agkellyboy
10-14-2009, 12:20 AM
Owners already know that their S4’s are brilliant to drive and equally so to look at. However, as on any Audi, there are certain aesthetic elements that can be improved to give the car an overall cleaner and more pleasing appearance. Except for a few VAG mods, most of these changes can be applied to any Audi model, as I have done most of these already to my B7 A4.
I will be updating this list frequently, but here is a start:
German Front License Plate
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/570/s4_092308_640_01.jpg
Where: EuropeanPlates.com (http://www.europeanplates.com/)
How much: $26
The great thing about the front grille on these cars is that you do not need a separate filler plate to run a European plate. Just remove two torx screws and the filler piece and you’re left with an insert for the Euro plate. Use 3M heavy-duty mounting tape in liberal strips to secure the plate.
LED License Plate Lamp
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9441/p1030532l.jpg
Where: PySpeed (http://www.pyspeed.com/product-p/dash-8007.htm)
How much: $60
Instead of trying to find LED bulbs or xenon colored bulbs for the stock housing, replace the entire thing with these insanely bright LED fixtures. Unless you are doing some serious cross-country underground rallies, these are a great way to spice up the rear of the S4 and bring prominence to the car as it blows by the M3 you just passed.
Hoen Xenonmatch Fog Lights
http://gallery.me.com/andrewgkelly/100011/S4front/web.jpg
Where: Hoen-USA (http://www.hoen-usa.com/fog.htm)
How much: $30
Personally, I love unlocking the car at night just to see the fog lights come alive, almost as if the beast is awakening and ready to pounce. But nothing ruins the moment more than crappy yellow lights. One of the keys to visual upgrades is to remove any and all ‘warm’ light from the car. Hoen H11 fog lights may not be the ricey HID fogs that end up blinding oncoming traffic, but they do their part in matching the fancy xenon’s you have up top. I can see there being a potential loss in intensity, and if the Ken Block in you demands yellow fogs be my guest, but for the average city dweller they work just fine.
H&R Spacers for 18” Wheels
(Picture coming soon, but watch this video for reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6npkL_8tAQ)
Where: Achtuning (http://shop.achtuning.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=1631)
How much: $250
Nothing is sexier than wheels flush up with the body and fender, but the stock 18” wheels on the S4 can barely be seen they’re tucked so far in. Since I plan on using the 18”s for winters, I wanted to improve the look of the car and make the stance more aggressive even before installing a suspension. After some research, I determined the best way to go was 15mm DR series spacers in the front and 20mm DRA series spacers in the rear. Remember, the centerbore of this car is 66.56mm. The main difference is that DRA series spacers use proprietary bolts (included) to bolt the spacer itself to the hub, then using the stock bolts to bolt the wheel to the spacer. DR series is your traditional spacer, requiring new bolts at least the thickness of the spacer longer than your original bolts. This means we needed bolts at least 15mm longer than the OEM 28mm. I bought my Hartmann bolts from Achtuning in the same order, but many retailers have them in all different sizes. For the stock wheels you want 14mm ball seat heads, however some aftermarket wheels use cone seats. The closest length I could get without being under the restriction was 45mm. But don’t go too long, or you’ll have bolts sticking out behind the brake and your wheel won’t turn.
Note: These widths do not hold true for the stock 19" wheels. I've heard 5mm being thrown around, but someone chime in to confirm
More to come:
VAG Mods
LED Interior
I will be updating this list frequently, but here is a start:
German Front License Plate
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/570/s4_092308_640_01.jpg
Where: EuropeanPlates.com (http://www.europeanplates.com/)
How much: $26
The great thing about the front grille on these cars is that you do not need a separate filler plate to run a European plate. Just remove two torx screws and the filler piece and you’re left with an insert for the Euro plate. Use 3M heavy-duty mounting tape in liberal strips to secure the plate.
LED License Plate Lamp
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9441/p1030532l.jpg
Where: PySpeed (http://www.pyspeed.com/product-p/dash-8007.htm)
How much: $60
Instead of trying to find LED bulbs or xenon colored bulbs for the stock housing, replace the entire thing with these insanely bright LED fixtures. Unless you are doing some serious cross-country underground rallies, these are a great way to spice up the rear of the S4 and bring prominence to the car as it blows by the M3 you just passed.
Hoen Xenonmatch Fog Lights
http://gallery.me.com/andrewgkelly/100011/S4front/web.jpg
Where: Hoen-USA (http://www.hoen-usa.com/fog.htm)
How much: $30
Personally, I love unlocking the car at night just to see the fog lights come alive, almost as if the beast is awakening and ready to pounce. But nothing ruins the moment more than crappy yellow lights. One of the keys to visual upgrades is to remove any and all ‘warm’ light from the car. Hoen H11 fog lights may not be the ricey HID fogs that end up blinding oncoming traffic, but they do their part in matching the fancy xenon’s you have up top. I can see there being a potential loss in intensity, and if the Ken Block in you demands yellow fogs be my guest, but for the average city dweller they work just fine.
H&R Spacers for 18” Wheels
(Picture coming soon, but watch this video for reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6npkL_8tAQ)
Where: Achtuning (http://shop.achtuning.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=1631)
How much: $250
Nothing is sexier than wheels flush up with the body and fender, but the stock 18” wheels on the S4 can barely be seen they’re tucked so far in. Since I plan on using the 18”s for winters, I wanted to improve the look of the car and make the stance more aggressive even before installing a suspension. After some research, I determined the best way to go was 15mm DR series spacers in the front and 20mm DRA series spacers in the rear. Remember, the centerbore of this car is 66.56mm. The main difference is that DRA series spacers use proprietary bolts (included) to bolt the spacer itself to the hub, then using the stock bolts to bolt the wheel to the spacer. DR series is your traditional spacer, requiring new bolts at least the thickness of the spacer longer than your original bolts. This means we needed bolts at least 15mm longer than the OEM 28mm. I bought my Hartmann bolts from Achtuning in the same order, but many retailers have them in all different sizes. For the stock wheels you want 14mm ball seat heads, however some aftermarket wheels use cone seats. The closest length I could get without being under the restriction was 45mm. But don’t go too long, or you’ll have bolts sticking out behind the brake and your wheel won’t turn.
Note: These widths do not hold true for the stock 19" wheels. I've heard 5mm being thrown around, but someone chime in to confirm
More to come:
VAG Mods
LED Interior