2004 Audi A8L

This is my 2004 Audi A8L. I just bought it before Christmas, drove it home on December 20th.

[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/leg0man/audi/090106-driverside.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/leg0man/audi/090106-passengerfront.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/leg0man/audi/090106-passengerrear.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/leg0man/audi/090106-rear.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/leg0man/audi/090106-driversiderear.jpg[/img]

Yes, it's stock and yes I know it's not a VIP platform. I don't intend to fully vipstyle it, either, but I think I can take inpiration from this scene. I probably won't ever run big poke or camber, but I would like to get some flush-fitting 20s and as far as I'm concerned this is the place to be for high end wheels + bang-on fitment. I'm a VW/Euro guy, but even in the euro scene there aren't many A8s running around so I figure I'm better off shooting ideas off a community of big-body luxo-barge owners than mostly compact car owners.

Initial plans for this car include further lowering in the spring (stock air suspension can be tweaked using the VAG-COM diagnostics tool) and at least some spacers for those rear wheels, they tuck so badly with factory fitmet! This is supposed to be my sensible driver, I've got a 95 VW Cabrio that is my current project/money-dump.

Welcome to the site, beautiful car.
 
My best friend has one of these. I got him to lower it with the after market lowering links. From there, he was running into issues where the car would keep automatically lifting and dropping while he was driving. He pulled the fuse out and not the car sits slammed :dance:
 
I love this car alot. The interior and dash is way better then any car in its class including the Sclass, 745 and the LS430 IMO. The only reason I wouldn't personally consider getting one is because the body is all aluminum. Doing custom body work is out of the question. You will have a hard time finding an aluminum specialist and if you do, expect to pay BIG bucks if you can get them to do a fender pull etc. 
 
Basically, you can slam the car and put nice fitting wheels on it and it should be enough :biggthumpup:
 
 
 
P.S. get the extended factory warrentee.  My friend has lots of electrical issues

Yeah, I'm aware of the cost of bodywork should it ever be necessary, but I don't intend to get into body mods with this one, and I'm fully covered in case of a collision. Because I don't have massive custom aspirations for this car, I see the aluminum body as a plus, for a couple reasons - for one, it won't rust and rot away like so many other cars up here, where it is snowy and wet for half the year and our roads get heavily salted, and for two it saves a lot of weight, which helps the performance and economy of the car. I think it's a beautiful car, my fav of cars in its class, and a drop + some suitable wheels should have it looking very very good.

rode in one once...
 
so damn nice, and rare to see around.

I really like the A8, very nice car and rarely seen. I just dont lke the Phaeton. Its close to the A8 but $70k with a VW emblem kinda bothers me. I would have to install some wheels!

Welcome to VSC beautiful Audi.

welcome to the site. its a nice car, but it really just looks like an extended passat.

nice christmas present though.

Welcome to the site ... Awesome ca you have ... Very nice interior and size wise too 
 
once you find the right wheels and fitment for the car ... gonna be on point and you have a nice color combo too

[QUOTE=vzuptnguyen;219210]welcome to the site. its a nice car, but it really just looks like an extended passat.

nice christmas present though.[/QUOTE]

who is this clown? I haven't seen a positive post from you yet, always gotta try to bring down someone's day?

Thanks to everyone else for the comments!

You do got a point but.........
[B][COLOR=red]LET'S STOP THIS SHIT BEFORE IT BECOMES ONE OF THEM [U]BITCHASS[/U] THREADS!!![/COLOR][/B] :thelaw:
 
[COLOR=silver]*Remember everyone is entitled to there own opion, negative or not[/COLOR]

yeah, i hear that man. I don't want to start anything, I know you all don't know me from other forums but I'm pretty quiet and don't cause trouble.. actually moderate on a few. I have no problem with people's opinions, it's constant sour attitudes and trying to put everyone else down that gets me.

Don't let one person's opinion get to you.  If you like it, thats all that matters.  
 
Id take an A8L over any platform VIP car any day of the week :shrug:

welcome, im an audi tech, fairly good car, little electrical problems here and there but otherwise great car. My dad has an 06, and if you know anyone that works at audi, the suspension settings can be changed to lower the car using the factory scan tool or even someone with a vagcom

Yeah, I know a couple guys who work as techs at the local Audi dealer, as well have pretty good connections at a couple local independent VW/Audi garages - I actually bought the car from the owner of one of the garages.

Can the front and rear be adjusted separately or just the entire system at once?

you have to change basic setting numbers for all 4 wheels, example. you measure the height at dynamic mode which is lowest setting, then reduce the number to fool the suspension control module. best is to play around with it, but if your friends with the audi guys, it should be easy for them. We just did a S8 that looks great dumped to the ground.

[QUOTE=leg0man;219237]who is this clown? I haven't seen a positive post from you yet, always gotta try to bring down someone's day?

Thanks to everyone else for the comments![/QUOTE]

lol why you get all butt hurt on an online forum. i wasnt even tryna offend u. im just sayin thats what it looks to me on the outside. i know its a pretty damn luxurious car in and out. i think audi's got the long end of the stick for luxury interiors over benz and bmw.

ur gonna have man up around here and stop takin things personally. a lot of people on here just say stuff jokingly or with sarcasm. lol especially yokotas, he calls them as he sees them.

Love the car!!!! Make it happen... Back in the day I saw a bigbody Audi hooked up in a mag and i've been into b.bodies ever since...

Agreed that Audi 8s and above are sooooo ill!!!! 
 
There's alot of mom's that have the newer one's out here and it's pretty intimidating to ride next to them....

is the tuner market big on audi a8's? meaning, are there lots of aftermarket parts out there for it?

A8 specifically I'm not sure but the tuner market and what not is pretty big for Audi's in general.....it is a Euro
 
I don't think it would be too too hard to make this at least a little VIPstyled or more luxury looking.....could be wrong though! 
:shrug:

I ALMOST chased down an older model A8, and to this day, I regret not pulling the trigger on it.
 
Always a fan of them.
 
I saw a picture of one riding pretty low on the very same wheels that I had on the Maxima, and it was definitely fitting.

[QUOTE=vzuptnguyen;219861]is the tuner market big on audi a8's? meaning, are there lots of aftermarket parts out there for it?[/QUOTE]

Not much.. and what little there is, is very expensive. $5-6K for an exhaust, for example. Other than that, I know of a company that sells the pieces you need to update to the newer (same chassis but facelifted) bumper/grille and lights, stuff like that. TTs and A4s get most of the love from Audi tuners, along with some A6 stuff. The A8 is really an old rich man's car, I guess.

I'm not sure what I want to do with it.. for lowering, I'll play with the settings on the OE air-ride in the spring. I've been watching classifieds for wheels but most wheels on vw/audi forums are 18s & 19s, because those look big on mk5 golfs, jettas and the smaller audis, but they're the stock sizes for me, and most wheels in the vip scene are wrong bolt pattern. As far as the interior goes, it's already pretty damn nice, and stuff like curtains and fusas just doesn't feel right to me, since not only is this not a vip platform, it's not even a Japanese car.

The stock exhaust does come apart about halfway back, so I could get a custom rear section made locally to get a nice sound out of it, without having to cut or ruin any of the stock parts.

Dyam forgot to take a picture of two of my customers cars...ones a black on black w/ 22" HRE, other is slammed S8...although dont give up home, there is still hope for mods..heres a kit from je designs in germany. Trying to get that for the A8 im building right now.
[IMG]http://www.je-design.de/de/40_NewsUndEvents/10_Aktuelles/Audi/pics/AUDI_A8/AUDI_A8_front.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.je-design.de/de/40_NewsUndEvents/10_Aktuelles/Audi/pics/AUDI_A8/AUDI_A8_hinten.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.je-design.de/de/40_NewsUndEvents/10_Aktuelles/Audi/pics/AUDI_A8/AUDI_A8_seiltlich.jpg[/IMG]

[quote=leg0man;219955]Not much.. and what little there is, is very expensive. $5-6K for an exhaust, for example. Other than that, I know of a company that sells the pieces you need to update to the newer (same chassis but facelifted) bumper/grille and lights, stuff like that. TTs and A4s get most of the love from Audi tuners, along with some A6 stuff. The A8 is really an old rich man's car, I guess.
 
I'm not sure what I want to do with it.. for lowering, I'll play with the settings on the OE air-ride in the spring. I've been watching classifieds for wheels but most wheels on vw/audi forums are 18s & 19s, because those look big on mk5 golfs, jettas and the smaller audis, but they're the stock sizes for me, and most wheels in the vip scene are wrong bolt pattern. As far as the interior goes, it's already pretty damn nice, and stuff like curtains and fusas just doesn't feel right to me, since not only is this not a vip platform, it's not even a Japanese car.
 
The stock exhaust does come apart about halfway back, so I could get a custom rear section made locally to get a nice sound out of it, without having to cut or ruin any of the stock parts.[/quote]
 
 
 
This may or may not be something you want to look into.  Guys in the Audi/VW world have been using 'wobble bolts' to fit 5x114.3's on their 5x112's for a while now.
 
No known issues, thusfar.
 
[URL]http://www.lakeshorewheelandtire.com/store/index.php?action=item&id=2888[/URL]
 
If you're having a tough time finding the correct pattern, this may be the option for you.

Thanks! I was already aware of wobble bolts, VW guys are pros at putting wheels on cars they were never meant to go on.. I'd just prefer the proper bolt pattern, but with hub centering rings it shouldn't be an issue i suppose.

OCVIPAristo: that car is awesome!

sick car, u need 5 wheels for this car.
4 with tires and one with WOOD. i almost got an 04 one before i bought my current car, but the grey interior and the stock steering wheel made me cry. 
that and lowering it will make it official

that car is nice! always been a fan of the A8L Do it big man! The only car to top this interior is the Quattro Porte!

i was thinking of selling the q for a 2004 a8l. but like  jay said that stock steering wheel is horrible and i dont think i can stand to look at it everyday.  but i say have fun with it. i know i would have.

That sh!t bit tight... one of my dream cars... im on audizine and vwvortex, for my girlfriends a4 avant, and I every so often go into the a8 threads.... imo, slam it and get some staggered 20's, done... they gotta be some custom rims though to set it off right... gotta do the math on the tire sizes so it doesn't mess with the quattro.. I know this is gonna be a sick build.. GL with it... oh yeah, im loving the long wheelbase too....

Looking good bro what are your plans for it besides dropping it???

Wheels would be nice, but like mista808 said they'd have to be just right.. I'll be very picky when it comes to choosing some wheels for this car, not just any old used pair that'll bolt up, and of course made to order 20s are expensive as fuck, so I might just do with some spacers to help the fitment and lowering for this summer.

All my money is tied up in this right now:
[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/leg0man/cabby/090117-bodyshop3.jpg[/IMG]

I don't mind the steering wheel in this.. they changed it I think in 2006 to have a funky looking center/horn pad, that matches the shape of the new big grille, and I don't like that at all. Mine is just round.

There are plenty of options in 5x112. AME, Work, Savini, infact any 3-piece wheel company will be able to drill to your bolt pattern VERY easily. The only requirement is the size of the mounting pad, and if it can accomodate 5x100 to 5x120. If it can accomodate those sizes than it can accomodate your 5x112.
 
You can also look at Mercedes S-class fitment wheels, they are 5x112 also. There is no reason to use 'wobble-bolts' at all.
 
Great car too, I love them, and have always thought it would make a nicely VIP-styled car, it has the perfect body for it imo.