I Bought an Audi Allroad With a Blown Engine (Expedition Allroad Project)

"Garrett Davis" (GarrettDavis)
09/18/2016 at 15:53 • Filed to: Expedition Allroad, Audi Allroad, Allroad, money pit, masochism is an illness

100

Image credit to the previous owner

Yes, before you ask, I am indeed a masochist. But c’mon guys, 6-speed manual!

I have been going back and forth with the owner for the past month or so until we finally were able to settle on a price. So finally I was able to swing by with a trailer (with a winch, thankfully) and pick this bad boy up! It was a totally pain in the ass to unload and push up hill into my buddy’s carport where he’s letting me store it while we get it up and running, but with some ingenuity and a lot of elbow grease, we got it unloaded and in the carport in about two exhausting hours:

So what’s wrong with it? Here’s the list:

Timing belt snapped

Interference motor, so the heads/valves are likely toast, probably the pistons too

Rear air suspension leaks down to nil within ~1.5 to 2 weeks time

Minor scrapes and bumps here and there, rip in driver’s seat

Gauge cluster LCD and much of the switch gear is pretty worn (typical VW/Audi for the era)

It’s a 15 yr old Audi

The 2.7TT is not exactly known for its reliability (insanely tuneable, though)

But, there is some good news!

Essentially new 29" BFG KO2 All Terrain tires (225 75 R16)

Very rare manual trans

IPP air suspension arms (~2" lift at max height, ~1" lower on lowest)

New-ish front Arnott bags

New air suspension compressor

Is in pretty decent shape in and out

So what’s the plan for the Expedition Allroad?

I’m going to make this a full on expedition vehicle. It’s already got the big beefy KO2’s, the IPP sensor arms to trick the air suspension into max height, and in my opinion, looks fucking awesome. Here are the next steps:

Already have a replacement 2.7TT lined up from a B5 S4 with~75k miles on it, as well as some newish turbos and new clutch

Rear bags will be replaced with Arnott lifetime warranty(!) replacements

Going to throw a roof rack on top with all the essential expedition goodies: A row of offroad lights, a shovel/axe, gas can, possibly a full size spare

Replace the notorious VW/Audi worn interior switch gear and failing gauge cluster LCD screen

Stage 1 tune + downpipe and intake. Going to keep it fairly mild

Pray to the Audi gods that nothing else goes wrong (it will)

Take it out to the desert and cry when it breaks

More pics from the previous owner:

Inpsirational photoshopped pics from the interwebs:

I would love to hear your guys’ ideas here!

This will be a long term project, and there’s a lot I’d like to do with it. Also, if we would just have a moment of silence for my poor, poor wallet. I don’t think he’ll make it through this alive...

DISCUSSION (100)

LongbowMkII > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 16:07

Any way to use the newer (and presumably better) supercharged 3.0? Or is it a price thing?

PS9 > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 16:08

TSFI V10 swap.

ToyotaFamily > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 16:09

Oh man, I definitely want to see this finished up. I’ve seen too many of these “stanced” so that’s a nice change up.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 16:13

I wish lived as dangerously as you

Garrett Davis > LongbowMkII
09/18/2016 at 16:24

Price and ease of execution. I’ve got a buddy helping me who is something of a wizard with the 2.7tt, and on top of that I already have a low mileage replacement engine lined up and ready to be picked up. Should be a relatively quick swap this way.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 16:38

The 6 speed only came with the 2.7. there is a company that makes a kit for the V8 to mate to the manual so I would imagine it could also work in reverse to mate a V8 swap to an existing manual.

Garrett Davis > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/18/2016 at 16:56

No plans for a V8 swap, as fun as that would be. Just going with a replacement 2.7 from a B5 S4. Luckily those can make some pretty solid power numbers without much put into it, so I won’t be wanting for power.

With the big tires, I don’t want to be pushing it too hard anyway.

LongbowMkII > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 16:56

Oh you’re no fun. I bet rewiring an allroad is fun.

And by fun I mean the 7th circle of hell.

Garrett Davis > LongbowMkII
09/18/2016 at 16:57

Hah! And here I thought buying a 15 yr old Audi with a blown engine and questionable air suspension was living adventurously enough as it is!

Garrett Davis > ToyotaFamily
09/18/2016 at 16:59

Thanks man! I couldn’t agree more. I’m actually surprised there haven’t been more out there going full on with the off road path.

Or maybe there’s a reason for that...

ToyotaFamily > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 17:05

oh there’s a reason... Props to you for choosing an Allroad as a project. are you going to update on oppo or is there a build thread somewhere else I could follow?

Garrett Davis > ToyotaFamily
09/18/2016 at 17:09

I’ll keep updates on Oppo as well as a build thread somewhere. Haven’t decided exactly where yet, but I’ll post the link in Oppo when I do for sure

Vicente Esteve > PS9
09/18/2016 at 17:46

TDI V12 Swap*

Vicente Esteve > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 17:46

Bravo

PS9 > Vicente Esteve
09/18/2016 at 18:12

Mid-mounted Quad Turbo W16 swap*

PS9 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
09/18/2016 at 18:14

‘Save the integras’ Ha. You’ll never know the true thrill of having a cloud of white smoke bust through your hood seams on the highway as you’re on your way to a critical job interview.

shop-teacher > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 18:40

You are a much braver man than I. Stupid, but brave ;)

OPPOsaurus WRX > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 19:07

Is there a difference between an S4 2.7 and the original Allroad 2.7?

LastFirstMI is my name > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 19:09

owning an Allroad is like getting into a relationship with that crazy bipolar tattooed girl you met at the local bar..... Lots of fun, then one day you realize she spent all your money and ran off all your normal friends. Man, I miss my Allroad.

Garrett Davis > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/18/2016 at 19:13

There are a few slight differences. The biggest is that the Allroad 2.7 has a secondary air injection pump and the S4 version does not. Luckily deleting the secondary pump is possible and the check for it can be turned off with VCDS. Otherwise they are pretty much a plug and play swap.

Garrett Davis > LastFirstMI is my name
09/18/2016 at 19:14

Hahaha great analogy. How was your ownership experience overall?

Garrett Davis > shop-teacher
09/18/2016 at 19:15

Kinja'd!!!

AkursedX > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 19:31

I consider owning an Allroad quite similar to RX8 ownership.

Everyone will tell you its a horrible idea, even people who own them, but if you know what you are doing, and willing to get your hands dirty, it can be quite a fun experience.

Garrett Davis > AkursedX
09/18/2016 at 19:38

Great analogy! And fitting too, because I was seriously looking for RX8s for a while a few years back...

OPPOsaurus WRX > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 19:51

Yea fuck that SAP. Mine whines for a couple minutes every time I start the engine

Garrett Davis > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/18/2016 at 20:01

How has your Allroad ownership been? As much of a nightmare as I’ve been hearing?

OPPOsaurus WRX > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 20:18

It’s hard to say. The more accurate question is how is owning a 13 y/o vehicle with 180,000 miles. It’s not easy. It Also hasn’t been all that much more difficult than my brother-in-law’s 13 y/o Camry. Parts cost more and they are harder to replace

Amoore100 > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 20:49

Hmmmm...

Kinja'd!!!

jkm7680 > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 21:17

Welcome to the wonderful world of 2.7t.

Always remember. The people that bitch about how unreliable the Allroad is, have never owned one.

If you take good care of it and replace wear items on schedule, you’ll be fine.

Garrett Davis > jkm7680
09/18/2016 at 21:26

Awesome, thanks for the advice. Do you have one yourself?

jkm7680 > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 21:28

I had a 2.7t A6, but I’ve known multiple people who’ve owned Allroads with no major problems.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 21:28

He had an A6 sedan with the 2.7TT but sold it because it was too unreliable :D

Garrett Davis > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
09/18/2016 at 22:13

Haha, that’s heartening!

Garrett Davis > Amoore100
09/18/2016 at 22:19

So awesome

twochevrons > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 22:36

This is fantastic. I just bought one (2.7t automatic) as a winter beater. It, too, came home on a trailer, but that was only due to suspension issues. Looking forward to seeing what you make of yours!

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Garrett Davis
09/18/2016 at 22:42

Oh my god, I love the look with the KO2s.

I had a 2001 allroad, 2.7/6mt like yours. Hands down the best/my favorite car I've ever owned. It got to around 160k, I just did the timing belt and the suspension started failing. I sold it because I was broke and couldn't keep up with it, but what a great car. I think you're really going to enjoy it.

Garrett Davis > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/18/2016 at 23:03

Nice! Yeah, I agree, the KO2's really set it off.

Thanks, man!

Garrett Davis > twochevrons
09/18/2016 at 23:04

Awesome!

What’s your plan for the suspension? I’ve been eyeing some cheaper brands, but Arnott’s lifetime warranty and solid reputation is hard to pass up, even if they are more expensive to begin with.

Vicente Esteve > PS9
09/19/2016 at 00:30

Damn it, you climbed right to the top of the ladder on the whole of the VAG stable.

Wait.

Kinja'd!!!

16.4 Litre 3,500NM Scania V8 swap.

PS9 > Vicente Esteve
09/19/2016 at 01:03

Only a V8? You think too small!

Kinja'd!!!

830HP Scania V12 swap. AND THAT’S THE BIGGEST ENGINE THEY’VE EVER MADE SO THERE’S NOWHERE ELSE YOU CAN GO!!

Stef Schrader > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 02:07

YES

atfsgeoff > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 03:45

Those beefy BFGs really do suit the car well.

Vicente Esteve > PS9
09/19/2016 at 07:18

...

twochevrons > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 08:31

When I got the car, the back was OK, but one of the front air springs (an older Arnott one) had a huge leak. Because I like to live dangerously, I’m trying my luck with a dirt-cheap one from Amazon that I see has since picked up a one-star rating!

https://www.amazon.com/Docas-Suspensi…

So far, it seems OK – the part itself looked sturdy and well-built. It’s closer to the OE design than the Arnott ones. I figure that it’s so cheap, and swapping them out is such an easy job (now that I have the procedure figured out, I reckon I could do one in an hour or two), that it is worth a go, and even if it packs up in a year’s time, I won’t be too upset.

Long-term, the plan isn’t really anything drastic – just freshen everything up and turn it into a nice civilised winter car. Now that I’m seeing what you plan on doing with yours, though, I’m tempted to go that little bit further. A manual swap and tune would be nice after all, and I didn’t know about the IPP arms – the idea of both getting more clearance on the high settings (we get deep snow here), and having it sit lower on the low ones, is very appealing.

The timing belt thing reminds me, though – mine needs one, and soon. And an SAI pump, and valve cover gaskets, and I’m sure all sorts of other things too. Never a dull moment with a 2.7t, I guess.

Garrett Davis > twochevrons
09/19/2016 at 08:40

Wow, that is cheap. Very tempting at that price.

If you’re planning on a tune anyway, I’ve been looking into the procedure for deleting the SAI, and it can be pretty easily programmed out along with the tune, and it seems fairly common to do so. I have to delete mine because the S4 engine that I’m swapping in doesn’t even have it, so luckily there are options available.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 09:13

Yay! Congrats!

Chris Orange > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 09:27

Arnott has an okay reputation, not a great reputation. Their stuff works mostly but simply is not as good as OEM.

Look at Miessler — they rebuild OEM components. I have cheapo amazon front springs and OEM rear springs in mine and they work okay, but when the time comes I will replace anything that fails with kit from these guys. I have a Miessler compressor that’s been fantastic.

You should attend to the leaks before they burn out the compressor, and also replace the 15 year old compressor relay — they tend to burn out if run too long and leave the relay in the “running” position blowing up lots of other things in the system.

Also while you have the car apart you should replace the turbos — get new KO4ish turbos from turboconcepts.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 09:32

I love this idea man. I’ve toyed with a similar idea with a Volvo XC70, but nothing has ever come to fruition. This might be the inspiration I need now to go through with it, hahaha. How much ground clearance are you expecting to have once it’s all said and done?

Garrett Davis > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
09/19/2016 at 09:59

Well stock at max height is 8.2" of clearance. With the 29" tires and the IPP sensor arms, I would guess up to around 10-11" of ground clearance at level 4, but I’ll have to measure it. Pretty damn high up there!

Garrett Davis > Chris Orange
09/19/2016 at 10:04

Thanks for the info on the air bags, that helps. I need to do some more reading.

I was considering throwing K04s on there, but I’m already coming in pretty high on my budget with the car, engine, clutch, new seals, new rear bags, etc. Luckily I have a friend with an extra set of K03s that have very few miles on them and are in perfect shape, so those will have to do for now.

Since I’ve started pretty damn far down in the hole, I’m really just focused on getting everything running smooth first. Plus, I’m really not sure how the drivetrain will handle so much power on these giant tires. At the end of the day, this thing will not be a speed demon. I have my Z for that.

Garrett Davis > ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper
09/19/2016 at 10:26

Thanks!

OPPOsaurus WRX > twochevrons
09/19/2016 at 10:37

lol i need an SAI pump as well, and I think i need an assortment of gaskets to stop all the oil leaks.

Chris Orange > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 10:52

Read the past 6 months of allroad posts on quattroworld; lots of discussions of common issues.

Replace / refurbish the PCV spider hoses, replace the valve cover gaskets / cam plugs; replace the oil cap with the vented oil cap.

Make sure you have working EGT sensors / sensor boards; the sensor itself rarely fails but the control boards do fail and there is a replacement kit to replace the electronics.

Read up on nefariousmotorsports WRT tuning the motor and disabling some of the flakier subsystems (rear O2; you probably won’t have an SAI but it is handy to be able to remove it if you have it, EGT). You can also ask the motor for more boost, etc.

Lastly: Always buy OEM unless the part has a clearly proven history, for instance there are some aftermarket motor mounts that have a good track record, but other things like gaskets, only only only buy OEM or you will have to do the work twice or more.

Chris Orange > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/19/2016 at 10:53

The 2.7 leaks because the PCV plugs up. Make sure the spider is clean and make sure you’ve got the updated oil cap with a vent.

Garrett Davis > Chris Orange
09/19/2016 at 11:09

I’ve been doing exactly that, going through the first few pages of posts on QuattroWorld and AudiWorld.

I will have to delete the SAI since the S4 2.7 that I’m putting in doesn’t have it, and from what I’m reading the secondary O2 is on the same harness. Thanks for pointing me to NefMoto, I just asked a buddy of mine about it and it looks like a fucking awesome resource!

Good to know on the gaskets as well. The motor I’m buying is coming with a full set of new OEM gaskets, so I totally lucked out there.

I appreciate all the help! I’m trying to absorb as much as I can here before I tear into it.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Chris Orange
09/19/2016 at 11:13

thats interesting about the PCV plug. I think i’m leaking from the cam seal in the passenger side rear of the engine and from the transmission to motor seal.

66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 14:28

I can’t lie, despite it’s reputation, it’s a badass car for sure! Can’t wait to see some progress...

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 14:32

Sweet paperweight, bro!

Grindintosecond > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 14:32

Huh....can LS this? That might actuallybe kinda fun.

Garrett Davis > 66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash
09/19/2016 at 14:50

Thanks man!

I’ll hopefully be picking up the replacement engine this week

Garrett Davis > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
09/19/2016 at 14:50

Thanks!

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 16:56

Nice! You’ve already received a lot of good info on this motor. I had an A6 sedan for 5 years. Loved it till I blew a turbo and torque converter. I still have both my old turbos, gonna make a lamp someday.

My only addition, be religious on oil changes. Allow the oil temp to come up before full throttle exploits. Also give the oil 5 minutes or 1 mile to cool off the turbos after said exploits.

Mercedes Streeter > Garrett Davis
09/19/2016 at 17:02

Could be worse, you could have bought a RX8. :D

Garrett Davis > Mercedes Streeter
09/19/2016 at 17:36

Hah, that would be a good pair to have in the driveway. I don’t think I’d ever make it to work, lol

Garrett Davis > Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
09/19/2016 at 17:39

That’s definitely good stuff to know, and probably just good rule of thumb for any car.

What did you end up in after the A6?

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Garrett Davis
09/20/2016 at 08:24

Mark 6 VW GTI. It’s not as comfortable, not nearly as smooth on the highway or poised. I got the GTI because of MPG, hatchback and it’s a bomber in the corners.

twochevrons > Chris Orange
09/20/2016 at 08:27

Thanks for the wisdom you’ve brought! I really like my Allroad, and I’m up to doing the work, but I really didn’t know where to start. I kind of bought the car by accident after all...

Chris Orange > Garrett Davis
09/20/2016 at 10:16

I forgot to mention earlier — some APB engines have the SAI and some do not, but you can probably retrofit the SAI plumbing from the busted engine to the new engine.

Tuners will allow you to turn them off (sets the expected extra air flow to 0 so everything looks fine to the computer). I’m not sure if you’d pass a visual in california; I suspect yes but it is a potential liability.

also google pirate 4x4 allroad for more ideas...

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Garrett Davis
09/20/2016 at 10:25

Nice! I keep dreaming of building some type of overland vehicle now that my kids are old enough to go camping and sleep in a sleeping bag and be generally ok with not being at home all snuggled in their beds.

Garrett Davis > Chris Orange
09/20/2016 at 10:28

I checked on the engine I’m getting, and the heads do not have the SAI port, so I would have to find heads that do have it, and swap them, which is way more effort that it’s worth. I’m not worried on smog since I know a guy at a shop that will ignore the visual inspection, but even if not, that would take a keen eye and some real deep Audi knowledge to notice the difference haha!

I did read about that Allroad on Pirate4x4, I’m so bummed that he didn’t pursue the project further!

Chris Orange > Garrett Davis
09/21/2016 at 09:49

I bought one about a year ago; it had newly replaced amazon-noname front springs. I asked that they replace the timing belt and spider hose.

Instantly after I got it the compressor failed; I got a meisser compressor to replace it and had the shop I bought it from do the work. (replaced the compressor relay as well; you should too; I may have said it before but I’ll say it again, it is $15 for the relay and a stuck-on relay may blow the whole suspension+pump).

My car has a failed EGT and shot motor mounts and (because of the mounts) broken flex pipes; as a result the CEL comes on once a month. I’ll eventually fix the shot mounts and the flex pipe; the EGT I think I’ll just put an emulator on the side that’s failed and drink beer thinking about what to do about the failed EGTs.

I’m waiting for the clutch or a turbo to fail so I can scoop the motor out and do the clutch, turbos, EGT, and other stuff all at once, but hopefully that doesn’t happen for another year or two.

The car’s great, fantastic on long trips, and decent for my daily 8 mile commute. I also have a patient wife who has a reliable car and I have a boss who doesn’t mind if I work from home, though the car hasn’t actually ever stranded me.

About 3 months ago I got tired of the raw gasoline smell in the car so I took it to a shop and they said that an injector o-ring had perished; they replaced it (and the injector) and the smell’s gone.

Garrett Davis > Chris Orange
09/21/2016 at 10:44

Nice! Have the no name bags held up?

LastFirstMI is my name > Garrett Davis
09/21/2016 at 14:02

I loved that car, except when I was replacing air bags myself because the local shop wouldn’t touch it. If I could’ve kept it as a third car I would have, but for DD... Not the best. With a chip, good power (2.7T), cool adjustable air suspension, best interior I’ve ever sat in

mtdrift > Garrett Davis
09/23/2016 at 16:19

Then you can share all your desert break-down stories with us over on Overland & Expedition !

Garrett Davis > mtdrift
09/23/2016 at 16:53

Awesome, will do!

windadvisory > Amoore100
09/24/2016 at 10:51

A good friend of mine at Bushwhacker designed the fender flares on this :)

Rugged Simplicity > Garrett Davis
09/24/2016 at 15:27

You are my hero.

I’ve always wanted to do something like this with an Allroad, but the sensical side of my brain wins the argument each time it comes up. I’ll enjoy watching your build vicariously.

Garrett Davis > Rugged Simplicity
09/24/2016 at 22:26

Haha thanks!

RobG-ADV > Garrett Davis
10/01/2016 at 19:04

Sweet! I’d have done it too especially if the price was right. For my next project, I want a Subaru Baja and I’ll drop a WRX powertrain into it (not STI) with some massaging for 400-ish hp.

Garrett Davis > RobG-ADV
10/01/2016 at 19:39

That would be fucking awesome! I would love to see someone do something with a Baja

gawdzillla > RobG-ADV
10/17/2016 at 14:15

that wrx transmission will not hold 400hp, skip it and get the STi

russellness > Garrett Davis
10/17/2016 at 14:45

I was reading along and then I saw “timing belt snapped, interference motor,” at which point I realized, when you say you and the previous owner finally agreed on a price, you mean the previous owner finally offered you enough money to take it off his property?

Garrett Davis > russellness
10/17/2016 at 14:56

Hah! I wish.

Unfortunately I paid a big more than I wanted to, but after running some numbers, this was still the cheapest/easiest way to get a manual equipped Allroad for the project. Plus, the bulk of the cost (about $700+) was in the brand new tires, which were the exact size and model I was planning on buying for it anyway.

KatzManDu > Garrett Davis
10/17/2016 at 15:26

Good luck. Try to get the ECU with the replacement engine; different variations of the engine used different MAFs which had different wiring. There are other differences, too (google the F-pipe/F-hose.) I strongly recommend an APR bi-pipe for the front plumbing and upgrading the intercoolers to either the RS4 variants or something else that doesn’t have plastic ends.

WalkingContridiction > LastFirstMI is my name
10/17/2016 at 15:30

Good analogy. One time when someone on Grassroots Motorsports asked about how reliable B5 S4s were my reply was this.

Expecting a B5 S4 to be a reliable cheap car to own is like looking for a good Christian woman to marry in a whore house. You’re going to get the automotive equivalent of Herpes.

WalkingContridiction > Garrett Davis
10/17/2016 at 15:33

You are a brave brave man sir! Hopefully you don’t get so mad with it in a few months that you decide to set it on fire in the desert and claim that it was stolen.

Garrett Davis > KatzManDu
10/17/2016 at 16:58

I couldn’t take the ECU, but it wouldn’t have worked without a lot of effort for a few reasons, chief among them being that the engine came from an S4 without an immobilizer cluster. We’ll see if I run into any wiring issues otherwise. I do know that the SAI isn’t there on the new engine, but that can be excluded in a tune.

Charlie Zulu > Garrett Davis
10/17/2016 at 19:43

You are a brave hero person with a keen sense for making disposable income count. Even more awesome, you can push it out of the garage and into the yard, where it can be used as a camper already!

Garrett Davis > Charlie Zulu
10/17/2016 at 20:45

Hah, true!

So far I’ve got almost every foreseeable part I need to get it running, and I’m into it for a little over $2k. I’m also picking up some stuff just to keep it nice, like some new interior switch gear I’m ordering, and I just picked up a nice drivers seat to replace the ripped one that’s in it. I’m replacing anything cosmetic that’s not a 7/10 or better.

I’m thinking I should have this running, cleaned up, and in nice shape for under $3k. The question then is how long can I keep it under that amount ;)

TurtleFarts > RobG-ADV
10/18/2016 at 09:43

You arent massaging anywhere near 400 hp out of a wrx EJ without some serious deep tissue massaging. As in built motor, fuel system, bigger turbo, etc.

Eberle-Hills-Cop > Garrett Davis
10/18/2016 at 09:52

Do these things have any kind of low range gearing?

Garrett Davis > Eberle-Hills-Cop
10/18/2016 at 10:19

They had it as an option in Europe, but unfortunately that didn’t come over here.

Eberle-Hills-Cop > Garrett Davis
10/18/2016 at 11:02

Bummer. We go wheeling/overlanding with a built Forester (also had low range available overseas but not here) and it can be a pain in the ass. But it’s also surprisingly capable even without it.

Garrett Davis > Eberle-Hills-Cop
10/18/2016 at 11:45

Yeah, they can do some impressive things without it, but that definitely is a detriment. I won’t be doing anything too crazy anyway.

hidgolf > Garrett Davis
10/18/2016 at 12:22

this will be pretty far down your to-do’s, but if the HIDs are in good repair, you should consider protecting the headlamp lenses with a film like Xpel’s.

I know people love the classic look of dinner plate sized driving lights, but they create a lot of wind noise and hurt economy. If you’re committed to a roof rack, a high quality set of LEDs driving lamps will do a lot without a lot of drawbacks. Hella 350 come to mind:

Garrett Davis > hidgolf
10/18/2016 at 13:29

Very true. I’m very torn on that.

they-will-know-my-velocity > Garrett Davis
10/20/2016 at 18:14

These guys seem to have some ideas.

Might look into the aftermarket for front and rear bumper guards. May have to just get it fabricated but there are plenty of shops that build complex metal skidplates and sliders for trucks all the time.

A single tube brushguard across the front with Rally light across it could be cool if you’re going all out.

Also, rocksliders on the sides could be cool/usefull.

Kinja'd!!!

Garrett Davis > they-will-know-my-velocity
10/20/2016 at 18:34

Yes! A brushguard with lights on the front would be awesome — probably would have to be all custom fabbed. Sliders are also definitely on the list of possibilities. Man, I wish I had the skill and space to do my own fab work...

they-will-know-my-velocity > Garrett Davis
10/20/2016 at 18:52

Google around your area for 4X4 shops. Also check out Tacoma/4Runner/Jeep forums for your area. Those guys get all sorts of stuff done. I bet you can find a shop somewhere to build you something. Then paint/powdercoat to your heart’s content.

Garrett Davis > they-will-know-my-velocity
10/20/2016 at 19:07

Good idea. I’ll have to ask around and see if I can get a reasonable rate. I also want to get a tow hitch made since OEM ones are rare and insanely expensive, and the only aftermarket one available is only 1 1/4" receiver.