Audi A4

It was back in et 12/08 that we first introduced Project B6. At the time we admitted it was as close to a POS as an Audi A4 quattro can get. The unfortunate sedan had been treated to some ill-conceived and poorly executed upgrades by a previous owner that included a warped body kit, stock wheels painted matte black, illegal window tint, carbon hood, black roof and lowering springs. The 1.8T had done far too many miles, had a clogged intake and frankly needed some TLC.

Fortunately, we're not afraid of a challenge and set ourselves the task of bring this very capable car back from the dead.

The first task when facing any new project is always the chassis - new suspension and a good set of wheels and tires will always inject some fun and improve the looks.

Our first decision was one of our best - H&R Street Performance coilovers and adjustable sway bars would give us one of the best foundations a car can have upon which to build a great project. The height adjustment afforded by the coilovers would allow us to sit the car just right over the new wheels.

The H&R sway bars would also allow us to better control the 3400 lb car in turns. The quattro drivetrain gives superior grip but the weight penalty is significant, so these sway bars should help considerably.

For the next step, we approached TSW wheels to replace the stock 17" rims with a more appropriate 19" option. Because it's a quattro, we couldn't go with a staggered offset. However, TSW recommended a generous 8.5" width all-round in its classic Jarama five-spoke. These are available in either silver or gloss black finishes with polished lips. And although not fans of black wheels under most circumstances, the A4 already had a black & white theme, so we stuck with it.

Tires would be 235/35-19 Toyo T1R with their solid shoulders to enhance cornering power and wide center tread for grip and stability plus the arrow-shaped pattern helps remove water.

With 120k miles on the clock, the stock brakes would inevitably require attention. Our solution was a stage 2 kit from StopTech that includes replacement Powerslot rotors, pads, lines and fluid. This is the perfect package for an overhaul of this type and should ensure we can stop safely.In this installment, we fitted the rotors and pads but didn't have time to replace the lines and fluid. However, that job will be done as soon as possible since the old fluid is potentially dangerous.

Engine-wise, we were cautious since it is high mileage. Therefore, we looked at starting with a stainless steel Techtonics Tuning exhaust. After fitting several of these systems to various cars, we know they fit well, last forever and are relatively quiet.

We also planned to fit a Forge turbo inlet pipe since it worked so well on our Project Jetta 1.8T. We'd replace the airbox with an aFe intake system and finally upgrade the ECU with Unitronic software to bring it to life. However, we discovered the aFe intake wouldn't work with the Forge pipe. So instead we fitted the Forge piece and a drop-in ITG filter from Euro Sport Accessories. We hope to test this system and then replace it with the aFe intake and compare results.