The Dad Wagon - B5 S4 Avant

[kittenpuncher]

Keep up the good work man, I love B5 S4s, and you're doing this one justice. As good as the fiftee52s looked, I'm glad you went with the speedlines.

If you planned to powdercoat them anyways I would not bother re-chroming the face, but I understand that splitting wheels is a bit like pulling teeth.

Could consider doing a brushed+clear finish? Can't say I've ever seen a set that combo on speedlines before, I think that would be a really classy combo for the black wagon. Maybe even colored centercaps? I know some stay away from powdercoating whenever able just because of the uncertainty of material property alteration when heating aluminum alloys. Some shops are really good about avoiding that, others just crank the heat to get more accomplished in one coat.

Either way excited to see where this goes

Thanks man! These cars, especially avants are pretty rare these days and the herd is thinning. Mine is far from a show car but I just want to make it respectable again.

Its a work in progress every day I find something small that needs to be tweaked or addressed, so my list continues to grow.

I am really torn at this point on how to finish the centers, chrome is so unruly. A brushed clear finish would be really nice but I can't trust the chrome underneath to hold up, the lug holes in each wheel have a varying degree of pitting.

I have certainly considered your center cap idea. Since these wheels were designed for Porsche I am trying to find a set of these center caps but they are rare AF. They would match my brakes well.



I have a few powder coat ideas but not set on one particular.

A standard finish of silver with black bolts.



3 options which would give the car some pop. I prefer silver centers 9 out of 10 times but I have actually been considering a little color.

This dark cherry could look really good against the black car, polished lips, and gold bolts. My hesitancy is the red centers with Nogaro blue interior might be too much going on.



A mag blue that you can find on Japanese wheels but I would need to change the bolt color. Better match for my interior but against a black car not quite sure...



Finally root beer a decent neutral, good with the gold bolts and the black car.



Taking any and all suggestions except for gold/ copper finishes I feel like they are played out.


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[philohlean]

Keep up the good work man, I love B5 S4s, and you're doing this one justice. As good as the fiftee52s looked, I'm glad you went with the speedlines.

If you planned to powdercoat them anyways I would not bother re-chroming the face, but I understand that splitting wheels is a bit like pulling teeth.

Could consider doing a brushed+clear finish? Can't say I've ever seen a set that combo on speedlines before, I think that would be a really classy combo for the black wagon. Maybe even colored centercaps? I know some stay away from powdercoating whenever able just because of the uncertainty of material property alteration when heating aluminum alloys. Some shops are really good about avoiding that, others just crank the heat to get more accomplished in one coat.

Either way excited to see where this goes

[kittenpuncher]

I am going to start splitting the wheel that needs the center refinished. But I have a dilemma. It will be 270 to have the one pitted face rechromed.

So the question is do I split the one wheel and pay 270 to have the face rechromed or... do I split all 4 wheels and powder coat all 4 faces for 400 bucks.

I **** splitting wheels but I had plans to powder coat the centers of these wheels next winter anyways...


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[kittenpuncher]

The Dad Wagon - B5 S4 Avant

Looking good! Can't wait to see those speedlines dialed in and mounted.

Thanks!

It's snowed so naturally I tested the Quattro and Blizzacks.

Found a nice spot to shoot some iPhone photos.












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[electricalbox]

Looking good! Can't wait to see those speedlines dialed in and mounted.

[kittenpuncher]

Test fit the new wheels today. I'll be changing a few things due to the set-up.

1. I'll need a larger spacer up front the wheelsdidn't clear the 17z brakes with a 5mm. I don't think I need much more than that. I will refit with an 8mm and see what happens.

2. I'll need to achieve more rear camber right now I think I am aligned for -1.5 in the rear. It appears I will need closer to 3. Which I am fine with as the front is around 2 right now. I just need to find out if I have more stock adjustment or if I need to buy adjustable upper control arms. Hoping it isn't the latter.

The wheels look great. One face needs to be rechromed, I'll disassemble that wheel and send the face off sometime in the next few weeks. Specs are 18x8.5 et 19 and 18x9.5 et 19. Polished lips, chromed faces, and gold bolts. I really dig my initial results.

Test fit time





Results





Front fit with a 5mm.



Rear no spacer



A better look at why I need more camber.



And a gratuitous shot of the 3.5 rear lips




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[kittenpuncher]

The Dad Wagon - B5 S4 Avant

Spent the day doing some maintenance on my old mk5 Jetta which I gave to my younger brother because he needed wheels. I replaced the valve cover and gasket as well as deleted the secondary air pump. Before he arrived I had a chance to clean my diverter valves. My car is already running more smoothly as a result.

Photo below if of the work space, I left the lift open for when he got there because we also had to do an oil change on his car.

We will hopefully have a 2 post lift in the left bay within a few months.

It was a brisk day but a beautiful one to work on cars nonetheless.





Dirty SOBs



Cleaned



Greased



That's all for now. I need to change my own oil next weekend and replace the oil level/ temp sensor.



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[kittenpuncher]

I see you're also a wagon guy
I had a B6 S4 about a year ago. Nogaro on nogaro, lots of mods... If it was a wagon I would have kept it but the problems it was having wasn't worth it because of the sedan part... If only it was an avant lol

Anyways I love the nogaro interior inside the black!! Looks way better than I pictured from reading. The carbon fiber trim looks mint and I loooove tarmacs. In 4 mor!

Thanks man!

I am a big wagon fan, I love all the space. I also have a son and dogs so its nice to keep the dogs in the trunk when I have the baby in the car.

As far as my winter agenda for the car I am just buttoning up a "few" things here and there, I have compiled a short list.

-New diverter valves, 034 motorsports
-New N75 valve (purchased not installed waiting on the DVs)
-Wrap the roof black or paint it, there are few iffy spots in the clear coat
-Source a 97-99 avant hatch, they have a europlate tub and have it painted (hopefully)
-With the nogaro fabric I have from the sedan back seat switch that for the black leather coverings for my avant back seat. (so I can have a complete norgaro interior)
-recover the headliner in black suede (current headliner is disgusting)
-Replace oil temp sensor the next time I change my oil, it seems to have stopped working.
-Replace my s4 steering wheel badge, mine is old and tarnished
-Order tires for my summer wheels
-Source center grill mesh, I have been missing it since I bought the car
-Purchase ER raceworks carbon fiber shrouds for my ER intercoolers
-LOWER IT

Now that I have taken the time to type all this up, I have realized how much there is to do, I am just going to try and take it one item at a time.

[Hugger]

I see you're also a wagon guy
I had a B6 S4 about a year ago. Nogaro on nogaro, lots of mods... If it was a wagon I would have kept it but the problems it was having wasn't worth it because of the sedan part... If only it was an avant lol

Anyways I love the nogaro interior inside the black!! Looks way better than I pictured from reading. The carbon fiber trim looks mint and I loooove tarmacs. In 4 mor!

[kittenpuncher]

The Dad Wagon - B5 S4 Avant

Threw my winter wheel on and received the new wheels. Very excited for spring, I am now trying to determine tire sizes.



Checked my brake/ rotor wear during the swap.

It reminded me how bad I need to refinish these brake calipers. With it being my daily I have no idea when I will have the time.






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[kittenpuncher]

clean! really like how the fifteen52 matched the roof bars and just looked clean! However the speedlines are iced out tho.

Haha.

Yeah I liked the 1552s a lot they were the perfect daily driver wheels. However, I have always wanted a set of speedlines and the price on these was too good to pass up. I never though I would own chromed wheels but I really dug these.

The roof bars are actually aluminum and polish up insanely well. Once I mount the wheels in the spring I am going to use some polishing compound and get them shining again.


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[Jailbird666]

clean! really like how the fifteen52 matched the roof bars and just looked clean! However the speedlines are iced out tho.

[kittenpuncher]

I think the Futuras looked better! But, to each their own, the new wheels are nice too!

Yeah, the issue with the Futuras was that I had about 2mm of brake clearance up front and my pads are easily half worn, if I put fresh pads on there is no way they would have cleared my brakes. That issue is further compounded by the fact that the Futuras were 5x114 so I would not have been able to run spacers to clear the brakes due to using wobble bolts.

I wanted a 5x112 wheels so I can dial the fitment in more easily.

[becausephilchow]

I think the Futuras looked better! But, to each their own, the new wheels are nice too!

[kittenpuncher]

Pictures of the new wheels on the previous owners car.




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