Quattro Conversion

[ScottD3]

I'm just wondering and don't worry i'm not thinking about doing it...................Hmmmmmmmmm..............No, I'm not I can't, its pointless.

But has any one converted a FWD B5 to a quattro?
Got any links or info on it?

 

[adamss24]

Waay to much work to make it feasible, better buy a factory made one... I have a 98 v6 tdi quattro fully sorted on which i pulled the engine in order to fit a heavily breathed on AHH 90 Bhp 1.9 engine. The reason behind my madness was that they never sold a facelifted model after 98 in uk and the 1.9Tdi quattro never had a propper 01 E 6 speed gearbox + mine has already a s4 bodykit and sorted suspension. I bought and sold a few 1.9 tdi quattro's in the last year and to be honest i reckon is not point to do it as the insurance is much higher and then you'll need a lot of parts from the donor car + loads of cutting and shutting which does not make it feasible for what it's worth. I have the rolling carl and the engine/clutch waiting to go in but i keep asking myself if it's worth-it as i already have a few cars to drive and i'll never going to get my money's worth back !

 

[aragorn]

The rear floor is completely different on the B5 between FWD and Quattro models, so unless you fancy cutting the floor/chassis out and welding a new one in, its basically a non-starter.

B6 uses the same pickup points, so if it were a B6 you'd simply be able to drop out the rear subframe and fit a quattro one in its place.

 

[ScottD3]

The rear floor is completely different on the B5 between FWD and Quattro models, so unless you fancy cutting the floor/chassis out and welding a new one in, its basically a non-starter.

B6 uses the same pickup points, so if it were a B6 you'd simply be able to drop out the rear subframe and fit a quattro one in its place.

Thats interesting.

I'm thinking about doing it.
I can't see the point for my sort of driving style and what I use the car for.
I was just wondering if it was simple bolt in job or not.

I did read/see some where that for AWD its just a case of bolting on a diff or out put shaft on the back end of the box and you got drive going to the back end.
More work at the back end but thats basics of it.

 

[warren_S5]

As you'd need to run a propshaft to the rear wheels would this fit given the exhaust routing / size of the tunnel?

Also boot floor may need to be modified (raised), as rear diff isn't the smallest piece of kit.

Not a job to be undertaken lightly, but no doubt someone will do it one day!

 

[ScottD3]

The guy with the diesel golf did it I think.

 

[aragorn]

I did read/see some where that for AWD its just a case of bolting on a diff or out put shaft on the back end of the box and you got drive going to the back end.
More work at the back end but thats basics of it.

You really need to swap the box tbh. There are many internal parts that differ and while yes, you probably could mate the appropriate parts to a FWD box, you'd then likely have miss matching final drives and given you'll have ended up buying a complete quattro box for the parts anyway, you might as well have just fitted that as it came.

Fitting the gearbox or prop isnt really the issue though.

The biggest problem on a B5 is the rear suspension. On a FWD its a torsion beam axle, like an old astra or golf, whereas the Quattro models have a subframe and independent double wishbone rear suspension. The shape of the rear chassis is quite different as a result, and while you could probably cut the floor out of a Quattro B5 and stitch it into a FWD, its a huge amount of welding, not to mention the car would then technically require an IVA test and end up on a Q plate.

Theres also quite a few other parts that change as a result, like the exhaust and fuel tank.

Really, there would be no point in converting a FWD B5. You'd be better and cheaper buying an old V6 quattro and reshell your car into it.