What a tasteful car. All fantastic mods. Wheels look great with the color red.

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Thanks! It’s about to look a lot less tasteful with a Nur Spec wing and a Varis front lip though :scared0016:

Not everything has to be tasteful :cheers:

Spent some time today cleaning the engine bay for the first time after 2.5 years of ownership. Had to use Goo Gone and a toothbrush for the really grimy areas. Some soapy water, rag and/or a toothbrush for dusty areas. Not bad for a quick clean. Cleaning the engine is kind of a waste of time but I like to do it for the same reason I brush my teeth really thoroughly before going to the dentist for a cleaning. If a mechanic sees a well kept engine bay, I’m hoping they’ll be more thorough.

Some areas looked shocking.

https://i.postimg.cc/YqsCwwvf/405-D6...-A67-CF455.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/L8g690fd/FEB40-...3-BF462893.jpg

And after cleaning

https://i.postimg.cc/44w3BcZ0/02-EF7...AE97-DF1-E.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Gt3mbLPz/3-C0-E...0803-AFDCC.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/3NLJRsnh/B3-FF1...0-CF281-D6.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/43zft7BB/C45308...8640-F6-D9.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/PqGfPzzC/D1-ACC...6-CB627-DC.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/cHSJ5Mrp/D3265-...80-A9-C786.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/SsfK029J/C29849...64-F2-A5-B.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/ZR4TLbQZ/003066...-CF14069-D.jpg

As for the rest of the car, last week I ordered Intec Carbon tails with a clear lens

https://i.postimg.cc/DyZwDzww/D50135...-A4-D8-F30.jpg

I settled on getting this Aimgain wing, which I love because it looks like nothing else out there. It’ll be totally paint matched, including the support. It’s important to me to have an OEM look.

https://i.postimg.cc/qvWq2d0M/88912-...DA80562-BC.jpg

As for the front end, originally I wanted the Kouki Varis front lip, but after seeing this new bumper by Artisan Spirits, I’m in love. Will try to order it.

https://i.postimg.cc/Fzw8DGKc/BA45-B...CE9-A8-E91.jpg

That’s all for now.

Can’t wait to see the tail lights on the car. Combined with the red, it’ll have a supercar look to it lol Also, didn’t know that 9.5 made such a difference in the Raijin wheels. Looks so much better than the 8s. Fantastic looking wheel for the price

Thanks man. Yeah that’s what I’m hoping for, especially after the wing goes on. And absolutely right about the wheels. I think they’re 100% the reason why I keep getting people asking what my car is. Last week one guy thought it was a Lambo, which to me is hilarious but still nice

I'm curious how that Artisan Spirits bumper will go for you. I want to see it on a non-widebody car before I pull the trigger on the purchase. I've been checking with Artisan, Evasive, and watching Japanese car social media sites, but so far nothing has turned up other than the render that you posted.

I'm also pretty concerned about the fitment with FMICs, but that's something I'll probably have to work out on my own.

I probably won’t be able to afford it until spring anyway, but I did message them and they said order time is a week and they ship it using freight and I pick it up at an airport. So we’ll see

The other week I repainted my key for the second time cause it was almost completely peeled from the first time I painted it. I stuck an Initial D decal on it cause why not.

https://i.postimg.cc/wMKRrgG4/BBAB01...AC04-E91-B.jpg

Then I had the TRD door stabilizers installed, which I got used. They look great and the play in the door is greatly reduced. The thunk sounds different, there is a bit more NVH and noise coming through the body, but the difference in turn in is quite tiny. You have to really gauge it during that first spirited drive post install. After that drive your brain re-adjusts to the difference.
https://i.postimg.cc/YSZv4tM2/A2-F3-...-BAC283-ED.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/FRS73wHy/BDC2-C...-A520982-C.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/SxZ2hWPM/6-F7-E...A4-CB21-A8.jpg

Added a TRD radiator cap (used)
https://i.postimg.cc/ht4z6C2n/84151-...1-E9085-C2.jpg

And now on to the strut brace, which is by Grimmspeed. The difference during cornering is appreciable. It feels like the cornering limits were shifted beyond my comfort level. After the install I kept throwing it into the corners faster and faster and this thing just gripped man. Very worthwhile mod imo.
https://i.postimg.cc/fyxSn14z/8-C9-D...-BD94833-B.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/PqPLrCGF/9-F1-E...FD1-DDD616.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/NFwL4bKW/1-B582...3-A27-B4-A.jpg

Also have these two waiting to be installed. Perrin engine mounts and steering lockdown kit. Can’t wait! Especially the mounts.

https://i.postimg.cc/RVLJPrQG/8-CF66...8463-AEB30.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Nfcr7GT5/607-C7...D397-A1-AC.jpg

Alright so... steering rack lockdown, here's a stock pic cause I don't have any

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/SRrSQwrX/246B2058-4***-465B-9B20-930DB2C6F2FD.jpg[/img]

Steering feels moderately less wobbly, there is less bump steer and the response is more positive and direct. Not a night and day difference but good enough that I wouldn't want to go back to not having it. There is zero NVH

The engine mounts.

https://i.postimg.cc/pdFP59CM/7B4583...B3BC32229A.jpg

These, on the other hand, have so much NVH that I thought something was loose or broken and took the car back to the mechanic. Nothing was loose or broken, so I realized during cold idle the car is quite noisy, with lots of vibration and movement below 800 rpm or so and during takeoff. Once the car is warmed up, even 600 rpm transfers a small amount of vibration felt at the pedals and that's about it. Very civilized. You just have to wait until the car is warm.

The driving experience is a peach. The car roars (just the mechanical noises being transferred to the cabin but still) and redlining it is an absolute joy. The car just pulls. You obviously don't gain any power but you do feel like there is more power available to you, less of it wasted. It definitely hauls ass down the road. I would say so far this has been the most bang for buck upgrade and WELL worth the asking price. Just don't listen to the reviews. I don't know if it's the fact that I have a bunch of other bushings and inserts, but the NVH increase is not mild, especially in the colder climates.

In other news, took off my summer wheels
https://i.postimg.cc/Nfds3vFS/A6B999...621B6FCD12.jpg

And put on my winter wheels, which are the same Enkei Raijins but in 18x8 instead of 18x9.5
https://i.postimg.cc/P5BjHXj3/959532...A34194A936.jpg

Also washed and waxed the car while the weather was good and decided to take some pics with the new phone, cause I love the camera
https://i.postimg.cc/XJgS99ym/530CE0...7A912F98FD.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/tTGp3XvZ/71BD39...1EBE729778.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/j28pFKch/C72674...7C65D9CA24.jpg

Shiny!
https://i.postimg.cc/DzVtDxrR/C35195...46969DCCF9.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/h4rcmRLv/682940...5A4B5F1F44.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/NFptvRsm/504637...4C26375F4A.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/hPvW7z4Z/37DE63...ACB6D2A3C1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/d3tM6D21/0EDCA5...62C1513C5B.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/qMv0XDwL/79AD54...7ADE555C5E.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/JzHfPfkb/9150F5...6803E5B431.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/T2CvwqxW/F09785...668359CDBC.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/J4Fw3rGr/EE9559...CDC4E93DFD.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/43VTND4J/F06138...FD2080D290.jpg

Also bought these Intec carbon tails but those will be sitting in a box until the rest of the look is complete (Artisan Spirits front bumper and rear wing)
https://i.postimg.cc/RZ8M01cT/A59344...79E65300CF.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/85dDwqxy/0AD175...C658D78DBE.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Gm9Lrgs2/166058...145B404C00.jpg

These are controversial but I think they'll work well with the complete look. If not, I'll slap the Valentis back on and sell them.

Thanks for looking!

Truth be told, I haven’t really needed winter floor mats so far. My car is garaged and at work I park it in a roofed multi storey parking lot. But I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas so I said why not. I hate the usual selection of winter mats cause I just find them so bulky and much more fitting in a pickup truck or something. With these mats, my interior is still a nice place to be in every day. Not expensive either.

https://i.postimg.cc/BvwQwv1H/8-DAEA...-F1-ABB6-F.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/d1ktMK8X/A25908...-C36-FE755.jpg

The texture is awesome
https://i.postimg.cc/DZ9fnY6z/B2-DC4...1-EE6-FCD8.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/g2s08szM/DB1-CB...-C3-A233-E.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/3wwxBGW3/BF12-D...48-B61-BCD.jpg

Who/what company are your seat cover

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Damn didn’t even see that you got the tails lol excited to see them on the car.

So you picked up the mats from Amazon? Been wanting to get those, but they’ve been on backorder on FT86SF. They look like they’re great quality

Yeah I got them on Amazon, they had a few sets in stock at the time of purchase (last week)