Possible RS2 Buyer...help anyone??

[VaudiGR]

Hello everyone!

My name is Vasilis and i am a huge fan of Audi and especially the audi 80/s2/rs2 models.For some reason,although i have been in an s3 and an A4 i dont seem to enjoy as much as being in the seat of the the 80 series,94-95 models.That is why i am at the brig of getting myself an RS2 to keep for good.

Here in Greece only about 10-12 original RS2 where ever imported as those years of manufacture,only the rich could afford cruising with such a car.Later many conversions where made and there may be a few more driving around.

I went to look at a red RS2 today and found out that evidently it was an RS2 conversion of a regular audi 80 avant.You couldnt tell the difference on the outside,but when you got in the car,there although all recaro leather etc where there,you could tell it wasnt the real thing.

As i had a bad experience with conversions i am looking for a real RS2 and i think i have found one,metallic grey colour,with 120.000km on it,chipped to 400hp while everything else is said to be original.

Since i have no idea of driving such a fast car,no idea of maintaining a turbo engined car(never had one before),or no real info about the pros and cons of this particular car(the RS2 i mean),could you people enlighten me a little bit?

What is the most expensive part of maintanence for this car and how frequent is it needed change?

I dont mind about fuel consumption,i already understand that it is a fuel eater.However i read somewhere that due to the fact that it has 2 knocking sensors,it can operate freely with 95 unleaded gas.Is this true?Do i damage the car by not using 98 octane unleaded?

what should i be looking for in this car i am about to look at,during inspection?weaknesess?Something that should be changed in around 120.000 and if not i could ask for a reduced price to have it changed?

Any information would be appreciated,and i would like to say in advance that i am sorry for all my questions since i have no knowledge(im a doctor) in mechanical stuff,only an enthusiasm that pushes me to obtain a car of my dreams!
thanks!

[Joules]

Great cars and very tough if maintained properly. Full service history is mandatory. If chipped then 98 RON fuel would be needed all the time. In standard form it should run OK on 95 but will be a little less 'peaky and punchy' with the power delivery. Always look for the big brake option as this is a nice extra if it has been added. (993 Turbo brakes).

400BHP as above should also have engine work to support it. 400 BHP just from a chip + exhaust alone is risky IMHO.

Good luck.

Joules

[VaudiGR]

hey thanks a lot!

actually,i havent seen the car yet and dont know the improvements that have been made.If a chip improvement has been done,can it be undone easily?I dont really care for the 400hp.315 will do just fine for me.On the other hand i want the car for my fun,and need it to keep it and restore it,so i wont be pressing the gas all the time.Mostly because as it is an old car,it will tend to get more and more difficult to find parts to maintain it,right?

i will ask for a service history for sure.
By the way,in which case you wouldnt buy an rs2 if it had been previously crashed in some way?Which kinds of crashes should i avoid,even if everything was replaced from scratch?

thanks
Vasilis

[AAH!]

Hi Vasilis

if you are looking for some local help the guy who runs the Yahoo RS2 list, <http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/RS2list/> Pantelis Giamarellos is in your neck of the woods and I think there are a couple of Greek guys on the S2 Forum that may be able to help you too.<http://www.s2forum.com>

Otherwise the best thing to do is go through the archives of this and the above mentioned forums, there is an absolute wealth of information lurking there.

Angus

[VaudiGR]

angus,
it so happens that i just talked to Pantelis on the phone!Apparently he is selling his RS2 and although it is from a translant from a audi avant quattro,after talking for sometime it seems like a good deal.it wont be long after i meet him.Besides i would rather buy a car from an enthusiast than any local dealer...

[AAH!]

Pantelis is definately an enthusiast and you can follow the entire history of the car on the Yahoo RS2 list.

Angus

[VaudiGR]

thanks Angus,i have been reading the cars history there and other facts,but the more i read the more i want to buy the car,and also the more i understand my ignorance on these cars,and what people that use them have developed in knowledge in order to maintain them and save money in the process....im going to need all the help i can get....
im counting on you guys! hehe

ill keep you posted....Pantelis car,seems in pretty good condition from what i read so far...waiting for some pics of it,and then probably schedule a visit to take a look at it!

[Joules]

hey thanks a lot!

actually,i havent seen the car yet and dont know the improvements that have been made.If a chip improvement has been done,can it be undone easily?I dont really care for the 400hp.315 will do just fine for me.On the other hand i want the car for my fun,and need it to keep it and restore it,so i wont be pressing the gas all the time.Mostly because as it is an old car,it will tend to get more and more difficult to find parts to maintain it,right?

i will ask for a service history for sure.
By the way,in which case you wouldnt buy an rs2 if it had been previously crashed in some way?Which kinds of crashes should i avoid,even if everything was replaced from scratch?

thanks
Vasilis

These cars are becoming a real investment so it is worth holding out for the right one. I would stick with the genuine article if you can afford it i.e. RS2. There were 7 in the trader the other week and 5 sold in 7 days!! two of those for above £17K.

That said if you are patient you can pick one up for 12~14K. For me low owners, FSH and then viewing and driving are the priorities. Mine has done 160 but had had one previous owner from new. I took the car to QSR and the guys checked it over prior to me buying. No word of a lie you could take 120K off the mileage and you would believe it mechanically. Just shows the value of 1.5" of receipts!!

Personally the attraction of the RS2 is the character. The Porsche influence is great and I am lucky enough to have the 993 brake pack which is awesome. I had an RS4 and prefer the RS2, it’s not because of a shortage of funds as I still have another Audi Avant and V8 ML. The RS2 is just more engaging whereas in the RS4 you feel a little less involved.

Anyway good luck.

Joules

[VaudiGR]

After some discussion with Pantelis car,i may end up buying his car,as he is selling it.Although it is not a genuine rs2,it is a converted one from an audi avant quattro(not s2,probably a 2.0),i think it is a better deal coming from a man that is an enthusiast,rather than getting it from a dealer who may no nothing about it.It has an mtm chip to 360hp,but the vag tool cannot read any fault codes from the engine(pity),only the a/c,brakes,etc.
it has 131.000km on it and reading it history on yahoo groups where he is a moderator,i see the car has not been abused,thus not having any real problems.
Currently he is running on the improved brakes(GT2)(dont get me wrong,i may not be 100% sure of the name,but it is the improved porsche brakes,only done 2000km on them,has H/R springs,has done for sure 90.000km on the shocks,but he says no problems there(what are the best choice for a possible change?yellow bilsteins have been suggested to me),no turbo failures,no other engine failures.

Current problems of the car are a small idle problem after the engine wash he did,it need a hood cover which costs 72euros,and the main rs2 problem,the handbrake doesnt really work.Other than that it is in mint condition,and no crashes either.

what do you guys think?are the problems stated any real problem(expensive one?)Is there any easy handbrake solution?We have talked with Pantelis about this,but the only solution is a rather costly one i read somewhere where holes were to be drilled or something,the back brakes and system should be dismantled etc....i dont know....I think Pantelis is very helpful,and we already decided to help one another even if i dont get his car(which is now the best deal though).

please suggestions!!!??

[AAH!]

the hand brake as i'm sure you have gathered is a problem on most RS2's. The best way to tighten it is to take up the slack on the drum not via the cable.

If you are after better than standard RS2 performance with RS2 looks and a good known history (worth a lot) from a good guy, Pantelis's car would probably be a very good bet. If you are after the RS2 "label" and all that comes with it and possibly better resale values then carry on looking. I suppose you could consider importing from germany, and have a nice drive home.

Angus

[VaudiGR]

Hello angus and all,
I was thinking at a time of importing,as here in Greece only 7-8 original RS2 have been imported and one of those i have seen but unfortunatelly it was not at all well maintained,with more than 2-3 crashes,one of which a major,all in the front department.

Importing from Germany is not an option here in Greece as tax is still up and i would end up paying probably around 35-40.000 euros for a used RS2 which is an amount i cannot currnetly afford.

Im looking for a car that is well maintained,it is RS2(even if not in original mode in the end),but a car that can be serviced with no real problems,and be able to keep for a long time.Aftermarket sell,is probably something i could condicider,but these monsters are not easily sold here in Greece anyway,so when the time comes to buy,i may end up trading it for something new.For now however,im hoping this time never comes,as im a huge fan of those,and not really fond of anything new of audi.

can you give me a link with the guide to the handbrake solution?Is it something mechanics know to how to do,or do i need a specialist?Also how expensive is it,and is it worth it in the end?
thanks!

[AAH!]

For handbrake info try here:

http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNp ... =handbrake

[VaudiGR]

Hey Angus,
have you read what Pantelis Had wrote about his dignostig vag tool not being able to read the engine.It is supposed to have a 360bhp mtm tuning kit,but from what i read among people here and there,mtm kits never had any problems having a diagnostic tool read them.Any ideas?

[AAH!]

Maybe it is not a MTM chip or maybe there is a more simple reason, I don't really know much about this area of the car. Have a good look through the S2 Central site there is alot of info on ECU's and how to test them and much, much more. The S2 is very similar to the RS2 so much of the info is relevant:

http://www.s2central.net

You could also post on the S2 forum, as there are many owners on there that may be able to help you more than I can.

HTH

Angus

[VaudiGR]

I just had a thought,dont call me stupid if it is,but im thinking only logic here...

Is it possible to have either the mtm chip or the ECU in total replaced with that of an original RS2 chip(or ECU),and have the car working again on 315hp without any problems,and the VAGCOM tool reading everything now?Can it be done?Is it costly?

Im asking cause reading on the internet about the 360hp mtm modifications,it also required a different cylinder head and exhaust manifold.Changing the ECU back to original,would all other engine changes cause any problems to the engine run?Or one would think that they woul just be an improvement of the engine's capabilities if one needed more Hp in the future?

How much does a used or a new ECU RS2 original cost?Are they hard to find?

A general question would also be,would you rather have a VAGCOM tool being able to read error codes from your car,or be off with a chip that gives you more performance but shuts out engine's error codes?

thanks
Vasilis