Meet Blizzard, A4 Avant S-Line, Stasis Challenge Spec, ongoing build thread

[QUA77RO]

In the interest of making it easier for me to cross post to the different forums that I frequent, I have begun a build thread.
Mostly this thread will contain photos/videos of mods and the process as well as documenting changes to my Avant over time.

***Stasis/Ohlins Coilovers and Alcon BBK Review. Thread here.***

*** Forgestar CF5 wheels, 19x9.5 ET 42. Thread here.***

This thread is about my crack-enhanced runaway avalanche of an Avant that I affectionately call, Blizzard.
My intent is to show you what I have done or had done as well as document the ups and downs of certain mods over time. Hopefully you will enjoy the ride as much as I do.


I'm going to get ahead of myself by bringing you the newest mods before filling in the modifications that have brought Blizzard this far...




I had received several boxes...
So, I finally got around to getting the contents of the boxes unwrapped and installed... which led to the installation of more parts...but I am getting ahead of things(hope this doesn't become a habit).

This is what was in the longest box.

The Deval Carbon Fiber S-Line/S4 front splitter. I had been looking for a splitter but as I will show in a future post, I had very little clearance to deal with for my driveway. The moment I saw Blakes new splitter, I was on the phone to Eurogear to order up the splitter.... Wasn't out yet but the moment it was, my order was placed.

I ordered the splitter and the plate delete in a matching custom 2x2 twill weave.

which meant a little extra wait time but the results were worth it in my opinion. After talking to a few places about install, I contacted Blake and he referred me to Eurocode Tuning down in Torrance. I called and set up an appointment for the following week. What follows is a pictorial of the install and the secondary install that crawled into my engine bay...




Julio, aka The Mexican(my apologies for calling you Jose bro), service with a smile. You have gotta love having a guy that loves what he's doing work on your car.:cool: Above, he is removing the OEM center splitter.



Above, you can see the bumper with OEM center splitter removed and the Deval CF splitter held in front of it prior to test mounting.


Perfect! I was worried i might need to repaint my bumper with those unsightly scrapes. Every scrape is covered.



Above, the red arrows indicate where we have mounted 4 nuts and bolts fasten the splitter to the bottom of the bumper. There were only 3 holes as it came and we decided that it needed one more to achieve a more aesthetic install with improved fitment. The white arrow points at the hole that we added to achieve this. The 3 bolts across the bottom center are using the factory centor splitter mounting points as this splittler covers that portion just like the factory splitter did.
"C" and "D" are metal mounting tabs that fold back under the bumper from behind, locking the carbon fiber plate delete in place. "A" and "B" are the OE screw affixing points. Julio is tightening point "A".


"I like it, uhlot".... Wait what is Julio coming back with?

Julio went to get a Sharpee marker to black out the one stainless bolt head. The Deval splitter came with 3 holes in the center and 3 on each side. Remember we added a fourth hole on each side and while the Deval came with an extra nut and bolt, Jose had needed to source one and it didn't match the color. I hadn't even noticed until I saw him marking it black. Thanks Julio! Talk about attention to detail, this is the type of guy I want working on my car.

So, now here the car is with the bumper of the car off, new carbon fiber on, and I walk into the office to talk with Dave, the owner of Eurocode and all around cool guy who has Audi in his veins. That's when it happened. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I hadn't had lunch yet or the afternoon sun blinding me but this is what awaited me inside.



At least that's what I saw.... When I came home and looked at the pictures on my computer things were different.


hot welds and hard pipes with a little bit of silicone for good measure... sounds like porn...car porn

Car porn... that is a great way to describe the EuroCode Intercooler and hard pipe upgrade. David, the ChipFather, made me an offer that I could not refuse and the installation began.


I added the horizontal red lines to indicate the alloy crash bar position. The Eurocode intercooler is mounted to the crash bar with a billet adapter And will cover space from the top red line to the bottom of the OE intercooler pictured above. This arrangement opens up space between the radiator and Eurocode intercooler instead of mounting directly against the radiator like the OE plastic/aluminum intercooler. That narrow space was filled with leaves and bug carcasses btw.


Eurocode intercooler attached to alloy crash bar

The Eurocode intercooler upgrade includes hard pipes, silicone hoses, clamps, the intercooler, and the cool turbo compressor outlet adapter below.


The right one is the OE unit and the red arrow points at a slit that (as it was explained to me) is there to combat compressor stall but also creates lag. I'm not sure about the effect of the removal of that slit yet.

This, however, I am sure makes a big difference.

Look at the difference in outlet size!


much better than that restrictive factory compressor outlet


because the new intercooler is mounted further from the radiator, this shroud needed to be trimmed.


Julio roughing it out. He marked the area to cut with a grease pencil on the other side.


on the other side... now the silicone connectors will clear.


Left side hard pipe in place. Blue arrow indicates direction of airflow.


Right side hard pipe in place

The right side hard pipe connects to this pipe which replaces the factory pipe with it's attached sound box. Tough choice...LOL



everything in place

Time to get Blizzard dressed.

I could be wrong but I think Julio is still smiling... You rock amigo!


almost done


Eurocode silicone airbox-to-compressor hose.

Now here is where I failed to visualize the kit installed... I was certain that the polished pipes would attract attention that I didn't want so David agreed to get me a set of black anodized or black powdercoated pipes asap. All buttoned up, you would be hard pressed to spot the mod from outside the car. I do plan to open up the fog grills so the black will be nice and stealthy.

Here is how it looks from the front up close.



When I took it in for it's lunch bath at Lavaggio, people were commenting on Blizzard from the moment I arrived. Kind of amazing how much of a difference two small pieces of carbon fiber can make.

I'll post better photos of the CF bits mounted as soon as I can get time to edit them. And of course, I'll be posting a review of the Eurocode intercooler upgrade in the next few weeks. Probably after Targa Trophy that way I'll have some street and track time on it. I'm really interested to see how it performs at Laguna Seca later this week.

Hope it helps someone, considering these mods or tackling the install.

Time to go relax my hands.

[TCHUN003]

Dayum!! Congrats, it looks like your avant is going to love you. I bet it was a nice drive home...

[Wah]

Very nice!
Was the FMIC install done with the car way off the ground? I would think so according to the pics.
Do you think it would be a good idea do DIY with just a couple of jack stands to get the front end raised? Care to comment on the difficulty/easiness of the FMIC install?

Also, what did Jose use to trim the shroud - a regular cutting knife?

[TCHUN003]

Wah, you can definitely remove/install the FMIC on our cars with a set of jack stands. The longest part is probably removing the front bumper lol

[QUA77RO]

Very nice!
Was the FMIC install done with the car way off the ground? I would think so according to the pics.
Do you think it would be a good idea do DIY with just a couple of jack stands to get the front end raised? Care to comment on the difficulty/easiness of the FMIC install?

For a competent do-it-yourself-er, with the necessary tools should have no problem doing the swap on jack stands. That said, the job is MUCH easier if you have access to a lift. This install was done at Eurocode Tuning. David, the owner, was kind enough to let me photo-document the install. I would think that not having a lift would turn a half-day job into a full day.

Wah, you can definitely remove/install the FMIC on our cars with a set of jack stands. The longest part is probably removing the front bumper lol

Granted, Jose, is a professional and knows his stuff but he had the car on the ground to remove and re-install the bumper and he removed it in less than 25 minutes and put it back on in about 10 minutes. I don't really think anything is that difficult with the install. It seemed pretty straightforward. The cutting of the air-guides could be done with shears.

If there is any one tip I might offer, it would be to leave your clamps loose until you have your piping situated where it won't touch anything and then tighten them all. OH! that's it, the most difficult part was a particular clamp. I forget which one it was offhand... I could find it though.. It is the only spot where the kit cold not use a T-bolt temp compensating clamp due to space constraints. It may be noted in the install guide that David said EC has written up. I haven't seen it but if it's like most EC parts, it will be well documented. I just remember tat because Jose showed me that normal hose clamp and explained that there was just no room to fit the better clamps in that one spot.

[Wah]

^^^ Thanks for the info.
I'll have a closer look at EC's instructions to see if they mention anything.

All in all it seems pretty straight forward...I'm thinking a DIY would take a good 4 hours.

[Okan509]

I really want to do the intercooler hose kit. Let's hear how you like all these mods! Looks great

[audirings4]

Everything looks great.
What valence are you going to use to compliment the splitter/filler?
I can't think of think anyone who makes a single dual outlet?

[Highlander1010]

Looks awesome man!

[Blake P]

Glad it all worked out for you and EC was able to get it done to your liking! The carbon pieces look incredible and I'm sure the new FMIC will perform as intended.

[Speycaster]

Nice write-up, and pics to go along with it all. Great mods also.

[ultra]

car looks good man , surprized u let the dude with the fohawk install it though

[blackavant]

Nice write up man. Congrats on the new mods! Dave and the EC crew are the best!!!

[Miles M]

When I left I knew you were going to get the FMIC from the questions you were asking..haha.

I had a less successful day that day

[ultra]

Also who is Jose , homeboys name is Julio lol

[FlashA4]

Great write up. Your attention to detail is greatly appreciated as well. Im sure this thread will serve well to others trying to do this mod as well as myself.
Oh, and the whip looks tight as hell. By Blizzard, I assume you got Glacier white and not Ibis..

[QUA77RO]

I really want to do the intercooler hose kit. Let's hear how you like all these mods! Looks great

Review will be coming as soon as I get some miles on these mods.

Everything looks great.
What valence are you going to use to compliment the splitter/filler?
I can't think of think anyone who makes a single dual outlet?

No plans to change the rear 3.2 valence that I am currently using. It matches the gun metal powdercoat of the new wheels. That could change if I found a real carbon fiber rear valence which has single dual outlets that are large enough for 4 inch tips. Not likely since Stasis is the only company using tips that large but you never know.

Looks awesome man!

Thanks.

[QUA77RO]

Glad it all worked out for you and EC was able to get it done to your liking! The carbon pieces look incredible and I'm sure the new FMIC will perform as intended.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Nice write-up, and pics to go along with it all. Great mods also.

Thanks

car looks good man , surprized u let the dude with the fohawk install it though
Also who is Jose , homeboys name is Julio lol

Thanks. LOL. Really? my bad.

[QUA77RO]

Nice write up man. Congrats on the new mods! Dave and the EC crew are the best!!!

Thanks. Dave and his EC crew are definitely top notch.

When I left I knew you were going to get the FMIC from the questions you were asking..haha.
I had a less successful day that day

Yeah I was leaning towards the FMIC upgrade before I got there but I was sold when I held it and checked it out. Should help stabilize power especially during Summer track days.

Great write up. Your attention to detail is greatly appreciated as well. Im sure this thread will serve well to others trying to do this mod as well as myself.
Oh, and the whip looks tight as hell. By Blizzard, I assume you got Glacier white and not Ibis..

Thanks. I hope it helps someone.
Blizzard is Ibis. Glaciers move to slowly...
I'm only a fan of pearl paint up until it's first scratch... ever try to get a pearl paint color matched? No more pearls for me.

[QUA77RO]

Some new photos. Tried to capture the CF pattern.. Not as easy as I thought it would be but they'll have to do for now.

Here you can see just how tight the clearance is between the splitter and my driveway. Less than half an inch.














Anyway, that's the best I could do at capturing the pattern as well as the design of the splitter relative to the S-Line bumper.

Enjoy!

[Blake P]

Great photo coverage! You have to admit the DEVAL lip doesn't interfere with ground clearance too bad. The design is very sleek and OEM+ for sure.

[QUA77RO]

Great photo coverage! You have to admit the DEVAL lip doesn't interfere with ground clearance too bad. The design is very sleek and OEM+ for sure.

Thanks. The Deval lip/splitter is fantastic. It follows the contours of the bumper beautifully and you are absolutely right this is probably the best lip for ground clearance issues. Some of the other lips I have looked at use FRP and other fillers that add weight and bulk. I really like how this lip replaces the center OE splitter instead of just stopping at it.
I had a guy waiting by my car when I came out of Home Depot today. He had an Ibis Avant as well and he wondered how I had gotten an RS... I told him it was an A4 with mods. He was blown away. Said he was sure that it was all factory. For me, that is one of the best compliments as I prefer the OEM + style. Low key mods that only the cognoscenti are able to discern.

[Blake P]

Quite a compliment, indeed.

[xbimmer06]

Amazing write-up man. Very worthy mods lately...gd this cant be good for me. This forum sure boosting the economy lately. Ha

[Vito Roma]

VERY VERY SICK!! I'd change the stone gray grille to glossy or matte tho. I have a glossy for sale in the classified (I know, I know) but the stone gray doesnt go with the white/CF

[Wah]

Seems like a very well fitted splitter. I'm sure pics don't do it justice.

[markinarch]

wow good job qua77ro, the front end looks amazing with those carbon pieces up against the Ibis.

[QUA77RO]

VERY VERY SICK!! I'd change the stone gray grille to glossy or matte tho. I have a glossy for sale in the classified (I know, I know) but the stone gray doesnt go with the white/CF

I agree that black would definitely work better with the Ibis/CF contrast... for now though, the stone gray of the grill matches the rear valence and the gunmetal of the wheels... unless you know of a real pre-preg CF rear valence with dual single outlets that will accommodate 4 inch tips... in which case...

Seems like a very well fitted splitter. I'm sure pics don't do it justice.

Very well fitted. I did end up having an extra hole drilled on each side to achieve as snug a fit as possible. And yes, my photos don't begin to do it justice.

wow good job qua77ro, the front end looks amazing with those carbon pieces up against the Ibis.

Thanks



So I'm crunching data from an... interesting... trip to Laguna Seca. I had the worst "off" in my entire track-life.

If anyone is interested, I posted some photos of the event here.

Brake failure at 116mph approaching the Andretti Hairpin. I kept the brake pedal to the floor and used as much engine braking as possible. There was minimal deceleration and I realized that this was not going to be a "recoverable event". I kept the car as straight as possible and prepared for the worst as I entered the gravel pit at approximately 85-90mph. It's amazing how things slow down at times like that. I was envisioning the dive of the front end into the ever deeper gravel as the front wheels drop off the track and into the pit. The sound was a hideous cacophony of shrieking metal, grinding gravel, scraping plastic and shredding carbon fiber. I knew what to expect... I've seen enough excursions into the gravel pit over the years to know the only way out was at the end of a line... a tow line.

I didn't have my wide angle lens when I went to photograph the scene so I had to make these composites.

This one shows the descent from T1 straight into the gravel pit which must be 50 yards across.


The strangest thing happened. I don't know if it had anything to do with the grid marshal, Andre, putting some clover decals on my car or if the all the moons of all the planets suddenly aligned but somehow, I managed to fly across the surface of the gravel and only come to a stop on the far side approximately 1 foot from the end of the gravel pit where it begins to rise into a sandy embankment. Oh yeah, did I mention QUATTRO?

Here you can see how close to the end of the gravel pit I came before...


QUATTRO got me out of Dodge. The look on the corner worker's face was priceless. He was already calling for a tow and I indicated that I could handle getting it back myself (with a good dose of quattro). It was actually more sketchy driving back across than it had been getting all the way out there. Completing the lap with no brakes was fun. Back in the garage, I surveyed the car and was shocked that I could find almost no damage whatsoever. The brakes were another story.

Terrible noise from the right front wheel well. Pulled the front wheels and inspected the brakes. WTF?!!! The inside pad of the right front brakes was nothing but a piece of metal (yeah yeah, pics soon). The 3 other pads all have half their braking compound left. I would normally blame myself except that I had experienced a pulsation through the brakes recently and took it to the dealership mere days before the event and asked them to specifically look at my pads and rotors for anything unusual. They found nothing and signed off on a tech inspection sheet that indicates my brakes "PASS" There were less than 600 miles on the car since the dealership signed off on it, when the brake pad gave up. and most of those miles were the drive up from SoCal to Laguna Seca.

Anyway, it could have been much much worse. I'm glad I'm ok and the car as well but the dealership management is about to find out how I feel about them putting my life at risk...

[maga4]

^^^^ Wow man, I'm glad you are ok! Good news that the car seems to be ok too...minus the breaks of course.

[Okan509]

holyshit! Glad to hear it went over as smoothly as it did. Seems as though it could have been much worse. How bad is the body damage?

I'm glad youre experienced on the track - I bet that could have gone a lot differently

[TCHUN003]

OMG...I've had my share of "oh shit" moments. I'm glad you're okay.

[jjpitaly]

Nice build thread man, looks great. And thank goodness you're experienced on the track or that would have been MUCH worse... good thing you and the car are ok!

[hiwords1]

to check a brake pad you kind of need to remove the whole pad itself. for a check, no shop will take it out. glad you car didn't suffer more damage than it could've.

sooo are you just gonna get performance pads or are you gonna go big?

[Miles M]

^ He has the Stasis package, so Alcon BBK, already.

M,
Still doing Targa with us?

[QUA77RO]

holyshit! Glad to hear it went over as smoothly as it did. Seems as though it could have been much worse. How bad is the body damage?

I'm glad youre experienced on the track - I bet that could have gone a lot differently

That's just it...there were horrendous noises during the event but after teardown, aside from the brake pad issue, I only found minor tears of the Ventureshield clear bra that was installed the day prior. I'll get that section redone anyways as I am having a new wrap done soon.

to check a brake pad you kind of need to remove the whole pad itself. for a check, no shop will take it out. glad you car didn't suffer more damage than it could've.

sooo are you just gonna get performance pads or are you gonna go big?

Agreed. That is why I paid $250 for an LOF and safety inspection. I then also forked over another $250 to have them fill out the simple tech inspection and pay extra attention to the brakes.

Check this out and tell me that you feel they shouldn't have caught this...

The Repair Order states:

A- customer request brake fluid renewal be completed with customer provided Motul (600) brake fluid / completed brake fluid renewal with customer provided Motul fluid.

B- change oil and filter, check fluid levels and set tire pressure (including spare) / performed LOF

C- perform safety inspection / performed safety inspection as per check sheet vehicle passed inspection no repairs needed

D- customer states check for vibration in brakes when brakes are warm / performed diag and or visual inspection, technician states operating as intended, no problem found

$163 for the brake flush, $139 for the LOF, and $250 for the tech inspection sheet... That is the first tech inspection sheet that I have ever been charged for btw. Most dealerships are happy to do them for free as I have always requested that they be extremely thorough as I want anything that is not 100% repaired or replaced immediately. I actually called my wife after this inspection was done and was excited to tell her that it was the first tech inspection that had not ended up costing me $1000+ in new pads/rotors, etc. I was expecting to pay for new pads at least and was thrilled at the apparent savings... That savings almost cost me big time. Anyway, I'll be contacting the dealership tomorrow.

^ He has the Stasis package, so Alcon BBK, already.

M,
Still doing Targa with us?

Just upgraded the Alcon's too. Will have photos soon.

M,
Roger that. Just scored a suite at the hotel.

[Audacious]

That's some scary ishh, I'd be pretty mad at the dealer if I were you. Very jealous of your track days.

[ModBargains II]

This thread made me drool a little bit

[QUA77RO]

Hmm... even a 2 year old can pick out the one that does not belong with the rest... Automotive Sesame Street



Big Bird says,"Well, the pad didn't really leave. It just went away"



Oscar the Grouch says, "feel free to throw that in my can!"

Cookie Monster wipes dark crumbs from his chin and says, "Don't look at me. I didn't eat it."

[Okan509]

WTF

[ultra]

crazy man , glad you are ok . see you Saturday