tweedbeans GT86

[tweedbean]

So I thought it was time to post up a project thread for the next step in my car journey.

The hunt for my next car
For the last 7 year, ignoring a 6 month Qashqai blip, I have owned modified MINI's which has been great and I have met some amazing people along the way but I have always had an inch to scratch in terms of a japanese car right from day 1 as I was on the look out for a DC5 to replace my Seicento and ended up with my first MINI. When I saw the initial concepts for the Subaru BRZ a few years ago I was really excited, but when it was actually released I was a little disappointed in terms of the headline performance figures. It had the looks but on paper at least it didn't have enough power especially when compared to MINI's I had owned.

However after watching numerous reviews on the BRZ/GT86, especially Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Harris' ones as well as speaking to a number of owners I had to have one. It seems this car is bags of fun with stock power, but when the powered is increased via a turbo/supercharger the great chassis comes into its own. I have spent the last 6 months researching them while I parted out my clubman and pulled the money together to buy one. Weighing up the minor differences between the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86 I settled on the Toyota as I prefer the front bumper and interior trim.

Current Spec

- 2013 Toyota GT86
- Pearl white
- Manual
- 9k on the clock
- Sat nav

Interior
- Alcantara and leather interior
- P3 Vent Gauge

Exterior
- BRZ side vents

Engine
- Stock for now

Wheels
- BBS RSii's 18x8 et 33, undecided on tyres

Suspension and braking**
- Stock for now

Previous Car History
- Fiat Seicento Sporting 1.1 NA 54bhp in Yellow
- MINI Cooper S 1.6 Supercharged 170bhp tuned up to 265bhp in Dark Silver - http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f273...r53-mcs-18403/
- MINI JCW 1.6 Turbo 215bhp in Laser Blue - http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f272...56-fjcw-25319/
- Nissan Qashqai Tekna 2.0 NA 139bhp in Silver
- MINI Clubman JCW 1.6 Turbo tuned to 270 bhp/236.9 whp and peak torque of 283.1lb/ft. In Laser Blue http://www.minifoo.com/forum/index.p...ns-clubaru.58/

[tweedbean]

Pre-purchase mods and plans

First off lets start by saying yes I plan to mod this car, I know I have said no with my other cars, but this one is not staying stock from day 1. The first couple of months will be slow on the mod front but May onwards is where the fun begins

Plans include removing the fugly stock spoiler and fitting a duck tail type one, BRZ side vents, a set of wheels and coilovers. Then I can start planning the performance mods which would include a turbo/supercharger kit of some sort and a brake upgrade. I am also 70/30 split on a rocket bunny kit which is a irreversible mod as you have to cut away the arches to get it to fit. If I don't go for this, I will go down the 5 axis kit route which is subtle in comparison to the RB kit.

For anyone that knows me, they wont be shocked when I say that before I have even purchased the car I have a number of mods in the garage ready to go:

Alcantara/leather Interior
A full alcantara/leather interior just incase the car I find didn't have one. A lot of the cars seem to have a cloth interior which wouldn't do, plus even if the car I purchase does have alcantara, this gives me a spare set to retrim etc later down the line:

Alcantara and Cloth Interior by tweedbean, on Flickr

P3 Vent Gauge
I have purchased a P3 air vent gauge as I was going to keep my scangauge from the Clubby however I couldn't find anywhere to fit it in the GT86 interior that would look right. Its great as it still allows you to use the air vent. It does everything my scangauge could do including reading codes etc and also has connections for boost if I decide down the FI (Forced Induction)route:

P3Gauge for the GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

P3Gauge for the GT86 Fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr

VHT Red Wrinkle Finish Paint
Purchased this to add some colour into the engine bay, spotted this done on a car in the US and it looked pretty good so I am going to give it a go. More details once its done.

Wrinkle VHT paint by tweedbean, on Flickr

Red light tint and green glass paint
To remove the lexus style stock rear lights I want to tint them all red, while I take my time to decide if I want to switch to aftermarket lights. Green glass paint to ensure rear indicators flash amber through the red tint.

Red light tint and green glass paint by tweedbean, on Flickr

[tweedbean]

Its finally here

Today wasn't without its challenges but I am happy to say I now finally own a GT86 in pearl white. Toyota Burton have been great in turning this car around in less than 4 hours from when it was traded in to handing me the keys. Even with a last minute dash from the previous owners as he forgot to give them the log book, then he got stuck in traffic, but finally he arrived back with it. I was then able to check the car over and do a quick test drive which wasn't that successful as Burton was jammed full of traffic. Before I knew it I was out the door with the keys

Findings after my first drive back from Burton to Rugby is that these are a hoot to drive, I definitely made the right choice. I learnt it needs a centre armrest and its weird not having any stereo/nav controls on the steering wheel. Not a fan of the cloth seats but I am fitting a full heated alcantara/leather interior Friday. I also have a few other little bits on the way to get the modding started.

The headunit is better than I expected, sat nav worked a treat, even if it was a little on the quiet side at first. I just need to work a few things out like where the option is to see how many miles are left in the tank, if it does that and if I can relocate the USB port to the glove box as I dont like my iPod cable hanging down the dash. This car brought a huge grin to my face and I am already looking for excuses to go for a drive. Side way action on the way home, all very controlled even in the rain which is great.

My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

[tweedbean]

Well today, I had a bit of spare time and I couldn't stop myself from getting on with fitting some of the parts I have collected.

First job was to get rid of the cloth interior and fit the alcantara/leather one I had picked up. This started with a very nervous but easy strip down of the interior, all this came out after only 14 bolts. I've only had it 3 days which made this nerve racking. However now I have got this out the way I wont feel so bad pulling other parts off it. I want to try and do the majority of the spanner work on this car myself, its one thing that got me excited about my old R53 MINI as we did all the work. With the clubby I was lazy and got Millsy's to do most of the work for me, which was easier and he did a great job but you dont get that satisfaction that you have achieved something yourself.

First job before touching anything was to disconnect the battery:

Prepping the car ready to pull out the interior by tweedbean, on Flickr

Disconnect the battery by tweedbean, on Flickr

Good bye cloth interior:

Cloth Interior by tweedbean, on Flickr

Out came the interior, I found it easy to just remove the rear side panels to get at the rear bolts on the back seats:

Interior out by tweedbean, on Flickr

Interior out by tweedbean, on Flickr

Alcantara vs cloth:

Comparison alcantara vs cloth by tweedbean, on Flickr

In went the rears, looking much better already:

Rear seats in by tweedbean, on Flickr

Closely followed by the fronts:

New interior in by tweedbean, on Flickr

Close up 2 by tweedbean, on Flickr

Detail shot of the GT86 space invader type pattern they use across the car including the front grills and dashboard.

Close up by tweedbean, on Flickr

Much better, I'm really pleased with the difference as the seats now match all the red stitch detail throughout the car. I haven't hooked up the heated seat switches just yet, I am going on the hunt for the wiring tomorrow.

[tweedbean]

Next came the P3 gauge that fits into the air vent. It allows you to still use the vent which is really good and literally took 5 minutes to fit. It should be great for monitoring everything as well as it 0-60 times and code reading if required.



Out came the vent:

Out comes the air vent by tweedbean, on Flickr

Then I switched over parts of the vent onto the new gauge and press it back into place after connecting it to the OBD port:


P3 Gauge Fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr

As you can see I wont need to take my eyes of the road to see it and its a much better looking alternative to a scangauge:

Interior dash shot by tweedbean, on Flickr

BRZ Side Vents

Today I finally got around to fitting my BRZ side vents, personally I think they look much better as the stock GT86 ones are too plain and look like a panel for a panel sake as they are very plain with just a logo and a tiny vent. Nice and easy to fit, only tools were a screw driver and a heat gun to clear some of the glue away from the old ones.

Before:

Stock vents by tweedbean, on Flickr

During:

Vents removed by tweedbean, on Flickr

After:

BRZ vent fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr

Very pleased with the new look. It is literally a 5 minute job and well worth it:

BRZ Vent Fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr

Still sifting through tonnes of photos to try and find a set of wheels I like for this. So many to choose from and currently nothing is doing it for me. Going to keep going and I will find the right set eventually.

Wheel Time

So its time for another update, this ones is a bit more tasty. After a lot of deliberation around wheels for the past 3 weeks, with me sending a 101 photoshops to Rich@Orranje Performance, I finally decided on a set of wheels. Having fitted Japanese wheels, Volks CE28n's to my german MINI Clubman, I thought now I have a Japanese car, its time for a set of Germans wheels. Always wanting to try something different, I have gone for something different to what you normally see on the GT86 and hopefully I have made the right choice.

So today after a road trip to Wembley, I am the proud owner of a set of BBS RSii's which are a two piece wheel 18x8 et 33. The previous owner had these are a rather nice Audi TT and has just had them refurbished however me being me, I am not content with just sticking them on the car. So they are split down and ready to go to the powder coaters for something a bit special. I also need to decide if I want to reuse the bolts and polish them up or go for some new ones. A new set of BBS centre will be ordered in complimentary colour. Time for some pictures:

Wheels in transit by tweedbean, on Flickr

Wheels in transit by tweedbean, on Flickr

BBS RSii by tweedbean, on Flickr

All spilt down by tweedbean, on Flickr

Next up are coilovers to get the car sitting a little lower and I also need to decide on which tyres to wrap around these wheels, I am thinking 225 40 18 but not sure on brand just yet.

[914_WHITE_FRS]

dude im definetely doing the brz vents on my white frs now

[914_WHITE_FRS]

Originally Posted by tweedbean

Next came the P3 gauge that fits into the air vent. It allows you to still use the vent which is really good and literally took 5 minutes to fit. It should be great for monitoring everything as well as it 0-60 times and code reading if required.



Out came the vent:

Out comes the air vent by tweedbean, on Flickr

Then I switched over parts of the vent onto the new gauge and press it back into place after connecting it to the OBD port:


P3 Gauge Fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr

As you can see I wont need to take my eyes of the road to see it and its a much better looking alternative to a scangauge:

Interior dash shot by tweedbean, on Flickr

BRZ Side Vents

Today I finally got around to fitting my BRZ side vents, personally I think they look much better as the stock GT86 ones are too plain and look like a panel for a panel sake as they are very plain with just a logo and a tiny vent. Nice and easy to fit, only tools were a screw driver and a heat gun to clear some of the glue away from the old ones.

Before:

Stock vents by tweedbean, on Flickr

During:

Vents removed by tweedbean, on Flickr

After:

BRZ vent fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr

Very pleased with the new look. It is literally a 5 minute job and well worth it:

BRZ Vent Fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr

Still sifting through tonnes of photos to try and find a set of wheels I like for this. So many to choose from and currently nothing is doing it for me. Going to keep going and I will find the right set eventually.

Wheel Time

So its time for another update, this ones is a bit more tasty. After a lot of deliberation around wheels for the past 3 weeks, with me sending a 101 photoshops to Rich@Orranje Performance, I finally decided on a set of wheels. Having fitted Japanese wheels, Volks CE28n's to my german MINI Clubman, I thought now I have a Japanese car, its time for a set of Germans wheels. Always wanting to try something different, I have gone for something different to what you normally see on the GT86 and hopefully I have made the right choice.

So today after a road trip to Wembley, I am the proud owner of a set of BBS RSii's which are a two piece wheel 18x8 et 33. The previous owner had these are a rather nice Audi TT and has just had them refurbished however me being me, I am not content with just sticking them on the car. So they are split down and ready to go to the powder coaters for something a bit special. I also need to decide if I want to reuse the bolts and polish them up or go for some new ones. A new set of BBS centre will be ordered in complimentary colour. Time for some pictures:

Wheels in transit by tweedbean, on Flickr

Wheels in transit by tweedbean, on Flickr

BBS RSii by tweedbean, on Flickr

All spilt down by tweedbean, on Flickr

Next up are coilovers to get the car sitting a little lower and I also need to decide on which tyres to wrap around these wheels, I am thinking 225 40 18 but not sure on brand just yet.

Can you tell me the part # or where you ordered your white BRZ fender garnish?

[tweedbean]

So lots of bits have been ordered over the last couple of weeks to try and get the car ready for Japfest on 16th May, big thanks to Rich@Orranje Performance for his help on this.

Coilovers
I was very close to ordering a set of BC coilovers, however due to the recent issues they have been having with the GT86 rears, I wasnt a fan of the way they decided to remove bits and get customers to rectify themselves rather than fixing the problem. Therefore I decided that the Tein's seem to be highly rated for Japanese cars so why not give them a go. After reviewing the options, the Tein Street Flex Z seemed to fit my requirements and they also have the ability for me to fit EDFC (Electronic Damping Force Controller) at a later date, making it possible for me to control the damping force at the touch of a button while in the driver's seat. Amber Performance were really competitive on price so they got my business.

Overnight parts from Japan by tweedbean, on Flickr

Tein Flex Z Coilovers for the GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

Tein Flex Z Coilovers for the GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

Tein Flex Z Coilovers for the GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr

Tyres
For the tyres I decided to go for 225 40 18 Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's as I was really impressed with them on the Clubby so I though I would give them a go on this.

225 40 18 VREDESTEIN ULTRAC SESSANTA's by tweedbean, on Flickr

Wheels
So the BBS RSii's are back from the powder coaters and I am really pleased with them. I have gone for two different colours, one of which is chrome powder coat for the lip, barrels and centre caps. I did contemplate getting the lips and centre caps polished however that would require more upkeep than I can be bothered with for a set of wheels, especially as this is a DD, so I think the powder coat looks the part and will be harder wearing. The second I will let you know in due course once the wheels are on the car. I have always tried to go a little different and hopefully I have achieved this.

The only photo I have to share with you right now is a really poor one of the centre caps

Centre Caps by tweedbean, on Flickr

Performance
This hasn't been forgotten as I am not build a show and shine car here I have been weighing up my options with the Avo turbo and the numerous supercharger conversions, pulling together a list of parts and prices. I am still not 100% sure, so my plan is to get to a number of shows/track days this year and hopefully get a ride in a car with each of these kits to see the difference in the real world rather than on paper. I dont want to start buying performances parts such as unequal length manifolds, exhausts etc now if they wont work with the FI route I decide upon, so until then the suspension, interior and exterior will get me attention.

It seems like I will have a busy weekend as I need to rebuild the wheels then get the over to the tyre place to get the tyres fitted, then get back to Rich's to fit the coilovers and wheels to the car. I also have a couple of small jobs like switching over number plates and finishing the debadging on the rear.

Bulbs
I also have some chrome indicator bulbs on the way, 4xT20 and 2xT10, so I can loose the fried egg look.

[tweedbean]

Originally Posted by 914_WHITE_FRS

Can you tell me the part # or where you ordered your white BRZ fender garnish?

I managed to purchase them through a group buy that happened in the UK. Supplier was Japex if I remember rightly or you can buy them from Subaru.

[FR-Shred]

I like what's going on here! interested to see whats going to happen from here and the wheel color!

[ECG1000]

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

I went for BC's originally and had knocking problems at the rear from day one. Back to Fensport to have them swapped for Teins and happy days. Night and day difference in ride quality!

Have you got spigot rings for your new wheels?

[tweedbean]

Thanks for the comments. Im really excited for tomorrow now.

Originally Posted by ECG1000

Have you got spigot rings for your new wheels?

On their way.

Also to note these turned up today in the post as well to finish off the new wheels, theres no point getting the wheels refinished and fitting old centre caps:



Red 80mm BBS Centre Caps by tweedbean, on Flickr

[tweedbean]

Wheels

So who would have thought rebuilding 2 piece wheels would be so time consuming. We lost a whole day on Saturday running around getting the right tools after I discovered the bolt holes had become contaminated with powder coat which meant it was too tight for the bolts. A break down in communication with the powder coaters meant I thought they would cover the holes and they assumed that if I hadnt blocked them, they didnt need to, lesson learnt.

So we had to get a tap and die set for m7/1.0mm t0 clear all threads in the 60 bolt holes, not a fun job. Then after rebuilding all four wheels, I managed to round 5 bolts which meant I could not then torque up them up to the right setting. Therefore I needed a bolt extractor kit, which I will try tomorrow and I have also had the privilege of paying £27 for just 10 m7 BBS bolts, ouch. I thought it was better to buy 10 and have a few spare just in case. So by the end of Saturday the wheels looked like this, colour removed so I dont spoiler surprise and coilovers still in the box:

Wheels are a work in progress by James Baker, on Flickr

BBS bolts by James Baker, on Flickr

Bulbs
While online I decided to order replacement chrome indicator bulbs all round which I will fit later:

Chrome bulbs by James Baker, on Flickr

I am tempted to take the day off on Friday to fit the wheels and coilovers ready for Japfest on Saturday. Lets see how I get on with removing those bolts tomorrow which will determine if I can get the wheels sorted before the weekend or not.

[Vroomin86]

Nice thread so far, glad I didn't end up with BC coils either, and I didn't event know about the rears issue! I also went with Teins. BTW where did you order the chrome indicator bulbs? or what are their number? 9446 ?