New to Audi - Advice Welcome!

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SCFC_Messiah

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Hi guys

I've been admirer of the A3 for years now, but finally got around to buying one yesterday. It's a 56 plate S-Line 2.0TDI 170. It's in red (not sure of the name of this particular shade - anyone?) and I flippin' luvs it!! :)

Just wondering if you guys have any advice or suggestions for a new owner like myself. Any 'must do' modifications for example?

I don't plan on doing much as to me the car is near enough perfect as it is, I just plan on lowering it a little, powder coating the alloys (a slightly darker shade of grey I'm thinking) and maybe fitting HIDs. De-badging/De-wipering the rear too!


I got it for 6K which I think was a tidy price. Body work is in pretty good nick, though it's a fairly high miler with 95K on the clock (I'm guessing it's an ex company car). The previous owner lost the user manual (and I can't work out what half the buttons do!!), so if anyone has a manual for sale I'm interested!

I'll also be selling the OEM Audio Symphony 6xCD Changer/Player in a few weeks - not sure if they're particularly sort after?

Anyway, here she is!


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The colour is garnet red , same colour as mine. Nice car mate hope you enjoy it.
 
Thanks for that Mickey! I'm sure I will :)

This was my idea re. the alloys and lowering!

imag0465x.jpg
 
Looks sweet mate. The black wheels really suit the car.
 
SCFC_Messiah said:
I don't plan on doing much
Click to expand...

Love that comment!

I'm sure many of us here started off thinking that! I know I did.

You must get some facelift rear lights, either 2009 or the darker 2011.

NHN (Nigel) is your man to buy from, cheaper than Audi and a guy who actually knows what he's talking about!

Not sure about that colour on the wheels but the drop certainly works!

Nice car bud, welcome to the forum.

:sign_welcome:
 
Just a few quick n00b questions (I've been trying to find answers to these by searching, but I'm hit with so much information I'm struggling to make head nor tail of it all)

Regarding lowering - can it been done on springs, or must I buy coilovers? If so, could somebody suggest the best value for money set of coilovers currently out there? Also, my previous car was on a torsion bar at the rear, what's the score with the Audi? (I appreciate I could just go look, but if I'm being honest with you I wouldn't have a clue what I'm looking for! lol)

Regarding the headlights - Would something like this be ok? I'm thinking one set for dipped and one set for full beam? Xenon HID conversion H7 KIT FOR AUDI A3 A4 A6 NEW SHAPE | eBay

Sorry for the stupid questions
 
itwasntme187 said:
that plate looks funky! i didnt know you could get a number plate in that combo of letters and numbers
Click to expand...

Haha sorry fella, that's just a photoshop. I'm a Swansea City fan and we're known by Cardiff City fans as 'Jack B*stards'. It was intended as an insult originally, but we're quite proud to be called it now. I just stuck that on when I was fiddling with photoshop
 
you need to be careful with the HID conversions mate, i heard a lot of these are not road legal and should be an MOT failure now. i dont know a huge amount about them, but there should be loads of info on here - a lot of people on here just get very bright halogens for the HID look - but again you have to be careful which you choose as not all are road legal. you dont want to be blinding other road users and causing accidents ;)

SCFC_Messiah said:
Just a few quick n00b questions (I've been trying to find answers to these by searching, but I'm hit with so much information I'm struggling to make head nor tail of it all)

Regarding lowering - can it been done on springs, or must I buy coilovers? If so, could somebody suggest the best value for money set of coilovers currently out there? Also, my previous car was on a torsion bar at the rear, what's the score with the Audi? (I appreciate I could just go look, but if I'm being honest with you I wouldn't have a clue what I'm looking for! lol)

Regarding the headlights - Would something like this be ok? I'm thinking one set for dipped and one set for full beam? Xenon HID conversion H7 KIT FOR AUDI A3 A4 A6 NEW SHAPE | eBay

Sorry for the stupid questions
Click to expand...
 
You don't have to get coilovers, theres many on here with springs.

Check Ads profile to see what drop you can get with springs.

If you do decide to go with coilovers, you should be looking to spend around £400-£500 for a decent budget kit.

Damien (DPM) on here can give advice on what your options are - and prices.

As said, if you want xenons, the only way to do it is a proper retrofit with genuine ones.
 
Thanks all. I'll look into all your suggestions now :salute:

Out of interest, where is the best place to purchase OEM single xenon and bi-xenon headlamps, and are they a direct like for like swap?
 
Last edited:
audi upgrades
Those Eibach springs look ideal, and well priced too. Just to be sure though - will I have any problems with rubbing if I fit those springs with my current 18" alloys?
 
Hi guys

After days of researching I've finally decided on the lowering options and spacers that I'm going to go for. I'll also be getting a pair of MY11 rear lights off NHN, so really looking forward to all that

The only area of confusion now is with the front head lamps. Does anyone have a picture of the OEM xenon or bi-xenon headlamps recommended to me above? Also, are they a direct swap for my current lamps or are they a pain to install?

I've tried searching but I'm getting nowhere

Thanks as always
 
Cheers again mate. Nigel was also good enough to message me with an explanation of how they work etc, so it's all clear now

Unfortunately I can't justify that outlay just for whiter lights, no matter how much cooler they look :happy:

I guess that's xenons wiped off my 'To Do' list.... On the bright side it frees up cash for another mod. Something cheaper this time :lmfao:
 
I'm now toying with the idea of one of those black optics grilles.... but not sure how it would look on my coloured car. Thoughts guys?
 
The grill would look great on your car, I have a white s-line and I'm getting my wheels powder coated next week to a similar 'gun metal' grey as yours. Withe the black grill it will tie in nicely. Gives it that evil look :p
 
Hi Rob. The black grille would look amazing on your white A3. Not convinced on mine though..... I want to do something with the chrome, but not sure what colour would work (anthracite type grey to match the rims maybe!?)
 
Well I stole a picture of Smoothies Brilliant Red (I think) A3, and fiddled with the colours in Photoshop to try and match garnet red. It's not exact, but it gives an idea.... and to be honest it's changed my mind. Looks better than I expected it too. What do you guys reckon?

blackgrille.jpg
 
i like it. i actually think its a really nice shade of red you've managed to create, and i'm not usually a fan of red cars! But its a pretty good match for the garnet red, and i think it does look very nice. wheels look a nice colour too - did you do anything to those, or is that their natural colour?

if you are going for that dark look, what about painting the wing mirrors black as well? sometimes that can make the whole thing look a bit sleeker and meaner. although i don't think chrome wings would work if you had a black grill and darker rims.
 
No, the alloys are silver on the original picture. I changed them to match the gun powder grey that I plan on powder coating my alloys

I like your suggestion on the wing mirrors. That could work, thanks!

The red/black combo is reminiscent of.... :whistle2:




bugatti-veyron-main-post-1.jpg




:lmfao::lmfao:
 
i hope no body objects - but i cut and pasted this image from another thread on here - its red with black wings (photoshopped) maybe if you apply the same colour effects as above you'd get a nice idea of how your garnet will look...



rededit2-1.jpg
 
It'll be a lot quicker if I add black wings to my original picture to be honest (changing the whole cars colour takes a while)

What say you Plezz? I'm not sure myself (though I don't think my photoshop does the idea justice)


26754542.jpg
 
I agree it doesnt quite work as well in that pic but i think thats down to two things - firstly your black wings have a matt finish, when if you get black ones they'd be nice and shiney, and also if you look at the trim around the windows its silver in your pic and black in the one i posted so the black all blends in.the one i posted they hve a bit more shine to em, and the window trim is black too - your trim is black as well. it might even be worth photoshopping one of your car for the wing mirrors?
 
lol either way, whatever i think its down to whatever makes you :) most
 
audi upgrades
Aye, right you are. I tried photshoping a black grille onto my car but it was a right ball ache. Found it easier just changing the colour of a car that already had a black grille on it. Good point about the chrome, I hadn't even noticed :tocktock:

Cheers for your advice mate. I know it's down to me but sometimes it's good getting other opinions.... stops you going OTT and ruining your car
 
haha no worries - i know what you mean about the OTT thing. i want to lower my car, but i don't really have the money for bigger wheels as well. a lowered car on 16's will probably just look stupid. i need someone to tell me not to do it if i can't afford the whole thing.

i don't have photoshop at work, but it might be worth trying to make that car above a darker red like you did with the first as i think its a little closer to how yours will look overall when you've done the mods you want to do.
 
not bad at all dude! where you have an all black interior as well i think that could look quite mean, do the wings just unscrew on the pre facelift? i know on the 58 onwards they have indicators on them so are a little more complicated, but you might be able to pick up a cheap set at a scrap yard and if you dont like the look just ebay them.
 
the wing mirrors are easy, just prise out the glass (push the mirror closest side to the window and then get your fingers under the glass and slowly pull out) and then once off just unclip the mirror cover. its a little tricky when its still on the car but be patient and it will be fine.
The facelift ones are screwed in as far as i remember
 
then you can just get some old ones from a scrap yard or ebay and maybe winyl wrap them. :salute:
 
SCFC_Messiah said:
Unfortunately I can't justify that outlay just for whiter lights, no matter how much cooler they look :happy:

I guess that's xenons wiped off my 'To Do' list.... On the bright side it frees up cash for another mod. Something cheaper this time :lmfao:
Click to expand...

Get some white halogen bulbs - next best thing to xenons!
 
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