Maybe I should start by introducing myself/my car

[BradP]

I bought the RS6 as a bang for the buck mid-life crisis hot rod just over a year ago. I paid $14,300 shipped with a 3 month warranty as a dealer auction flip with 85k miles. The extra bonus here is, when you pay taxes, you’re charged at the actual purchase price when purchased from a dealer (not fair market). At that price, I was willing to gamble on a decent drive train; and I won. The car has been wrecked/dinged/repaired, but still looks good at 20 feet. So, for those of you with garage jewelry, close your eyesJ I’m about function, and simply not getting pulled over. (My last Jeep had 2 salvage titles before I began molesting her…) Then, my buddies talked me into getting out to the track… A few track days and autocrosses, and here we are.<O:p></O:p>
I’m actually an engineer with odd hobbies. I do all the work myself. All standard maintenance items were budgeted for and needed on this car:<O:p></O:p>
Control arms, axel shafts, tranny service, engine oil, dif fluid (in all 3), timing belt, $1000 brake job, fixed and replaced misc. interior pieces, a couple body touchups here and there.<O:p></O:p>
Then, of course, for fun:<O:p></O:p>
PSS9s, Hotchkis sways, lithium battery, wheels/tires, Sparco seats, no rear seat, no rear side air bags, carpeted panel in place of rear seat, no rear door panels (replaced with thin layer of fiberglass/ the dog can’t use the switches anyway), sun roof delete (first carbon project), side radiator delete, 5mph bumpers/gone, rear sun shade removed, mufflers replaced with generic resonators, cowl intake, and whatever else I forgot. <O:p></O:p>
The truck scales say 3830 pounds on 1/3 tank for around a 450 (or so) pound loss. Anyone that’s tracked one of these will soon figure out trimming pounds to manage heat in the tires and brakes becomes a huge priority. Then, you just might get carried awayJ<O:p></O:p>
Currently, I’m working on 4 point harnesses, cage, and intercooler sprayers. <O:p></O:p>
When she originally showed up, it practically looked like someone had gone mud bogging with her with a village of kids in back.
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[Aronis]

Welcome.

[lswing]

This does help, welcome! Nice track mods. A tune would help a ton, and WM much more than IC sprayers. Spraying CO2 or water? Remove AC, SAI, Aux Radiators?

[BradP]

Planning to spray water or a 50/50 alcohol mix if they don't have issues at the track.
Sticking with the AC since I'm still trying to keep it a driver for now (although I typically ride a bike to work).
SAI, not familiar with that one...camber control arms? If so, thought about it. We'll see.
Aux radiators are gone. Hopefully, I don't regret it. What a pain.

[mrdave]

SAI, not familiar with that one...camber control arms?

http://www.rs6.com/showthread.php/23678-For-anyone-thinking-about-removing-the-SAI-%28Secondary-Air-Injection%29-system And welcome!

[4everRS]

I apologize for my previous demeanor.

I hope your haircut looks nice

[TMAC]

Nice project

[Other_Erik]

Brad sounds like you've built the car to your liking to have an absolute blast in it! Good for you! Welcome!

Now post up that VIN and details in the VIN list thread stickied to the top of the first page!

O_E

[Dmb408]

Awesome! Can you post a pic of the sunroof!?

Also:
What battery did you do (been jonesing to go lithium) and do you think it would work as a daily driver battery (even in cold starts)?
And you also took out spare and jack of course right, you said you probably just forgot a few things, but just trying to tally up all the weight in my mind?
Did you take out other little electronic things (like we were discussing yesterday) like the onstar guts or the siriux guts or disc changer?
And can you post specs on the Sparcos and any changes you had to do to put them in?

[Dmb408]

Oh and those are the TR Motorsports wheels right? Are you running custom 5mm hubcentric spacers or what? Reason I asked below...
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[BradP]

I don't have a sunroof pic handy. My home PC won't support this page although it's more up to date than this machine.

The battery is an Anti-gravity. I don't have the part # handy, but it's somewhere around 720 amps with around 90% capacity of the stock one at 5 pounds. Something like $400 off Ebay plus a motorcycle battery tray kit for that size. Welded to a piece of bar stock wedged in the corner of the stock tray using the primary stock bolt. Started at 22 degrees this winter with no issues. They say you can warm them up to get the amps back by turning on your lights or running the starter a couple times. I can tell you the lithium in my snowmobile falls on its butt in the cold. After the first start (with pull cord help), it's fine for the day.

Electronics: I'm not completely familiar with what I may have missed. There's a circuit board in the headliner I didn't mess with. There's a couple amps in the rear that shut down the stereo completely when I disconnected anything. I pulled the sub speakers as they would only please a 17 year old with the boom of no rear seat (3 pounds). There's only a single disc player, and I haven't even checked to see if it works:)

Jack spare etc...47 pounds.

Sparcos are whatever they call the Milano with the Alcantera material. Planted is local (425 Motorsports), and left the car with them for a day. Showed Dan the long assed seat belt receiver. So, the RS6 brackets will have that belt bracket low and far back on the seat bracket. Pic shows the RS6 belt receiver. I still replaced them with A8 receivers off Ebay. They are shorter with a cable rather than fully ridgid. There is an internal resistance even though the car will turn off the seat belt light regardless. Without hooking up the seat belt recievers correctly, you throw an airbag code. I don't recall the airbag resistor value. I do recall the stupid connector having resistance to it, and having to compensate. I'll admit I'm not the sharpest tool, but son-of-a...!!

Yup, TR Motorsports. Tire Rack put them on clearance, and bought a second set (one for stickies and one for all-seasons). I pulled the spacers after the first install. Just make sure some bonehead doesn't stack the weights so they hit the front calipers.

Hum, I should get back to work...

[Dmb408]

Thanks for the info!

[lswing]

For browser issues, make sure to try Chrome or Firefox besides IE.

Depending on what internet security you have, Malwarebytes is a good free helper, also available paid with more features.

I've sure you've read about stock IC's being prone to leaking, so keep an eye on that. I've found the DevilSown WM system to work very well, and simple. They sell a 51 water 49 meth mix that I use so it's not flammable.

That one disc in your dash is a six-disc changer, although guessing you're not gonna use it. Maybe put an 8-track in?:) Too bad you couldn't baffle the sound of the sub as it's a very good stereo system for the age.

While I feel bad this car is basically being torn apart, I suppose you are creating a good track/sport version of it. Sounds like it's a keeper for you.

Oh yes, Wagner makes a mesh grill that cover the full area full a fog light delete. You might be able to make your own carbon mesh grill? Wagner is $200.

[BradP]

Thanks for the ideas. We'll see what I can get on the list. Now the stereo is bugging me...sigh. I've had a couple in-dash changers in other cars. Nice for comfy road trip car, but that's not (really) the point here.

[Dmb408]

Brad, you've inspired me to do some lightweighting. Once I get my FUCA bushings replaced (the only maintenance thing I have hanging out there right now), I am going to get that antigravity battery, and then also remove the spare, jack, and onstar guts. Hopefully shedding 100 pounds.

[lswing]

Odyssey PC925, weighs around 10lbs and cost $150. Been running one for 3 years, so have others. Good sitting for two weeks and will still crank over. http://www.odysseybattery.com/extreme_battery_specs.aspx

[Dmb408]

10 lbs...26 or 28 pounds, same thing right. It weighs half the OE batteries weight, not a quarter. I noticed long ago that all you guys ran that battery, but forever I have been waiting for lithium to get cheaper (cough cough Braille) and then Brad alerts me to this antigravity.

[BradP]

A few additional pics. I know the sunroof is a sin, but it sure makes me grin when I yank on the wheel...30 pounds off the roof.

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[lswing]

10 lbs...26 or 28 pounds, same thing right. It weighs half the OE batteries weight, not a quarter. I noticed long ago that all you guys ran that battery, but forever I have been waiting for lithium to get cheaper (cough cough Braille) and then Brad alerts me to this antigravity.

Ha, good catch, I thought it was lighter. Compared to the stock 80lber or whatever it sure seems like 10!:) Yea, as long as the Anti-Gravity can sit for a week or two it would be great. I put mine on a battery tender on occasion just to keep it topped off.

[Dmb408]

I removed the spare and jack/toolkit this weekend. The spare and toolkit weigh 52-53 pounds. Me having the spare in was useless anyways because it looks like the prior owner removed the pump kit, that's not in there. So I am 53 pounds lighter. I think my solution is to put one of the extra wheels and pilot sports I have up in my attic together, mounted and balanced and just always have them waiting at the house if I get into a bind. The wife won't like that phone call...yea can you grab that wheel and tire from the attic and then this thing called a torque wrench and socket set from the garage, oh yea and can you grab the smaller of the two jacks too. The longer term solution is when I acquire a summer set of wheels soon so my snow tires will always be mounted on OE's then and be at the ready.

[lswing]

Good to hear. Depending on insurance you can always get a flatbed tow to the nearest tire change location for free. When my car broke down at home last year they towed it 60 miles to the shop for free:)