[LAXbros32]

Hey yall,

Long-time lurker first-time poster... I think? (Might have posted something on here way back in high school). Any whoo, me and my brother are going to spend this winter working on bringing some life back into my old high school "project" car. It's a 2008.5 glacier white Audi A3 S-Line with about 180,000 well-loved miles on it. We plan to set it up for the Street Touring Hatchback class as it's already part of the way set up for that anyways. I have a couple of questions that I wanted to get some input on as well as would potentially like to make this a build thread (time will tell how much I keep it updated).

1) It looks like the widest tires people have been running without modification (other than a quick fender roll) is 245. What spec rim should I be looking for? Will this fit on stock 5 spokes (I figured the jump from 225 to 245 is going to be a bit too much)?

2) Any setup advice or recommendations? Specifically coil-overs, tires, sway bars, motor mounts, brake setups, or other necessary modifications.

3) Currently running a Eurodyne stage 2 tune. Back in the day, I couldn't find any dyno tuners that were close to central Ohio so this made the most sense to me as I didn't want to pay a dealer every time I wanted to switch my tunes and they were the only company that would sell me a cable and let me upload a tune in my garage. But is there something else I should be doing for power or am I pretty set with what I am running?

Any advice or critique is very welcome, look forward to getting in touch with you guys

 

[t_white]

Hey yall,

Long-time lurker first-time poster... I think? (Might have posted something on here way back in high school). Any whoo, me and my brother are going to spend this winter working on bringing some life back into my old high school "project" car. It's a 2008.5 glacier white Audi A3 S-Line with about 180,000 well-loved miles on it. We plan to set it up for the Street Touring Hatchback class as it's already part of the way set up for that anyways. I have a couple of questions that I wanted to get some input on as well as would potentially like to make this a build thread (time will tell how much I keep it updated).

1) It looks like the widest tires people have been running without modification (other than a quick fender roll) is 245. What spec rim should I be looking for? Will this fit on stock 5 spokes (I figured the jump from 225 to 245 is going to be a bit too much)?

2) Any setup advice or recommendations? Specifically coil-overs, tires, sway bars, motor mounts, brake setups, or other necessary modifications.

3) Currently running a Eurodyne stage 2 tune. Back in the day, I couldn't find any dyno tuners that were close to central Ohio so this made the most sense to me as I didn't want to pay a dealer every time I wanted to switch my tunes and they were the only company that would sell me a cable and let me upload a tune in my garage. But is there something else I should be doing for power or am I pretty set with what I am running?

Any advice or critique is very welcome, look forward to getting in touch with you guys

1. Are you on 17 or 18 inch wheels? The issue with going wider on OEM wheels(depending on the wheels) will be with clearing the suspension especially if you have coilovers. I would recommend just going with an aftermarket set of wheels that fit your need better (RPF1s may be a great option for your intended use).

2. My recommendations:
Suspension/Coilovers- Skip the cheaper coils and go with something that has dampening adjustability. My previous A3 had higher end coils and I honestly wish I got them again for my current A3. I went with cheaper ones ($650~) this time since the value is lower and they work fine for my daily driving use. I would also recommend going through and replacing any worn bushings and other components they are in need of a refresh. I just replaced my control arms, ball joints, swaybar endlinks and an axle. Make sure to buy new suspension top mounts and bearings as well.
Engine mounts- I just installed 034 Motorsports mounts in my car and must say they are a huge improvement. I would def recommend them to anyone who is okay with a bit more nvm/vibration in the cabin area.
Brakes- oem rotors are probably fine for your intended use but better pads may be a smart option.
Tires-There are plenty of options out there and I would just find what works best and if there are limitations based on your classing. PS4S are great all around tires though.

3. You could switch engine tunes to Unitronic. They also have the remote cable tuning option. I’m sure you would gain decent power over your current tune. If you have a manual trans, I would be careful of the clutch though as they tend to slip with too much power (even from just a tune).

I personally kept my 2.0T A3 stock engine wise but did have a cat back exhaust on it. For power there are always plenty of upgrades you can do. If you intended to do some autoX racing, I would probably say to upgrade the IC for better cooling and to prevent/limit heat soak between runs.

Here’s my current 3.2 A3. Still need to find some new wheels for it.

 

[LAXbros32]

Thanks so much for the response t_white!

I'm on the 17's, but we will probably end up getting a new setup. Will definitely check out RPF1s especially because they won't break the bank.

For coilovers we figured we could get something with decent quality and adjustability for around $1000. We just cant decide what brand or model to go with. We still need to do a decent amount of research on that front. We definitely are going to be doing motor mounts, I am currently looking at the ECS setup as I have never had issues with the company in the past... but I have heard mixed reviews about them. We will probably go through and do a bushing check and refresh as well. As far as tires, they have to be 200 treadwear or higher, not too sure what we are gonna run yet but PS4S are definitely an option. We will be swapping the pads out to either stoptech or EBC's or some other track oriented pads.

Might check out Unitronic, I don't think they were as prominent back when I was in high school but I have heard good things about them. Upgraded IC has always been on my list, I just need to make sure it fits in with the classing but definitely a good upgrade for what we will be doing. Oh and I already swapped the clutch a long time ago when my rear main seal went so that's all taken care of.

Also love the car, I've always wanted a Quattro a3 hatch. Considered selling mine and getting a 2.0t Quattro and slapping a K04 on it. But I'm sure the VR6 sounds gnarly. Thanks again for your input man.

 

[A3 Wannabe]

Here’s my current 3.2 A3. Still need to find some new wheels for it.

Trade?


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[LAXbros32]

Here’s my current 3.2 A3. Still need to find some new wheels for it.

Trade?


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That thing is sweet, I've always loved that color. But, trust me you wouldn't want to trade for my ****box

 

[LAXbros32]

For context, the bottom image is what she looked like in her heyday, the top two are current condition after a tree branch fell on her and a hit a deer :,)

 

[A3 Wannabe]

View attachment 110169 View attachment 110170 View attachment 110171

For context, the bottom image is what she looked like in her heyday, the top two are current condition after a tree branch fell on her and a hit a deer :,)

Ouch! I was talking wheel swap, though. I want Rotors!


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[LAXbros32]

Ouch! I was talking wheel swap, though. I want Rotors!


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Ahhh that makes more sense, I'll have to hit you up after we figure out what setup we're running. Or I guess I could just run those A4 rims I have in the meantime... hmmmmmmm Ill let you know

 

[That Guy Grizz]

Following, would love to see where you go with this.

Suspension/Coilovers- Skip the cheaper coils and go with something that has dampening adjustability. My previous A3 had higher end coils and I honestly wish I got them again for my current A3. I went with cheaper ones ($650~) this time since the value is lower and they work fine for my daily driving use.

I agree where with t_white. I've had a set of Koni 1150 on the rabbit (same cassis) and the ride was noticeably comfier than FK coilovers my buddy installed on his A3. 1 drawback (subjective) with that model is that it didn't get crazy low as some would like for stance.

 

[LAXbros32]

Following, would love to see where you go with this.



I agree where with t_white. I've had a set of Koni 1150 on the rabbit (same cassis) and the ride was noticeably comfier than FK coilovers my buddy installed on his A3. 1 drawback (subjective) with that model is that it didn't get crazy low as some would like for stance.

I'll definitely look into them! We aren't necessarily looking for comfort and definitely not looking to get stancypants with it lol. We need something that's going to allow us to do proper adjustments and whatnot to get the car to grip up on different less than ideal racing surfaces. Been looking through your build as well man, it's sick. Any other input or recommendations you have throughout are greatly appreciated.

 

[t_white]

Thanks so much for the response t_white!

I'm on the 17's, but we will probably end up getting a new setup. Will definitely check out RPF1s especially because they won't break the bank.

For coilovers we figured we could get something with decent quality and adjustability for around $1000. We just cant decide what brand or model to go with. We still need to do a decent amount of research on that front. We definitely are going to be doing motor mounts, I am currently looking at the ECS setup as I have never had issues with the company in the past... but I have heard mixed reviews about them. We will probably go through and do a bushing check and refresh as well. As far as tires, they have to be 200 treadwear or higher, not too sure what we are gonna run yet but PS4S are definitely an option. We will be swapping the pads out to either stoptech or EBC's or some other track oriented pads.

Might check out Unitronic, I don't think they were as prominent back when I was in high school but I have heard good things about them. Upgraded IC has always been on my list, I just need to make sure it fits in with the classing but definitely a good upgrade for what we will be doing. Oh and I already swapped the clutch a long time ago when my rear main seal went so that's all taken care of.

Also love the car, I've always wanted a Quattro a3 hatch. Considered selling mine and getting a 2.0t Quattro and slapping a K04 on it. But I'm sure the VR6 sounds gnarly. Thanks again for your input man.

No problem on giving such a large amount of info/recommendations. I always wanted a 3.2 quattro and finally decided to grab one for a daily for a while. It’s been great overall so far. I tend to rotate cars fairly often though, lol.

I was also looking at the $1k ECS coilover setup originally as it appears to be a good deal. May be worth it for your intended purpose. You also get new swaybar end links which is nice. I just didn’t need that much adjustability on my current car. Not sure about ECS motor mounts but if they are cheaper than 034 Motorsports it could be worth it.

 

[LAXbros32]

I am looking to get a proper repair manual just so I don't mess up the car any worse this go around. When trying to google it I am getting a ton of sketchy options, looking through the forum I couldn't seem to get a super concrete answer either. I stumbled across a program called AllDataDIY that seems to be reputable and promising. I apologize if these questions are not the brightest, just looking for some external input.

Does anyone have a suggestion for the best repair/workshop manual to go with?

Do I get a 2009 manual since I have the newer engine?

Cheers,
Logan S.

 

[Tcardio]

Ohlins


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[s0n1cm0nk3y]

Quattro

Funny you say that as I'm on the opposite side. I have a '10 Quattro A3 with a k04 and I want to go 3.2 and turbo it .

 

[s0n1cm0nk3y]

Hey yall,

Long-time lurker first-time poster... I think? (Might have posted something on here way back in high school). Any whoo, me and my brother are going to spend this winter working on bringing some life back into my old high school "project" car. It's a 2008.5 glacier white Audi A3 S-Line with about 180,000 well-loved miles on it. We plan to set it up for the Street Touring Hatchback class as it's already part of the way set up for that anyways. I have a couple of questions that I wanted to get some input on as well as would potentially like to make this a build thread (time will tell how much I keep it updated).

1) It looks like the widest tires people have been running without modification (other than a quick fender roll) is 245. What spec rim should I be looking for? Will this fit on stock 5 spokes (I figured the jump from 225 to 245 is going to be a bit too much)?

2) Any setup advice or recommendations? Specifically coil-overs, tires, sway bars, motor mounts, brake setups, or other necessary modifications.

3) Currently running a Eurodyne stage 2 tune. Back in the day, I couldn't find any dyno tuners that were close to central Ohio so this made the most sense to me as I didn't want to pay a dealer every time I wanted to switch my tunes and they were the only company that would sell me a cable and let me upload a tune in my garage. But is there something else I should be doing for power or am I pretty set with what I am running?

Any advice or critique is very welcome, look forward to getting in touch with you guys

Hello! I have a '10 Quattro with a K04 that I run in STH. I'm not pro but I can give some advice . Forgive me I missed the quattro notation so I'm unsure of if you are quattro and will base my advice on the chassis.

1. Sadly I can't speak to the stock tires and wheels as the s-line wheels the care came with had some terrible 400UTQA all seasons. I have since swapped to 17" Avanti Storms wrapped in Pilot Sport 4s's. The jump to 17 was significant and really made this car dig.

2. So I've had a MK6 K04 GTI and a MK7 Stage 2 GTI for autox. This chassis is significantly more understeer prone. If FWD I'd consider a moderate to mild sway bar with adjustment to help in snap oversteer as this chassis does not rotate as much as you would hope. For AWD I'd say a moderate to aggressive sway bar in the rear as well as a haldex tune really help dig you out of a corner. I'm running the UM Haldex tune and it helps really pull me out of a corner. My approach has been brake in early and then hammer out letting the haldex handle the work on the way out. Oddly enough that gives me a really controllable oversteer that I can then rip out of. For comparison I had 140k on a S-Line suspension and went with Solowerks S1's and their uprated springs.

3. Sadly this platform is really limited in tuning. I went the UM route as I wanted set and forget for all of the tunable parts (ECU, TCU, Haldex). I switched to UM after hopping ship in my MK6 K04 GTI from APR. They couldn't handle not slipping the clutch packs on their own 3.1 revision. So far its great and works very well for my $6k auto car.

 

[LAXbros32]

Hello! I have a '10 Quattro with a K04 that I run in STH. I'm not pro but I can give some advice . Forgive me I missed the quattro notation so I'm unsure of if you are quattro and will base my advice on the chassis.

1. Sadly I can't speak to the stock tires and wheels as the s-line wheels the care came with had some terrible 400UTQA all seasons. I have since swapped to 17" Avanti Storms wrapped in Pilot Sport 4s's. The jump to 17 was significant and really made this car dig.

2. So I've had a MK6 K04 GTI and a MK7 Stage 2 GTI for autox. This chassis is significantly more understeer prone. If FWD I'd consider a moderate to mild sway bar with adjustment to help in snap oversteer as this chassis does not rotate as much as you would hope. For AWD I'd say a moderate to aggressive sway bar in the rear as well as a haldex tune really help dig you out of a corner. I'm running the UM Haldex tune and it helps really pull me out of a corner. My approach has been brake in early and then hammer out letting the haldex handle the work on the way out. Oddly enough that gives me a really controllable oversteer that I can then rip out of. For comparison I had 140k on a S-Line suspension and went with Solowerks S1's and their uprated springs.

3. Sadly this platform is really limited in tuning. I went the UM route as I wanted set and forget for all of the tunable parts (ECU, TCU, Haldex). I switched to UM after hopping ship in my MK6 K04 GTI from APR. They couldn't handle not slipping the clutch packs on their own 3.1 revision. So far its great and works very well for my $6k auto car.

We haven't made any real progress with the build yet other than general maintenance stuff, so all this information is super beneficial. It is an FWD model and we were looking into swapping the rear sway bar. With your advice, it seems like that is more of a necessary mod than a "drivers preference" mod. I will try and find something with adjustability so we can dial it in. We figured the platform was not ideal, but as I have the car already and am familiar with how it drives I think it will be a fun time. We don't plan to win run offs or anything lol just want to compete locally. Thanks for the input and any other advice you have in the future would be appreciated.

 

[s0n1cm0nk3y]

We haven't made any real progress with the build yet other than general maintenance stuff, so all this information is super beneficial. It is an FWD model and we were looking into swapping the rear sway bar. With your advice, it seems like that is more of a necessary mod than a "drivers preference" mod. I will try and find something with adjustability so we can dial it in. We figured the platform was not ideal, but as I have the car already and am familiar with how it drives I think it will be a fun time. We don't plan to win run offs or anything lol just want to compete locally. Thanks for the input and any other advice you have in the future would be appreciated.

I'd say its not a necessity, but it definitely makes the car less of a lumbering mess of a GTI around the corners. It can do well, but it definitely does not rotate as easily as the GTI.

 

[LAXbros32]

Hey yall, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I wanted to update this post in case someone sees it in the future. Me and my brother are moving towards selling the car. I have realized that with my 45 min commute to work it doesn't really make sense to daily a Focus RS. On top of that, the Audi has so many miles we just don't think it's worth it to try and push that engine anymore. So we will be using the Focus to autocross in street class. I will be replacing the Audi with a G1 Honda Insight (55 miles per gallon) and probably either parting it out or selling it as is. Thanks for the support yall, I apologize for not following through with this.

 

[LAXbros32]

Welp out with the old crummy $300 eBay suspension that high school me thought was a good idea and in with the stock stuff. She looks like a monster truck now.


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[LAXbros32]

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