Stranger Things' "Keep it Simple" FR-S

[stranger things]

Hello,

My humble journal will be nothing extreme. While I enjoy seeing the mods others have done, I don’t want to put a lot of money or effort into the car, especially since I think it’s a great car out of the box. I love the design of the car, the seats, the center-mounted white tach, etc. It's a pleasure to look at and drive. I guess I’m easy to please. My goal is simply to improve the performance and grip slightly, and a few cosmetic things to make the car mine. Most importantly, my goal is to become a better driver.



What I’ve done…

• 35% tinted windows
• Rexspeed wide-angle sideview mirrors
• Front license plate delete
• “FR-S” debadging on trunk and floor mats
• Philips Diamond Vision bulbs for low-beams
• Nokya hyper-yellow DRL bulbs
• Chrome amber bulbs for rear turn signals
• Loden “86” center caps for stock wheels
• Loden “86” steering wheel emblem
• Zeta “86” center console plaque
• Nintendo 8-bit hearts for dash and Mario rearview mirror ornament
• “86” medallion keychain
• Anarchy Motive Atlas shift knob in Transparent Red
• Sound tube plug
• K&N air filter
• OpenFlash tablet - stage 1 tune
• BF Goodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S tires
• JDM exhaust tips

At some point, I might get a UEL header and stage 2 tune, but not sure if I want to pursue this because of potential emissions issues. I might also get TRD lowering springs, but still undecided.

[Dennett_]

Congrats and welcome (:

[stranger things]

Thoughts on OFT stage 1 tune after several weeks of driving with it:

The stage 1 tune definitely smoothed out the power band, and the car feels easier to drive. Right after the tune I had some jerky shifts, but between me getting used to it and the car adjusting to the new tune, both upshifts and downshifts are smoother. The tune does add more power, but it’s understandably not a huge gain, although it does feel peppier/zippier. Definitely a worthwhile upgrade to make the car what it should have been from the factory. The other nice thing is that the OFT can grow with you if you decide to make other modifications like an aftermarket header.

[stranger things]

New tires installed: BF Goodrich G-Force Comp-2 A/S. Overall grip and cornering is better than the Firestone FR740s (i.e. Corolla S tires) that the car came with (although not as good as a dedicated summer tire), and the car feels less floaty. Braking should be better for emergency stops. Rain performance is good; the tires do a nice job of cutting through the water. Also, the tires don't look as skinny/narrow as the Firestones, even though they're the same width. I guess the aggressive tread pattern provides the illusion of a wider tire.

[stranger things]

Freshly tinted windows @ 35%. This pic makes it look darker than it actually is because of the background and early morning light. The tint is a nice finishing touch to an already outstanding car design. Looks great on silver.

[stranger things]

Someone gave me their factory midpipe and muffler, which had a lot less miles and a lot less rust than mine. Plus, the muffler had JDM tips mounted already. Installed today. Looks so much nicer than the original tips.