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**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:08

First part of the new parts arrived today

18 inch avus off a b6 s4. Such a classic wheel that really suits the s2.

They need a refurb, and new tyres (two are bald, the others are winters!) But couldn't resist a quick hit with anachem purge and Cleanse.

Came up alright! Will do for getting the 5x112 conversion set up, then its off for the refurb/tyres. Oh and some centre caps as well

The first of many boxes in from Germany service parts from autodoc. Oil and gearbox/diff oil is coming separately. Want to give a good refresh since I've no idea when it was last serviced.
Mot history suggests it was off the road from 2017 till Feb this year, and in the last ten years its done about 14k miles

Had another good hunt in the mess that is my parents garage for more bits

Including - wietec shock inserts and 60mm springs. Wietec don't seem to exist anymore, but Google suggests the springs will definitely fit the front, and the rears look similar to the quattro rears, but I'll give them a try.

I was convinced that I'd bought rs2/s2 ellipsoid headlights but any pictures I had of the old tdi 80 had the coupe headlights. But I persevered through the mountain of junk in my parents garage and found the jackpot

Waiting on the last of the service items coming from autodoc, namely rocker cover gaskets so I can get the rocker covers off to clean them out. The sludge that I cleaned out of the breather pipes was shocking

Replaced the panel filter with a Pipercross foam version

I'm loving the wealth of knowledge there is on old forums for these engines. Airflow is a big factor on the v6, and the forums go into great detail on improving ever aspect in a bid to make the engine perform better and use less fuel. So I plan on doing as much of it as possible with my small budget

First port of call is the air feeds in beside the headlight through the front grill. Mine was missing the plastic panel meaning it was sucking in warm air from the bay. £11 on ebay later and I had the correct plastic fitted

Every little helps.

Managed to source a brand new set of the early avus centre caps from a seller in Latvia. Means I can now get the wheels off for a refurb.

As part of the major service I changed the plugs and leads

Also gave the parts that don't need painted a quick polish with the DA, just need to get the car to Coach Finish to get paint matched so I can get painting the s2 bumpers, bonnet and wings to finally get it looking like a proper car.

Scrubs up alright. Paint is very thin, so there's not much room for cutting in too deep. I'll hopefully do a colour change in a year or so.

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:10

Took the audi out for its first real run. Out to a site at Loughgall. I think the plugs and leads and new air filter have definitely helped, but still feels restricted. Found out I need to drop the tank to change the fuel filter, so I'll be dropping it to my mechanic to do that one on a ramp, rather than my stone driveway I've diff and gearbox oil arrived from autodoc too, so he can do a full flush of those while its there.

I do think the shape is ageing well. If it wasn't for the lacquer peel on the front end i wouldn't be embarrassed parking this up anywhere lol

Got it down to my mates house in greyabbey so we could work on it in his garage, along with a compressor and air tools, vital when your dealing with 28yr old nuts!

Front end got started on first, old hubs with 4 stud and single piston caliper off, S2 hubs with 5 stud and twin piston Girling caliper on. (i cant remember what size the discs are, but theyre the same on both)

I had a set of Wietec 60mm springs from the tdi that still fit the front. Wietec no longer trade, but the part number on the spring suggests it should do both. I'll no better when i get all four wheels on and it on the gorund how it copes with the extra weight of the v6.

The wheels i bought came with a mix of tyres, one of which was a 225/40 the rest are 235/40. Tried on the 235 but it was touching the steering arm, the 225 just cleared it. However i have a set of H&R 15mm hubcentric spacers to go on it, just hadn't them down with me. but i think a 225 will be the way to go.

Drivers side hub bolt was an allen key type which we didnt have the right size of tool to use with the air impact gun, so couldnt get it off. So we moved onto the rear. Plan here is to use the existing caliper, swap over the hub and fit a 5 stud disc thats the exact same size. I'd done plenty of googling and searching forums etc to make sure i was ordering the right rear hub. So i'd ordered a B5 2.5tdi quattro rear hub. Only when we took the hub off it was obvious that they were the wrong size

So thats how it got left last friday night, only one out of four finished, and more items to add to my shopping list ffs

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:12

Got the correct tool for the impact gun, so was able to get the drivers side front complete. Turns out 2009 me had seen the sense to buy a wheel stud kit meaning no more fighting to line up discs hubs and wheels to get a wheel stud in

Couldn't resist getting the front off the axle stands to see how it would sit.

Thats a flat 235/40 18 tyre and the wheel spaced out 15mm. Should sit better on a 215/40 when i do get tyres.

Obviously the rear end is still in the air, but not too shabby

Then decided to try the rear springs to see of the FWD Wietec rear 60mm springs would fit

Springs were far bigger and too small on the bottom to fit over the shock parts.

So i've ordered a set of H&R 40mm springs from germany. I'll fit them to the rear and might put them on the front as well depending on how the front sits when its actually on the ground with wheels on. Now the wait is on for the correct rear hubs and bearings to come from germany, along with the springs so we can get the whole suspension all built up and get it on the ground.

Next problem is wheel centres. My Avus 18s are from a B6 S4. so i'd ordered the earlier avus centres assuming they were all the same and would all fit. However I've since learnt that the earlier avus from the D2 S8 have a thinner spoke and the centre caps are smaller-

whereas the ones i have are a thicker spoke and need this centre cap-

So i've had to order the right set. these ones are coming from china, so **** knows when theyll actually arrive. I'm hoping NuLuk can refurb the wheels and paint the centres to match when they do arrive. But i've a few weeks before i'll have the wheels ready to go for refurb anyway, so fingers crossed they arrive in time.

Plan for some stage next week is to start getting body panels off so i can prep them for painting. Itching to get driving and enjoying the car, but its nice not having any actual deadlines to meet. I'm on holiday so i'll miss the Eurotreffen show, so might try and get it ready for Titanic Dubs, but dont hold me to that lol

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:17

Finally the correct rear hubs arrived, along with new bearings. Dropped them at my mechanics to get them pressed into the carrier. Just need the 40mm springs to hurry up!

Tonight we got the rear bumper off along with the towbar.

Followed by the front bumper, bonnet headlights and trim from under the lights.

It's obviously had a small knock at some point as that support bracket is bent. I've the one off the tdi I can use. Radiator is clearly a recent replacement too.

One nut was putting up a fight on the wing so drastic measures were applied lol

Richard is away next week on holiday, so I'm taking the bonnet up home to get it prepped for primer, along with a few other bits.

Passat earning its keep as always

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:19

Not much to report, the 40mm h&r springs arrived from germany. Waiting on the rear hubs coming back with the new bearings pressed in from the mechanics. Then we'll get it all built up at the rear and see how the 60mm springs at the front sit with the 40mm rear. Chances are I'll run the 40mm all round since they're weighted for the v6 and the 60mm weitec ones are for a tdi.

Budget isn't going to stretch to buying new tyres for the 18s, so a trip to Fosters got it some part worn Michelins (and one dunlop)

Went with a 205/40/18 to give optimum clearance.

Once it's built up and I can see how it sits I'll get them off to Nu-luk for a refurb. Although I'm still waiting on the new centre caps coming from China
So in a bid to bring life back into the old plastics, I bought some textured bumper paint from ebay

Which I tried on a bit of trim, turning this...

Into this....

plan on using this on the bottom of the s2 bumpers and the side skirts.

Made a start on prepping the bonnet wing and bumper for primer.

Started with 320 grit, but it wasn't really getting through it

Which coincides with that being the original paint, but just the lacquer has broken down after 28years

320grit was fine on the bumpers, which came off the diesel shell, that had been painted at least twice while I had it.

Front bumper took a lot of work due to lacquer peel and stone chips. Also discovered a crack which will need plastic welded

Centre caps finally arrived from China. I was expecting fakes, but they have the right stamps and part numbers on them, so that gamble paid off

Threw them on a wheel just to see how it looked

Noice

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:22

So on Friday I loaded up the passat with all my bits and headed to Greyabbey to my friends house where the 80 is currently staying since my garage is too small to actually work on a car (plus it's full of junk lol )

Odd design quirk of the audis of that generation is the shock sits inside the strut holder.

I had a full set of weitec sports shocks from the tdi, but obviously the rears take a different size. So swapped the front shocks, the weitecs feel a lot harder when you try and push them down, compared with the original ones!

Decided since the 40mm h&r springs were weighted to the 2.6v6 to run them on the front as well as the rear, rather than the 60mm wietec tdi springs.

Nice having them the same colour as the car Fitted new brake pads to the s2 calipers, the discs were new and never fitted in 2009, so there's some light surface rust that should come off with use.

Then fitted the rear springs and the hub carriers with the new bearings and hubs. New discs and pads aswell.

Running a 20mm spacer rear and 15mm front

And finally got it off the axle stands

Drivers side wing is off as it needs painted

Then pushed it outside into the rain for a better look

Might look at swapping the spacers and running the 20mm on the fronts, which should give it a nice square stance. I think I'll have rubbing issues at the back if i don't.

By that stage it was getting late, so pushed it back into the garage

Need to get at least one rear arm as the drivers side threads were butchered. And the brakes need bled, wheels need off for a refurb.

Probably won't get back to it till mid July with holidays and life getting in the way. But we're getting there slowly

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:54

So with family holidays getting the way theres not been much progress on the old girl. Swapped the spacers around so 20mm on front and 15mm rear, think its sitting a lot better now. Also threw on the s2 elipsoid headlights

Then before i went on holiday dropped the avus off to NuLuk for a full refurbishment.

The level of detail they go into is incredible, they have a highlight reel on their instagram of the various stages the wheels went through if you get a chance to have a look.
Two of the wheels had a slight buckle which they straightened. I went for a Porsche Grey finish based on the various wheels they have in the showroom. I know everyone always complains about them being more expensive than anywhere else, but when you see the level of work it justifies the cost!

They're like new!!

Cant wait to get down to the car next week and get them fitted.

I've two rear arms and camber bolts arrived from Autodoc, so will get them fitted, along with bleeding the brakes then thats the chassis finished with bar a decent alignment. Need a big push on the bodywork side of things in a bid to actually get driving it before the summer escapes us!!

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:56

So back circa 2008 I bought a set of S2 side skirts and lower door trims from a guy off the s2 forum for £300. With the tdi shell being at the bodyshop I'd never actually opened the box and had a good look at them. Fast forward 14 years and it turns out the door trims are rotten, the skirts have been painted badly and the masking tape he's used to strap everything together has now formed a special bond with the plastic

Numerous scrapes and scuffs on the paint. Hope is to sand the worst out and i've the textured bumper paint to return them to a bare plastic finish.

For some reason there are two sets of door stips, one painted one not

The door strips are a rubbery plastic around a [ shaped metal strip. Over time the water gets in and rusts the metal. You can see it bubbling through.

I gave on a quick hit with the textured bumper paint, but as the saying goes, you cant polish a turd...

So i have placed an order with Audi Tradition for brand new door strips and a few other clips and things for the skirts. The bits of trim that fix to the bottom of the wing and rear quarter next to the door strips are all in decent condition, so they got rubbed down and painted...

I'm lucky the seller included so many little bits, its crazy how much it all adds up if i had to buy everything separately! Each of those end trims is circa €30!

Im loving this finish from the textured bumper paint. Time will tell how durable it is to scrapes etc. That said, this car is going to see minimal use when i do eventually get it on the road anyway!

Meanwhile, managed to get down to greyabbey to get the new arms and bolts into the rear, bleed all the brakes etc.

Changed the lower camber bolt (some previous mechanic had destroyed the threads on the drivers side rear) on both sides, then after a quick try on a bolt suggested it might shear, we made the executive decision to let my mechanic change the rear arms when he has it up on a ramp, with access to heat etc.

Bled the brakes, however i think the ABS needs bled as the pedal is pretty much crap. But anyway, got it on all fours and jump
started it to see how it was ride height and clearance wise.

Definitely over the moon with the wheel colour, think it suits the red really well Ride height it should come down a smidgen more with the rest of the body panels on, and will settle once driven.

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 16:58

So on the front S2 bumper there was a hairline crack. Asked about on Instagram and got advice on what to use to have a pop at plastic welding myself

So I started by grinding away a V into the crack to give the plastic more surface area to bond to.

Then using a soldering iron and some plastic welding rods in the correct type to match the plastic code on the bumper, I set about melting them together.

Pretty pleased that i'd a good strong bond, i started to sand down the plastic.

Unfortunately the first time i tried to move the bumper it cracked again I clearly hadnt melted enough of the original bumper to bond to the new plastic so it simply wasnt strong enough. With sanding it down i had reduced the thickness of the area so was reluctant to give the plastic welding another attempt. The hunt was on to find a bodyshop to do the repair for me.

Next for repair was the drivers side wing. Lacquer had worn away along the top, and there were a few small pin dents. So started to sand them all down. You can see the Kurust doing its thing to help prevent the rust from coming back.

I popped open the Isopon filler, the smell of which brought back Nam style flashbacks of using giant quantities making the Caligra for that TV show with @Rocko

Thankfully only a small amount of filer required for this small indent.

Ive flattened all the filler and give everything a quick coat of Zinc primer to keep the rust at bay till i get it in proper primer and painted.

Next up was the side skirts. Poorly painted and rough with scrapes and grazes they were going to need a bit of tlc

First up a good scrub

Then attack the better of the two skirts with sandpaper on a DA to take this...

Down to this.

Then it got a good wipe down and holes taped etc in prep for the textured bumper paint

First coat on. Once it dried i went over any dry spots to ensure even coverage

Quite the transformation compared to the painted blue finish

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 17:02

Keep meaning to get this up to date! So got stuck into the other side skirt which was in a much worse state

Sanded down to get the worst of it out

Then gave it filler where required

Then using my high tech blocking apparatus I.e. a small bit of wood

Got it all nice and level

Then gave it a good coating of the textured paint..

20 times better than before

Box arrived from audi tradition

€295 worth doesn't look like much...

But it's hard to beat brand new parts

Laid them all out to compare the new against the painted and unpainted older ones

As per a previous post, the door trims are a rubbery plastic around a metal [ shaped strip. Over time water gets in and corrodes the metal which shows as bubbles under the rubber

Hopefully with the minimal use in wet weather this car will get the strips should last decades

Rest of the bags are numerous clips from the skirts

Dilemma now is when I line up the painted bits with the new door strips there's a slight difference.

However I'm reluctant to paint brand new parts, the feedback on Instagram was that when it's on the car you'll not notice as it's all so low down.

But we'll get them on the car and decide then

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 17:03

Picked the bumpers up from Cosmetic Car Repair on Heron Rd who did a fab job of plastic welding the crack on the front bumper

Rear bumper had a cut out where I had a towbar on the tdi 80.

Started to fill in all the imperfections

Tow bar bit will be invisible once it's sanded down and painted with the textured paint.

Looking forward to getting these painted up and fitted to the car. S2 bumpers completely transforms the 80s

That's all the major panels ready for primer.

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 17:04

So I commissioned www.builtbybasil.com to make me a new gearknob. Its a Sepele hardwood with coloured veneer to create the audi sport colours. Which originally were brown grey and red back when this car would have been made, for some reason the current audi sport colours have changed to black grey red But period correct and all that

After three weeks of my friend working late shifts on the only days it suited me to get down to Greyabbey, I finally managed to get down so we could get the main panels primed

Sunroof is the only body panel with any signs of rust on it, so I'm painting the one off the tdi shell as it was rust free.

Bumpers obviously don't need the bottom half primed as they're already black plastic, if they were primed then painted with the textured paint, any stone chip would show up as white and stand out like a sore thumb

The next day I went down and lifted the two bumpers to bring them home to prep for paint. Front bumper had a few repairs that felt fine on the hand, but once primed they stood out.

So flattened them down to reinstate that little body line. All hidden under the bonnet, but needed to be fixed.
I just need to get a tin of white primer and cover those blue bits otherwise they'll show up as dark patches when the red goes on.

Both bumpers sanded with 800 wet on the primer so now ready for painting.

Just need to get the bonnet, wing and Sunroof primer sanded then we can hopefully get them all painted soon

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 20:00

Its been getting harder and harder to find the time to get down to Greyabbey to get working on this. Between taking my youngest to London for a medical trial and Richards working patterns there hasnt been a wednesday free. So when Liz died we decided rather than watch the funeral we'd be best getting some paint onto some panels

The previous primed bits needed some more primer to cover a few dark areas which would show up under the red paint. So after a bit of googling and asking some painter friends we decided to go 'wet on wet' This involves spraying a healthy coat of primer, then letting it dry for approx 30min then spraying the red paint over the top.

White primer on. No option to sand/flatten as its not allowed to fully cure.

The top left corner of this wing (above the indicator where the wing meets the window) there was a slight ripple in the primer, hopefully we can flatten this out come the polishing stage

Then it was finally on with some colour! The joy of single stage paint means no laquer layers after, its all in the one layer. This is a lot more forgiving when it comes to runs, dirt in paint etc as you can lay it on thick and then sand & flatten it down.

15-20min between coats to give it time to cure a little. In a bodyshop this owuld all be done in an lovely clean heated spraybooth. but in a shed in Greyabbey the overspray was quite extreme and nothing dries quickly lol

With the final coat on, and a litre of red paint used, all the bits were finally painted! For two non professionals in a dusty shed its not looking too shabby lol

Part of the 5x112 conversion on the rear involved using a S2 Hub, a B5 A4 rear disc all on the standard B4 calipers. This meant the carrier was fouling the disk. So we had to trim approx 5mm off the carrier to stop the brakes from sticking. This was the only pic i took, but you can use your imagination as to what a rear disc setup looks like

Next mission is to get the body panels on and get it back up home. Richard could do with the shed space back to get working on his own 18.t swapped mk3.

**Ryan80** · 5 June 2023, 20:03

So for now the plan is to push on and get it sitting as nice as possible for dubshed in April.

Got the bonnet and wing fitted

Richards mk3 hasn't been on the road in at least 6 years, it's had a 1.8t swap but needs finished and made road worthy again. So my car being in his way since May was wearing thin, plus his son has a habit 'helping' which usually involves him hitting things with a spanner

So on Wednesday night I drove it home with the bumpers in the boot. Brakes need some attention as the pedal isn't doing a great deal Google suggests it needs pressure bled so I'll get the bumpers etc all fitted and get it to my mechanic for fuel filter, gearbox and diff oil change and he can do the brakes also

At least now it's home I can potter away in the evenings.

Announcement

94 2.6 V6 Manual Quattro Avant restoration project

94 2.6 V6 Manual Quattro Avant restoration project

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