$2,000 To Spend, Opinions Please

[ChescoS6]

Next month I'll be able to put a large portion of a paycheck towards my car. I am having trouble deciding what to do with it. I put my options in the poll. Here's what I have on the car now: 2001.5 1.8TQ Tip w/ 69k miles
All scheduled maintenance is done (and then some). The car has NO mechanical problems whatsoever.

MODS: GIAC chip, Tip chip, Baileys DV, K&N panel, Borla exhaust, Labree HFC (not installed), APR TIP, clear corner mod with VVME HID, RS4 grille, painted lowers, M3 lip spoiler, 18" wheels with low miles on Dunlops, all brake rotors, pads, fluid, SS lines recently replaced, 1 year old Bilsteins with brand new H&R race springs, mild tint all around, column mount boost guage, OEM Audi sport all weather mats, brushed guage rings....more small stuff I may be forgetting. Oh and I have the Bentley manual and a code scanner.

First option, I would like to fix a bunch of small things on the car so IMO it's perfect. For the interior I have a tear on the lower driver seat bolster and a cigarette burn on the door trim from previous owner. Otherwise the interior is mint. $250 to fix both. The exterior has a few very minor scratches and dings which I have no idea what to estimate the cost but if the paint / body work was $1,000 I might have enough left for H-sport sways or something in that price range. Also my driver door handle is loose inside, I think around $50-100 on ECS but I forget.

A second option is a BT setup. Since I am Tip I would go the eliminator route. $2,000 is my max for spending and I haven't quite found a new setup for that price. 034 MS would be around $2300-2400 for a turbo and fueling. I have been watching the classifieds but no used Elim setups lately.

A third option is laying more groundwork for a BT setup. I would get an S4 or RS4 bumper and the paintwork, FMIC and have enough left for something semi-cheap like a new lightweight battery or upgraded motor mounts? I would have to wait until next summer to go BT.

If I am missing something or you can give me better options please do!

[biketsai]

BT FTW, all that other crap can come sooner or later and doesnt require a large sum of money

[Kyle H]

I think you should fix the small stuff and get h-sports.

A bt setup on a tip would be funky IMO. How are you going to get out of first gear quick when boost doesn't build until ~3,500rpm?


Biketsai, how is first gear? I'm just assuming that ^^^, is it true?

[biketsai]

I think you should fix the small stuff and get h-sports.

A bt setup on a tip would be funky IMO. How are you going to get out of first gear quick when boost doesn't build until ~3,500rpm?

Its called having a testpipe and powerbraking!

[Kyle H]

Hahah, is your torque converting holding up okay? That's gotta put a ton of stress on it.

[fred2ka4]

I am a stickler when it comes to the details. I would fix all of the little things and then get the H-Sport sway bar kit. The one thing I hate the most is trying to start a project and then not having the funds to finish it.

Bumper and FMIC would be my second choice.

[Lazer Viking]

start the BT prep, id lay the groundwork, bumper, fmic, mounts, gaskets where needed etc etc
but it depends on what it going to make you happy, i know spending 2k to fix the rip in my seat and some dings would not make me happy

[biketsai]

Kyle, its holding up perfectly fine.
I seriously think you should do the BT first.
Its probably going to be difficult to get another big paycheck like this (this is the reason why you are asking us what should be done with a BIG paycheck).
bumper isnt even needed for an FMIC, and a FMIC isnt really needed for the BT, but it will only cost $200 if you do it custom down the road.
You'll be alot more satisfied when you get a bigger turbo instead of bringing your car out of your body shop being broke and wishing you went BT when you had the chance

[ChescoS6]

Kyle, its holding up perfectly fine.
I seriously think you should do the BT first.
Its probably going to be difficult to get another big paycheck like this (this is the reason why you are asking us what should be done with a BIG paycheck).
bumper isnt even needed for an FMIC, and a FMIC isnt really needed for the BT, but it will only cost $200 if you do it custom down the road.
You'll be alot more satisfied when you get a bigger turbo instead of bringing your car out of your body shop being broke and wishing you went BT when you had the chance

It isn't a "big" paycheck. It's actually an extra paycheck. Bills are due 24 times a year, or twice a month. I get paid 26 times a year (every 2 weeks). I use the other extra check at Christmas and the summer one for car stuff. After I buy some stuff for around the house (mulch, new gas grill, etc.) I will have $2,000 left from the check for car stuff. You are correct, I would probably regret spending the money on body work but it is an option worth considering.

[Seerlah]

Put maybe $1,200 in seperate account just for your car/rainy day and keep the other $800 to fix the minor stuff and sway bars. Then keep throwing money into the bt account till you reach a substantial amount for your set up. Withdraw money when you come across a good deal for peices to the set-up (classifieds FTW), and make the process a smoothe patient one. And not a quick frustrating one.

[ZAvant]

Put maybe $1,200 in seperate account just for your car/rainy day and keep the other $800 to fix the minor stuff and sway bars. Then keep throwing money into the bt account till you reach a substantial amount for your set up. Withdraw money when you come across a good deal for peices to the set-up (classifieds FTW), and make the process a smoothe patient one. And not a quick frustrating one.

Best option

[Kyle H]

I KNOW!


Buy stocks, and lots of it. When the stock market turns around, sell it and go BT!

[biketsai]

Put maybe $1,200 in seperate account just for your car/rainy day and keep the other $800 to fix the minor stuff and sway bars. Then keep throwing money into the bt account till you reach a substantial amount for your set up. Withdraw money when you come across a good deal for peices to the set-up (classifieds FTW), and make the process a smoothe patient one. And not a quick frustrating one.

sounds like a good plan as well.
If you can wait and piece a kit together, it will all come together at a bargain

[ChescoS6]

I KNOW!


Buy stocks, and lots of it. When the stock market turns around, sell it and go BT!

Unfortunately I don't see it turning around anytime soon.

Not Audi related but, I was also looking at one of these.

[audiFUEGO]

Unfortunately I don't see it turning around anytime soon.

Not Audi related but, I was also looking at one of these.

Funny you mention. We just picked up a 223/5.56 AR-15.. I dont know much about it but the guy in the shop was raving about it. One piece upper? Adjustable clasp (shoulder thing)? Special bolt that diverts gases... Sick Laser scope toys and all but the guy said the gun itself was "creme de la creme"

I would say the rifle or save it.

[Eurotuned_A4]

i dont know. i would probably fix the small things first if it were me. then save teh rest for BT and dont worry about h sports yet.

[Poopie]

Fixing all the small things is nice too. After that its like buying a brand new car. I hardly worry about cosmetic stuff now since my car is quite fast. People don't care what it looks like when its fast.

[airy52]

get that gun and rob some shit. then go bt and escape cuz ul be so fast. lulz.

[Kyle H]

Fixing all the small things is nice too. After that its like buying a brand new car. I hardly worry about cosmetic stuff now since my car is quite fast. People don't care what it looks like when its fast.

"I don't care if it has electric windows. I don't care if the door gaps are straight but when the driver steps on the gas I want him to shit his pants." - Enzo Ferrari

[biketsai]

i wish i could shit my pants in my audi

[Durkin]

I wish i had gone with what Seerlah recommended...
but then again im also a tactical junky and have 4 surefires, a RRA LAR-15, a sig p226 .40sw, m700vsf .308 and a 18" 870... neither are "stock"... there's a turbo kit right there *sigh* haha...

[boostedup]

m4A1 carbine, with extended clip & barrel and ACOG scope FTW. might be past your budget though......

[TQMB5]

all you ******s are scaring me, why the hell do you guys all know so much about assault rifles.

[T3hD0gg]

all you ******s are scaring me, why the hell do you guys all know so much about assault rifles.

I hope you're joking. Some people like guns and know all about them.

Some of us know a lot about cars. Did you know they can kill people too?

If you were joking, sorry I got all serious.

[audiFUEGO]

yea the one we jut got is a carbine also i think... can an ar-15 be a carbine? anyways i cant wait to shoot that bitch. I would say buy the gun because who knows whats gonna happen this November... besides obama or hilary running this country, with democrats in office we most likely wont be able to buy these guns anymore. Thats when your $2500 rifle becomes a $6-8000 rifle.

[mike-2ptzero]

I hope you're joking. Some people like guns and know all about them.

Some of us know a lot about cars. Did you know they can kill people too?

If you were joking, sorry I got all serious.

The car doesn't kill people its PEOPLE that kill people. Sorry had to say it.

[whoace]

Some of us know a lot about cars. Did you know they can kill people too?

What is the purpose of a car? What is the purpose of a gun?

It's okay to like guns, but your logic is backwards.

[b5a4gt28]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198805

[T3hD0gg]

The car doesn't kill people its PEOPLE that kill people. Sorry had to say it.

Exactly my point.

[fa sh000]

I say you buy my spy's. 60 bucks. :]
or buy a Gl2. or some kind of camcorder. or camera.

[JK35]

I started "modding" cars when I was 13. That was my first car, a 1971 Dodge ChallengerT/A 340 6 pack, 4 spd Hurst pistolgrip shifter... It was rough, but everything was there. Had I left the car alone and properly stored it away in it's worn out abused state, I could probably sell it today as is for upwards of $75k.
However, Had I not tore into it, I wouldn't have learned to build engines, transmissions, weld, fabricate, skillfully destroy tires quickly and purposefully...

Oh, and I would have probably become one of those guys who has to PAY SOMEONE to do their modifications for them.
-Nah, I've tricked out at least 25 vehicles since then (I'm 35 now) so the "profit" I would have "made" from the hypothetical time capsule Challenger would have been spent long before my 3rd project car (a somewhat streetable 750+whp Supercharged Big Block mudracing truck) would have soured me on wasting money on these financially loosing endeavors long ago and I'd now be like most other 30 somethings and older age brackets, who pompously shake their heads at the mention of the foolish spending we all live to do on our rides.
My vote goes for this:
Buy yourself a new Miller or Hobart MIG welder/auto darkening hood ($600) I'll "loan" you a SS Borla muffler, and you can score all the stainless pipe you could ever need from a metal recycling scrap yard for under $50. clone your existing exhaust system to cut your teeth on fabrication. -Now you can sell your store bought exhaust/downpipe + any additional clones that you'll now be able to build easily for about $200 total each...
THEN you will realize that you have found yourself a new feather in your hat, because you will have the ability to make your habit pay for itself.
In the interim, snoop around for some DEALS on the nit-noid crap you want to fix, and further hone your backyard skills of searching/haggling/repairing what you have with what you can find.
Over this two month endeavor, you will have saved another grand or two, and if you dont want to make your own headers, source out a nice GT30r for half the price of new and have a really badass BT setup, you can sell your welding rig for 1/3 less than you payed for it and start another poll on here asking how you should spend $4500+

-Just a thought :)

You might want to think about buying a WB02 & a decent entry level wet kit (nitrous) to play with while you're learning about Air/Fuel ratios. With that, you might find that the kind of power a BT provides on a nice DD is not for you, and that you'd rather spend more on handling/tires before going all out on a BT setup right now (and if you don't like the giggle gas, you can always sell it off in the classifieds very quickly.)

sorry for the rant, but when you ask for opinions, expect to get a few!
Best wishes for whatever you decide to do.

BTW, when was your last timing belt service?

[biketsai]

I really wanna get a welder

[Mad_Audi]

m4A1 carbine, with extended clip & barrel and ACOG scope FTW. might be past your budget though......

you have been playing way too much Call Of Duty 4 j/k haha

[Durkin]

m4A1 carbine, with extended clip & barrel and ACOG scope FTW. might be past your budget though......

to clear a few things up...
...its a "mag"... "clip"s or "stripper clips" as they're suposed to be called "clip" around the base of the casing and is used to hold the rounds in line to be force-fed into an internal magazine... magazines are boxes that surround the rounds forcing them towards the top using a Chaser and a spring... thats also a 30rd magazine.. what's issued by the military...



and an AR-15 IS the civilian platform of a the m16a2, which has a 20" bbl(barrel) .. but you can get it with an anywhere from a 16"-24" bbl... anything less (10.5- 14.5" commonly) and you have to go through NFA ($200 tax stamp, fingerprinting, 6 months etc..) the uppers can be railed or fixed carry handles and they are the civic's of semi-automatic magazine fed shoulder firing weapons...

you could easily get something (like) that for $2,000 ...
look up a Rock River Arms (RRA) LAR-15, it'll run you just under $800... it'd have a 16" bbl as the 14.5" (what military issues the marines) is below NFA standards, and will cause more complications... for the cost RRA is one of the better companies out there... the RIS (rail integrated system) will run you 100-200 used/new for a Surefire m73 railed fore end... and if you Really want that ACOG (advanced combat optical gunsight) you can pick them up for 900-1200 depending on the model... Trijicon makes them.. but for the money, i'd go with an EO-Tech 552.. or any of their models for that matter... cost 300-500 and they're most likely going to suit most shooters better than an ACOG will... especially with someone with a fixed budget...

to give you an idea, RRA LAR-15 16" bbl, surefire m73 RIS, surefire G2 (now have a G3)...
and just to note, i promote weapons safety, and have helped instruct courses in the past... and the military has been my dream since i was 7... now i'm almost 21, and due to current health issues i cant be where i'd like to be... someday maybe, but not today... Medical negligence FTL... but lawsuits FTMFW... hopefully...

[boostedup]

the g3 is only single shot though, isn't it? much more accurate than all above named models......i'm no weapons expert......

[NeubsA4]

all you ******s are scaring me, why the hell do you guys all know so much about assault rifles.

thats what happens when youre in the military. lol

[ChescoS6]

I started "modding" cars when I was 13. That was my first car, a 1971 Dodge ChallengerT/A 340 6 pack, 4 spd Hurst pistolgrip shifter... It was rough, but everything was there. Had I left the car alone and properly stored it away in it's worn out abused state, I could probably sell it today as is for upwards of $75k.
However, Had I not tore into it, I wouldn't have learned to build engines, transmissions, weld, fabricate, skillfully destroy tires quickly and purposefully...

Oh, and I would have probably become one of those guys who has to PAY SOMEONE to do their modifications for them.
-Nah, I've tricked out at least 25 vehicles since then (I'm 35 now) so the "profit" I would have "made" from the hypothetical time capsule Challenger would have been spent long before my 3rd project car (a somewhat streetable 750+whp Supercharged Big Block mudracing truck) would have soured me on wasting money on these financially loosing endeavors long ago and I'd now be like most other 30 somethings and older age brackets, who pompously shake their heads at the mention of the foolish spending we all live to do on our rides.
My vote goes for this:
Buy yourself a new Miller or Hobart MIG welder/auto darkening hood ($600) I'll "loan" you a SS Borla muffler, and you can score all the stainless pipe you could ever need from a metal recycling scrap yard for under $50. clone your existing exhaust system to cut your teeth on fabrication. -Now you can sell your store bought exhaust/downpipe + any additional clones that you'll now be able to build easily for about $200 total each...
THEN you will realize that you have found yourself a new feather in your hat, because you will have the ability to make your habit pay for itself.
In the interim, snoop around for some DEALS on the nit-noid crap you want to fix, and further hone your backyard skills of searching/haggling/repairing what you have with what you can find.
Over this two month endeavor, you will have saved another grand or two, and if you dont want to make your own headers, source out a nice GT30r for half the price of new and have a really badass BT setup, you can sell your welding rig for 1/3 less than you payed for it and start another poll on here asking how you should spend $4500+

-Just a thought :)

You might want to think about buying a WB02 & a decent entry level wet kit (nitrous) to play with while you're learning about Air/Fuel ratios. With that, you might find that the kind of power a BT provides on a nice DD is not for you, and that you'd rather spend more on handling/tires before going all out on a BT setup right now (and if you don't like the giggle gas, you can always sell it off in the classifieds very quickly.)

sorry for the rant, but when you ask for opinions, expect to get a few!
Best wishes for whatever you decide to do.

BTW, when was your last timing belt service?

Timing belt was changed at 59k miles (10k ago)

Thanks.

[Durkin]

the g3 is only single shot though, isn't it? much more accurate than all above named models......i'm no weapons expert......

actually no... G3 (rifle) is semi automatic/automatic (select fire) civi models are semi-automatic... they are also 7.62x51mm (.308) and the AR/m4 is 5.56x45mm, which is what i have since i already have a precision bolt action rifle chambered in .308... however i was refering to the Surefire G3 Nitrolon flash light (3batt)... in that picture i had a surefire G2 (2 batt 60 lumen), now i keep that in my pocket basically all times and have a surefire G3 (100 lumens/60 minutes, or with switched lamp assembly 200 lumens/20 minutes) on my AR.. basically if someone enters my house or messes with my car..they'll feel heat from the bulb at 10'... and if armed... well yeah... hope that day never comes...
with the posibility of changing laws, firearms will only go up in price...