So the opportunity has arisen for me to pick up ANOTHER '7,' to add to my corral of 4...

The question remains: '87 S4 TII or an '89 S5 NA

Which do you guys think I should go after, why and give pros and cons.

Just a notation: My Chaste White '94 is under the knife, right now and in a couple of months will more than likely be taking on the mission of extraction and 2J insertion...

It's REW will be finding a home in the belly of an FC, so power plant may not NECESSARILY be a factor (I might sell off a couple of the 7s and get a donor-chassis).

 

S4 TII. Unless the S5 is a GTUs. But if you do end up going for the 2J swap in the FD and the REW is freed up, I guess it's up to personal preference or which car is in better shape.

 

So if it's an S5 GTU, go that route, otherwise, the S4 TII.

Why only if it's an S5 GTU?

 

GTUs (the 's' is important, the GTU and GTUs are 2 different things), anyway, the GTUs was the lightest S5 available, with no sunroof, and I believe it had an LSD, so it's pretty sought after. But even then, if the cars were in similar shape, I might still go for the S4 TII because it's a TII.

 

Whatdo you want the car for, street, track, drift, drag? I prefer the t2 powerplant over the NA. I would love a NA rotary in a lightweight chasis

 

I had a s4 with no sunroof.

 

some early s4 base models had no sunroof too as well as no rear wiper.

I'd go with the s4, because I like the tail lights better and it would be a turbo motor. but if you plan on dropping the REW in it then just get the one you think looks better. I agree if you have an option of getting a GTUs then do it if only to have a lighter car.

 

i'd be tempted to do the S5 na, add header, safc or rtek, and enjoy....

 

I guess the S4 TII has the advantage of the better brakes and suspension plus LSD that you won't have in the S5 NA car. But if you plan to do an engine swap and change the suspension and lots of stuff anyway, then I'd get whichever car has the better body.

Personally, I like NA FCs because I don't race them, nor do I drive all that fast. The NA is lighter, cheaper to buy and has fewer parts to worry about repairing and/or maintaining. My NA RX-7 is the slowest car I own, but I still enjoy driving it the most.

 

then you sir must not have a 2009 jetta. it makes the NA FC feel like an F1 car

 

In my opinion the NA is just as much of a pain in the butt in stock form. It has more solenoids and emissions equipment, plus the VDI (S5) and the Aux ports and actuators. I actually think my turboII is more reliable. When i had a stock NA i was constantly unfreezing the Aux ports and fixing vac leaks. Had to leave the air pump in, etc....

For my NA race car i stripped ALL that crap out including the port sleeves and actuators and wired the VDI open. Thing will probably only make power above 6k rpm...

 

When I had my old S4 GXL, my 6-ports were all jacked up. BOTH stuck: One open, one closed.

Talk about a wonky powerband.

I'd have to look into the actual trim of the S5... I think one of the major benefits is that both drive, fine and are about 85% stock, between the pair.... While both good and bad, I look at it like it gives me an unaltered slate to start with.

I think the REW swap (after the 2J incursion, into my FD) will make that car on point.

 

All other things equal, go for the S4 TII - it's not going to be much less reliable than an S5 n/a, and it's just plain going to be more fun.

But the REAL question is, WHY buy a 5th 7? You might be better off selling a couple, and getting something else interesting.

 

I dunno... I've been through every combination of engine : drive, and this is just something to do...

That's what the 2J in the FD and (at some point) the SR20 in one of the FCs.