S3 MY12 Panther Build thread: Engine Cover Underway, enjoying no HISS!

[warren_S3]

Appreciate a few bits of the work I've done to date are floating about on various threads, but I'd rather work on a single thread from now on, so pulling it all together into one!

Car spec at point of order
Audi S3 2.0TFSi 261PS (3 door)
6 speed manual

Factory Fitted options
Black Edition (inc. window tints / 18" Rotor alloys / RNSE with black surround / Bluetooth prep low)
Panther Black Crystal Paint
Audi Music Interface
Comfort pack (Dimming interior mirror / dimming - folding - heated exterior mirrors / heated washer jets / cruise control / tint top windscreen)
Interior light pack
Tyre pressure warning system
Luggage pack (net + 12v boot socket)

Dealer fitted options
Aluminium interior trim panels
Supagard interior protection treatment (Didn't let them apply the exterior stuff!)

USE THESE INDEX QUICKLINKS TO JUMP TO SPECIFIC MODIFICATIONS / UPDATE POSTS (Will be constantly updated!)
1) Dealer Collection - Below in this post
2) First impressions of the car
3) First mods
4) Spacers
5) Lights - LED's / Fogs / Indicator bulbs
6) Remapping - Revo Stage 1
7) RNSE Screen Protector
8) RS3 OEM 19" Alloy Upgrade
9) Spark plugs & regapping
10) Detailing time / snow foam
11) 5mm rear spacers
12) Eibach lowering springs (Pro Kit 20mm lower)
13) LED Rear bulbs - Tinting the housing to reduce the brightness
14) Philips Diamond Vision 5000k H11 Fog Lights
15) Disabling GALA with VCDS for Bose Sound System
16) Custom OEM S3 Engine Cover 'Cut and Shut'

1) DEALER COLLECTION
November 1st 2011; after a long 6 month wait she finally arrived. Said goodbye to our reasonably faithful 8P2 S3 and the part exchange was completed.











Whilst the motoring magazines were reporting the 8P2 to 8P3 was predominantly a cosmetic facelift, the car feels quite a different animal to drive. The '07 was not a loose car as it had done 90% of it's life on motorways, and there were distinct differences between the 2 cars in terms of the harshness of the suspension, the steering feel, and change in the engines power delivery which feels more linear in the new car.

[warren_S3]

2) FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The first morning I had the car I had to drive to a client in Cheltenham so it was a good 130 mile round trip to give her a gentle run in and get a sense of what had changed.

The suspension was definitely harsher and more unsettled in the new car, and this made me wonder if the over active ABS from the 8P2 would be accentuated with this condition. I'm pleased to say not, but I have to say I don't like the ride in the new car. If you need a piss it's unbareable!

Other than that it was blissful to have a new car with that new car smell, the lovely white DIS, AMI that actually showed the tracks on the iPod, and a mass of music on 64Gb of SD cards which I'd thrown together. The car never exceeded 3,500 rpm all journey so it must have been thinking to itself 'WTF has just bought me, Mother Teresa'!

A few pics at Birdlip near Cheltenham:

[warren_S3]

3) FIRST MODIFICATIONS!

On my return from Cheltenham I was getting a bit itchy that the car was standard. My last S3 had lasted 3 days, or 198 miles before its first modification which was the Stage 1 remap, but with all the problems we'd been seeing on other S3's I wanted to make sure my car was going to be sound before I took that step to save having to fight with any dealers over warranty issues.

I played it safe and went for the OEM Audi R8 oil cap and Forge DV hose (its the one running alongside the engine cover for those who don't get under the bonnet much!) to add a touch of sparkle under the bonnet.



I've got a bucketload of other bits and bobs waiting to go on, but all in good time!

> Revo SPS
> MV Sport TBE
> ITG Maxogen Intake & front bumper ducting
> Autotech HPFP
> Forge catch can
> Forge DV spacer
> Forge Throttle body hose
> Silvatec rear indicator bulbs
> Halfords high speed / high intensity brake light bulbs
> Richbrook tax disc holder



After fitting the bits above, I decided to get cocky and hook up VCDS to see what goodies were on offer on the MY12 car as there was quite an increase in the number of options embedded within the DIS.

A few seconds later I had no reversing screen info on the RNSE, and half of my options in VCDS were greyed out so I couldn't fix what I'd changed. Thankfully Nige and the guys from Ross Tech informed me of a VCDS update which my machine hadn't seen as it wasn't picking up Beta versions, and all was well again! No fault codes from factory which was good (funny how these days I feel grateful about that!), and I ajusted the rear windscreen wiper to do the teardrop wipe, adjusted the electric mirrors so they adjust together when set to right hand mirror (dips them both with one toggle when reverse parking). Would now love to get the mirrors to fold in when car is locked, but I doubt that will be possible as I really want it!

REMOVAL OF ALL FREE ADVERTISING
Once I'd finished sticking the Richbrook tax disc in the window I headed out with V5, Insurance docs and licence in hand to get some new number plates that weren't plastered with dealer advertising. The dealer black plastic numberplate understrips wouldn't be put onto the new plates as I like a cleaner look. The dealer sticker then came out of the rear window as I'm not a bill board and to be frank they look gash. We is nah cleeeeeen!

[warren_S3]

4) SPACERS

I'll make no secret of it; I'm not over on spending big money on a car if it doesn't improve the ride / handling / performance. I always tend to do any cosmetic tweeks last, but for some reason I just wasn't happy with a few things on the car.

First was the wheels. I like 19's. These 18's buried under the arches just looked dreary. As winter was coming I decided to do spacers as it meant I could roll on fresh rubber with 225 rubber and have a touch more grip and compliance in the ride during the inclement weather. I also have serious misgivings about how hard the car may be on 19's given the firmer suspension, but that may have to be addressed at a later date with better springs / dampers.

I did have a quick look at what my RS4 style 19's would look like, but I wasn't too certain they worked, so I left the 18's rotors on for now.

Bit of wheel weight trivia for you. OEM 18" hollow spoke rotors with Bridgestone tyres are 1.5kg's heavier than aftermarket 19" RS4 replica's with Uniroyal rain tyres (both sets of tyres have 7mm of tread!). Go figure! (22.5kg for the RS4's vs nearly 24kg for the rotors).



Spacers

Before fitting spacers I wanted to avoid the awful rusting I'd suffered on my 8P2 car around the hubs, so I bombed down to Hellfrauds and got myself a tin of Hammerite Smooth silver paint to paint the hubs. I'm pleased to report that after 2,500 miles they are holding up well and still look clean!







The guys at Forge hooked me up with some 11mm hubcentric spacers (F&R), and then I suffered wheel wobble issues. Thankfully it transpired that my factory fresh alloys were 35g out on one of the front wheels, and 10g out on one of the rears, and the wider track just accentuated it! One they were balanced and refitted they were spot on, so no more numb hands, and the anodised Forge spacers mean they don't end up bonding to the hub like some other brands! Beuatifully engineered and really happy with them.

Before Spacing


After spacing:


UPDATE: I've been getting some rub when all seats are taken, so rear upper Torx screw has come out of rear arch liner. Yet to see if it cures the issue, so when its been tested 5 up again I will post up!

[warren_S3]

5) LIGHTS - LED's / FOGS / INDICATORS

I'd seen quite a few people on the forums had invested in various LED light kits, some with resistors, others as one piece kits, and whilst I was hankering for the white look I didn't fancy soldering resistors to LED bulbs offered on that cesspit online retailer Flea-Gay so I could trick the car into thinking the bulbs hadn't all failed.

Fortunately two solutions presented themselves, one on the dirty Bay, and the other in the form of Trups from EM Tuning.

NUMBER PLATE LIGHTS
Firstly, the bay, and an out of the box solution for the rear number plate lights. These should be called spotlights rather than number plate lights, but on a black car you just about get away with it. I'm pleased to say no error codes either. Seller Autoservice24 (eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace) sorted me out with these babies which were worth a try as the supply of Polargs seemed to inexplicable dry up!

With the help of a PH0 screwdriver I managed not to wreck the number plate screws which are a big issue as they're soft as pudding. Needless to say they'd be better off changed, but for now they're OK.









As you can see, very bright, so for now unless EM Tuning sort out some CANBUS error free bulbs for later cars I'd stick with the Polarg bulbs unless you are looking for a bright look.


INTERIOR LIGHTS

Cue Trups from EM Tuning in Wellingborough. Supplied lights for overhead festoon, map reading, rear roof, vanity mirrors, footwell.




BEFORE


AFTER






Initial impressions of these interior bulbs are good. As I like subtle I have turned the bulbs round slightly to stop the full glare into the cockpit as in the pitch black of night they can give your eyes some strain as they're quite bright (not that I can remember the times where i was parking up down dark lanes!). I've asked Trups to look at doing a festoon bulb with double sided LED's to resolve the issue, so am waiting on that, but the only other ones I've fiddled with are the footwell lights. I was getting a purple colour cast due to the odd lighting lens used by Aud to dispense the light. I switched the LED bulbs into the glovebox and boot where they work incredibly well, and put a set of blue Crystal Vision Philips W5W bulbs in the footwell and set to 30% and they look pretty good to be honest.


INDICATORS

FRONT INDICATORS
I hate 'egg yoke look'. In the 21st century I don't understand when carrots can easily be turned orange from purple that car manufacturers can't make silver effect indicator bulbs so your premium vehicle doesn't have to wear an unsightly pimple of orange on it's otherwise minimalist monochromatic face! 'Tards!

A good dose of money later from VW and we had pre-dominantly solved the egg yoke from the front indicator lens, but check out Paullie's build thread to be able to source these cheaper than the robbers at Reading Audi where I got mine!

PART NUMBER: WN 107 331 02 (PSY24W SV - 38J1 Car Bulb)





BEFORE


AFTER



REAR INDICATORS
The rear bulbs I forgot to take pictures of, but all I used was Halfrauds supplied Silvatec bulbs.



FOG LIGHTS
Next on the hitlist were the horrbly over priced H11 fog lights which were nice and yellow and looked awful against the DRL's / Xenons. Initially I purchased some Osram Nightbreakers but they just weren't white enough.

I wanted to remain MoT legal, so next I opted for Philips Crystal vision 4300k bulbs from the Bay which whilst not super white are a good match for the rest of the cars exterior lighting and means I can have hassle free motoring without having to change them at a later date.

BEFORE



AFTER (Apologies, crap iPhone picture!)

[warren_S3]

Interlude: Time for a Spring clean...

Black car in the middle of a British winter. I must be mental. The black paint came about by sheer accident. Last 6 cars have been silver or grey, but I tripped across a thread with a TT-S in it last year and decided this would be the next colour I'd try. Only Suzuka Grey or Mica Blue Racing would have been my alternative preference, neither of which I could afford at £1700 a pop!

So I cracked out the Jetwash, very little know how, and got together some things that are sold to clean cars (what i know about car cleaning you can write on the back of an ant with a bingo dabber):

1) Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash / Sheepskin wash mitt / 2 buckets / Waffle drying towel
2) Autoglym clay / lube spray
3) Meguairs Ultimate compound polishing compound
4) Jetseal 109 (2 coats 45 minutes apart)
5) ****loads of new microfibre cloths

After what felt like a lifetime of effort the car was finally clean to a standard where I was happy with it. Whilst it's still orange peely, it looks deep, lustrous and shiny and has that showroom fresh look about it. As I'm a lazy git I will be handing the ongoing duties of deep cleaning to professionals after the worst of Xmas is over, but I'm happy to top up in the gaps.

Some pics of the handywork:









Don't know what the deal is with these wheels, but they're shyte magnets. Roll for a mile or two and they're dirtier than a whores innards after a busy night.



They'll be getting the Jetseal treatment too. All hail to the mighty sealant that seems to work so well on dark colours, and lasts well beyond six weeks. Have used Auto Glym Hi Definition wax in the past, but wanted something starker for the black car and this works a treat.

[warren_S3]

6) REMAP: STAGE 1 - REVOTECHNIK IN DAVENTRY

Tuner
The weapon of choice for this case study is (unsurprisingly!) Revo Stage 1 (V10). I decided to have it installed at the HQ so they could run some basic tests on the car and ensure:

1. It wasn't already logging misfires
2. There weren't any error codes
3. They could take the car out and do some very basic logging to ensure they were content the car left HQ in optimum condition

1)The service boss man, RevoKev, demonstrating the international symbol for do you want a brew


The car was taken into the HQ and was tested on VAGCOM for misfires (Channel 015), and there was nothing to note. There were no DTC's either which was encouraging, so Carl & Kev set about getting the code loaded on the car.

2) Parked up in HQ (JonnyC's TT-RS in the background)


3) Check out those silver £46 indicator bulbs, worth almost the £3 they cost to produce in China


4) You think it's black, but it's Panther Crystal ;-)



The journey home
I'm pleased to say the journey home was incident free, and my lord what a massive difference stage 1 offers for very reasonable money. It feels so much more urgent than factory spec, and third and fourth gear are just a dream. It feels the car it should have been from factory, and having been at Stage 2+ in my last 8P2 I can confidently say that for me there are 2 optimal routes for your modification path:-

1) Go for stage 1 and stay there
2) Go 2+ with all required mods

Stage 1 delivers exceptional value for money, and maybe add a CAI and you've got a very potent piece of kit. There's no question, the DP, cats, HPFP and Stage 2+ code add a real noticeable difference, but you must leave budget for clutch and I/C to optimise the set up. I aim to get this done in April/May 2012. It gives us 4 months to see if we can replicate any of the faults experienced by other users.

As I'd run the car in so gently Kev decided to set the Boost setting to 6, the timing to 4, and the fuelling to 9, and whilst this sounds conservative our plan is to see how it runs for a couple of weeks and then dial up the settings as it beds in.

So what now?
So now we run the car and see if it starts to misfire, and if so when. I'll be keeping records of mileage / fuel / journey types / observations as we go.

If we get any issues I'll be heading straight back to Revo HQ who have kindly offered to use the car as a case study to see if there are any identifiable issues that can be pinpointed for the greater good of all, so many thanks to them for extending this offer to us.

I'll be keeping NGK UK in the loop of spark plug developments to see if they can offer any insight or guidance, which may involve trying alternative plug gaps and running with all the available plug alternatives.

So now all we can do is sit and wait, but if anyone else finds anything useful in the meantime on this subject I'm more than happy for you to post it in here (symptoms / remedies etc.).

Fingers crossed!

[warren_S3]

7) RNSE SCREEN PROTECTOR

NuShield Inc. Dayview Film for 6.3" Nav Displays (E.g. Audi RNSE) - Sourced direct from NuShield USA $18 inc. delivery (no taxes payable)



Link to product: NuShield screen protectors provide long-lasting protection for your Audi display

All I can say is revelation. Sent in a robust package, this film is thick and looks purposeful out of the box. It was designed for use in the military for products used out in the field, so for what it is, it's actually remarkably cheap. Delivery takes about 2 weeks, but it was well worth the wait.

Again I cleaned the screen with anti static screen wipe and a glasses cloth, and guess what; right size, fitted like a dream, looks just like the OEM anti glare finish. It was easy to install, line up, and with the edge of a credit card I smoothed it on and it looks a treat. It's actually hard to see there is anything on it at all.

I've taken some initial shots (1 with a flash to show lack of on screen glare), but please note these were taken at 6pm in my garage with an iPhone 4 (so not the greatest of shots).

I will do a follow up review when it's been used for a bit, but initial signs are very encouraging. If you want to protect your RNSE screen from grubby mitts, winter sneezes or whatever else the world can throw at it, I can seriously recommend this film.

Rating (to date): 5/5








Longer term update; The thing I really like about this film is it's almost impossible to tell its there. The cheap **** one I had before was very glossy / smudgy whereas this one just looks like the OEM anti reflective coating so you wouldn't even know it was there. Very OEM look, and protection where you need it from clumsy fingers.

[warren_S3]

Think that covers all the main tweaks for now, anything new will be in here unless I do a specific technical review (e.g. plugs / remap hesitations etc.).

[Forbzeeee]

Nice thread and a very very nice car... Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration... and also a bad influence as I am now in two minds about whether to buy an 8p2 or spend more and get an 8p3.

[JtotheD]

Nice write up fella, still loving that panther black. Be interested to see how the Stage 1 testing goes.

[warren_S3]

Nice thread and a very very nice car... Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration... and also a bad influence as I am now in two minds about whether to buy an 8p2 or spend more and get an 8p3.

Having had both, whilst the 8P2 was great the 8P3 just has a bit more polish and sharper looks for very little more money for cars around the changeover point. If you don't like LED DRL's then the 8P2 is probably the sensible choice, but it you're OK with them then the 8P3 is just such a lovely car and the technologies within seem slightly better resolved.

[Farhan]

ah warren.....i love your car. Your threads are just awesome bro.

[digzz]

Init ....Your Write Ups are superb it's the details that count ....and your on point ..

[Farhan]

ya, just set your dealer pic as my desktop background on the work pc LOL

[Forbzeeee]

Having had both, whilst the 8P2 was great the 8P3 just has a bit more polish and sharper looks for very little more money for cars around the changeover point. If you don't like LED DRL's then the 8P2 is probably the sensible choice, but it you're OK with them then the 8P3 is just such a lovely car and the technologies within seem slightly better resolved.

I love the LED DRLs because I think this is what makes the 8P3 stand out from the 8P2. I really need to make a decision this week as I need a car.

So, for you, its the 8P3 all day long?

[Shadowman]

Nice work Warren, and thanks for putting everything in one place for us :-)

Couple of things.....I have the same age and spec but in SB and I noticed your engine cover is different to mine, which says TFSI and thats it....do you know if they have put the wrong one on mine or if the 3 door and SB have different ones ( can't imagine why ) ?

Also, I see from one of your earlier pictures that you have used the OE jack to jack up the car....when I looked to do this, there didn't seem to be any way to align it without crushing the side skirt moulding underneath the car with the part of the jack which sits either side of the sill, so I didn't dare do it....is there a secret to it or do you just hold your breath and pray it doesn't split the moulding ?

Thanks

[benppl]

Intresting that your car came on Bridgestone tyres?

Mine came on Conti 3's (The worst tyre in the world)

[warren_S3]

ah warren.....i love your car. Your threads are just awesome bro. ya, just set your dealer pic as my desktop background on the work pc LOL

Cheers fella! Cars look amazing under dealer showroom lighting. Bring them outdoors and they look flat as a witches tit!

Init ....Your Write Ups are superb it's the details that count ....and your on point ..

Appreciated. Rule is when somethings good then say so and when it's a great sack of dirty ******** then it needs to be said, but constructively!

I love the LED DRLs because I think this is what makes the 8P3 stand out from the 8P2. I really need to make a decision this week as I need a car.

So, for you, its the 8P3 all day long?

Overall yes, better DIS, better AMI, I like the facelift front end and wheels, only better bit of my 8P2 was the seats and headrests (the headrests on my 8P3 dont seem to tilt).

Couple of things.....I have the same age and spec but in SB and I noticed your engine cover is different to mine, which says TFSI and thats it....do you know if they have put the wrong one on mine or if the 3 door and SB have different ones ( can't imagine why ) ?

That sounds wrong to me, S3's should always have an S3 cover irresepctive of body style; I'd get that checked.

Also, I see from one of your earlier pictures that you have used the OE jack to jack up the car....when I looked to do this, there didn't seem to be any way to align it without crushing the side skirt moulding underneath the car with the part of the jack which sits either side of the sill, so I didn't dare do it....is there a secret to it or do you just hold your breath and pray it doesn't split the moulding ?

Thanks

I sat the jack over the sill lip and it sort of found it's own equilibrium. The curve in the jack head meant the sill lip didn't get compressed. I've since got a cheap arsed Halfords jack for £37 and a rubber puck from the bay for a fiver but its not got any really clearly obvious jacking points because of all the underside plastic covers. I'm afraid it's a case of holding the jack head up to the sill so it sits either side, cranking furiously until its open and then grimacing the rest of the way with the OEM jack.

Intresting that your car came on Bridgestone tyres?

Mine came on Conti 3's (The worst tyre in the world)

Last car came on Conti's; think it depends on bulk batch pricing from suppliers. '08 cars were rolling out on Mich PS2's. Bit of a lottery really.

[Shadowman]

Thanks Warren....appreciate it......I'll get the cover checked out and just hold my breath when I next jack the car up.

Looking forward to hearing your continuing progress reports with the revo stage 1 remap.

[Paullie]

STUNNING!!! This is going to be one of the most watched, commented on and exciting threads on the 8P forum, not only because your car is such an absolute beauty, Warren, but also because it is written by you! Your threads are always a joy to read through, with such attention to detail and bucket loads of helpful info passed on to your fellow Audi enthusiasts. Your new S3 is simply awesome, Dude! You obviously apply the same attention to detail in everything that you do and this is most apparent in your writing and your Audi modding skills, lol. I love every last little morsel of what you've done to your car already and look forward to watching her develop further. Hats off to you, ..your car's credit to you and you are a top asset to ASN! xx

[warren_S3]

STUNNING!!! This is going to be one of the most watched, commented on and exciting threads on the 8P forum, not only because your car is such an absolute beauty, Warren, but also because it is written by you! Your threads are always a joy to read through, with such attention to detail and bucket loads of helpful info passed on to your fellow Audi enthusiasts. Your new S3 is simply awesome, Dude! You obviously apply the same attention to detail in everything at you do and this is most apparent in your writing and your Audi modding skills, lol. I love every last little morsel of what you've done to your car already and look forward to watching her develop further. Hats off to you, ..your car's credit to you and you are a top asset to ASN! xx

Cheers! I love writing these threads - in my day job I have to write tedious business effectiveness / process review reports where I get slammed if ANY personality or anecdote makes it in to the report content! After writing factual drivel all day long I need an output where I can speak plainly!

And the car, she is lovely but just trying to keep up with yours / Virdee's et al for a start. Now just need to find an RS3 grille down the back of the sofa!

[George The Diesel Head]

2) FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I know that carpark...... It's a popular dogging spot.

[warren_S3]

I know that carpark...... It's a popular dogging spot.

That's why my interior LED's are too bright!

[hursty]

can someone please explain why on my my11 S3 SB the door inlays are a single strip running back from the door open catch and on warrens car the door inlay wraps around the door handle. I was quite disappointed with this when I took delivery.

Is a 3 door / 5 door thing?

Sorry to hijack thread

[warren_S3]

can someone please explain why on my my11 S3 SB the door inlays are a single strip running back from the door open catch and on warrens car the door inlay wraps around the door handle. I was quite disappointed with this when I took delivery.

Is a 3 door / 5 door thing?

Sorry to hijack thread

Yes, my bro in law has a SB and his as the same as yours. Must be something to do with shorter doors.

[RPB]

I concur. It's a 3 door to 5 door thing.

[Virdee]

Excellent write up/build thread warren.

Make that two RS3 grilles behind the sofa!

[warren_S3]

Make that two RS3 grilles behind the sofa!

How about some RS3 wheels instead????!!!









Oooops!

Met with a chap called Jason today who sold me his RS3 wheels. I paid a holding deposit today, and have to go to the bank in the morning to pick up the remainder of the balance (crappy NatWest only allow a maximum of £250 per day out of the cashpoint).

To say I'm looking forward to getting these on the car is an understatement. I really don't care for the 18's, and even Jason was surprised how flat faced and small the 18" rotors look.

Initial observations are these feel much lighter than expected given the flabby weight of the 18's, but maybe for the RS cars they try and lighten the wheels? Also the spokes are slightly thinner giving them a more open look. Once they're on I'm going to get the Eibach front springs done (25mm lower) and then the stance / cosmetics are sorted for me.

First S3 on 'real' RS3 alloys in the UK????? I doubt it!

Was a real treat, got to secure some RS3 rims and see his stunning Bentley with Mulliner rims. His RS3 was away being worked on.

Bring on tomorrow!

[pinterovski]

Nice one Warren,love your car

[Shadowman]

Sounds like a good day Warren !!

Be interested to see how they look fitted ( both before the drop and after ) to see if they look that much better than the BE alloys on a black car.....sounds like they will though :-))

[Morells]

Warren will you be selling your old wheels then the 18s? If so how much do you want for them?

[warren_S3]

Sounds like a good day Warren !!

Be interested to see how they look fitted ( both before the drop and after ) to see if they look that much better than the BE alloys on a black car.....sounds like they will though :-))

They have a nice dish to them, but it's a lot of dollar for another inch. £2200 new price, but the guy sold them to me at a good price so I'm very grateful to him; a top man.

Warren will you be selling your old wheels then the 18s? If so how much do you want for them?

Hi mate, I got so much grief when I tried to sell last car without OEM rims I'm having to mothball them for now for when I eventually sell the car; sorry.

[Shadowman]

If I remember correctly, the OE RS3's are 19 x 8 inch with ET50, so they should fill the arch nicely and not cause any rubbing issues....sounds like a good guy you found there !

When are you planning to get them fitted ?

[warren_S3]

If I remember correctly, the OE RS3's are 19 x 8 inch with ET50, so they should fill the arch nicely and not cause any rubbing issues....sounds like a good guy you found there !

When are you planning to get them fitted ?

Tuesday morning. Have some 19" nearly new Uniroyal RainSport 2's kicking about somewhere which I'll get fitted for now.

[Morells]

They have a nice dish to them, but it's a lot of dollar for another inch. £2200 new price, but the guy sold them to me at a good price so I'm very grateful to him; a top man.



Hi mate, I got so much grief when I tried to sell last car without OEM rims I'm having to mothball them for now for when I eventually sell the car; sorry.

That's cool m8 worth a ask looking forward to seeing some pictures

[slade777]

Stunning car Warren!!! Keep up the good work and really good write up!!!!

[wez3570]

I can just picture it now.

New wheels fitted, happy for 5 minutes then notice the spokes are thinner and you'll want a new brake setup!

Some come, what is it?

Trust fund, multiple credit cards on fire? Wealthy uncle? lol

Loved your 8P2 Warren, the 8P3 is gonna kill it though!

[warren_S3]

I can just picture it now.

New wheels fitted, happy for 5 minutes then notice the spokes are thinner and you'll want a new brake setup!

Some come, what is it?

Trust fund, multiple credit cards on fire? Wealthy uncle? lol

Loved your 8P2 Warren, the 8P3 is gonna kill it though!

Thanks mate, misery of 2011 has left me wanting to cheer myself up! Credit cards untouched, but annual bonus and savings from 2011 truly raided and stuffed! Want the car right early on so I can enjoy it, and RS3 OEM wheels won't be on offer every day. Been hunting for a while.

As for big brakes, watch this space. Forge BBK may well be incoming in May 2012.

[ub7rm]

oof!

That is all.

[lil_coz]

Subtle... The only good way to modify a car! Looking forward to piccies.

[klik]

Absolutely marvelous Warren. Thnx for sharing. I am also thinking of mounting wheels from an RS3. Given that RS3's rears are 8in. ET 50, I will get those, to avoid possible rubbing.
Can't wait to read your impressions on the new wheels.

Enjoy your car mate!

Here's a photo of the wheels on a S3 SB from a German forum. The guy has lowered the front by 20mm with Eibach springs.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[warren_S3]

Absolutely marvelous Warren. Thnx for sharing. I am also thinking of mounting wheels from an RS3. Given that RS3's rears are 8in. ET 50, I will get those, to avoid possible rubbing.
Can't wait to read your impressions on the new wheels.

Enjoy your car mate!

Here's a photo of the wheels on a S3 SB from a German forum. The guy has lowered the front by 20mm with Eibach springs.

Thanks for sharing, interesting to see how it looks. Front desperately needs dropping the 20mm. Looking nice & flush.

[Silky-S3]

One word, epic!

[RicoS3]

Oofft! They'll look great as I think 19's just look so much better on the S3. Keeping it real and OEM, good work fella.

Be interested to know offline the hassle you had not having the standard rims on at time of trade in. My experience is they don't even look at the car. I sold the original BE 7 arm twin spokes and despite the number of BE's with them, there never seems to be a set for sale. The S3 is getting changed later this year, more than likely traded in, and I'm planning on using the winters, S Line /RS6's in anthracite.

[klik]

One question Warren, assuming you use playlists on your RNS-E SD cards.
Do you playlists play in succession?
Here's my problem:
RNS-E II / playlists problem on SD

Through AMI, playlists play in succession in alphabetical order as they should.

thnx in advance
aki

[dave_garnz]

Looking forward to seeing the 19s on the car, when will you drop the front? Been thinking along the same lines

[warren_S3]

One question Warren, assuming you use playlists on your RNS-E SD cards.
Do you playlists play in succession?
Here's my problem:
RNS-E II / playlists problem on SD

Through AMI, playlists play in succession in alphabetical order as they should.

thnx in advance
aki

Not sure, I'll check

Looking forward to seeing the 19s on the car, when will you drop the front? Been thinking along the same lines

ASAP, before end of Jan. only doing fronts. Then later whacking some Koni FSD's in.

[L1ARR]

Just noticed the purchase in the sale section, congrats.

Have been dying to see if and how those RS3 alloys would fit the S3. Get a picture up as soon as the gyres are fitted.

Good buy Warren.

[kkp0897]

Here's a photo of the wheels on a S3 SB from a German forum. The guy has lowered the front by 20mm with Eibach springs.

Hello mate, have you got a link to the original post? Great stance and almost looks as those the back has been lowered also. If I can accomplish the same stance with just front lowered on Eibach's with my 19's, I may just go for that!

Cheers, KKP