Markb, I'll take some piccies this week when I get a spare moment.
CaTFISH, I'm perhaps not the best guy to comment on all types of coilovers as this is the first set I've ever bought. I've always had non-coilover kits until now.
But I will explain what I think of my setup and why I chose what I did.
I too considered a set on KW V2's or the Konigsports, but I had to stick to some sort of buget (flamin' mortgages!). I first looked at how the different brands stood up to corrosion. There was a very good example at the KW stand at GTI International this year which showed how well many brands did to six months exposure to the elements.
I worked out that I could go for the more expensive stainless items, but I could also achieve the same protection with a lick of tough paint and and smothering of copper grease on the adjusters.
Also, on the last few cars I've owed I've bought suspension setups with adjustable damping. On each car, I've fitted the kit, set it up and then never adjusted it again. I don't do track days, so I don't need to constantly adjust them. With that in mind a realised that I was paying extra for a feature I didn't really use.
As for height, I've done a bit of research into kits for the A3, with the discovery that most, if not all fixed spring kits seem to give a "nose down" stance. While this is fine, it wasn't the look I was after. I need adjustable height as I'm planning different wheels sometime in the future and I've already messed with the height a few time already.
After reading many threads on the
www.uk-mkivs.net forum, it was evident that a large number of people were opting for the FK Highsport coilover. Due to its price and apparent good reliability it seemed to be the perfect choice for me, so I bought a set.
The fitting was very easy indeed, much easier than other cars I've worked on. I won't go into the details, but if anyone needs info on specifics, just let me know.
As for the performance, is night and day over the Audi stuff. The factory setup was tired on 120000 mile anyway, but the car is transformed. Yes it is a little bumpy, but nothing like my old MK1 or MK2 golfs and can be easily driven on long distances. I do approx 70 miles a day to work and back and don't find it a pain at all. The damping is set just about right I think. Also body roll is greatly reduced, and I feel so much more confident driving my car round corners now compared to the dissapointing experience before the upgrade.
So would I recommend the FKs, well yes, but if you are planning to play with the ride height from time to time, then make sure you grease the adjustment threads or at least use the spray that comes with them.
Hope that helps and I'll stop waffling now
