To build or not to Build?
 

EDIT****
OK,
I've revised my original post after some further searching and reading, and understand the concensus is that a s4 swap into anything other than an s4 is a complete waste of money and time (also the topic is beat beat beat...). So here's my situation:
I bought a 96 a4 for a song and a dance. It's now got over 180k miles, and the car is in beautiful condition.the previous owner was working towards autoxing the car, and began to build it, but didn't get past the suspension. The car has quite a bit of money put into the suspension, and it handles AMAZING. Lowered, swaybars, bilsteins, tower bars; it's great. I am looking to complete the project, but the biggest shortcoming is the 12v powerplant.
This is a weekend fun car I bought with the intentions of autoxing, so streetability is not a huge ordeal.is the best option to go superchagerand rebuild the 12v and internals? Is there really any potential there? I understand thecost of the s4 swap compares to the cost of an s4. is there a stroker kit for the 12v? so stroker + supercharger? stand alone engine management to run it all? looking for option and opinions here.


Thanks.

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

see post ^^^ I originall y asked about the feasability of a s4 motor swap, but survey says: "waste of time"

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

I very much doubt you could swap an S4 motor into your 12V A4 for anything around $6000.

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

you could try a 30v swap, then supercharge that, its probably about as much as buying a supercharger and changing internals on a 12v, and you get more power outa it.

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

so a 30v would be a near direct swap correct? It's the same motor as the 12v but with a different head structure? Does anyone know if this has been done or if a harness swap would be required?

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

a harness swap, ECU swap, and just about everything else swap would be required.

it's not worth it. if you want a different engine in your A4, buy an A4 with that engine in it.

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

maybe we can get sum pix of the underbody of both cars? then we can see where the mounts are which is rly the main thing. also the tranny too.

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

i've read around that it is pretty much a direct swap, but the best thing would be too find a semi totaled car to pull all the necesary components off of, it would be very cheap that way, and cost ALOT less then buyin g a new car. all depends on what you can find. and how much time you wana put into it.

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

The work will be done by me, at a mechanic's shop I do a ton of work with. I have welding skills, and lots of custom fab work in my past. I'll have little to no labor cost. I've got almost NOTHING in the car thus far money wise, with a completely set up suspension.

This is a toy, so it looks like the 30v will be the way to go.Hopefully the harnesses are the same, and it's just an ECU swap. It would make sense given they are both 6 cylinder motors, and since the displacement is the same, hopefully the motor mounts line up, although making new mountswould be a day's work only.can anyone take photos from under their 30v of motor and tranny mount locaitons for me?

thanks for all the help and input thus far.

[IMG]local://upfiles/43446/EAAA4E64A2D34F38AE08A5EDC2535A1D.jpg[/IMG]

RE: Least Painful motor swap?
 

I am planning on doing a S4 swap soon. Im going to go around to PLENTY of junk yards and try to find a Side/Rear hit S4 buy the motor/trans/Cluster/Harness/ECU Etc. Beef up the engine a little bit, turbos new chip so no and so forth then eventually drop it in. It will be a project engine sitting on a engine crane probably for a year. :)

-Insted of pulling the engine out of my car with a engine crain, i am going to do something different. The way the newer B5's subframes are setup it would be eaiser to lift up the whole front of the chassis with the engine crain than drop the motor out(since i dont have a lift).


-I dont expect to get this done for a year or two so im in noooo rush what so ever, thats why i am willing to do it.