S4 Build Introduction

B5 S4/ RS4
#1

I have slowly been dipping my feet deeper and deeper into the AudiRevolution waters and I guess it is that time that I get rid of my arm floaties. My quest for a fast car began back in early 2007 with my then wife. This car was bought almost brand new by my xwife when we first got together, so we watched the engine condition deteriorate from prestine to broken down. This began the first round of mods, spearheaded by one of my good friends who had just got down building his CRX (if this sounds like an alarm going off, its because it should have). So after dropping $10k in turbos such as SSAC, eBay fmic, deatchwerk injectors, oil relocator kits and a whole bunch more terrible parts it was time to put this pig together. Short story, 50 miles later the motor is being pulled because the compressor wheel made contact with the housing at 8psi. Now another ~$2,500 later I have great turbos (Garrett gt2560r), get it put back together, move the oil relocator kit, but I failed to notice that we plumbed it past the downpipes, less than a mile later and one huge hole in the oil line, the rings fried. Don’t worry, this car is not going to get the best of me, so I decide to have a professional build it, $35k later the car is built and put on the dyno, sets a record for that platform and turbo, powerwise, but it now needs adjustable exhaust cam gears and to be redyno’d. At this point personally, my current occupation is a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and the market is tanked, my marriage is in the toilet and I am ocd on this 300zx, well, in the end, I lose that car in the divorce, though I get to keep my AMG S55. Here is the Z featured in the blog of the tuners that did all of the dyno’ing for this car:

http://specialtyz.com/blog/?p=1247

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/CIMG4036.jpg

So at this point I felt like my heart had been stomped on, more so because I lost my project car. I changed from Merrill Lynch to Bank BNP Paribus, which required me to cover a territory and I had begun focusing my attention on power adders for the Mercedes and now need a commuter car,

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/photo.jpg

so I went looking for a car that could both be used as a commuter and go up to the mountains for snowboarding, which a beautiful 2000 Laser Red with 106,000 miles was for sale by Andrew Bennitt of 2Bennitt. So I jumped on this car for $9k. First day I had it, both the clutch master and brake master went out simultaneously (take about luck), so that began my first mod bug, got the JHM Stage 4 Clutch and LWFW as well as the shift trio. Once that was fixed, I used it to commute for about a year (still haven’t made it to the mountains because we haven’t had enough snow to make the trip worthwhile in the last 4 years) and then decided BNP sucks, so i quit, went back to school to get my Automotive Technology degree and decided that I would have JHM do the first stage of my current build. Ultimately the car will undergo a full bottom and top end build, but funds have started to run low as I am 2.5 years into school, and graduating this May. The car currently drives as follows:

2000 Laser B5 S4

Mods:

Engine
Jhm RS6-R Turbo(s)
Jhm fueling kit
Jhm tune for 91 octane and 110 leaded race fuel
034 3" Downpipes
ER SMIC w/ Carbon Fiber Shroud
Jhm Meth/Water Kit
Jhm Electric Fan Kit
SSAC Twin 1 (Miltek blew apart shortly after going to stage 3)

Transmission
Jhm Performance O1E 6-Speed Rebuild Kit w/Updated 1-2 Collar
4:1 Center Diff Upgrade
Jhm Drivetrain Stabilizer
034 Street Transmission Mounts
Apikol Street Rear Transmission Mounts

Suspension-Brakes-Wheels
Vogtland GT3 Coilovers
Porsche 18z Brake kit
VMR 702 19x9.5 +33
Hankook V12 235/35

Exterior-Electronics
EuroGear Carbon Fiber Vented Race Hood
EuroGear Carbon Fiber Trunk
Blitz Sbc i-color boost controller with WB02 monitor

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/20141108_104740_zpsrf0genl7.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/20141108_104821_zpsm0gcqhs9.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/20150331_144726_zps7sipgfqs.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_190711_zpsh3estbdo.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_195214_zpsbqd5uq9h.jpg

My best time to this point, though I am committed to hitting 11’s this year (right lane is me).

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/received_706462749413916_zpsn037l7uv.jpeg

#2

The good news is you already learned with the first ZX that cheap parts get cheap results. I don’t know if you have been watching the down fall of the b5 S4. But over the past few years the b5 crowed has been moving backwards getting slower and slower. They cheer for anything China and anti establishment calling it advancement of the platform but it’s just advancing the b5 into the toilet.

Sticking with Jhm will get you where you want to go. 120mph is very good with a 2.0 60 foot. I think you might want to swap out those rims for something lighter at the track. But other then that Jhm has the formula to help make over the b5 your going in the right direction.

Car looks very nice

#3

Agreed with Justin 100%.
I am helping a buddy who picked a 2000 s4 that was completely assembled with China parts and very low quality labor (some shit I never imagined I would see)

We redid the entire car but he managed to maintain the eBay-cheap-china stuff mentality (is that a b5 owners curse? Lol) and the car was not where he wanted - no surprise!!
Now that I got around his head and he is re-spending his money on quality parts and kits the Car seems to be going the right direction.

It’s a phenomenal car and the recipe is quite simple but like Justin sad. Keep to the quality parts!! U get what u paid for.

#4

Thanks guys, unfortunately, imo, as these cars start to dip in age, it brings out all the younger, less experienced with modding their cars, crowd that thinks the winning recipe is with the cheapest parts possible all while disregarding the innovator of the product and with no clue that a business has to stay making money to continue supporting that platform. It amazes me that JHM still messes with the platform though I am hugely grateful. I watched this demise of a platform in the z world and I see a lot of similarities with the b5, which is unfortunate as people don’t get that supporting a 15-20 year old platform is not common practice and how lucky we truely are.

On a side not, I just got new rubber for my 18’s (I would love to put the stocks on but the 18z calipers dont allow that) and the next track day is May 9, I will post results.

#5

Here are the wheels and tires I will be running at the drag strip on the 9th. There is also a road course function on the 25th at Thunderhill that I will probably participate in.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/20150427_070200_zpsdhiatovx.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/m-tre/Mobile%20Uploads/20150427_195632_zps4mt67oa9.jpg

#6

Find a nice light set of used 18’s to replace those 19’s and you’ll see a nice improvement in braking, cornering and of course accelerating. In my opinion 19’s are a little large for the wheel wells on the B5. Less is more and keep it simple.

Edit: I see you posted a different wheel/tire combo. How much do they weigh? 18’ correct?

#7

~19.5lbs. Yes, 18x8.5. I would bet my VMR are closer to 25-27lbs each, though I am just guessing.

#8

nice car and setup!

#9

Thank you very much.

#10

I have some of those old ssr gt-3. I had mine stripped and fully polished. Need to get my centers redone. Want to add color. Actually think I am going to have them pc’d white. Are they only 19.5 lbs? I thought they were a little heavier than that. Always liked laser B5 S4’s. Have fun at the track next go round!

What clutch?

#11

Thank you Happy, honestly, don’t bet your first kid on the weight that I have, I can’t find much info on them, so I used some specs that I found on MBworld. I know for fact that with tires, 47lbs per corner, which I will have to live with those weights until I get to my big-kid job in June and can afford something lighter. Guess I forgot to add the clutch setup to the list, whoops kinda important, JHM Stage 4/LWFW.

My wheels are rattle-canned right now, but I want to pc a deep bronze color. You gonna put those gt-3’s on your All-road?

#12

I doubt it. They are a little too small specd for the ar. The widebody allows for a more aggressive setup. I have had them for a while. One of the first things I bought for the first b5 s4 avant (still have) in '09. They have been stored for some time. I like them, just am a bit of a wheel hoarder or whore. Both are appropriate ;D

#13

Understandable, I have at least 2 different sets for each of the cars plus the stock wheels. I believe I even have some Z wheels and a set for a MR2.