Audi Tuning | VW Tuning

Completion of Jon’s “RS4 Conversion” project is in sight, with the VF Engineering supercharger kit installed and the car running. Over the next few days we will be doing some data-logging for VF to make sure everything is running as it should. Some other minor tweaks are being worked out and then Jon should be ready to drive this to his new home in Santa Clara, CA.

The stock intake manifold is completely replaced with the roots type MP90 Eaton supercharger, mounted with VF’s in-house CNC machined aluminum bracket system. The unit is positioned in line with the original serpentine belt which is replaced with a longer OEM belt. The key to this design is that the OEM active-spring belt tensioner remains fully functional and eliminates belt slip or the need to manually tension the belt.

While we ran into a few small snags during the installation process, over-all we are very happy and impressed with the quality of the parts included in the kit, and from the support we’ve received from VF Engineering.

An order was also just placed to Status Racing for a set of carbon kevlar backed Ring seats which come with FIA approval since Jon intends to track this car regularly. We’ll see if we’ll have this ready for Son of Quattrofest!

Wrapping things up as I type this. Details to come very soon.

If you’ve been following Jon’s “RS4-Conversion” build then you will be pleased to see it getting closer to its final stages of completion. For those of you who are just tuning in, here’s a small re-cap of what Jon’s been up to with his 2004 Audi S4.

Last winter, Jon’s Imola Audi S4 sat in our parking lot in stock form on Hartmann HRS4-252 Wheels. The B6 S4 was a “dream car” for Jon but at this point, he had no clue what he was about to get himself into…

Seven months later and by the time WaterWerks 2008 rolled around last summer, Jon had added European-spec headlights, Stasis/Ohlins Motorsport coil-overs, a Stasis differential, APR exhaust, H-Sport rear sway bar, and a new Oettinger front bumper with Audi S6 LEDs grafted into them. The Hartmann rollers were also swapped out with a forged version of the same style.

With all the exterior changes being made, Jon wanted to do something about the interior’s wood-grain that he hated so much. After removing most of the interior trim pieces, Jon sent them out to get custom-wrapped in carbon fiber. The finish product is an absolute stunner and compliments the motor sport theme Jon is striving for.

Tragedy struck in February of 2009. Just when everything seemed to be moving forward with Jon’s project, he came out one morning to find his car had been vandalized! Every exterior panel of the S4 would have to be re-painted if not replaced altogether due to key marks, scratches, and dents. One of the rear quarter panels had so much damage that since a section of the body would need to be cut to accommodate a new rear quarter panel, the decision to go wide body came across Jon’s mind. At this point, most would just start over with a clean slate, tearing apart their project to recover most of the additions the car received during ownership, and either sell them off to begin work on a completely different car or pick up another, cleaner version of the previous… Remember, this is Jon’s dream car so letting it go was tougher than he could imagine. But unlike most, Jon decided to use this incident as a stepping stone to begin what most would say is a waste of money, time, and energy – enter the decision to completely transform this 2004 Audi S4 into a B7 (2007+) Audi RS4!!

Body panels are relatively interchangeable from B6 to B7 chassis, but not a 100% direct fit. That’s why Jon’s S4 ended up at JMI Motoring in Arlington, WA. Known for their quality body work, including a couple of past Achtuning B5 S4 wide body conversions, Jon’s S4 had been at JMI for the last few months getting a complete body make-over! Rear quarters were cut out and new RS4 wide body versions were welded in place. All four doors were swapped out for the newer versions off the RS4 and the front, wider fenders were a bolt-on affair. An aluminum RS4 hood, front and rear bumpers, grille, trim, and lighting were also updated from the newer bodied Audi RS4.

After a 4-point cage found its way in the back-half of the car, JMI finished up the build with a full Porsche Speed Yellow respray. They re-installed the S6 LEDs in the factory RS4 bumper and shaved all the door locks and bumper markers to achieve a smooth, final look.

Jon didn’t want to just look the part with this extreme exterior transformation of his car. He also wanted to make sure that the car performed as well if not better than the car it emulated – with performance modifications already in place to give Jon a good start, a few extra “goodies” were needed to really set the tone and put any naysayer in their place… That’s where we come in.

JH Motorsport’s equal-length, coated headers and down-pipe are a complete replacement of the restrictive factory components and will allow the 4.2L V8 to breathe freely.

… And JHM’s Stage 4 ceramic/kevlar hybrid clutch disc and aluminum light-weight flywheel will shave half the weight from factory components and allow severe beatings under pressure, which we expect Jon will be putting this car through!

With those components in place, we were able to begin the final stage of this extreme project and look forward to its completion. Enter the VF Engineering roots type Eaton MP90 supercharger. Reported to push the S4’s V8 to the limits, we hope to see just under 500 whp!!

Updates to follow as we continue the VF Supercharger install…

Jon continues to accumulate parts for his “RS4-Conversion” project. With a huge exterior transformation and interior upgrade behind him, the B6 S4’s power train will now get some much-deserved attention!

Details about the build will be shared once we begin work in the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, we’ll continue drooling over these parts…