|
Some initial driving impressions:
This car is ridiculously telepathic. It goes where I want it to before I even realize I'm turning the wheel. They nailed the electric steering. The upgraded Sachs dampers that come with the Performance Package are quite good. It corners nearly flat and rides well on bumpy roads. The power is almost perfect for the stock configuration. I agree that it could use a bit more punch (tune + headers should do it..for the near future), but I love the feeling of getting to row through the gears and carry momentum through the corners. It feels happy when revving high. I love the lack of sound deadening. Its great to hear and feel the engine/road/clutch/etc. All part of the experience. Coming from noisy Ducati race bikes, I love hearing everything as I drive. It is a great car to learn on. The transmission and clutch are predictable and relatively forgiving. I would argue that 1st gear is too short, however. Shifting into second took some getting used to compared to other cars. The feeling of the low seating position cannot be overstated. It makes you feel like you're driving a Porsche. An M2 or Focus RS feel like driving an SUV by comparison. Overall, I'm having a blast. Still not a proper build for some months to come...but the parts stockpiling has begun. https://i.imgur.com/Xlh5Pbg.jpg https://i.imgur.com/yUxdgxh.jpg https://i.imgur.com/as0sIQY.jpg https://i.imgur.com/UhX9tAJ.jpg https://i.imgur.com/VRrNi6k.jpg https://i.imgur.com/WtRxA3Y.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Nky0IAu.jpg https://i.imgur.com/kbOF1Tt.jpg https://i.imgur.com/8Vr77yS.jpg https://i.imgur.com/gYgwrUs.jpg https://i.imgur.com/B8tjEOU.jpg https://i.imgur.com/UdZ7Fux.jpg https://i.imgur.com/uFpcUOI.jpg https://i.imgur.com/p6J1wZ1.jpg |
Hey, another Seattle area BRZ owner. Welcome to the family. Were those pictures taken at Redmond Town Center?
|
you're a great photographer! Excited to see where this build goes. I know we have similar taste in wheels already :P
Quote:
|
Quote:
Good eye--that is RTC. I was headed home after a long drive through Duvall/Carnation and decided to snap a few in the parking lot. |
Quote:
Shhh don't ruin the 17x9 15.6lb surprise :thumbup: |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
A few little bits arrived this week. Nothing terribly exciting, but important nonetheless. I needed to refresh my washing gear, and after going down the rabbit hole of car wash forums to get some advice, I put together a simple package.
2x Adam's Polishes Bucket + Grit Guard These are arguably too expensive for what they are, but I know they are built very well, so I don't mind. https://i.imgur.com/sKpmjXc.jpg https://i.imgur.com/01M4Gfx.jpg Chemical Guys Microfiber Towel + Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash Mitt https://i.imgur.com/eQUkAjs.jpg https://i.imgur.com/LF2owN3.jpg ABN Wheel Woolies These things are great. I've used them for one wash already, and they do their job wonderfully. No damage to the wheels. Hard to clean after use, however. No surprises there. https://i.imgur.com/qwSSGDu.jpg Sonax Wheel Cleaner + Adam's Polishes Shampoo Sonax is a known quantity--nothing more I need to say about it. I want to try a bunch of different shampoos. I heard good things about Adam's stuff, so I'll give it a shot. https://i.imgur.com/csabuGO.jpg |
I finally got around to doing the clutch return spring delete.
Wow. I'm amazed they still ship this car with the spring. Like many others, the BRZ made me feel like an MT amateur with its unpredictable clutch bit and vague feel. After a couple weeks of driving it, I think I basically just relied on muscle memory to get it right. But even so, I'd still royally mess up starts and 1->2 shifts at an alarmingly high rate. Installation thoughts The delete is relatively straightforward. I'd highly recommend getting a buddy to hold down the clutch pedal with a broom handle while you're hips-deep in the footwell. I ended up using a few zip ties to hold the mount that gets left behind. It bugs me a little bit to know I've already used zip ties on a brand new car, but at least it isn't a mod I ever plan to undo! No photos of the delete since its been covered fairly extensively around the forum. I cleaned up the spring and promptly locked it away, hopefully never to be seen again :thumbdown: Driving impressions Straight away I can say that this is probably the best modification you could do to this car. The clutch pedal is now firm but predictable. It feels like a real MT now. The bite point is so much more obvious, and I find myself exercising much finer control at slow speeds and hill starts. The spring was less of a problem when you were up to speed, but it was a huge pain coming off of stoplights or putting around parking lots. A lot of people seem to say the pedal isn't actually any stiffer. It definitely is. If you haven't driven MT cars before this, it might heavy to you compared to stock. However, the pedal is still much lighter than my brother's '16 Mustang GT. Nothing to worry about. There is a tiny bit of play at the top of the pedal's travel as everyone says. Its so minor that I forgot about it after 5 minutes of driving. No problems there either. All in all, I'm thrilled with this tiny little "mod" to the car. Its important to me to get the most out of the essentially stock car before getting into "game-changer" mods like coils, tunes, FI, etc. https://i.imgur.com/WzlzSkB.jpg |
I like this thread! Very well written mini-reviews
|
MTEC Shifter Springs + Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing + Whiteline Transmission Insert
These mods are considered 101 for this platform, but I'm super excited regardless! The gearbox is great from the factory, but there are some small improvements to be made. Many thanks to Speed Factory for the quick delivery.
MTEC Shifter Springs I'm hoping this will guide 3rd->2nd and 4th->5th a bit more cleanly. I don't have any consistent problems with those shifts right now, but these will hopefully tighten up the travel and make those shifts a bit more fluid. 3rd->2nd is far and away the hardest shift to nail on the BRZ, and is met with the most resistance. I find 5th->4th very fluid and natural, but 3rd-2nd can put up a fight. Here's hoping this takes some of the edge off. Its very easy to botch this install--still undecided if I will have my shop fit these or not. https://i.imgur.com/MSnjj1p.jpg Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing More of the same here. Hoping to reduce any play/sloppiness in the stock setup. This one will also be a pain to install, but certainly easier than the shifter springs. Bought as part of the Positive Shift Kit with the Transmission insert below. https://i.imgur.com/eHF9e3I.jpg Whiteline Transmission Mount Insert This one went straight on the car--I didn't even pause for a picture. Spoiler: It is a piece of black urethane! Whiteline no longer appears to make their products in yellow. Installation thoughts Although most walkthroughs have you remove the front pipe and the entire crossmember to install this, there is a less involved approach that saved us having to buy new gaskets and drop the pipe. We put the car on stands, removed the engine & transmission covers, and supported the transmission on a jack. I supported the front pipe with a wood block, and removed the FP hanger. Removed the 17mm center bolt on the transmission mount, and raised the transmission ever so slightly. From there, all that was required was greasing up the insert, having my buddy hold up the center bolt, and the insert went right in. I cleaned up the grease, threaded the 17mm bolt back on, then the exhaust hangers, then the engine/trans covers. Job done. I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I should't have raised the transmission. It was probably only 1cm--I'd imagine it sees much more movement just driving around. I wasn't worried about it. The install took us a few hours. More experienced owners will be able to do this in much less time. Driving impressions I fired up the car and immediately noticed an increase in both vibration and exhaust volume. There's much more noticeable high-frequency vibration, and because the FP is hung from the transmission, it seems to resonate through the car much moreso than stock. Backing the car out of the driveway was enough to tell me that this was going to be a great addition. Even small amounts of throttle send great feedback through the whole car. You feel the car beneath you with much greater fidelity. Now comes the good part. 1st/2nd/3rd pulls. Two words: gearbox whine. Glorious gearbox whine. It honestly sounds bit like a subtle sequential gearbox. Its VERY noticeable in 1st and 2nd, and starts to trail off around the end of 3rd gear. I don't notice it much in 5th. Cruising in 6th at 2500-3000 will bring back some of the whine as well. I LOVE it. The best way I can describe it is that it sounds as if you are hearing the transmission through your shifter assembly/dash. Its just there. You instantly feel so much more connected to the drivetrain. The whole car comes alive, and feels more raw and authentic. This may be a subtle mod, but it made a huge difference to me. After a day of hard driving, I can confirm that it does its job where it needs to. Under heavy load, shifts feels more crisp and connected. Shifts are less upset by bumpy surfaces, and overall it removes some of the slop. If you haven't done so already, buy it. You won't be disappointed. I do have my concerns about stiffening only this section of the transmission. I'll likely get some engine mounts as well as I start to drive the car harder. https://i.imgur.com/ZGauU6N.jpg |
Long weekend = lots of great seat time in the car. Learning a ton. Does anyone have experience with larger throttle pedals? I agree with many that it is much too far away from the brake. I can heel toe fine, but it took some getting used to.
https://i.imgur.com/o3gFDxF.jpg |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
- Andrew |
EcuTek + Delicious Tuning Stage 2. This won't get put to use quite yet, but who doesn't love a good stockpile? Thanks to @CSG Mike for getting me all set here.
This of course means I have another package coming as well. Stay tuned :popcorn: https://i.imgur.com/JUfNzU7.jpg |
Nice to see fellow Seattle BRZ!
|
Quote:
Any meets around the area I should know about? |
There is a meet this Sunday. Look up 86 sessions on facebook.
|
Quote:
Quote:
I think you shouldn't even add HP until after a few track events. About shifting, something does not add up. I have never owned a car that is easier to shift. Issues with 1->2 are probably not about the spring. Are you trying to downshift into 2nd with too high RPMs ? |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
3->2 is definitely not a rev-matching issue. I can match just fine, even though that gear is a bit on the short side. The shifter itself is simply a bit clunkier doing 3->2 compared to 5->4. Even since writing that post, its gotten a bit better. |
JDL Catless UEL Header & Delicious Stage 2 Tune
Been a bit MIA as work has had me very busy lately. Today was my first day off in a while, and I celebrated by installing this little titanium-coated beauty.
I originally wanted to wait till after my first track day of the season, but the event was cancelled, so I decided to just go for it. The install wasn't as easy as I would have liked (one of the bolts on the JDL is almost impossible to properly reach), but overall it went smoothly. I'll wait to do a proper review once Zack at Delicious has looked at my logs and gives me the OK to go WOT. All I can say is the header is of fantastic quality. I'm really impressed by the construction and obvious attention to detail. The sound on startup is much more intense than the stock headers. Even with the stock catback, you can hear a more aggressive tone at idle, and under load. I've only gone up to around 4k so far, but even then it lets through some of the rumbles. I will say that I am shocked at how quiet the setup is as 4k and under. I expected a big volume jump. Cold starts are still somewhat loud, but really nothing that would turn any heads. I'm sure a catback will change that story. Flashing the ECU with the Delicious Stage 2 tune was painless. Despite EcuTek's ancient UI (I ran it on Bootcamp with a '16 MBP), I had no issues and both the application setup and reflash were quick and easy. No complaints. Stay tuned for videos/soundclips and an in-depth review :popcorn: https://i.imgur.com/qjb7PwS.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ZEli6XB.jpg I didn't think to grab a picture of the headers before re-attaching the skid plate. Here's a little peak of them through the top of the bay. https://i.imgur.com/OEZ6gjg.jpg |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
Needless to say, I'm having the shop double check everything when I take it in for a different install soon. |
Quote:
|
Perrin 2.5" Resonated Catback
Another nice piece arrived this week. I ran out of time to install this the other day, but hopefully I can throw it on sometime in the next few weeks.
The build quality is as expected for the price. I got a crazy deal on it, so I'm happy regardless. I've heard lots of combinations for UEL headers + catbacks, and the JDL + Perrin has always stuck with me. As much as I'd love something more unique or special, I just love the sound. I also prefer to not draw too much attention to myself--the quiet nature of this exhaust appeals to me in that respect. I'm sure I'll be trying a handful of catbacks with the car. This seemed like a good place to start! https://i.imgur.com/KAJvrnD.jpg https://i.imgur.com/S6yobBD.jpg https://i.imgur.com/jBklOmt.jpg https://i.imgur.com/kbj30Yw.jpg https://i.imgur.com/gRsSGSj.jpg https://i.imgur.com/UATLJwo.jpg |
I was thinking of going with this exact setup for my 2017 and would love to hear how it sounds once you get it installed.
|
Quote:
|
I've been busy logging idles, cruises, and various partial and full throttle logs for Zach at Delicious Tuning. I'm really loving the tune as it stands now--although he is still revising based on my WOT logs from last night. I'll still wait till the tune is done to give a proper review, although I can say now that I am very impressed with the JDL + DT combo thus far.
ProEcu dumps your data into a .csv. I uploaded it to Power BI to better visualize some of the data myself. Lots to learn about how the ECU works, and what to look out for. I'm loving this stuff! I am a heavy user of data visualization software at my day job, but this was my first time using Power BI. Not bad for my purposes here. Throttle position vs. short/long term fuel trims https://i.imgur.com/EJKWWBr.png Vehicle speed vs short/long term fuel trims https://i.imgur.com/Mb5fe9X.png |
Perrin 2.5" resonated, MTEC shifter springs, Perrin rear shifter bushing, and Motul 300 Trans/Diff fluid all fitted last week.
Also finished my Delicious Tune revisions :) Reviews coming shortly! |
Lots of new goodies on the car this week. I finally got the car on stands to install the Perrin CBE and then had the lovely folks at Ishii Motorsports take care of some shifter-related installs. Big thanks to Kimberly and Steve at Ishii for helping me out. Highly recommend them to anyone in the PNW area.
https://i.imgur.com/9hbZdac.jpg Parked with my other toy. Yes, I understand the irony of parking a 205hp superbike in the handicap spot. Thanks to my awesome landlord for giving me the spot since nobody else needs it! Perrin 2.5" Resonated Catback Paired with the JDL catless UEL, the Perrin makes a lovely bass-heavy rumble from idle to 2500 RPM. 2500-4500 yields a more throaty and "opened" tone with more mid frequencies that start to become audible. 4500-7800 (thanks to Delicious Tuning for the extra 400 revs) is full on race car. I'm loving the sound so far. I'm not crazy about slightly burbly dirtbike-esque sound at 2500, but everywhere else is magical. Even with the catless header, I find it to be a perfectly manageable volume. Wide open will certainly make a lot of noise though. Its just quiet when it needs to be. There's an amazing difference in driving experience with the windows up--where you hear more of the great header sound--and with the windows open and the catback is singing in your ear. The whole system makes the car altogether much more engaging than the stock pipes. https://i.imgur.com/mIql0NH.jpg Excuse the filthy car. I often go out for drives in the rain. Not much choice here in Seattle. MTEC Shifter Springs I immediately noticed the difference in shifter feel after these were installed. The shifter snaps back to neutral with greater force, and so the net effect is what feels like a more smoothly guided shift. Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing Since I had this installed with the MTEC springs, it can be hard to tell the exact effects of each much. That said, the shifter just seems crisper and seems to like be slotted into place moreso than before. The entire system feels more expensive, more confident, and is more fun to drive. Motul Gear 300 Transmission & Diff fluid It sucks when cold. It rocks when warm. Same old Gear 300 story. Even at 50+ deg., the transmission doesn't like to be used for the first few minutes. Once it warms up, the transmission transforms entirely. I think people around here exaggerate how much a difference is made from swapping out the stock juice, but its still enough of an improvement to warrant the change. Shifts feel buttery and smooth. Again, its hard to pinpoint to the individual effect of the oil because of the other two shifter mods, but overall I'm happy I did it. It feels like an altogether smoother and more expensive box. |
Picked up some SPC camber bolts to hopefully fit before heading to The Ridge for a track day this Saturday. Waiting on a few more parts, so it will be a busy week of last-minute installs and alignments!
https://i.imgur.com/plVfCh1.jpg Was happy to learn that my trusty "B" helmet's Snell 2010 rating will work for our local organizers. Its not the lightest helmet in the world, but it works. I'm thinking about budgeting for an Arai GP-6S as a proper auto helmet. https://i.imgur.com/D7GYBkD.jpg |
Can we get some exhaust videos? I want to go with this same setup or maybe the dezod cbe.
|
Quote:
The Dezod would probably be a lot louder. |
Was happy to learn that my trusty "B" helmet's Snell 2010 rating will work for our local organizers. Its not the lightest helmet in the world, but it works. I'm thinking about budgeting for an Arai GP-6S as a proper auto helmet.
https://i.imgur.com/D7GYBkD.jpg[/QUOTE] That Shoei is at least 8 years old, time to retire it even for bike use. Snell 2020 will be out in the fall of 2019, maybe it is OK to wait. I'm sure you know, but just for everyone else's benefit Snell changes every 5 years. MOST sanctioning bodies let you use the previous standard, but no older. Some will let you use motorcycle helmets, some won't. Snell MA is motorcycle, Snell SA is automotive. The primary difference is eyeport size and fire rating. You might consider a Stilo, they are making some very nice lids. Check out the Simpson Hybrid S, it is a head and neck restraint you can use with stock belts or a racing harness. It is expensive, but one of the only set ups you can use for both. Perfect for daily drivers that see track day use. It is a good setup, Simpson knows what they are doing, they also own the HANS device brand. Your build is off to a great start, I like your attention to detail. |
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:19 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
User Alert System provided by
Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Lite) -
vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2026 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.