Help me start planning my build thread please

[Grazam]

Hi all,

Im 21 and this is my first project/upgrade car, im a mechanical and electrical apprentice, im fairly confident with most tasks ill always have a go but I like to find out about what im doing first so I have a chance of getting it right first time.
Im seriously contemplating upgrading my car but not sure where to start, I understand roughly where and what I need to start with but I could do with some pointers on whats good and whats not. I have a 2001 1.8t Quattro, which i want to turn into a fast road car with around 240-270ish bhp, but I may take it on a track day every now and again. I don't want stupid power where parts start to fail because they weren't designed for the power or stresses.


Suspension
Coilovers are a must im guessing but I only really want to spend around £400- £450 on this so has to be reliable I don't want silly drop just around 40-55mm where it doesn't effect the geometry of the car too much.
ARB's and Strut brace is it worth putting stiffer ARB's in if its only really going to be a road car am I going to see a knoticable difference in cornering G's. I hear good things about polybushing the ARB's so will have to get done at some point.
Apex RDX Coilover Suspension Kit A3 8L 1.8T Quattro, 1.9TDI Quattro 01/99> - £417.10 : The premier online mail order VAG suspension and performance specialists. We offer a wide range of all the best branded suspension and performance parts for all V
FK Highsport Coilover Suspension Kit A3 8L 1.8T Quattro, 1.9TDi Quattro 08/98> - £375.00 : The premier online mail order VAG suspension and performance specialists. We offer a wide range of all the best branded suspension and performance parts for a
FK Silverline Coilover Suspension Kit A3 8L 1.8T Quattro, 1.9TDi Quattro 08/98> - £450.00 : The premier online mail order VAG suspension and performance specialists. We offer a wide range of all the best branded suspension and performance parts for

Any comments on these coilovers would be nice if they are any good or not.


Brakes
Im thinking either S3 (with drilled and groved and some good pads) or something similar as I am on a budget, Brembos would be nice but realistically can't afford if I want to do other upgrades.
Braided cables and good fluid to match.

Wheels and Tyres
I haven't had too much expirence with this as my previous car was a standard 1.1 106 was my first car so just ragged it untill it was dead.
I currently have some old AMG wheels with some cheapo tyres (225/45/17) so im guessing that seeing as im not fitting massive disks im not going to need anything bigger that 17s so might keep or swap if I get a good deal, weight saving and all.
Tyres is where I fall down i know having some awesome rubber is going to make the car handle awesome but there is a point where the money spent and the grip gained give negative results to my wallet which isn't thick to start with. So im thinking a happy 2 sets which give good grip in summer month and have a cheap long lasting for winter. Which im guessing is what most of you do?
Wheel spacers If I get some wheel spacers it would obviously handle better but will make bearings wear quicker, but the car would look much better with them on, what is a good width front and back to space out.

Weight
I still carry 4-5 passengers every now and again so I can't really strip the car out how ever much I want to, its also going to be my daily, but I do have a work van so its not doing hundreds of miles, But if the day comes when I can strip it out how much weight am I actually going to save being the quattro after all.

Engine
This is where I fall down im afraid, I understand the principles of a Combustion engine and whats involved im just not sure if I change one part will I need to change another one to cope with the change I've made.
Air intake must not exceed the exhaust flow otherwise a back pressure is created causing wastage in power

, and obviously the fuel that is pumped in can only be asmuch as the fuel pump can handle.
So increasing the Bore size of the air intake and intake manifold and putting a new exhaust on I can achieve greater power, also having to upgrade cooling systems aswell such as a nice FMIC not sure on fitting and pipework as ive never really had a good chance to do anything yet.
If someone could point me in the right direction here as im starting to waffle on, What parts would be worth upgrading and whats capable.
Remap would have to come into play ofcourse who and where know what they are doing, Ive read some good stuff about Badger 5 and that I should probably be talking to them for alot of this stuff.

If you could do a list to start with, such as silicone tubes, bigger tip, induction kit (or would the panel filter be ok), exhaust, valves, cams, injectors, in/ex manifold, Catch Can .... and what parts to get

Steering
Is there an upgrade to be fitted such as less turns of steering wheel to get to full lock.

Fluids
Im currently using Tesco Ultimate 99oct not sure if there is anything better out there. I have run some redex through the system. I have done an oil change in october, and im going to do another one at end of febuary when I fit my magnetic sump plug (only doing so close together to make sure there was nothing in the oil as the car was crashed im pretty certain just to make sure no fillings in the system.

Turbo
I have the K03s so im pretty certain that its up to job. is it worth running some turbo cleaner through it.



If I have forgotten anything please let me know, Thanks all for your help if you decide to I just want to get a start on the car.


I will post some pics up of my engine bay shortly.

 

[jojo]

Your aim of 240-270 is not achievable with your K03, realistically, you're better off with an S3 as a base car for your power aims, but I know you are 21, so insurance etc. is against you from owning such a machine now. It's your build thread, so maybe drop a K04 from an S3 and get it mapped would be an easier solution for your power aim?

Go with the suspension and brake mods first, so you can make use of the power you have now is what I would do.

And post pics of your work along the way!

 

[aragorn]

Suspension: TBH i'd look at a quality fixed kit like the Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit, or Koni SSK for your budget.

Brakes: S3 parts all round with GOOD pads would be a fair starting point. Dont bother with fancy disks.

As for tuning, as above your turbo will only flow around 230hp. If you want 270 then you will need a larger unit.

You have three options here.

1: A "hybrid" turbo, which uses parts from larger turbos modified in such a way that it bolts on relatively easily. These have seen upto around 300hp, but arent cheap.
2: A K04 turbo from an S3. In standard form this will manage 270hp, but will require a different manifold and some messing around in the engine bay to plumb it all in.
3: A generic aftermarket turbo such as a Garrett GT28R, which will require a lot of customisation, and is generally the most expensive approach, and probably overkill for your goals.

As well as the turbo you will need to replace the downpipe, cat and exhaust system with a larger diameter system to handle your increased power. You will also require a larger intercooler, and potentially larger injectors and airflow meter.

Under "steering", you can convert the car to use the front suspension setup from an S3/R32/LeonCupra-R/TT225, These have different control arms and hubs giving improved geometry, a different antiroll bar arrangement, and a shorter steering rack. You might run into problems using the shorter steering rack on your car due to the ABS controller/ESP system though.

 

[colicabcadam]

for starters, sell the a3 and buy an s3 if you want to do this as cheaply as possible, a simple remap, with badger 5 tip will probably see 270 bhp (other will confirm), these 2 items will cost you around £500

also 4-5 people in an a3 ? if you do this on a regular basis, i'd get an a4 and tune that instead

 

[Reesy]

Hi all,

Im 21 and this is my first project/upgrade car, im a mechanical and electrical apprentice, im fairly confident with most tasks ill always have a go but I like to find out about what im doing first so I have a chance of getting it right first time.
Im seriously contemplating upgrading my car but not sure where to start, I understand roughly where and what I need to start with but I could do with some pointers on whats good and whats not. I have a 2001 1.8t Quattro, which i want to turn into a fast road car with around 240-270ish bhp, but I may take it on a track day every now and again. I don't want stupid power where parts start to fail because they weren't designed for the power or stresses.


Suspension
Coilovers are a must im guessing but I only really want to spend around £400- £450 on this so has to be reliable I don't want silly drop just around 40-55mm where it doesn't effect the geometry of the car too much.
ARB's and Strut brace is it worth putting stiffer ARB's in if its only really going to be a road car am I going to see a knoticable difference in cornering G's. I hear good things about polybushing the ARB's so will have to get done at some point.
Apex RDX Coilover Suspension Kit A3 8L 1.8T Quattro, 1.9TDI Quattro 01/99> - £417.10 : The premier online mail order VAG suspension and performance specialists. We offer a wide range of all the best branded suspension and performance parts for all V
FK Highsport Coilover Suspension Kit A3 8L 1.8T Quattro, 1.9TDi Quattro 08/98> - £375.00 : The premier online mail order VAG suspension and performance specialists. We offer a wide range of all the best branded suspension and performance parts for a
FK Silverline Coilover Suspension Kit A3 8L 1.8T Quattro, 1.9TDi Quattro 08/98> - £450.00 : The premier online mail order VAG suspension and performance specialists. We offer a wide range of all the best branded suspension and performance parts for

Any comments on these coilovers would be nice if they are any good or not.


Brakes
Im thinking either S3 (with drilled and groved and some good pads) or something similar as I am on a budget, Brembos would be nice but realistically can't afford if I want to do other upgrades.
Braided cables and good fluid to match.

Wheels and Tyres
I haven't had too much expirence with this as my previous car was a standard 1.1 106 was my first car so just ragged it untill it was dead.
I currently have some old AMG wheels with some cheapo tyres (225/45/17) so im guessing that seeing as im not fitting massive disks im not going to need anything bigger that 17s so might keep or swap if I get a good deal, weight saving and all.
Tyres is where I fall down i know having some awesome rubber is going to make the car handle awesome but there is a point where the money spent and the grip gained give negative results to my wallet which isn't thick to start with. So im thinking a happy 2 sets which give good grip in summer month and have a cheap long lasting for winter. Which im guessing is what most of you do?
Wheel spacers If I get some wheel spacers it would obviously handle better but will make bearings wear quicker, but the car would look much better with them on, what is a good width front and back to space out.

Weight
I still carry 4-5 passengers every now and again so I can't really strip the car out how ever much I want to, its also going to be my daily, but I do have a work van so its not doing hundreds of miles, But if the day comes when I can strip it out how much weight am I actually going to save being the quattro after all.

Engine
This is where I fall down im afraid, I understand the principles of a Combustion engine and whats involved im just not sure if I change one part will I need to change another one to cope with the change I've made.
Air intake must not exceed the exhaust flow otherwise a back pressure is created causing wastage in power

, and obviously the fuel that is pumped in can only be asmuch as the fuel pump can handle.
So increasing the Bore size of the air intake and intake manifold and putting a new exhaust on I can achieve greater power, also having to upgrade cooling systems aswell such as a nice FMIC not sure on fitting and pipework as ive never really had a good chance to do anything yet.
If someone could point me in the right direction here as im starting to waffle on, What parts would be worth upgrading and whats capable.
Remap would have to come into play ofcourse who and where know what they are doing, Ive read some good stuff about Badger 5 and that I should probably be talking to them for alot of this stuff.

If you could do a list to start with, such as silicone tubes, bigger tip, induction kit (or would the panel filter be ok), exhaust, valves, cams, injectors, in/ex manifold, Catch Can .... and what parts to get

Steering
Is there an upgrade to be fitted such as less turns of steering wheel to get to full lock.

Fluids
Im currently using Tesco Ultimate 99oct not sure if there is anything better out there. I have run some redex through the system. I have done an oil change in october, and im going to do another one at end of febuary when I fit my magnetic sump plug (only doing so close together to make sure there was nothing in the oil as the car was crashed im pretty certain just to make sure no fillings in the system.

Turbo
I have the K03s so im pretty certain that its up to job. is it worth running some turbo cleaner through it.



If I have forgotten anything please let me know, Thanks all for your help if you decide to I just want to get a start on the car.


I will post some pics up of my engine bay shortly.

Suspension: Links looked good, but there are spring/shock combo's for similar money, just depends if you intend to be winding the car up/down on a regular basis. R32 Rear anti roll bar with poly bushes is a cheap mod that makes a massive difference, it did to my 1.8T quattro, and does to the s3 lads as well.

Brakes: s3 is a noticeable step up, I have braided lines, ds2500's and I use rbf600/660 fluid, and the brakes are much better then the stock option.

Tyres: IMO get the best you can afford. They are the thing that keeps you on the road afterall.

Engine: Remap, cone filter, 99 fuel will get you near to 215-220 bhp, then its downpipes, fmics, de cat and stage 2 mapping to get further. Catch can, n249 delete (search it, it makes a noticeable difference)

Steering: LCR Quick rack bring you down by 0.8? of a turn lock to lock.

Turbo: K03s is good for 230ish bhp, but will be having a hard life at that and beyond.

 

[Grazam]

Thanks guys some good suggestions im on the case to get some of these at the moment they look good as a starter mod, how low can I drop the car roughly before I will need to cut my tie bar or need an adjustable.
AP Coilovers

I get what your saying about buying springs and dampers but I do want it to go low for show on some days but most of the time It would be at about 30-45 drop will know when its on.

So for the turbo dilema it looks as though im going to be doing a K04 conversion so should be fun.
All other engine mods im good with, (I also got an ultrasonic cleaner on monday so I can clean injectors, if anyone wants to come use it they are welcome)

Brakes I might be able to get some S3 ones for under 200 front and rear full system

Intercool I might have to get second hand or cheap ebay one.



But as for changing to an S3 it would be ideal but as JOJO said insurance is a ball breaker its already about 1400 for myself and my step dad on it he has 20+ years no claims so its so over priced unbeliveable.

I only carry more than 2 passengers twice a month maybe, when I said often I ment too often to put a rear seat back in I guess I could get one of them to drive from now on save me some fuel money which can go towards something for the motor.


Does a 007 valve give large gains or just increase sound more than performance im all up for awesome sounds.

As for the Cone filter does size make a huge difference like the cosworth ones are huge where as alot of the others are about a 4.5" - 3" taper.

How much of a difference if it is measurabe does silicone hoses make other than durability, and an awesome engine bay look.

And would a new tip help with a little power gain.



Thank you all for your help it is much appreciated.

 

[a3 1.8t]

just to answer couple of your questions i believe you will need a bigger tip when you put the k04 in so it isnt starved of air, also the 007 dump valve is mainly because the standard dump valves can fail when the boost pressure is increased in a reamp.. I have a a3 1.8t with forge 007 n revo remap

 

[camscockle20vT]

Hi dude, welcome to asn, i wasnt too far off your age when i got my 1st audi a3 1.8t, it had a stage 1 remap on its crappy ko3, but ****** me didnt i feel like lewi hameltoe, i didnt manage to read your whole write up (not being rude) just got the picture of what your after, and id suggest non of the above tbf, id go for a ko3s turbo, remaped to 220-230bhp, take your spare tyre and whatever else you can bare to live without out and im sure most will agree that it would feel as fast if not faster than a stage1 s3. All your choice obviousley, just think 270bhp is a random number to try and achieve in a a3, if your going for big power listen to these lads cus they know there shiz

 

[camscockle20vT]

Ha oh sh## just saw you put you have 4-5 passangers in your car, best way to gain power is to ditch those fat mushs

 

[Grazam]

I know they always want a funking lift when ever i come along cause even standard still the fastest car.

I know what your saying 270 is random but If I put a k04 on I don't want it running at max otherwise it won't last long, so if its running well with in its limits it will last longer and it will be quick as. I also don't mind putting bigger tip/injectors/MAF/intercooler...etc on was planning to anyway so might aswell wait for k04 upgrade.
Yea I know awesome car for a 20-21 year old so pleased with it just want to make it better, no worries about reading i just waffle most of the time.