Re: Audi 4000CS Turbo

[bazooka!ti@altos.Altos.COM (Ti Kan)]

Karl Nordstrom writes:
>Does anyone have any ideas on turbo charging a Audi 4000.  I'd like to
>add a turbo to my '87 4000CS Quattro.  I thought the turbo from the sibliing
>Quattro coupe could be bolted on.  My local Audi mechanic pointed out that
>new Audi part would make this project to expensive and that used part from
>salvage would be to 1) to risky and 2) to hard to find.  He declined to do the
>research nessasary for this project.

Your Audi mechanic is being very truthful.  Converting a normally-aspirated
5-cylinder to turbo, done the factory way, is far from simply bolting on a
turbocharger.  The Audi quattro turbo configuration is really quite
different from that of the 4000 quattro, not only are the intake and
exhaust manifold and ducting different, as are the pistons, valves,
cooling system, ignition system, engine management electronics...  even
the battery must be relocated to under the rear seat to clear the wastegate!
It would be exhaustively expensive (no pun intended) to convert using
factory parts.

It has been done though, a guy by the name of Ron Love in Sunnyvale once
did a 4000 quattro convertion and the result was featured in _VW&Porsche_
magazine ("California Quattro", Feb 1988).  He basically converted the
4000 quattro into a 4-door turbo coupe.  Starting with a wrecked
European-spec quattro turbo coupe, the engine, drivetrain, all ancillaries,
suspension, brakes, electricals, etc., are transferred from the coupe to
the 4000.  Then, the flared fenders, front and rear spoiler/valance are
also grafted onto the 4-door 4000.  The interior was also redone with
a fancy multi-gauge console and Scheel seats.  A lot of custom fabrication
was involved, of course, but the result was stunning, and costly.
Unfortunately, the car was destroyed in a terrible accident but Ron came
out okay.

A more reasonable way to turbocharge a 4000 quattro (and normally-aspirated
81-87 5-cylinder Audi coupes) is to use the Callaway Turbosystems kit.
_VW&Porsche_ had a "Project Audi Coupe" feature that ran from December
1985 to February 1987 issues.  The Callaway turbo kit is apparently of
very high quality, and gave the car 170hp.  I am not sure if the kit is
still available, as Callaway has sold the VW turbo business to New
Dimensions of Santa Clara, CA (although ND will soon reintroduce the VW
turbo kits, they have announced no plans for Audi kits).  You will
probably need to ask around to see if the Callaway Audi 4000 quattro
turbo kit is still available.

If you are interested in the Callaway kit, locate a copy of the June 1986
and August 1986 issues of _VW&Porsche_ magazine.

-Ti
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