I want to upgrade my 86 and have a few questions.

[HachiRokuX]

Hey guys, it's me again..yes, the guy who had broken hood latch for a while because he didn't check the car at the dealership and trusted the salesman. They did eventually fix the car for free and now I have tons of questions:

1. Are the TRD sway bars and lowering kits a waste of money if I'm realistically not going to go the to track that often (if ever)?

2. I noticed that Toyota offers 17" Forged Wheels which offer weight savings. Are these overpriced? I do like the looks but $1500 for a set of 4 seems pretty pricey to me and Toyota doesn't even list the weight difference between the stock wheels.



3. Are there any decent aftermarket front bumpers that will fit the 2017 86 well and look factory with the new LED lights? I couldn't find any. Maybe I could just cover up the angry shark face somehow?

4. I eventually want to upgrade to a carplay headunit, would it be plug and play or would I have to splice wires?

5. The TRD Exhaust is 1100-1300 and is only a catback, meaning it doesn't offer any performance enhancements. Are there better options? It seems overpriced.

[Shinigami301]

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

Hey guys, it's me again..yes, the guy who had broken hood latch for a while because he didn't check the car at the dealership and trusted the salesman. They did eventually fix the car for free and now I have tons of questions:

1. Are the TRD sway bars and lowering kits a waste of money if I'm realistically not going to go the to track that often (if ever)?

2. I noticed that Toyota offers 17" Forged Wheels which offer weight savings. Are these overpriced? I do like the looks but $1500 for a set of 4 seems pretty pricey to me and Toyota doesn't even list the weight difference between the stock wheels.

3. Are there any decent aftermarket front bumpers that will fit the 2017 86 well and look factory with the new LED lights? I couldn't find any. Maybe I could just cover up the angry shark face somehow?

4. I eventually want to upgrade to a carplay headunit, would it be plug and play or would I have to splice wires?

1. Yes. A waste. The suspension is pretty good as-is for the street.

2. No, if you like the styling they are not overpriced but you can probably do better.

3. No, not in Japan, and therefore, not here yet either. And it's arguably more fugu than shark.

4. Yes, at least with certain models of Pioneer HU's, if you buy the right harness.

[ZeroFiveSix]

You can find light wheels for much less than that but you may not like the styling and you have to be careful. Cheap, durable and lightweight usually don't go together. You can pick two and find what you want easy, though.

Motegi wheels have a reputation for not being very durable but a set of Traklites at 16 lbs and 100$ a wheel have done fine for me. That's 4-5lb lighter per wheel pre-facelift. I don't know the weight on the '17s. Of course if you're running a short sidewall or smacking potholes all day, you might not have the same luck.

Any suspension or chassis changes need to be done with a specific objective in mind. As has been said, the stock setup is pretty good. If I remember correctly the TRD "lowering kit" is just springs. What do you want to change about the handling of the car? If you just want a direct increase in cornering ability, tires are where you should be looking. To get much out of suspension upgrades, your parts need to be adjustable and you need the opportunity and experience to tune them. If you don't already know what you want the car to do differently and how to do it, messing with the suspension parts usually does more harm than good.

I'd look up lots of suspension tuning tutorials and take your car to an auto cross school or HPDE if you really want to sharpen up your car's handling. Then you can get a feel for how the car acts at the limit so you know what you want it to do differently.

As for bodywork, I guarantee there are parts coming down the pipe. They're going to be expensive though. I'd watch C West. They make some pretty tasteful parts for the pre-facelift twins.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

Hey guys, it's me again..yes, the guy who had broken hood latch for a while because he didn't check the car at the dealership and trusted the salesman. They did eventually fix the car for free and now I have tons of questions:

1. Are the TRD sway bars and lowering kits a waste of money if I'm realistically not going to go the to track that often (if ever)?

2. I noticed that Toyota offers 17" Forged Wheels which offer weight savings. Are these overpriced? I do like the looks but $1500 for a set of 4 seems pretty pricey to me and Toyota doesn't even list the weight difference between the stock wheels.

3. Are there any decent aftermarket front bumpers that will fit the 2017 86 well and look factory with the new LED lights? I couldn't find any. Maybe I could just cover up the angry shark face somehow?

4. I eventually want to upgrade to a carplay headunit, would it be plug and play or would I have to splice wires?

5. The TRD Exhaust is 1100-1300 and is only a catback, meaning it doesn't offer any performance enhancements. Are there better options? It seems overpriced.

Welcome back, HachiRokuX, glad you got your hood to open .....

1. For non track use, I reckon the suspension is just fine, as it came out of the box. The car doesn't "sway" hardly at all, out on the street. In your average crowd, I doubt anyone is going to say "you should lower it". Besides, you will find enough things to skid on at the stock ride height.

2. There ain't nutten wrong with the wheels that came with the car. In a crowd of enthusiasts, your car will be different ......cause it has the stock wheels ....

3. I suggest you just give the looks of the front end a chance to grow on you.

4. As far as the head unit upgrade, most of the time, there is a harness that will match the two up.

5. I suggest you look around (). I put an axle back on my 2013, which allows more sound out and has perty tips.

Enjoy your new machine!


humfrz

[HachiRokuX]

Thanks, guys! I had a feeling that the TRD parts were essentially a rip off/waste of time. The main reason I wanted to lower the car was to get rid of that wheel gap a little bit, if I'm being honest. I think I'll just add a spoiler and the factory arm rest for now, I can tell it's gonna be a while before I finally settle on an exhaust or wheels. All of the tips mentioned were really helpful though.

Lol at that pic, Shinigami. I think the front end looks okay in the right light, but sometimes it looks pretty bad.. I know why I get lots of laughs in passing. Still an amazing car to drive!

I only have one more question for now.

6. How much will the reliability take a hit if I add a supercharger and surely you would have to upgrade the cooling etc too? Seems like it would be super expensive..I already paid $25K so another $5-6K would put it in another tier of pricing..

[86geek]

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

5. The TRD Exhaust is 1100-1300 and is only a catback, meaning it doesn't offer any performance enhancements. Are there better options? It seems overpriced.

Yup, for TRD catback exhaust $1100-$1300 is pricey. When I got my car the dealership told me for that price to get a better aftermarket brand catback exhaust. I waited a year before I bought a 2.5 Perrin resonated catback which cost me $950.00 shipped. It's loud when it needs to be & cold start is loud for maybe a minute or so. If & when I decide on a UEL header & tune, it won't be hella loud compared to other catback exhausts.

If loud sound is what you want get a Invidia N1 which is low cost about $600- $700. Hella LOUD is Tomei catbacks!
Join up with your local FT86 club and you can listen to other exhaust systems.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

Thanks, guys! I had a feeling that the TRD parts were essentially a rip off/waste of time. The main reason I wanted to lower the car was to get rid of that wheel gap a little bit, if I'm being honest. I think I'll just add a spoiler and the factory arm rest for now, I can tell it's gonna be a while before I finally settle on an exhaust or wheels. All of the tips mentioned were really helpful though.

Lol at that pic, Shinigami. I think the front end looks okay in the right light, but sometimes it looks pretty bad.. I know why I get lots of laughs in passing. Still an amazing car to drive!

I only have one more question for now.

6. How much will the reliability take a hit if I add a supercharger and surely you would have to upgrade the cooling etc too? Seems like it would be super expensive..I already paid $25K so another $5-6K would put it in another tier of pricing..

If you want to just lower the car for looks then the RSR Superdowns are a great choice. Not loads of money either.

As far as the supercharger goes there is no way to sugar coat my response so... If you are asking the price then you have no clue what all is involved. It is not just a matter of slapping it on and calling it a day. Have your driving skills exceeded the stock capacity of the car? Faster cars will still kick your but anyway.

[Borchert97]

1. In my opinion, they're not necessary, but they do look cool, the sway bars are advertised to stiffen the ride up, and the springs drop the car about an inch. I don't have one of these cars yet myself but I get to drive them often enough thanks to working at Subaru so I can't say if I'd personally get these for my car yet, although I will be doing the TRD exhaust.

2. They're expensive, but if you like the look, and again, are a Toyota/TRD purist, it's not too bad of a bargain for OEM quality and they're forged as well.

3. No.

4. Yes, the Pioneer AVIC NEX systems will fit in these cars fine with the proper harness and wiring. I'd personally recommend the 8200 or 8201 since they have a capacitive touch screen which, to put it simply, is like a smartphone or tablet in terms of responsiveness and accuracy. The reason I recommend Pioneer is because the stock headunit already is Pioneer so it makes sense that another one would be the most compatible.

You can check this link and put in your car and it'll show you all of what you'll need to fit it properly: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_130820...C-8200NEX.html

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

..............I only have one more question for now.

6. How much will the reliability take a hit if I add a supercharger and surely you would have to upgrade the cooling etc too? Seems like it would be super expensive..I already paid $25K so another $5-6K would put it in another tier of pricing..

I would suggest that you stay away from any form of forced induction, for the time being.

First off, adding a supercharger (and the necessary tune) would definitely get you any power train warranty work denied.

FI starts your engine down a slippery slope as far as reliability, unless you know how to handle it and work with it.

So, ask yourself ...... where is 50% more HP going to get you any faster on the streets and highways in Florida ..... ??

You may find that, for spirited driving, once your car gets broke in and you get to know it and how to drive it ...... it just may have all the power and handling ability that you need to have a fun driving experience.




humfrz

[PetrolioBenzina]

The stock 86 is a very capable car. The fun is in learning to drive it well. It's more than enough for any rational use on the streets. Forget straight line speed and go play in the twistys. If you get bored with the car, you are a better driver than I will ever be. Then make decisions about what you want the car to do better.

I HATE the front end. Still have not decided what to do. There is/was a JDM custom that I can never remember the name of that looked like an Aston Martin or Jaguar front end. Want. Somebody must make something similar, but I've not found it yet. Everyone wants plastic-fantastic ugly aggression.

This:

[fitcious]

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

Hey guys, it's me again..yes, the guy who had broken hood latch for a while because he didn't check the car at the dealership and trusted the salesman. They did eventually fix the car for free and now I have tons of questions:

1. Are the TRD sway bars and lowering kits a waste of money if I'm realistically not going to go the to track that often (if ever)?

I have the TRD sway bars for the front and rear. There's a slight difference when taking a nice, almost 360 degree on-ramp...feels tighter turn in - but normal day to day driving, i can't tell too big of a difference

2. I noticed that Toyota offers 17" Forged Wheels which offer weight savings. Are these overpriced? I do like the looks but $1500 for a set of 4 seems pretty pricey to me and Toyota doesn't even list the weight difference between the stock wheels.

I also have these wheels. I love the looks of these wheels and you can call me cheap, but my main reason to get these wheels is so I can continue using the stock tires as I have lots of tread left. Also, a lot of people sell stock tires/wheels on the forum, so it's easy to get nice OEM tires for dirt cheap that will fit on these aftermarket TRD wheels. I don't track my car, so the stock tires are fine. As for weight differences, I am not sure - i think i read some where on the forum that it was approx. 2-3 lbs lighter for each wheel, but I can be wrong. def. research it - i suggest checking out the RS2.0 owner thread since these wheels are the same as the Scion FRS RS2.0

3. Are there any decent aftermarket front bumpers that will fit the 2017 86 well and look factory with the new LED lights? I couldn't find any. Maybe I could just cover up the angry shark face somehow?

I have a 2013, so can't comment on this.

4. I eventually want to upgrade to a carplay headunit, would it be plug and play or would I have to splice wires?

I have the 2016 OEM head unit and it works fine for me - fast BT connection and easy to use

5. The TRD Exhaust is 1100-1300 and is only a catback, meaning it doesn't offer any performance enhancements. Are there better options? It seems overpriced.

I have this exhaust as well. For me, I don't feel a huge performance upgrade, but it does give it a nice growl on cold starts and on throttle. I also like the D shape of the tips as it fills the bumper openings pretty nicely. I also don't see too many D shape tips exhaust out there?

good thing about TRD parts is that I believe it doesn't void your vehicle warranty if you buy and have it installed at a Toyota dealer, it's tested by Toyota, and great quality (IMO)

hope this helps!

[extrashaky]

I'm not going to answer all of these.

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

1. Are the TRD sway bars and lowering kits a waste of money...?

I hope not. I just bought a set of the springs that I haven't installed yet. (I didn't bother with the sway bars.)

My understanding is that the TRD springs are made by Eibach and are basically the same springs as the Eibach Pro Kit at a better price. Most of what I read about them said that they didn't really change the ride significantly, but just dropped the car about 7/8" to help close the wheel gap. I bought them primarily for the appearance and the claimed ride quality, because I still have to drive this car hundreds of miles per month for work (at least until the Series.Red is released so I can buy one and repurpose this one as a toy).

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

3. Are there any decent aftermarket front bumpers that will fit the 2017 86 well and look factory with the new LED lights? I couldn't find any. Maybe I could just cover up the angry shark face somehow?

You could always swap over a BRZ bumper cover.

Originally Posted by HachiRokuX

5. The TRD Exhaust is 1100-1300 and is only a catback, meaning it doesn't offer any performance enhancements. Are there better options?

There are hundreds of combinations of various options. What's "better" depends entirely on what sounds good to you and what you want out of it. I would suggest listening to lots and lots of clips of different setups and doing research on what gains, if any, to expect. There is no shame at all in making an exhaust choice based entirely on aesthetics.

I chose my Corsa exhaust purely because it sounded great in all the clips I heard. Now that it's burned in with about 1000 miles on it, I absolutely love the sound. I know intellectually that the car isn't any faster with the exhaust. However, if feels faster, because the livelier sound adds so much to the driving experience.

[Scrappydoo]

Originally Posted by PetrolioBenzina

The stock 86 is a very capable car. The fun is in learning to drive it well. It's more than enough for any rational use on the streets. Forget straight line speed and go play in the twistys. If you get bored with the car, you are a better driver than I will ever be. Then make decisions about what you want the car to do better.

I HATE the front end. Still have not decided what to do. There is/was a JDM custom that I can never remember the name of that looked like an Aston Martin or Jaguar front end. Want. Somebody must make something similar, but I've not found it yet. Everyone wants plastic-fantastic ugly aggression.

This:

I think that looks lovely except for the top of the headlights

[Mackizzle86]

I have an Oceanic '16. I'd trade bumpers with you.