What are you plans for you beloved BRZ?
 

So I've been talking with multiple people about their plans for the BRZ. Some wish to keep it completely stock, others want to add a few bolts ons, some are making the ultimate track car.

So my question to you is: what's your plan for you Toyobaru?

Me personally, I'm going to get as much stock NA power out as possible and run with that for as long as its fun. I've done an intake, exhaust, and today the Perrin tune. All together they've made a big difference. It sucks because I was having so much fun with the car but now the car is in the shop to fit the widebunny fenders on.

I wont get my hands on my car until late May at the earliest, but when I do...


- Clear sidemarkers :P
- LED lighting all 'round
- Drive it a bunch to get a feel for what (if anything) needs to be changed
- Header or cat-back exhaust (currently leaning towards a Milltek un-resonated header-back, but it's incredibly hard to make a decision based on shitty youtube videos)

Some of the things I'm considering doing (depending on how I feel after thrashing the car for a while in stock form) roughly in chronological order:

- Tires (I'll probably stick some star specs on once I've demolished the stock ones)
- wheels (still debating the pros and cons of 18's vs 17's and lightness vs looks)
- Replace bushings. All of the bushings. (I'd probably do rear subframe bushings or inserts, engine mounts, and *maybe* one of those diff braces just to improve throttle response and back-end feel)
- Swaybars if necessary (depends on whether I opt for a grippier wheel / tire combo I guess)


I definitely plan on keeping it NA for the foreseeable future, and I don't fancy having to monkey with re-installing stock headers every time I need an emissions test so my engine-related mods will probably be limited to a header back exhaust at most. I might consider a lighter flywheel at some point, but IIRC the flywheel didn't feel super heavy on the car I test-drove and I'd like to keep things reasonable as this will be my DD. I'm really ambivalent about this because we've got a 993 at home with an RS flywheel and it's an absolute joy to use once you're moving but fiddling in parking lots and hill-starting in traffic is kind of a pain... then again, if I drove that car on a daily basis maybe I'd just get used to it :3 We'll see.

I'm also debating whether or not to lower the car as I think the stock wheel gap is pretty ugly, but at the same time I wouldn't want to just swap springs and settle for good looks at the expense of handling. I gather a nice coilover setup is pricey though and that if you're going to drop more than an inch maintaining your suspension geometry starts to get pretty expensive and involved. Not sure I'm up for all that, especially if I like the way the car handles out of the box.

Essentially what I want out of the car are good noises and a really nicely-sorted suspension setup. My test-drive out here in CO was very limited (short, in suburban Denver, and in a car with 12 miles on it so only using half the revs), so I don't really know what the car will feel like at the limit on its stock suspension. I have high hopes though, since the car I drove felt very promising: flat in the corners and felt like it wanted to point as you added power. Very encouraging. Really looking forward to finally getting to drive my car this summer :P

Having only owned mine for a week now, I'm fighting the urge to research all the power adders. It's hard, but I'm trying to be rational... I mean, I haven't even finished the break-in, so the motor hasn't seen more than 4,000rpm's, so it doesn't make sense to worry about power adders until I have at least had a chance to be dissatisfied with the stock power. :) That said, I know I will do something, be it maxing out the n/a power, or going with a supercharger. It's tough, because I came from an LS1 Vette that could pick up 30+whp from longtube headers alone, so picking up 5 or 7 hp from a single mod just seems frustrating. That said, I do realize that from a power:weight perspective, picking up 5hp in a 2,700#/165hp car is the equivalent of picking up 14hp in a 3,200#/300hp car.

Do you have a baseline an modified dyno to show your gains? From what I can tell, you can pick up maybe 15whp from intake/exhaust/tune? How would you describe your gain in terms of how much difference in acceleration there is? If you have a chance, I'd love to see an acceleration video focused on the gauges. I find it interesting to appreciate the acceleration by watching a car progress through the gears...

I am still debating to stick with N/A with the Nameless headers which had awesome gains in the torque dip, or go FI.

It seems like if I go FI, the purpose of this car is ruined. I didn't buy this car to go drag race it, nor this car was built for that purpose. Having fun with low power, much like the Lotus Elise, Miata's etc., seems like a better match for this car.

It is still tempting since spending $500 here, $600 there to make +4whp, +7whp.. etc. Is frustrating when you can drop a SC/Turbo kit and boom +50whp with moderate boost. I am worried with the longevity of the motor as well as tranny's, diff's etc., on how much faster they will wear by going FI.

For now my goal would be balancing out my suspension work after I do some AutoX events to see what it needs with my driving style, and enjoy FI with a 2nd car.. Looking at the 2015 STI perhaps.

I would really like to take my BRZ to a track day while it's still 100% stock. Of course it wouldn't be totally stock, as I would use track pads.

But then beyond that:
-positive displacement supercharger
-full exhaust
-lower suspension about 0.75"

And when the OEM Michelins wear out I'll be replacing them with Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Specs.

I want to keep it stock and try pay it off as fast as i can :)

My plans?

Make the car perform like this.....
http://www.carxy.com/walls/lotus_exige_4-wide.jpg


...while being comfortable as this....

http://www.carphotoalbum.com/images/honda-accord-07.jpg



and still getting mileage such as this...

http://static.cargurus.com/images/si...pic-19804.jpeg



;)

I'll probably just jump it into a ditch or something. ;)

Drive it. Not track as it is my DD. Enjoy the living piss out of it. Subtle changes for the interior like some JPM coachworks stuff. Already got my Rally Armor flaps, JDM side markers, wheels later this month, and for performance, intake, exhaust, and tune. Done.

The car has a pretty low limit. I don't think you'll have any trouble tracking it on the stock rubber. You'll have a lot of fun and you won't blow it up or run through your wear-items very quickly.

Sticky tires, drop-in filter, exhaust tips, seat slip-on leather seat covers, and drive it.

The tires and tips are done. :)

Yeah I know I just do not have the time for it. It may happen later down the road but for the time being, just going to enjoy it.

Plan on spring to to get here, drive the damn thing- put 1000 miles on it get oil changed, have them put on a rear diffuser and get the trunk liner.

Just dropped my car off today and getting it back tomorrow. I cant stand not having it. Getting eibach springs and nameless overpipe w/highflow cat installed. Already have injen intake and invidia q300 catback installed. Plan to get nameless headers eventually. I also have an ecutek kit from visconti to flash my car with once i get it back home tomorrow. Thats it for now.