Buying Pre 17' vs 17'+ Autox/Track use
 

Hey guys,

Been a while. I sold my 13' BRZ, then had a 17' that I prepped STX. Then Milwaukee had a terribly wet season, followed by no Miller Park. So I sold the 17' BRZ in February.

I'm now driving a 2011 STI Hatch (not for sale!) It's a bit beat up though; so I'm not really investing in it. It's a fun DD with 110,000 miles that I may do winterx in.

Anyways, selling my 17' BRZ feels like a huge mistake, especially since the financials and other details ended up working out and I now have garage space for 3 cars.

I'm considering getting a used 17' for the upgrades/etc. But it might also make sense to just get the cheapest twin that has reasonable miles up to and including a rebuilt title since I'll be upgrading the car...

Was hoping to get some opinions here before I pay more for a 17' than a 16' with similar miles. You are entitled to call me an idiot for taking the loss on a 17' and then buying another the same year...

Hello fellow Milwaukee-ian.

I have a '13, and if I ever got a new car, it would be an RS 2.0 from the south. That Cream color is amazing! BUT if I could go back and re-buy an FRS, it would be a 15-16 base model. No spring recall, no coil pack issues, and no steering wheel controls. Its the best foundation for putting a ton of aftermarket into.

When are you looking to buy? :)

Now.

Steering wheel is good argument. I like the transmission in the 17+ though... so I'm still on the fence.

I don't think they made any changes to the 17+ transmission. They did change the final drive ratio, though. Not sure if the shorter FD would actually be an advantage when you add more power for STX. For AutoX it would probably depend on exactly what MPH your shift points end up at.

Rebuilding the red FRS this weekend so my silver 2015 BRZ will be available soon if you a car from far away. Southern car at least. Rebuilt also. Would still have a Koyo radiator and probably Tein flex. Or stock. I have both laying around.

It wasn't a FS thread :middlefinger:

:)

I'd go SSC if I were looking primarily for an autox/track car.

For STX I'm guessing that the 17+ is slightly better overall to run on 255s with the shorter gearing and slightly improved engine. Crank up the rev limit for more mph.

Oh and, not that it'll have any chance at being competitive at all, but a 17+ 86 with TRD springs, bars, and wheels is now the best twin for Street class.

Buy the cheaper car in good shape, spend the money on mods. Or take advantage of buying a decently setup car for less than you can build it.

No real advantage to a 17+ IMO for either auto or tracking.

The features the new models have don’t outweigh the price. If you want features, get a premium ‘15 BRZ. Sachs BRZ coils and dampers are pennies in comparison to swap into a cheap FRS. The brake kit not so much, but thousands of people run the floating calipers with zero issues.

The positive of the '17+ cars is that you can't run SSC, but the extra couple mph of the earlier cars is nice for autocross for those that are strong willed enough to not get reeled in by SSC.

George,


Welcome back to STX, woohoo! I just sold my SSC car to a gentleman in Chicago Region, and I was the last SSC car in Wisconsin (so please stay in STX and use the shocks that you already have to make things easy). Wheels are maxed to 9" for a STX twin, with 255's being a bit pinched (especially if they keep the Yoko's legal for 2020). I would say stay in the 2015-2016 range, under 30k miles, and pick the color you like :)


- Eric Niemi (met you up at Sawyer with Peter)

Also looking to buy a BRZ for autox...was thinking of going SSC but posts here make it sound like a bad idea?

Not everyone loves the package, rumor is new tires next year from Falken but unconfirmed. Some people are real happy with it. Try and test drive before you commit imho since a new set of SSC equipment is almost the same cost as a cheap and competitive STX build. If you want a national competitive build without the hassle of piecing together the parts and tuning it all then it's a great easy button.

Thanks! Was planning on getting a car for next season then running in DS with only wheels tires for a half a year or so and decide which class to go to after. Not really sure I want to deal with tuning/suspension as I know there's a lot in my driving to improve still.

My honest take on SSC:

I've ran the class the last 2 seasons. Ran a national schedule. Traveled all over. Had some decent results the first year, but bombed nats. Struggled the second season, in part because I lost interest in driving the car, but was still running events.

Good: Spec class, so there can be really good competition. The tire for the first 2 season was cheap. Package gives you a sporty looking very streetable car. Relatively affordable and might be close to what car enthusiast might choose on their own. Many say the car is fun to autocross.

Bad: If you are expecting STX lite, you will be disappointed. The sway bars are huge. The car is lowered and softly sprung with stock length shocks. The rear end links are bound up. You can't really use the soft setting for the rear bar. If you set up soft, the car slams onto the bumpstops when you pick up throttle, making it unpredictable on corner exit. The tires that we've ran the first 2 years are really bad at power down and blended inputs, so it requires a driving style that doesn't work or isn't fun for some people. This may (should?) improve. For many of the courses I ran, the stock power/stock gearing meant that I ran out of 2nd gear, but might not necessarily have the power to stick fast offsets in 3rd gear. So it was very common to run courses where we were on the limiter for half the course. Or more.

If you aren't expecting a Street Touring driving experience, it probably isn't bad. Many people seem to like it.

That is my plan with my 2019. What front bar do people typically run with the TRD rear bar?