Lost on what to upgrade on my car
 

Fairly new to forums, so I hope this is in the right place. I've had my frs for about 4 months and I absolutely love it. Has about 6k miles so far. This is my first car and I am extremely proud of working for it. I'm lost on what to upgrade. I'm new to modifying cars and because I just got to the Lower 48 from Alaska, it's time to do some work!

Here's what I've done so far: interior led swap & rear fog light install. So practically nothing except aesthetics.

What should I do next? I get hesitant when it comes time to buy something...

What I'm curious about is:

Intake. Cai or short ram.
Exhaust? What kind? I'm partial to the j2 quad but really hesitant.
Tune? Such as OFT? Maybe e85 map if it's worth it.
Anything else??

Don't want to break the bank but also would like to do something to it...sorry for the noob post...

Thanks!!

Congrats on your first new car and welcome to the forum.

Edited, thinking you were still in AK. For me, first things first is always tires.

Drop in, free-er flowing air filter would be worth considering (like a K&N).

A new muffler would change the sound (like a nameless axle back).

Have fun!

Some minor power mods would be worthwhile, but consider long term goals you may want, and look for compatible upgrades.

If you're just aimlessly wanting to work on something, then think about what you feel should be improved. After all, it's YOUR car and you can make whatever change you want with enough time/money.

Are you going to keep the car long term or are you going to trade it in?
Do you want to maintain warranty?
Do you have a tuner/garage nearby that you can trust?

If you want to do FI in the future, you might want to hold off on NA power mods and set that cash aside (intake, full exhaust, and a tune could set you back two grand or more). If you want to keep it NA, then go in stages, i.e. compile some parts that require a tune and install/tune all at once; (instead of install a part, get a tune, install another part 2 months later, get another tune)...

There's always suspension, brakes, and chassis. Wheels/tires can make a huge difference to how the car looks/feels, and springs/coilovers can transform looks and feel. If you ever want to track the car beyond an occasional beginner lightweight session here and there, brake upgrades (pads and fluid) would be a good idea. Chassis bushings and braces can help the car feel more responsive.

And there's always the audio system...

Depends if you want to go race car, or street car.

My own mods to date:
BRZ Trunk liner
Dyna mat installed in trunk, backseat and roof
Perrin crank pulley (not really worth it, but it looks cool)
Sound tube delete
OEM Armrest
Rexspeed wide angle mirrors
Trunk lid swap (to get rid of scion wing)
Scion all weather mats
front plate relocator

Items in my garage I need to install:
aluminum steering rack bushings
transmission/shifter mount

items I plan to purchase and install soonish:
ft86 speed factory catted header
nameless front/overpipe (catted)
Aluminum driveshaft
dynamat the rest of the cabin

Future plans:
Lightweight exhaust system
diffuser
wheels and tires (likely RPF1s and Pilot A/S/3)
lightweight battery
tom's taillights
injen headlights
lightweight clutch/flywheel
oil cooler
oil catch can

daydream mods:
Electric super charger
final drive
rear diff cooler

My car is a daily driver that may see the track 2-3 times a year.

That line, my friend. Here is another one.

Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Pick 2, and throw away one

Give me a shout if you want to chat about some options. There are a lot of different avenues to go down depending on your budget and goals with the car.:thumbsup:

There are an absolute ton of products to look at and choose from, but honestly what I can recommend would be to browse the forums, see what other guys are doing and bookmark the items you think are cool, or look good. I can't tell you how many times I've modified a car a certain way just because a forum member had a similar idea. Do that and then listen to youtube videos for exhaust, and get your input from guys from local car meets as well. Get all those combined and you've got yourself a good list of recommended parts from the guys who have modified before you :)

If there's nothing that needs to be changed then don't change it.

The car is great as is, don't modify just because you feel like you should or because you want to try it, you'll just be throwing money down the drain.

Every mod compromises an aspect that was originally intended, whether it be aesthetics, ride comfort or gas mileage.

I would hold off on intake for now besides doing a drop in filter in the stock box. @GrimmSpeed is doing some extensive intake testing and the results they've shared thus far is very interesting. I haven't done it yet, but with todays nasty weather I wish I had, but I would probably get better tires. The stock tires love to slide.

tints lol

drop in filter then header then exhaust then tune for NA power
then u decide the rest

Not to thread-jack, but how much of a difference did it make to add sound dampening in the trunk pan? I have added it to the lid (with BRZ trunk liner) and I have a noticable decrease in wind noise from the rear. I plan on doing the trunk pan as soon as it warms up a bit...

To the OP: It really depends on what direction you want to take it in. Lots of people just mod in every/any direction just for the sake of changing things on their car. Do you want to make it more of a touring car, a fast street car, or a stripped out racer?

Knowing where you want the end result to be can help to make a much more uniform look and feel to your car, even if it takes years to get there.

If you don't know what you want, wait. You might regret your purchases later. Hold off until you know exactly what you want to change.

A tune ;)