Aaaannnd...done.
 

Anyone done modding. Looking back at it, with all your successes and mistakes...If you could turn back time and have the knowledge you have now, how would your build look?

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Wait a minute, that would be going forward in time.



I would have done tires first, then headerback exhaust/tune at the same time. Drop in filter on the intake. Not screwed around with cheap coilovers and gone with the V3's the first go around.

Done?

I would not let Biff get his hands on that damned Sports Almanac!

Wouldn't change a thing. Full exhaust/tune, wheels/tires, and lowering springs/sway bars. Of course I've only had my car 9 months as well.

My changes:

I'd skip on the CAI, engine pulleys, and possibly even the catback (hard to count that out for sure as I love the way it sounds)

All good ideas.

I wouldn't eat those sausages at that pub in Camden.
Apart from that... I'm good, thanks.

I think I'm pretty close to being "done". Was looking to do a track-focused build, with an emphasis on durability.

Mods:

- JDL thermal coated catless header
- JDL overpipe
- MF catted/resonated frontpipe
- Perrin resonated catback
- K&N drop-in
- OFT
- Perrin oil cooler

- whiteline front camber bolts
- whiteline rear diff/outrigger inserts
- project mu hc+800 brake pads
- 235/40/17 nitto nt05
- 17x8 wedssport tc105n

No regrets, but I do tend to plan out mods for a long time before purchasing. I am working on fixing an exhaust leak somewhere, but assuming I can fix that, wouldn't change a thing on the build. Pretty much just enjoying the car as is for a while.

Almost done.

Tomei UEL header will go on next week. Then I'm done. After that goes on the only thing I'm planning to put on is a Five Axis spoiler and I'm done.


ENGINE
AFE Takeda Momentum Intake (Oiled)
Invidia Q300 Catback (Ti Tips)
Tomei UEL Header
Openflash Tablet (Stage 2 Tune)

SUSPENSION
Eibach Pro Kit Springs
Eibach Camber Bolts
TRD Strut Brace Front

WHEELS
Enkei RPF1 17x9 +35

EXTERIOR/VISUAL
Beatsonic Shark Fin
Ceramic 9H Pro Clear Coat

If I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now, my build would look quite different.

For one thing I'd be posting on the Koenigsegg Agera forum, because I travelled back to 2003 and infiltrated Harvard University making sure to become Mark Zuckerberg's roomate and co-founder of Facebook.

Also shares, lots and lots of shares. Plus betting big on every Superbowl and Melbourne Cup for the past decade.

Would have skipped the 86 and went right to the GTR.

My build has been done for a while. There are few things I constantly debate back and forth between with no avail.


1. I went with 17x8 wheels. Looking back on how 17x9 would be much grippier with a 245 tire yet its my daily driver. 17x9 would be heavier and lower mpgs.
2. Went with street basis teins instead of saving up more for coils that were more track spec. Didn't want to hate driving the car on the way to school etc etc

Ummm that doesn't need a time machine just loads of $$$$$$.

2jzgte, decent sized single(supporting mods), volks, bride, bunch of suspension/bushings, brembos... It'll be when I sell it or die lol

Why are you regretting the engine pulley? I'm thinking of getting the grimspeed one.

I would have gotten a quieter CBE, skipped the short antenna and just gone straight for coilovers rather than muck about with springs then eventually coils.

Aside from that, no changes.

A true car enthusiast is never "done". He will always find something to tinker with.

I would have bought square wheels for the street instead of my 8.5 9.5 stagger. This would have allowed me to have my street set to use as my rain track day set. Also the stagger wheels don't fit in the folded back seat with my track gear.

Otherwise I am happy with my mods

Did first few track days on OEM tires and XP10/rbf 600. I would say I DO NOT regret upgrading pads and fluid before my first event seeing the people with smoking stock brakes.

Happy with my RE11A on 17x8 PF01 wheels

Happy with my AP Sprint front brakes

Happy with my SS brake lines

I have Racesang top mounts and SPL rear LCA to install so verdict pending on those, can't see why I wouldn't like them though.

To do list is oil cooler and maybe a P3 vent gauge, planning that before next track season.

Very simple mods so far, so not done yet. I don't regret any of them.

Cosmetic: Shark fin antenna, Raceseng Ashiko shift knob.

Performance/track related: OFT, SS brake lines, Whiteline bushings (rear sub-frame, diff mount, shifter) , brake pads (track set)

Performance / Cosmetic: Enkei PF01 18x8.5 w/ Hankook V12

Coming soon: OFH, steering rack bushings, hood struts, coilovers, rear diffuser

i keep telling myself to not mod the car
ive only done a few personally things, some engine bay bling, little cheap things like so,

i keep looking at Exhaust/suspension set ups, dont know if im gonna bite the bullet or not, decisions decisions

Its not that I "regret" the engine pulley but rather if I could do it again I'd just pocket that money and use it for more meaningful upgrades.

The pulleys (I did a kit not just one) are more bling than anything else.

To be honest I am happiest with my subtle cosmetic and comfort mods than anything else and would not have touched any of the performance mods at all.

My wheels I would keep because A. I love the way they look and B. They lowered weight ~4 lbs each.

My far and away favorite mod is the SARD seat covers. They put a smile on my face every time I see them and then another smile on my face every time I sit on them.
They make the interior of my car look nicer, stay clean much easier than the crap stock fabric, and the padding on the back keeps me from sinking quite so far down where the shoulder bolsters bother me.

I guess my views have changed since I have bought a super sport motorcycle. Now I take it to the track for my fun.
When I started with my car I had grand visions of getting every last ounce of performance out of it (eventually) and taking it to the track.
Now the vision for my car is to just drive it when I cant ride my bike and enjoy it for what it is.

The car is more than enough fun stock (performance wise) and I don't need it to go any faster.

(the other thing that bothers me is when I go to get rid of my car I will have to take all the mods back off which will be a PITA)

And knowing what you want. If he wanted an "affordable" GTR, he shoulda got a STi. The '86 is on the opposite end of the sports car spectrum

Have an exhaust video? I have the catless JDL EL and was thinking of running the same setup.

Not of the current setup. I'll try to get a video in a few weeks, but I can tell you it sounds good. Pretty mellow most of the time, but when you get on it, it gets loud and aggressive. Mine is the UEL though, so I get that off-beat Subaru cadence.

Subscribed. My 13 is new to me and stock. Still enjoying it and planning upgrades carefully. Hope to learn from other's experiences.

Anyone regret purchasing the OFT?
I haven't purchased it yet, as I am still debating. I am planning to eventually go with a supercharger, but want to wait out my warranty.

:sigh:

This thread should help get some additional insights

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79300

I bought an OFT and had it for a couple of months. For street driving the most noticeable change was the VVT induction noise at 4500RPM. I never took it to the track.

I ran E85 fuel with it too and noticed a little power bump but nothing that made the car more fun.

Sold it on here for about a hundred less than I paid for it so I guess I paid $100 for a car that sounded interesting and ran on interesting fuel for a couple of months with no real benefit because I wasn't tracking it.

My only other performance mods are a Nameless axleback exhaust (no noticeable performance increase but it definitely sounds awesome), a drop in filter (should this even really be classified as a mod?), and a set of stock size Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on the stock wheels. If my car had come with Michelin Primacys I'd have probably just kept them but I live in the northeast and when you buy a car up here near wintertime (I bought mine in October 2013) they put terrible Bridgestone Turanza all-season tires on.

As for cosmetic mods I have a Beatsonic shark fin antenna, and I stuck some Spyder tail lights and Spec D led boomerang headlights on there as well as the Five::AD rear lip spoiler.

Comfort mods are a decent pioneer head unit with navigation and appradio mode, a beatsonic dash mounted phone holder, and a rear view camera.

I love this car and the few mods I've done have made it perfect to me so I'd say I'm done.

I'm probably trading it in in the next few months for a Fiesta ST because we've got a baby on the way and the back seat won't hold a rear facing baby seat and allow a passenger in the front to sit comfortably. Fiesta ST does allow that because it doesn't have the tunnel going through the middle of the back seat like the twins.

I'll miss the FR-S after I get rid of it but I'll probably be getting a project Miata to mess with a few months after I get the Fiesta ST so I'll definitely still have some RWD fun.

As for the Fiesta ST, sure it's FWD but it's the best feeling FWD car I've ever driven. It's got a lot of fancy gizmos to all but eliminate understeer, the shifter is the best I've ever felt, a title previously held by the FR-S (however I've only driven a few manual cars so I'm sure there are some better), it's more comfortable than the FR-S by a huge margin, and it's cheaper. And then the torque... 221 lb/ft at 2700 RPM.

The people in the Fiesta ST online community though... some of the stuff I read on the forums... A much less enthusiast crowd than here. These are actual quotes:

"...after I take it to the dealership to get the winter wheels I ordered from TireRack put on..."
"I've never changed headlight bulbs before. What's the install process like?"

Coupled with the exhaust, I highly recommend it. The tune greatly reduced the torque dip at the mid rpm range, which was my biggest and only complaint about the car.

Like I said, I also installed the full exhaust when I got my tune, so that was part of the equation too. From what I've read, even a tune on a completely stock engine helps with the dip as well.