FRS vs BRZ Modifications (Rant | IMO)
 

Just to clear things up before you read, im well aware modding is by no means cheap especially when it comes to the JDM market and I am by no means a cheap ass..... Carry on:clap:


Recently ive been shopping for mods for the FRS and have started to become discouraged. Maybe its too early for me to be like this, as with the initial release with ANY product you should always expect inflated prices. But i got to thinking. I started adding up pricing just for a TRD 86, and im starting to think that the more i add.. the more the BRZ makes sense.

TRD Body with exhaust: around 3.8k
Emblems: 60
Headlights: 2.6k
Wheels + tires: 1.2k

(And thats without all the extra fancy stuff like clear markets, front fender garnish, blah blah blah jdm.)

So basically im looking at 7.6k in just COSMETICS. Now im big on looks, and i would imagine anyone else would be when shopping between these cars. But i have this thing with pairing looks and performance. Yeah I dont mind dropping maybe 3k for cosmetics and leaving it stock but to spend almost $8k on just cosmetics and no performance upgrades is a little disheartening. I mean intake would be around another $400 (guessing) S/C prolly 3-4k. So that shoots up the pricing to another whopping 12k :suicide:. For all that i could buy a porsche or some (advertised as excellent condition:lol:) lotus.

As compared to the BRZ, im satisfied with the looks as it was released as it should have been with no watered down trims. I wouldnt spend over 11k in looks, and basically could pour all that money into performance. I could turn the BRZ into an FRS for that price and then some! I find it funny how ironic these two cars have become to me. Most of everyone is gonna turn the FRS into "look at me TRD show boat" while some mod performance while most of the BRZ enthusiast will prolly turn their cars into performance power houses knowing subaru owners.

I suppose the best answer to my dilemma would be "hellastock resale is everything" but im young. Yeah i have money, but i have a good perception of where to put it. I dont just blow money for the helluva it without good reason. That being said....
Dark Grey Metallic BRZ.:iono:


(BTW not trying to speak for all FRS/BRZ owners when it comes to modification and their personal interest in the car, everyone has their own thing. So dont shoot me down for that)
/rant

Keep it clean ladies.

You must have missed the end of my post.

Because initially i had fallen in love with the TRD 86... but as i started to add up cost, the BRZ became more appealing.

Comparing your list to your last statement (and yes, this is just my opinion) I don't see where they match up.

I'll give you the TRD Body with exhaust as a "because I want a TRD car". I like the 5Axis kit and may consider it.

The remaining ones are replacing perfectly fine parts that your only reason to replace is because you feel they need to be replaced for a non-functional reason.

In particular, the headlights. I've driven a couple of hundred of miles in an FRS in the dark. The headlights function and do their job fine. Are the HIDs? No. Do they light your path so you can drive the car? Yes.

If you are just hellbent on HIDs, I would wait a couple of years for either aftermarket or salvage ones.

I would MUCH rather spend that last $4,000 dollars (lights/wheels/tires) on performance, (or for that matter a motorcycle :))

I know, there is a real shared hate here on the forum for the headlights and the wheels/tires, and if that's what you want to spend your money on, that's fine, and there may even be a "good reason" in some circumstances to replace them (track/etc).

Again, just my opinion, but that's what you asked for, right? And if there is anything I'm an expert on, its my opinion.

I really only want the GT86's HIDs. Well that and push button start. Assuming that I won't be getting the push button and the HIDs will cost around ~1500-2000 the other option is retrofit.

A DIY HID retrofit with ballasts, projectors and painting the housing, will cost around $500 and some time.

If done right I think the FRS's headlights could be very cool looking, functional and original for not that much money.

When I get the car I'm going to try the h11 to H9 halogen conversion at first to hopefully increase output a bit and that only costs like $30.

All other mods will be performance based for the street. Over time I'd like to do some springs, I/E/H +ECU/Tune, maybe powercoat the stock wheels, and maybe some stickier rubber.

All of this should cost around $2500-$3000 NEW.

Now don't forget too that there will be knock-offs (some good and some bad) and used parts once this car has been around the block. Which will effectively cut the costs by half.

Precisely the reason I'm going with a BRZ as well... well to be more specific a BRZ STI (whenever that comes about. :sigh:)

Toyota Technocraft (Japanese TRD) = $$$$$$$$

Always has, always will.

:bellyroll:

Coming from someone with this as their sig:

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/...pphpCdXpxr.jpg

But I do agree that parts price are crazy right now. But the cars been on the market in Japan for what, 2 months? Less then a month here? Patience, which is something I dont have, would be a virtue. Since there are many companies out there that are interested in making parts for this car, I suspect competition will drive prices down (within reason).

As much as that sounds like a great idea. I have my eyes set on the BRZ/FRS and wont settle for anything less:popcorn:

He was actually quite relevent i believe, i think hes saying for all that just buy a mustang without having to do those fancy modifications..

Your right, and this is another base question i can ask myself whether which would make the FRS more worth it. Buying parts later down the line, would in fact be more sensible when the OEM parts are no longer useful. I definitely agree.

Im really trying to avoid knockoffs because im big about quality as well... see TRD :bonk:

Yes yes i know, its a little ironic... but im not an idiot! Hopefully your actually right and generally this is what happens in a popular market, competition. & with the FRS theres plenty of it.


Thank you guys for your sensible opinions thus far. Actually put me back of the FRS/BRZ fence:happy0180:

No problem. It really is a tough question with no really bad choice to be made.

I compared the two over-and-over, even after becoming a 1st86. In the end, the things that make the BRZ "officially" a Subaru (the extra stuff) really didn't matter to me. It also put the car outside my self-imposed price range. As it turned out for me, being a 1st86 was blessing of sorts when my daily driver died a hard death. I could not have waited any longer than I did to get a new car.

You got to be satisfied with your purchase, particularly when talking this much money. Satisfaction includes meeting your price point, and what meets you consider the right value for that price point. I love my little red FR-S but had it been $30K I would have loved it from afar and bought a 2013 in 2016.

The stuff just came out on the market. Right now to buy those parts you have to have an importer get them for you. Some dealers have this service. I don't doubt that the dollar to yen exchange rate is playing into this, and the fact that these have to be transported in small quantities rather than shipped in large crates over from Toyota. Right now, these aren't official TRD accessories for the U.S.A. Given time, they might release them for the North American Market, like TRD used to do before Scion and TRD USA's mediocre parts offerings were around. Check out this scan of the TRD U.S. Catalog from 1990: you could get tons of stuff for your car back then. They even offered HKS tuning parts in the catalog! (you may have to register with MR2OC to view it)

http://www.mr2ownersclub.com/catalog...log_Lowrez.pdf

okay one of us doesnt know what ironic means
well the mustang is not less than the frs. it is much more and if you hurry you can get a '12 for under 25k