I am going to do a bit of a project on my 96Z A4 this winter and am gathering up all the parts. I am doing this for the car to become a summer daily driver on days it doesn't rain. Car currently has 96,000 miles on it. I want the car to run 12.9-13.2, but I only make it to the track once or twice a year.

Not interested in a cam at this time, and has a brand new GM opti and a pretty new GM waterpump.

Current problems:
Tramlines horribly (follows grooves in the road)
Windows slow/regulators wearing out.

Here is the list so far:
K&N CAI (already installed)
Longtubes with 1 converter. (Installed 94-95 style SLP Mids, working on exhaust)
3.42 rear end (Installed)
Catback (Installed)
New front tires, they are dry rotting. (should I buy 225s or 235s for the front to help with tramlining?)
STB
LCAs (Installed)
PHB (Installed)
Bolt in SFC's (Don't really want to do much welding on a rust free car that hasn't ever been modded.)
Steering rack and tie rods.
New GM window motor/reg assemblies.
Mail order tune for gears and eliminating rear 02's/egr.

Anything that I am missing? Anything else I should do to ensure a reliable, fun car?

 

The only headers ive installed are hooker lts and i did have to ding them with a hammer abit to get them to fit, but it could have been from old motor mounts sagging. It wasn't to hard of an install though. You could also look into getting a stall convertor. If you plan on doing a cam sometime in the future you might want to get a convertor that will suit a bigger cam so you dont have to do it twice. I loved my 3600 stall, but i had a bigger cam and heads when i got the stall. Maybe a 2800 or 3000 would suit you better. You said you wont be driving the car in the rain so drag radials would help it hook up, mickey thompson makes nice ones. 1.6 roller rockers would add some power and i would get stronger valve springs, im not sure if the stockers can handle them or not. I really like comp pro mags non self alighning with guide plates. Im not sure if that will get you there or not, but you could always add a small shot of nitrous to do it. There are probably some things im forgetting so try doing searching around to see what others have done.

 

A good alignment will help with the tramlining. Here's the settings I use:

Max negative camber -1.5 if possible
Max positive caster +6 if possible

1/16" to 1/8" toe in

Less toe in increases the tendency to wander but seems to quicken turn-in. Some of my road racer friend actually go with a slight toe out setting but their cars feel like they're all over the place....

I also run these tire pressures:

34 psi front (33 to 35 is OK)
31 psi rear (30 to 32 is OK)

All these settings were used with Nitto NT555R2 Extreme tires in size 275 45 17 and don't have wear issues or tramlining issues. You might prefer other settings with other tires.....

Also note that your tramlining might not be the tires or the alignment specs. I had to replace my rack to clear up a bad tracking problem....it was easier than I thought.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the info guys. I just ordered LCA's and a PHB since I will have the rear end out for the swap anyway and Im sure the bushings on the old ones were worn out, also a STB. Next step is headers, steering rack and tie rod ends. This should keep me busy until the end of January or so doing an hour or 2 on my day off.

 

Are you changing the gears to 3.42, or the complete rear axle assembly. You don't have to pull the rear to do the gears. What gears did your car have originally - 2.73 or 3.23?

 

Bought a complete 10 bolt with 3.42's, this new rear end was originally a 3.23 so it has the different series carrier. Car originally had 2.73's.

 

One other thing, if you are deleting the egr, why are you going to run a cat? You could save some money on a cat and maybe gain a few horse unless you already have it or your emmision laws require it, i would think they would require egr too though.

 

The main reason for me wanting to keep a cat is honestly to stop unburned fuel smell, I will probably just go with a cheapie bullet style to clean it up a little.

I ran my GTP catless for a couple years, and it does get a little annoying at stoplights, and the car had a perfect AFR 14.8:1 idle/cruise 11.5-12.2:1 WOT (boosted).

No emissions in MI.

 

I dont have any emmisions either, and your right that smell does get annoying.

 

Dude you forgot all about getting one of these:

 

Haha,

I never forget about FI, my s/c GTP was my first large scale car project. Maybe next winter.

 

Got my rear end swapped out, LCA's installed, PHB installed, new sway bar end links on the rear. Took a couple days of work in my garage on jackstands. Thanks Injuneer for the great write up, only smashed one finger doing the install completely by myself, lol.

Next is STB and my used SLP 94 style mids show up this week sometime. Have to build an intermediate pipe after I install those with a cat and resonator. I hate cabin resonance that happens with most catbacks so I will probably use a flow through 3" glasspack as a resonator.

I am still debating on SFC's as I want to install a new dash pad, steering rack, window motors and regulators, tires, ball joints if needed, and install my Energy suspension front control arm bushing set that I bought months ago.

So far I have spent:

$300 freshly rebuilt 3.42 complete rear end with GM gears.
$209 STB, PHB, LCA's
$425 used headers and exhaust, will probably spend another $100 + on misc fittings and gaskets.

Looks like I'm already over my $1000 budget for the winter, but oh well. It is keeping me sane in this damn snow and my first winter being single in about 10 years.

 

if you can pick up used 1.6rr's that would be another 12rwhp ish. Lt4 springs are around $40. So if you find rockers for 150-200, you would total 250. Not bad.

 

Must be a defect in my instructions..... . I had the same results.... managed to smash the middle finger on my left hand doing the swap - split it open like a grape - and 10 years later its still numb.

Glad the how-to helped.

 

Have the SLP headers and Y installed, and started it up today for the first time in a while. Open headers sound very mean.

Also installed spark plug boot protectors, valve cover gaskets, deleted AIR and EGR.

Next step is a new tailshaft seal on the trans, get the drive shaft rebalanced and have new U joints installed (figure it couldn't hurt), order a set of SFC's, a tuned computer, steering rack, and im sure a bunch of other little things. Hope to have it done by the beginning of March.