A4 B8 Avant - looking for mods suggestions

[redavant]

hi everyone.

I am new the Audizine and a proud owner of a 2011 A4 S-line Avant - picked it up a few weeks ago. I've been reading the forum for mods ideas but would like to ask for specific recommendations:

- front grill - what's the best aftermarket RS4-like grill that fits A4 B8 (I've seen a number of them on ebay but not have seen anyone endorsing one or another)
- exhaust - which one to consider? I still have 2 years of CPO warranty and prefer not to loose it.
- Engine Tuning Software - same as above.
- mirrors - best method to convert mirrors to the S4 aluminum look - get a shell or ??

I've heard about Statis but have not found much on forums here. I think I'd like to start with those 4 and go from here.

Appreciate all your input!

Below is my Avant:

[Warren S]

Welcome and congratulations my S-line Avant brother! Misano red, correct? Very nice!

Let the "search key" be your friend in your research for mods. STaSIS went under recently, for example.

My preference before anyone starts modding, is to sign up for a road course track event so you can find the limits of your car (and your own ability) first. I always make this suggestion no matter what make. But most important, enjoy your new ride!


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[redavant]

Thank you, Warren, for a warm welcome. Yes - Misano Red :)

I appreciate your suggestion about the track - something I have not thought about, and I will continue to search.

[SoCalS4Avant]

hi everyone.

I am new the Audizine and a proud owner of a 2011 A4 S-line Avant - picked it up a few weeks ago. I've been reading the forum for mods ideas but would like to ask for specific recommendations:

- front grill - what's the best aftermarket RS4-like grill that fits A4 B8 (I've seen a number of them on ebay but not have seen anyone endorsing one or another)
- exhaust - which one to consider? I still have 2 years of CPO warranty and prefer not to loose it.
- Engine Tuning Software - same as above.
- mirrors - best method to convert mirrors to the S4 aluminum look - get a shell or ??

I've heard about Statis but have not found much on forums here. I think I'd like to start with those 4 and go from here.

Appreciate all your input!

Below is my Avant:

Great looking car, and welcome to the forums.

1. Most of the Ebay auctions are going to be Chinese knockoffs. I'd have to think long and hard about taking that chance. I'd actually pony up to ECS's pricing and get the grill there...maybe a little more reliable (http://www.ecstuning.com/News/Audi_B...Blackout_2013/).
2. So many choices...and all of them personal. I never upgraded my exhaust, so I can't help much. Listen to sound clips. Get someone to let you take a ride in their car, and then...suck it up! You don't need to worry about your warranty with JUST a catback. The tune is a bigger issue...
3. As I said above, if you're CPO, don't tune it until you're done. Keep the FULL warranty intact, and then modify it afterward.
4. Order the mirror housing from someone like Genuine Audi Parts. They're a relatively easy swap. Just take care with the plastic tabs in the mirror housings, as even at your cars young age, they're brittle. They're not cheap, but I liked them on my car.

Sold my B8 Avant a while ago, but happy to answer any questions you may have.

Again, welcome.

[Warren S]

redavant, where up in the bay area are you? Look for QUA77RO, he recently moved up there from L.A. to San Jose/Santa Clara area. His white B8 A4 Avant has tons of great mods AND he tracks his car regularly at Sears Pt. (Infineon) and Laguna Seca...search for his build thread at the B8 section. He's been seen at one of the Cars & Coffee meets up there, you should go check out his car to get some ideas.

[redavant]

Dan - thanks a lot for the insight and suggestions. A nice looking Avant and cool rims.

re: grill - I prefer to stay away from cheap knockoffs so will take a look at ECS. I also found this site: http://www.lltek.com/a4_b8_8k_audi_indx.htm - have you seen or heard anyone getting their stuff?

re: exhaust and chip - thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll start with the catback.

re: mirror housing - got it. Will take a look at the OEM. I thought they were like $700??

Thanks again!

[redavant]

redavant, where up in the bay area are you? Look for QUA77RO, he recently moved up there from L.A. to San Jose/Santa Clara area. His white B8 A4 Avant has tons of great mods AND he tracks his car regularly at Sears Pt. (Infineon) and Laguna Seca...search for his build thread at the B8 section. He's been seen at one of the Cars & Coffee meets up there, you should go check out his car to get some ideas.

Thank you, Warren. I've seen his posts and will try to reach out. Great advice. :)

[nhodgson1993]

Jealous of your car. Great place to start doing some small mods! Can't wait to see it

[QUA77RO]

Welcome to Avant life! Avants rule!

Just so that you know, there is no such thing as an OEM RS4 grill for a B8. Audi never made one. They are ALL the same Chinese manufacturer. You can pay more and get it from a brick and mortar business or get it cheaper on ebay. Same product different packing. I picked up mine for $170. I've compared it to ones that people paid 3x as much for...same grill. If you use ebay, just check the seller's ratings. Some people are better at standing behind what they sell than others and the ratings make it pretty clear to see who can be trusted and who to avoid.

Regarding mirror covers and the cost...if you want OEM, be prepared to pay the steep cost of entry. You pay for perfect fit as well as the Audi part number.

As a side note about mirrors, I've always found it interesting how in Europe, S and RS model buyers very often pay extra when ordering their cars to get body colored mirrors. I was at the dealership two days ago helping a friend pick up his new S6 and he commented that he had avoided the black optic package specifically because he wanted silver mirrors not body colored ones. Different strokes for different folks I guess...

I'd agree with Dan (even if he no longer owns an Avant...traitor! jk) about the tune. Hold off for a bit. No sense losing your warranty over a tune. As far as even a cat back exhaust (btw, that's a full exhaust basically on our cars since the cat is attached to the turbo) you should check with your dealership. If you have a good relationship with them and they are cool they will have no problem with an exhaust...but I have also seen people have their powertrain warranty voided for just swapping out the exhaust. Crazy I know but the warranty terms are pretty clear about modifications. Any chance a manufacturer can use a loophole to get out of paying for warranty repairs, they often will jump through it.

As Warren said, try to get out to a track event. The Audi Club has AudiFest coming up in the Fall at Sonoma Raceway. It's a great way to meet other Audi enthusiasts as well as get a chance to look at/hear/and feel the effects of certain modifications before you spend a bunch of money. If you are more into shows... there is Cars and Caffeine in San Jose as well as the Concourse/show that the Audi Club is participating in called Legends of the Autobahn.

I'm not on the forums as much anymore but feel free to shoot me a PM if you have questions. I try to answer those once a week.

[redavant]

Jealous of your car. Great place to start doing some small mods! Can't wait to see it

Thanks a lot! I've been soaking ideas from some great mods on this Forum. Thinking of starting to do something in the fall. Will post more pics soon.

[moyzes]

Congrats for the Avant, looks great! You will find tons of ideas here.

hi everyone.

I am new the Audizine and a proud owner of a 2011 A4 S-line Avant - picked it up a few weeks ago. I've been reading the forum for mods ideas but would like to ask for specific recommendations:

- front grill - what's the best aftermarket RS4-like grill that fits A4 B8 (I've seen a number of them on ebay but not have seen anyone endorsing one or another)
- exhaust - which one to consider? I still have 2 years of CPO warranty and prefer not to loose it.
- Engine Tuning Software - same as above.
- mirrors - best method to convert mirrors to the S4 aluminum look - get a shell or ??

I've heard about Statis but have not found much on forums here. I think I'd like to start with those 4 and go from here.

Appreciate all your input!

Below is my Avant:

[S4BlackCab]

If you're selling your suspension, I'd be interested in it. Please let me know - Dibs!

[redavant]

If you're selling your suspension, I'd be interested in it. Please let me know - Dibs!

I want to get to enjoy the car first before making any changes. But I'll have your offer in mind. Thanks!

[redavant]

Congrats for the Avant, looks great! You will find tons of ideas here.

Thanks a lot! Appreciate that.

[redavant]

Welcome to Avant life! Avants rule!

Just so that you know, there is no such thing as an OEM RS4 grill for a B8. Audi never made one. They are ALL the same Chinese manufacturer. You can pay more and get it from a brick and mortar business or get it cheaper on ebay. Same product different packing. I picked up mine for $170. I've compared it to ones that people paid 3x as much for...same grill. If you use ebay, just check the seller's ratings. Some people are better at standing behind what they sell than others and the ratings make it pretty clear to see who can be trusted and who to avoid.

Regarding mirror covers and the cost...if you want OEM, be prepared to pay the steep cost of entry. You pay for perfect fit as well as the Audi part number.

As a side note about mirrors, I've always found it interesting how in Europe, S and RS model buyers very often pay extra when ordering their cars to get body colored mirrors. I was at the dealership two days ago helping a friend pick up his new S6 and he commented that he had avoided the black optic package specifically because he wanted silver mirrors not body colored ones. Different strokes for different folks I guess...

I'd agree with Dan (even if he no longer owns an Avant...traitor! jk) about the tune. Hold off for a bit. No sense losing your warranty over a tune. As far as even a cat back exhaust (btw, that's a full exhaust basically on our cars since the cat is attached to the turbo) you should check with your dealership. If you have a good relationship with them and they are cool they will have no problem with an exhaust...but I have also seen people have their powertrain warranty voided for just swapping out the exhaust. Crazy I know but the warranty terms are pretty clear about modifications. Any chance a manufacturer can use a loophole to get out of paying for warranty repairs, they often will jump through it.

As Warren said, try to get out to a track event. The Audi Club has AudiFest coming up in the Fall at Sonoma Raceway. It's a great way to meet other Audi enthusiasts as well as get a chance to look at/hear/and feel the effects of certain modifications before you spend a bunch of money. If you are more into shows... there is Cars and Caffeine in San Jose as well as the Concourse/show that the Audi Club is participating in called Legends of the Autobahn.

I'm not on the forums as much anymore but feel free to shoot me a PM if you have questions. I try to answer those once a week.

Thanks a lot, QUA77RO! I've been reading a lot of your posts and appreciate how detailed you are. Thanks about your advice on modifications given my CPO warranty.

I will look into both Legends of the Autobahn and the AudiFest events. I will PM you to ask specific questions about your Avant.

[dropshadow]

re: grill - I prefer to stay away from cheap knockoffs so will take a look at ECS. I also found this site: http://www.lltek.com/a4_b8_8k_audi_indx.htm - have you seen or heard anyone getting their stuff?

They're all knockoffs, even ECS' grilles. The one you want is from seller LouieLLP on ebay. He sells the JC Sportline grilles, which I've always thought looked much better than the ECS offerings. LLTek sells the same grilles as you'll find on ECS, but with a huge markup.

Black: http://bit.ly/1lc8Q5J
Matte silver: http://bit.ly/1jFdXAp
Chrome: http://bit.ly/1jFdVsd

Nice looking wagon. I had a B8 Avant for a little bit and miss the look.

[redavant]

They're all knockoffs, even ECS' grilles. The one you want is from seller LouieLLP on ebay. He sells the JC Sportline grilles, which I've always thought looked much better than the ECS offerings. LLTek sells the same grilles as you'll find on ECS, but with a huge markup.

Black: http://bit.ly/1lc8Q5J
Matte silver: http://bit.ly/1jFdXAp
Chrome: http://bit.ly/1jFdVsd

Nice looking wagon. I had a B8 Avant for a little bit and miss the look.

Thanks 'dropshadow' - your passion for your white Avant actually inspired me! :)

I read all your posts about what you've done to it and... finally jumped into getting this one. Actually, I own a 2008 RS4 and decided to sell it. It's a sweet car but I am too much of an Avant fan.

LouieLLP prices look very reasonable - thanks a lot!

What is your take on LLTek body kits? Good quality?

[dropshadow]

Thanks 'dropshadow' - your passion for your white Avant actually inspired me! :)

I read all your posts about what you've done to it and... finally jumped into getting this one. Actually, I own a 2008 RS4 and decided to sell it. It's a sweet car but I am too much of an Avant fan.

LouieLLP prices look very reasonable - thanks a lot!

What is your take on LLTek body kits? Good quality?

Glad to see I inspired somebody. My B8 Avant was a great car, but coming from an S4 ruined me for the 2.0T. First world problems, I know. I really regret selling my B7 Avant and would love to get back into one someday.

I don't have any experience with LLTek, but somebody on AZ probably does. Personally, I think Audi's B8 Avant looks pretty good without too many body mods. You've already got a very nice looking wagon, I don't know that I'd mess with a bodykit. Red is hard to match too.

As far as the mirrors go, in hindsight, I regret putting silver mirrors on my B7 A4. Silver mirrors are an S-car hallmark, so putting them on an A-car doesn't seem right. Yes, they look great, but if I had my B7 to do it over, I would have stuck with the body color mirrors. If you want some contrast, I'd consider a set of oCarbon carbon fiber mirror covers (though those will cost as much or more than a set of OE silver mirrors), or swap to black mirror shells if you can find a set. Or even plastidip them if you want to see what they'd look like black. But hey, it's your car, don't listen to me or anybody. Do what you want.

[asal]

welcome! I'm a pretty new B8 owner as well (came from A3). I'm making a list in my head of all the things I want to do to the car, but I've got a year of warranty left (and I promised my wife if I switched that I wouldn't buy anything for the car for a long time ) I'm plotting how to get out of that one, especially after seeing the OEM LED taillights, and of course an engine tune. and FMIC. and Alu Kreuz. and 8.5 shift knob. and cargo mat. and tint. and refinishing my 3pc wheels.

crap.

[redavant]

welcome! I'm a pretty new B8 owner as well (came from A3). I'm making a list in my head of all the things I want to do to the car, but I've got a year of warranty left (and I promised my wife if I switched that I wouldn't buy anything for the car for a long time ) I'm plotting how to get out of that one, especially after seeing the OEM LED taillights, and of course an engine tune. and FMIC. and Alu Kreuz. and 8.5 shift knob. and cargo mat. and tint. and refinishing my 3pc wheels.

crap.

Welcome asal! It sounds like your list is similar to mine :)

I will be starting on my mods soon and will post an update... for now, I am taking all of this in :)

[gcoy]

That is a great red!! Keep us posted

[formula1guy]

Congrats on the Avant! Nice to see one in Misano. I see you're in the Bay Area. I live in South San Jose and work in Santa Clara. I've kind of gone the oem + route with my Avant doing only wheels, quad exhaust (AWE) and a few other things but if you want to hear the exhaust or have any other questions, feel free to reach out.

[BMWBig6]

Great looking car and an excellent platform for mods. I had ordered mine in Misano Red but switched back to Brilliant Red at the last minute since I had already been driving a Misano Red loaner for 6 months (while my car was in production) and wanted something different, LOL.

[bangoman]

The ultimate red B8 is a good starting point for a template!... http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=2129.0

[lowerdtrek]

Congrats on the Purchase!!!!! welcome the Avant club! fyi... I lowered mine 1.2" with H & R spings!!! i love the ride and the look... post up some more pics of the car... would love to see some interior shots!

[redavant]

first mod: just ordered the RS grill... from LouieLLP on ebay http://goo.gl/DvYnZ1

thanks again "dropshadow"

Once I receive it, I'll post pictures of the upgrade. Excited :)

[dropshadow]

Good job.

[redavant]

love this look, 'dropshadow' - you did an amazing job here!

I have a question: I was reading your post here: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...t-Build-Thread... where you said this:

"LED interior kit. I bought this kit from KRAutoparts for my S4 but pulled it out before I traded that car in. It uses all the same bulbs for the B8 Avant, except the Avant needs two more 194 wedge LEDs than the sedan."

Question: what are the 194 wedge LEDs?

I was not able to find them here: http://www.krautoparts.com/products/...terior-led-kit

can you let me know what they are. Many thanks!

[dropshadow]

love this look, 'dropshadow' - you did an amazing job here!

I have a question: I was reading your post here: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...t-Build-Thread... where you said this:

"LED interior kit. I bought this kit from KRAutoparts for my S4 but pulled it out before I traded that car in. It uses all the same bulbs for the B8 Avant, except the Avant needs two more 194 wedge LEDs than the sedan."

Question: what are the 194 wedge LEDs?

I was not able to find them here: http://www.krautoparts.com/products/...terior-led-kit

can you let me know what they are. Many thanks!

This is a 194 bulb:


For a 194 LED replacement, you have a few options. As mentioned, I got mine from KRAutoLED. Here's a list of individual bulbs: http://krautoled.com/collections/led-bulbs



The ones I ended up using looked like these: http://krautoled.com/products/194w-4...led-bulbs-pair

I used those because they point in one direction, and the bulbs I was replacing were ones in the hatch that need to point straight out. Other options spread light in all directions, which wasn't necessary in the hatch. You could also go with these for bright output: http://krautoled.com/products/194w-3...led-bulbs-pair

If/when I get another wagon, I want to do something like the deAutoKey Trunk LED Strip like the one they sell for the Mk7 GTI: http://deautokey.com/product/mkvii-g...free-plug-play


Thanks for the compliments on my B7. That's my favorite car I've owned to date, never should have sold it.

[dropshadow]

I just remembered that on the page you linked to, they do sell an Avant-specific LED kit that should have all the bulbs you need. You just have to select "Avant" from the pulldown menu. I worked with Emil at KRAuto to update his sedan kit for the wagon when I got mine.

[redavant]

I just remembered that on the page you linked to, they do sell an Avant-specific LED kit that should have all the bulbs you need. You just have to select "Avant" from the pulldown menu. I worked with Emil at KRAuto to update his sedan kit for the wagon when I got mine.

Ah! Got it! - thanks a ton! I'll get on this :)

[redavant]

Congrats on the Purchase!!!!! welcome the Avant club! fyi... I lowered mine 1.2" with H & R spings!!! i love the ride and the look... post up some more pics of the car... would love to see some interior shots!

thanks lowerdtrek! It's good to be a part of this community.

I was wondering if you have some pics of how the car looks after you've lowered it. I am considering this too.

Also - I'm curious about the ride - how different is it from the original set-up?

[lowerdtrek]

thanks lowerdtrek! It's good to be a part of this community.

I was wondering if you have some pics of how the car looks after you've lowered it. I am considering this too.

Also - I'm curious about the ride - how different is it from the original set-up?

Hey Red... here are some updated shots of my car... the ride is perfect with the H & R's ... it is not too stiff... but definitely stiffer then the Stock S-line Springs. i tried to get you every angle...

[Cgoon009]

Sooooo many Avants, soooo nice

[redavant]

thanks a lot for taking the pix. love the look lowerdtrek! The rims fit very well with the color. Are these 19's?

Is this the H & R's you have: http://www.awe-tuning.com/h-r-coilov...-2in-1-0-2-2in

[redavant]

I am considering upgrading the look of my brake calipers... The color of the car already makes a statement but I want to find a complimentary color for the calipers. Here's some options. What do you think?

[nhodgson1993]

Keep it simple and go silver or black

[asal]

i like the red and silver the best. black is good. green makes it looks like a christmas tree IMO, and the blue seems to vibrant; maybe a different shade.

[lowerdtrek]

Keep it simple and go silver or black

Hey Red... i agree with nhodgson... keep it simple... i say black....

I got the H & R sport springs... http://www.hrsprings.com/application...lts/3/962/2011

I got 19" rims for it...

[nhodgson1993]

Hey Red... i agree with nhodgson... keep it simple... i say black....

I got the H & R sport springs... http://www.hrsprings.com/application...lts/3/962/2011

I got 19" rims for it...

Yeah definitely try to keep the oem+ look


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