Introducing Project B6 420-TS Avant.

[Nollywood]

Hey guys!


I've just fallen back into B6 ownership, and this will be my third B6.


I'm a fan of the B5, though I have a soft spot for the B6, especially in Avant guise. I previously owned a 3.0 Avant Quattro Tip SE, and made it mine, with a colour change from dark blue metallic, to Ibis White, with a genuine Vortex kit, I prefer it to the more common Ultra Sport. The kit is no longer available, I purchased the last kit from Germany, via my UK dealership. []


I also fitted a set of genuine Audi A8 D8 8.5"x18" Fat Fives.


This was followed by a 1.8T (163) Avant Quattro 5-MT SE, in Ice Blue Metallic. Kept totally stock, as I never really "bonded" with this car.


My just sold B5 was a 4.2 V8 40V swap, using the 340hp motor from my old 2005 D3 4.2 Quattro Sport, a first as far as I'm aware, using a D3 motor. That was my 5th V8 swap, my first was done back in 2009, which spawned a craze for B5's, with a V8 rumble.


My newly-purchased B6 has engine issues, which the seller is not sure of. Not a big deal. I will be doing a 6MT 01E swap, using the 01E from a 2000 B6 A4 2.5 TDI Quattro. It's being delivered on Thursday, then I'll assess the non-start issues. If the motor's dead, for convenience, I'll throw in another 3.0 V6, though my plan is to toss a 4.2 V8 40V, from a D3 A8 into the engine bay.


Why not buy a B6 S4? My answer is simple. Reliability. The chain-driven 079-series V8 motors, is one of Audi's modern day disasters. Toss scored cylinder bores into the mix, and you have a ticking time bomb. Oh yes, I've owned a 2005 B6 S4 Cabriolet, and I know what that was like. Ugh.


I will be updating things as I go along, the car has the original 7"x16" alloy wheels, which look pretty tiny, with the Votex kit. I will also be adding some genuine B6 S4 door blades.


My Dark Blue B6 3.0 Avant Quattro SE Tip, pre-Votex, Fat Fives and colour change:














My Ibis White B6 3.0 Avant Quattro SE Tip:














My Ice Blue Metallic B6 1.8T Avant Quattro SE 5MT:














My current Denim Blue Metallic B6 3.0 Avant Quattro Sport Tip:

[Nollywood]

The car was delivered this morning, just before 08:00 hrs. I was just about to leave for work.


Pretty clean, a depression in the rear bumper, left-hand side, about the size of a dime. I'll get that fixed. It's also missing a jacking point cover on the Votex skirt, left rear. Surprisingly, it's still available from Audi, I expected it to be NLA.


I purchased a brand new battery from Audi too, tried starting it tonight. Just "click". The starter motor is certainly drawing current, which suggests the motor is locked. Sounds like the timing belt's bust. I can either pull the heads, and replace bent valves, or just get another 3.0 ASN / AVK and throw it in for now. My V8 swap won't be happening until summer. Too cold to start it now, and building a V8 from the ground up, takes time...

[Nollywood]

With a snapped timing belt, I couldn't really be bothered to pull the heads. My time is valuable, and if the carnage is worse than I thought, and any of the valves have snapped, the pistons would be a mess.


Since I want to swap in a built 077-series 4.2 V8 40V, to run boost, I'll also be swapping the stock Tiptronic for an 01E 6-speed. I don't want to fit the V8 just yet, as the weather's changing, and building any naturally-aspirated motor to run boost will take time, and carefully selected parts, if done properly. I don't want to stack gaskets.


I'm most likely going to purchase a complete B6 3.0 Quattro 6-speed manual, and simply yank out the motor and 01E, and shove it into B6 420-TS. At least, I can run the car as it is then, until summer.


I have measured the B6's engine bay for length. It's longer than that of the B5, that's for sure, and I've managed to stuff V8 32/40V motors into those.

[Nollywood]

I washed the car today, so I could assess the paintwork. It was really filthy, and I wasn't sure what I was going to find under all that grime. It's actually pretty good. I might get a lower half paint, though, from the door mouldings down to the skirts.


The factory Votex kit is pretty good, I prefer it to the more common Ultrasport. The left-hand skirt was missing a jacking point cover at the rear, and it bugged me each time I looked at it. I called up Audi, to enquire about a replacement. Surprisingly, it was available as a separate part. The actual Votex kit is NLA, I purchased the last kit from Germany back in 2011, when I built my Ibis White car.


It's supplied in grey primer, ready for paint. I also purchased a paint kit from Audi too, which is essentially a twin-pack. Base and clear coat, and after painting the cover, and letting it dry, I fitted it, so all good.


If this car was just a stock SE or Sport, without the Votex kit, I would have gone the B7 RS4 route. The panels, bumpers, skirts, grille and all that's required are cheap enough, certainly cheaper than the same for the B5, by at least £3,244. But, I actually prefer the exclusivity of the original Votex cars, which are becoming increasingly rare. The Votex kit precedes the Ultrasport by at least 2 years, being mostly fitted to early B6 3.0 and a handful of 2.5 TDI V6 models.

[Nollywood]

Some pictures, after a darn good shampoo, dry and wax:

[Nollywood]

Short-term plans, are...


Exterior:


OEM B6 S4 grille.
OEM B6 S4 door blades.
OEM Seat Leon Cupra R front lip - matches the profile of the B6's Votex front lower bumper perfectly.
OEM Audi 8.5"x18" wheels, similar design to what's currently on the car, but powder coated Pearl White.
OEM B6 Xenon headlamps.


Interior:


OEM B8 S-Line leather interior, or from the current A3 Sport.
OEM B6 A4 instrument cluster, with colour DIS.
RNS-E / Audi Navigation Plus.
Carbon fibre belt line trim.
OEM B6/7 electric rear blind, or retrofit one from a B6 Volkswagen Passat Variant.
B7 ESP, FUNK and rear blind switches, and matching blanks, to lose the cup holder.

[Nollywood]

I've just pulled the trigger on another Audi.


2003 B6 Quattro Sport 3.0 Manual. Picking it up tonight, and I'll be yanking out the engine and 6-speed manual, and fitting it to my Avant auto.

[Nollywood]

So, I picked up my donor B6 3.0 Quattro 6-speed manual, and drove her 205 miles home.


I haven't really driven a manual B6 3.0 any great distance, so I was pleasantly impressed. It pulled strongly through all the gears, and all the electrics work, bar the driver's window regulator. Motor is working, but nothing happens. Broken cable. Still, it's a moot point, as I bought the car for the motor, and the manual gearbox components.


I'll begin the teardown over the weekend.

[Nollywood]

I drove the B6 3.0 Quattro Sport, 6-speed manual to work today, which is pretty much the first time I've seen it in daylight. Come to think of if, it's the first time I've seen under the hood.


After letting the wash shop at work loose on it, it kind of seems a shame to tear into it, taking the motor, transmission and all the manual conversion parts off, then flipping the rest to get some money back. It's that clean. But, needs must. Currently, it owes me £525 / $680, which is what I paid. I'll make a profit on what's left, including the tip transmission in B6 420-TS. I went through the service paperwork, and discovered that Audi supplied and fitted a brand new replacement transmission in April 2014.


Some pictures of both cars:

[Nollywood]

Tomorrow, Saturday, will be the last time the silver sedan will be driven. Sunday is strip down day.


I'm just going to drop the motor, 01E 6-speed and front subframe as a single assembly, with the front axles and driveshaft attached. The clutch throw-out bearing is noisy, so I might as well throw a new clutch in there, while it's all out of the car. It'll also be an idea to do a gearbox oil refresh too. Depending on what the gearbox output shaft seals look like when it's all out, I might replace them, too.


I'll keep this thread updated, with pictures.