Buying a used car can be scary for anyone. This used car story is about Thomas, a future European car enthusiast, who bought a non-running, fairly clean, and extremely rare car to make his own. At sixteen, his father allowed him to work and save to purchase a car that absolutely spoke to him. Thomas had settled on an Audi B6 S4 Avant with some missing aesthetic pieces and a blown engine to be the first car he would call his own. 

Unloading the newly purchased Avant

Thomas, however, had not chosen just any B6 S4. With careful searching and a bit of luck, he managed to find one of thirty produced Nogaro Blue exterior on Nogaro Blue interior, 6-speed Quattro Avant. An absolutely eye-catching car as is, Thomas eagerly went to work addressing everything: from the daunting task of swapping an engine, to the minutia of beauty covers, trim pieces, lights, and detailing. He completed his work under the watchful guidance of an incredibly skilled mentor, from whom he gained invaluable experience in mechanical and restorative automotive work. 

 

Freshly sourced motor being prepped and installed

Solving the issue of sourcing and replacing the Audi V8 turned into a much easier task than anticipated. With his mentor’s help, Thomas was able to install the new engine himself without being quagmired by excessive cost. This allowed him to focus on other aspects of the car he had decided to address. Most notably, Thomas felt that the Audi needed suspension capable of keeping up with the car. After careful consideration, Thomas decided BILSTEIN B14 Coilovers were the best choice to fit on his Audi to bring it closer to the ground and more enjoyable to drive.

The comparison between old and new is fairly drastic: notice the difference in shock/strut construction between the older suspension that was clearly not designed for the Avant. Some of these parts came from a Chevy Blazer, which explains the overall condition of the car when Thomas purchased it.

With his new BILSTEIN coilovers in hand, Thomas set to removing the extant suspension equipped to the car. Being that the car had a blown motor and was in the ‘first car’ price range, seeing less than ideal suspension components was to be expected. He removed some unnamed and poorly pieced together suspension components and replaced them with the B14’s, which ultimately support the Avant on its set of BBS RGR mesh wheels.

 

The lower and stiffer springs, which are actually designed for use in this Avant, sit right at home on their proper perches. The finished product looks incredible installed on the car!

Thanks to BILSTEIN’s unparalleled quality and performance, this Avant is now set up to ride comfortably and handle spirited driving with ease

Thomas purchased the car with BBS wheels already equipped and in fantastic condition, except the paint. He solved the paint issue  by powder-coating the wheels a muted silver and finished with brand new black and silver BBS center caps. Finishing off his immaculate daily driver are a tune and clutch from JHM to give it more power and better bite on the left-most pedal, as well as motor mounts from ECS to eliminate driveline deflection, and finally ZIZA lighting inside and outside the car to improve on the factory illumination. 

Any mechanic or automotive restoration expert would be floored by the absolute quality of work present in this build. Upon speaking with Thomas, you would be even more taken aback by his muted sense of pride behind his reserved tone, as well as in his humility and gratitude; both in his work and ownership of this rare example of a European sport-touring dream.

All in, the Avant is far from finished. Thomas already has plans for bigger wheels with a more aggressive offset, plans to go farther with the astoundingly clean V8 build, and definitely plans to enjoy his nearly brand new B6 S4 Avant for years to come. Future enthusiasts like Thomas remind us that every project is doable with enough determination, and thanks to high quality parts producers like BILSTEIN, we can all confidently approach even the messiest of situations and be rewarded with something truly unique and personal. 

 

Interested in Purchasing BILSTEIN Suspension or other components for your car?

BILSTEIN shocks, struts, and coilovers have been the industry preferred suspension since before the use of automobiles. Revamp the feel and enjoyability of your car with BILSTEIN suspension!