Can the BRZ Actually Ruin Your Life?
 

I think this car can really destroy an owner's finances and future!

I don't like to throw on random parts like aftermarket tails, fogs, etc...

...but I am pricing out a proper build with FI and let me just say that with proper coilovers, wheels/tires, brakes, FI kit, tune and labor/install, you are looking at another $30k.

I know people will come in and dispute this most likely, but believe me, I have the spreadsheets with everything priced out and let me just say it's just mental!

Again, if you want a proper build with quality parts and want the car to feel like an entire package, then you're looking at the cost of another complete car!

As an example, I see people throwing turbo kits and using OEM brakes and OEM motor mounts and bushings. The OEM mounts and bushings are bad enough being N/A - can't imagine how bad the driving experience would be with twice the power. OEM bushings and mounts have too much deflection and movement going on just with the car being completely stock.

Either way, love the car!

"Broke-due-to-modding" crew, please check in to this thread! :lol:

News Flash..


Modifying a car is expensive. I just run the improper coilovers. Saves me a couple bucks.

As a two year owner who loves his 86 I sometimes think that people really miss the intent of this car as built by Subaru and largely designed and thought out by Toyota. It is a affordable sporty fun to drive 4 cylinder that gets good gas mileage. A throwback to the Toyota Celica's and Corollas of the early to mid 1980's. In those terms it is great. If you intend to spend 50-60K on it total I would have started with a different car but it is a free country (as of now ) so do as you wish.

22R

:lol::lol:

$30k seems a bit high, but I guess it comes down to how much power you are going for and who is doing the work. 350rwhp is a different animal than 300rwhp and doing you own install is definitely worlds away from paying someone else to do it.

If you throw away all the receipts as you go it's like all the modding was free.

100% agree with @22R. Being super fast with a lot of horsepower is not what Toyota intended. Otherwise they would’ve turbocharged it from factory or something. It’s still a decently quick little car and seeing a swapped/boosted BRZ and stuff is pretty cool. And as previously mentioned, if you want a fast car and have the ability to spend upwards of $50k then starting with another platform would probably be best. Obviously, it’s up to the buyer. Personally, I LOVE this car even stock. Handles great and looks sexy as hell lol on top of great gas mileage and a decently affordable price.

Anyone spending $30k to mod this car is
1) an utterly clueless moron
2) has never been on a track (does not even know what driving fast means)
3) is stupid with money
4) belongs in a Mustang
5) All of the above

Learn to drive the car before you go broke ruining it.

Here's some reading
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130121

Or keep it NA, gut it, buy lightweight accessories, mod it, tune e85 and you'll be faster than a tuned 91 turbo twin. You'll be able to dig and roll cars with over 100hp and beat them easily. All total less than a turbo kit with support mods.

OP said it would cost $30k for modding. Keep in mind he is from Canada. So $30k Canadian is like $450 American. So not too bad I think


Don

Guess I better go fuck myself then huh?

According to my spreadsheet from my previous FR-S, I spent nearly $22k, maybe even more. It was a learning experience for sure. Sometimes the mod bug bites you hard. Then again, I didn't get "ruined" by the spending.

Let's see;
1) no, my mom had me tested
2) well, I've been on a track a couple times
3) 3 sports cars,duh!
4) always disliked Mustangs, so no

Didn't quite spend that much, but a lot.
Why does everyone keep saying I ruined my car?

cars don't ruin anything. we do it to ourselves.

i've got a wishlist with ITB's on it... the car doesn't need it. i don't need it. but i sure want it!

Canadian dollar is around .73 currently so $30K CD is in fact $21,900 US. If you back out Ontario sales tax at 13% you have $19,380. I can spend that on FI, oil cooler, coilovers, exhaust, pads...but not without tradeoffs.

Might be doable if you do most if not all your own labour and even then hardly enough to do things like light band name calipers. I did my best starting with a used supercharger which I killed and re-bought new. Also upgraded pads and fluid only. For the >$50K I have spent not sure what else in the market would have been as satisfying and brand new or pretty new to start.

I absolutely believe you. I put 11K into my car so far, which is ~8K USD, and the engine is largely stock apart from an inlet tube. I count tax, delivery and labour, so yeah, the final tally climbs quickly. FI will be another 10K and if I choose to build the engine - a further 10K.

Or has the money to play.

If you have the available funds go for it, post up all your receipts and watch the people without the available funds complain that you spent to much money and call you a idiot.

"Because people don't get what Toybaru intended" is a weak excuse not to mod.

In the end, do what ever you can afford to justify, or don't.

As for the OP's FI budget guesstimate, my budget guesstimate for a reliable FI build ended up over 60kAUD, the Holinger alone was over 25k.

Add in the rear end and fab work, built engine, your choice of FI, plus all other bits and peices required to keep it holding together.

So, do I pull the pin, or, buy something for for 90kAUD (sell 86 + mod money) that performs simular to what the 86 would have.

In the end the results would be:

1. Insane 86
2. A car that whilst is nice, any idiot with cash can buy one at their local dealer.

Disclaimer: this philosophy of mine assumes that you already own property and have no debt. If you don't own property or if you have any debt don't play with your car.

Simples

Oh, and in finishing.......DO A SKID:burnrubber:

I was under the impression Toybaru built a "Tuners" car...It's not hard to burn up a bunch of cash.

Move slow, research and choose wisely. An annual budget would help. I went over budget last year but not horribly. This year I make up for it and focus more on driver mod. Lot's of track time this year!

I have a better idea.
Go buy a tricycle and spend $60k to mod that to your satisfaction.

The saddest part of all this is that rice modders don't even have the driving ability to harness what the stock car can do. Get a Mustang, people !

Tricycle....lol

There's something to be said for creating something and pride of ownership. There's a hell of a lot of nice "rice builds" out there.

It's a hobby...There's a lot worse you could spend your money on. Enjoy the build people!

What's ur credit score?

It's it's 800+ go wild.:D

Actually, a better credit score to have before going wild is zero.

Yep. That's why so many of the 3rd party guys were ready to go on day 1, Toyota/Subaru gave them unusual access to the car. (basically the exact opposite of what is going on with the "Supra" from what I can tell).

just buy a used porsche...

What? Its very easy to spend that kind of money on this car doing quality mods. For as cheap as the car is, the aftermarket carries a high price in comparison.


I mean an edelbrock kit and ACE headers you're 1/3 of the way there. Coilovers and suspension components, quality wheels....it adds up.


If you're buying new and doing the work yourself anyways. If you're spending money with a shop or buying used that would obviously skew the costs one way or another.

Is this your first car?? If so you have to learn a lot about the concept of modding cars. If not your first car... you should know better.

Take an example of a Corvette... a perfectly wonderful sports car. People STILL mod the shit out of them. There are thousands of parts to spend thousands of dollars on the Corvette.

If someone wants to do it, that is their freedom; If they have the money or not.

Not to be cynical but anyone financing 30k and then living paycheck to paycheck to pay for 30k car parts, deserves whatever financial hardship they end up in.

Or, for a more mundane example, look at the LMC Truck or Summit Racing catalog/website for something like my 2004 Suburban. I could easily drop $30 big ones on superchargers, lift (or lowering) kits, replacement lights, interior gadgets, etc.

Actual return on investment is better with something like a Corvette though. Its just too easy to make 100+ WHP, while with this platform it requires a huge investment to make anything resembling power.

A car is so rarely something with a decent ROI. If you accept and realize that it’s most commonly a depreciating asset, and budget responsibly for your mods, rock on however you like. With that said, being financially irresponsible, or building irresponsible is simply irresponsible, and whatever hardships you endure are on you.

Everyone’s financial situation is different. 30K to some is a lot, 30K to others is pocket change. Everyone appreciates their car a different way. I think it’s truly a testament to this vehicle that is has such wide ranging appeal to all different demographics and interests, and truly succeeds in all of them.

So a cheers to the twins being so successful in so many different ways. I love this car, and more so than many of the other sports cars I’ve owned over the years. :cheers:

Now...if the federal government could figure out how to pass a budget and pay me while I work, I can finish up my FI build! :mad0259:

you can always just keep it stock......

I meant ROI in terms of gain for cost of the modification. Thought that was pretty clear.


Of course a vehicle is a depreciating asset for the most part.

@J1Avs - They'll just back pay you, lol.

The BRZ has nothing on a TJ.


I bet I spent $50k on my TJ over a 10 year period, including tools (some expensive ones such as welders and abrasive equipment). Hell, I did *all of the work* and built my last pair of axles, which still cost me over $10k. That includes steering linkage, brackets, brakes and diffs.


BRZ ain't shit in comparison. But it sure is fun and gets great mileage.

I don't know what's the point of having this discussion because people are all different, which is reflected very well in all the replies in this thread. Some are happy with stock, some are not. The ones that are not will mod whichever aspect that is not up to their standards. I found the interior to be very poor so I modded it. Now it's a great place to be in every day. I found the exhaust to be quiet and uninspiring so I bought a Corsa and now the thing screams so flooring it is more fun. I found the stock wheels to be ugly and dinky so I have beautiful 18" Enkeis, so now it's great to look at. I can go on and on from external to internal and each one has a justification that is important to ME and no one else. And that's what modding is, it is the individualization of YOUR own car to suit YOUR own needs and standards and no one else's.

Are you married? Have you bought a house? How about start a business? How about buy multiple cars and try and build all of them? (I had three cars when I was 19 like an idiot) Because, these things can ruin your finances...







You don't have to buy all the parts at once. My build is 6.5 years in the making. Also, FI is not for everyone. For $30K, I would swap.


I also install ALL my parts myself. Interior, lighting, stereo, suspension, and paint. I also have built custom parts for my own car in my shop.


There are ways to save money without cutting corners on your build. I mean, are you building a show car or building a DD?


Consider buying a few used parts. I have had many great sets of used wheels and tires.


Good luck!

FWIW, I made only two mods, costing me ~$1000 DIY to $1500 having a shop do the work, to make a class-winning, overall-drivers-championship winning car in COMSCC time trials.

For sure this is a car where you can spend a LOT of $$$$ for very little benefit, usually not even discernible. If you have the $$$$, no big deal. If you are on a budget, discretion is advised...

If you want to lower the car for looks, lower c.g., better handling, RCE yellow springs.
If you want better damping, used '17+ struts/shocks
If you want more negative camber up front, crash bolts.
If you want a more snarly engine note, muffler delete.
Wider wheels & better tires, lots of 17x8 - 17x9 wheels and 215/225/245 Extreme Perf tires available for reasonable $$$$
Brakes: for street and even for track, with appropriate pads and fluid you are gonna be fine with the stock calipers and rotors. Even with FI. If you must have bigger calipers/rotors, either retrofit PP brakes or sell non-PP car and buy a used PP.
More power/torque: Personally I wouldn't bother spending $1000s on relatively minor improvements to NA power. Of course FI costs more than that, but IMO at least you get something that you will actually *feel* instead of just hear...

TL/DR: If mods are well-chosen, you don't have to spend $30k to get what you want...

Just buy an Alpha 4C. Anyone sinking 30k into an 86 IMO is blowing it. The only saving grace is if you can't afford 50k right off, modding the 86 incrementally allows for a more long range, stretched out expenditure. The car will be worth the same as stock though when you go to sell

To all those saying "instead of modding, buy X car", there are a few considerations:

1. the financial impact of buying an expensive car outright is quite a bit more noticeable than gradually modding a cheaper car.

2. a more expensive car is usually not a great proposition for daily drivers. I drive my car in the winter, through ice and snow

3. Some people don't have money for a second car

4. Some people don't have space for a second car (crammed driveway/live in a condo and only have 1 parking spot and another one costs 50-75K)

5. Some people would still mod that more expensive car and mods for more expensive cars are umm... more expensive.

6. Modding a fairly basic car into something that's a bit more serious is extremely gratifying. Like watching a child grow from something that's babbling and stupid to an intelligent individual.

7. A more expensive car usually drinks more gas and insurance is more expensive, not to mention servicing costs

8. I think it's safe to say that if there was ever a car created with the mod market in mind, it's this one

Exactly. What makes the stock version so great is its weight, layout, cg, balance, etc. These attributes are critical to performance at all levels, so this car's starting point can serve as a solid foundation to just about anything someone could dream up - and it does.

Not really. If you can really afford mods over time, you can finance a more expensive car and afford higher monthly payments over time.

Furthermore, a vehicle that costs $30K to buy and $30K more to build is significantly more financially risky than an unmodded $60K car. If someone hits your highly modified cheap car, it's more likely to be totaled. You're not going to get $60K from the insurance company, and the value of the work you put into it will simply vanish.

A $60K car would be much less likely to be totaled out, since the cost of repairs would total to a smaller percentage of the value of the vehicle. So you're more likely to get your car back whole, lose less money out of pocket and not have to start all over.

I spent ~$8k modifying my '13 FR-S and knew I was going down a slippery slope with future plans for FI, etc. Didn't get much from the insurance company after they totaled out that car, except for the parts I was able to salvage.

After switching to a stock '17 BRZ, I was again enjoying how the engineers setup the car for balance.

I did what you did and slapped on a Corsa exhaust along with other modifications to retain that balance. This time I stayed within my modding budget of 10% of MSRP. :thumbup: