Need Help BMW or A4 B5 audi Build

[alexfogg1]

Hi all,
Really need some help here, about to embark on a new car project.
Will be using the car everyday and for motorway trips up and down england, but I am after something I can have fun in and can build up to be fast.

I am stuck between two main problem areas, and several different types of project.
1. (Been favourable for a while) A4 B5 Build 1.8T Quattro Avant. love this car, plan would be to put either RS4 or S4 front bumper and skirts, C5 RS5 Rear bumper, Bigger Turbo, new ECU intercooler, new gaskets, maybe cams and injectors if it needed but one step at a time, Custom dual exhaust, lower it, probably Porsche alloys and wide arches.
Timeline for this car would be about a year, plan for about 375-400hp and 0-60 in around 4.5-5 seconds, enough to deal with M3s and basic 911s.
This is the most expensive option and th longest as have to spread the costs. but would be amazing when finished.
http://thumbsnap.com/PG63plc2
http://thumbsnap.com/YuGv4jAX
http://thumbsnap.com/GgP73ah6
Somewhere between all three of those pics.
Pros:
-Estate spacious,
-Good Looking when finished,
-Fast as standard,
-Four Wheel Drive,
-Already Turbocharged,
-Will be quite good on a track.
Cons:
-Expansive,
-Rare,

2.E36 Coupe or Wagon. cheap car when found as spares and repairs and quite easy to build into what I would want. Either way 323i engine and turbo, aim again for about 400HP will be fast and quite cheap setup as many different parts about popular build. Wide arches, lowered, new gearbox, Msport bumpers, custom exhaust. same for either coupe or wagon.
http://thumbsnap.com/kZJeGqei
http://thumbsnap.com/BdNNj1HP
http://thumbsnap.com/N2C8oZxm
http://thumbsnap.com/6QeY38hI
Again Somewhere between those.
Pros:
-Estate spacious,
-Drift,
-cheap,
-Quick to do,
-look Good,
-Fast.
Cons:
-Coupe has little space but looks great,
-Useless in rain and winter,
-Higher insurance.

3. E46 Wagon or saloon.
323i spec, manual, Msport body conversion and custom exhaust, alloys, arches and Turbo set up. get up to about 350HP and decent 0-60.
would look good, easy to do, not to expensive but not cheap either. Always liked the E46 not a bad choice, be fast and a bit of fun, drift it a bit and still useful on motorway.
http://thumbsnap.com/cr6CgHUO
http://thumbsnap.com/ghPLq12R
http://thumbsnap.com/STgHz22K
http://thumbsnap.com/6yTsMdu3
Pros:
-Spacious,
-Newer,
-Quick,
-Simple.
Cons:
-useless in rain and winter due to RWD.
-Insurance,
-Repairs would be expensive.

Alright i've written all I can think of at the moment. Please lend your advice and thoughts and what you would do.
thanks

[ManOpener]

No idea why you'd want a 1.8T with 10 times the value of the car thrown at it for 400bhp rather than an S4 on RS4 turbos which will do 400+ with comparatively little work, cheaper, more reliably and generally better...

[davepoth]

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Something like this does make it seem a bit daft to go down the modifying route TBH. Rationally, the purchase price will be lower, the insurance will be lower, and the resale value will be higher.

[mwstewart]

Here is my old 1.8T project:





I was a young lad at the time and couldn't afford an S4. I did everything to the car including retrofitting climate control!

It looked like this originally:

[alexfogg1]

looks great where did you get the front bumper from ?
I dont want to sink loads of money in now and the 400HP is just a target just the turbo and ecu from the tt will take it to 225HP standard.
The value of the car doesn't bother me too much, and I'd love the RS4 but haven't got £10000 to sink now, hence spreading the build out.
The plan is to keep whichever car for years as a daily at the min and keep it as a toy in the future.

[mwstewart]

alexfogg1 said:

looks great where did you get the front bumper from ?
I dont want to sink loads of money in now and the 400HP is just a target just the turbo and ecu from the tt will take it to 225HP standard.
The value of the car doesn't bother me too much, and I'd love the RS4 but haven't got £10000 to sink now, hence spreading the build out.
The plan is to keep whichever car for years as a daily at the min and keep it as a toy in the future.

Sorry just seen your post. I bought the bumper new which was around £550. I think there are replica versions available now though.

You won't get 225 without a Turbo upgrade: the B5's were fitted with a K03 turbo whereas the TT 225 had a K04. If swapping ECUs you need to be mindful of the DBW vs non-DBW versions...