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TheBRZsKnees AT BRZ Build
Toyota Celica (T200) > Acura CL 3.0 > Subaru BRZ
After one too many repairs on the CL, I settled on the idea of getting a 6AT FR-S or BRZ. Dealing with Seattle hills and traffic in a manual just didn't seem worth it for a daily driver. If I could go back I might make a different call now, but the AT has been fantastic. I picked one out in late 2015. It had a recently Rebuilt title due to a side impact but only 4000 miles on it, so it fit my budget. I call her Estelle. https://www.dropbox.com/s/9i8568zf89...5502.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/lcolrrinew...5551.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/edhv34yhx1...1111.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/0es2vxcu41...1921.jpg?raw=1 Mod List Engine/Performance -Full Blown Motorsports turbo kit -GTX2867R turbo -Full Blown Cast Aluminum oil pan -Ruien Polish baffled breather can -Zeta Products Billet Aluminum Oil Filler Cap -MotorFansClub washer/bolt dress up kit -Fumoto F108S oil valve -86 Speed Gas Hood Shocks V2 -Perrin 2.5" Non-Resonated Catback -Ultimate Racing catless resonated front pipe -Ultimate Racing overpipe -Drift Office tune Wheels, Brakes, and Suspension (Summer Config) -WedsSport SA-15R, 18x8.5 +48, 18x9.5 +48 -Continental Extreme Contact Sport, 255/35, 265/35 -15mm PBM spacers in front -7mm PBM spacers in the rear -Aodhan EXT-48 lug nuts -HKS Hipermax GT coilovers -PBM rear LCAs -PBM toe rods -RR Racing Sport Rear 4 Piston Brake Kit -RR Racing Sport Front Big Brake Kit Cosmetic -Artisan Spirits front bumper -Fly1 Motorsports RS86 Vented Fenders, full carbon -Kouki Toyota 86 rear bumper -Kouki TRD side skirts, modified for fitment -Kouki Modellista spats -Glanzen Silk Blaze spoiler -Helix Smoked Side Markers, clear bulbs -Beat-Sonic FDA9 Shark Fin antenna -Light Smoke Valenti Revo tail lights -Tinted factory reverse bar -3M Gloss black vinyl roof wrap -19% tint all around -Series Hyperblue BRZ badge -GCS RGB Interior Footwell Lighting Kit Interior -T'eyes CC3 head unit -Focal 165AS speakers -Rockford Fosgate R600X5 amp -Integrity Concepts 10" enclosure -Sundown 10" subwoofer -Rydeen CM-DUO2 reverse cam -Valentine One radar detector -AEM Wideband gauge and Tru Boost gauge -OEM Toyota 86 All Weather Floor Mats Not In Use (Winter Config) -XXR 527, Matte Bronze, 18x8 +42, 18x8.75 +35 -Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 225/40 What's Next Planning on a couple other small bits and bobs, but this build is essentially done. |
I wish I had gotten better images early on. This is one of the only one I've been able to find from when it was stock.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8nqewaem13...TL-2.jpg?raw=1 The very first thing I did was rip the stock speakers out and remove the RC car antenna. The sound system didn't really get where I wanted it to be until I got a new head unit though. I was anxious to get rid of the stock wheels as well. I almost went for Enkei RS05RRs, but in the end settled on WedsSport SA-15Rs. I'm super happy with that choice, as well as the size and offset. https://www.dropbox.com/s/aevh0hobc2...5651.jpg?raw=1 I had intended to get the resonated Perrin exhaust. The person who sold it to me told me that it was resonated and I hadn't done my research, so I took her word at face value. It was very much non resonated :bonk:. It's louder and a bit raspier than I had intended, and it does drone some, but it sounds good with the UEL header and the girlfriend approves. Don't be deceived, the header is actually catless =P https://www.dropbox.com/s/4t4gltd5e0...2139.jpg?raw=1 The most recent change was the gloss black roof wrap. It was both my and my friend's first time attempting something like this, and it came out pretty rough. Overall though, it has the effect I was going for. |
Big things happening! It's been pretty overwhelming, but the install is almost wrapped up.Test fitting the bumper back on have shown that I'll probably have to deal with the dreaded fender gap :mad0259: I'll have more updates after I get it tuned next weekend.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ab71vwh5kk...4831.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/zcc48cxdyi...2245.jpg?raw=1 |
The car is coming along nicely!
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The car is essentially ready for some test runs, but it hasn't been without challenges.
-FBM sent me a basemap for an MT, so I wasn't able to load it last night. I'll take another shot tonight. -Even after drilling the crash bar holes to the advised sizes, my intercooler still sits too low. This is causing bumper fitment issues. I'll need to find a way to move it higher. -My downpipe routes very close to a sensor, toward the bottom of the engine. It's heatwrapped, but since it's almost flush with the sensor, I'm pretty nervous. FBM asked me to send them pictures. I'll need to see if there's any way to move the downpipe forward. |
Nice wheel choice, sir! Good luck sorting out the rest of the little things in your FI setup.
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The car is now safely in the hands of Drift Office. Aside from the fitment issues, we had an issue with the car turning over but failing to fire once everything was installed. We assumed this was an issue with the FBM MAP sensor or basemap, but after several days of troubleshooting, we determined that it was due to not having grounded the injector control ECU.
By the time we got it running, we had returned the tune, MAP sensor, and injectors back to stock. At this point, I opted to drive it to my tuner in this state while simply staying under boost. This was a bit nerve-racking, but it's definitely doable if you're careful. Unfortunately I completely forgot to unmarry my OFT before flashing my ECU with the Ecutek cable. This effectively rendered my OFT useless. I could flash the car back to the OFT stock tune and unmarry it, but this would overwrite my Ecutek license. Shiv said all he could do was sell me a new one for cheaper than msrp if I sent my tablet in to them, but I really don't think that this is a suitable solution. Overall, pretty disappointed in OpenFlash. If anyone has a use for a married OFT, I have one cheap lol. |
Finally got the breather can on last night. I also plugged the sound tube, which had just been left open. Annoyingly, the exhaust smell in the cabin seems to be worse, even with the AC on recirculate. I'm not sure what would cause this. Maybe the location of the can is bad (close to the battery). I'll spend some more time driving and see.
I still need to fix the intercooler fitment. Taking the bumper on and off has warped it some, causing my left side marker not to sit flush anymore. I need to see if I can bend the metal part back a bit when I take the bumper off again (hopefully for the last time). In better news, I got a fantastic deal on an Integrity Concepts enclosure and sub, so my sound system is complete. I'm pretty happy with where it is now. |
https://www.dropbox.com/s/51gs586rif...2911.jpg?raw=1
Driving home last night and the car lost power. Electronics worked but it wouldn't turn over. Initial investigation found that the EFI ctrl fuse had blown. I replaced it, and the replacement blew as well when I tried to start the car. From what I've found from other posts, it's probably either a short around the injectors or an issue with the coils. Hopefully I'll be able to figure it out tonight. |
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ikhzaa5thb...2509.jpg?raw=1
Aaaand round two. I took care of the short that was causing the original issue (a melted cam sensor wire due to my bad downpipe fitment) but a couple days later the car started running rough and died again. No blown fuse this time. It seems like it could be an issue with the cam sensor again, but I'm out of my depth now. Time to take it to a shop. |
It's been a rough few weeks. I needed to wait for replacement pipes from FBM. If the issue is a damaged cam sensor like I suspect, I don't want to cook it a second time, so the replacement downpipe needed to come first.
Unfortunately, while I was waiting on the pipes, my neighbor hit my car. A trip to the body shop will be the first order of business once she's running again. Maybe I can find some help with my front bumper fitment there. https://www.dropbox.com/s/lvsm5huvcg...5757.jpg?raw=1 The good news is that the pipes finally came in. I went with a recirculating dump this time, because I really don't care of the sound of the open dump. It's clear where the DP mates to the manifold, but without actually attaching them to the car, the positioning is a bit confusing to me. Hopefully I'll be up and running again by mid-week, a bit lighter in the wallet no doubt. https://www.dropbox.com/s/my7drt8s4r...3948.jpg?raw=1 |
ayy another '14 boosted AT.
Do you have any issues with the RPMs dropping too low and having the car stall? I some times have that issue where If I'm in stop and go traffic or I'm coasting to a stop, the rpm drops and I feel like the car doesn't downshift fast enough and it just stalls. Kinda embarrassing on the high way -.-' |
The car is still in the shop. They've narrowed the issue down to the DI ECU, (the same one that held my build up for three days because I didn't know it needed to be grounded). My best guess is that I fried it when troubleshooting the shorted wire that the downpipe melted. I'm waiting on a replacement that I got from a part out.
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Any issues with temps? From what I understand, these cars can heat up a lot in stop-go traffic after boost if you live in a hot place, which can cause all kinds of problems. It could also be something with your tune. |
The car has been running smoothly. I got an FBM oil pan since the stock one I tapped is leaky, but I haven't had a chance to get it on the car.
The other thing I've been noticing for about a month is a ticking sound around 15000 RPM. I don't hear it above or below that. It only happens after driving the car for ten or fifteen minutes, and it stops if the car is turned off and back on. It seems to be coming from the alternator, but it's much louder inside the car than out. UPDATE: The sound was coming from my boost solenoid. I had mounted it to the front core support, and when the evaporative emission purge circuit activated it, it made a knocking noise. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv1WXorjwmg"]BRZ Ticking Sound - YouTube[/ame] |
FBM oil pan is on. No more leaks. :happyanim: Unfortunately life has hit me pretty hard, and additional mods are on hold until I can get my finances back in order.
Also, was digging through some old files and found my dyno sheet. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ug1wn9yn4g...20UP.jpg?raw=1 |
These are the exact numbers I want on my AT BRZ but with a JDL kit. Awesome build op
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Now that I’ve had Full Blown kit on the car for about half a year, I figured I’d post some impressions. To be clear, I’m neither an experienced track driver nor a mechanic, so take my perspective with a grain of salt.
Performance I’m happy here. This was the base kit with an upgraded GTX28 turbo. On 92 octane, the dyno results seem to be slightly better than most of my friends who had their boosted cars tuned at the same shop. The kit has a lot more potential. At my tuner’s request, I stuck with the stock injectors and fuel pump instead of the included FBM ones. If I ever get better access to E85 or go with a built engine, I feel like I have what I need to keep using this kit. Fitment Ugh. I had two major fitment problems. The first, to be fair, doesn’t seem to have been the fault of the Full Blown kit. My downpipe runs extremely close to my passenger-side cam angle sensor. The first downpipe was up against the sensor. The replacement I got from Full Blown leaves no more than an inch of clearance. After trying two pipes, I’m thinking this could be due to my Ultimate Racing overpipe or front pipe. The second issue is that the intercooler sits too low, pushing down on the inside of my bumper. This is super frustrating, since the intercooler mounts could have been designed slightly differently to prevent this. I’ll have to modify the plastic piece that’s directly below the intercooler. Bottom line: this kit requires cutting in multiple places. Driving experience The car is absolutely transformed. The turbo spools quickly, and the power is as available as I could ever want in a daily driver. Even at a conservative 220 tq, the back wheels break loose easily. I have to be much more careful in the Seattle rain. The turbo and the Tial BOV create a symphony of fun sounds when driving aggressively, but staying under boost is an option when you want to drive conservatively. My only complaint is that the setup seems to require a vented catch can, which causes quite a bit of fumes when stopped with the windows open, or if the AC isn’t on recirculate. After a while though, this didn’t bother me anymore. As a side note, if you’re considering this kit, think carefully whether you want the base option for open dump. It makes a super loud, obnoxious sound under boost. I’m much happier with the sound of the car after switching to the recirculating dump. It’s pretty easy to find videos on YouTube. Working with FBM Full Blown gets a D for communication and a B+ for service. I had to call them several times to get updates on my order, and it was hard to get answers to my installation questions or fitment problems. They also sent me a basemap for a manual car, even though I had told them I had an automatic. Considering my general inexperience with this kind of install, they weren’t the resource I hoped they would be. By the end though, they worked with me to get everything I needed to complete a stable installation. I feel like they were appropriately accommodating. I’m satisfied with the experience. Closing thoughts The only real issues I had were with fitment, but I’ve heard the same from owners of most FI kits. I can confidently recommend the FBM kit. I learned a lot about the cost and complexity of forced induction on this car. Some of those lessons were hard, but I’m happy with what I now have. |
If you don't mind me asking how much did this kit cost you?
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The kit itself is just part of the cost though. A good tune can cost anywhere up from $800. I did the install myself, but that can be very expensive (especially out here in the Seattle area). I also spent several hundred dollars in supporting mods and materials. I didn't include it, but other mods like upgraded exhaust factor in too. Plan to spend $2k to $3k above the cost of the kit itself. |
Two new mods that I'm super stoked about. The first is a Glanzen Silk Blaze spoiler. I've actually had this for nearly a year, but I finally have a wingless trunk to mount it on.
https://image.ibb.co/bL7gZw/20171222_100705_preview.jpg The second is a pair of Valenti Revos. I was planning to send these to Epic Lights for customization. I wanted to add sequential turn signal functionality the boomerang. I'm reconsidering though. If I remove the turn signal functionality from the third row, there's a lot of wasted space. I'm curious if anyone has suggestions for how to deal with that. https://image.ibb.co/kvYc7G/20171227_205128_preview.jpg |
Tails are in. They're fantastic. Huge improvement over stock.
It's not shown in the video, but I also tinted the factory reverse bar. I've always thought it was ugly, but I didn't want to do anything flashy like add an aftermarket one. It looks better with the dark tint. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HF-ISk5Kfg"]Revos[/ame] |
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Lots of small developments over the last few weeks.
-Spoiler is on. Considering the absolute hell it was to find a wingless trunk, I wasn't comfortable drilling it myself, so I had a friend do it for me. I feel like it's mounted a bit farther back than it should be, but the fitment seems more aggressive, which is nice. -I did a full rear debadge with the new trunk. Decided I didn't like it after a few days. It felt empty. The holes from the badge were a pain to cover. Also, the FR-S garnish doesn't have a trunk button? Ended up adding the Subaru badge and BRZ garnish back. Left the Subaru lettering off, and got a black Series Hyperblue BRZ badge. -Got a cool 86 oil cap from someone locally. I thought it was the Grimmspeed one, but on closer inspection, it's from another company called Zeta Products. Adds a few grams of weight, but I'm ok with it. -Decided to do some engine dress-up work, mainly motivated by the hideous lime green Interstate battery the shop installed when fixing the injector ECU. I decided to black out all the yellow engine bits at the same time. I noticed some scuffing when I reinstalled the battery, so I'm not sure that the battery reconditioning paint I used was the best choice for this application. Still, the engine bay looks better. https://www.dropbox.com/s/5opmjub0xq...5017.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/nn2pjeyjyc...0937.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/jyr0y0vvlg...3112.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/ycxzlrfoe5...0905.jpg?raw=2 Hoping to do a proper photo shoot within the next couple months. The weather hasn't been cooperative. |
Super stoked to finally have a proper shoot done. I'm really happy with how far the car has come.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ke8fpp3mkk5bvhl/49.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/rayzdo5rcepqs5s/44.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/r2ogrd0mtgc56mu/23.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qx7pebm332ta1uf/14.jpg?raw=1 |
Looks damn good!
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Christmas has come early. I found HKS Hipermax GT coilovers, PBM toe arms, and PBM rear LCAs on the forum and Facebook buy/sell/trade page. I also snagged two additional 7mm spacers that aren't pictured, extended studs, and endlinks. I also ordered the RR Racing Sport Performance brake kit. I'm still waiting to get shipping confirmation on that.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qplubil2gq...2042.jpg?raw=1 Another development is that I was hit on the freeway coming back from a meet last month. The driver's side rear quarter panel and bumper were damaged. I opted to swap for a Kouki 86 bumper during the repair to allow for some specific aero pieces down the road. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ldlyfii3oj...5452.jpg?raw=1 |
Coilovers, toe arms, LCAs, and spacers are all installed. The steering feels much tighter, and there's more weight to the wheel.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0c880pukze...2922.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/t5cwlzy767...2951.jpg?raw=1 |
Your car is looking great. Love the spoiler and Revos. Really make the car. Impressions/review of the coilovers? How's the paint holding up on all the yellow plastic you changed to Black. They look great in the photo
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I'm happy with the coilovers. The handling is tighter. The dead zone in the middle of the wheel has been reduced to almost nothing. The ride quality is quite similar to the Eibach pro springs. Very comfortable. The PBM parts I installed are noisy on turns, but meh. Racecar XD The paint in the engine bay is holding up well. Some chipping on the parts that flex or are touched often, but not bad. -------------------------- In other news, I found a magnetic phone mount that I love. Most don't fit well in our vents. I was previously using the Kenu Airframe on the recommendation of some other users, but it was a bit janky. I switched to the MPOW Grip Magic Vent 2, which fits and works great. https://www.dropbox.com/s/na3epx9xlg...995.jpeg?raw=1 I've been waiting over two months now for my brakes. This has been my experience with RR Racing. June 17: Brakes ordered. July 6: RR Racing tells me that the calipers have been delayed, but they would get them the following Monday. They said the stock Wilwood caliper color may have changed, but that they would paint them if needed. July 10: RR Racing says Wilwood sent them the wrong calipers. There will be an additional delay. July 13: RR Racing says they accidentally mixed my order up with someone else's, and powder coated the calipers red. They ask if I want the red ones, and I tell them I'd like to stick with black. They ask if they can send these calipers to the other customer since they're already painted. It's now too late for me to install the brakes at the same time as the coilovers, so I tell them this is fine. August 7: There are additional delays getting calipers from Wilwood. August 22: I receive the brakes in the mail. The calipers are grey, presumably unpainted from Wilwood. RR Racing says they're shipping me the correct color with a return label. At the end of the day, the most important thing for me is that I get a quality product. But man, this has been a struggle. |
Developments and photo dump!
Shot from the 86 Sessions 86 Day meet and cruise. https://www.dropbox.com/s/k8dx72ywdf...2350.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/axspm058zz...2911.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/mfotk944dn...1803.jpg?raw=1 Brakes came. I'm happy with them. I had a bit of an issue with excessive heat in the rear upon install. Turned out my e-brake was too tight. Even though I got it worked out within a couple days, the heat ended up causing some of the chrome on my rear wheels to chip. Fortunate you can't see it unless you look closely. https://www.dropbox.com/s/4nbgbnogbb...5825.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/cfqqje20we...1721.jpg?raw=1 Took the car to Smithbrook Trailhead near Stevens Pass for a hike up to Lake Valhalla. Reviews I read said the road was "well-maintained." They must not have meant that for lowered sports cars though, because it was a slow, bumpy, stressful trip. She made it though. https://www.dropbox.com/s/5q7zfawwb9...2920.jpg?raw=1 Found a good place to grab some shots along the Skykomish River on the way back. https://www.dropbox.com/s/2g2j6t92sw...ztk.jpeg?raw=1 |
Lots of small updates.
-Installed a Rydeen CM-DUO2 reverse cam. The image is good, but it's frustrating that the offset factory install location renders the reverse lines useless. -Shortly after the reverse cam install, I noticed that my music would skip for about 1 second every 7 to 9 minutes. At first I thought I had messed up my wiring, but it doesn't happen when connected via Aux or with my roommate's iPhone via Bluetooth. Only my, and my other roommate's, Galaxy S9s via Bluetooth. I'm guessing it was due to the last Android update. It's frustrating. Interested in any suggestions to fix it. -Found that the STI roters in the RR Racing Front Sport kit rust badly where the pads don't touch. It's ugly as hell. Ended up painting that area silver, but it doesn't look great. Planning to redo in black. https://www.dropbox.com/s/x4snbdi1co...5030.jpg?raw=1 -Was inspired by a Reddit user to cover my ugly silver dash piece with stickers and slaps. Initially intended it to be a temporary thing, but it came out great. https://www.dropbox.com/s/69wv47to8g...0143.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/h65r7xlboe...1443.jpg?raw=1 |
First of all, shout-out to Tinypic for deleting all my pictures. I've restored what I can. I'll see what else I can find on my laptop when I'm able.
Anyway, life moves fast. Late last year, I bought a townhouse with a 2-car garage, which is damn hard to find at a reasonable price in the Seattle area. Having a garage to work on the car has been amazing. https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz21wgavab...QnO.jpeg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/m3q31vmkqx...Qpq.jpeg?raw=1 I'm finally in the cosmetic mod stage of my build. There are a few things happening right now that I'm super excited about. Will share more soon. |
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Congrats on the house. When I bought mine the only thing missing was a garage it would make life easier in the winter to get some projects done. |
I had always hoped to end with the most striking design possible without going widebody. Last week, the shop finished painting my new fenders and bumper. A few adjustments were needed (as well as a new set of side markers after losing one on the freeway), but she's wrapped up. This was the last major stage of the build, and it feels incredibly fulfilling.
I also got my winter tires on (better late than never, right?). Specs below. There's a bit of rub against the inner fender liners at full lock. I may remove the spacer, but it's not particularly worrisome. XXR 527, Matte Bronze, 18x8 +42, 18x8.75 +35 Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 225/40 7mm PBM spacers in front 15mm PBM spacers in the rear https://www.dropbox.com/s/0d9lck4u7u...1942.jpg?raw=1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/kczzxn7fo7...2016.jpg?raw=1 |
Holy moly. I didn't realize all the images were still broken. They should be fixed now.
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Looks so good. I love it. Would love some closer pictures of the lip and the bumper.
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Summer wheels are back on. I plan to get some proper summer tires, but I'm not driving much due to the lockdown, so it's not a rush.
Updated thread title to match my socials. Edit:Tried, unsuccessfully, to update thread title to match my socials. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/...63311360_n.jpg https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/...428_174552.jpg https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/...%20Resized.jpg https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/...%20Resized.jpg |
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