Bought some Cusco FRS parts.... (pics)

[bestwheelbase]

First post showing a modified FRS in North America. First post where people get snippy about what modifications another person chose to use. C'mon folks, let's enjoy the open discussion with some decorum. We are all friends here!

@Moto-P - that blue finish really pops against the white engine room! I actually liked how the strut bar looked with the blue wrapping still in place, but I see the main cross member is actually silver. Thanks for posting pictures of your ongoing development with the car.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by bestwheelbase

First post showing a modified FRS in North America. First post where people get snippy about what modifications another person chose to use. C'mon folks, let's enjoy the open discussion with some decorum. We are all friends here!

@Moto-P - that blue finish really pops against the white engine room! I actually liked how the strut bar looked with the blue wrapping still in place, but I see the main cross member is actually silver. Thanks for posting pictures of your ongoing development with the car.

Yes, let's do this. As bestwheelbase said, we are all friends here.

Continue whatever the topic was..

[JDMrolla]

looks great moto, i will be following your build closely

[ichitaka05]

I will not tolerate these kind of posts. If you don't have anything positive to say, move on.

[Moto-P]

Originally Posted by civicdrivr

Is the master cylinder brace built into the strut bar?

Yes

[86design]

Originally Posted by Moto-P

Yes

Hey Moto-P do you know a guy name Roger that has a 1980-1990 right hand drive Soarer ??

[Moto-P]

LOL! I don't mind the posts, as long as it's mentioned in a question form with respect to manners. There are lots of variables to modification of a car, and the truth is, a vast majority of folks who are fed information only from forums and catalogs don't have a full understanding of how things work in a real applied science of motorsports.

Cusco is a firm built from Carrosser, a racing operation with many victories in road and rally racing in Japan and abroad. What they make are branded with Cusco. And I do provide feedback to lots of entities. Like I said in the original post, I truly won't, and can't tell you, any effects on real-world handling with these parts on the car till I get it out on the raceway. However, keep in mind that my goal is to preserve the finesse, the beauty and functionality of the FRS/BRZ as created, born of enthusiastic drivers, and produced with a passion for "driving pleasure"

So stay tuned for later posts, and topics, as I come across more opportunities to share my experiences. I haven't quantified the results of the parts presented here, and I shall not yet.

The parts are here though, and since in the past, all of Cusco's hardware on my cars has been great tuning tools. They come in various forms and selection of parts, and buying them all is not the focus.
I think the focus is for anyone, to learn how to drive proficiently, on the race track, and later competitively.
Only then, can you figure out what you actually need or want, and use only the components to satisfy your goal in getting the car to behave how you want it to.
There are tuning parts, not baseball cards, you only collect what you need, and if you need something, you spend the money and buy the correctly designed, high quality items that will do that for you.

I bought these knowing how things behave in this area, and I will use/mix/modify what is needed in my case, and leave them on or put them on at different stages of my needs, according to venues, and other equipment that will also have an effect.


On the topic of brake master stopper and how things change: The truth is that the FRS comes with such finely tuned brake systems, and capacity that is adequate for most motorsports, one really needs to learn how to brake effectively and proficiently to see small differences in how this part reacts.


A bone-stock FRS proved to me that it is extremely refined in the brake balance, pedal stroke to pressure ratio, and overall consistency over several hard laps, right out of the box. So I would imagine that master cylinder stopper will probably have no effect in performance for 99% or more of you in these forums, who are casual sports car fans, and do not partake in hard motorsports activities. The stock FRS in other words are equipped already to not need much more or any modification at all, for most enthusiastic drivers who aspire to become better drivers. It is that GOOD.


I'm only showing you what aftermarket can offer to those who can, and will tune and individualize the cars beyond this, and more importantly, see what exactly the FRS lacks to them, and properly address the issue without ruining the FRS's inherent goodness.



Now that's not an easy task, as this was a car born from several months of testing on Fuji and Nurburgring, in the hands of somebody with great skills and passion and with plenty of talented people.
It's easy to ruin a car this good by haphazard tuning or simply by relying on internet forums...
It's really just up to anyone, to learn to master the art of driving, to see pleasures that are hidden in the FRS, which can only be unlocked with some dedication and talent of the driver.
And that will ultimately define your reasons and direction of modifications on cars like this. For those folks, Cusco parts have been great at offering reasonable cost, effective pieces to help us each step of the way.

[kevinnivek8877]

Originally Posted by Moto-P

On the topic of brake master stopper and how things change: The truth is that the FRS comes with such finely tuned brake systems, and capacity that is adequate for most motorsports, one really needs to learn how to brake effectively and proficiently to see small differences in how this part reacts. A bone-stock FRS proved to me that it is extremely refined in the brake balance, pedal stroke to pressure ratio, and overall consistency over several hard laps, right out of the box. So I would imagine that master cylinder stopper will probably have no effect in performance for 99% or more of you at this forums, who are casual sports car fans, and do not partake in hard motorsports activities. The stock FRS in other words are equipped already to not need much more or any mods at all for most enthusiastic drivers who aspire to become better drivers. It is that GOOD. I'm only showing you what aftermarket can offer to those who can, and will tune and individualize the cars beyond this, and more importantly, see what exactly the FRS lacks to them, and properly address the issue without ruining the FRS's inherent goodness. Now that's not an easy task, as this was a car born from several months of testing on Fuji and Nurburgring, in the hands of somebody with great skills and passion and with plenty of talented people.

Thanks, that is really good insight into modding the car.

[Moto-P]

Originally Posted by 86design

Hey Moto-P do you know a guy name Roger that has a 1980-1990 right hand drive Soarer ??

yes, that used to be my Soarer. LOL

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by Moto-P

The tow hooks fit fine as well, but does require to you either remove the hook port cover, or drill it for a integrated look. This is without the covers for now, still debating if I want to drill or just leave it off till I need it on my track outing. I put it on both ends for you all to see.

Just drill them for a cleaner look. I'm nearly positive all covers have their own part numbers and can be ordered separately from the bumper covers.

[Moto-P]

The human body is a strange thing though. To a amatueur like me on the ractrack, despite many SCCA titles, is very different from men like Scott Pruitt or Ayrton Senna. What I can feel may be 100 times more sensitive than your mom at the wheel that didn't partake in 1000+ laps at your local raceway, diving into apexes under full braking or 5 degree neutral steer drifts. I can judge where a car will slide and end up by margins of 6 feet, and Senna can probably do this to 3 inches (while he was still with us), and your mom can do it to only 50 yards (reason she will fear going near the limits on the raceway).

What I am trying to say is that most enthusiastic of drivers can only feel so much at the pedal. The FRS is made in such ways, like the best of German cars, where things can be truly tactile and easy to read, and predict. This is what makes a true performance car great.

To modify a totally nice car is what I mean by very difficult. You can easily make it go faster, but will that single element you just imporved work accordingly and balance with the rest of the 500 components and 1000 different intrisic nature of the vehicle that will allow the driver to go faster? or feel better? have more fun?

This is what I an talking about... And this is also what Mr.Tada was hoping to relay to you all who embrace the FRS. The driving pleasure of a finely balanced, tactile car, that only comes a few times in a lifetime, because this is something of a value that isn't quantified by catalogs and the one element Marketing and Sales teams of automobile manufacturers just can't translate to common folks who buy the cars that provide the financial analysis and returns to investors.

Come out to play with the core driving fans, who all aspire and welcome others to try the same, and ENJOY the REAL passion that the FRS has intrinsically. It's not easy, nor obvious to many. But this is what makes a Porsche 911 great, and cars like AE86 stand the test of time. It is not about shallow instant gratification, but more a 10 year relationship with an excellent car, that will keep you in the long and enjoyable learning curve, as an owner, and a driver.

Brake Master Stopper, Strut Brace, and 50 other things... Its all dependent on your skills, and the ability to quantify a car's behaviors at such minute levels, and see if any of these make a difference for YOU as an owner/driver. If not, you don't need it as much as more track time and proper fiends and mentors to help you understand and improve. If you can feel it and are able to adjust for this, then all of these tuner parts may have a goal that has meaning to you.

[Exhaust]

Thats so awesome man congratulations!!! Nice to see you didnt hesitate to jump right onto the modding board! Tow hooks look great, i hope you plan on tracking this car >.>

[Guff]

Moto-San, are you hiding Yo Momma jokes in your posts? Because I am terribly offended.


My mother has won Le Mans 6 times and holds the record for fastest birthing of a child.


I agree with everything else though...

[feedbag]

Am I the only one paranoid about leaving tow hooks on my car because I'm afraid it'd make it easier to steal? :P Though I do like the idea of dinging anyone who might bump into it...