2014 Asphalt Auto FRS
 

Brought home Friday night with 11 miles on her. 700 miles after 6 days of breaking in.

We went to the dealer intending to buy the stick MT. Test hammered the MT and AT - drove home in the auto to both our surprise.

We both have a long history of manual sports cars (her, Corvettes and Firebirds; me, imports and compacts starting with a '74 Bluebird 1800 SSS), almost didn't even test drive the auto...

Soooooo glad we did!

The clincher for me was when I put it in 1st, it hung onto 1st gear all the way to redline and never shifted into 2nd until I gave it the input. Clincher for her was the speed of the shifts when in Sport mode on the tranny. And we both love the auto-blip on downshifts... :thumbup:

This is really the best flappy-paddle gearbox short of an M3 or 911.

The other plus for us in the sequential AT, is that we both ride sport bikes too (her GSXR 750, me CBR1000RR), so our method of thinking about shifts is more 'up, up, up, down, down' instead of 2, 5, 3, 4, 2.


Planning a clean build focused on lightness, handling and speed over stance and flash. Good looks will be there, but serving a greater purpose. :D


Stuff we've done so far:

aFe Drop-in Air Filter
AREV Air Tube with sound generator delete
Enkei PF-01 Black 17x8 +45
Michelin Pilot Super Sport 225/45
Muteki SR35 Blue Lugs
Berk Dual Tip Muffler Delete
Testing a canned tune for autos with e85/91oct switching (not flex)


Then:


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Now:


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First track day. Kevin's HPDE1 and 2 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park East track March 15-16.

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_2958.jpg

Kevin and Lisa

Shhhhhh!! I still have my wife convinced that the auto is undriveable. If she learns otherwise, I'm in trouble.

Glad you're enjoying the auto! My last car was an E46 M3 SMG and the shifts are just as good if not faster.

We have the same car! I too was intent on buying stick but the auto shifts surprisingly good. What do you have planned for your car?

Auto vs manual
 

I guess if you can appreciate the Auto that's good for you. If you're not looking at autocrossing or racing at all in the future and just want a fun car thats nimble and easy to drive in traffic, then you made the right decision.

I'm partial to manual's, so it wasn't much of a debate for me. The other deal breaker was the difference in 0-60 times (7.7-7.9 for auto and 6.4-6.6 for manual) Just too big of a difference to ignore for me.

:bs:

Hey there, how is my post "BS"? My numbers are accurate. I respect the FRS as a car regardless of trim, I was just pointing out that the MT version is a little more performance oriented while the AT version is practical for someone who needs to battle traffic every day and, thus, doesn't feel like cramping up their left calf riding a clutch......:iono:

Hey Ricky, I totally understand your preference for the manual as far as 0-60, but we do plan to autocross, and road race, and I bet she'll be as competitive as the MT in anything other than a drag race (I quit racing 1/4 miles 15 years ago).

It's cool to see so many opinions on here about the two styles. That's the beauty of offering two strong options - we can wax poetic all day long, but truths will only be found on the track. ;)


Sent from the moon base using lasers

Hey Guzic, I'm glad we're not the only ones with a preference for the auto!

Plans are more performance and handling focused at this point. I'm pretty sure we've decided on models for the header, overpipe, and front pipe. We have custom fabrication plans for the rear half of the exhaust. Still researching performance specs on the intake side of things. We'll stay NA for a while, but probably go with a few pounds of FI sometime in the future. Nothing ridiculous HP-wise for us though.
Handling will probably just be lighter rims and coilovers after we play around on the stock rubber. Maybe spacers right off the bat.


Sent from the moon base using lasers

Nice, your plans sound good. I was thinking of the nameless exhaust for mines with a motiv OP. Just need to decide on what wheels, coilobers and air intake I want though.

LT, my buddy has an E92 and he can't wait for us to finish break in so he can drive her. I love his M3, and this is as close as you can get for waaaay less cheddar.


Sent from the moon base using lasers

Haha Jeff! Just block access to this URL, LoL.
Once we finish breakin and really start hammering her, I'll be sure to post straight forward opinions on the auto. I've honestly never liked an auto in any car other than M3 and 911, so this will be interesting. :)


Sent from the moon base using lasers

I highlighted the auto cross comment because it is bs.

The auto FRS/BRZ is very good here because of the taller gearing. Just search around the forum and you will see how many are doing VERY well in auto-x. And 1/4 mile times in this car? Relavent? Meh I don't think so.

The AT/MT convo has been had an infinite amount of times on this forum.

Let's not derail this enthusiasts thread because "I picked the MT so I can get better performance out of it." :clap:

If you think your 0-60 times are fast I know about 30+ auto owners on this forum who would gladly put money on it :thumbup:.

Indeed. Back on topic, sorry for the derail OP. Great looking car BTW and congrats! :)

I don't mind derailing into the AT vs MT convo here. In fact if you have links to further debate/info, I'd love to know! It's one of the reasons we signed up to this forum - INFO! :w00t:

I'm still getting used to the search function on this forum platform. It's different from other ones I use, and I can't seem to find jack sh1t easily. :search:

Search what you want through google just add ft86 and it'll show you forum results. Search on the forum is useless lol

Well put Sir. I will admit, the paddle shifters do seem pretty cool. I'm just a little more conventional when it comes to these sort of things. From the outside of the car there's no way of telling what kind of tranny it has anyways. In my opinion your's is a very stunning car. From the photos it looks like your from the Flagstaff area or possibly from that one area about an hour northeast of Phoenix. I lived in AZ for over 8 years.........

Dat colour

Well spotted Ricky - this was somewhere between Show Low and Phoenix. We live in Gilbert, but drive all over the state for wife's work. That part of the 60 running through the Salt River Canyon was paved with this car in mind. ;)

this

google.com

this is your search site:ft86club.com 'my search'


op hope you love the asphalt color as much as I do

Take your time with your mods, you will be surprised what OEM bits you may miss once you pay for something else

Ahhh....how I miss AZ now. The land of windy mountain roads and very few police officers to monitor them........I'm jealous.

Here in MD there's a speed camera every 50 feet and if you're not at a red light you're in traffic. There are a few places I can escape to down in southern Maryland, however. You just have to know where smokey is setting up and remain alert.

You should take a drive up Mt. Lemmon when you get a chance. It's that big mountain north of Tucson.

Funny you should mention Mt. Lemon... We're in Tucson right now...


I hadn't been up there since I was a kid more than 25 years ago, and I seem to recall it had been a lot of dirt roads back then.



http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...gnIMG_2603.jpg

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Looking good man, enjoy

:coolpics:

NICE! The FRS looks really nice with that spoiler you added to it. What kind is that? :thumbup:

Thanks Ricky, it's the stock Scion factory spoiler. We had it added by the dealer when we purchased because it just tied the rear and front together nicely...

like a certain rug in The Big Lebowski. :bellyroll:

FINISHED THE BREAK IN PERIOD!!!!!

Completed the 1000 miles break in period in 12 days. Man that was exercising our restraint!


:burnrubber: :party0030: :happyanim:

[ame]http://youtu.be/3D8BT4QJLOM[/ame]

installed the aFe drop in filter and an air tube a couple days after Christmas.

Definitely better throttle response and a slightly better noise.

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_2659.jpg


turned the odometer over 2000 miles on New Year's Eve, and she'll probably roll over 3000 miles this Friday when Lisa comes back from Tucson... again...

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_2671.jpg


Found out how easy it is to 'correct' the reversed up and downshift positions on the stick when in manual mode. I really like using the paddles, but would probably go for the stick more often if they had put the + and - in what I consider the right order. If you're interested, you can find the thread with the DIY I'm going to follow, over here:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17018

Spa Day
 

Finally got around to loading the pics from her first proper spa day.

And no, I didn't use the pressure washer on her delicate skin - this is just a convenient place to do a two-bucket hand wash since it's shaded. :D

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...2675rotate.jpg

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And then dinner with her two-wheeled cousins...


http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_2698.jpg

This is basically a bookmark for myself, but feel free to read it if you're a suspension setup nerd - this is based on RC cars, but all of the principles are the same.

Be warned - math in here: http://www.wcrccc.co.uk/setup%20theory.htm

Debadgification.

Such a fine booty now.

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_2793.jpg

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Some crappy photos of our new (to us, bought used) Enkei PF01 17x8 +45 wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport 225/45R17 tires.

I'll get some decent photos at some point - possibly at our first track event this coming weekend!!!

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_2923.jpg

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Voicemail from Lisa after she drove the car for the first time with the new wheels and tires...


"Hey Kevin, I am sooo in love with these tires!

Holeeee shit

Holy shiiiiit

What a difference
This car-
Oh my god-
It handles so exceptionally well now!
They are so worth it

I think maybe we should investigate some gently used Porsches, I’d like to test drive one if I could"

First track day in the bag.

HPDE1 with NASA at Wild Horse Motorsports Park (Firebird) East track.

Much more info to come, but a dream come true birthday gift from Lisa.

Day 2 tomorrow and I got put into HPDE2. I'm guessing they do that to everyone?

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Sent from a secret volcano base using trained sharks

Quick one lap video of my first lap on the first day. The picture-in-picture is the last and fastest lap later on in this 20 minute session.

Sorry about the clicking in the audio. I hope it's not there for the full 2 days and 100 or so laps....

[ame]http://youtu.be/l8jncSz02iA[/ame]

First Track Event
 

Finally got them all uploaded to the youtubes. If you're not one for sitting through boring video, I'd recommend Sessions 2 and 3 from HPDE2 on 3/16/14. Better action in both of those. I wish I had more knowledge of Harry's Lap Timer before we went. I would have created more space on the phone, and also learned when to start and stop recording. I missed several laps including the last 2/3rds of my last session, and it was really flowing nicely.

As it stands the lap timer caught a best lap of 1:12.9 which I'm really happy about. Earlier in the day a guy who races TTD in an FRS drove my car with me as a passenger, and he pulled a 1:11.5, so that puts me about 1.4 seconds behind the guy who holds the current lap record for the track. He set it earlier the same day in his race-prepped FRS. And by race-prepped, I mean coilover suspension, slick tires, and brake pads. That's it. No power increasing mods other than a tune for e85. No fancy intake, no headers, no exhaust mods, no turbo or sc - just suspension upgrades got him the lap record. Crazy.

Anyway, here's the footage from the event.


HPDE1 Session 1 - First time on a track
[ame]http://youtu.be/QicTw11wruY[/ame]

HPDE1 Session 2
[ame]http://youtu.be/VusXGNpavU0[/ame]


I got promoted to DE2 at the end of the first day. I thought everyone got automatically promoted, but apparently there were only 3 or so of us from our class of 19 that did it.

HPDE2 Session 1 and then at the end Hal jumps in and drives us in an HPDE4 session where he gets his best laptime in our car of 1:11.5. The last 8 minutes or so of this one are great too.
[ame]http://youtu.be/EafBHIbHxB0[/ame]



HPDE2 Session 2
[ame]http://youtu.be/ds4fMj3STSg[/ame]


HPDE2 Session 3
This is where it all came together from the whole weekend. Between "NOS" (my instructor), showing me his lines and trying his best to get me to be smooth with my feet, and Hal showing me his race lines, I managed my best time and most fun of the weekend. Last lap of my last session - 1:12.9.
[ame]http://youtu.be/HvpwY0XPUxk[/ame]



And my fastest lap just by itself in case this whole thing was tl;dr
[ame]http://youtu.be/v-kjMkH4WsM[/ame]


The whole playlist in order in case you have an hour and a half to waste on watching my drive around a track...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...SShNK0pULtqFgn

nice times, looks like you had a great time! and nice Harry's LT videos! I am going to do my first HPDE also on June 2 and am looking to get a similar iPhone setup for videos. Have you looked at adding a BT/Wifi OBD device to add more data to HLT?

Thanks! And yeah, we were at the track again this weekend, and one of the guys there (also in an FRS) said he just ordered a BT OBD interface for 8 bucks! I'm waiting to hear back from him on how it does.

For the Harry's Lap Timer setup, there are three different levels of the app. Just go for the top one which is the Grand Prix version and is like 27 bucks or something. It has the complete feature set and will also control GoPros (in beta I think). Also use an in-car charger while you drive - it soaks up battery life like mad. ;)


I'll post up Lisa's and my laps sometime this week.

Yup, just bought HLT GP version and a wifi OBD device. You are using an iPhone right? The iPhone doesn't work with BT OBD devices and vice versa, the Android one only works on BT OBD I understand. (edit - The iPhone does works with the $100+ GoPoint BT1 BT OBD device, but not the generic cheapo $10-20 ones)