SiC

It's always the BL wing badge area that survives but rusts around it.

Drilled out a whole load of holes ready for plug welding. Dropped my drill and bent my new sodding drill bit after this. Aligned the panels up to check for fit and tacked the outer sill into place. I went for a slightly higher position of the outer sill than where the inner sill sits. However I'm wondering if it is too high and I might have to cut the tacks off to lower it. Jacking hole is in about the right place though. Need to line up the old hinge panel to check for alignment. I can see the cut and weld marks at the top and I'll use this as a reference to see if it fits the same at the bottom. The box reinforcement is in the wrong position on this panel though. It covers the captive bolts of the check strap and it's too high. I did think other stuff was out of alignment until I put the old and new next to each other. I'll have to drill the spot welds out and reattach it lower down.

Good job Dunlow is miles away from here. It didn't feel like long ago (3 to 5 years maybe?) they were all this price. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255942873310

I mean it's probably the best one you could buy, but surely the market for a £30k Spitfire is pretty limited? That said, I could imagine a wealthy retiring boomer having fond memories of one when younger and wanting the best. Probably mostly to stare at rather than drive. https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1491632

I don't usually like these earlier ones but I quite like this one. Lack of pictures outside does make me think the paint maybe exceedingly buggered. https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1544534

It could be to be fair. Pumas are known to rust badly, so it might have existed a few hours ago.

£15 ish after 20% promo code https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234571529716 VAG part number matches up from what I can tell but please do double check. I think it's this one. £25 after code https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334520005688 Their listing says your engine size and year.

Don't look ridiculous tbh. How much is a decent (i.e. Bosch or equivalent) evap purge valve for this? I'd be almost inclined to suggest playing parts dart on it. Not least you've changed everything else 😆 Saying that, you should hear it clacking when the engine is running. Also worth taking it out and giving it a tap on white paper, on each end to see if any carbon from the canister comes out.

System too lean again? Now it's happened again, it's the time to read the live trims. Both pre code clear and post. It's a good thing it's on as the fault is currently active and diagnostics can now happen in this state.

I can't find the original SSP document that mentions when the change over is and which engine codes are which. However the government E10 checked mentions the cut off dates when it became "second generation FSI". It's these first gen FSI that really only like super unleaded.

Wasn't that a pre-FSI lump?

I think 55 it had been sorted by then. It was the early 53 to 54 I believe required it. Ours was an 04. Essentially it was because the ECU operated in fully stratified mode. However that caused issues and required stuff like an expensive NOX sensor in the exhaust. So later engine codes simply ditched the fully stratified mode. Incidentally they still kept the FSI monikers though! The petrol cap flap should tell you what it would really like best.

Nearly 50mpg out of that is pretty impressive. The one we had a few years ago now was an early FSI and really only got 33-35mpg. As it was an early one, it irritatingly only really liked super unleaded. It was particularly boring and not fast but it was comfortable, very quiet and easy to drive. I saw why golfs are so popular. Do everything that a non car person wants in a car and does them well.

Given this code is invariably a vacuum leak (especially as most of the sensors have been changed!), being a simple N/A engine, there luckily isn't much of a intake system to be leaking nor need inspecting! Check all the lines closely for splits. Also check that the brake booster is holding a vacuum - brakes still give assistance a few minutes after engine off? If all good then suspect the purge valve.

Don't forget that this code is coming up as intermittent. So possibly the fuel trims maybe reading okay some or a lot of the time. Likewise be running okay a lot of the time. N80 purge valve could be sticking open intermittently, which is what made me mention the valve as something to take a look at and ideally test.