Las Vegas Members Gather!

[TuxedoCartman]

Damn. I was getting on this board to ask if anybody knew of a good tuner shop, since nobody was answering the phones over at Uehara Motorsports... and I see these posts. <sigh> Oh well... my next question was going to be if anybody had any opinions about Zenkai Motorsports, but that's been answered too.

So basically, I didn't need to post at all. Umm... look, a kitty!



There, not a total waste of my time.

Hopefully by Monday I'll have pics of my car with my Cusco bits on it. Put the TRD door stabilizers on two weeks ago, the Cusco strut-tower brace two days ago, and having somebody with a lift put on the rest of my chassis brace stuff. Now if my damn wheels will just get here.

[Unleashed]

Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman

Damn. I was getting on this board to ask if anybody knew of a good tuner shop, since nobody was answering the phones over at Uehara Motorsports... and I see these posts. <sigh> Oh well... my next question was going to be if anybody had any opinions about Zenkai Motorsports, but that's been answered too.

So basically, I didn't need to post at all. Umm... look, a kitty!



There, not a total waste of my time.

Hopefully by Monday I'll have pics of my car with my Cusco bits on it. Put the TRD door stabilizers on two weeks ago, the Cusco strut-tower brace two days ago, and having somebody with a lift put on the rest of my chassis brace stuff. Now if my damn wheels will just get here.

Hey, were you on the MR2 Forums as well? you're name/pic looks familiar.

How do you like all your cusco pieces so far?! I am going with cusco as well and very eager to hear peoples opinions on ride quality, chassis stiffness, handling, etc. Also any difference with those TRD door stabilizers? Such a small piece....

[Aeolus702]

Originally Posted by Unleashed

I was able to get my FR-S because I'm in the Air Force. My BAH covers not only my rent/utilities but also my car payment and some of my insurance! So awesome haha! Good luck!

whats a "BAH"?? im up to MEPS in paperwork, just have to meet up with my requiter to set up when i will go. hopefully my dreaded glaucoma wont stop me from doing what i want! im qualified for some really good jobs too so i hope they will take that into consideration.

Originally Posted by MTHRFRS

You may have already seen me! This is what I've been daily driving for the past year now:
Attachment 9080

I feel like I've been putting too many miles on her so as soon as the FR-S gets here she'll be a garage queen. Really excited to get a new daily!

i saw you last week! on the 95, going on the ramp towards the 15. looks awesome while moving that low

[Unleashed]

BAH is the allowance they give you to help pay for Housing. It depends on where they station you but you wont have BAH until 2-3yrs in because you will be living in the base dorms, unless you are married. Your eye condition will limit your jobs severely unfortunately.

[Spaztastik]

Originally Posted by s1monn

What's the brand and specs? Looks like cusco

Yupper Cusco Zero 3s's. Here she is on the ground with my old wrx drift spares. 17x9 e30..... fits about damn right for me



Still waitin on the Works, gonna be about another month or so at least I thinks.

[FR-S teve702]

Originally Posted by Unleashed

I'll take some pictures of how mine look after i tinted them for you as well steve. I did the headlights as well but now im going to pull them apart and black out the interior as well as bi xenon hid's

Cool Dylon. Can't wait to see your pics of the modded lights too. Hey, what brand HID's are you getting? What do you think about HID Powerhouse's HID's and Automation Lighting's HID's? Think they'll be any good? By the way, where did you take the pics you did with photoshop? Was it the area close to your place? I might want to head there too to take some pics. Are you going to C&C this Saturday? Hope so, cause we plan on going to Red Rock circle afterwards. Man, we gotta plan some cruising meets.

I wanna check out U-Drift too but like Koji I'm kind of low on funds right now. Know when the next drift races will be at the las vegas speedway? I've never been too one yet but may be we can go as a group. Sorry, just had a bunch of random thoughts and didn't feel like making multiple posts. Hey we gotta take some landmark pics with our cars too and post it on the landmark pics thread.

[FR-S teve702]

Originally Posted by Koji_Online

Got my hood keyed!
Opticoat took most of it, but my clearcoat is marred; almost to the paint it seems.
Tried hand buffing & some detailer compound & polish, but it's still there under shadows or dim light...

I have to get a pro-detailer to buff this out; & sadly that means I won't have any opticoat left & barely any clear in that area... If I find these bastards; for real

Damn, sorry to hear what happened to your hood man. I have no pity for low life people who do bad things like this. Anyways, hope you can get it fixed by a pro-detailer.

So how was the installation of the clear side marker lights?
Was it easy? Do you have pics? I might do this too as part of my JDM conversion project for my FR-S.

[FR-S teve702]

Originally Posted by Spaztastik

Yupper Cusco Zero 3s's. Here she is on the ground with my old wrx drift spares. 17x9 e30..... fits about damn right for me



Still waitin on the Works, gonna be about another month or so at least I thinks.

Nice job man. Looks great. I'm sure there are other forum members interested in doing this too.

[Spaztastik]

Originally Posted by FR-S teve702

I wanna check out U-Drift too but like Koji I'm kind of low on funds right now. Know when the next drift races will be at the las vegas speedway? I've never been too one yet but may be we can go as a group.

The next vegasdrift test & tune session is comin up on Sept 7th, and another on sept 21st. They are also havin there 4th round of the proam series in August right around the FD event.

http://www.vegasdrift.com/forum/inde...ic,7332.0.html

[Spaztastik]

P.S. The speedway also charges an extra $15 for everyone comin through the gates, spectaters and drivers alike..... pretty weak but at least its fun as hell.

[TuxedoCartman]

Originally Posted by Unleashed

Hey, were you on the MR2 Forums as well? you're name/pic looks familiar.

How do you like all your cusco pieces so far?! I am going with cusco as well and very eager to hear peoples opinions on ride quality, chassis stiffness, handling, etc. Also any difference with those TRD door stabilizers? Such a small piece....

Nope, sorry; owned a lot of cars, but never got my hands on an MR2. I was on NASIOC a lot, EvolutionM.net and one of the RX7 forums just a little bit... but never used this pic.

The only Cusco part I've put on so far (due to lack of a lift) is the Front Strut Tower Bar w/ Brake Stopper, and I love it! Anybody who says that a strut tower bar doesn't make a difference on these cars needs to have their driver's licenses yanked, because it's a noticeable change not just at the outer limits of the car's performance, but at gentler turns too. I'd recommend it for sure. Haven't noticed any difference in the braking due to the brake-stopper, but that's because I haven't tracked the car yet, and my street driving doesn't get that spirited. Talking with Mike at Zenkai today about getting the other chassis brace parts put on ASAP.

The door stabilizers? Ehh... I've been going back and forth as to whether or not I wanted to post a review of those on here, as it'll probably turn into a flame-fest, with numerous insults to driving ability and intelligence. But here goes...

As a precursor to this review, let me state that I spent four years studying psychology, so I'm well educated in the placebo effect, and the various other ways our brains will trick us into seeing things that aren't there based on bias. Knowing this doesn't exempt me from any of this; it just gives me the tools to test for it, and minimize the effects. (Yes, I'm throw this out there to try and offer some extra credibility for my review; and no, I don't think red Honda badges or GT-R emblems add horsepower. )

That said, the TRD Door Stabilizers DO make a profoundly noticeable difference... for a certain kind of driving situation. Around town driving, you won't notice them at all. For high speed corners and sweepers: nothing. Surprisingly no difference in handling I could perceive either in "spirited" U-turns at stop-lights.

But there's an rural area nearby that's one-after-another 35-mph tight corners, where I am able to flog the car with a reasonable degree of safety (I know, I know... street racing's bad, kiddos). It's on this kind of road, being driven hard, that the Door Stabilizers come into play; and in my opinion, they made a large enough difference to justify the price. Before, once you start exploring the outer limits of the car's performance on a mid to low-speed cormer, there's a slight nervousness about the car's feedback, a jitteriness that lets you know it's reached it's limits, and it doesn't think going any further is a good idea. On those same curves after installing the Door Stabilizers, the car just feels smoother, calmer, more solid... and just takes the turns with no drama. I suddenly felt like I had switched to a car that should have costs four-times as much, the difference was so noticeable. The car's probably not going any faster or gripping any better (couldn't look at the speedo in the middle of these turns to check), but the feedback is significantly improved in such a way that I can find the absolute threshold of handling more confidently.

Now, the bad parts of the review? First, the bit that attaches to the door itself just slides on; nothing holds it in place but friction. So I fully expect a passenger to knock one off my accident sometime in the near future. Second: I do not expect it's possible to make converts of skeptics of this part. I mean, it's just a tiny wedge or thin metal and hard plastic, so how can it have any effect on the at-limits handling of a 2700lb. car?!

Third problem? I'm paranoid as hell now, because if it's just a tiny wedge of thin metal and hard plastic that has THAT much of an effect on the car's handling... what other tiny, insignificant things are throwing off our car's performance? If I weather-strip my hood, will that improve top speed? Or if I secure my oil lines to the strut-tower brace, will I get another 5 hp? Should I offer up a blood-sacrifice in the glove compartment to Tsuchiya-thulu so that my grip will be improved? Down this road lies madness, I'm telling you... madness!!!

In all seriousness, though, I'd really like to hear from someone involved in the production of these cars as to just WHY they didn't put this item on the production car. It can't cost Toyota/ Subaru more than a couple of dollars to make, there's no trade-off in day-to-day comfort or usage of the car, and the mid-speed handling difference is so profound... why didn't they just include it on the car stock? Best case scenario I can figure is it was a point of disagreement between Subaru and Toyota, and that's why it got left off (don't see any STi door stabilizers, do you?) But if it was a cost-cutting measure, I'm severely disappointed, and find myself wondering what other slight budgetary concerns are costing us in terms of driving experience.

Sorry if that review ran overly long; I don't believe in doing things in half-measures.

[Koji_Online]

Originally Posted by FR-S teve702

Damn, sorry to hear what happened to your hood man. I have no pity for low life people who do bad things like this. Anyways, hope you can get it fixed by a pro-detailer.

So how was the installation of the clear side marker lights?
Was it easy? Do you have pics? I might do this too as part of my JDM conversion project for my FR-S.

Spaztastic got the good info on the next drift events; I don't have any pics of the clear-marker install, but it's just as the manual says; anyone who says you should do it a different way is someone who broke them haha; I can give you a better illustration & tips in person when we meet at Cars N Coffee tomorrow =P

Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman

Nope, sorry; owned a lot of cars, but never got my hands on an MR2. I was on NASIOC a lot, EvolutionM.net and one of the RX7 forums just a little bit... but never used this pic.

The only Cusco part I've put on so far (due to lack of a lift) is the Front Strut Tower Bar w/ Brake Stopper, and I love it! Anybody who says that a strut tower bar doesn't make a difference on these cars needs to have their driver's licenses yanked, because it's a noticeable change not just at the outer limits of the car's performance, but at gentler turns too. I'd recommend it for sure. Haven't noticed any difference in the braking due to the brake-stopper, but that's because I haven't tracked the car yet, and my street driving doesn't get that spirited. Talking with Mike at Zenkai today about getting the other chassis brace parts put on ASAP.

The door stabilizers? Ehh... I've been going back and forth as to whether or not I wanted to post a review of those on here, as it'll probably turn into a flame-fest, with numerous insults to driving ability and intelligence. But here goes...

...

In all seriousness, though, I'd really like to hear from someone involved in the production of these cars as to just WHY they didn't put this item on the production car. It can't cost Toyota/ Subaru more than a couple of dollars to make, there's no trade-off in day-to-day comfort or usage of the car, and the mid-speed handling difference is so profound... why didn't they just include it on the car stock? Best case scenario I can figure is it was a point of disagreement between Subaru and Toyota, and that's why it got left off (don't see any STi door stabilizers, do you?) But if it was a cost-cutting measure, I'm severely disappointed, and find myself wondering what other slight budgetary concerns are costing us in terms of driving experience.

Sorry if that review ran overly long; I don't believe in doing things in half-measures.

I condensed the quote so people won't have to scroll all the way =P
Thanks for the reviews man; I'm planning on door stabilizers down the road for sure!
Though my main focus right now is getting the high quality Completely linear springs from SWIFT; I understand what you mean about initial nervousness near the limit; I've been learning to drift the FRS, but actually over time that feeling has been subdued; probably because I'm used to the feeling now; I believe what will make the biggest difference in turn-in response & handling feel in general will be the linear springs that will make the car that much more predictable; I look forward the faster & more impressive drift angles to follow =D

[TuxedoCartman]

Originally Posted by Koji_Online

Thanks for the reviews man; I'm planning on door stabilizers down the road for sure!
Though my main focus right now is getting the high quality Completely linear springs from SWIFT; I understand what you mean about initial nervousness near the limit; I've been learning to drift the FRS, but actually over time that feeling has been subdued; probably because I'm used to the feeling now; I believe what will make the biggest difference in turn-in response & handling feel in general will be the linear springs that will make the car that much more predictable; I look forward the faster & more impressive drift angles to follow =D

This is why I like to do modifications like chassis bracing first on a car, before any other suspension or power mods: if you can eliminate all the annoying little wiggles and skittishness of the car at its outer limits, then you can get a much clearer mental picture of what the car's capabilities are, and where the improvements will make the most difference. In my opinion I'd say that with just the strut-tower bar and door stabilizers, the stock suspension isn't all that bad (for my use), but the tires are pure and utter crap. Really, really, REALLY wanting my new wheels to get here, so I can do something about that.

[Koji_Online]

Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman

This is why I like to do modifications like chassis bracing first on a car, before any other suspension or power mods: if you can eliminate all the annoying little wiggles and skittishness of the car at its outer limits, then you can get a much clearer mental picture of what the car's capabilities are, and where the improvements will make the most difference. In my opinion I'd say that with just the strut-tower bar and door stabilizers, the stock suspension isn't all that bad (for my use), but the tires are pure and utter crap. Really, really, REALLY wanting my new wheels to get here, so I can do something about that.

Can't wait to see the new wheels man! If I ever change wheels it will be Work Emotion Kiwami for sure; I've actually grow to appreciate the stock wheels; they look great haha. I'm probably going to keep drift tires on the stock wheels & put some nice star specs on the Kiwami when I can afford it =P

@FR-S teve702 I've contacted Depo lighting (both Japan and US) about making OEM BRZ style aftermarket lights for our cars; I've been planning for the look in your sig since they first started showing pics of both models; kinda disappointed in the chrome lights, but I don't want to tint them either; let's hope Depo gets me a response soon! =P