# ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project



## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

The next Achtuning Project: 2.0T FSI Audi A3
Introducing this Brilliant Red 2006 Audi A3, Achtuning has a lot in store for this new project. This base-model A3 is the perfect blank canvas for us to begin with, equipped with the 2.0T FSI motor and a 6-speed manual transmission. The lack of an open-sky feature means this thing will be better equipped to handle the track with less weight and body flex.
























The Audi A3 has graced North American roads since 2006, and you'd wonder why we would choose a 3-year old car to begin a project like this - especially when so many properly modified examples roam our highways already. Many companies will opt to pick out the latest offerings by a manufacturer to be the first to mod it - after all, being the first to successfully modify a new vehicle puts you a step ahead of your competition.
The first Audi A3s to hit US roads are now running past their factory warranties, which makes deciding on a turbo upgrade much easier to swallow. Pricing for an A3 is now very close to it's step-brother (the VW GTI) especially since many of these are coming out of the very popular 3-year lease program Audi had offered. With as many performance modifications that will cross-over between the GTI and A3, the decision to go A3 was a "no-brainer" as it gives a bit more bang-for-buck over it's VW counterpart.








We'll be selecting the S3 Conversion Package as our weapon-of-choice for our A3. This should take our current 200hp and 207lb-ft Transverse 2.0T FSI Engine to 355 horsepower and 368lb-ft of torque (on 100 octane gas) with all of the necessary OEM components from the European Audi S3 and APR’s FSI High Pressure Fuel Pump with meticulously re-calibrated Engine Management! Instead of building a high-horsepower, "balls to the wall" project car we felt that picking modifications that are easily within the reach of our most common enthusiast would be best and show-case a car with every-day dependable upgrades. This A3 is a great platform to show off those reliable, daily-driven modifications you can pick up at Achtuning.
A suspension upgrade will follow shortly after, so we can get rid of the nasty wheel gap these NA-spec cars come equipped with and improve over-all stance, but more importantly so we can reduce body roll by lowering the car's center of gravity. We'll have the car wrap some 19" forged Hartmann Split-7s which are 19x8 and a 45mm offset - we're still undecided on the final finish.








The interior is pretty basic, which is perfectly fine since much of it will be changed to better suit our Achtuning theme. We don't wanna give away any details about that yet but expect some more black and red inside the car.
































Rest assured the engine and turbo will receive APR upgrades... We'll leave it at that for now.








As we progress with our new project, we'll keep you updated here so check back soon!!










_Modified by [email protected]!NG at 2:56 PM 1-26-2009_


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

*DONT* use the Reiger kit that uses the a8 grille. other then that, lookin forward to see the build up


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re:*

Yeah no worries there.


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## yoonskim (Jun 9, 2003)

*Re: Re: ([email protected]!NG)*

I already smell 300+ horsepower at the wheels here








Fast pace project?? I hope so, we all hate waiting


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: (yoonskim)*

We'll have a good majority of the performance upgrades done fairly quickly yes. But we're going to address some minor maintenance issues first (found a torn CV boot - no biggie) and get the under-side cleaned up real nice before we get going. As busy as we tend to keep, we'll spend time on this project as much as we can but we won't have time every day to make progress.


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: (yoonskim) ([email protected]!NG)*

so who bought it?


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*FV-QR*

I don't get it... We did.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ([email protected]!NG)*

*Achtuning A3 Project Update: January 22nd, 2009*
8:30am - Loading APR software to ECU








9:30am - Taking out some parts from inventory
















As of an hour ago...


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

that s3 IC and k04?


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: (the4ringer)*

You got it!


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

As of this morning, this is how the Achtuning A3 Project sits.








The turbo-swap is almost complete but we have several other engine upgrades on the way so we can't quite wrap-up the front end yet. Shown below is the stock A3's turbo compared to the K04 off of the Audi S3.








Last Friday, we received the Audi Votex body kit for the Audi A3 which includes a front valence, side skirts, rear valence, and upper hatch spoiler. These will go out for paint later this week.
















While the Oettinger kit was the first choice for body styling, the current cost of the factory Votex kit offered by Audi could not be passed up. We can always do Oettinger later anyway.








More updates to come as parts start to arrive!


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## [email protected] (Aug 21, 2008)

we have the same car Dion, and the same path, even the same parts on install, except the wheels.... lol. Good Luck, so much fun the car is....
Berk


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re:*

Yup, then there's Vivid who has quite a bit done to their's and will be featured in the upcoming Eurotuner issue - we'll make as many subtle changes as possible to set our's apart.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

Our very close friends at H&R sent us a set of their Premium Coil-Overs for our Audi A3 project. 








H&R's Premium line offers ultra-lightweight performance with these aluminum-bodied dampers with a reduced weight of up to 40% from factory suspension components, further assisting us in the reduction of unsprung weight. Each shock is "tuned with a progressive rate spring that is engineered from its inception to work with the shock’s valving, creating a finely tuned suspension system." The coil-over kit has a drop range of 1.0 to 2.5 inches and are hard-anodized in black - perfectly matching our Achtuning theme.


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## Mentosman42 (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

cant wait to see the final product, esp the interior, i have the same car(red baseline 2006 2.0t) and have always wanted to do some interior work to go with my outside theme(red and black). maybe you guys will pave the way for me to do some of my own haha.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

Even more parts arrived today for our A3 project, courtesy of Neuspeed...








* under-drive pulleys
* short-shift kit
* hi-flo intercooler pipe-conversion


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## ODY (Jun 26, 2008)

Coming along very nicely.... I wish I had parts being shipped to me everyday....


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

We dropped off the Votex kit for the Achtuning A3 Project at Dreamwerks yesterday! Known for their excellent quality and passion for everything European, we knew our OE body kit was in good hands...


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## Rub-ISH (Aug 8, 2006)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

R U Guys going with the Stasis GIAC tune or the APR K04 tune? Since your a dealer of both


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project (Rub-ISH)*

STaSIS Engineering uses GIAC tuning with their hard parts. We only sell STaSIS Engineering hard parts.
This is an APR-tuned S3-conversion.


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## [email protected] (Aug 21, 2008)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

looking good


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## Presns3 (Mar 6, 2006)

whos the lucky mofo whos getting all these parts at cost


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## 3lfk1ng (Apr 10, 2008)

*Re: (Presns3)*

not me


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

In true "shop project" form, this A3 belongs to Achtuning. As our demo, it will be available for viewing (and rides for those who are in the market for the turbo upgrade) during our shop hours...


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

lookin good. i might have to come by and take a look


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

More parts trickle in for the Achtuning A3 Project - today from StopTech we received a 328x28mm, 4-piston Big Brake Kit. 








We picked up some stainless steel lines as well to complete the front brake upgrade for the A3. 









   
Starting at $1995...


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## sabba (Oct 25, 2008)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

i like what I am seeing so far. Cant wait till you get the car on the road and post up how it performs. I think you should put a set of the Work VSXX wheels you have for sale on this car.
Will the 328 Stoptech's fit behind the A3's 17" sixteen spoke wheels w/o spacer? I would like to eventually upgrade both my wheels and brakes but want to keep the OEM wheels for my winter setup. I know the r32/s3 brakes will fit but I'd prefer the stoptechs.


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

someones bumper has a little razor burn on the chin. dont i know how that feels http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 

edit edit edit: truck this thing down for Wuste09 in LV in june. Reps the A3's


_Modified by the4ringer at 3:56 PM 2/9/2009_


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

That's why they have the front bumper - it's been completely sanded down and resprayed. Also notice we have two votex front lips sitting there getting painted. We're anticipating some scrap-age. 









_Quote, originally posted by *sabba* »_Will the 328 Stoptech's fit behind the A3's 17" sixteen spoke wheels w/o spacer? I would like to eventually upgrade both my wheels and brakes but want to keep the OEM wheels for my winter setup. I know the r32/s3 brakes will fit but I'd prefer the stoptechs.


Doubt they'd fit without the use of spacers. We don't have the wheels here to answer that question for you but StopTech offers brake templates you can use to measure their calipers against your wheels for proper fitment.
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_i...0.pdf <--- A3 328mm brake template


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

Dreamwerks completed the Votex kit for the Achtuning A3 Project and we couldn't be happier with the results!
















The kit will go on the car within the next couple of weeks as they will likely be the last itmes to go on the car but we're confident the look will be just right! Thanks Hans and Andy for your diligent and quality work!


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

i heard there was a problem with the turbo install....


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project (vwracin86)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vwracin86* »_i heard there was a problem with the turbo install....

Not at all. We had no problems throughout the turbo installation, in fact the install went very smooth and the kit operated perfectly... However our initial test-drive wasn't what we had hoped. 
Here sat the Achtuning A3 project as we had pulled it out for its maiden voyage with the completion of the S3 Conversion to the 2.0T engine. We wanted to make sure it was properly warmed up before seeing how much power the turbo upgrade would produce.








Our test-run didn't last long... It seems the high-mileage motor in the A3 we picked up wasn't a clean-slate, "blank canvas" as we had hoped after all as it gave up on us within 5-minutes of our run. As we knew there had to be underlying issues with the motor in our A3, we decided to pull it.








We found unusually excessive carbon build-up on the valves along with a few other things we noticed indicating this motor had been tampered with before - and not necessarily in a good way. 








Despite the small hiccup, we're moving forward with the A3 project but with a slightly different direction this time...








We're building up two motors for this A3 now, one to continue our "Edition 30"/S3 Conversion and another, more powerful motor. We'll keep you updated but the project had been set aside for a very busy week of customer installs. Check back soon!


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## 3lfk1ng (Apr 10, 2008)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

Aw that sucks, everything was going so smoothly too. I cannot wait to see what this "more powerful motor" is. S3 conversion is one thing, being faster than all S3's is another.


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project (3lfk1ng)*

man that sucks. hope it all works out. cant wait to see what that thing can do.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

It's been (thankfully) a busy couple of weeks and despite our hectic schedule, we're pleased with the progress of our Achtuning A3 project. Everything that was added to engine number-one as far as the S3-Conversion has been reinstalled on engine number-two.








Today we've got the front end all wrapped up and we'll begin to work on other areas of the car. We also had to take our Neuspeed P-Flow and modify it due to the relocation of the electronic DV (diverter valve) on the S3-conversion.
















Then some wrinkle-finish paint to touch up the new addition...








And the final product!
















We still have quite a ways to go but considering circumstances we couldn't be in a better position.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

Last Friday we threw on the H&R Premium Coil-Over Suspension on each corner of the Achtuning A3 project, bringing the car closer to the ground where it belongs. More importantly of course, we'll be able to handle local roads and tracks with ease and hug our 19" Hartmann Forged Split-7 Wheels with the better performing suspension.















We've also got a new rear sub frame brace we're testing out. This triangular piece mounts between the rear control arms with no extra drilling or modification and offers better handling and steering response in cornering. We'll add a rear anti-roll bar the next chance we get to further eliminate body roll and try to neutralize some of the A3's under-steer characteristics.








We took her out for a spin and the motor is putting down some good power! Clearly the stock 17s with all-season tires weren't going to cut it and we immediately noticed severe brake fade after a few hard runs so brakes were definitely going to be the next order of business.
The StopTech 328x28mm, 4-piston Big Brake Kit ended up on the car yesterday and look fantastic with the red and black H&R suspension components! 































Brake clearance was tight with the new 4-piston calipers but it was just enough to make things fit the way it needed...








We're still undecided on the final wheel finish so for now we'll keep them polished. Front bumper is also back on and a Votex kit might be the next thing added to our Achtuning A3 project.


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## 3lfk1ng (Apr 10, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Loving the progress you guys! If only we could all progress just as fast. The Stoptech brakes look sexy.
I really hope you don't leave the wheels polished. I think that the RS4's would look great powdercoated black or dark grey with the RED paint. Although if you do go black, your almost entitled to go with a black grill, black side mirrors, black rear-view mirror as well.







Black/Red combo looks just amazing.
Also Dion, are you guys planning on using VF mounts (or something similar) for the engine. With all the current engine movement on the squishy mounts, the difference would be worth it for that beast.


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

*cough*wanna sponsor me?!*cough*
damn whooping cough....


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re:*








Yeah I've been trying to get rid of a cough myself. 
Wheels are definitely NOT gonna stay polished, but will remain so until we figure out what we want to do. Too many red/black A3s out there so if we do go that route, we gotta come up with something just different enough to set this A3 apart far enough away from the others.
We honestly have no interest in putting VF mounts in this car either. There's enough power being put down to where us old farts could care little about the tiny bit of power being lost without them - we like some comfort in our ride. This thing will see some track time but we're not building a track car.


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## 3lfk1ng (Apr 10, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Yeah, ride comfort is definitely sacrificed with the VF mounts. You feel the car rumble like your sitting in an old muscle car.
Cannot wait for the next update.


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## yoonskim (Jun 9, 2003)

*Re: FV-QR (3lfk1ng)*

I'm really feeling gold or dark copper for the wheels...... something you don't see everyday


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re:*


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## 3lfk1ng (Apr 10, 2008)

*FV-QR*

I guess a Dark Copper would work, not quite feeling the gold though.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re:*

It's definitely _not_ going to be a bronze, copper or gold... Not feelin' it.


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## 3lfk1ng (Apr 10, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Anthracite?


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: (3lfk1ng)*

Maybe?








We really don't know yet. There are exterior, engine, and interior parts that are going to get changed and we might have to see what those end up looking like before deciding on a wheel finish. 
While I'm not a fan of high polished wheels, I can't help but notice how good they look with other polished accents on the car.


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## 2.0TProjekt (Feb 2, 2009)

Lookin Good!


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

We wrapped up the Votex kit installation last Friday and snapped some pictures while we were waiting for some of the adhesives to cure...
































Today the front bumper is back on and the Votex front lip really transforms the front-end of the car - looks a bit more aggressive! We'll get pics of that later on when we're done doing some work to the OEM grille.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

Considering the factory grille is in good shape, there was no point in adding an additional, unnecessary expense and picking up a new one. Instead, we're taking our's apart and adding our own finishing touch. The chrome trim was the first to go...








Then we sprayed some dupli-color flat black on the entire grille and trim to restore their look...
















Still waiting for a plate delete to complete the grille and we left the Audi rings chrome. Turns out the polished finish on the Hartmann Forged Split-7s are growing on us so we might just keep them as-is for now, which help tie in the badging and other polished parts on the car.































I http://****************.com/smile/emlove.gif this thing...


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## krazyboi (May 19, 2004)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]!NG* »_Considering the factory grille is in good shape, there was no point in adding an additional, unnecessary expense and picking up a new one. Instead, we're taking our's apart and adding our own finishing touch. The chrome trim was the first to go...


Nice, what'd you use to get the bottom part of the chrome off? The top and side portions were easy, but I couldn't figure for the life of me an easy way to remove that.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif on the progress.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: (krazyboi)*

File and knife were the only things used to pry the two parts away from each other. That and some patience I guess.


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## JumpalTurbo5 (Feb 21, 2003)

*Re: (krazyboi) ([email protected]!NG)*

Looks great in person, pulls very strong (much stronger than I expected, coming from 
300hp old-K04 experience), H&R coil rides awesome too! Only thing I didn't quite like
was short shifter but other than that, it's a very well executed package.








Now, let's bring her to the track!!

__
Image uploading. Refresh page to view


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## audiant (Feb 12, 2006)

wow alot done since this thread started. car's looking great and im really feeling the polished wheels....... one this that is a must......fog lights! and you guys have to do led tails to complete the car


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re:*

Achtuning wants to credit Jamie Everett for this set of fantastic rolling shots captured of our Achtuning A3 Project! These shots were taken on the way to the WaterWerks 2009 event held at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, WA. 








The Achtuning A3 project is proud to show off high quality performance parts from H&R, APR, StopTech, and Hartmann's Forged Split-7 Wheels. Other than the factory votex kit painted by Dreamwerks Custom Paint in Monroe, WA little has been done to further enhance the exterior appeal of the car yet it turns heads on just about every corner. We are _very_ pleased with how the project turned out.
































Thank you Jamie, Hans, Andy, APR, H&R, and StopTech!


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## jmorales (Mar 4, 2009)

argh if only my base model car could end up looking like that this quickly. only difference between your starter car and mine is mine is dsg.
Great looking ride


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## drew138 (Dec 3, 2006)

*Re: (jmorales)*

Needs black mirror caps!


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## false (May 3, 2001)

*Re: (jmorales)*

Nitpicky, but why didn't you paint the rear calipers to match the red Stoptechs?


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

*Re: (drew138)*

Hey D, X 2.! you always have the eye for details!!!! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: (false)*


_Quote, originally posted by *false* »_Nitpicky, but why didn't you paint the rear calipers to match the red Stoptechs?

Because it'll get a rear upgrade with red calipers later. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

*Re: ([email protected]!NG)*

How are you addressing the problem of the APR tune with the neuspeed intake? Even APR says no other intake but the Carbonio works. It sets implausible MAF signal codes. Nobody has fitted an intake that seems to work other than the Carbonio.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: (Uber-A3)*

We're actually planning on ditching the Neuspeed intake. Any takers?








The Carbonio intake is one we have readily available so it'll go on there as soon as the Neuspeed one is gone. However I our Edition30 car is now running Evolution Motorsports' latest V-Flow that is supposed to be specific to this kit. So far no issues or codes.


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

*FV-QR*

how much you lookin for the NS intake? my gf might be in the market for her fast.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

Send me an email and I'll get you a quote. The owner is out of town but I can reach him by email and it's his call. Keep in mind it's been modified for DV relocation though.


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

*Re: ([email protected]!NG)*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]!NG* »_We're actually planning on ditching the Neuspeed intake. Any takers?








The Carbonio intake is one we have readily available so it'll go on there as soon as the Neuspeed one is gone. However I our Edition30 car is now running Evolution Motorsports' latest V-Flow that is supposed to be specific to this kit. So far no issues or codes. 

I had that same setup and mine threw codes. I has the special Evoms elbow and everything and still no go.


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: (Uber-A3)*

Good to know. We'll keep an eye on things.


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

*Re: ([email protected]!NG)*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]!NG* »_Good to know. We'll keep an eye on things. 

Dion, you should consider doing the APR TSI carbonio conversion. APR has the TSI maf K04 file for the FSI up on their servers already (supposedly). 
Dave


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

edit: was for sale, don't wanna sell it anymore.


_Modified by [email protected]!NG at 9:58 AM 1-4-2010_


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

*FV-QR*

cheeeeeap! good lcuk with the sale guys. thats a hell of a deal.


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## Corrado SLC NL (May 3, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (the4ringer)*

great looking car http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Tcardio (Mar 19, 2009)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

Great lookin car and excellent work but buildin it on my own is more fun than ownin it already built. Good luck on the sale! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

Thanks. Modding is definitely all part of it, I hear you there. But the right person will end up saving _thousands_ considering what's already been done, and there's definitely plenty more this A3 could use. 
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## vwlippy (Jul 17, 2001)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

Someone is going to get a really sweet ride....


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project (vwlippy)*

Yes, yes they will...


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## grubble (Oct 28, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project ([email protected]!NG)*

Buy this car off their hands already!!! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## [email protected] (Oct 30, 2007)

*Re: ACHTUN!NG | Audi A3 2.0T FSI Project (grubble)*


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## everfresh59 (Jul 26, 2010)

*Steps to paint the grille*

Hey guys, just wanted to know what steps you took to paint the trim and the grille. The chrome trim I'm assuming you sanded, then primed and painted. But what about the grille? Does it need sanding aswell? Primer? 

Thanks guys!! 

PS. I'm literally making the same mods, but probably not going to far and hoping to end up somewhere in the 300bhp range.


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## aznsap (Aug 7, 2010)

what did you use to paint the front blinkers? 
where did you get the license plate delete from? 

did you use spacers for the wheels? or the 8" wide rim w/ 45mm offset sits like that? 

thanks


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