New FR-S Owner! First manual car for me, various questions!
 

Glad to have finally joined the family!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4187/3...c5a0b4d8_c.jpg

She's a 2013 - Feb 2013 on the Door Jamb.

A bunch of questions in no particular order.
First, since it's my first stick shift, it's quite a learning curve. I assume it's normal that the clutch engagement/bite point feels very high up? I need more practice so I can build the muscle memory on where it is, as I'm still very jerky from a stop. Granted, I don't have many other clutches to compare it to, as I've only driven other manual cars once or twice for short periods of time.

I don't see too many Argento's around here - but I was wondering, if I choose to swap the taillights with Valenti's, I didn't realize how many options there are! What do you think would suit an Argento best? I don't think I want to go with anything too dark or smoked, so perhaps a clear or red lens?

I have the stock/base Stereo in there, and I was hoping to eventually add a subwoofer, something that is small so I can still retain trunk space, something like this https://www.amazon.ca/PIONEER-TSSWX2...ords=TSSWX2502
Do you know what would be a good/reasonable amp choice for that?
My plan is to plug the amp into the existing RCA jacks on the Stereo.

I think I may do the Helix Clear Side Markers too, to clean it up a bit.

Beyond that, no real mods planned apart from the very obvious driver mod, until I get confident and comfortable with driving the car, then I can hopefully start to enjoy the car for what it was built for!

Hey congrats! I got a brz just recently too. I'm in a similar situation as you; first manual car, only driven other sticks for a short bit of time, and the clutch feels high and heavy for me.

Gonna save this thread to see what others recommend, but from my previous research I've read you can either remove the spring clutch or adjust it. I'm thinking about adjusting mine over the weekend. Congrats again on the car, looks good!

If you do some searching you will find that the high clutch is common complaint.

The good news is that there is a simple fix to lower the clutch pedal in the DIY section.

Not sure how somebody brand new to MT would find it high? Shouldn't it be normal to them and everything else seem low?

IIRC it sits noticeably higher than the other pedals before adjustment, so using those as a guage I guess it would feel high, even to somebody new to MT.

CONGRATULATIONS, on your new car, ....... there, jcutner .......:)

I'd suggest you leave the clutch alone ....... yes, it does have a higher engagement point than many other clutches ........ but you will get used to it .......;)


humfrz

I wasn't criticizing just confused. They mention the engagement point not the pedal height. To feel it is high means having a norm to compare to.

Haha this is my first manual and that was my exact thought. At this point though it would be nice for the grab point to be lower simply for starting off in first and shifting to second.

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I have driven with higher points and also with lower points. In all cases I got used to where the point was in about 10 shifts or so. I find no certain point is easier or harder than another once you know where it is.

It weird, but your first manual car you obsess about remembering where the bite point is. Then you drive someone else's car and the bite point is in a different place and another car and it's different again. After a while it stops mattering and your foot finds the bite point pretty much instantly. You maybe move the clutch quite slowly at first in each unfamiliar car, but you adapt to each new clutch bite point faster until you don't notice it any more.

I'd just get used to it unless it's causing any ergonomics issues or foot strain.

Personally I find the accelerator free play more tricky to master in new cars. I stall my 86 the first time i drove it off the dealer lot because I couldn't quite feel the accelerator free play. I could have just rev'ed it instead but was trying to be a smart arse.

Is this the jcutner of Shacknews fame?

Hahahah holy shit
Of all the places on the internet
It certainly is!

Hahah, awesome. I knew I remembered that nickname somehow. It was like a Pavlovian response when I saw "jcutner", Shacknews memories came flooding back. Wasted brain space?

I think I started posting on that site back in 97 or 99? Stopped posting around the game Gamefly took over and ruined the colors/UI.

Did you ever get unbanned? :bellyroll:

Nope, that was a permaban they'll hold onto forever! Been over 10 years now.
Neogaf is my new stomping ground, that and reddit even though I mostly lurk!