I finally had some free time to install that rear swaybar on the coupe as well as a short shift kit. Mind you I am gonna take down the Christmas tree later today, I promise. Anyway I got to writing down some odds and ends of stuff I want to do on the coupe. Mostly a lot of typical stuff: fix the gap on the rear bumper, find out why the window doesn't seal perfectly with the body, etc. All the things that only I can see that drive me insane. While writing the "to do" list, I thought I should take a minute and also write down the the things that are "TA done". The list is long and it was becoming easy to see that.....I might be nuts for doing all this work on such an old ride. You can be the judge.
First the background...I picked up this coupe about two years ago to replace my aging 86 4K fwd. Saw it on E-Bay and noticed it was a local car. It was fairly clean and priced right. Best of all it had that 5CYL 20V sound. If you have spent anytime watching old Audi rally videos from the 80's you know exactly what I am talking about. There is nothing better to me. Anyway, its main function then was to be a daily door slammer that I could run to the grocery store with, or leave at the airport for weeks on end. It didn't take long before this door slammer became an all-time favorite ride.
First came some of the restoration. Just like any daily driver it will never be completely done, always chasing the next bit of broken trim, etc.
First off, I refinished the original Speedlines and wrapped in a fresh set of new Yokes. Then to the interior. The previous owners were hard on the interior. The threads on the steering wheel were ripped out by someone who must have had some serious issues...like WTF? See a lose thread and pull on it until it almost destroys the wheel? So it was replaced. The dash was the best part. At some point some jackass decided to install a custom stereo. So when they installed the speakers to the top of the dash it totally delaminated. After weeks of trying to locate a blue dash, which is almost impossible, I met Ohio Joe. I am sure you have all seen his ads on Audifans. I've heard people put him down for parting out old coupes, but mine is still on the road thanks to this guy. You got to break eggs to make eggs? You get my point. So one blue dash, two blue seats, rear seat, turn signal/light and blinker stalks, OEM radio, new heater core, door seals, door panels and hvac system later, and the interior is now looking pretty good...plus it is warm. BONUS! As you can imagine this took a few trips down to Ohio. I'd like to thank Francois for helping me out with a lift on one of those occasions. Thanks man! There is still work to be done. The headliner needs attention and I still have not put those door panels in yet.
Onto the exterior...the biggest expense so far was the damn rocker panel trim. Yes you can organize group buys to get them a little cheaper, but that's just a nightmare. Next option was finding used....yeah right, finding used fresh rocker panel trim for an old coupe is like finding water on mars. Yeah it's there but, how much do you really want to spend for used water? So I bit it and....off to the dealership. Audi of Rochester I have to say has helped me out a lot. As well, they've given me discounts and technical drawings of old school Quattro parts, all while telling me its important to keep those older Audis out on the roads. How cool is that. Here is to the parts guys over at Rochester Audi, CHEERS! Then there are fog lights that always need replacing on these older cars. Fogs are pricey as well. Thanks to Force 5 for those. Small tip to anyone replacing the bulbs on those lower foglights. Always stick to the OEM wattage bulb. Otherwise they overheat and if you're driving in the rain the two extremes in temperature will crack the lenses. I learned this with my old Corrado. It's always a shock when I see other coupes without cracked fog lenses.
Now the fun stuff....Shocks, springs, brakes, and wheels/tires. All European helped me out with this. I think it took them less than a week to dig up, a set of Bilstein Sports, H&Rs, strut bearings, ball joints and front OEM rotors and pads. I did this part almost a year ago and I can tell you the car still rides great. I had GMW do the work for this part. Yeah we all know GMW RULES! Then to the the next weak link. Wheels and tires....17"s with another set of Yokes. Finding a set of 4X108 is....like...how did Henry Ford put it? They come in any color you like as long as it's black. Options are slim at best for those dimensions. Some people switch over to the Rs2 hubs in order to have a better selection and to do the big brake set up. Pffffff.....that's serious coin. I found a nice set of wheels that were designed to fit a Ford Focus SVT. They fit, the offset leaves them a little close to the springs but they ride really nice. Turn in and brake dive is so crisp with such a minimal sidewall. Oh and wheel spacers are never the right answer.
Yes, things break if you're driving a car while working on it. The worst was at Waterford last summer....spun the bearings. Oh, that was a painful day. Did you know the baffel in the oil pan of the coupe is made from plastic? Well I didn't but now I do. Turns out it melted and got pulled into the oil pump. Yes, my oil was a little over topped off before I set out to the track that day. So that was not the cause. Anyway the lower end was rebuilt and now it spins like a top!
Whats next? Back to the "to do" list. I've got a box of parts from O34 in the garage: Derlin motor mounts, tranny mounts, rear diff mount, front snubber mount, a-arm front and rear bushings, and aluminum subframe bushings. I am totally stoked to get these on the car. I can't wait! Thats exactly why I do it. Nuts, yeah maybe, but so what.
I'll post a few pics when I get a chance. If anyone has any questions let me know. I've learned a few things by doing them ass-backwards. Thats it so far. I am not gonna spend a lot of time proof reading this so critique away. I've gotta take down that Christmas tree. More to come. enjoy-
