Project Update : C.U. Sport Car Club A4 4.2 is complete !
3ZERO3 Motorsports is proud to announce that Valentin Ivanitski’s Audi B5 A4 4.2L V8 is complete. You may remember that 3ZERO3 Motorsports brought you coverage of this shoe horn project earlier this summer, well the motor fits, and the car runs. Not only does it run, it rips, and the V8 powered Audi A4 had a great inaugural track day at High Plains Raceway last saturday.
We interviewed Val this afternoon, and had another look at the car on the streets and in the Colorado sun. 3ZERO3 Motorsports believes that for enthusiasts, your vehicle is an extension of your personality, and this car has Val written all over it. Val succeeded in creating a unique, and challenging project. Read more to learn about the hurdles and accomplishments of getting a project like this not only completed, but sponsored.
The heart of the beast, a 4.2L V8 sourced from an Audi A6.
I first asked Val, why he chose to ‘re-engineer the wheel’, why choose to retrofit an Audi V8, when simply expanding upon the tried and true Audi 1.8T platform was clearly easier and less costly. I also asked Val how he thought the car performed with the heavier engine in place.
- Originality: Val hates cookie cutter cars. He wanted something unique and all his own. True to form, there have been 3 such projects ever attempted, and currently 2 still on the road. Modified 1.8T’s are everywhere, but this Audi A4 4.2 stands alone.
- Engineering exploration : Val is currently finishing his Engineering degree from the University of Colorado. Degree or not, Val is an engineer thru and thru. This project gave him an opportunity to apply his craft, and explore the limits of what can be done with the Audi A4.
- “At first I was concerned about understeer, retaining the quattro all wheel drive system and replacing the light weight 1.8T with the V8 I assumed would make the car not want to rotate. But the V8 has alot of torque, this allows me to put my foot into it, transfer weight to the rear axle and unburden the front tires. Also, I love being able to throttle steer ! Just stomp on it mid corner, so much fun. I would say that despite the added weight over the front axle the car behaves as well, if not better than it did pre-surgery,”.
Beware of the side pipes! Ear plugs required.
This is V8, and everyone within a 2 mile radius will know it. The unrestricted side exit exhaust is certainly a highlight of this project. Most 3ZERO3 Motorsports employees have a big threshold for high decibel exhaust systems, but this is ridiculous. The A4 is Val’s daily driver, he keeps ear plugs in the glove compartment for long trips. Expect to see a muffler in Vals list of future mod’s.
Getting sponsored, staying sponsored.
Automotive enthusiasts are always looking for help from sponsors, and Val was no exception. I asked Val how hard it was to get sponsored, and how much of the projects costs were covered by his sponsors.
- ” Getting sponsored, especially in current economy, is very hard. Selling yourself is tough. I feel very grateful to my sponsors, especially 3ZERO3 Motorsports for all their help,”.
- ” I was really able to keep costs down on this project. That isn’t to say this was cheap by anymeans ! But because I am able to do fabricate many of my own parts and do the required work myself, I was able to save alot of money that way. Thankfully my sponsors contributions help mainly to cover parts costs, which I estimate at 1/3 of the total money spent,”.
Track bound.
I asked Val what his plans were for the big engined A4, and if those plans had changed during the process of the build.
- “Initially I really wanted a car that could compete both on the tarmac as a road racer, and on the dirt as a rally car. But the more i explored the limits of the suspension technology, and evaluated the potential stresses on the motor mounts, I decided that perhaps this was more of a dream than a reality. Looking ahead I plan on using my Audi almost exclusively on the road. I am scared that with all the stresses involved with rally racing, there simply isn’t an easy way to build motor mounts strong enough to last. Unlimited-Class SPEC racing here I come !”
Resurrecting passion and enthusiasts in Boulder, Val has injected life into the C.U. Sport Car Club.
The C.U. Sport Car Club was created in 2003, one year before Val entered the University of Colorado.Val quickly joined the club and became its president. In the years since Val has really grown the club and made it a place of welcome for enthusiasts of all types. There are even members who don’t own cars.
- “Owning a car is not a requirement for being in the C.U. Sport Car Club, being a car enthusiast is the only thing we require of our members. I wanted to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all automotive enthusiasts. If you love cars, we love you !”
- www.CUSportCarClub.com
Headaches perceived and headaches realized.
From the outside looking in, this undertaking looked almost impossible. I asked Val what type of problems did he anticipate going into the project, and how did that compare to the actual problems he ran into. Val also gives advice to other people who want to take part in such an intensive project.
- “Before we even started, I was worried that the V8 from the A6 simply, wouldn’t fit. But it did, the engine install was a breeze. The ability to design and fabricate all the custom mounts, plates, and other pieces I needed certainly made this possible. I was able to design, create and test parts in my engineering classes. And lets just say I get good grades,”.
- What I did not anticipate was how hard it was going to be to fit the cooling system. Getting everything to work was easy, until I tried closing the hood. But thanks to all the technical support provided from the techs at 3ZERO3 Motorsports, we sorted it all out,”.
- “One of the great successes of this project, is the fact that everything works. This engine is a drive by wire motor taken from an Audi A6 4.2L Tiptronic. But we were able to break down the wiring harness thru factory diagrams at 3ZERO3 Motorsports, and really do a good job of ensuring that all the electrical components work exactly as they should. I did install two toggle switches ( pictured above ), one to prime the fuel pump, and the other to operate the reverse lights. Because the donor engine came from an automatic there was no way to send the correct electrical signal to operate the reverse lights when that gear was engaged. But honestly, I love toggle switches,”.
- “For anyone attempting anything even remotely as intense as this project was. You have to do your homework, and you have to have the money. I am very involved in the tuner scene, and have benefited from the failures of others. I made sure that I not only had the money to see this thru to the end, but also that 3ZERO3 had all of the factory training and resources such that we could do all of our research before we got our hands dirty,”.
To rally, or not to rally.
At this point Val is planning on setting up the A4 solely for the track, he will most likely take this Colorado Rallycross sticker and put it on his next project, a dedicated rally car.
Mods, mods, mods, mods, mods, mods…………….
This is very much a work in progress. Val will most likely never be done with the project. So I asked what’s next up for the V8 A4.
- ” Brakes ! At High Plains, I took it easy for awhile, but by the end of the day I really opened her up, and then I boiled the brakes. Can you call Scott and see when my Stop Tech Big Brake Kit will be here ?,”.
- “The exhaust is too loud. I never thought I would say that. the exhaust is so macho-kickass, but this is my daily driver, and I want to keep being able to take my girlfriend to dinner, I am going to look at some mufflers today. The side pipes are great, but once the new suspension is installed, I will have to move the exhaust back to the rear bumper, or run it thru the chassis and out one of the rear doors, this time on the passenger side!”
- “At HPR I found that after some really hard driving the exhaust was generating more heat than anticipated, and I began to heat soak the motor. Next step is better heat shielding for the intake, and probably wrapping the manifolds and cats,”.
- “Paint, everyone is running flat black and flat silver now. At the track I want this car to really stand out. I am thinking of vinyl wrapping it in pearl white,”.
Great job Val!
3ZERO3 Motorsports is proud to help sponsor Val’s ambitions. At first we were hesitant, but Val’s ambition, enthusiasm, spirit and resources carried him thru to the end. After the dust settled, we shouldn’t be surprised that Val chose to shove a V8 in this small engine bay. We are surprised that Val didn’t decide to install a v12 Bi-Turbo engine with an F1 sequential transmission. Well, I guess that will be Val’s next project.
3ZERO3 Motorsports is proud to support the ambitious, the afflicted, and the enthusiast spirit in all of our customers. If you have a project planned or ongoing for your Audi, VW, or Porsche, don’t hesitate to contact us. Likewise if your Volkswagen, Porsche, or Audi is in need of any maintenance, repair, or high performance tuning, our factory trained technicians are here to help. 3ZERO3 Motorsports, crossing the finish line with your dreams, and your desires.
This is so sick, well done
Thanks Double-W’s. We work hard for you
Looks great!! Great article!
Quite a unique project… Very cool
Great article and great car! And i got to hear it at the shop… wow loud is for sure!