u/jaketheunruly

So one of my last posts was about doing an Alibaba build. Hardware from Alibaba software from local places I can trust. It's my fiance's car and all I care about is that everything works. So the first part to come in was the intercooler and charge pipe kit. It cost me about $600 including customs, tax and shipping for the whole kit and it looks great. Haven't installed it on the car yet, but that's coming this week. Here are a couple pictures. I'm not a gatekeeper so I would be happy to share the supplier for anyone that wants it.

I had prattled on previously about my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Laredo 4x2. We had just completed a 3,000 mile round trip from Las Vegas, Nevada to DFW proper and back. This is the fourth time that this particular Jeep has made this trip but this time we were sitting at 178,000 mi when we set off. So there's a little more nerve-wracking. Did a multi-point inspection with the vehicle in the air and checked everything. Filters, fluids, bushings hoses belts everything. How to clean bill of health other than being a little low on motor oil. Topped it off then set off. With a brand new set of Nitto Terra Grapplers that we just put on about 2,000 miles ago. Left Las Vegas pointed in the direction of Phoenix to pick up my oldest stepchild who was joining us for the trip. So in tow was myself, my fiance, her son who's 21. Our children who are eight and 10 years old and then her stepdaughter who is 26 years old. This vehicle was our chosen Chariot for this road trip. The plan was to go from Las Vegas to Phoenix to El Paso for an overnight. And personal preference. We like U.S routes over interstates. In the span of a week we covered 3,000 mi three different buc-ee's locations and got to see a national park we had never been to before. Guadalupe mountains. Here are some pictures.

You member.

180k. All ours.

I decided to look for a supplier of forged wheels that I was looking for. I used to work for a company called Axis Sport tuning/ Axis Wheels and I became familiar with the landscape of sourcing and manufacturing overseas. When Alibaba came to the market it was all familiar. Even working with Matson and Maersk as freighters. I'm not trying to make wheels that look like something else. I'm not trying to be like anyone else. These are for my fiance's car and these were the specs that she wanted. I had hoped for a better concave with a 35et, but I still like them. This is after production just waiting to get stuffed into a container and sent off to the port at Shanghai. I paid $1,500 including freight, and the knockoff Audi center caps were a gift from the manufacturer liaison, Rachel- as she goes by. 19x8.5 35 ET 5x112 satin black. Apparently they're forged. It's not a huge gamble and we already have Audi Sport rotors in 19 in on it right now. I also decided to source an upgraded intercooler kit with charge pipes as well. Fingers crossed everyone.

So I picked up this very clean and very well maintained B9 S4 last week. It's for my fiance. We all know what that means. We held my grandfather's memorial in Huntington Beach and I live in Las Vegas; I bought this car in Las Vegas where I work. I'm a two-decade Audi lover and I've owned everything from a B3 and a D1 all the way to this B9 S4. I was perilously close to owning a B5 S4 about two decades ago but I ended up getting a B5. 1.8 t. Quattro and that's where it all started. The downsides of this vehicle are that it has 80,000 mi and it was produced in February of 2018. However, the previous owner cared about this car so much that the brakes and rotors have already been done. The water pump has already been done. The crossover pipe has already been done. The coolant has been done thrice for some odd reason, and every 40k has been done to the T. Took it from Vegas to the coast of California and back with the entire family loaded up in it with all of our BS. And this morning going to get groceries and gas and get a wash. It acted like nothing had ever happened. You know having owned the D1 and a D3 and a C5 S6 Avant I swore by Audi V8s. I love them. I think they sound beautiful. I have known them to be bulletproof and the 4.2 does not consume oil. Lots of fuel but no oil. Those heads are a work of art. But back to this B9 S4. What an absolute trooper. Cruise along perfectly fine at 86 and still getting 26 mpg, not a cough, not a sputter. Everybody was comfortable and the bolsters combined with the seat massage was just awesome. The AC was a little too cold. But I did notice a huge difference in between the way it dries when it's 73° versus when it's 103°. Front mount intercooler is a must in the desert. I could feel it right away. But other than that the family loves it. I love it. It was everything I wanted my S4 to be. But it's my fiance's.

After leaving Audi for about 3 years, I'm back in an S car. About 3 years ago I got rid of my S6 Avant. Which I never should have- and got a factory perfect, 2003 Mustang Mach 1. I'm old so 2003 doesn't feel that long ago and the car was great. It was just very Spartan. And it wasn't all-wheel drive. So using the equity in that Mustang I was able to pick up a B9 S4 for next to nothing. I reviewed the service history and everything had been done both 40ks, the crossover pipe the water pump. The only thing that wasn't on there was the rocker arms. It was built in February of 2018 and from what I gather that's still early production. It's a premium Plus with the Bang and Olufson. I've always wanted an S4. I got dangerously close to picking up a B5 S4 back in the mid-2000s but I never pulled the trigger. I actually thought we were going to get a C7S6 because I'm a V8 guy- but this S4 is pretty nice. This is my 10th Audi since 2004. B3, D1, D3, 2x B5, 3x C5 (2 avant), 8N, B9.

But I did it on the kettle so that's grilling right?