B5 A4 1.8T Avant Quattro.

[K Simmonds]

This sounds like the accident I remember. Not pretty.

No, it was a very serious accident indeed. As it happens I was chatting about it with Charlie the other day and he can't actually recall the car rolling but I clearly remember looking at the marks in road as well as damage to the car the next morning when I pulled it out and the thing must have rolled at least once. There was heavy scarring up the offside of the car which could only have come from contact with tarmac.

How he survived going through the trees and fence still blows my mind to this day, but he just got out and phoned me to say he'd crashed the car and even more remarkably his dog, which was in boot, had been thrown clear of the vehicle at some point during it's way through the tree's.

Anyway, I've been down the workshop this morning and there's still too much petrol vapor in my RS2 to safely work on the contents of the tank despite me leaving it with the doors and boot open. Just about all the fuel has evaporated overnight but it still stinks in there so I'll have the garage doors all wide open today and try and get back on with some B5 stuff.

I've cleaned up a set of C4 front brake disc's with a knot wheel and whilst they're okay there is still a few rust pits in them so I think for the sake of £50 I'm just going to fire the new Apec set of discs and pads I got off eBay on the TDI, I maybe tight but brakes is one thing I don't mind spending a bit of extra money on.

The TQS is going to be getting some sort of brake upgrade. The car is eventually going to be fitted with fully rebuilt engine with some H-beam rods inside and whilst I'll probably not go much beyond 400BHP I'd like to increase the torque more than outright power, 600NM+ would be more than adequate, I've got turbo's and exhaust manifolds in stock ready for anything up to 500bhp. So it make sense to simply up-rate the brakes before I put the car back on the road then it's done ready for my 260bhp custom mapped ECU and whatever else happen's in future.

My 17" ET27 Compomotives would accommodate some pretty large brake's but I want to be able to use the stock 17" Bolero's as well without using spacers so I'm currently looking at 320mm Audi Brembo set ups. The range of option's is pretty baffling so whilst I'm researching my options any suggestions would be most welcome.

Though whilst Googling potential set up's yesterday advert's from the Chinese version of eBay popped up offering six piston calipers, 330mm disc's, pads, mounting brackets and braided hoses for the front of B5's for less than £500 delivered which seems very good value for money for brand new parts. Obviously they're knock off some sort of Brembo's but nothing Chinese I've purchased in last two years has disappointed me, I'd go as far as to say I'm impressed with quality of some the part's as well as tool's I've purchased.

[K Simmonds]

Right, I'm on dog sitting duty today for my father so am quite limited on what I can do as she doesn't like my workshop for some reason.

However, I'm going to get outside as it too nice a day to be sat around inside and open my TQS tank up as it's stood pumped dry for over eight years. If I'm not greeted by a rusty mess than I can pretty categorically say ethanol caused the problems in my RS2 tank. The TQS was nearly full of V-Power when it crapped it's pants which I pumped out not long after the car was recovered to my place.

I intend on replacing both fuel pumps with Walbro units, but I don't mind using my RS2 one to simply get the car going once the filters been changed and the mess inside sorted out now I know why it was struggling. The same applies to my TQS if the current pump functions on the bench the it'll be okay to get the car moving.

[K Simmonds]

Didn't get much done today in the end as I spent most of time keeping my father's dog happy. She gets in a huff if I don't keep the same routine as him, he's 78 and now has to use a walking frame so she's used to being by constantly by his side...

Still, managed to retrieve some more TQS parts from my mates house, the fifth wheel of the set it came fitted with plus two of the center caps so I'm just missing one now from that set. I think that went missing when he stuck it in a hedge.

Plugs and filters plus some more engine bay plastics.

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[K Simmonds]

Haven't gotten anywhere near as much done as I'd like to due being ill and having commitments with friends and family. However I've gotten four rear turrets and one pair of pressed wishbone painted as well as touching up my second hand Eibach springs where the powder coating had come off of the tails.

In hindsight it would have been much easier to have the parts sandblasted and powder coated but doing this was free and got some old paint used up and it's not like the parts are on show.

I made a bit of a **** up, thought I had brand new small tin of POR15 on the shelf, however after spending hours with a knot wheel on the grinder as well as various wire wheels with a drill prepping the parts I got the tin off the shelf to discover it was actually silver POR15 exhaust paint.

Not to be out done I dug through my paint stash and just found enough 10 year old black POR15 in coffee tins sealed with tape to do everything I'd gotten ready. I had to cut through the tins with a grinder carefully at the correct height to get rid of the best part of an inch of solid paint.

Due to being ancient the paint was very thick and troubsome to apply, I'm not delighted with the finish but it's on there and has cured fine over a couple of days. I gave the back of the turrets two thick coats as this seems to be where they start to corrode. I'm going to do the insides with waxoil as this can't be seen and it should provide protection pretty much forever.

I've got more POR15 on the way as well as poly bushes for the wishbones. My TQS has forged upper wishbones which I didn't expect and they could do with refreshing. I'm building up the turrets for both B5's this week and waxoiling inside the arches proir to fitting them

The TDI is getting a pair of used stock but decent sport dampers and the TQS is going to be using NOS B5 S4 dampers which are 30mm shorter and very heavily damped.

I also need to spend at least half a day sorting though my B5 parts stash and getting it all boxed up and in the attic out of my way appart from stuff I need to complete both cars.


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[Jaswan]

Looking good Kit!

And as we all know, any progress is always good!!

I am looking forward to seeing these B5s on the road.

Jase.

[K Simmonds]

Cheers mate, I'm looking forward to it as well as summer is just around the corner, am really tired of it being cold and wet.

As it happens I've only just gotten in from having a major sort out in my workshop as well as a large 'recycling' bonefire which has gotten rid of a load of old boxes and clutter so I've got plenty of room to work and think straight at last. I can't moan, having all those spares as well as another complete B5 Sport to strip made the TDI deal too good to turn down but finding homes for everything was driving me quite literally bonkers and I'm mad enough as it is.

The B5 parts mountain has now been completely sorted through and stashed in my old Corrado shell which was full of useless stuff that's been reduced to carbon so I've finally got space to work on with the TQS and move MK2 Golf GTI engines about etc, plus any B5 parts I may need are close to hand and I know what's there.

All the nice clean low mileage TQS parts I finally got from Charlie are in the boot of C4 ready to be used, I'm going to be swapping a few bits around so the best parts are on the car and I'll be left with enough good components to build up another complete ready to fit AJL engine with a forged bottom end using Dave old motor as a base.

If it's a decent day tomorrow I'm going to get the TDI back on it's 3B wheels with brand new discs and pads all round, the front end is completely done, I fired new Apec discs and pads on there in the end, not the most amazing quality but for the sake of £50 odd decided it wasn't worth the hassle trying to recycle old C4 parts.

Then all the the car will need is a full change of fluids before it's properly good to go, trying to rush the job was silly and at the moment with the insane price of diesel I'm quite happy burning through a load of stale old petrol from my other cars in the Jazz.

Am still waiting on some poly bushes for the TQS but they should be here by Saturday .

[Ian_C]

Keep up the good work Kit! I'm feeling much more positive now that spring is finally here.

[K Simmonds]

Keep up the good work Kit! I'm feeling much more positive now that spring is finally here.

Cheers Ian, this week has been lovely here so far...

Anyway, car wise I waxoiled the insides of my turrets then just before assembling them realised that was a really stupid idea, as soon they get warm the stuff would all run down over the springs, felt really thick, durrr. So I washed them out with petrol and sprayed them insides with Hammaerite underseal with waxoil in which I had on the shelf staring me in the face, much better job and they should last forever without making a mess. I hate doing jobs twice but am very pleased with the result.

I bagged a complete set of four freshly blasted and painted S4 rear arms, including forged uppers all stripped of bushes for less than it would of cost to get my current TQS ones done properly from the Facebook B5 S4 owners group, they arrive tomorrow. I've got a set of new Powerflex 'Motorsport Black Range' poly bushes in stock ready, stiffer than I normally would go for and I've no idea where they came from but as they're on the back and here ready it seems silly not to use them. With 225/45/17's, Eibach springs & S4 dampers with stock subframe bushes I can't see them being too harsh and the rear camber and toe should be pretty much fixed.

Both the camber adjusters on my TQS are seized solid so it's an issue I need to deal with before getting the geometry set up properly and I'm aiming for a fast road set up.

My old TQS forged upper arms will eventually be used to upgrade my RS2 from pressed uppers, it's handy having three cars with basically the same rear suspension.

[K Simmonds]

Spent the day in the sun getting the TDI back on it's wheels, had to take a lot of time freeing of the various bolts on pivot points as the car is now sat a bit lower. Still need to go round and torque up each corner with the full weight of the car sat on the hub but that's the easy part. It needs two rear flexi hoses but apart from that and a good service it's pretty much done mechanically. Going to leave it settle for a few days before torquing everything up as it's been in the air for weeks so tomorrow I'm actually going to clean it and give the 3B wheels a polish they come really nicely and I've got all the centre caps.

I should also get time to get most of the interior swapped over to the full black leather S4 set up I picked up for it as well. Though the carpet is stinking at the moment and fitting all the walnut trim is a very time consuming job, will see how I get on.

Anyway, am very happy with the ride height it should settle a bit lower yet especially on the front. Rubbish photos as I was running out of day light!







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