# what mods are you guys thinking of doing on your a3 sedan ?



## lovei27 (Jul 13, 2014)

Hi people , 
just wondering what sort of mods you guys are doing and what would look good ?!

personally i have considered
lowering the car using h&r super sport springs
i have got a black front s line grill but it's got chrome finish i want to make the chrome bit black on the grill
want to get a quad tip rear diffuser similar to that of an s3
s3 side silver mirror caps .. i just think they look cool

thats about it really ....

any suggestion are welcome and also if any website/source to get the a3 sedan genuine parts would be great as i can't seem to find much here in australia

thanks again , look forward to hear for you guys


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## lovei27 (Jul 13, 2014)

another question ? 
what do you guys think about the black audi badges .. i have a black car .. would it all blend inn to much ?
personally i just wanted the chrome finish in black .. i don't mind the silver badge it's more easier to see 

thanks


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## lovei27 (Jul 13, 2014)

take a look at this pic thats how i want my a3 back to look like , another question does the s3 has a little spoiler going ?
i know we have a little inbuilt boot one .. has the s3 got more to it ?

http://s1054.photobucket.com/user/L...-07897f848bd5_zps8491e458.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0


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## mattchow (Jan 12, 2010)

lovei27 said:


> Hi people ,
> just wondering what sort of mods you guys are doing and what would look good ?!
> 
> personally i have considered
> ...


done..

- KW Variant 1
- 19in BBS CKs 
- air leather s tronic shift knob

coming..

+ 19in Neuspeed Rse10's
+ air leather / smooth leather paddle steering wheel 
+ insert from bfi ordered today
+ sway bars
+ apr stage 2 + intake
+ plastidip the chrome bits


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## lovei27 (Jul 13, 2014)

mattchow said:


> done..
> 
> - KW Variant 1
> - 19in BBS CKs
> ...



sounds good bud , can i see some pictures please

thanks


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## Xanlith (Apr 19, 2014)

lovei27 said:


> take a look at this pic thats how i want my a3 back to look like , another question does the s3 has a little spoiler going ?
> i know we have a little inbuilt boot one .. has the s3 got more to it ?
> 
> http://s1054.photobucket.com/user/L...-07897f848bd5_zps8491e458.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0


So you want your A3 to look like an S3? I have a simple solution for that which should be way easier to achieve.


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## tekmo (Nov 30, 2013)

for now, just suspension - most likely KW V1.

And maybe wrap the chrome.

Possibly new wheels next year.


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## lovei27 (Jul 13, 2014)

Xanlith said:


> So you want your A3 to look like an S3? I have a simple solution for that which should be way easier to achieve.


haha it was a bit of trade off i couldn't afford a top of the range s3 but i could get the a3 exactly how i wanted it ... it's pretty loaded up but i really love the
look of those rear quad tips .. m not fussed about anything els really


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## lovei27 (Jul 13, 2014)

awesome . can you give me tips on how to wrap the chrome bits as well , everyone uses spray cans over here ... 
do post some pics when u lower the car  , i got the 19's s line wheels love em would have looked better in black but still love the titanium look


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## Xanlith (Apr 19, 2014)

lovei27 said:


> awesome . can you give me tips on how to wrap the chrome bits as well , everyone uses spray cans over here ...
> do post some pics when u lower the car  , i got the 19's s line wheels love em would have looked better in black but still love the titanium look


From what I understand Plastidip is pretty commonly done at least in my area. They take off the OEM part dunk it in a vat of Plastidip which when it cools it hardens into something not far off from the black optics. I'm not sure if they then paint over the top of that too or not though. I suspect I'll be running through that process on my S3 assuming I accept the sport seats. The chrome and Sepang look isnt bad but I think the black and Sepang looks better.


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## lovei27 (Jul 13, 2014)

Xanlith said:


> From what I understand Plastidip is pretty commonly done at least in my area. They take off the OEM part dunk it in a vat of Plastidip which when it cools it hardens into something not far off from the black optics. I'm not sure if they then paint over the top of that too or not though. I suspect I'll be running through that process on my S3 assuming I accept the sport seats. The chrome and Sepang look isnt bad but I think the black and Sepang looks better.



if your getting an s3 make sure u get the s performance pack with the diamond sticking seats etc cuz i saw the stock model my a3 lookd better then that cuz i have the spine
seats and flatback steering wheel etc ... also if you do get an sepang blue s3 .. i won't touch the car .. i think the s model stands out more with it's silver look
grills mirror caps etc ... it separates it from the rest .. just my opinion .. i d have loved to get an s3 if i had another 15k ... cuz i didn't want the stock one i d get d nicest wheels on it as well ...


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Xanlith said:


> From what I understand Plastidip is pretty commonly done at least in my area. They take off the OEM part dunk it in a vat of Plastidip which when it cools it hardens into something not far off from the black optics. I'm not sure if they then paint over the top of that too or not though. I suspect I'll be running through that process on my S3 assuming I accept the sport seats. The chrome and Sepang look isnt bad but I think the black and Sepang looks better.


The stuff was originally developed for coating the handles of hand tools, such as channel locks. It's been repurposed as a cheap alternative to paint or other finishes. In the process, and out of necessity, it's usually applied as a spray rather than a dip. If you were to take the grille off and physically dip it, for example, you'd end up with a grille that doesn't fit back into place. Maybe you're thinking of hydro-dipping, where a film is applied to a part by dipping the part through a decorative film that has been dissolved on the surface of a vessel of water?

I've seen Plasti-Dip parts and cars in person. It looks rather janky to me, but if it doesn't to someone else (or the jankiness doesn't bother them), so be it. I will say that it manages to look quite solid from a distance. Plasti-Dip paint jobs are solid "five-footers" to me. Smaller parts like a badge or a thin piece of chrome trim? Eh, too small to suffer from the "five-footer" phenomenon, IMO.


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## mattchow (Jan 12, 2010)

itr_1211 said:


> First mod would be black optics grille, stainless pedals, S line suspension and maybe rims. Trying to keep it simple and as close to OE as possible :laugh:


i really want that black optics grille but that $500 price tag! :screwy:


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## Evo-2-Quattro (Jul 9, 2014)

I'll probably do the following;

- APR Stage II Tune
- Turbo-back exhaust
- APR Intercooler
- Boost gauge
- Springs of some kind
- APR sway bars
- Wheels (Not sure of s brand or a style as of yet)

Had a MK6 GTI with the same mods and loved it.


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## Xanlith (Apr 19, 2014)

Dan Halen said:


> The stuff was originally developed for coating the handles of hand tools, such as channel locks. It's been repurposed as a cheap alternative to paint or other finishes. In the process, and out of necessity, it's usually applied as a spray rather than a dip. If you were to take the grille off and physically dip it, for example, you'd end up with a grille that doesn't fit back into place. Maybe you're thinking of hydro-dipping, where a film is applied to a part by dipping the part through a decorative film that has been dissolved on the surface of a vessel of water?
> 
> I've seen Plasti-Dip parts and cars in person. It looks rather janky to me, but if it doesn't to someone else (or the jankiness doesn't bother them), so be it. I will say that it manages to look quite solid from a distance. Plasti-Dip paint jobs are solid "five-footers" to me. Smaller parts like a badge or a thin piece of chrome trim? Eh, too small to suffer from the "five-footer" phenomenon, IMO.


Thats good info Dan. I hadnt started my research and frankly was just going off what my dealer very briefly mentioned when I said the words "black optics" to him and what the word implied. Something sprayed on doesn't sound like the solution I want.


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## Motown_Dub (Feb 22, 2003)

For those of you who are planning to go APR stage 1 or two (or any other vendors 'chip') be aware of TD1, which is Audi flagging your car as modded and warranty issues getting very sticky.

Just putting it out there so you don't get caught unprepared


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## mattchow (Jan 12, 2010)

itr_1211 said:


> Isnt that the typical ballpark price for any mod with this car?


I like parts that make the car perform or function better, a black grille does neither. With that said, I'm sure I'll end up doing it, just much later on.


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## jrwamp (Mar 25, 2011)

Motown_Dub said:


> For those of you who are planning to go APR stage 1 or two (or any other vendors 'chip') be aware of TD1, which is Audi flagging your car as modded and warranty issues getting very sticky.
> 
> Just putting it out there so you don't get caught unprepared


Comes with the territory of modding the car in my opinion. I have my wife's Q5 tuned by Revo, and my dealership knows it. I know techs at the dealer from the car community, and they even let my wife know when she went in for her 15k mile service that there was a required vehicle update for the ECM which would wipe the tune if they ran it. Bottom line, it comes down to an individual basis, if you've got a good relationship with your dealer and they're somewhat 'mod' friendly you should be ok as long as something catastrophic doesn't happen. Of course something can always go wrong with a tune, but honestly these big name tuners are about as reliable as you can get.(APR, Revo, Unitronic, GIAC, etc.)


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## Motown_Dub (Feb 22, 2003)

jrwamp said:


> Comes with the territory of modding the car in my opinion. I have my wife's Q5 tuned by Revo, and my dealership knows it. I know techs at the dealer from the car community, and they even let my wife know when she went in for her 15k mile service that there was a required vehicle update for the ECM which would wipe the tune if they ran it. Bottom line, it comes down to an individual basis, if you've got a good relationship with your dealer and they're somewhat 'mod' friendly you should be ok as long as something catastrophic doesn't happen. Of course something can always go wrong with a tune, but honestly these big name tuners are about as reliable as you can get.(APR, Revo, Unitronic, GIAC, etc.)


Of course it does, you have to pay to play. At the end of the day we both know that many people have issues tuning related or otherwise and expect to go into the dealership and get it fixed with no hassle. TD1 has been a bit of a game changer in that regard.

While it is an individual thing, allegedly (because I do not know first hand) if your car gets plugged in, it gets scanned. Regardless it is a risk and you can decide for yourself if its worth it or not. To be clear it's a warranty risk not a tune risk...the major players don't have many issues, they certainly aren't blowing up engines left and right.


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## TRLSTYLE (Sep 27, 2004)

I hard-wired a Valentine 1 the day I got my 2.0TQ, other than that it's staying stock.


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## mattchow (Jan 12, 2010)

mattchow said:


> I like parts that make the car perform or function better, a black grille does neither. With that said, I'm sure I'll end up doing it, just much later on.


http://www.uspmotorsports.com/USP-3-Stainless-Steel-MQB-Downpipe-MK7-GTI.html

all the damn mods are around $500 lol, downpipe, intake, software. :laugh:


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## ChrisFu (Jun 9, 2012)

Motown_Dub said:


> While it is an individual thing, allegedly (because I do not know first hand) if your car gets plugged in, it gets scanned.


This is correct. The entire reason the TD1 flag is automatic and irreversible is because VAG was getting ripped off by "mod friendly dealers" who were covering repairs and warranty work on modded cars. Dealer intervention is impossible with the TD1 system any time the vehicle is scanned, which is almost any given service.

TD1 is protection for VAG from its own dealers. So people claiming "my dealer is cool, he is mod friendly" better hope he is REALLY friendly and willing to cover your costs out of his own pocket without Audi reimbursement if something goes to hell.


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## mattchow (Jan 12, 2010)

ChrisFu said:


> This is correct. The entire reason the TD1 flag is automatic and irreversible is because VAG was getting ripped off by "mod friendly dealers" who were covering repairs and warranty work on modded cars. Dealer intervention is impossible with the TD1 system any time the vehicle is scanned, which is almost any given service.
> 
> TD1 is protection for VAG from its own dealers. So people claiming "my dealer is cool, he is mod friendly" better hope he is REALLY friendly and willing to cover your costs out of his own pocket without Audi reimbursement if something goes to hell.


Since I'm just coming back to Audi with this A3, have you personally seen the process where they scan the car and subsequently flag the car with the TD1 flag when the "flash counter" is "off". Is there a database of what the flash counter should be? Have you personally seen the process of what happens when a car is deemed tuned and therefore flagged with the TD1?

Have you personally been denied warranty coverage due to td1?


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