Draco-REX's BRZ "Ghost"
 

Index:

"Done" photos, Post 149.

Reviews:
Intro and First impressions, Posts 1-2.
Reverse Impressions, Post 57.
First AutoX with the BRZ, Post 110.
First long road trip from OH to MA and back, Post 122.
AutoX with REAL tires, Post 136.

Interior/Exterior Mods:
WC Lathe Werks Shift Knob, Post 3.
GrimmSpeed front towhook plate bracket, Post 35.
Aftermarket exhaust tips until a new exhaust is available, Post 46.
Tinted windows and side markers, Post 69.
Post-Detail shots, Post 90.
Exterior LED Conversion, Post 134.
Schroth Rally 3 Harnesses, Post 135.
CARSMO duckbll spoiler, Post 147.
Debadged and moved the BRZ, post 148.

Engine/Powertrain:
Accelerated Performance cat-back Exhaust, post 105.

Suspension/Wheels:
WedsSport TC105n Wheels, Post 126.
RCE Yellow Suspension Starter Kit, Post 139.



The NEXT incarnation:
Ghost 2.0: "Wraith"








Intro and first impressions:

Since my friends dubbed my STI "Grip" after the plate I have on it, all of my cars now have names. My CBS 6MT BRZ Limited is named "Ghost" for it's light weight and ability to change direction in supernatural ways. :D

I've been following the FT's development on-and-off since the first rumors of Toyota's interest in a lightweight sportscar. I've been sick of the ever increasing weight of cars these days and the soft vague handling that's permeating all "sportscars" in a misguided attempt to make the more appealing to the average driver.

Some of the most fun I've had driving has been in small, low-powered cars. And my STI has had a LOT of work done to the suspension to get it where I feel it should be. Now, finally, there's a car that meets my expectations (on paper so far) while also being practical enough to be a daily driver.

My current DD is a 2007 Subaru Legacy spec.B. I picked it up, used, because at the time I felt I wanted a car that was fun and comfortable for long drives. The long trips was important because I travel from OH to MA a couple times a year to visit family. So the spec.B seemed to be the best car for the job.

But now, a year and a half later, I've decided that I'm willing to give up a lot of comfort for more fun. And so, I ordered Ghost.

And now, he has arrived!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7...969d39f5_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7...83d35e57_c.jpg
These pics were taken pre-PDI and detailing. More to come.

I have plans for Ghost. Rims/tires, exhaust, lots of suspension, tint, clear bra, and more. This will be a fun journey.

Well, finally got to drive the car off the lot around 6:45. I had company waiting for me at home so I didn't get to take all the pictures I wanted. Those will come. But here are a couple I took at the dealership.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7...687a8cf4_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/7...98d7477f_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7...0ffc9f61_c.jpg

So, initial impressions:

Fantastic. It's unbelievable how well sorted the suspension is for it being a stock car under 30K. It feels like the car is already modded. The low CG means there's barely any body roll, which is surprising considering how soft the springs and sways are.

Let's see if I can organize this.

Steering: A lot heavier than I thought it was going to be considering all the "great, but" reviews regarding the electric steering. I really like the feel.

Shifter: Very nice and precise. The position is good, but the pivot is a LOT higher than in my other Subarus. It will take some getting used to. Gear engagement is positive. But I need to get used to the new gears and clutch to smooth my shifts out.

Clutch: My biggest disappointment. A lot of reviewers like it, which makes me think I must be used to very heavy clutches. The BRZ's clutch is VERY light. When I first stepped on it, the clutch reminded me of the one in my old corolla when the slave was busted. But other than the feel, it's a good clutch. Engagement is mid-high and I adapted to it pretty well for the driving I did today.

Visibility: Excellent out the front and sides. Rear is pretty good. But the sail panels are a bit thick. Looking out the passenger side is good. But looking back over my left shoulder is blocked. I'll need to change my lane-change habits with this car.

Seat: Very supportive. However it's just a touch tight for my fatness. But hey, more incentive to lose some weight. The belt rests against the side of my neck which is mildly annoying. There's a loop on the seat's shoulder, but I'm too big to leave the belt in there. Hopefully the people experimenting with hard seatbelt guides will find oen that works.

Radio: Good, but needs a lot of fiddling. The Bluetooth is good and integrated very easily with my Thunderbolt. The hardest part was finding the Bluetooth device search on my phone. There is a 12V port in the glovebox. So I can connect my phone to a charger and stuff it in the glovebox and let it connect to the stereo via Bluetooth.

GPS: I didn't get to play with this much, but looks a LOT better than the sorry excuse in the spec.B. I'll mess with it more to see if it is at least as good as my old Garmin.

Back Seats: Yeah... Wow.. Small.. This will be interesting trying to get a friend back there with another who's as big as me in the front seat.

Power: The thing you've all been waiting for. I haven't been able to hammer on it due to break in. But I did do a short run through the gears. Since I'm used to turbo cars, I miss the rising tide of torque, so it doesn't feel as aggressive. But we'll see how it is in daily driving. And once I've got it broken in some more I'll do some playing in the upper RPM range.

I can't wait to take this to an AutoX. I've already inadvertently engaged the stability control three times. :)

The very first mod is a WC Lathe Werks shift knob.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/7...71627f6a80.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7...3436edc785.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7...ab03c81c10.jpg

It's a 2" copolymer sphere with two small grooves around the bottom to give some texture to it for my fingertips. This is my 4th sphere shift knob from WC, and probably won't be my last. I'll put it on the car tomorrow when I pick it up and take some installed pics.

I took some crappy installed pics. The sun was fighting me and my phone had trouble dealing with it.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7...f54c760e_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7088/7...1d8b8548_c.jpg

I love it. It really fits the interior more, IMO. And as with every WC knob I've bought, it feels great.

Better pic:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/7...115d545d_c.jpg

The style of the car is I like, it is so cool!

Congrads! I'm interested to see how that shift knob looks, I can tell I'll get tired of mine quickly, haha.

Just noticing now, man that is some crazy wheel gap! Otherwise, great color choice! I'm interested in the further mods as you do them. Also want to hear more driving thoughts.

Congrats!!! Interested to see how the shift knob looks when you swap it with the old one.

Black can distort wheel gap. Here's a pic I took when I picked it up today.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7...687a8cf4_c.jpg


Initial Impressions and more pictures forthcoming.

congrats! black looks really sexy. Some pics of the shift knob installed would be great!

Black is looking super sexy. Tire dressing was just what the doctor ordered. Any plans for wheels? I'm feeling gunmetal or hyberblack on CBS.

I have to get the pic tomorrow. I had company tonight so I didn't get all the pictures I wanted and now it's too dark to show a black knob in a black interior.

I have plans for wheels. Probably gunmetal. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to narrow it down to one set I like.

Initial impressions in second post.

Congrats.
I was okay with navi in spec.b, after a few updates. At least it didn't show me as driving on the water, lol.

Alright, a CBS member finally. Can't wait to see what wheels you put on your BRZ. :thumbsup: