Finally pulling the trigger

[FloridaBRZ]

So, Im finally allowed to spend some money on my 2013 Subaru BRZ. I would like a little more power, increased throttle response, and maybe a lower stance. This is my DD and will probably never see the track unfortunately.


Ordered OFT
I already have a drop in filter, but was considering a complete intake.
Was going to order the following:


Greddy EVO Exhaust
Greddy Intake
Perrin complete pulley set
RCE Tarmac springs. (are they good with stock dampers?)
and camber bolts


Is that an intelligent way to spend the first amount of money on my car?

[BirdTRD]

OFT is a great start. For the exhaust I would start with a header and work back since catbacks do little to nothing for performance. My $.02, spend them wisely!

[FloridaBRZ]

Originally Posted by BirdTRD

OFT is a great start. For the exhaust I would start with a header and work back since catbacks do little to nothing for performance. My $.02, spend them wisely!

Thanks for the advice. My heart goes out to you as a resident of Baltimore. What did they do to our Ravens?

[BirdTRD]

They had to do a little rebuilding, I like what I am seeing so far on offense, secondary needs some work though. They stole that win from the Browns last week!
But back on topic, I just installed the Tomei UEL header and flashed the OFT Stage 2 tune and I'm really happy with the results.

[FloridaBRZ]

What is your opinion on pulleys? I can get the Tomei UEL or the OFT header in stead of the cat back exhaust. What constitutes the OFT Stage 2 tune? Anything specific I need to have in order to upgrade from the stage 1 tune?

[BirdTRD]

Not so sure about pulleys since I have read both pros and cons on them. (weight reduction, reduced rotational mass, improved throttle response vs increase in engine harmonics, premature bearing failure, past pulley failures)
As far as the tune, as soon as you bolt on the header, you're ready for stage 2. There is 3 for EL (91, 93 octane and E85) and 3 for UEL (91, 93 and E85)

[BRZFern]

My experience driving when I first installed a header is more memorable than when I drove out of the dealership. I agree to start with the header. So instead of the intake and pulley set, I suggest a JDL header....or better tires.

[FloridaBRZ]

on 93 octane, what type of gains should I see with the Tomei UEL, the OFT, and a drop in filter? After buying all that, I have about another 1000 to spend. Better spent on intake, pulleys? I want to get rims but Im waiting till the rubber is gone on my stocks. So either more power mods, or some suspension. Thank you for everyone that has contributed. I sincerely appreciate it.

[Ganthrithor]

If you want better throttle response, I'd think motor mounts and maybe a diff brace would go a lot further than a lightweight pulley kit. If you still want better response after those, do a flywheel before messing with pulleys. The pulleys are like the last things I'd change, since they have the least impact on the overall responsiveness of the system.

[BRZFern]

Originally Posted by FloridaBRZ

on 93 octane, what type of gains should I see with the Tomei UEL, the OFT, and a drop in filter? After buying all that, I have about another 1000 to spend. Better spent on intake, pulleys? I want to get rims but Im waiting till the rubber is gone on my stocks. So either more power mods, or some suspension. Thank you for everyone that has contributed. I sincerely appreciate it.

You'll notice lots of gain in the torque dip area and a noticeable amount of gain throughout the entire rpm range. Would you be interested in a JDL UEL with black ceramic coat instead of the Tomei? I have one sitting in a box in my garage. I'm about 1 hr away from Venice.

[MstrSHAKE]

Originally Posted by BirdTRD

OFT is a great start. For the exhaust I would start with a header and work back since catbacks do little to nothing for performance. My $.02, spend them wisely!

I agree. I started with the axleback and front pipe and although I love the sound and slight performance bump, I would have gone headers first.

[Lonewolf]

After three years of drooling all over this forum, the safe bang for the buck seems to be this order:

1) Open Flash Tablet
2) Decent header (OFH, JDL, Nameless are good bets)
3) Better tires (summer)
4) RCE Yellows, Swift, or TRD springs (More for looks than anything)
5) Some good crash bolts to allow for a customized alignment
6) Better brake pads and fluid

***I would tend to stay away from the pulleys for now...there is so much conflicting information about them, and more than a few horror stories.

[Poodles]

Pulleys don't see any measurable gains on a dyno while OFT and header will...


Depends what your goal is for the car (some people like engine bay bling over performance, etc) so it's hard to say.

[FloridaBRZ]

I thought the pulleys would help the engine rev faster....so I could get past 4k quicker. That was my thoughts at least. But it seems Lonewolf pretty much nailed what Im going to do. Anyone know if most of the springs are okay to use with stock shocks and all? And is there a "better" spring? I was looking at RCE Yellows or maybe even go for the STI pinks. Only problem with the STI is there is very little drop.