Over a decade ago I sold aftermarket Subaru parts for a living and the joke was you'd sell them twice - once to make power, then again to support it when the stock engine inevitability blew. I never saw myself sitting in a car with a boxer engine in it due to my experience with the EJ's.
The BRZ - I sold the original owner the intake and exhaust components and then shot the car for Subaru Drive Magazine where the modding path on your average enthusiast was compared to that of tuners like Crawford. Unfortunately the PO suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which made driving / getting into a stick sports car more painful than he could endure. With the engine failure (catastrophic coolant leak) of the Miata and the good offer on the BRZ, I made the leap of faith.
Previous car: The Murder Miata - How can you not love Miatas? I lovingly built it from the ground up to support the GT2560R (242 whp, 207 ft-lbs) and be a showcase for JDM style artisan components that were available for the interior. More details here.
It was quite a transition going from a bathtub rocket prone to going sideways at any moment to a well composed but rather numb (to me) mostly stock chassis. This blank canvas would be more refined and tailored for daily driving satisfaction: A bit of comfort retained yet sharp on feedback and capable of slicing and dicing roads when desired.
MODLIST WITH NOTES
Bilstein B6 (only because B8 were back ordered)
Hotchkis Sport Springs
Perrin Front Endlinks
SPC Adjustable Lower Control Arms (Rear) - needed to align car due to accident by previous owner.
Whiteline Crossmember Mount Kit - I should have done this from day one - damn! It really tightens up the car overall, shifts are more precise, slop on acceleration is diminished, and you feel more in tune with the rear of the car. The only drawback was fighting for nearly 4 hours to get the last of four subframe bolts back in which required every trick in the book to make it so. I do now notice a clunk when shifting occasionally but don’t mind it.
Current summer meats: Potenza RE-71R (noticeably better and more responsive than Direzza's I've ran for years - make them feel sluggish)
The suspension setup could definitely be better. It's a bit soft in the rear while also being busy on the road. However I have ample ground clearance for city / trail parking lot clearances and it hasn't put me in jeopardy at any point during aggressive driving.
STi Engine Mounts - relatively easy to install. I regret not doing these much sooner - don't hesitate like I did. I barely noticed an increase in NVH. The engine feels more connected to the car and the front end is more noticeable, whereas before it felt like the engine was just moving around numbly like something left in your trunk if that makes sense. Acceleration is more immediate, shifts are more precise.
Perrin Inlet Hose
Perrin Intake
Koyo Radiator
FT-86 SpeedFactory 11lb Battery Kit
Borla Catback
(Switched from Borla UEL Headers to) Tomei Expreme Unequal Length Header +Tomei Overpipe - increased the drone to an undesirable amount. Overall this exhaust setup drones badly but I just don't want to spend the money on a replacement that may be too quiet as it sounds great at full throttle without any rasp.
Exedy OEM pressure plate with stage 1 clutch disc (more aggressive than default OEM setup - should it ever see the track or light boost)
Velox billet clutch fork and pivot point
Exedy lightweight steel flywheel - I could never go back to an OEM flywheel. If you're replacing your throwout bearing and have the money, this is the best mod I've done to improve driving feel.
SRP Gas Pedal
MTEC clutch spring - great mod. The factory pedal is too vague and soft.
StopTech Slotted Rotors
StopTech Performance Brake Pads (309)
StopTech Front Brake Lines
This setup is great for the street, stops very hard, and does not make any noise with anti-squeal paste. Aggressive dust but does not attack the rims.
Carbon Fiber Gauge Hood Cover
Voodoo Shift knob
JDM Knee Pads
JDM Speaker Covers
JDM Armrest
JL Stealthbox Subwoofer
Ca-Fi Dashlinq Head unit
Stinger RKX36B Roadkill Expert Series Sound Damping Sound deadening added to rear
Clear corner lights
Perrin short antenna
Not big on cosmetic exterior mods - the amount of compliments it gets is astounding considering it looks mostly like it did off the lot.
At this point, the car feels responsive, snappy, and good to drive. She's coming up on 100k miles - may she last forever. The front bumper is turnpike sandblasted and everything's a little rusty. I'd love to do more - like throw my paycheck at a supercharger - but I'll be saving for the next gen BRZ and hoping it checks all the boxes.
If you have any questions about the mods don't hesitate to PM me. Thanks for reading!