MightyMeeple's Build

[MightyMeeple]

Greetings all,

Long-time member and frequent comment-er here...realized today I never got around to creating a "build thread" so here goes.

I started shopping for a BRZ in late 2012/early 2013 and quickly became frustrated with the anemic supply of these cars. No dealership had one on the lot to drive, and the wait time for ordering was 4-6 months. After test driving an FR-S I decided to go ahead and take the plunge and put down a deposit and ordered a BRZ from my local dealership in Jan 2013.

I happened across another forum for the twins and saw a post from a Northeast dealership stating they had plenty of BRZs in stock and were trying to move them. A few emails and phone calls later and I was canceling my local order, and finalizing payment for the out of state car. Instead of delivery, I opted to fly up and take local delivery and drive the car 700 miles back home on a Saturday. After travel expenses, I still came out cheaper than the order price on my original local order.

It's been pure driving bliss ever since.

Here's a snapshot within 30 minutes of my drive home from the dealership:



This car and more importantly this community has inspired me to venture into car modification...something I have never done before and previously would have never ever considered.

Behold, my first ever mod: DC sport exhaust tips. Yeah, not totally exciting, but you gotta walk before you...walk faster. Anyway, they look way better than the puny stock tips.



Later that first year, I got the itch to try out motorsports...again something that sounded cool, but previously I would have never considered. I check into autocross events but could not align my schedule to make them happen. Then I came across an HPDE event at VIR and off I went with a fellow forum member:



Rookie mistake, I didn't get anyone to snap action shots of me actually on the track. Maybe next time.

VIR was scary/awesome/intense/completely rewarding. I got to experience what this car was truly designed for first hand...and it is quite impressive. I also got to experience a small flavor of what professional drivers do and how easy they make it look. It's not for the faint of heart and it is anything but easy. That track day was on a stock car (except for the awesome exhaust tips of course). I came away realizing I want to further mod this car. I need better rubber. I would like more power. What to do next?

New wheels and tires were acquired early 2014: Enkei PF01's 17 x 7.5, +38 and Michelin Pilot SuperSports 225/45s.



Packed them in the car and off to my local shop to have them installed.



My local shop got a kick out of seeing them Packed in the car, and were impressed that it's obviously designed to accommodate track wheels/tires if driving to your event.

This wheel/tire combo shave pounds off each corner, delivered a heaping improvement in grip as well as ride comfort (which I wasn't really expecting). Plus, the look and fitment are clean and almost OEM like.



The car feels much more responsive with this setup and I really have enjoyed it.

Sadly, I haven't been able to get back on the track due to schedule and family life. Hoping to make it happen again later this year.

Mod List Summary:

Cosmetic:
DC Sports exhaust tips
Bayson-R Sti-style front lip
Lamin-x fog light covers
Beatsonic sharkfin

Interior:
AnarchyMotiv shift knob

Performance:
K&N drop-in filter
Openflash tablet - Stage 1 93 octane

[MightyMeeple]

I had been considering options for improving the power on my BRZ. Catback? Header? Both? Supercharger?

Gains with catback are measurable, but still modest considering the cost to acquire. An UEL header is definitely on my short list and until that happens, I nabbed an openflash tablet from a local member.

Flashed on a Saturday evening and was very pleased with the results. I have a K&N drop-in filter and otherwise stock car. Very noticeable improvement in throttle response, and the car pulls harder in the torque dip and upper RPMs. I get a bit more intake sound as well, which I rather enjoy.

This past weekend I also finally got around to installing a front lip and some Lamin-x fog light covers as well. The lip is Bayson-R and fitment is great:

[MightyMeeple]

Some other cosmetic mods, that I forgot to include:

AnarchyMotiv shift knob...I love the weight of this thing and shifts are buttery smooth:



I also installed a Beatsonic shark fin, but can't seem to find a picture at the moment.