'89 200TQ, suspension

[e6941tb@ix.netcom.com]

Hello!

Winter is over and it's time to change Nokias for a new set of SP8000.
The new and expensive footwear will prompt a new alignment. Hence I
might as well screw the old one up, so here it goes.

My car has some substantial go-fast potential, but the suspension is
completely stock and is still all original.
Net result - on a track the Q wallows like a Caddy, rendering the hp
gain almost unusable. The car is very tight, though, just soft.

I will do the sway bar bushings and rear control arm bushings. I
allready know that the best bet is the OEM parts. No metal or urethane
need apply. I will also do the shocks.

I do not want to lower the car under any circumstances due to the
following reasons:

1. Every lowered 44_style car that I've driven, had a horrendous
propensity fo understeer. I absolutely love the neutral handling of my
torsened Q, and if need be I can still make the tail step out fairly
easy.
2. The ground clearance. I love to plow zig-zags in 2' of snow around
Broncos and their likes.
3. The looks. A lowered 44_style Audi kinda suggests fuzzy dice, cromed
wheels and gold fender trims.

One more important consideration: my wife will be taking over the 200,
once I get a hold of a new A4TQ. Given the <low> price of the A4, I am
likely to sink several grand into performance mods. That car will be
built with lots of track time in mind, whereas the 200 will basically
spend it's days as a <admittedly rather powerfull> commuter cruiser for
the wife. Due to this reason I don't want to make any overly expensive
susp mods and/or invest too much money into it. My wife thinks that the
car in a stock form is too soft for her liking (yes, even on 205/55/16),
so I have some room for stiffening the susp.

Therefore I have several questions for our esteemed suspension gurus:

1. What springs (if any?)
2. What shocks?
3. Anything else to consider?

My preliminary decision is to leave the original springs in place and
just put Boge Pro Gases in all four corners. I think they are stiffer
than the Turbo Gases. Am I correct?

The rumor has it that rear Pro Gases do not exist for my car. Is that
true?
What happens if I put Pro Gases in the front and Turbo Gases in the
rear?

Thanks in advance.

Igor Kessel
'89 200TQ