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Jardo's 'Journey to quattro' - My Story...
- Thread starter 16Klappe
- Start date
Mrharris2
Boost needed
I thought so I had a look and thought Nahhh this ain't gonna work lol better get some mounts fabricated then hadn't i
Phoarrrrrr, I nearly sold this today!!!
I didn't.
So I'm feeling nostalgic about it, so I'm writing all this to try and remind myself of the history of the most resilient S3 that's ever existed and how I came to own it.
It started off 'back in the day' when Prawn owned this.
I had just gone from a little fleet of fast SAAB's to having just the green one here.
Frenchman thought Prawn's car was pretty cool. So he picked up this.
I quite liked Prawns car.
A bit of time passed, Prawn fitted a Miltek and some wheels, he fitted a front mount and had an oddly painted front bumper...(mentioning this will become apparent later.)
So Frenchman did the same.
Mmmmm.
Still, I was left out.
Around the same sort of time quite a few people also picked up A3's. My ex girlfriend, two of Prawn's friends from our little friends group bought them too.
One of them was a lad called Dan.
He picked up an A3.
He also lowered it, put an exhaust on it and a front mount.
A lad called Jimbo purchased an S3 around the same sort of time.
I didn't though.
Frenchman decided he was going to sell his A3, but didn't tell anybody. And one day Prawn got chatting to somebody who said 'I'm looking at buying an A3 like yours.' and it turned out to be Pierre's car. So he bought it with a bit of help from Prawn, and Plunky entered the friends circle.
Plunky spent a LOT of money on Pierre's A3.
And Prawn kept giving me his A3 for days/weekends and it was really annoying.
My ex girlfriends A3 got some 312's, a slap of the lowering stick.
I didn't.
So I'm feeling nostalgic about it, so I'm writing all this to try and remind myself of the history of the most resilient S3 that's ever existed and how I came to own it.
It started off 'back in the day' when Prawn owned this.
I had just gone from a little fleet of fast SAAB's to having just the green one here.
Frenchman thought Prawn's car was pretty cool. So he picked up this.
I quite liked Prawns car.
A bit of time passed, Prawn fitted a Miltek and some wheels, he fitted a front mount and had an oddly painted front bumper...(mentioning this will become apparent later.)
So Frenchman did the same.
Mmmmm.
Still, I was left out.
Around the same sort of time quite a few people also picked up A3's. My ex girlfriend, two of Prawn's friends from our little friends group bought them too.
One of them was a lad called Dan.
He picked up an A3.
He also lowered it, put an exhaust on it and a front mount.
A lad called Jimbo purchased an S3 around the same sort of time.
I didn't though.
Frenchman decided he was going to sell his A3, but didn't tell anybody. And one day Prawn got chatting to somebody who said 'I'm looking at buying an A3 like yours.' and it turned out to be Pierre's car. So he bought it with a bit of help from Prawn, and Plunky entered the friends circle.
Plunky spent a LOT of money on Pierre's A3.
And Prawn kept giving me his A3 for days/weekends and it was really annoying.
My ex girlfriends A3 got some 312's, a slap of the lowering stick.
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Then I got hit by a car on my bicycle, and got loads of money. So I FINALLY purchased an A3; Plunky's one which used to be Pierre's.
Yeah!
I smoked that around for a bit, enjoying it. It was good.
Prawn's car was slowly but surely getting slower though, and basically the turbo was giving up after 200K.
Dan sold his A3, and purchased a diesel A3.
James crashed his at the Ring, had it resprayed and carried on driving it.
My ex girlfriends car remained good, it got a stage 1 map, a 007P, a cone filter, a set of wheels and spacers and a RARB.
Eventually, I decided to sell my A3. Because it needed a bit of work doing to it, it had been vandalised outside my house and I'd fallen out of love with it
A few months later ex girlfriend thoughts about moving on her A3, and I had a deal on at work. So she got a Fiat, and I paid a big deposit on it in exchange for her A3.
That's when **** got serious.
Prawn sat his car up for a very long time, and bought another A3 to drive as a daily whilst he decided what to do with AAE.
AAE became a track car. And before long it didn't have enough power.
So I got the front mount, the miltek, all the good bits off the A3 that made it a fantastic road car, were now on my A3. Yeah!!!
Then along came Phil Miller. This story wouldn't be complete without him!
Phil and I got on like a house on fire, Phil just popped up on Audi-Sport when I said my clutch was slipping and said he'd change it for me. His generosity and knowledge didn't end there!
Phil build Ron Burgundy, a 300+bhp K04 A3 Quattro. He also did pretty much all the work on my car for the last year of my ownership.
Whilst Phil and I were getting busy with my A3 and his A3, weird things were happening with Dan and James.
Dan wanted to sell his diesel A3, and James wanted to sell his S3 for a diesel A3.
Silently James had spent an absolute ****** fortune doing the most ridiculously attentive and unnecessary work on his S3, making it an absolute stunner.
James also fitted some familiar wheels.
So a swap was done, James got rid of the S and got a diesel A3.
Are you confused yet? Because it's really not easy...
Dan went off with the S3 and put some sticker on it, in the meantime Don came on the scene. Purchasing a TQS and making some stupid mega money build.
Don got bored, decided to split rather than sell whole. So Dan purchased lots of top spec parts, fitted them to the S3 and did a load of drag days and general abuse.
During which time I did the whole S3 slayer thing with the A3, and made it into a 245bhp 319lbft K03 powered dream machine with solid engine mounts, polybushed front end, Brembo's, roll bars, all sorts of stupid ****.
'Man Boost' was created.
Notice the oddly painted bumper, the same front mount and the exhaust off Prawn's old daily/now the track car.
During this time, Pierre had gone off to Australia. And come back with lots of money. So Pierre who bought an A3 to be like Prawn's, who sold his car to Plunky, who then sold Pierre's old car to me, came back and made Prawn an offer for the silver A3 that he couldn't refuse.
So Pierre had Prawn's 'new' A3, which by this time was a high spec'd stage 2 with massive wheels, huge Porsche brakes, liquid gauge, launch control. It was ******* epic.
We cleaned them.
This was all getting ridiculous.
I split up with ex girlfriend, took the A3 back to Basingstoke and continued spending money on it.
No two ways about it, this car was badass.
Don't ask me why, but for some reason I decided to sell it. And buy a diesel A3.
Which was absolutely fantastic.
I sold it to somebody called Jamie, who Prawn and I have known since a very long time ago. Jamie is one of Prawn's Mini friends and he wanted something fun because he lives about 7 seconds away from Castle Combe.
So the deal was done, and my time with the A3 had come to an end.
Yeah!
I smoked that around for a bit, enjoying it. It was good.
Prawn's car was slowly but surely getting slower though, and basically the turbo was giving up after 200K.
Dan sold his A3, and purchased a diesel A3.
James crashed his at the Ring, had it resprayed and carried on driving it.
My ex girlfriends car remained good, it got a stage 1 map, a 007P, a cone filter, a set of wheels and spacers and a RARB.
Eventually, I decided to sell my A3. Because it needed a bit of work doing to it, it had been vandalised outside my house and I'd fallen out of love with it
A few months later ex girlfriend thoughts about moving on her A3, and I had a deal on at work. So she got a Fiat, and I paid a big deposit on it in exchange for her A3.
That's when **** got serious.
Prawn sat his car up for a very long time, and bought another A3 to drive as a daily whilst he decided what to do with AAE.
AAE became a track car. And before long it didn't have enough power.
So I got the front mount, the miltek, all the good bits off the A3 that made it a fantastic road car, were now on my A3. Yeah!!!
Then along came Phil Miller. This story wouldn't be complete without him!
Phil and I got on like a house on fire, Phil just popped up on Audi-Sport when I said my clutch was slipping and said he'd change it for me. His generosity and knowledge didn't end there!
Phil build Ron Burgundy, a 300+bhp K04 A3 Quattro. He also did pretty much all the work on my car for the last year of my ownership.
Whilst Phil and I were getting busy with my A3 and his A3, weird things were happening with Dan and James.
Dan wanted to sell his diesel A3, and James wanted to sell his S3 for a diesel A3.
Silently James had spent an absolute ****** fortune doing the most ridiculously attentive and unnecessary work on his S3, making it an absolute stunner.
James also fitted some familiar wheels.
So a swap was done, James got rid of the S and got a diesel A3.
Are you confused yet? Because it's really not easy...
Dan went off with the S3 and put some sticker on it, in the meantime Don came on the scene. Purchasing a TQS and making some stupid mega money build.
Don got bored, decided to split rather than sell whole. So Dan purchased lots of top spec parts, fitted them to the S3 and did a load of drag days and general abuse.
During which time I did the whole S3 slayer thing with the A3, and made it into a 245bhp 319lbft K03 powered dream machine with solid engine mounts, polybushed front end, Brembo's, roll bars, all sorts of stupid ****.
'Man Boost' was created.
Notice the oddly painted bumper, the same front mount and the exhaust off Prawn's old daily/now the track car.
During this time, Pierre had gone off to Australia. And come back with lots of money. So Pierre who bought an A3 to be like Prawn's, who sold his car to Plunky, who then sold Pierre's old car to me, came back and made Prawn an offer for the silver A3 that he couldn't refuse.
So Pierre had Prawn's 'new' A3, which by this time was a high spec'd stage 2 with massive wheels, huge Porsche brakes, liquid gauge, launch control. It was ******* epic.
We cleaned them.
This was all getting ridiculous.
I split up with ex girlfriend, took the A3 back to Basingstoke and continued spending money on it.
No two ways about it, this car was badass.
Don't ask me why, but for some reason I decided to sell it. And buy a diesel A3.
Which was absolutely fantastic.
I sold it to somebody called Jamie, who Prawn and I have known since a very long time ago. Jamie is one of Prawn's Mini friends and he wanted something fun because he lives about 7 seconds away from Castle Combe.
So the deal was done, and my time with the A3 had come to an end.
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These were the last pictures I took of it.
It was a great car, and when I was driving it to Jamie's to drop it off I could have cried. I knew I was making a big mistake.
Oh well.
So I came home, drove around in the diesel for a bit, got back with an old girlfriend of mine who I'd always regretted not making more of at the time and everything was fantastic.
I had a really smart diesel A3 which was perfect for my lifestyle. It lapped up my 90 mile a day commute, it looked a million dollars, it was a really really good car. I didn't have any requirements for a fast car, or anything fun.
Girlfriend had always wanted to go travelling, and one day it was decided that she was taking time out from work and going travelling. Fair enough.
The next day I saw a post on Facebook.
From Dan, who now owned James's old S3.
'I'm selling the S3, I want a diesel A3. Anybody want to swap?'
For **** sake Dan, make your mind up. Do you want a diesel A3 or not?!
So there was my chance. She's going to Oz, I'm moving back in with my parents for 6 months, I earn a **** ton of money. I'm going to build an S3 that deserves to be called a track car! I'd already let two A3's from our circle of friends slip through the net and be sold on to others, I felt like buying this car was a chance to grab some history.
So totally unseen, and completely blind I told Dan I was going to his after work on the very next day and the deal was done.
What a **** swap. What the **** was I thinking? An S-Line 8P with one owner from new, full Audi history that's worth at LEAST 7K being swapped for a 4 grand S3 with 140,000 miles.
******* mental.
So that was that.
It needed some de-chaving.
So I set to work!
The plates and stickers went first.
The next day the paintwork got sorted.
The tints went.
The side strips got refinished.
It was a great car, and when I was driving it to Jamie's to drop it off I could have cried. I knew I was making a big mistake.
Oh well.
So I came home, drove around in the diesel for a bit, got back with an old girlfriend of mine who I'd always regretted not making more of at the time and everything was fantastic.
I had a really smart diesel A3 which was perfect for my lifestyle. It lapped up my 90 mile a day commute, it looked a million dollars, it was a really really good car. I didn't have any requirements for a fast car, or anything fun.
Girlfriend had always wanted to go travelling, and one day it was decided that she was taking time out from work and going travelling. Fair enough.
The next day I saw a post on Facebook.
From Dan, who now owned James's old S3.
'I'm selling the S3, I want a diesel A3. Anybody want to swap?'
For **** sake Dan, make your mind up. Do you want a diesel A3 or not?!
So there was my chance. She's going to Oz, I'm moving back in with my parents for 6 months, I earn a **** ton of money. I'm going to build an S3 that deserves to be called a track car! I'd already let two A3's from our circle of friends slip through the net and be sold on to others, I felt like buying this car was a chance to grab some history.
So totally unseen, and completely blind I told Dan I was going to his after work on the very next day and the deal was done.
What a **** swap. What the **** was I thinking? An S-Line 8P with one owner from new, full Audi history that's worth at LEAST 7K being swapped for a 4 grand S3 with 140,000 miles.
******* mental.
So that was that.
It needed some de-chaving.
So I set to work!
The plates and stickers went first.
The next day the paintwork got sorted.
The tints went.
The side strips got refinished.
Last edited:
And finally it looked like a respectable S3 again!
Then the clutch went.
In went a CG Motorsport stage 2 and uprated pressure plate.
I commuted 90 miles a day in it for months on end; faultless.
Australia came around, and I moved house with it.
I did a lot of wiring.
I resorted to alcohol.
I changed EVERY fluid and filter.
The car was booked in for it's first track outing in my ownership. Goodwood.
So I set about preparation.
Rebuilt the DV with a revised piston.
She was spot on at Goodwood for the time I had.
Next up, Curby sprint day with Club GTI.
This finished off the tires.
And after this I put the car up for sale. Because I kept thinking to myself that I've already spent enough money on it, I've had some fun. Time to move on.
Prawn sat me down, and said...******* man up!!!
So I got some suitable tires.
Then it rained. A lot. For weeks.
So I turned my attention to the engine bay. Replacing every clip and clamp and respraying the cam cover.
Then she died.
Alternator
Limped it home, cried lots. Man'd up and fixed that ****! Took an hour, cost £80.
Then the clutch went.
In went a CG Motorsport stage 2 and uprated pressure plate.
I commuted 90 miles a day in it for months on end; faultless.
Australia came around, and I moved house with it.
I did a lot of wiring.
I resorted to alcohol.
I changed EVERY fluid and filter.
The car was booked in for it's first track outing in my ownership. Goodwood.
So I set about preparation.
Rebuilt the DV with a revised piston.
She was spot on at Goodwood for the time I had.
Next up, Curby sprint day with Club GTI.
This finished off the tires.
And after this I put the car up for sale. Because I kept thinking to myself that I've already spent enough money on it, I've had some fun. Time to move on.
Prawn sat me down, and said...******* man up!!!
So I got some suitable tires.
Then it rained. A lot. For weeks.
So I turned my attention to the engine bay. Replacing every clip and clamp and respraying the cam cover.
Then she died.
Alternator
Limped it home, cried lots. Man'd up and fixed that ****! Took an hour, cost £80.
Prawn made me spend money.
Ewwwww, changed the expansion tank.
Oh shiiiit. I'd booked an open pit lane day at Donington. Time to Level Up!
More oil.
More brakes! (I'd already fitted DS2500's days after getting it!)
More caster and cookbots inserts.
New bottom ball joint and inner track rods!
These things are dickheads.
Donington!
More oil!!!!
Ewwwww, changed the expansion tank.
Oh shiiiit. I'd booked an open pit lane day at Donington. Time to Level Up!
More oil.
More brakes! (I'd already fitted DS2500's days after getting it!)
More caster and cookbots inserts.
New bottom ball joint and inner track rods!
These things are dickheads.
Donington!
More oil!!!!
More brake fluid.
More center caps please!
More spacer
Solidified engine mounts.
And gearbox.
New balls please!
And THAT is a bang up to date of why I couldn't sell this car today. First time ever.
-
This thread was hilariously retitled by Jojo as my 'Journey to Quattro', because he's a nob.
But it's true, this car for me is the pinnacle of friends, learning, experience and pride. And it honestly feels like a journey to get it to where it is now.
She's over 150,000 miles, she's had abuse thrown at her by her last 11 owners, she's done more track days and drag days than you can shake a stick at, she's been smashed up on the Ring', she's abused daily by me and she just keeps on coming back and back for more and feels stronger every time. An absolute trooper of a car.
Thanks to anybody who was mentioned in this thread, you've all been a part of it.
More center caps please!
More spacer
Solidified engine mounts.
And gearbox.
New balls please!
And THAT is a bang up to date of why I couldn't sell this car today. First time ever.
-
This thread was hilariously retitled by Jojo as my 'Journey to Quattro', because he's a nob.
But it's true, this car for me is the pinnacle of friends, learning, experience and pride. And it honestly feels like a journey to get it to where it is now.
She's over 150,000 miles, she's had abuse thrown at her by her last 11 owners, she's done more track days and drag days than you can shake a stick at, she's been smashed up on the Ring', she's abused daily by me and she just keeps on coming back and back for more and feels stronger every time. An absolute trooper of a car.
Thanks to anybody who was mentioned in this thread, you've all been a part of it.
Mrharris2
Boost needed
Nice write up man interesting story keep at it and don't sell her she's lovely
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The journey will more than likely end in March/April next year when I've been paid for the new registrations and a new house is on the cards.
Bigger and better things then.
But between now and then it's going to get as much use as possible
Bigger and better things then.
But between now and then it's going to get as much use as possible
Bit like your laps at Curby
YES!!! hahahaha
funny because its true!!
love the changes you're making
car looks really oem
even the seats to a degree!!
real wolf in sheeps clothing
really like this car
though you should start admitting you do to!!!
******* thing.
Karma.
So, I parked the car up on Sunday last week. Perfect, nothing wrong with it at all. Didn't drive it all week because I was off work. Nearly sold it Sunday, didn't.
Made a little post about how great it was and how I nearly sold it last night.
Got in it to go to work this morning, and the exhaust is chuffing and billowing away, absolutely no power, throwing flames out the back like a Fast Car cover shoot. The ****?
Prawn thinks it's probably the EGT bung worked loose some how, I think it's a cracked manifold or down pipe. Any other suggestions?
Typical!
Karma.
So, I parked the car up on Sunday last week. Perfect, nothing wrong with it at all. Didn't drive it all week because I was off work. Nearly sold it Sunday, didn't.
Made a little post about how great it was and how I nearly sold it last night.
Got in it to go to work this morning, and the exhaust is chuffing and billowing away, absolutely no power, throwing flames out the back like a Fast Car cover shoot. The ****?
Prawn thinks it's probably the EGT bung worked loose some how, I think it's a cracked manifold or down pipe. Any other suggestions?
Typical!
Mrharris2
Boost needed
Other annoying thing's it's decided to do, it stalled as soon as I started it this morning after revving up to about 1500 (as it always does when I start it) instead of dropping to about 1100 as it warms up it just dropped really low then stuttered and stopped, but started immediately when I flicked the key then when I started it after work it was idling erratically between 800 and 1500 for about ten seconds.
I thought it might be a split turbo outlet hose at first.
I thought it might be a split turbo outlet hose at first.
It's not the coil packs.
It's not a software or wiring problem, it's a mechanical problem somewhere.
Boost leak, cracked exhaust manifold, cracked downpipe flange, blown manifold to turbo gasket, loose EGT bung, broken manifold stud. That sort of thing.
It's not a software or wiring problem, it's a mechanical problem somewhere.
Boost leak, cracked exhaust manifold, cracked downpipe flange, blown manifold to turbo gasket, loose EGT bung, broken manifold stud. That sort of thing.
vivalacoulter
Registered User
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Phil Miller has been a massive help with my TQS build, that man knows his 1.8T engines!
Hope you get this sorted, if the downpipe was leaking it should be throwing up a P0171 i think (lean bank 1 blahblah). i only know this because mine currently has this problem because the gasket is completely blown!
Hope you get this sorted, if the downpipe was leaking it should be throwing up a P0171 i think (lean bank 1 blahblah). i only know this because mine currently has this problem because the gasket is completely blown!
Turns out there was nothing wrong with it.
Started it up last night, drove it around a bit. No worries.
Started it up last night, drove it around a bit. No worries.
10w60 Millers went in today.
Only done 40 odd miles with it, first impressions are that my engine sounds like it's just had a rebuild and it's faster.
How slack must this old girl be by now haha!
Only done 40 odd miles with it, first impressions are that my engine sounds like it's just had a rebuild and it's faster.
How slack must this old girl be by now haha!
Far too many.
I regret selling every single one, they were all good in their own special way.
Apart from Prawn's mum's diesel one, I only owned that for about twenty minutes. I don't regret not owning that.
The S3's been retired.
It's been replaced by this -
Which I love. It's amazing!
So now it is a dedicated weekend and track day car. So I don't need to rely on it any more and I don't need to put extensive daily mileage and wear and tear on it. This is relieving to say the least.
Today I went for a proper drive in it, 80/100 miles or so just bombing around in it. It's so great.
I sang lots of Phil Collins and wore sunglasses.
Now the S is absolutely filthy dirty bless it. I have no intention of washing it at all.
Abuse. She loves it.
It's been replaced by this -
Which I love. It's amazing!
So now it is a dedicated weekend and track day car. So I don't need to rely on it any more and I don't need to put extensive daily mileage and wear and tear on it. This is relieving to say the least.
Today I went for a proper drive in it, 80/100 miles or so just bombing around in it. It's so great.
I sang lots of Phil Collins and wore sunglasses.
Now the S is absolutely filthy dirty bless it. I have no intention of washing it at all.
Abuse. She loves it.
