The B8 A4 Avant is a pretty good looking car; but here in the US we were only offered the chassis in one figuration; the 2.0T quattro hooked to an automatic. Even when the “Allroad” returned to the lineup, it was really only an appearance package on the standard A4 with taller springs and larger sidewall tires. Considering the plethora of options that had been available on prior Audi wagons, it was an understandable disappointment.
Inspired by this, enthusiasts have sought to remedy the problem by combining the Avant’s platform with its sibling powertrain; this feels like ‘throwback’ tuning at its best! So here we have an ’09 A4 Avant that’s running the gear from a S4. Sweet! The thing is, it’s not quite complete…
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2009 Audi A4/S4 Avant on eBay
Year: 2009
Model: A4 Avant
VIN: WAUVF78K39A194630
Engine: 3.0 liter supercharged V6
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 98,000 mi
Location: Lenoir City, Tennessee
Price: Reserve Auction
I have been presented with an opportunity that I could not pass up so now I have decided to see if there was any interest in my B8 S4 Avant project car. I could store it in a family member’s garage, but I would not be able to work on it for at least another two years. The wagon is a clean titled 2009 A4 that had a bad engine, the donor S4 was a 2012 that had damage on the left side. The interior, electronics, wiring, and suspension were completely removed from the wagon and replaced with all S4 components.
The BAD: The engine block has a crack in the right side. When I pulled the engine out of the S4 I noticed one of the engine mounting tabs had been separated from the block. I took it to who I though was a professional welder, but he only made the situation worse. I guess the good thing about this is the crack only effects the cooling system; the cylinders are fine. I spoke with a machine shop and they said they could repair it, but the engine would have to be remove and disassembled. -The manual transmission will not go into gear. When I purchased the S4, it worked fine. I drove it on my street, and it shifted perfectly. While the engine was out a new clutch was installed, but apparently a step in the process was missed. It could also just be that the shifter rod needs adjusting.
The GOOD: The car starts and runs fine, except for the coolant leak. It also has the following items installed:S4 Manual Transmission, S4 Sport (torque vectoring) rear end, S4 front suspension, S4 seats, Stage 2 tune (tuner unknown), APR Supercharger cooling system with reservoir tank, Sachs Performance Xtend clutch, Comes with the S4 Peeler wheels and tires as well as the original A4’s wheels and tires, ESC two-piece brake rotors front and rear, 034 engine mounts, Dual aftermarket supercharger pullies, Magnaflow exhaust, aftermarket downpipes (straight pipes, no cats). Keep in mind this is a project car and will still need a significant amount of work to make her awesome, but she’ll be a beast once complete. I also have a significant number of parts from the A4 that will be included if you want them. I will gladly answer any questions you may have and if you are in the Knoxville TN area, you are welcome to stop by and check it out. I’ll take a video of it running and post the link when it is available.
Keep in mind this is a project car and will still need a significant amount of work to make her awesome, but she’ll be a beast once complete. I also have a significant number of parts from the A4 that will be included if you want them.
I will gladly answer any questions you may have and if you are in the Knoxville TN area, you are welcome to stop by and check it out. I’ll take a video of it running and post the link when it is available.
When I first clicked on the link, there’s so much promise. It’s a good-looking Avant! Then you click a bit further and the hope is replaced with a slightly level of horror. Sure, the S4 interior looks great, and the seller even swapped the cluster. The supercharged V6 is in there, and so is the suspension, manual transmission, and torque-vectoring differential. WOW! Then you read about what’s what…namely, the block has damage, and the transmission won’t go into gear. Then body is also ripped apart, as are parts of the interior, it would seem. The rat’s nest of wiring in the hatch area is semi-terrifying considering the complexity of modern electronics.
At the end of the day, a lot of heavy lifting is done here. But buying into someone else’s project is always a bit of a gamble; were things done correctly, or even at all? It’s hard to be sure. But if you’re up for a challenge, this could be a really sweet winter project. And given that a newer similar swap sold this year on Bring a Trailer for $60,000, maybe you wouldn’t even be upside down it in.
-Carter
He can’t seem to get more than $2900 on eBay. This car is not going to pull strong money with the engine block issues. An Audi tech should buy it (cheap), swap the motor, finish the project,and then the could get some decent money for it. Heck, I would be interested in buying it if all the mechanical issues were fixed. But not for $60K.