Right, so my wife and I took Quattromog out for an epic weekend of four-wheeling and camping a few weeks back (i'll post more about that on the Quattromog thread). On said trip we were reminded just how quickly the two of us fill up a coupe with gear for a weekend. That has not been an issue until now, but...
The problem: My wife is pregnant - come November there will be THREE of us!
The solution: Quattromog XL!! (Open to naming suggestions.. I don't love this one)
Wife has dictated that QXL must be ready to take us and the baby deep into the forest service roads for Christmas Tree Hunting in December. The pressure is on.
Next question: What to use as a base
We already have two 2011 A4 avants which we love, so the natural choice was to buy a third one to turn into Quattromog XL. Completely normal to own three of the same car. This should give us plenty of space for ourselves, kids, and gear for adventuring.
Desirable features of a B8 Avant:
-Already has a 4-cylinder turbo
-8 speed ZF gearbox (best auto I’ve ever driven)
-lots of space
-AIR CONDITIONING!!!
-a nice quiet interior with all the modern comforts you’ve become accustom to in your ‘normal’ car
Undesirable features of a B8 Avant:
-Pre-oil consumption pistons/ring
Like the original, I’m not going to ruin a “nice” car with this project, and I found the perfect candidate on Craigslist for cheap. Behold!
Don’t let those flashy listing photos fool you; the previous owner was a professional photographer. The windshield is broken, paint is hammered, there is not a straight panel on this thing, it has a salvage title, and the engine is toast (zero compression in cylinder 1).
It’s also the most base model B8 A4 I have EVER seen. It’s missing thing I assumed were standard equipment because I’ve never seen a car without them before! It has halogen headlamps! No reverse sensors! No backup camera!!l The humanity!!
On to the work.
First up: engine replacement
Bought a used motor from a wrecked 2011 A4 sedan. I called the dealer and checked the car’s VIN to confirm the oil consumption warranty work had been performed (it had) but when the motor showed up- surprise! Not the original engine for the car. The ‘new’ engine from my donor A4 was actually a 2013 Q5 engine. Happy surprise as this means it has all the updated pistons, rings, and timing components, and (hopefully) lower miles.
I’m getting faster at this swap: started at 3 PM and finished at 2 AM with an hour break for dinner
Next up: suspension
Eventually I’ll probably build custom suspension to get more lift and travel, but in the short term I want something easy to get me more ground clearance. Allroad springs were my first thought, but those only get you 1.2” over a standard A4.
With some digging I discovered the B8 A4 is part of Audi’s MLB platform which also includes the A5, Q5, A7, etc.. The suspension on an A4 and a Q5 are identical with the exception of the springs. I even called Bilstein technical to confirm shock valving is the same between the A4 and Q5.
Doing the math to account for differences in tire size, I found the Q5 suspension is only 1.2” higher than a standard A4; same as an Allroad.
Better than nothing, but not great IMO.
Then I found that H&R makes 1” lift springs for the Q5, which by my math would mean 2.2” lift on an A4. Sweet!
So I bought a set & installed them. Fit like a friggin’ glove.
These are before I took it out for a drive to settle the suspension, but first impression is very good. I’ll get a measurement later to see what the total actual difference is. First impression driving is that the car handles well and does not feel like it’s over-sprung, however it definitely handles like a road car. I don’t suspect these will do me any favors in improving suspension articulation.
Last bit of work completed was a full brake job. The old ones were TOAST!
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quattrostilskin is pretty excellent. Somehow it's funnier every time I read it..
