Time has come for my S3 build thread!

Samy boi

Samy boi

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Going to use this as my build thread as the title states! When the clocks hit midnight, it's my 2nd payday of my new job...so spending will commence!

On the first payday last month, I bought the S3 and had been looking for one that i liked for the past 7 months with all the bells and whistles. Got it from Audi so they did do alot for me as the previous owner had not looked after the paint or interior as much as they should have! The inner plastic trim of boot was scraped to death and they replaced it etc. Some light scratching on paint and some scrapes inside (even on the aluminium in the back with little dents! :wtf:) where it looks like they have used the car alot for transporting things! However, has satnav and full black leather interior which is what I wanted for now and was a very good price! Not sure what to buy tonight? I'm thinking the RS3 grill or a revo intake or even the GFB DV+. Any ideas welcome on my first purchase (I am going to make this a beast eventually, stage 2+ but won't go as far as a big turbo build).





 
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Omg it looks mint, is that panther black or phantom black. I have a black one it always looks ***** lol.
 
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Thanks guys.

Omg it looks mint, is that panther black or phantom black. I have a black one it always looks ***** lol.
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I actually have no idea saq lol that would be good to know, all my documents in the handbook just say black, will look inside the door frame or something tomorrow morning!
 
So I just bought a Xenonz Gloss black grill with chrome audi rings and that was because I found a gfb dv+ imported from Australia for £87 new which I convinced myself was too little to spend. Happy days! can't wait! Pics to follow when received.
 
I replied to the brake question in your earlier thread but thought I'd best do it here as well.

Yes...my kit is a hybrid of VWR calipers and AP rotors with Mintex pads...LOL

I'd also just been told that Forge make a nice uprated rear kit for the S3 now,so that's definitely worth a look.
If you need a good local place that can do all of your work,or the parts you may not want to,give AMDTuning a call,as they've done a LOT of work for me over the yrs.
 
S3Alex said:
I replied to the brake question in your earlier thread but thought I'd best do it here as well.

Yes...my kit is a hybrid of VWR calipers and AP rotors with Mintex pads...LOL

I'd also just been told that Forge make a nice uprated rear kit for the S3 now,so that's definitely worth a look.
If you need a good local place that can do all of your work,or the parts you may not want to,give AMDTuning a call,as they've done a LOT of work for me over the yrs.
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Niceeeee, that's great news. I'm only 15 mins away in brentwood. I'll definitely look into it! Would you say that when modifying cars like bits you don't want to do yourselves, brakes etc, that it's worth going professional as opposed to your local mechanic? I am quite technical so can do alot myself even if I haven't got the knowledge currently but can research and use guides. I'm wary aswell as I have only ever done full services on my car before, nothing major! The dv+ and grill as well as painting the crash bar i'll do myself no probs I believe.
 
Samy boi said:
Niceeeee, that's great news. I'm only 15 mins away in brentwood. I'll definitely look into it! Would you say that when modifying cars like bits you don't want to do yourselves, brakes etc, that it's worth going professional as opposed to your local mechanic? I am quite technical so can do alot myself even if I haven't got the knowledge currently but can research and use guides. I'm wary aswell as I have only ever done full services on my car before, nothing major! The dv+ and grill as well as painting the crash bar i'll do myself no probs I believe.
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I've got to admit I like knowing about stuff,and the technical side of it does fascinate me,but I have neither the time nor the skills to be doing anything serious to the car.

The advantage of a place like AMDTuning is that they see our cars all the time,and are well aware of all of the likely and unlilkely issues that occur.
For instance a while back my car developed a really bad misfire under minimal load,and within a few mins they'd tracked it down to a cracked fitting on the top of the HPFP.

I know a lot of things are fairly straightforward,but anything related to brakes,or sensors I wouldn't touch,and I wouldn't go to a local mechanic unless he really knew what he's doing,as it's so easy to break one of these if it's done badly.

Have a chat with Ben @ AMD and he'll give you their rates etc....Steve,the main engine man there built the engine on mine to a standard that another independent described as very good indeed,and it's gone from 260bhp to 600+ onsome of their handiwork...references over!
 
S3Alex said:
I've got to admit I like knowing about stuff,and the technical side of it does fascinate me,but I have neither the time nor the skills to be doing anything serious to the car.
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This is very true. I'm in investment management so I wouldn't ask a mechanic to manage my client's investments so I probably shouldn't ask myself to modify my car if I want it done to the same high standard LOL

Will definitely look into this when the time comes. I am looking to add something on a monthly basis to my car. At first I was going to just splash out and be like BOOM shove it all on there in one go but where is the fun in that!
 
Samy boi said:
This is very true. I'm in investment management so I wouldn't ask a mechanic to manage my client's investments so I probably shouldn't ask myself to modify my car if I want it done to the same high standard LOL

Will definitely look into this when the time comes. I am looking to add something on a monthly basis to my car. At first I was going to just splash out and be like BOOM shove it all on there in one go but where is the fun in that!
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Mine's been done in increments too....firstly it would have been hellishly expensive doing it in one go,and at each stage I always said i wasn't going to go any further....
 
Consider;
Short shifter
Shift bushings
Intake
Exhaust
Catch can / PCV block off
New fluids
Coilovers
Wheels and tyres
Exhaust

These all contribute to the end result.
 
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I posted up a similar list on your original thread,and that lot will give you a far better car than you started with.

Suspension upgrades(coilovers,ARBs and bushes) transform the car from a fairly wobbly hatch with a lot of understeer,into something much more usable and enjoyable,and good coilovers will give not only better body control,but also a better ride,if set up properly.
Cheap ones usually aren't worth it,and may crash unacceptably over bumps etc.
 
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audi upgrades
S3Alex said:
I posted up a similar list on your original thread,and that lot will give you a far better car than you started with.

Suspension upgrades(coilovers,ARBs and bushes) transform the car from a fairly wobbly hatch with a lot of understeer,into something much more usable and enjoyable,and good coilovers will give not only better body control,but also a better ride,if set up properly.
Cheap ones usually aren't worth it,and may crash unacceptably over bumps etc.
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Yeah I definitely need to start looking at suspension upgrades as my car bounces up and down when driving around the country roads like a tennis ball lol I'm looking to get H&R ARBs, not looked into bushes too much yet, did a bit of research last night to find out what they are/do. Coilovers I don't want to massively splash out on but I have heard AP coilovers are reasonable price and very good. When getting these fitted, would it make sense to do any of these together? e.g. bushes with coilovers etc? Thinking about costs here as well as being efficient with the time the car will have to be in a garage lol
 
I would consider KWv1 or B14's.. B14's for example can be had for £600 delivered if you look in the right places. If you can it does make sense to polybush the car when the coils go on. At the very least you should do the front lower arm bushes (ALK + front inner bush) - adjustable ball joints from superpro also give you more camber adjust on the front.
 
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As you've already said,and Mat also,AP,Bilstein,and kW are all good choices.

The combination of coilovers and ARBs does make a huge difference.
I started with kW v3 coilovers,and the only criticism I could make is that the range of adjustment is so wide that it can take a while to find what works best for you,but v1 or Bilstein will be easier as the adjustments are much simpler.
 
There is a massive price range for coilovers, I have been looking and it is anywhere from £400.

I won't be using this for track, may go once just to see how my car is but it's mainly for road use. Just don't want it bouncing around like it does at the moment around the country lanes and want it slightly lowered. AP coilovers look the most cost effective but wondering if they are good quality and B14's too. I'll have to look into this further as some that are around £1k seem punchy!

3 days until the grille arrives though! ahhh I better start looking up guides on fitting and painting the crash bar!
 
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you get what you pay for and yet suspension wise I'd never downgrade to anything on the budget side. 1k is a normal price for something a bit better than the standard set of shocks. Remember Audi have spent ages developing the chassis, brakes and everything to work together, imagine now you fit your car with set of budget coils that has not been properly adjusted or tested to cope with the above. The more you pay the better outcome you get simple.


And to add you drive a ****** S3 not a vauxhall bear in mind:)
 
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Buy cheap buy twice.

Seriously though as RedDejavu says it's worth buying a good set.
 
I am a firm believer in buying quality as it always lasts years longer and you have no issues with anything in life. I just need to get in that mind set for my car! It doesn't end with just the purchase of the car! I would be happy paying around that for coilovers to be honest. Yeah, definitely want a good set that isn't too harsh with my H&R ARBs and bushes that i'll get eventually.

What do people do when they come to sell their car? Do most people keep the old parts and swap out then sell the performance pieces? I assume people like us wouldn't want an already modified car?
 
Quite a few people do want a sensibly modified and well looked after car,but the option to remove and sell the parts separately is always there too.
 
That car looks to nice to modify.
I would enjoy the drive :)
 
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So, this arrived in the post today...I get to fit this beauty on the weekend. I will have to look up some guides in the meantime to see what tools are required and how to do it but that shouldn't be difficult. Also need to research what paint I need for crash bar too but really happy with the quality from Xenonz and super fast delivery!

 
T25 torx, T30 torx, size 1 phillips and 10mm socket..

Just watch the xenonz doesn't rub on the bonnet which they are known to do.. Don't do any damage except from rub a slight bit of paint off from the underside of the bonnet..

The Black on Black looks good though.
 
S3_Jacko said:
T25 torx, T30 torx, size 1 phillips and 10mm socket..

Just watch the xenonz doesn't rub on the bonnet which they are known to do.. Don't do any damage except from rub a slight bit of paint off from the underside of the bonnet..

The Black on Black looks good though.
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Thanks for the advice Jacko, I'll be having fun this weekend. Need to get my self some paint too, I guess halfords will be needing a visit!

Random question all, If I was to get a loba fuel pump, CAI, full TBE with sports cat, dv+ and Airtec intercooler all put on my car...Will it be bad for my car to not get a remap straight away? I am just considering going to stage 2+ straight away or go for some sort of custom remap (obviously here I am not including my other mods such as handling).
 
saq85 said:
Omg it looks mint, is that panther black or phantom black. I have a black one it always looks ***** lol.
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Phantom Black mate, Panther is has a lighter purpley tint to it! So, I wanted to fit the grill today but it's raining and the garage is packed full of rubbish so it will have to wait...but I did get to fit the DV+ and I think it's brilliant! Ride feels smoother and if I'm not mistaken, throttle response is a bit better too but the pull of the car is brilliant! Had trouble getting the engine cover off to begin with, was so stiff and now I can't really clip it properly back in place!

Sold my peugeot so got £2K cash to have some fun with, ordering the CAI from Revo and not sure what else yet!



 
Quick question ahead of this weekend, been looking everywhere for some sort of intake install guide for the S3 8P. I just want to visualise and see what needs to be done, I know it's quite straightforward but google and searches on here are not bringing up any guides with pics or videos on youtube. Just want to see what I need so I can sort myself for saturday!
 
So, finally found the time to fit my RS3 grille, revo intake and TTS engine cover. Pretty straight forward to be honest, thought it would be a lot harder than it was! Got some pictures below of fitting and prep with my mate and the end result!

Up next is probably a full TBE and I am swaying towards a custom made one from EMP Performance. Anyone have any experience with EMP and any rubbing issues as I have heard that some custom exhausts from companies can rattle because there is such a small gap for the downpipe.









 
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Grille looks brilliant, ive been after one of these for a while now. Might have to take the plunge!
 
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Grill looks great.

Got the same grill but with black rings, is there anyway to remove the rings without taking the bumper back off again?
 
Thanks everyone. I'm not sure Aterro, maybe if the gap is big enough and you lift the car up, you could potentially get your hand in between the grill and the crash bar but from recollection, it may be too small a gap!

Sonny, take the plunge, great mod! think it looks more beasty!
 
So, sitting in a bit of traffic up to a roundabout in town and this happened....guy said his foot slipped off his clutch in a huge land rover defender with bully bars!! Thankfully, this was a month ago and got my car back all fixed through his insurance. New light unit, new bumper and badges and they fixed the dent and scrapes on the boot lid. Overall, love the new look of the paint job! wish my whole car was like that!



 
Ouch! What a pain in the ****, literally. Glad it's all sorted for you now mate. Car looks great.
 
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MarkpS3 said:
Ouch! What a pain in the ****, literally. Glad it's all sorted for you now mate. Car looks great.
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Cheers, I am so glad as enterprise gave me a volvo estate to drive while it was being repaired!

One thing that went missing was the ball joint for my audi tts engine cover. Ordered a new one and it fits in the engine cover but I can't seem to screw it in more than like 2 turns! Anyone have this issue? Does it need some wd40 or something and is it okay to spray there? My part bag from audi says the part no. is 06E-103-164 but the invoice says A06E103164...not sure if this makes a difference but can't seem to screw it in place!

Any words of wisdom from anyone is appreciated lol
 
you mean the third screw that goes on to intake manifold? i don't have that one and i don't have issue with engine cover.
 
S. said:
you mean the third screw that goes on to intake manifold? i don't have that one and i don't have issue with engine cover.
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Yes, that's the one. The short one. I don't currently have any issues but I'm wondering why it won't screw in after i paid for it haha.
 
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