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B4 Passat VR6 Must have Modifications

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My Big

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hi there. I am posting in this forum for the first time (I come from the MK3 forum), because I am about to buy a Black 1996 B4 passat sedan. It is a VR6 5 speed. It needs minor work, nothing I can't do myself, and I'm really looking forward to owning it, I'll be getting a great deal on it. I was wondering if there are any "must haves" for this platform. Currently, I am thinking of fixing a couple things, then mods. OEM+ only, nothing too out-there. No tuck/slam/stretch, lol. Please, chime in if you have any advice or ideas!

Mods planned:
1 - Exhaust. Suit-case muffler inlet broken right now.. I'm going to have a muffler shop replace the muffler with a piece of pipe, and have the end muffler replaced with a Magnaflow or flowmaster.

2 - Front seats. Driver seat is torn. I am going to replace them with the same color leather seats from either a MK3 Jetta for the added bolsters, or from an Audi 90. Are the heated seat plugs the same on these?

3 - E-PROM. I have had great success with TT tuning's E-PROMs on prior vehicles.. Great gains.. 10hp/tq seems worth the 100 dollars for sure. But does this hurt the MPG? I don't want to make it a gas-sucker.

4 - Suspension. I currently run Bilstein Sport shocks on my Daily MK3. I really like them, but I can't seem to find sports for the B4.. I'm also not sure if I could swap them over, and get Passat-specific springs. I'm not looking for a hard slam. I'm looking for ~60/40 drop, or about 2 fingers of wheel gap front and rear. I have considered coilovers. I hear Solo-werks are pretty good for ride comfort. That's what I'm after, really. I don't want jarring teeth-rattling coilovers or suspension. I want daily driver comfort. I have looked at Bilstein TC shocks, but they aren't designed for a drop, so :banghead: I am thinking about CX racing. They are popular in the MK3 crowd, but do they work with B4s? They have adjustable dampening settings and rideheight and preload is seperately, so.. seems nice for 600. I have looked at FK coilovers, too, and they say they come with shortened swaybar endlinks. Is that required if you drop the car? If anyone has a suggestion for a "budget" coilover or suspension set up that rides well, I would love it.

5- Intake. I will be gutting the airbox, just for the fun of it, lol.

6- 02J shift tower and some sort of short-throw shifter + bushings. This mod I am not sure if it will work. I know it works on MK3's, but Idk about B4's. Also, brand of short-shifter kit. Help appreciated.

7- Wheels. I am going to put on a set of Porsche Phone Dials I have. They're 15x7, et52.3, wrapped in 195/50/15 Falkens. I'm hoping this looks good with a mild drop. I want it to look OEM+. I will be buying adapters, most likely 20mm. Does that work with Passats? They work on MK3s, no problem.. just not sure about the B4. I like the factory wheels, which I believe are called "bottlecaps" but.. they're kinda HUGE, with 205/60/15 tires..

8 - Various interior modifications. I want a cupholder. I would love a glovebox. Is there an option for a glovebox that bolts in like in the 1995-1996 MK3s?

9 - Exterior modifications. I would like to "smoke" the orange part of the tail lights. I don't want to use VHT, because I don't like how it looks. I'm unopposed to overlays, as long as they look good, and OEM. I would like smoke, but I would settle for all-red. Do people paint the orange part like they do in MK3s? I have had good success with METALCAST: red paint in the past.
Also considering "smoking" the front fog lights/turns. Is this common/easy? It is in the MK3 platform.
I would like a badgeless front grille, as well. Are these sold on websites, like BFI?
Is there a front lip option? I have seen a picture of a B4 with a MK3 VR6 lip. Is this a common mod? If so, I would like to do that. Is there a DIY?

10 - 2.9 clone intake manifold. I have the access to the supplies to make one, and I have a friend who can do the welding. Is this worth the effort for the gains?



Thank you so much for your help, everyone. I appreciate every bit of info I get, especially DIY's and personal opinions/experiences. I'm really looking forward to this car.
 
#3 ·
1 - I enjoy the Magnaflow on my B4. I have not liked any version of a flowmaster on anything yet but on some 5.0 mustangs. Bleh.
2 - I think so.
3 - My MPG went up with a chip (and turbo) if I kept my foot out of the accelerator. Highway MPG will increase, city will likely decrease.
4 - I'm pretty sure there is still a "cup kit" for the B4's...I haven't been into suspension mods on the Passats for ages. I know MK3 stuff will work with the exception of one bolt on I THINK the rear shocks. You have to use an MK3 bolt or enlarge a hole or something.
5- Cool. Swiss cheese mod.
6- Not sure about o2j mods. I'm pretty sure any SSK's are NLA for the B4's. I'd assume any O2A stuff might work with mods.
7- Trial and error for "proper fitment"
8 - Izzo solved that
9 - For smoke lenses, I tint clear coat with a small amount of black base and spray it on in several coats until I get the darkness I want. You can tint clear with amber or red as well, if you so choose to do that. I've never tried to color lenses with this method. Never liked the look of VHT Nite-Shades or Dupli-color Metalcast. Flat and uneven.
10 - Worth the money to pay someone to do it? No. Worth the time of a buddy and yourself? Sure. Sounds good, not a huge power boost; though a chip tune might help that.
 
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#4 ·
2) Yes, thinking the same but haven't found cheap Mk3 black leather to match. Around here, heated seats are low priority.

4) Mk3 stuff fits. Wagons need different lower bolts. I don't know about sedans. There are plenty of discussion on this in the archives.

7) Have phone dials too in various offsets. I think they look good on B3/B4 wagons. I've never seen them on a sedan. They are relatively heavy plus you are adding spacer/adapters. Unsprung weight goes up high enough to affect handling. If looks are not what you're after, there are better alternatives for reduced unsprung weigh. Forged alloys such as the 16-slot Porsche aero wheels for example.

8) Have more of those factory cupholders for sale. Personally, I'd rather have the airbag than the glovebox. I mean, the glovebox is just another place to collect crap. 😏
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
1 - solved, going with the suit-case delete and a 2.25" inlet/oulet Magnaflow that comes with TT exhaust systems.

2 - solved, sourced a set of Audi 90 quattro leathers in tan.

3 - solved, TT or GIAC chip seems like a good idea.

4 - Can't decide. I need the most help on this, really. Need help choosing a street-ready set up. I hear Solo-werks are good coils. Is this true? I don't want racelands or rokkors. I have had racelands and they sucked. I am considering FK streetline (yellows) because they come with everything needed for installation. I am also considering buying Bilstein TC shocks, and finding some 40mm drop springs. Any suggestions on a good street set up would be greatly appreciated! I want this car to be a comfortable sleeper type car.

5- Solved. Swiss-cheese, clean paper filter. Not wasting money on a K&N!

6- Need more info on this. If I can use the 02J tower with short shifter and tighter bushings, I will, since with the stock 02a tower, it takes half a foot to get from 1st to 2nd, feels sloppy. Does anyone know if the shift linkage from a MK3 VW 02A is the same as a B4? If so, it should work..

7- phone dials it is! Hope 195/50's don't look too rubber-bandish though!

8 - didn't know i had to take out the airbag for a glovebox. That won't be happening, then! I will be getting a nice cupholder for it though. Also a few little things, like some different color trim for a nice contrast from black to tan.

9 - Solved - Found a badgeless grille by JOM. I will be tinting the tail lights. Probably using lamin-x smoke cut to the proper size, I noticed the B4 tails have a black line between the red and orange, so it will be a nice, clean transition.

10- solved - The 2.9 clone manifold is actually already finished. I will be installing it when I get the car.


Help appreciated. Thanks again guys!
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Still need lots of help on the suspension part of things! I can't afford to spend 1k on H&R ULs, I'm not looking for a slam. I'm looking for about 1" of wheel gap all the way around. Help, please!
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
I have done a little research, and come up with this option: MK3 VR6 struts and springs in the front, MK3 springs in the rear. It drops it a pretty good amount, about 1.5", and looks good! It also rides good. Can anyone give me some feedback on this? If I decide to go with this option, I would most likely get some Bilstein TC shocks for the front, and rear, to replace the factory crapped out struts/shocks.

I am also considering JOM blue's. I had them on a MK3, I liked them, it was pretty stiff, but I was loooow.. Like a cig pack off the ground low with a NA lip. If they're any good for the B4, I may consider them. But I don't want to take a set meant for a MK3 VR6 and put them on a heavier car, doesn't seem like a good idea.

FK streetlines (yellows) are looking like a good idea, for ~550 you get all the stuff needed for installation.

Also, CX racing seems to be popular in the MK3 crowd. I'm not 100% sure if the rears will work, though.
 
#9 ·
I've had ST coils on my 95 VR sedan for about 5 years now and have yet to have a single issue with them. Every winter I dial them up and every spring I bring them back down and I've never had a collar seizure issue. The can get ridiculously low, I usually run them with about 33-35 threads left to go down and I'm plenty low enough.
 
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Discussion starter · #10 ·
csantimays said:
I've had ST coils on my 95 VR sedan for about 5 years now and have yet to have a single issue with them. Every winter I dial them up and every spring I bring them back down and I've never had a collar seizure issue. The can get ridiculously low, I usually run them with about 33-35 threads left to go down and I'm plenty low enough.
Click to expand...
I'm considering ST. Are they tuned for the passat, or are they just MK3 coils? I want a really good ride, I don't want a ton of a drop. I'm only talking a ~40mm drop.. again, I'm just looking for comfort with a little bit of a drop so I'm not at 4x4 status.

I'm also considering :
the MK3 springs and struts option, with Bilstein TC struts/shocks, or maybe HD if I can splurge.. (I love Bilstein, have them on both my cars, awesome)
Jom Blue, only 399.99.. seems to be a good deal.
Jom White (dampening adjustable)
ST (again)
CX racing (maybe, idk.. kinda questionable parts..)
FK streetline
Koni Orange with neuspeed sofsport mk3 springs (only like 12mm drop over the MK3 springs)


Again, not looking for a slam. Looking for about an inch of wheelgap front and rear. I haven't driven a VR daily on crap roads in a while, and I'd like to keep my oil-pan.
 
#11 ·
I run my ST's about 10 threads from the top with the helper springs and it sits as low as I can go without too much rubbing with 17" wheels. But this area has A LOT of giant dips in the road that hate lowered cars. Its what happens when you build a city/roads on a swamp.

I can say the ST's are pretty good...Not as decent of a ride as a cup kit would give you, or stock struts. But its not as horribly bouncy and harsh as racelands or 300-500 coilovers for sure. You certainly know you've got coilovers, though. All the time.

I'll throw in a pic of it.

 
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Discussion starter · #12 ·
SilentDawn said:
I run my ST's about 10 threads from the top with the helper springs and it sits as low as I can go without too much rubbing with 17" wheels. But this area has A LOT of giant dips in the road that hate lowered cars. Its what happens when you build a city/roads on a swamp.

I can say the ST's are pretty good...Not as decent of a ride as a cup kit would give you, or stock struts. But its not as horribly bouncy and harsh as racelands or 300-500 coilovers for sure. You certainly know you've got coilovers, though. All the time.

I'll throw in a pic of it.

Click to expand...
Honestly, I'm not looking for a drop like that. That's waaay too low for me. I'd like it to be about 1" of wheel gap.

PS: I really like those tail lights. Is that Lamin-X?
 
#13 ·
My Big said:
Honestly, I'm not looking for a drop like that. That's waaay too low for me. I'd like it to be about 1" of wheel gap.

PS: I really like those tail lights. Is that Lamin-X?
Click to expand...
I figured it would be too low for you. You can get slightly higher...But not much at all.

I think H&R ultralows aren't this low at all. But I've never had them on an MK3 platform.

The tail lights were done with a few coats of tinted clear coat.
 
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Discussion starter · #16 ·
SilentDawn said:
I figured it would be too low for you. You can get slightly higher...But not much at all.

I think H&R ultralows aren't this low at all. But I've never had them on an MK3 platform.

The tail lights were done with a few coats of tinted clear coat.
Click to expand...
Way too low for me, looks like ST's are out of the plans.

Really? Stuff out of a can, or pro-mixed and shot with a gun? They look pretty good!

koolkevin43 said:
I've done nearly everything on that list, and there is one thing you're missing that is by far the best modification.... 268s. Throw some cams in that VR and really wake it up. The sound from 6k-7k is very pleasurable to the ears.
Click to expand...
I don't want to tear into the valve train, really. I just don't want to lose too much MPG.
 
#17 ·
My Big said:
Really? Stuff out of a can, or pro-mixed and shot with a gun? They look pretty good!
Click to expand...
It was either Nason or BASF's Glasurit clear. Shot from a gun. I just mixed in a tiny bit of black base. I taped off the red first and sprayed a strip or two over the clear/amber turn signal then uncovered and sprayed a couple more on the whole thing.


My Big said:
I don't want to tear into the valve train, really. I just don't want to lose too much MPG.
Click to expand...
I recommend swapping to 268's when doing timing chains...Since you're there. Why leave it stock? I try to sell performance enthusiast customers on cam swaps when I do timing chains/head gaskets...Pretty cheap once you're that far in. Makes the car perform totally different and sound a lot throatier.
 
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Discussion starter · #18 ·
SilentDawn said:
It was either Nason or BASF's Glasurit clear. Shot from a gun. I just mixed in a tiny bit of black base. I taped off the red first and sprayed a strip or two over the clear/amber turn signal then uncovered and sprayed a couple more on the whole thing.




I recommend swapping to 268's when doing timing chains...Since you're there. Why leave it stock? I try to sell performance enthusiast customers on cam swaps when I do timing chains/head gaskets...Pretty cheap once you're that far in. Makes the car perform totally different and sound a lot throatier.
Click to expand...
VR cam installs scare me.
I wish you were closer so I could have you do the cam install, I'd also like to do the Mk4 HG swap for the added compression/reliability, and I'd like to do the chains.
But then if I do cams, the exhaust would be choking the flow, so I'd have to go bigger. 3" is the best from what I've read, but i don't know of any companies that make 3" exhaust for a passat. So I'd have to go with a 2.5" TT system, and I'd order it with no resonator and a magnaflow, which is like $400 alone.

At the moment the suspension is concerning me the most. I'm really thinking MK3 VR6 suspension with Neuspeed sofsport springs, with Bilstein TC shocks. That should give me about 1" of wheel gap.
 
#20 ·
So did you ever make a decision on the suspension? I think I'm going for the same ride height as you, but I'm a TDI. Csantimays' ride height looks like what I'm going for.

Recently bought a set of D90s and 20/35mm adapters. Thinking I want to keep the rolling diameter the same, so I'm thinking about 215/45-16.

-Todd
 
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