[ba] Intro; quattro seeks abuse

[JShadzi at aol.com]

I agree, but it also depends what one wants to accomplish.  If one wanted to 
do a turbo swap to maintain factory integrity, and leave it relatively 
unmodified, then using all the stock MC pieces is a good way to go.  But, it 
is not necessarily the only or the best way to do it.  A much more simple 
swap, using the stock fuel system and ignition will give very good results, 
and reliable too.  The original poster, whose car was pretty..well...used if 
you will, I wouldn't recommend he spend that much effort on a car in that 
condition anyway, the basic turbo swap would more than suffice for his needs.

Also, the thing about Knock sensing ignition, it is not a tuning device, its 
a saftey device.  So, if a car is tuned properly, with the right octane fuel 
and fuel/timing settings, a knock sensor should not be needed.  Remember, 
many aftermarket EFI systems such as Haltech don't include knock sensing, 
they feel its a bandaid that covers up poor initial tuning.  Of course, knock 
sensing is a great device, my own car has it, but it is not necessary to have 
a good performing car.

Again, its not that the full MC swap is not the best way for certain 
circumstances, I just don't think one should limit themselves to the factory 
MC system, which is becoming more and more outdated these days, and very 
limiting for applications much over 230hp or so.  Of course, my car is an 
extreme of this sentiment, with hardly anything original anymore.

Javad
80tq.com

In a message dated 10/19/2001 12:11:32 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
quattrodave at yahoo.com writes:

<< I echo Steve's comments re: plopping in an MC instead
 of doing an aftermarket turbo.
 
 Over the years, I have driven many add-on turbo kits. 
 They all suffer from one malady or another.  In
 general, they do not have the driveability of a
 "genuine" turbo motor.  One of the major differences
 is that the MC engines included knock sensors, so Audi
 could do a bit of boost push safely.  Even up through
 1987, the N/A 5 cyl in the 4000Q had no knock sensor. 
 And AFAIK, none of the aftermarket turbo kits included
 one.  The other thing you need to consider very
 carefully is whether you want to add a turbo to your
 how old I5?
 
 The 2Bennett $8000 upgrade includes an OVERHAULED
 turbomotor.  For $2k more, you can even get the 20V. 
 Those were the prices last time I spoke with them.
 
 I saw one of the upgrades they did.  You'd never know
 the car wasn't a turbo stock.  I have a few modified
 cars here, and my experience says that if the car
 appears as if it probably came that way, you'll pass
 smog.  I even have a car with headers, two cats & twin
 pipes, where stock was a single exhaust and single
 cat.  They don't question it.  I'm convinced it's
 because I did not go with bright shiny pipes - the
 headers are just a tad rusty, as are the cats.
 
 I can't answer the question about events.  The time I
 might spend on rallies and the like is all spent
 renovating the only house in the county that I could
 afford that wasn't in a neighborhood where I was
 afraid I'd get shot at.  Unfortunately I guessed wrong
 on that last bit, having been shot at a few days
 ago!!!  Thankfully it was a nominally benign weapon,
 being air-propelled.
 
 Dave >>