Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community - FT86CLUB - View Single Post - Hoping to get one as a first car; very excited! Any advice?

radroach · 08-25-2021, 02:55 PM

@MeepSecurity

Cool first car but I hope you can afford the insurance and maintenance costs; it's your first car, the costs can be a bit steep. I say this to a lot of younger drivers who are thinking about getting the car. I'd hope you have a good arrangement for insurance, otherwise you'll have to establish a good driving record.

Tires and tire pressure determine the feel of this car. Make sure you don't lose tire pressure over winter months or the car will feel like a dog. My first year of ownership, I did not pay enough attention to tires, but later learned to keep up with checking my tire pressures and replacing tires on a "regular basis" of about every two years.

Oil changes. The 5000-7000 mile intervals recommended by Subaru and Toyota are made for slow passenger cars, not ones that are driven in severe conditions (like track days). Get a fumoto oil drain valve, a few year's supply of dealership oil filters, and change your oil often.

A few attempts at SCCA Autocross taught me about tire grip, handling the car. I was given an instructor who helped me through a few runs. As well, I had a lot of lessons in loss of traction when my tires went bald and I had to drive on them all winter. Always keep good tires on this car!

08-25-2021, 02:55 PM	#16
radroach Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Drives: car Location: usa Posts: 2,162 Thanks: 1,028 Thanked 867 Times in 530 Posts Mentioned: 35 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	@MeepSecurity Cool first car but I hope you can afford the insurance and maintenance costs; it's your first car, the costs can be a bit steep. I say this to a lot of younger drivers who are thinking about getting the car. I'd hope you have a good arrangement for insurance, otherwise you'll have to establish a good driving record. Tires and tire pressure determine the feel of this car. Make sure you don't lose tire pressure over winter months or the car will feel like a dog. My first year of ownership, I did not pay enough attention to tires, but later learned to keep up with checking my tire pressures and replacing tires on a "regular basis" of about every two years. Oil changes. The 5000-7000 mile intervals recommended by Subaru and Toyota are made for slow passenger cars, not ones that are driven in severe conditions (like track days). Get a fumoto oil drain valve, a few year's supply of dealership oil filters, and change your oil often. A few attempts at SCCA Autocross taught me about tire grip, handling the car. I was given an instructor who helped me through a few runs. As well, I had a lot of lessons in loss of traction when my tires went bald and I had to drive on them all winter. Always keep good tires on this car!