I’m an automotive journalist by trade. I’m also a terrible car enthusiast. As much as I love cars, I always feel like I’ve never been able to really dive into the hobby. Year by year, I’m trying to right my wrongs, and slowly, I’m coming good. It took me 33 years, but finally—I bought my dream car.
I’ve loved cars since I was a kid. I had the Hot Wheels, the RC cars, and I religiously watched Top Gear—and I’m talking old Top Gear. I got my license as quickly as I possibly could. I grew up thinking my first car was going to be a Nissan Silvia, and I’d join the JDM hoons on a journey of boost and self-discovery. A Skyline GT-R would follow shortly after.
But somehow I never had the money. The years passed, prices rose, and by my early 20s, I realized it was all over. I’d never own one. The cars I lusted after grew ever more distant on the horizon, and my dreams began to fade.
Big Mistake
The truth is, my career choices had gotten in the way. I was supposed to be a smart kid, and the world was to be my oyster. I was going to study to be an engineer because it seemed like I’d enjoy that line of work. Every adult in my life promised me that this would bring me wealth and riches the likes of which they’d never seen.
Pursuing a degree meant spending most of my waking hours at university. I didn’t grow up in money, so I worked a side job to pay for essentials like beer, fried chicken, and fuel. I drove a 1992 Ford Falcon for most of my uni days, which in itself was a huge mistake. That thing cost me so much in fuel and registration, it’s not even funny.
As I grew up, my friends who avoided uni were putting their money into tires and turbo kits. “That’s okay, I’ll get around to it when I get a real job,” I thought. “I’m gonna be rich, it’ll be great. I’m gonna get that GT-R one day.”
Fast forward a few years, and I landed myself a job with one of the world’s biggest automakers. I was a graduate engineer, and every adult I knew was patting me on the back. On paper, it sounded like a dream. A career with an internationally-renowned brand, in my professional field of choice. I had it made, right?
The reality was anything but. I was barely getting paid more than if I’d just started working full-time at the hardware store from my uni days. I was stuck living in an expensive city, and I’d made the foolish mistake of taking a company lease car because I thought professionals were supposed to drive new.
I was living paycheck to paycheck and was generally miserable. The future wasn’t bright, either. A few of us graduates got together and spoke to someone who’d been through the program a few years ahead of us. When we found out he was only earning $2,000 more a year than us, we all quit within three months. I moved on to a more lucrative job in marketing because of a dumb joke I made at pre-drinks one night. I basically only scored it because I’m charismatic in interview situations and I know how to use Facebook.
At this point, I realized I’d gotten to age 25 and I’d never had a proper enthusiast car. I loved cars, but I’d never done the car thing. My life was passing me by and I needed to get involved. By this point, Silvias and GT-Rs were well outside of my price range, and I was only just earning a notch above shit money. Instead, I scraped together $3,000 for a Mazda MX-5, and I tried to become a car guy.
The MX-5 wasn’t bad. I loved the top-down lifestyle, but I hated how slow it was. It had shit paint, a shit interior, and as much rizz as the captain of the high school math battalion [Ed note: That’s what they call it in Australia? Way tougher than Math Team – MH {Editor’s Note to Editor’s Note: And way way tougher than “mathlete.” – JT}] . I built it into a handling weapon, and it was great in the corners, but it disappointed me every time I hit the throttle.
Eventually, I put it up for sale, and sold it for $10,000 in 30 minutes flat. When the tow truck hauled it away, I never looked back.
Righting Past Wrongs
The intervening years were tough. I got another shitty engineering job for slightly less shitty pay, working in a shitty office with miserable old men. But along the way I’d picked up writing as a side gig. My fortunes started to pay.
It wasn’t my chosen career, but I started making decent money with far less bullshit than before. After a few years, I pivoted into writing about cars. I was doing better, but I still didn’t have real money. I had to choose my moves carefully. I picked up my Volvo 740 Turbo for $750. After I dumped that, I went with a cheap Mercedes-Benz for $2,650 and misstepped with a ridiculous BMW for $3,700. Each had its charms, but I didn’t really connect with any of them. Each was simply an attempt to buy the coolest ride I possibly could on a very limited budget.
Eventually, I decided I needed to ditch my fleet. Both the Merc and BMW were causing me trouble, and I wanted something properly fun again. I browsed the classifieds and contemplated dropping a few grand on an old Peugeot convertible, or maybe an Astra. Cheap, disposable fun, I thought. But then something else caught my eye.
Love At First Boost
There it was. An Audi TT. Not a car I’d ever considered owning, but there it was. Knowing nothing about them, I clicked through to the ad, and my eyebrows raised a little higher. 225 horsepower—more than anything I’d ever owned. It was a roadster, to boot.
Somehow, I realized this could actually tick all my boxes. It wasn’t another compromise like the cheap drop tops I’d been looking at. It wasn’t just front-wheel-drive that was mildly warmed over. It was quick, turbo, and all-wheel-drive. Plus it looked sick on those aftermarket wheels.
At $7,500, it was way more than I planned to spend. I held out for weeks. I had a move to pay for, and I still had two German sedans sitting like a millstone around my neck. But when my Merc finally sold, I couldn’t resist. I made the call.
The test drive went well. It started up on the first go, with the pleasant low-pitched thrum of a modern VW four-cylinder. The 1.8-liter turbo paired well with the short gearing. It wanted to be let off the leash. “PSHHH-tahhhh,” went the blow-off valve. “PSHHHH-tahhhh.” The owner politely asked me to stop hitting boost before it warmed up, and I obliged, chuckling all the while.
At this point, there was no question; it had to come home with me.
I realized that this could actually be my dream car. Something that would light up my senses in the way the turbo Nissans had whenever I’d ridden in them before. The rush was real every time I leaned into the pedal. The prospect of doing so with the top down excited me in a naughty way, like the first time you dare to fantasize about a crush.
Realistically, I knew it wouldn’t all be smooth sailing. The car had no service history, and the owner was coy when I grilled him about any work that needed to be done.
Ultimately, though, I knew I had to have it. That test drive made one thing clear: this was my dream car.
I’d never thought about the Audi TT this way before, but it had everything I’d ever wanted. This thing was quick. This thing was turbo, and it made all the right noises. It was a roadster. And it was all-wheel-drive.
Most importantly, it wasn’t a compromise. I wasn’t going to have to talk it down every time I went out. I wasn’t driving the base model or the lower-end version of something good. This was the good one! I wouldn’t be saying “Yeah, I wish it was the quattro 225,” or “It’d be great if it was a manual.” Why? Because I HAD THE QUATTRO 225 with SIX SPEED STICK!
I’ve never had the good version of anything before. This was a big deal for me. This was my Holy Grail, to use an Autopianism.
Yeah, I know. It’s not actually the fastest car in the world. And Audi would eventually release a V6 model with more power a few years down the line. But for me? This thing was a rocketship. I suspected it had been tuned, because it simply felt too good.
I realized this was my chance to own a car I fucking loved. Not something vaguely related to something good. Not something that was just quirky or cool. A car that would make me grin like a fucking idiot when I matted the pedal.
I went in eyes wide open. I decided I was ready to spend a few thousand bucks up front in maintenance if necessary. I had my fears about the service history, and I’d noticed a few things on the test drive too. But I also knew that it was time. I was going to own a car that truly set my brain alight.
Getting to Know You
Transaction made, I drove the car home and started getting to know it better. The steering felt good, as did the engine. Still, I had to be sure that the timing belt was okay before I put real miles on it. I elected to take it into a mechanic to get that swapped out ASAP.
Hilariously, dumb luck meant I didn’t need to worry. After a long hunt for a good Audi specialist, I found one across town. When I took it in, they chuckled and told me they’d seen the car regularly from an earlier owner. They confirmed that the wheels, tires, and clutch were all virtually brand new. They were also able to advise me that the timing belt had been done only a few years ago, so it was still within its safe service life of five years. That put me in a good mood, and I mentally filed away a note to get it done next year on schedule.
Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. This is a 24-year-old car we’re talking about, and a Volkswagen product to boot. Something had to be wrong, and indeed, several somethings were.
First up, the convertible top. It works… mostly. The switch that detects when it’s popped open is a little finicky. It often requires some manual manipulation to realize the top has actually popped open, before it will activate the motors to lower it down. I can’t find much about this online, nor new replacement parts. I might have to disassemble and clean or replace the windscreen-mounted switch myself.
I had a horror moment when I drove top-down to a nearby supermarket. I went to close the top, and it wouldn’t budge an inch. I had to abandon my shopping trip and lock the car up at home. After some research, I gingerly pulled the top closed manually, hoping not to damage the hydraulics. I read horror stories about people having to replace hydraulic pumps and refill them with eyedroppers and it all sounded like hell.
Amazingly, though, the German car gods took mercy on me. It was just that finicky switch playing up again. The car had assumed the top was already closed, so it wasn’t letting me fire the motors to close it. A quick finger-toggle of the switch got everything humming once again and the top has since opened and closed without issue.
The wind deflector, though, is similarly non-operational. I didn’t know to check for this because I didn’t know the car had one. If I’m lucky, a cheap replacement of the toothed drive belt should fix it. If not, I’m probably up for a set of threaded drives or even complete motors. This one isn’t a big priority for me, though.
More annoying is the heat, or more accurately, the lack of it. While the air-con works great, the heater simply doesn’t. I was worried about big problems with the heater core or coolant circuits, but I think I might have gotten lucky here. I did feel some heat coming out of the footwell vents only, while the face vents were occasionally blowing foam. Research has told me that the blend door is probably at fault. This lives inside the dash, and controls the flow of hot or cold air through the HVAC system. It’s coated in foam which eventually degrades. When that happens, the blend door is essentially full of holes and no longer functions. Covering the blend door in a layer of aluminum tape or similar is enough to fix it.
The key fobs don’t work, either, for some reason. I’ve tried changing the batteries, and I’ve tried a number of “resync” methods I’ve read about online, none of which have worked. I’m sure I can figure out the problem eventually; here’s hoping it doesn’t require an expensive new module or three.
The most concerning problem, though, is the power steering. While the car drove fine when I first got it, a recent early morning run scared the hell out of me. It was just 50 degrees out and frosty, and my German roadster sounded like a bus. I feared the worst but kept my head. I eventually realized it was making the noise solely while cornering. My insight told me to check the power steering fluid, which was a little low.
I topped it up, and have had no problems since. With that said, that fluid had to have gone somewhere. I’m hoping it’s a very slow drip that only needs periodic attention. Worst case, I’m up for a new steering rack. I haven’t had the guts to figure out what that’s going to cost me just yet.
The Honeymoon Phase
I couldn’t be more thrilled with my purchase. It has its minor flaws, some dings and rattles, and yet. It’s by far the coolest car I’ve ever owned. The quickest too, and the most exhilarating.
What I learned is dreams are ephemeral, malleable things. This car looks nothing like the car I thought I’d end up in, but the fundamentals are the same. It’s turbo, it makes PSHHHHH sounds, and it goes hard. That’s what I was really looking for, it just came wearing a different badge.
It’s so special, I actually barely drove it for the first week I had it. I had this superstition that if I dared to enjoy the car, I’d break it. That would be my punishment for daring to think I could have nice things.
When I finally dared to drop that top and head out on the open road, I laughed like a mad schoolgirl. No longer would I ride passenger in my friend’s Nissans, dreaming of what I couldn’t have. This Audi was fast, and fierce, and mine. And I look fucking gorgeous in it.
Any accountant would have told me this was a bad financial decision. But any life coach would tell me that it’s important to go after what you want in life. My girlfriend said the same, and she’s fucking wonderful.
I finally have my dream car—and I couldn’t be happier. Stay milky.
Image credits: Lewin Day
Glad you’re enjoying the new ride. Is it important that you ”look f’ing gorgeous in it?”
I had a VW Golf with the same blend door issue. I got some 2mm thick craft foam with self-adhesive backing and managed to get my hand into the air box (turned backwards) enough to get it to stick. Had heat for a couple more years until I got rid of the car.
https://canada.michaels.com/en/9×12-adhesive-foam-sheet-by-creatology/M10032002.html (I know the listing says 2cm thick but it isn’t.)
Great advice! I hope I can get to it easily enough. I like heat!
Great article Lewin, you’ve somewhat inspired me to go out and have a look at a car I’ve had my eye on this weekend. See how we go!
One general comment, I feel like there’s enough international readers here to include unit conversions for things like power and distance etc. It’d be good to be able to follow along when you complain about a car getting 15mpg – and it would be easy for you as you already speak the (correct) language!
Thank you, and great point! I’ll take note of that going forward.
Hilariously, 15 L/100 km is roughly 15 mpg. It’s like how -40 C and -40 F are the same thing.
Trust me to choose a terrible example!
Five year lifespan of the timing belt? That’s really short. I’m used to a lifespan of ~100k miles, or at least 7-10 years.
I’ve heard 60K miles, 75K miles, potentially that it was revised down from 100K after some issues. But 5 years is also what I heard, from indie mechanics and various posts around the place.
It’s annoying for sure.
Welcome to the TT club! I’ve had my 2002 ALMS coupe for 21 years. Besides maintenance like replacing the timing belt, it’s been trouble-free.
Whoa, one of 1000! Very cool. 😀
And I’m glad it’s been smooth sailing!
Glad you found something that tickles your pickle (in a consensual way).
I’m in the same boat, where I try really hard to buy stuff for no money because I am perpetually poor, so I end up with old BMW’s that have zero paint, salvage titles, torn up interiors, etc. Good thing I know how to fix them and keep them alive on a shoestring budget.
Haha, I’ve been doing the same. Respect that you can keep them on the road!
As much trouble as the BMW gave me, I was really proud of myself for fixing and improving it over the last year.
“Stay milky.”
I’m uh, I’m doing my best, I swear.
But seriously, good luck with the TT! You’ll often find me absolutely dragging on VAG products, but I’m going to refrain here, it’s unnecessary. The first gen TT is such a novel little roadster and it’s bringing you joy, you’re not oblivious to VAGs reputation, so I’m sure you’ll do what you can to stay a step ahead of it and the car won’t last forever, none do, so I’m glad you’re going to have some time to enjoy it regardless.
Thank you! And yeah, I’m eyes wide open on this one. Gonna hit the required maintenance and treat it as it needs to be treated.
Congratulations! It’s a great feeling to walk out to something that makes you grin every time.
And then when it starts…!
Hahaha, right!
You get it!
I’m like… “Wow, I bought a cool car and it starts first time, every time. Barely struggles. This is sick!”
“a good Audi specialist, I found one across town. When I took it in, they chuckled and told me they’d seen the car regularly from an earlier owner”
Major Score! Get and stay in good graces with them, like a dozen donuts and coffee when they open up so they’ll tell you more.
Yeah, was a total win. The head mechanic was off sick and he rang me anyway to give me backstory on the car. He could have just been like “oh yeah it’s definitely due for a timing belt, come and spend $3000”
This is all great news!
Electric contact cleaner could sort the switch problem, but be careful, not sure how well it gets along with plastics. The noise from the power steering, if triggered by low level is likely the pump, which itself can be leaking, if I had to bet it’s a connection on the rack, snugging it might help, but if I had to make another bet you either can’t reach the fitting or you can get a wrench in the right position.
Agreed about the contact cleaner. Deoxit FaderLube works wonders although I’d suggest using both the cleaner and then the lube afterward to avoid corrosion. Should be OK with plastic but read the label & avoid overspray.
Yeah, that’s my plan. I’m hoping it’s easy to pull out, I might even be able to wrestle out the microswitch within and put a lovely new fresh one in. Seems like Audi doesn’t actually sell the whole latch assembly new anymore.
Bought a realistic dream car earlier in life. It’s been a great ride. But over a decade with the same (great for me) car, knowing there are some things cropping up and over a decade of life changes have me looking at larger interior cars.
Fair, I defs get it. I think if I had a second car as a daily, it’d be a nice Honda CR-V or something.
I’m proud of myself for calling it from the silhouette!
ayy nice!
I’m tempted to start a GoFundMe for this one. It’s gonna be bad. 🙁
I couldn’t find one myself and ended up with a coupe (not to mention the roadster RS never made it to the US) but I maintain that the TT Roadster is a rather underrated gem.
Yeah, it’s weird, I’ve never really thought about them in decades and here I am. Rad you got a coupe!
Why is engineering pay so bad in the UK and Australia? At the same time, I see news about there being a shortage of engineers, and engineers moving to the US or the continent for massive pay bumps. Makes no sense!
The statistics have been gamed to paint a picture that doesn’t exist. In the USA, if you are employed for only 1 hour a week, severely underemployed(I was once a part-time dishwasher with 9 years electrical engineering experience), or haven’t been able to find a job after a certain period of searching(the BLS claims at that point you gave up, even if you don’t have a job and need/want one), you’re not counted as unemployed in the U.S.
I live in an urban hellscape where about 1/3 of the buildings are abandoned, most businesses are boarded up and shut down, and almost everyone I know wants a job and can’t find one, but the unemployment rate is officially below 4% right now according t the official statistics. The businesses that are around here, have had the same “NOW HIRING!” signs for years now, and when I was jobless, I’d apply to them and never hear a damned thing back or be told that the position was filled but the “NOW HIRING!” signs outside would remain. In one case, I applied to a job, found the manager in the store, asked him about the job, he told me it was open and to apply, and then when I told him I already did, he turned around, walked away, and ignored me.
It’s difficult to reconcile those experiences with what I hear on the news, so that first sentence above is the conclusion I’ve come to.
Unemployment is different than pay though. I know of engineering jobs in the UK that require significant experience and pay £40k a year. Vs here, entry level engineering pay in the lowest paying areas of the country is at least $60k. And most engineers I know with just a couple years of experience make at least $80-100k
There are definitely some engineering jobs that are well paid. The mines seem to pay well, and if you’re a super high achiever you’ll get the best jobs in defence an probably earn decent dosh.
For me, though… a lot of the day-to-day manufacturing jobs were very dull to me AND they paid poorly. Manufacturing in Aus is very under pressure.
I had one super cool job at a startup, where I got to flex my electronic prototyping skills and just had the most fun. It paid pretty okay too! But I got turfed days after finishing my first big project because they ran out of money after COVID hit.
There are good engineering jobs out there, but you gotta hunt for them.
Get a seat skin from a lhd country it won’t be worn as badly
That’s…that’s actually brilliant!
oh, great idea!
Congrats on the new toy!
I totally relate on your comment – I had this superstition that if I dared to enjoy the car, I’d break it. That would be my punishment for daring to think I could have nice things.
After I sold my old Cadillac I decided I’ve never had a convertible and have always liked old BMW’s. Took my cash from that sale and flipped it into a 2001 E46 M3 convertible, stick.
Did as much research as I could. The early serial number was outside the bearing issues, and had a low 60K miles.
The car is amazing, and after a brief period crapped out on the VANOS. Fortunately I’m at a stage where the repair hurts, but is within the budget. Now it runs even better, but I’m reluctant to break the next thing. I need to get over it and just enjoy.
Great insight.
I like to think of it like RPGs. You get a super special weapon with only 10 uses so you think “I better not waste this!”
Then at the end of the game 90% of players never used the weapon.
Same with “the good china.”
Use the things! Use ’em up and enjoy ’em for what they are!
Congratulations on your purchase ihope it brings you many years of fun. I also hope it gives out on you prior to losing the enjoyment. That way you will always remember the fun and regret it’s demise rather than remember it in its final misery moments.
“The years passed, prices rose, and by my early 20s, I realized it was all over. I’d never own one. The cars I lusted after grew ever more distant on the horizon, and my dreams began to fade.” -Lewin Day
Ah the realization that all the dreams are over… WAIT, What?! by your early 20s?!!
I’m 50 now and I can tell you that life has so many twists and turns that what you think you knew when you were 20 and what you think you know now, and what I think I know now is not set in stone. If you want something, you don’t have to give up on it. If you work toward a goal, you can probably attain it. That doesn’t mean priorities don’t change (they do), but your dreams shouldn’t fade due to an arbitrary number of rotations of the earth around the sun.
Also, that looks like a nice ride. Enjoy it!
That’s what happens when you get what you want early in life. If you don’t get it now you give up. The working and saving and desire makes the moment far more special.
Not that I don’t buy a few lottery tickets on occasion.
It can also happen when you don’t get what you want due to family circumstances. It doesn’t take long to lose hope. I don’t know anything about Mr. Day’s background, and I hope he’s had a reasonably easy time of things, but I’m not willing to just assume it.
Haha, I like your never-give-up attitude.
Enjoy it I will!
““PSHHH-tahhhh,” went the blow-off valve. “PSHHHH-tahhhh.” The owner politely asked me to stop hitting boost before it warmed up”
I think I see a reason why Autopian writers cars are always breaking down. Also, that response from the seller would be reassuring knowing they wait until operating temperature before applying boost.
True. Still wish he was honest about the heater though, hahahah.
Convertibles are awesome! What an awesome car!
Thank you!
By far, the best aftermarket tool for VW brands is VCDS OBD reader/controller. Independent, extremely capable, enthusiast staff, and ~$200. The GM/Owner is on the forum every day! It surprised me to see VW techs in dealer shops using it. I wouldn’t own a VW product without it.
Plus you get to use your VAG Tool to VAG Connect. Their names not mine…
I’ve heard different things about various VAGCOMs and VCDSs and stuff.
Which should I get, specifically?
I originally bought the cable connected “enthusiast” product ($199) to plug into my Windows laptop. However, after using it regularly to keep my daughter’s 2016 Beetle on the road with 200k+ miles and my GTI, I now wished I had bought the WiFi version to use with iPads, enabling you to move around the vehicle during use. The software is free. I continue to be amazed when, within minutes, I can actuate switches, check analog variables and chase alerts. https://store.ross-tech.com/shop/vchn_10/
I’ve had the OBD11 app on my iPhone; it’s no comparison. No equivalent range of capabilities.
If I had your juice, I would solicit a trial from Ross-Tech or one of the distributors.
I can relate. I worked multiple jobs through college so I could graduate with my degree debt-free. It was several years of no social life, ramen, and little sleep, but it was nice to enter into the engineering field with no student loans hanging over my neck.
The first ten years of engineering (mostly electrical and automation) was just minor raise after minor raise, making above average salary but not much. Once some seniority was achieved and I was put into management roles, the raises became more substantial. At the twenty year mark the money finally started being well above average, but so did the responsibility. My MBA brother made far better money in the business side of things, but also had crap job security. In all those years, I changed companies for new opportunities, not because I was let go – even during recessions and industry contractions, engineers were always required. This was especially true in the industrial automation world, where even when there was a hiring freeze on most other roles, there were never enough automation engineers and they’d hire pretty much anyone they could get (for better or worse).
The one thing I regret about my career choice has been the hours – I spent a large part of my career supporting industrial facilities that run 24/7, so I was on-call 24/7, even when I technically wasn’t. But not all engineers are like that, and even with the long hours, the jobs have (almost) all been rewarding.
Ramen? Yeah I remember that 10 for $1. Saw it in the store the other day for $1. I thought damn I can’t even afford Ramen noodles anymore.
Sounds like you were able to stick it out and build a really great career!
“I finally have my dream car—and I couldn’t be happier.”
I predict this dream will turn into a nightmare at some point…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZg_HE3V5tE
I’ve learned to just stay away from German vehicles outside of a lease. I’ve gone through lots of cars like yourself, and now that I’m driving a 2013 CRV the ability to fill it up with regular gas, not have to worry if the engine light is going to come on every time I drive it and just know it’s going to be reliable and not drain my wallet is a better feeling than anytime I drove/owned BMW’s, Jags, etc.
Reliability is the ultimate luxury in my books when I can currently only afford 1 vehicle.
I can totally understand your approach, however I haven’t found Japanese cars to be any more reliable, they just have different problems. I love my BMWs, have owned several from their golden era, late 90s to early 00s, cooling systems are weak and it seems that driveline and bushings are wear items. Compared to the 09 Honda Civic Si I have, it has seemingly unlimited electrical issues and general cheapness of components that fail, bad plastics and broken actuators. I’ve never had an electrical issue in a BMW other than a bad fog light relay.
In the end the key difference is the replacement parts are far cheaper for the Honda, but I’d also argue the vintage BMWs have better parts support.
oh ya this doesn’t apply to BMW’s like the E28/E30, some of the 1990’s ones etc., our E28 Alpina is fantastic, just figured 20 years later my E91 would be just as (if not more) reliable…lol. Reliability ebbs and flows across all car brands, which I have an irrational frustration against considering how long we’ve been building cars and engines.
I get that. I had a lease once and it was nice not to worry about any surprise bills.