly get 28 mpg out of my 52 plate 3.0 multitronic cab and can get low 30s on fast but constant motorway speeds.

I would definitely go V6 rather than 1.8T or TDI. The V6 sounds lovely and you do hear the engine more in a convertible. The 1.8T and TDI are more tunable but if you get a 3.0 then tuning isn't so necessary anyway. The 1.8T is a bit '4 pot ordinary', TDI drives ok but makes the car nose heavy and sounds too gruff for me.

I like your black / red int / re hood combo but this will be hard to find. Buying a black hood car and replacing the outer cover would be about £650 - £700 from one of the hood specialists. The rear window can detach from the hood which is a £285 repair at best.

I love my multitronic, although my A4 has driven me mad with various (possibly unrelated to the gearbox) issues. Manual cars have their own flywheel and clutch issues but are a less expensive risk than the multitronic.

Make sure you get heated seats and the BOSE stereo upgrade, both essential for different reasons. Good luck, post photos when you get sorted!

 

[BahnStormer77]

if you're really not interested in performance and not too bothered about economy, then the 2.4 is a good option as it's out of favour with most enthusiasts for one reason or the other, so normally easier to get hold of a good (unthrashed) example... the 3.0 is the best stock engine by a long way and the 2.5TDI and 1.8T are both very tunable and will still be more powerful and more economical... that said - th 2.4 V6 is still very capable and very smooth.

I'd second the heated seats / BOSE as they're both expensive to get retro-fitted and as much as the BOSE is not audio-phile quailty, it's VERY capable and I'd regard it as a long-term saving as it'll keep you away from much more expensive upgrades

 

[E36graduate]

Come on.....go with the V8 !

 

[Acidic32]

Heh, its fine saying go for the V8 but if your 21 like me, then there expensive to insure, lol i pay £600 a year for the 1.8T model :/