Brenda the Blue (BRZ)

[Lynxis]

I've changed the format a bit. I'll update this first post with the current state of my car and subsequent posts. This is how my car sits currently:






Modifications:
RCE SS1 Coilovers (f/r rates 6k/6k)
Whiteline adjustable swaybar end links
SPC RLCAs
CSG Brembo BM4 front BBK with CP pads at all 4 corners and Castrol SRF brake fluid.
Konig Hypergram 17x9 +40 with Falken RT660 (bald now, planning to get RS4 next)
Stoptech Stainless steel rear brake lines

Notes: Final ride height is now set at 1.2 inch lower than stock and my alignment is done. My camber is -3f/-2.2r and 0 toe.

Original first post below the line:

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My WRB base model BRZ named Brenda the Blue, shortened to just Brenda.

This picture was taken right before the snow fell recently but this is how she sits in the parking lot right now. I've taken her drifting in the snow once this year so far. Had more snow fall so I might go again tomorrow if I can find a decent empty lot to do it in.

I'm still paying for her. While the payment and insurance are fine, I think it's best to get her paid off ASAP instead of spending money on mods. At the current pace, she will be paid off in about 3 years. Once she's paid off, I plan to get a mortgage and enough space that I can park her in the winter and drive something else. Until then, she is my only vehicle and winter driving will be a fact of life.

That said, I will be taking her to the track a few times a year so she will get a handful of mods to support that.

Stuff that is definitely happening:

Wheels and tires: Definitely getting silver TSW Interlagos 17x8 +35. Stock wheels are ugly and I love the look of these wheels. They're 2lbs lighter than stock but I'm putting larger rubber on them so it will probably even out. Probably do 225/45 but still debating what tires I want. MPSS seems to be the best overall but they're a bit expensive. If anyone has any suggestions on lower priced alternatives, let me know. I won't be tracking in the rain so my preferences are for dry performance first, longevity second, noise third and wet performance last.

Brake upgrade. I know the stock fluid and pads aren't good for lapping sessions. I see most people suggesting upgrading fluid, pads and SS lines. I need to do more research on pads and fluid before I buy anything.

Exhaust tips. I'm fine with the stock exhaust but the tips are embarrassing in those huge cut-outs. I'll just do the tips because it's a cheap and easy cosmetic modification.

Stuff that might happen before I can park her in the winter:

Oil Cooler. I'm not sure if this is required here in Canada. We usually only get a few days a year with temps above 90f/32c and I'd have to bypass it in the winter. Not a big deal but it's another thing to do to the car twice a year. Basically, this will happen if it's required, I'm just not sure.

Catch can. Not the end of the world if I don't get one but a good idea all the same.

Ride height adjustment. I'd like to lower the car an inch for dat wheel gap. I'll probably just get RCE Yellows but I need stock height in the winter. I could get coils but good ones are expensive and I'm cheap. I can add swapping springs to the list of changes that happen twice a year but that would be a pain in the ass.

Stuff I want to do once I can afford to park her in the winter:

Everything listed above that didn't already get done.

Big Brake Kit.

Aero. Underspoilers, side skirts and a big ass wing to be specific. Mostly for looks because I'm immature like that. I'll look at my options when I get closer to actually doing this.

That rounds out the list of stuff that I'll realistically do to the car.

You'll notice there are no power mods listed. Adding power will be the very last thing I'll do but if I did, I'd love to add forced induction.

Goal is 300whp. Would prefer to supercharge but E85 isn't available here and it seems difficult to hit 300whp supercharged without it. I can run Ultra94 here but I'm not sure how good that is or how close it will get me to my goal. I guess I can turbo.

[Lynxis]

So I've got an update. A package arrived on Friday:



What's inside?







So I'm ready for the warm weather.

Went outside, saw this:



Decided I'm not going anywhere today and family is all out for the day so I'll stay in and do other stuff. I had been planning to buy TSW Interlagos or Enkei Fujin wheels but it's poor timing right now financially so I can't justify spending that type of money right now, especially when the stock tires still have a lot of life left. That said, I'm not a fan of the stock wheels silver on black color scheme and part of the reason I wanted to buy something else was because I curbed one about a month after I got the car.



So I was thinking I'd try doing some DIY wheel repair and paint them silver myself. I have no experience with this so I practiced using body filler on a tin can that I dented on purpose. I sanded it down and thought it looked ok and couldn't feel any obvious high spots.



I bought Duplicolor Hyper Silver Wheel Paint from Canadian Tire and tested it over my body filler job in 3 light coats of color plus 2 light coats of clear.



Some valuable lessons learned. First, my sanding job was poor and this was very evident after putting the paint on. Second, primer is probably a good idea. Finally, I'm not sure that I like the color of the hyper silver. I'll have to take it outside and see how it looks but inside, I find it a bit dull. I was hoping for something brighter, closer to the silver accents on the wheels.

Still, I'm going to go forward with painting them once I figure out the color so I went ahead and filed and sanded the rashed spots down. Started with some files and then used 80grit sandpaper and then went to 180grit.



Camera flash reflects heavily now so I went and applied some body filler.



Let the filler sit for about half an hour then sanded it down until it's completely smooth. Started with 80 grit, then went to 120 grit, finally did 180 grit to finish. Had to take this one without the flash otherwise it would just come out an overexposed mess.



This is where I've stopped for now. I really can't take on a major painting job in my apartment anyway but when warmer weather comes, I can get the painting done in my friends garage.

[Lynxis]

I've been busy this weekend. Finally got around to painting my wheels hyper silver. I'm impressed with the result. Although you can't see it in the picture, they sparkle in the sun a bit now.

When I was testing the hyper silver color on the tin can, the can was black which resulted in a very deep silver color which wasn't what I was looking for. I added a light gray filler primer and tested again and got a nice light shade instead so I made it a point to add the primer to the wheels. This was probably required anyway to make the wheels a solid color or you'd still be able to see the accents through the paint.

Regarding the curb damaged rim that I repaired, the damage is all but invisible now but if you know where to look and look closely enough, you can still see it which annoys me a bit but not enough to spend any more time on it. You can't see it unless you know where to look for it anyway.

I also bought some cheap aftermarket 4 inch exhaust tips that I'll try to put on the car today. I'll take photos when I get around to this.

[Guru Woodman]

Bravo, excellent job on the rims.

And I don't see any snow in the last pictures... nice!

[Lonewolf]

Stock wheels look so much better as one color

[Lynxis]

Got the tips on and took the car to the wash, it was a bit overdue.

Been warm enough this last week for most of the snow to melt. There is still a pretty large snow bank built up in the corner of the parking lot that isn't visible in this photo. That said, it IS a lot smaller than it was a week ago! Good sign!

[schlitzed]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

Stock wheels look so much better as one color

+1 They look much much better.

[Lynxis]

Can't wait for warm enough weather to put the summers back on and see how they really look on the car. Thinking I'll paint the calipers black so they stand out from the wheels better. Got a friend going to Shannonville for the lapping day on April 20th. Trying to get the day off work so I can go too. I'm asking early enough that it shouldn't be a problem but you never know.

Thinking I'll get the wheels, brake fluid, caliper painting and brake pads all done shortly before track day.

[Lynxis]

So I got the wheels put on the car:





Car was due for an oil change and the 20000km service anyway so I had Subaru do it. They didn't charge me extra for anythng except for the brake fluid bleed. I'm not experienced at bleeding lines so I'd rather pay someone to ensure its done properly until I'm confident to do it myself.

Braking has been improved all around. There is no longer any dead travel in the brake pedal, it has more resistance, the bite is improved and I'm finding the pads easier to modulate too. The OEM shims were moved to the Hawks and this seems like it was a good idea because the pads are silent. I've seen a lot of people complain that the HP+ make a lot of noise so this is a happy development. I never felt the OEM pads were wanting for regular driving but these are definitely a step up.

I'm signed up for my first lapping day at Shannonville Motorsport Park for Monday April 20th. Following the lapping day, I'll be putting the OEM pads back in the car and I'll paint the calipers when I do that and I'll take some more pics then.

[Lynxis]

Thought people would appreciate how the painted wheels look with a good side profile shot so I took a snap as I was leaving work.



It looks lowered in this photo but it's not, this is just because my winter wheels were sitting in the back when this pic was taken.

[Chaz@ORT]

I agree that the stock wheels are ugly, but they dont look 1/2 bad when they're all 1 color.

[nzbrooke]

Originally Posted by Chaz@ORT

I agree that the stock wheels are ugly, but they dont look 1/2 bad when they're all 1 color.

I agree - the silver looks great against the blue, good choice !

[Lynxis]

So a quick update. Did a track day at Shannonville Motorsport Park yesterday. Had tons of fun! Very happy I upgraded brake pads and fluid because I had no fade issues the entire day, even after extended hot lapping sessions. It was only a high of 15c/59f so that may have helped too. We will see when I go again later in the summer when it's actually hot out.

It was a small turn out, only 4 cars on the track and by 4pm, I was the only person left so I had the track to myself for the last hour which was amazing!

It was raining for the first half of the day and the brake dust from the Hawks HP+ ate the paint on the wheels and combined with the rain in the morning, the silver has been washed out and they almost look gunmetal grey now in addition to some chipping paint.

Edit: Adding photos







I won't use Duplicolor Hyper Silver wheel paint again though, I'll try to find something that lasts longer.

[Lynxis]

My first track day ever. Shannonville Motorsport Park April 20 2015.

Found out after the fact that I only managed to record one session on my GoPro and it was my 2nd session of the day which just displays embarrassingly poor skill but I'll post it anyway. Watch in Chrome for 60fps.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLaDKdVBFGo[/ame]

Unfortunately this is the only session that turned out. Some GoPro user error on my part had me recording during breaks between sessions and then stopping recording for the run. Then I loaned the camera to a friend so he could record a session and after his session, the battery died before I was rolling on my next session.

It dried out later in the day and I got some tutoring from an extremely experienced driver which really helped some of my bad lines and poor technique. I'm really frustrated knowing that I improved a lot by the end of the day but wasn't able to record any of it and don't have any lap times.

So I'm planning to go again next month and get some proper recordings!