8 months in with my dream car...
8 months in with my dream car...
About 9 months ago I was considering my options and getting some owner opinions on whether I should trade my 2012 GTI for an RS4. I received a lot of feedback, and it helped steer me towards the right decision...which was to buy a Phantom Black '08 RS4 with about 57k miles (92k km's). I picked up the RS at the beginning of December 2012 from the dealer, and drove it home, with a stop at my in-laws to pick up my wife:
Once, I got it home, the car spent some time in the garage, getting it shined up and ready for winter. I am a bit of a detailing nut (spend just as much time on the Autopia forums as here), so this was just the beginning...a light polish with Menzerna SI1500 and then Menzerna Powerlock to seal it in for the winter. Winter shoes going on after this were Hartmann HRS4 + Michelin Alpin PA3:
Christmas eve snow at my parents' house (don't worry, it spent almost every other night indoors):
After that, it went on a road-trip to Ottawa for skiing, this picture taken at an OnRoute rest stop along the highway. Coming from the GTI, I was prepared for some comparatively horrendous gas mileage, but I got about 23 MPG (10L/100 km) driving reasonably on that road trip (in the winter!). Driving on the highway with the RS is fantastic, and it is definitely a quiet/solid ride and surprisingly compliant (credit to the DRC suspension, which is still working):
Come spring, I started doing a little more work on the car, including:
- changing differential and tranny fluid (Motul Gear 300)
- new fuel filter
- changing power steering fluid
- brake bleed
- new air filter + cabin air filter
Engine bay is nice and tidy!
I also noticed a couple of cosmetic shortcomings on the car that I wanted to take care of, including replacing the bottom trim pieces of both front doors (had started to delaminate from metal backing) and the rear matte silver trim strip on the bumper (minor pitting). Oh yeah, I also installed some LED taillights from ECS Tuning to give a bit more modern look:
With the coming of Spring, I also set about giving the car a thorough detailing in and out. Though Phantom Black looks quite stunning, it does show swirls, RIDS and other defects much more readily than most other colours. So, I set about doing a 30+ hour detail:
1. Wash with Dawn and various other cleaners to strip old wax, including in all door jams, and paintwork in trunk and engine bay
2. Decontaminate with CarPro's Trix (tar and iron remover)
3. Rinse and dry
4. Clay bar
5. Compound with Meguiar's M101
6. Polish with Menzerna SF4500 --> compounding and polishing happened in all door jams, paintwork in trunk, and behind rear license plate
7. Alcohol wipedown with Menzerna Top Inspection to remove polishing oils
8. 2 coats of Menzerna Powerlock sealant, including door jams and paintwork in trunk and engine
9. 1 coat Lusso Oro paste wax
10. Aquapel on windows and Klasse AIO on all other windows
11. Interior detailing with 1Z einszett Plastic Deep Cleaner, 1Z einszett Cockpit Premium, and Leather Master leather Protection Cream
Results:
Now, one of the last things (so far) that I wanted to address was the steering wheel. The wheel that comes with the North American RS4 was a far cry from what came stock on the EU RS4, and compared to what my 2007 GTI and my 2012 GTI came with, it felt like the steering wheel from a bus! So, after much looking around and considering of options, I decided to order a custom wheel from Carsdream in Germany, a company that does custom interior leather work on european cars. The price was quite reasonable, the work outstanding, and it allowed me to use my existing airbag and steering wheel controls. The wheel just arrived yesterday and I installed it last night. It is much better than the old wheel with a thicker diameter and much more obvious contouring. The flat-bottom also allows easier ingress and egress:
So, that's the story so far! It's been a great 8 months, and I am loving the RS4! The Mrs. and I have a baby on the way, and I am trying to figure out the best baby seat to fit in the back for when we take the RS instead of the GTI...gotta make sure the kid is raised right with the sound of a high-revving european V-8 in their ears as they ride along!
Thanks to the great community here at RS246, it's been a great experience so far, and the resources here have been invaluable for maintenance questions, the occasional rant, and ideas/inspiration for new tweaks to the car to make it even more "perfect"!
Once, I got it home, the car spent some time in the garage, getting it shined up and ready for winter. I am a bit of a detailing nut (spend just as much time on the Autopia forums as here), so this was just the beginning...a light polish with Menzerna SI1500 and then Menzerna Powerlock to seal it in for the winter. Winter shoes going on after this were Hartmann HRS4 + Michelin Alpin PA3:
Christmas eve snow at my parents' house (don't worry, it spent almost every other night indoors):
After that, it went on a road-trip to Ottawa for skiing, this picture taken at an OnRoute rest stop along the highway. Coming from the GTI, I was prepared for some comparatively horrendous gas mileage, but I got about 23 MPG (10L/100 km) driving reasonably on that road trip (in the winter!). Driving on the highway with the RS is fantastic, and it is definitely a quiet/solid ride and surprisingly compliant (credit to the DRC suspension, which is still working):
Come spring, I started doing a little more work on the car, including:
- changing differential and tranny fluid (Motul Gear 300)
- new fuel filter
- changing power steering fluid
- brake bleed
- new air filter + cabin air filter
Engine bay is nice and tidy!
I also noticed a couple of cosmetic shortcomings on the car that I wanted to take care of, including replacing the bottom trim pieces of both front doors (had started to delaminate from metal backing) and the rear matte silver trim strip on the bumper (minor pitting). Oh yeah, I also installed some LED taillights from ECS Tuning to give a bit more modern look:
With the coming of Spring, I also set about giving the car a thorough detailing in and out. Though Phantom Black looks quite stunning, it does show swirls, RIDS and other defects much more readily than most other colours. So, I set about doing a 30+ hour detail:
1. Wash with Dawn and various other cleaners to strip old wax, including in all door jams, and paintwork in trunk and engine bay
2. Decontaminate with CarPro's Trix (tar and iron remover)
3. Rinse and dry
4. Clay bar
5. Compound with Meguiar's M101
6. Polish with Menzerna SF4500 --> compounding and polishing happened in all door jams, paintwork in trunk, and behind rear license plate
7. Alcohol wipedown with Menzerna Top Inspection to remove polishing oils
8. 2 coats of Menzerna Powerlock sealant, including door jams and paintwork in trunk and engine
9. 1 coat Lusso Oro paste wax
10. Aquapel on windows and Klasse AIO on all other windows
11. Interior detailing with 1Z einszett Plastic Deep Cleaner, 1Z einszett Cockpit Premium, and Leather Master leather Protection Cream
Results:
Now, one of the last things (so far) that I wanted to address was the steering wheel. The wheel that comes with the North American RS4 was a far cry from what came stock on the EU RS4, and compared to what my 2007 GTI and my 2012 GTI came with, it felt like the steering wheel from a bus! So, after much looking around and considering of options, I decided to order a custom wheel from Carsdream in Germany, a company that does custom interior leather work on european cars. The price was quite reasonable, the work outstanding, and it allowed me to use my existing airbag and steering wheel controls. The wheel just arrived yesterday and I installed it last night. It is much better than the old wheel with a thicker diameter and much more obvious contouring. The flat-bottom also allows easier ingress and egress:
So, that's the story so far! It's been a great 8 months, and I am loving the RS4! The Mrs. and I have a baby on the way, and I am trying to figure out the best baby seat to fit in the back for when we take the RS instead of the GTI...gotta make sure the kid is raised right with the sound of a high-revving european V-8 in their ears as they ride along!
Thanks to the great community here at RS246, it's been a great experience so far, and the resources here have been invaluable for maintenance questions, the occasional rant, and ideas/inspiration for new tweaks to the car to make it even more "perfect"!
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
nice write up! gorgeous car! I bought a very similar RS4 -- 2007 Phantom Black with 58k miles last month. loooove it!!
might have to borrow some of your detailing ideas..thanks!2007 RS4 | Phantom Black | Milltek'ed | LED DRL'ed | H&R wheel spaced | 034 Density Line control armed | Hotchkis F + R Sway Barred | K&N Filtered | Ziza lit | Lamix-ed | Passport 9500ix hardwired | Dension Pro BT'ed | StopTech Brake Padded
- TonyHayers
- 5th Gear
- Posts: 1175
- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 12:03 am
- Location: Leeds
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
Nice pics, more on that steering wheel please - got any more photos?
06 Phantom Black Saloon:
DONE: Water Meth Injection, Carbon clean at 64k, CAI, Gutted Precats, Non-res x-pipe, H&R 8mm spacers, H&R springs
^ GONE
DONE: Water Meth Injection, Carbon clean at 64k, CAI, Gutted Precats, Non-res x-pipe, H&R 8mm spacers, H&R springs
^ GONE
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
Great write up buddy and I imagine there's more to come. I love how over there she is such a sleeper and I bet you surprise a few of the muscle cars
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
nice one, great read, thanks
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
Thanks all! I'll try to add some more pics of the steering wheel, it is definitely an improvement over the standard North American wheel, and I'm definitely glad I went for it. Now I don't feel like I'm getting behind a bus everytime I step from the GTI into the RS4 (until I started the engine that is!).
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
Nice read.MFT wrote:Thanks all! I'll try to add some more pics of the steering wheel, it is definitely an improvement over the standard North American wheel, and I'm definitely glad I went for it. Now I don't feel like I'm getting behind a bus everytime I step from the GTI into the RS4 (until I started the engine that is!).
Out of interest how did you sort the side strips delaminating ? I just happened to have fixed both mine this afternoon.
I was dreading the same problem that had plagued my old B5 (corroded lugs), but fortunately was able to remove all the internal rust and re-bond.
(why the fcuk would anybody use both steel and aluminium in the same component.... oh wait, aux -rads.)
Looks like new again now
VW Toe-rag V6 R-line.... no curry hooks...wtf ?
Gone: Avus Avant B7 RS4.... plus curry hooks !
Gone: Avus Avant B7 RS4.... plus curry hooks !
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
For the delaminating side trim strips, I originally took them off, re-glued the delaminating part with PL Premium and clamped for about 12 hours. This certainly helped, but you could still tell it wasn't perfect. SO, I broke down and ended up ordering two new trim pieces. A bit pricey, but worth it if you're a perfectionist like me!
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
I did similar. Spent some time cleaning out all the rust and crud. Then clamped before using "Q-Bond". I'd never heard of it before and had some doubts as its cyanoacrylate based (super glue). But it comes with two small bottles of "powder", one for filling metals, one for plastics.MFT wrote:For the delaminating side trim strips, I originally took them off, re-glued the delaminating part with PL Premium and clamped for about 12 hours. This certainly helped, but you could still tell it wasn't perfect. SO, I broke down and ended up ordering two new trim pieces. A bit pricey, but worth it if you're a perfectionist like me!
A couple of minutes after application and it's rock hard.
Amazing stuff.
The strips look as straight as a die now.
VW Toe-rag V6 R-line.... no curry hooks...wtf ?
Gone: Avus Avant B7 RS4.... plus curry hooks !
Gone: Avus Avant B7 RS4.... plus curry hooks !
- John Johnson
- 5th Gear
- Posts: 1101
- Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:27 pm
- Location: Uk
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
I'm about to do one of mine ..... Is it easy to do / remove the trim ?
Current toys in the garage
B7 avant in Daytona with ceramics and a few other goodies and lowwwww miles
Ur quattro. lago Blue
Ur quattro. Mars red
Rs1600i
Transit custom sportvan
http://youtu.be/FWBUl7oT9sA
B7 avant in Daytona with ceramics and a few other goodies and lowwwww miles
Ur quattro. lago Blue
Ur quattro. Mars red
Rs1600i
Transit custom sportvan
http://youtu.be/FWBUl7oT9sA
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
its easy to remove trim - 2 x screws holding it on (or is it just one?) then it slides off
there is definitely one screw visible on inside edge of the bottom bit of door when you open it - check if there is one down the other end then you just slide it towards you - i.e away from the hinge towards the back of the car
the trim is attached by some lugs on the door itself which locate in some little 'keyhole" slots on the trim piece
there is definitely one screw visible on inside edge of the bottom bit of door when you open it - check if there is one down the other end then you just slide it towards you - i.e away from the hinge towards the back of the car
the trim is attached by some lugs on the door itself which locate in some little 'keyhole" slots on the trim piece
Currently: C63 AMG 507 Edition Coupe - Polar white
Previously : 997 Turbo - Meteor Grey, Audi B7 RS4 Saloon - Phantom Black, Audi RS3 - Daytona Grey, Abarth 500, MK2 Ford Focus RS, LS3 VXR8, Monaro VXR, MK4 Golf R32, Leon Cupra R, MK1 Cliosport 172, MK3 Golf VR6 Highline
Previously : 997 Turbo - Meteor Grey, Audi B7 RS4 Saloon - Phantom Black, Audi RS3 - Daytona Grey, Abarth 500, MK2 Ford Focus RS, LS3 VXR8, Monaro VXR, MK4 Golf R32, Leon Cupra R, MK1 Cliosport 172, MK3 Golf VR6 Highline
- John Johnson
- 5th Gear
- Posts: 1101
- Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:27 pm
- Location: Uk
Re: 8 months in with my dream car...
Just had a look 2 ... Will track one of thus q bond down
Came off easy with a bit of tapping , seriously full of gunk so cleaned out and drying on the window sill ....will glue and g clamp in a few days I reckon
Came off easy with a bit of tapping , seriously full of gunk so cleaned out and drying on the window sill ....will glue and g clamp in a few days I reckon
Current toys in the garage
B7 avant in Daytona with ceramics and a few other goodies and lowwwww miles
Ur quattro. lago Blue
Ur quattro. Mars red
Rs1600i
Transit custom sportvan
http://youtu.be/FWBUl7oT9sA
B7 avant in Daytona with ceramics and a few other goodies and lowwwww miles
Ur quattro. lago Blue
Ur quattro. Mars red
Rs1600i
Transit custom sportvan
http://youtu.be/FWBUl7oT9sA
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