We dish the VW/Audi dirt with tuning company 034Motorsport’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Nick Mercadante. We’ll discuss 40 years worth of VAG foibles, from mismatched rotors, calipers that can’t handle the heat, 1980s ABS tech, wandering shifters and shattering engine mounts – but don’t worry, 034 has you covered! 

Nick brought out his Audi 90 for us on this episode, and we’ll start by discussing its 6-level, buttock-melting heated seats (the relay for which is on its deathbed). Jason’s dad had this same car back in Germany in the 90s – featuring cloth seats, crank windows, and no AC. It made for a significantly improved Autobahn experience compared to his previous car, an FJ60-Series Land Cruiser. However, in stock form, the little Audi inline-5 hotrod of the 80s is no match for Jason’s modified 170 hp VW Scirocco. The Audi 90’s 7A engine just doesn’t have the oomph to make up for the drivetrain loss and general heft of the AWD drivetrain. If it had the turbocharged 3B motor from the S2, it may be a different story… Speaking of stories, Jason wrote one for Automobile Magazine some 15 years ago on this exact car that now sits in our background. Did you know it has a carbon fiber driveshaft and an anti anti-lock button? Yes, ANTI anti-lock. 

We learn about the delightfully colorful California vehicle titles of the last century: both rainbow and pink (which is where the phrase “pink slip” comes from). And Derek is deeply distraught to learn Nick has removed the original California 2-number plate (and to learn just how easy it is to register cars outside of California).

We’ll cover Nick’s various vehicles: his college runabout Audi 90, UrS6 wagon, his BMW M2 (F22), Porsche Cayenne GTS (958.2), Audi SQ5 (w/ nearly 700 hp), his Kei truck Subaru Sambar (w/ nearly 20 hp), his Porsche 944, Audi TT RS, and his first-gen Audi R8 V8 with a NASCAR-grade 034Motorsport exhaust. 

Speaking of Nick’s cars, we’ll also cover another 034 Nick’s collection – friend of the show, Nick Sgambelluri, who so generously provided (and abused) his monster-turbo Audi 200 sedan, as well as his pristine first-gen Ford Probe Turbo for the Dark Horse ICONS episode – where its axle unalived itself in the middle of a reverse donut (sorry, Nick!).  

We talk 034Motorsport (which is singular and starts with a “zero”), including their 7 lbs aluminum flywheel for the Audi 90, their dogbone engine mounts, their origins making ECUs for 5-cylinder cars 20 years ago, and their new arm, 034Tradition, which will make classic parts to fill in the voids left behind when parts manufacturers discontinue them (they will even take requests!). 

Other fun tidbits: Jason’s secret new turbo car, the classic RV anal-prefix name game, washing titles in Alabama, Derek the felon, trash Kumhos, Derek advising against too much stroking, the Rover gets a makeover (suspension and tires), and possibly a full Vitesse-style engine build via Redline Rebuilds!

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