[Biturbos4] Farewell S4

Sun Oct 3 08:44:39 EDT 2004

        Of course that was supposed to have read: We refuse to let you say 
good-bye.
Al Smith  Norwalk, CT  awsm123 at optonline.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Al Smith" <awsm123 at optonline.net>
To: "Keman" <keman at interwolf.net>; <biturbos4 at www.audifans.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2004 8:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Biturbos4] Farewell S4


>           Although I do not contribute to the list often, I do monitor it 
> daily.  Keman, please stay on the list and
> add your invaluable information as you have done before.  Re refuse to 
> have you say good-bye
>
> Al Smith  Norwalk, CT  awsm123 at optonline.net
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Keman" <keman at interwolf.net>
> To: <biturbos4 at www.audifans.com>
> Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2004 4:03 AM
> Subject: [Biturbos4] Farewell S4
>
>
>> Yesterday I traded my 2001 Audi S4 Avant 6-speed nogaro blue in for a Red
>> 2004 Ford SVT Lightning.
>>
>> Lightning details:    http://www.svt.ford.com/vehicleLightning.asp
>>
>> I put 95,747 miles on the clock. Original turbos, stock chip, many bypass
>> valves. It did not burn a drop of oil nor did it leak it from anywhere. I
>> replaced a serp. belt tensioner pulley, the battery, one outer tie rod 
>> end,
>> and a few other little odds and ends, that's about it. Nothing major. The
>> trans/clutch was replaced at 47,000 miles because a leaky input shaft let 
>> it
>> run with a lot less oil in the trans than there was supposed to be. 
>> That's a
>> real freak occurance but I didn't mind as I got a new clutch out of the
>> deal.
>>
>> They're great cars guys. If you change the oil every 3-4k miles with
>> synthetic and let em cool down for a bit before turning them off, the 
>> stock
>> turbos CAN last longer than 100,000 miles.
>>
>> Mine, I couldn't trust anymore. Even working at my shop I'm not in a
>> position to replace them myself- it'd take me 3 days and not only can I 
>> not
>> use the lifts during the weekend, I could never tie up one for 3 days 
>> during
>> a week. So I'd literally have to pay for it to be done even when I can do 
>> it
>> myself. This dillema I procrastinated to the point where I saw that I 
>> could
>> get a brand new lightning for $26k out the door, and I took it. I needed 
>> a
>> tow vehicle for the roadrace mustang anyways.
>>
>> How hard did I drive the S4? Damn hard. Real hard. Every chance I had I 
>> was
>> taking off as fast as I could and winding it through the gears. I went
>> through several sets of tires, and surprisingly more rear brake pads than
>> fronts.
>>
>> I enjoyed every mile I drove it ... and it held up extremely well, the
>> interior still looking new after detailing. And I am glad that it 
>> witnessed
>> and took part of 4 very prominantly changing years of my life. I'm even 
>> more
>> glad to see it go with nothing but good memorys of it, rather than 
>> cursing
>> it to go after having something big fail on it and regret ever owning it
>> with the position it'd put me in.
>>
>> Why did I trade it in vs. sell it? I required the buffer of anonymity 
>> that
>> trading a car in to a dealership provides. Trade in cost vs. personal 
>> sale
>> was the price I was willing to pay for that buffer.
>>
>> The Lightning is a blast btw. It blows the doors of a stock S4 and most
>> other cars on the road, 13.6 @ 102mph and 0-60 in 5.1 is enough to suck 
>> your
>> eyes into the back of your skull when you smash on the loud pedal. It
>> reaches 30mph from a standstill faster than you can say the word
>> "ludicrous" - 1.9 seconds ... even faster out of the hole than the Viper
>> powered Ram SRT-10. The blower is loud and the truck is unrefined ... it
>> begs for all your irrational 'improper, as my audi would certainly call 
>> it'
>> immaturity to come out and produce things like this:
>>
>> http://www.classic-cars-worldwide.com/gallery/ford-04-lightning-004.jpg
>>
>> With 295/45/18" Goodyear Eagle F1 GS tires on all four corners, it holds 
>> a
>> corner pretty well and the bilsteins dampen exceedingly well for a solid
>> rear axle. I'm not looking forward to the price of those tires ... eesh.
>> But... it comes with a heavy duty trailer towing package, electric brake
>> controller wiring and 7/4 pin trailer outlet already installed with a 
>> class
>> three receiver hitch. It's good for 5000 lbs and fords super-duty cooling
>> system keeps it alive both on the way to the track and even ON the track. 
>> I
>> watched these 4600lb bahemouths careen around Gingerman Raceway when I 
>> had
>> my mustang there, and I was floored. I couldn't believe my eyes, they 
>> were
>> that fast in and out of the corners.
>>
>> One of my friends at Ford headed up the team that managed to stuff the
>> diesel powerstroke trans internals into the 4R100 case. He's had 2 now 
>> and
>> towed with them for years ... he feels they're bulletproof at stock boost
>> levels.
>>
>> 380 hp and 450 ft/lbs of instant torque ... with that I don't care about
>> shifting anymore. :)
>>
>> See-ya guys.... make sure to laugh at me this winter as I creep on by!
>>
>> Keman
>> 04 Lightning
>> 90 Mustang
>> Both Vermillion Red
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Biturbos4 at www.audifans.com
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>>
>
>
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