Finally pulling the trigger
 

So, Im finally allowed to spend some money on my 2013 Subaru BRZ. I would like a little more power, increased throttle response, and maybe a lower stance. This is my DD and will probably never see the track unfortunately.


Ordered OFT
I already have a drop in filter, but was considering a complete intake.
Was going to order the following:


Greddy EVO Exhaust
Greddy Intake
Perrin complete pulley set
RCE Tarmac springs. (are they good with stock dampers?)
and camber bolts


Is that an intelligent way to spend the first amount of money on my car?

OFT is a great start. For the exhaust I would start with a header and work back since catbacks do little to nothing for performance. My $.02, spend them wisely! :D

Thanks for the advice. My heart goes out to you as a resident of Baltimore. What did they do to our Ravens?

They had to do a little rebuilding, I like what I am seeing so far on offense, secondary needs some work though. They stole that win from the Browns last week!
But back on topic, I just installed the Tomei UEL header and flashed the OFT Stage 2 tune and I'm really happy with the results. :thumbsup:

What is your opinion on pulleys? I can get the Tomei UEL or the OFT header in stead of the cat back exhaust. What constitutes the OFT Stage 2 tune? Anything specific I need to have in order to upgrade from the stage 1 tune?

Not so sure about pulleys since I have read both pros and cons on them. (weight reduction, reduced rotational mass, improved throttle response vs increase in engine harmonics, premature bearing failure, past pulley failures)
As far as the tune, as soon as you bolt on the header, you're ready for stage 2. There is 3 for EL (91, 93 octane and E85) and 3 for UEL (91, 93 and E85)

My experience driving when I first installed a header is more memorable than when I drove out of the dealership. I agree to start with the header. So instead of the intake and pulley set, I suggest a JDL header....or better tires.

on 93 octane, what type of gains should I see with the Tomei UEL, the OFT, and a drop in filter? After buying all that, I have about another 1000 to spend. Better spent on intake, pulleys? I want to get rims but Im waiting till the rubber is gone on my stocks. So either more power mods, or some suspension. Thank you for everyone that has contributed. I sincerely appreciate it.

If you want better throttle response, I'd think motor mounts and maybe a diff brace would go a lot further than a lightweight pulley kit. If you still want better response after those, do a flywheel before messing with pulleys. The pulleys are like the last things I'd change, since they have the least impact on the overall responsiveness of the system.

You'll notice lots of gain in the torque dip area and a noticeable amount of gain throughout the entire rpm range. Would you be interested in a JDL UEL with black ceramic coat instead of the Tomei? I have one sitting in a box in my garage. I'm about 1 hr away from Venice.

I agree. I started with the axleback and front pipe and although I love the sound and slight performance bump, I would have gone headers first.

After three years of drooling all over this forum, the safe bang for the buck seems to be this order:

1) Open Flash Tablet
2) Decent header (OFH, JDL, Nameless are good bets)
3) Better tires (summer)
4) RCE Yellows, Swift, or TRD springs (More for looks than anything)
5) Some good crash bolts to allow for a customized alignment
6) Better brake pads and fluid

***I would tend to stay away from the pulleys for now...there is so much conflicting information about them, and more than a few horror stories.

Pulleys don't see any measurable gains on a dyno while OFT and header will...


Depends what your goal is for the car (some people like engine bay bling over performance, etc) so it's hard to say.

I thought the pulleys would help the engine rev faster....so I could get past 4k quicker. That was my thoughts at least. But it seems Lonewolf pretty much nailed what Im going to do. Anyone know if most of the springs are okay to use with stock shocks and all? And is there a "better" spring? I was looking at RCE Yellows or maybe even go for the STI pinks. Only problem with the STI is there is very little drop.

Wouldn't need to get past the torque dip if it's not there anymore :)


Suspension is too subjective for me to really comment on. On one hand I'd like to lower my car for the look, but I like how it rides far too much and I don't like scraping.

K. Following were ordered.


OFT
Tomei UEL
Tein S-tech springs
Camber bolts


Cusco parts ordered:
Front strut tower with master cylinder brace
Rear strut tower
Engine bay power brace
Rear power brace


Still have another 500$ to spend.
Was thinking of either intake or kartboy short shifter and fluids\better brake pads.

So you went with the header before a catback, fp, op? I applaud your discipline and function over form mentality! I've found that my favorite mods are the ones that makes me feel a change in the vehicle as opposed to just a change to its appearance. Since you did not order the pulleys, have you ever thought about a clutch and flywheel for the extra $500 you have to spend? You'll notice a big change in the rpm speed with the lightened FW. However, you would only stay within your budget if you did the install yourself.

I'm the type of person, that when its time to replace a part that wears out, then ill upgrade. As in, when my clutch/fly wheel wear out, ill upgrade. I want to get rims and tires, but I have plenty of tread left on them. When its time to get new tires, ill get my super Advan rims and new tires.

Congrats on the OFT! You're going to love it. I suggest running E85, after switching over, I don't want to go back to 91 gas!

-Your next purchase, i feel, should be headers and an exhaust. Power gains are instantaneous!

-Instead of getting an intake, safe the money and just by an aftermarket drop in air filter

-Ebay has a lightweight pulley kit manufactured by Circuit Werks for $160. The kit comes with an alternator pulley, crank pulley, and a water pump pulley. I currently have this installed and it runs fine!

Get these items. They're all fairly cheap.

MTEC shift springs
Whiteline rear diff outrigger inserts
Transmission bushing insert
Rear shift bushing
Steering rack bushings

The brakes are strong enough to engage ABS with the OEM tires, so as strange as it sounds, if you want better brakes, your first step is to upgrade the tires.

The point about upgrading the brakes isn't about stopping, it's about stopping repeatedly...

I agree, but this is his DD and will probably never see the track, he said. If he was tracking this car regularly I would have said to get better pads and fluid and tires before everything else.

Ceramic coat your header and op, and save yourself the hassle of replacing cooked engine gaskets, hoses, etc. And get an oil cooler. Not every gain has to be about power.

Got my OFT today. Thank you Shiv! Fast shipping, easy to flash. And noticeable difference. Its not butt dyno horsepower, but it makes you definitely feel more connected to the car and it responds a lot better. I cant wait to get my UEL and everything tomorrow from Rallysport and flash to stage 2 and see what it feels like. After that, I got another 1k to decide if I want to do cat back exhaust, or intake and some other mods. I was thinking short shifter too.

An intake is a waste of money; just get a replacement filter. For the shifter, wait until you get your transmission insert and shifter bushing in and then decide if you need one.

What about suspension mods? Are you looking to lower your car at all?

I ordered springs, sway bars, front strut tower and engine brace, rear strut and lower power brace. Also, camber bolts. I don't think I really need coilovers for adjustability or anything. Just wanted to reduce body roll. Was also thinking of looking at engine mounts, and diff bushings.

You don't really need engine mounts unless you're going FI, plus they add a fair amount of NVH.

I have the diff outrigger inserts and I love them. They add a little bit of gear whine, but they remove a lot of slop from the drivetrain.

4 packages from rallysport on the way.... why does UPS always have to come so late?