Although it may not look like it, I've started making some real progress toward solving some of the problems that have to be -- well, solved.

Since one of my goals is to make this car look like it came from the factory, I'm trying to use as many factory parts as possible. Thanks to an unnamed (but generous) Audi enthusiast in europe, I've obtained a copy of ETKA, the parts program that Audi provides to its dealers. This allows me to browse the parts catalogs of practically every Audi made since the '70s and while it's time-consuming, it's also been highly productive.

For instance, if you look closely at some of the photos of the engine compartment around this site, you'll see that the radiator hose is designed for a radiator that has its inlet and outlet on the same side, which isn't the case with the BMW radiator I plan to use. However, thanks to ETKA, I now know the '97 S6-plus (an A6 quattro with a 4.2L V8 engine instead of the usual 2.8L V6) used a similar radiator hose except the radiator inlet is on the opposite side ... so, instead of trying to match up something that almost fits by digging around the storeroom of the local auto parts store, I can simply order the correct factory part from any Audi dealer in europe. (Although before I do so, I'll check out the V8-powered A6Q that Audi's just released here in the U.S. as there's a chance that it may use the same hose design even though it's built on the next generation A6 chassis...)

Likewise, I've also discovered that the motor mount brackets on the chassis of the S6-plus are cast aluminum and bolt onto the engine rails and instead of being stamped out of steel and welded to them. They will certainly make for a cleaner, more factory-like installation than fabricating something from scratch and it appears they should be relatively easy to adapt to the Ur-Q's chassis, too. Alas, the one thing they won't be is cheap, at least if the UK list price quoted on ETKA is anywhere near current ... yikes!

Lastly, I've finally gotten my finger out of my butt and inventoried and photographed all of the spares and other parts that came with the car as I'm going to sell off the uneeded bits -- most likely via eBay -- to help offset the cost of finishing the project. If you're interested in buying any Ur-Q or V8 parts, drop me a note and I'll let you know what I have available..