Future first time '86' owner, beginner intro and questions.
 

Hello all just a little intro here.

I currently have a heavily modded 15 Fiesta ST with around 300whp. Love it, although the tires can't handle that tq until 3rd. But im in my 40s and the wife HATES my Fiesta, i mean she really hates it. She calls it juvenile and hates the sound and wants me to get a different car. (FiST mods: aftermarket radiator, FMIC, injectors, turbo, downpipe, catback, CAI, RMM, springs, wheels, and ethanol tune).

Currently looking at online listings for FRS and BRZ, leaning towards the FRS as i understand stock susp is a little stiffer. I plan on modding it heavily like my Ford, over time. I currently use a COBB access port for tuning my ford, what is the standard tuning device for the 86 platform? Also i read the 13 model had some valve spring issues so avoid that year?

I'd guess my first mod will be a tune, followed by intake, headers and exhaust and then tuning for them. I also plan to throw a turbo on sooner than later. Still looking for the right car to buy so im just planning ahead here but if my above logic is off plz say so, any and all advice on modding is welcome and i will be scouring the forums in the meantime.

I don't understand how you think your wife will like the fr-s/brz/gt86/gr86 more than the Fiesta .. unless you're thinking you'll make her hate the fr-s/brz/gt86/gr86 so much she'll prefer the fiesta

open flash tablet and ecutek are the 2 most common ecu tuning brands ive seen

Ive showed her som pics of the 86 models and she dislikes them less :thumbup: I think part of my Ford issue is she doesn't like the hatchback look. The sound is also a big issue for her, i have a loud MBRP exhaust and catless DP, plus hybrid turbo so it's considerably louder.

I could swap exhausts but again, it's still a hatch so i'll just take this opportunity to get a proper rwd for my new project car.

You would be going from a heavily modded subcompact to a tiny sports car....with eventual mods.

How is she not gonna hate the 86 also..or eventually when you mod it? Anything that is irritating her about the FiST her will eventually do the same thing. What would she expect you to switch to?

Your wife is going to hate the 86 lol.

it's a great car though (so is the fist)

Maybe look at something like a 230i/m240i? Far more comfortable, engines are very stout, and the b58 makes obscene power stock (~400whp), the b48 can hit close to 300 with just a tune.

230i is more of a drivers car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swfBqgggmzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtwet2z2304&t=316s

Well they are completely different cars. The ride, the look, the sound, the interior, fwd vs rwd. Im willing to take my chances with the 86 design and will definitely not go LOUD with the exhaust.

Hey Alpha thnx for the suggestions. I had looked at quite a few other cars including the popular 335i but i've never been a fan of the look of BMW, while i LOVE how the FRS/BRZ look. Another thing about the 86 options is they are considerably cheaper than some of the others i have looked at with similar mileage like the Beamers, and Golf R, which leaves more cash for mods.

One last thing, i really dislike big heavy cars, it's one reason the Fiesta attracted me at 2700lbs, and the 86 models are the same weight. My dream car is perhaps a low mileage Lotus with some power mods on but i have to wait on the lottery for that.

Does your wife hate YOUR car being modded or does she hate the Fiesta?
That would be the biggest thing here.

Cuz if you were to get an 86 and mod it to hell, even if its quieter than your FIST...if she hated your car mods it isnt going to change anything, she'll hate you having another modded car again.

Now if she disliked the Fiesta (and the mods just made things worse) then its a different story.

As stated the 86 is great at what it does (its a focused sports car...not much to be said there). Its light (2800ish lbs), its not a powerhouse (200hp /151torque high rev N/A Boxer motor with decent gas mileage), transmissions are good, its cheap/affordable (i think interior material/build is equivalent to compact cars like Corolla), its not very big but it makes very good use of its space it has (has small rear seats that can be folded flat, small trunk but very usable passthrough size, its got more utility than you'd ever think a sports car this size could have), mod friendly, and its fun.

There really isnt anything that has this combination of attributes. Almost every similar alternative will have at least one attribute that is off.

-Anything with better utility isnt an actual sports car and probably heavier (hot hatches).
-Alot of other coupes are...luxury cars (comfier, pricier, heavier)
-Utiity friendly coupes are usually bigger and FWD (not sportier)

This will end with divorce. She will find love with some guy with pickup truck

The simple answer is to ask your wife to buy your next car.

lol

My girlfriend will not interfere with my cars (unless she buy/pay). Otherwise is like you are interfering with her makeups and such... doesnt make sense

My 2 Cents.

This: "...intake (debatable), headers and exhaust and then tuning for them." Is where you should start. Don't tune before this.

Exhaust choices will have consequences after you install the turbo. I'd advise doing research here on the forums on what exhaust will not be loud with a turbo (if that matters to the wife and you).

Turbo: Boosting the stock motor is a dice roll. You *might* end up needing a bunch of supporting mods (at least flex fuel) (and maybe a new motor). YMMV

Bob

hmmm, he's in the midwest, i'm in the midwest...

starting to sound like the beginnings of a country song

So she hates a combination of things. She doesn't really like the Fiesta itself, it's a bit too cramped for her and she doesn't like the aggressive lines, she says it looks juvenile. Im a guy, i like that, it looks angry, but i like the FRS/BRZ even more.

Beyond that she doesn't like the stiff ride with lowering springs, and the loud exhaust. I agree it's a bit too loud and i would be modding differently on EVERY car from here on, not as loud.

In essence, the only reason she would hate the 86 cars is if i modded them to mimic my Ford, super stiff and loud. Which i wont. Earlier i was showing her some listings on auto trader of some other options like the Golf R. She asked, whats up with those other cars you showed me, meaning the BRZ/FRS.

She likes how they look which works for me, i want her to be happy when shes riding with me. These cars are beautiful, good gas mileage, super lightweight, and can be modded for good power. And they aren't 45k new like the RS i have wanted for a while.

She makes a lot more than i do. In medical, as the cove was peaking last year, she had months she made 20k take home. If you got a good woman you gotta pick your battles.

Hi bob. That makes sense, have read headers seem to be a nice early mod. Can the FRS handle an ethanol tune stock, any benefit in that? Any consensus on how much power can be had without forced induction? Can these break the 300 mark NA?

300 NA to the wheels is a hard no from what I've seen.

Unpopular opinion: Get a new wife/mistress.

Yeah... now seems more like Grey Anatomy.

Couple of things having ridden in both cars:
-the 86 is a LOT more cramped than the Fiesta
-also has far less sound deadening, and will get loud with very few exhaust mods
(-it's also a lot less forgiving, but a lot more fun)

300hp (engine or crank) is a no with an FA20, and will likely remain a no with an FA24.

It's a great car, but it doesn't really fit your criteria. Also, might be more of a relationship issue than an actual car issue (i.e. the car's the symptom of a problem).

Also just my 2c but I wouldn't list "she makes a lotta dough" as a good relationship criteria ;).

Wait to MARRY her .... ( I told you by experience :lol:)

Relationship is all good, 14 years married and going strong. It may get louder than a "Fiesta" but which fiesta? Mine has a hybrid turbo, catless DP and loud exhaust, it's so loud the stereo maxed out can't be heard over the engine. I'll have to look up some db tests and see how they compare.

Im also not sure what relationship criteria means, we've been together for 20 years and money had nothing to do with it, i only mention it bc she wanted to "buy" me another car. But ty Dr Phil for the advice :thumbup:

Ok so mod strategy question, if im eventually going to get a turbo kit which comes with headers, i may pass on headers up front, i guess i'll have to see how long i'll be waiting on the turbo kit funds. Does the 86 platform allow for ethanol tuning without any particular hardware?

Check out this thread if you want to explore NA power and tuning solutions.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81493

Consensus I have seen is if you want a bolt on FI kit you'll be looking at up to 300whp before you are likely to run into internal engine issues (though any amount FI can cause problems). Shortly beyond that is transmission issues. As mentioned, adding a turbo is not the same as changing a turbo or tuning an FI car. Headers, oiling, exhaust, IC, intake, etc will need to be changed/installed. Consider an oil cooler at least. I don't have FI myself so my opinion is only informed secondhand.

There are flex fuel/e85 kits and tunes available for both turbo and NA. I believe you CAN tune for straight e85 without extra hardware iirc, but there's typically a bit of variation in ethanol content so ymmv.

TYVM for the info Spuds. 300whp is a good figure, as luck would have it it's about what my FiST is making with current mods, and it weighs almost exactly the same as a BRZ/FRS. Which is fast enough for my needs.

Incidentlaly i just watched a video where they mention an E85 kit which includes new injectors. I have read the clutch can be a bottle neck too, is 300whp within what a stock clutch can handle?

For the clutch, I think it would depend on your peak torque numbers and how much you intend to launch it. I don't remember reading that you absolutely must upgrade the clutch going FI but most of my interest was SC not turbo, which have different torque profiles. If you do upgrade, you have to be careful which clutch you get. I know a lot of people have had problems with certain clutch kits. Also a lot of folks upgrade the clutch fork at the same time as that becomes a weak link.

Ok i may be ok then, i tend to prefer more top end, easier on tires too. In fact that's the concept i like about turbos, low end it's like NA, build some pressure and the power comes on.

you're probably still going to want to at least investigate the cd009 conversion, as the stock trans isn't well known to deal with better power