Or maybe people like the car just the way it is and don't see the point in spending money to modify something they like. To be honest, many times I see people put on different wheels, spoilers, trim pieces, stickers, interior wraps, etc and for me, I think it looks worse than stock. As long as they are happy that is what counts, but it does not mean I have less imagination than them because I actually like the look of the stock wheels vs a 19" gold one.

It's not a Lexus, to me there's enough engine/road noise for stock sound system (after EQ adjustment) to be good enough.
NAVs annoyed me in most cars I drove that had them. And they get outdated very quickly. So I just stopped using them in favor of NAV apps on my phone except for places w/o cellular coverage, and even there I prefer the features of standalone NAV apps on the phone, it's just the assisted GPS in phones usually sucks w/o a cell tower nearby. I wish stock NAV's screen was glass, so that the suction cup would stick to it better ;)

I used to hate my stock Limited spoiler and wanted a clean trunk, but now I actually kinda like it. Some aftermarket kits I used to love are now kinda "meh" to me, so I can see what you're saying. I think, "If I had to put this car back to stock, how easily could I do that with this mod?"

That has got to be the most ignorant and arrogant sh*t I've read today. The sentence before that is almost as ignorant. Why buy a brand new car to rip it apart, and build from the ground up? The only reason I would see someone doing this is if they track the car majority of the time. Wouldn't it make more sense to purchase a beaten up old car?

If somebody could point me to a better radio/NAV unit (I have been looking) that fit the standard hole for the radio so I would not have to use crappy looking trim pieces I might actually be interested in that. I checked out a bunch of head units at Best Buy and a local specialty audio store, and nothing blew me away enough to drop the dough. Hopefully at some point there will be a better alternative in the $500-700 range.

lol Okay fine. I guess I'm too youthful at 29, because I blast my music and no amount of setting adjustments can help the stock speakers.

I recently went on a nearly 10k mile road trip with my BRZ and the stock unit. It definitely wasn't the worst thing I've used and it got me through Canada great. There were some small things that a dealership update changed that I wasn't thrilled about, but overall, if it had usable track-change buttons, I'd be completely satisfied with it.

I appreciate your feedback and ability to have a civil discussion. I always respect differing opinions and don't mean to be offensive when expressing an opinion.

The other problem with mods is that some people don't know when to stop. Just because you can plastidip just about everything does not mean you should....

I will admit one thing that I want though.
I wouldn't mind the alcantara series10 steering wheel. I really like the feel of those and enjoyed a PS3 wheel made of alcantara for a while. Not sure I'd get one though, I hear those wear out /absorb palm sweat fast unless one drives in gloves.

And how is this not ignorant?

Plus after that sentence I mentioned that I knew BRZ owners that fit the bill. My comments are based off observation. That's how I form opinions. I'm sorry that you either don't know enough people that it applies to or just aren't aware enough to see these traits in others. It's okay to be cheap. Heck, I'm cheap! I still haven't purchased wheels or suspension like most guys do.

I've been eyeing the Pioneer AVH-P8400BH for over two years now, since I had my WRX and was waiting for it to come out, then decided to sell the WRX and wait for the BRZ. Mach V has it on their BRZ if you need to see pics of it installed.

BECAUSE I WANT TO BE A SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

Okay, another thing... You HONESTLY prefer the prop rod for the hood over a $100 GrimmSpeed hood strut kit? It looks OEM! Everyone that sees me prop the hood swears it's OEM-looking and when people ask me what I've done to the car I almost always forget the hood struts because they look like they really belong there. And they're safer... until the gas in the struts fail, possibly. hahaha

Since you twisted my arm. :lol:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?p=741620

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...erheadunit.jpg

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=2431426

Thanks for posting that. It is hard to tell what the trim pieces look like on my monitor at work, but it could be what I am looking for. There is no NAV, but it does integrate with iPhone apps, so that could work if Google Maps app is compatible with it.

ROFL. To each his own, I guess. You'd rather have a brand spanking new car as a project instead of a old ass beaten up car? Being cheap has nothing to do with leaving the car stock IMO. It's more like those people have other priorities on their list than making their car "shine."

Okay, I concede to your point. I use the term "cheap" very, very loosely. I meant it as you stated as "differing priorities". I'll also admit that I'm arrogant, too. hahaha

And yes, I'd rather have something new and potentially more reliable to build upon rather than putting money into rebuilding it into running order first, then modifying. I had a 2001 Impreza RS coupe that I had to keep fixing up while putting parts into, since it wound up being an abused lemon by the time I got it. Eventually I got so frustrated with it that I sold the parts that made it unique, sat on the car in its broken state for a few years, then finally sold it last year in February. Never again will I buy a "beater" AND also go out of my way to mod it.

Just want to point out that teen/tween/mid-life crisis are not prerequisites to enjoy having a "different" car. :rolleyes: Your car is a physical extension of yourself; an extension of your limbs that super enhance your ability to travel. You could've gotten a fuel efficient econocar to get the job done, but no. For whatever reason, you chose this car which sacrifices some aspects of a commuter for indulgence in other aspects (sporting characteristics). Not only is it a physical extension of yourself (which is what all cars, even ho hum ones, already are) but it is also an expression of your mind. Choosing this car because of its distinguising marks/characteristics over other cars is a customization in and of itself. You chose a car that is "modified" from the generic class of transportation vehicles. A sort of "crisis," if you will.

Do people generally wear "stock" clothes (same shirt and pants everyday?). No, they wear clothes that match what they like. Same can apply to a car with it being a physical and [especially] mental extension of oneself. If every car in the world were *exactly* the same, it wouldn't be very stimulating (well, some folks would be indifferent). So we chose a BRZ for stimulation. Further, if every BRZ were *exactly* the same, it would seem more a generic tool and less an extension of oneself (some, like you, are indifferent or prefer generic at this point). I see it simply as an acquired taste that you lack. Everyone isn't forced to drink the beer.

I choose to "degeneralize" mine by selecting properly engineered components that stimulate me in a less generic way. Others may not like my choice enhancements but I don't care. I'm convinced in my mind that I've equipped my physical/mental extensions to meet my own set of standards and not everyone else's. That's very satisfying.

I used to have GReddy CF hood struts and was about to upgrade to SYMS struts... then realized the nicer ones (including GrimmSpeed) use more material/weigh more. Then I looked up the Supra and LFA had hood props rather than struts likely for weight savings (LFA one is CF). So I reverted to my stock hood prop. Insignificant weight savings, yeah :bonk:, but I did it for the principle.

http://dayuum.com/wp-content/uploads...g-lfa-0078.jpg

Yep pretty stupid, could of just mass produced the clear ones, unless by law you have to show amber on the sides even during day light

I knew you'd come in with that technical stuff! Is your car a purpose-built race car for everyday use? Why not get an FR-S if you want to save on weight? Hood struts are negligible compared to the handicapped "performance" of 18" wheels that are wider. Get 16" wheels if you want to save on weight. Carbon fiber EVERYTHING!!!!!!

Choosing the hood prop over the strut for a non-track-spec car... is... well... I respect you so much... but... I still can't agree to it! GAH! :barf:

Lol yup. Like I said, "insignificant." The Supra and LFA weren't track-spec cars and I like the idea that I can make my car closer to the LFA in some ways. :rolleyes: Plus I have to find ways to offset the weight added by my heavy-ish wheels somehow!

Definitely agree there! Mmmm... "Baby LFA".

When i worked at subaru, almost ten years ago i saw a fairly youn kid who rebuilt his moms 93 impreza 4 door into a modified turbo sti look alike from 98, he said he did all the work except for paint in his garage it was amazing, you could hear the turbo spool up through the exhaust when he drove away. Props to that guy wish i still knew where the pics are, man those high end advan rims were so nice.

Yeah but everybody knows how fast your car goes is directly correlated to buying the most expensive parts.

i understand where you're coming from, but have you actually driven a BRZ with 20mm rear spacers and experienced this 'crazy understeer'? you obviously haven't with your own car as it's stock.

i had 20mm spacers in the rear, and i never experienced any understeer. you know why? because my car is my daily driver and i don't drive fast enough or near the limits of traction on PUBLIC ROADS. i don't track or autox it either.

it's a moot point now as i had them on until i got my new wheels, but just wanted to understand your point of reference - from experience or from others. yes, i do know that changing the geometry affects the car's handling, but to some of us that may not push the car to the level where it's noticeable, it's transparent.

to me, the greater concern was accelerated wear on bearings etc due to spacers, but considering the fact that i only drive about 5000 miles/year, it wasn't an issue.

i don't care about being 'unique' either - i care about what i like and prefer. for example, if everyone else has a popular wheel that i like the looks of, it's not going to stop me from getting it. the changes i make to my car are FOR ME, not for anyone else. it's for the quiet times in the garage when i'm looking at the car, or looking at it while walking away from it after parking it. i'm not a teenager anymore either - i'm probably older than you.

anyways, i'm aware of how each change affects the car - whether it be aesthetic, mechanical or performance-related. i weigh the factors before making a decision, and ultimately, i go with what works for me.

You don't have to drive the car anywhere near the limits to feel the spacers. The car will feel less eager to turn at legal speeds. While I have not played with track width on a RWD car, I did mess with my past AWD subarus and the effects from 40mm change in track width on one axis are quite noticeable.

increased understeer due to the spacers is not noticeable to me. to someone more in tune to their car, probably.

Spacers are noticeable. I had 25mm spacers on my WRX to adapt STI wheels. The stance felt PHENOMENAL, however. Car felt more planted because of the wider tires and track.

I'll be adding 15mm spacer adapters to the BRZ.

Speaking of which... You're absolutely okay with the stock wheels as well? You don't think they're too heavy for being 17x7 +48 wheels? Or ugly because of the machined face and two-tone color?

I plan on keeping mine stock, although if the torque dip can be smoothed out with intake/exhaust, then I might consider that. I am not a racer or autocrosser, so I am perfectly happy with the car the way it is, regardless of the torque dip.

Headers will address the dip.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

I love wheels and hate wheel gap so I dropped my car on coilovers and put wheels on. Nothing wrong with the stock car. I drove it stock for about 8 months until I got coils. Plus all the stuff I did can be taken off and return to stock.

Personally I dislike the stock wheels on the North American cars. I prefer the stock 16's offered on the 86 in other markets.

you mean these? I know they come stock or as an available option in other countries.. they also used these rims as advertisement for the 86 convertible or something similar to it. so sexy.. :drool:

I'd gladly trade my stock in for these any day!

my take on modifying a car is that not only are you making it personal and custom to your desires/needs, you are upgrading the performance (and usually downgrading reliability, even with just a CAI)

i couldnt imagine driving a bone stock mustang GT and being happy with it. I want to be different. Even 300 crank hp would only keep me happy for a few months, or if I was a girl and only used 1/2 of it (note, 700 lb difference between FRSBRZ and my GT stock)

If/when I get one, first few things i'll have on order are wider and cooler wheels, good rubber, CAI, and exhaust. Then i'll think about suspension and turbo kit.

those look far better than usa's stock wheels.. although usa's are nice looking and not tiny, they look kind of boring. The actual car looks (body) outperforms the looks of the wheels.

edit: and they definitely look 17" to me.. 16's are a bit small

FRSBRZ is definitely one of the best looking bone stock bodies for under $50k or whatever (nissan GTR looks cooler but in a different way. It's also larger like a boat). I mean most cars people want body kits, hoods, spoilers, etc.. but this car looks DAMN good stock. That's saying something

I like to have the car modded to my tastes. Nothing over the top, nothing crazy. Just small accents that I feel make the car more enjoyable to me. If there is one thing that I have learned through modding cars is that I ask myself "will this make it more enjoyable to drive or will this be more of a burden?"

My 05 WRX was a huge burden. Went to far lol.

You could be stock or have a million parts, really if the person driving it enjoys it, that's what matters. Simple as that.

Well said.

I'll add that some of the mods some people here do really don't add anything to the car but rather diminishes the value of it.

I've been through that route because I've modified every single car I've owned. So when I see a heavily modified "insert car" I think, jeeze that thing must have been ripped apart and put back together. Who knows if it was half assed or done right. And there's a good consensus to not buy a modified car.

Some of those guys on here want to close "wheel gap" so they lower it and ruin the entire suspension geometry. Or throw on huge wheels with bicycle tires. It becomes form > function. And even some of the trends looks down right stupid, I mean really -30 degrees camber in the rear?

The cars that get the most respect are the function > form or hell they can even achieve both, but typically those are the guys who spend enough money to do things right like Shiumai's car. Every thing is done tasteful and adds to the value of the car. Authentic parts that are executed properly.

I think we can all agree though that that's the beauty of cars, everyone is entitled to do whatever they want to it. My purpose for this thread was really to seek out those who actually just enjoyed the BRZ for what it is. And I got my answer that most of you do but with little changes here and there.

I decided to go back to school to finish my masters right after I bought this car so no mods for me LOL. Once I can afford them the warranty will have run its course then all bets are off and who knows what will be available then. You can enjoy this car without having to do anything insane to it and that's the main reason I wanted this over a vehicle with a clunky shift linkage or steering issues etc. etc. Also you can still personalize the car with vinyl decals and other facets without blowing the warranty or the likeness of the car. Doesn't stop me from looking and considering what I would do with unlimited cash and skill, but honestly I would guess less than 50% of these cars will be modified in their lifetime (true mods, not just wheels or exhaust).