OEM+ Build Ideas
 

Looking for some advice here. I have some direction already but I'm looking for more ideas and help designing an OEM+ build. I drive a Kouki 86, and a lot of the smaller things I would have done an a Zenki are already taken care of, but mostly I'm looking for the small, subtle things to bring out the best in this car as it was designed. Mods like the HKS intake snorkel, reducing drivetrain inertia (I have te37s that I'm prepping to install at around 9 lbs savings per corner), bushings and transmission braces maybe, and other little improvements like that. I have an axleback coming as well, which is going to be my only major mod for now. Eventually I want to do an A350 and DT, but that's neither here nor there, gotta keep that stock warranty for a while anyway.

Long story short, I live in the Mojave desert, and a lot of the little things I'm planning right now are:
-HKS intake snorkel
-Volk te37 (17x7.5, already in the garage, just removing several layers of poorly done plastidip before I install)
-Remark Boso Edition muffler delete (no gains expected, just wanna get a rowdy exhaust.
-transmission bracing?
Verus hood louver kit (extract that heat, baby!)
-Oil cooler?
-Oil catch can?
-(Maybe some TRD lowering springs, but I know this isn't the right subforum to discuss those, and many driveways and intersections near me absolutely suck. My last car, lowered, would scrape and bottom out EVERYWHERE)

Basically I want to do small, quality of life mods to the engine and drivetrain so the 86 will perform it's best for many years to come and I'll get the best driving experience. I want to savor the next 30-50 years I plan to spend with this car. What other small mods would you recommend that don't necessarily increase dyno numbers, but do add quality of life?

Thanks guys!
Buck

Definitely get the oil cooler!


I only had a zenki, so some of these things may be taken care of already or be impractical:



* Quality LED license plate/side marker/interior/trunk replacements
* Toyota OEM mud guards (I really wish I did these sooner!)
* OEM Sliding arm rest
* Broadway wide angle mirror

For OEM+, do you plan on repainting the TE37s and leaving the stickers off?

Do the Forester XT oil cooler set up for the OEM+ look, otherwise, the Jackson Racing Dual Radiator/ Oil Cooler will be good too. You won't need a dedicated A2O cooler unless you're tracking (despite how hot it gets in AZ).

I don't have an issue with the current mirror setup, but I'll look into it anyway. With the backup camera in my rearview display, replacing that might be difficult. The armrest however? That's a great idea!

The te37s are bronze, the stickers are coming off with the plastidip, so I'll probably replace them, maybe even with pink stickers.

I'll look into the Forester oil cooler and the Jackson both. Some days it can be over 120f ambient, and worse on the asphalt, I've seen guys have cooling issues at temps below that, so I'm concerned enough to vent the hood and consider an oil cooler. Less heat, less stress on the engine, more power, longer life. Right? Haha.

Jeez and I complain about Texas heat O_o

It's not too bad on people since there's ~0% humidity all year round, but on cars it can be pretty bad, especially since stock 86s seem to dislike hot temps to begin with. A little extra cooling is probably a really good idea I think. Haha!

Something I think adds a lot of extra feel is upgrading the clutch to the Exedy stage 1. The effort required actually made me feel like I was driving a sports car instead of a marshmallow.

I 100% believe you should get at least a radium pcv side catch can. I put mine on my stock FRS and still caught a little blowby when I drove the car hard.

Another huge QOL improvement would be a carbon fiber driveshaft and fluidampr pulley. These are obviously big ticket items,but I think reducing drivetrain lash and adding that spring the carbon fiber driveshaft gives will make the car feel much more comfortable all around. Subjective opinion of course

Toyota Mud Flaps
Side markers
Window tint
Sun visor
Catch can
Oil cooler
Drop in air filter
License plate relocation
Stage one clutch
Tires
Perrin light weight crank pulley
Trd Catback

No particular order just listing them.

I got the gold tinted wide angle side mirrors. Helps so much with the glare of high beams from behind... Also need to tint the back window for the same reason.

Get some coilovers to lower the car a tad.

Sharpening the steering with the Perrin lockdown kit is a revelation.

Stiffen the rear end with a stiffer sway bar and a set of subframe bushings (i.e. Whiteline positraction kit).

And if you have the money, getting a shorter final drive gearset really wakes up the car. I would forego a light driveshaft and pick up a shorter FD instead.

The highways around here are all 75mph and flow 80ish most of the time, so I really don't want to go any more extreme than the stock 4.3 final drive. If it were the zenki I would absolutely have changed it, but 4.3 is already comfortably for a daily while not being too extreme on the highway. I've been wondering an aluminum or CF driveshaft off and on for a bit now, and I'll do a little more reason on it.

Regarding side markers, are there any that bolt in instead of using A clips? The A clips are frustrating to say the least, and I know verus sells the bolt in delete plates, but I haven't seen any bolt in marker lights if they exist. Still, other than improving the attachment method, I'm not terribly concerned about them yet for a QOL/OEM+ experience.

I'll look at a clutch. It's another thing I've been thinking about, but figured it wasn't worth the time to install yet. Might put that on the list for a year or so from now when I finally have a garage and can set it up for easier underbody work.

I'll look at just about everything suggested here. The mirrors catch my interest for sure. My rearview has the backup camera and auto tint, so that won't be changed, but rear tint, maybe even a louver setup to keep the sun out, could all be nice. The side mirrors sound really tempting. Oil catch and potential oil cooling are both on my short list.

I put in the Exedy stage 1 clutch and lwfw yesterday. Still in the break-in period but the combo is amazing so far. The flywheel really helps the engine free-rev faster (I was over-reving on downshifts initially) and the engagement window for the clutch is nice and wide. Really feels like an OEM+ mod. Only downside is some decel resonance in 5th gear, but otherwise can't wait for this break-in period to end.

Oil cooler may be unnecessary. Unless you're seeing oil temps that constantly rise north of 240/250, you really have nothing to worry about with cooling. On top of that, you have hood louvers planned which should assist a little in heat dissipation. You can do simple adjustments like running a slightly higher weight oil to have improved flow at higher temperatures as well. But I guess if budget is there, it's up to you. Many coolers run into issues down the road so you may want to steer away unless it's a necessity like for forced induction. But then again, you didn't mention your oil temps so I can't speak much for that.

What you mentioned is why I suggested the Forester kit or the JR dual cooler. I think with the hood louvers and Forester kit (and maybe a vented under panel) he would get plenty of cooling for an OEM+ set up.

- I can also vouch for the Radium PCV catch can. I've had that installed since the car was new (6.5 years ago).

- DAMD steering wheel (or other OE replacements that retain the airbag and controls) - thicker and smaller diameter than stock, deeper palm/thumb grooves; much nicer to hold and operate and transforms the driving experience. It's the one item on your car that you touch 100% of the time when you're driving.

- SRP wide gas pedal, much easier to heel-toe and looks OEM compared to other options.

when someone says OEM+ i always think little things like lowering springs or coil overs, wheels/tires, tail lights, little tiny ducktail spoiler, window tint, skirts, front lip, diffuser or spats. some little things that arent hard to put on, but make the car "lightly modded". i know some people interpret OEM+ to mean all the Sti or TRD branded parts, but that will cost 1 million dollars and you will wind up having done nothing to your car but have floor mats that say trd, a trd shift knob, a badge on the back that says GR, and a non-existent .5inch drop on the trd lowering springs. dont forget things like the TRD shift knobs and coolant caps haha. sorry but im not an oem part guy over here, nothing against those who are, i just think your money could go a lot farther, for example invidia N1 catback @$650, vs STi axleback(lol) for $1200, but if you want to have that stuff and "flex" on me with your authentic STI or TRD badges, more power to you

with $3,000, you can make a frs/brz look night and day different, lowering springs, nice wheels for $1000 used, tails, tint, used catback for $300. the list goes on

as for all the engine/maintenance mods you want to spend money on: my mom has a crosstrek, she takes care of it, but she didnt install a catch can, didnt install an oil cooler, and her car is going to last forever, despite not keeping the engine cooler with hood louvers. i just think a lot of these mods are going to go unnoticed for most circumstances. if you are biulding a track car thats a different story. but im excited to see what you bring to the table, make a build thread so we can all follow along.

one of my favorite OEM+ builds on instagram is @dadbrz if you want to check out what i consider to be tasteful modding

I'd say drive the car stock for a while and see what you'd like to improve ;)

That said my favorite mods have been my light flywheel, carbon fiber drive shaft, header and tune. There is of course NVH associated with them but the driving feel is much more to my preference. I think a catch can is a good addition even though you'll not feel any difference.

Figure out what you ACTUALLY want first.

Builds should be cohesive and have an end goal. When people start modifying just for the sake of modifying, without having any sort of vision, they end up with really tacky looking cars. Unfortunately this can be seen everywhere on social media pages with regards to these cars.

“OEM +” is sort of subjective and and could mean a lot of things.

A million dollars for floor mats, shift knob, and trunk badge hahaha jeeeez

Lol the salt.

Fair advice everyone. My version of OEM+ is more for extracting the best driving experience I can out of the car without significantly compromising my warranty or the balance and feel of the car. In a couple years when it's paid off and my garage is better equipped, I plan on picking up a used one for a full motor build (considering LS3, but I like the idea of a built FA20 turbo). This car is a daily, and I just want a fun daily without compromising reliability and the balance of the car.

I've owned it for nearly a year now, and put 5,000 miles on it, so I'm at the stage of changing little things. Wheels are currently in the garage (te37s) and an axleback is in transit. The parts definitely don't need to be OEM or TRD, but more of just a subtle flavor, keeping in line with my current mood for cars, which is just focusing on the joy of driving instead of trying to be the fastest hotboi out there So far the next things I'm looking at are cooling, for both the car and myself. Tint, hood louvers, and maybe window louvers should help keep the engine bay and cabin occupants happier and cooler. I'll probably be deleting the noise tube too, even if I never get around to doing a GS cold air with the HKS snorkel like I want. The other big focus right now is getting the shifting to feel less notchy, so I'll be looking at the transmission bracing (fluid maybe eventually, but stock warranty is nice and fluid might be an arguable point should something fail in the trans).

Long story short. I love the car, but want to improve little things here and there. This isn't some intense build I'm doing, just little tweaks to the everyday sports car, while (of course) adding some "custom" points so I feel like it's REALLY mine, ya know?

Agreed. And i'm not going to go into further discussion on this as it is always beat to death on other threads. But moral of the story is he may not even need those. But if I was going to do any oil coolers on an N/A setup, they would certainly be at the top of the list.

I'd suggest looking at my build. My main focus is the OEM+ set up as well and have made small improvements that help out. Probably the only place I haven't done much is interior as I'm quiet happy with the vanilla layout.

HKS, Volk etc. are not OEM+ parts. An OEM+ build is usually a range of modifications and conversions that are comprised of almost exclusively original equipment, albeit from different models. For example, you could use parts from limited production models like the STI tS, TRD 14R60, GRMN 86 or other models.

Or i guess that parts from other cars of same maker also might do, eg. forester oil cooler and such. Or put aftermarket parts only from in-house tuner shops, eg. TRD. So in my eyes too there is no "OEM" in this OEM+ build. Not even OEM+ audio upgrade, lol :D

oh you dont believe me? $180 trd shift knob, $70 air filter, $200 dash panel, $450 trd engine air intake. the list goes on. $230 sti lug nuts, and $70 sti valve stem caps, $400 sti fender garnish. and this is coming from an sti fanboy, trust me, i have gold 10 spokes on my brz in true mid 00's sti fashion. these are all "OEM+" parts, authentic.

sorry, one more, $190 sti battery tie down. i dont mean to knock all this stuff, but if you put it all on your car, you still would have essentially accomplished nothing... nothing at all. imo of course.

Which lw flywheel did you use? Is it any louder than stock?

I want to do the mod when I replace my clutch, but I have read all lw flywheels cause really bad clutch chatter (especially with the A/C on) with these cars.

I mean, I’m well aware of what the prices are but it’s a pretty obvious over exaggeration on your part. Some of those prices are right in line with premier top tier aftermarket parts. There are plenty of companies making $200+ lug nuts. There are companies (HKS/GReddy) charging over $450 just for an intake pipe. So it’s really not all that crazy when compared to quality companies.

You can’t compare OE parts to lesser companies like Mishimoto or Subispeed Chinese specials and then be upset when there’s a price discrepancy.

I would also argue that people who put cheap aftermarket “performance” parts on their car have accomplished nothing. Say what you want, but I’ll take an STI axleback over an Invidia exhaust any day lmao

Our interpretation of what is OEM+ is way different, lol.

When I think OEM+, I see lowered 1-1.5", spacers for flush fitment, new head unit with android/apple, header + tune, window tint, and maybe a small lip spoiler like the Five:AD/3DCarbon.

Hood vents and TE37s put the car into modified territory IMHO.

That's not very OEM+


but very cash money

I used the Exedy stage 1 clutch kit that came with a lwfw (FF503, 12.7 lbs). I've heard it's been discontinued now.

I might have gotten really lucky, but so far with 150 miles on it, there been no chatter. My stock flywheel would sometimes make a marbles in a can rattle sound at idle with the ac on, but I haven't heard it at all with this setup. The only significant noise I hear is a cabin resonance on deceleration from 3500-2500 RPM in 5th gear. That might be caused by my whiteline diff cradle bushings though, as the sound seems to come from the rear and is similar to the sound they make, just amplified with the new flywheel. Other than that, this setup is very quiet.

I think what helps is the Exedy flywheel isn't too light and the clutch has inner springs to absorb shocks and vibrations (and is full-faced). It's also easy to drive. I'd highly recommend it (so far).

Well I guess it's not technically an OEM+ build then? I mean, my whole point was that I want light customizations to make everything work the best it can without compromising the OEM balance and experience. I'm not chasing a high dyno number or an impressive widebody setup, just a slightly tuned up stock experience, better suited to my region. I wouldn't be considering vents and a cooler if it weren't for living in one of the hottest places on earth. Haha. If vents and an oil cooler qualify me for a build, then I guess it's, at minimum, an extremely diet build. Haha.

But I digress, this thread has been extremely helpful so far, and if you want to keep the ideas coming, I'd appreciate it. It's really helping me focus in on the stuff I need and want. But if anyone is done and just wants to let the thread die, then that's perfectly fine too. Thanks for your ongoing help!

Another minor and cheap thing: emblems. You can get good quality ones from eBay for cheap. I got matte black ones for the front, back, and sides:
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/show...77&postcount=3

That's pretty cool, I'm not really focused on cosmetic changes, but good to know they're out there. Thanks!

I would just forgo OEM+ idea and get a supercharger and oil cooler first (since you are in Arizona). That transforms your car. The rest are just incremental modifications. Spend the money for the rest of the modifications based on your taste and supporting the supercharger. You will end up spending that much money anyway even without the supercharger and nowhere near the performance of FI.

With the supercharger, you probably won't care about the carbon fiber drive shaft which is almost 1/3 price of supercharger kit, need the final drive trick, or header and additional tune.

Just my experience.

Yes that's true. OEM+ is about staying close to the design of the manufacturer and about installing parts that were tested by the factory on the particular platform. A good FI kit is a much easier way to improve performance, but not really an OEM or OEM+ option. So, it is always a matter of decisions and priorities.

There’s really no point in cutting up your hood for hood vents for street use. Get a GOOD oil cooler (GReddy or JR) and you’re good to go. Especially since you’re not trying to add a bunch of power.

Only way I’d suggest the hood vents is if you were adamant about tracking the car during the summer months; but many of the events here in AZ start at like 4am during the summer and go to like noon, just to beat the heat.

Technically TRD did do an OEM+ Supercharger for this platform. :P

Well according to this thread my car build is not OEM+
Damn.

My main concern that the hood vents would address (and an oil cooler would miss) is underhood temps for everything else. I'm working on picking up a bluetooth dongle right now to monitor my oil temp and see if I need an oil cooler, but other components will still get hot even with a cooler, like coils and intake piping. It's 120F right now outside, and while I don't have any symptoms of overheating or anything (I definitely shouldn't on any modern car in good working order), I know that it's going to reduce the lifespan on many components under the hood. I'm gonna get a bluetooth OBD2 dongle and start monitoring things before I make any modifications, but they're still on my short list, assuming I need them.


As for the Supercharger option a few have mentioned, I can't find any reference to a TRD one, not available at least, but I think I read about them testing one a long time ago. I'd probably go with an HKS SC if I was going forced induction, and I might eventually TBH, but not for a while still. 250whp seems like it would be absolutely a dream in this car, but I don't know how much extra engine stress it would cause, especially with this heat.

You will need an oil cooler. That is the next thing I am doing to the car now that I live in Vegas. Even driving on the street after a couple of light pulls you can get temps fairly high. I have seen nearly 230 just cruising on days with high ambient temps.