The story of this dark green 1981 Audi 100 C2 Typ43 with a perfectly matched tan interior began with a barn find in Germany.
In 2020, during the midst of the pandemic, Andrei Hrustaljov from Tallinn, Estonia found the four-cylinder Audi C2 for sale online. It had been sitting motionless since 1988, but showed plenty of promise. Priced just under €1,000 (approximately USD$1,000), Andrei had to buy it; it just felt right.
Purchasing a car sight unseen from the internet is always risky, and Andrei’s excitement for his bargain buy was short-lived when the Audi arrived in Estonia and he saw in person what he now owned. After inspecting the body, his expectation of a small-scale restoration vanished instantly, and things got even worse when more corroded metal was discovered after a sandblasting session. On the bright side, the Audi’s interior was in great shape.
A difficult decision to scrap the body but salvage all the good parts – including the interior – was made. Andrei’s focus then turned to finding a new base for the project, locally.
Bad situations can often lead to good ones, and that was definitely the case here. Because not only did Andrei ultimately end up purchasing another Audi 100 in Estonia, this one had the bonus of Audi’s signature inline five-cylinder engine under its hood.
While the body work was prepared for new paint, Andrei began the process of rebuilding the 2,144cc 136hp engine to factory spec. That included overhauling its finicky Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system.
In the present day, finding new original spare parts for this generation Audi is exceptionally difficult. While Audi Tradition is a valuable resource, they no longer have every part available, so Andrei had to look everywhere to find the bits and pieces he needed. He says at times it seemed like an endless endeavor, but with patience Andrei eventually found everything required to rebuild the car to an exacting standard.
The most challenging aspect of the project wasn’t even sourcing the parts though; it was putting all the body parts back together and ensuring perfect gaps.
The chosen Toyota 6V4 hue (Dark Green Spruce Mica) goes so well with the body shape and the tan interior which was largely salvaged from the first C2. The paint is quite unique; it’s dark in the shade but rich in color with sparkling golden flakes in the sunlight.
The best complement for a perfect body are wheels, and Andrei’s Audi now rolls on custom 16×9-inch 3-piece rims with hidden hardware. The centers were made from OEM Audi 14-inch ‘Waffle’ wheels, matched with 4-inch outer lips and 5-inch inners. Falken 195/40R16 tires wrap around the wheels at all four corners of the car.
Other additions to the otherwise original exterior include Audi 200 split headlights and front lip, and an original Auto-Plas rear window louver.
I’m sure you’ve noticed the Audi’s low ride height, and this is the result of a custom air suspension setup built around custom-made PK coilovers at the front end. The rear uses separate air bags and TA Technics shocks. The air tank, twin compressors and manifold are neatly presented in the trunk inside an old wooden travel case.
The interior presents in amazing original condition, with noteworthy additions including a classy wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel and front armrest from an Audi 200. The C2 received an upgrade with electric windows for all four doors and spotlight reading lights for passengers, and there is also pivoting quarter glass on both front doors for additional ventilation.
The ’80s-era Gelhard GXR 208 cassette tape head unit takes center stage, now enhanced with a retrofitted internal Bluetooth module to bring some modern connectivity to the system. Up front, Hertz speakers deliver crisp sound, while a rare pair of Pioneer TS-1680 coaxial speakers out back bring a unique touch to the audio setup.
While it’s his own build, Andrei’s Audi is actively helping push the Estonian and Eastern European car scenes to new heights.
Andrei’s first proper drive of the rebuilt Audi coincided with its debut at Ultrace 2023. “It was overwhelming,” he says. “This car was in 20 different boxes, completely disassembled, and then I managed to put it back together, and it drives. Everything is in its place, just as I had imagined. I wouldn’t change anything in this car; I like it just the way it is.”
After the event in Poland, Andrei returned to Estonia and set about finalizing some minor details, including fine-tuning the K-Jetronic. However, there’s no story if everything goes as planned, is there?
All these final fixes were necessary ahead of a 400-mile road trip to Finland for the CDLC Big Meet at Jämi Airfield. But the K-Jetronic had other ideas. The engine’s #1 cylinder was getting the wrong fuel/air mix, and with time running out to find a fix, it was just tuned to run on four cylinders. As you’d expect, the car wasn’t very dynamic or powerful, but it drove the whole way without any further fault.
It’s hard to put this car in a single bracket. Is it a classy stance project or a restoration? It really is both. I can only wish Andrei many more happy miles behind the wheel.
Vladimir Ljadov
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because@wheelsbywovka.com
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