RallySport Direct's BRZ: The Albino Rhino

[RallySport Direct]

We might as well join in on the startup screen fun! It needs a little bit of tweaking but we like it.

--Justin

[HP10T]

Originally Posted by RallySport Direct

We might as well join in on the startup screen fun! It needs a little bit of tweaking but we like it.

--Justin

That looks great guys!

[RallySport Direct]

What, a real update for the Albino Rhino BRZ? That’s right, I wanted to put some more miles on the car before giving another update. So we have almost 700 miles on the car now… so….close…to…break in! We are going to wait until the factory recommended 1000 miles to really start beating on this car, so hopefully we will break the 1000 mile mark before the beginning of next week, and if we do, I will do a fresh oil change on it, and we will be sending it our local dyno, ZipTieDynoWorks for a baseline dyno and perhaps just one very small power mod(don’t get too excited), just to see what this pale rhino can do. Of course we will be posting up the results of the dyno so stay tuned for updates on that.
Wait.. this was supposed to be an update on the car…right…
Okay, so the car. Well one thing I did notice for sure was after the first few hundred miles everything started to feel better. The engine felt smoother and like it was more happy to rev for us, it seemed to take less effort on its part to move us around. The way the car's handling felt to me was also better, now I am sure it did not undergo a special ops under the radar surgery, I think it is all in my head, and I blame this all on the hype leading up to the release of the car. In my head I had built this perfect little car made from my favorite car manufacturers, Toyota and Subaru, but when reality hits the road, I was left a bit disappointed. I was thinking, “What happened to the car I had imagined”, and well that car does exist, but I think you will find a prancing horse on it, and not a boxer badge. So I feel that it took some time for these unrealistic expectations to leak out of my head, but once they did, all I can say is that I love this car!!!! What a blast to just go for a cruise in it, the car feels so balanced, nimble and quick, and I love that I can feel the rear LSD as I am accelerating through a long bend, everything feels exactly as it should, and everything feels “together”. I love this car the more I drive it, especially when I just go out for a drive, not thinking about the car, not thinking about what I am going to write about, but just letting the car do its job, and that is making me smile and removing all thoughts of work, stress and other not so fun things, I just drive, I find myself focusing on the actual event of driving. It’s a weird feeling when you can really feel what a car is doing, you become more and more 'one' with the car, your mind starts to shift its focus on the road, that next turn, blipping the throttle while on the brakes, and executing that perfect rev-match downshift, everything else just becomes a blur, and for that, I could not ask for anything more out of this car.
But since you are probably like me, you can’t leave a good thing alone, so naturally we will be throwing some mods on the car. I won’t go into the full details here as they are still a bit fuzzy to me at this time, but do expect us to address the suspension first. I am thinking that front and rear swaybars along with some nice tires will really bring this car to life without compromising the daily comfort or drivability. We will see if my predictions are right! We will let you know how it turn out. Stay Tuned!

RallySport Direct,
Rick

Remember to check out our blog for new updates and more!
http://theattack.rallysportdirect.com/

[RallySport Direct]

Originally Posted by HP10T

That looks great guys!

Love the cute lil Rhino

[RallySport Direct]

Albino Rhinos first Oil Change

Tools needed: 14mm socket or wrench, ramps or jack and stands, oil drain bucket, small funnel, fresh oil, and oil filter. Gloves and shop rags are very nice but not required.
Time Required: I would give yourself about 30 minutes to complete the oil change.
Difficulty: One of the easiest oil changes I have done.

First I like to make sure the car is somewhat warm but not hot. You will want to drive your car up onto the ramps, or jack the front of your car up with a jack and make sure to secure it with jack stands. Pop the hood and locate the oil filter and oil filler cap on the front driver side(left side) of the engine bay. Take off the oil filler cap and put it aside in a safe location.

Next go under the car, and you should see the large metal under plate, and you will notice a large access hole, this is where you will be able to access the oil drain plug. Take your 14mm wrench and loosen the oil drain plug, and make sure your oil drain bucket is close at hand so you can get it directly under the oil flow path as you are removing the oil drain plug.





As oil is draining, you can start to remove the oil filter on the top of the engine. With the filter being on the top of the engine, you should not have to worry about the filter spilling oil as you remove it, should be a very clean removal. Once the filter is off, I like to clean the mating surface of the engine to ensure a leak free seal on the new filter.





Install the new filter and tighten down to manufacturer or oil filter specs. Once you have let the oil drain for a sufficient time, you can screw the oil drain plug back in the oil pan and torque to factory specs.









Last step is to fill the engine with oil, we used a small filter which will help keep any oil off the engine. Subaru states the oil capacity is 5.8 quarts, but ours did not take quite that much, so I would fill it to around 5 quarts and check the oil level, and top off if needed.





Put the oil cap back on, start the engine and make sure the oil light turns off. Get out of the car and check for any leaks. Once you have confirmed there are no leaks, double check everything, and enjoy your fresh oil! Now go for a drive!!!





We decided to use the Dimple Magnetic Drain Plug on this oil change, the part number is M16X1.5X12 which is also the dimensions of the oil drain plug. The new Dimple plug will use a 15mm head, so if you do go this route, make sure to have a 15mm wrench handy as well. We also used the Prova Sports Oil filter, part number 10000SP0010

[phm14]

Tire and wheel upgrade (235/40 17s, in my case) realy firmed up the ride and planted the car-much less roll. I'd suggest tires/wheels first, before you decide on sways...but you probably know this.

[RallySport Direct]

Originally Posted by phm14

Tire and wheel upgrade (235/40 17s, in my case) realy firmed up the ride and planted the car-much less roll. I'd suggest tires/wheels first, before you decide on sways...but you probably know this.

Yeah we will be doing wheels and tires first, and then attacking the suspension. What brand and model of tires did you end up going with?

Thanks,
Rick

[phm14]

Originally Posted by RallySport Direct

Yeah we will be doing wheels and tires first, and then attacking the suspension. What brand and model of tires did you end up going with?

Thanks,
Rick

235/40 17 Dunlop Star Specs

[RallySport Direct]

Our new BRZ, the Albino Rhino is officially broken in!!!! Now this is where the fun begins. I did a fresh oil change before I was able to take it out for a true test drive, and once that was done, I was able to finally get a true feeling for what this car can do. I decided to get away from work and from the city and found a winding road that whips it way up one of our many local mountains. Taking it easy at first I was able to feel the suspension on the rough roads, even though it does feel stiff, you get the impression that the tires never want to leave contact with the road, it just feels so incredible planted and stable. I found a few fast corners that looked like they would just be a ton of fun, so I went past those corners, checked for any traffic, and once I knew I was in the clear I headed heavy footed for the corner, a bit nervous but excited to see how this car did in the fast sweepers. All of my nervousness was instantly replaced with a giant smile, which quickly turned into some type of giddy laughter as I realized I could have easily done another 20-25 MPH through the corner.

The grip you get out of this car is unbelievable, and to think it is riding on Prius tires makes you scratch you head in confusion, as the grip feels like something you would get out of a much more aggressive tire. Also the corner was not particularly smooth, and I was amazed with how well the suspension soaked up the rough bumps and kept the tire gripping to the road like they were made out of glue. Next I wanted to have a bit more fun with the car, which means getting that rear end to step out. I continued down the canyon, perhaps a bit quicker than I should have, but it is so hard to resist the speed when the car just encourages you to go faster, I almost feel like if you did not drive it hard, it would make fun of you on facebook or something, calling you slow and dimwitted. As I value my facebook image I made sure I would show this car I was not your average sissy driver and found a few series of tight corners that I could really test the car on. Approaching these corners, again very nervous as you just never know how a new car is going to react, I was a bit cautious, but as soon as I turned in and mashed the gas in 2nd gear, the rear end comes out in a very controlled and very predictable manner, and as soon as I let off the gas, the rear end snapped back into place. To get the rear end to really come out on you, and stay out, you are going to have to put in some effort, the natural tendency is for the rear to snap back into place, which I think is just fantastic having driven too many RWD cars that always want to snap oversteer on you, leading you going backwards into the nearest ditch or tree. I do need some more practice with this, but after a few quick tail slides, this car just inspires confidence and makes you feel like a drift king. Now I am not talking about getting the car sideways at 90 degrees, as I just don’t have the huevos for that(don’t tell the BRZ that, I can hear it firing up the computer already), but just those fun little power slides that you can easily do powering out of a sharp corner, and this car is the king of that for sure. With everything being so tight and together on the car, you can feel what the front end is doing and exactly what the rear end is doing as well, so it is hard to not have confidence and know the car will easily pull you out of the slide without having to call the insurance company. One thing I did not really touch on in this review was the power. With the engine finally broken in I was able to take it to redline, and luckily I did not have any unrealistic expectations that the engine would turn into this high revving beast, as it just is not. Now I am not saying the power is bad in anyway, as you can easily get this car up and moving quicker than you would ever need, so we’re just going to call the power levels adequate and leave it at that.

All around this car appeals to me more and more every time I drive it. I often can find questionable situations to put this car in which would embarrass other cars, and this one just seems to excel all while leaving you with white knuckles and a huge ear to ear grin. You can create whole new levels of fun by just dodging around man hole covers, paint stripes etc.. It reminds me of the first sport bike I ever road, it just feels so nimble that you can’t help but to test it out by purposefully avoiding every little thing on the road…”I am sorry officer, it is brand new, so I just needed to make sure those..umm.. pebbles on the road would not hurt my tires”. Just remember to be safe and have fun!

Thanks,
Rick


http://theattack.rallysportdirect.com

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[MannyO]

Originally Posted by RallySport Direct

All around this car appeals to me more and more every time I drive it. I often can find questionable situations to put this car in which would embarrass other cars, and this one just seems to excel all while leaving you with white knuckles and a huge ear to ear grin. You can create whole new levels of fun by just dodging around man hole covers, paint stripes etc..

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Although I'm only halfway through my break in period, I've been able to throw the car into some sketchy corners and was left with that sh!t-eating grin...you know, that "cat that ate the canary" smirk. The car handled like a champ and stayed solidly planted throughout.

[RallySport Direct]

Originally Posted by MannyO

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Although I'm only halfway through my break in period, I've been able to throw the car into some sketchy corners and was left with that sh!t-eating grin...you know, that "cat that ate the canary" smirk. The car handled like a champ and stayed solidly planted throughout.

Thanks! And the car is surprisingly amusing for sure! What is odd is the car does not feel like it should handle as well as it does, yet handles much better than we could have ever expected and it is very surprising. haha not really sure how to put that, but I think you know exactly what I mean


Thanks,
Rick

[RallySport Direct]

Event: Dyno Tune/Product Testing
Location: ZipTie Dynoworks, Salt Lake City, Utah
Ambient Temp: 87F
Elevation: 4600 Feet
Weather: Sunny
Car: 2013 Subaru BRZ
Tuner: None, this was for a Baseline
Dyno Info: Mustang Dynamometer
Transmission: Factory 6-speed
Gear: 4th
Peak HP: 150
Peak TQ: 116
Fuel: 91 Octane

Modifications:
-Apexi Panel Filter
-Dimple Magnetic Oil Drain Plug
-Prova Oil Filter

We wanted to get a good baseline on our local dyno, so we packed up and headed over to ZipTie Dynoworks. When we arrived they had everything set up and ready to go it was as simple as handing them the keys while I relaxed and watch them strap it down. Once they had the car secured to the dyno, we did a few runs to let the oil get up to temp to get an accurate power reading. After the first few pulls we had a maximum of 147HP and 114TQ. This was a bit better than I had expected having seen some other stock BRZ dyno numbers, but still seems to be right on par based of the Dyno we and others have used.

Next we wanted to see what would happen if we just removed the factory filter, so we popped the hood and quickly removed the stock filter. One thing I will point out is that the factory air filter actually looks really really good, it has quite a bit of surface area and seem to be of super high quality, so we were impressed by that. But this is not a stock filter review, we are here to get some numbers! So we made a few more pulls with the factory air filter out of the box, and we got a maximum HP of 148 and max TQ of 114. We were hoping to see more gains out of this, but it seems like the power delivery was not as smooth, and while we did gain 1 horsepower overall, the majority of the time, we were actually under power compared to the stock filter. I am guessing this has to do with the way the air floes over the MAF sensor itself, and I do think having a filter in the box creates the proper air flow over the MAF. Now that was all done, we wanted to try out the new Apexi drop in air filter. Removing it from the box, you can instantly tell this will be a much better flowing filter than stock, and if not that, at least it is looks much better.

We did have some issues installing the new air filter in the air box, this might have just been us trying to hurry to get the car off the dyno, but we had to physically remove the air box, put the filter in, clamp the air box together and bolt it back in the car.

Something about a bunch of monkeys and a football comes to mind looking back on this… Once the monkeys got the air filter installed, we fired up the engine for a few more pulls. With the engine breathing much better, we achieved a maximum HP of 150 and a Maximum TQ of 116. Now this is what we are talking about! Not only did we see a gain of 3 HP and 2 TQ over the stock filter, but throughout the entire RPM range it made more power than the stock filter. Not too bad for a drop in air filter and what should have been a 2 minute install haha.

Driving the car, it does seem the throttle response has improved ever so slightly, and the car does seem to pull a bit easier as well through the RPM range. Not a huge performance gain, but I figure it is a very worthwhile modification if you ever have to replace the factory panel filter and do not want to go with a true aftermarket air intake system.

Just wanted to give a big shout out to all of the guys over at ZipTie Dynoworks, this was the first time I have been to their new shop and it is nice to see a clean, well-organized shop, and all the smiling faces over there always helps too.

Also make sure to check out our video of our little dyno adventure
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARCTRzX_E3k"]The Albino Rhino BRZ hits the dyno! - YouTube[/ame]

Stock vs Apexi

[RallySport Direct]

One of our long time customers stopped by with his brand new BRZ on VOLK CE28's and Tein Flex Coilovers.
Had a chance to take this car around the block, and simply could not believe how much difference these 2 modifications made along with good tires. Simply couldnt stop grinning

[RallySport Direct]

Before we start going crazy tossing parts on the car we want to get a good feel for how the car drives in its stock form. We are going to try to do a before and after video for every part we install. So here it is, bone stock.

Like us on Facebook to track the progress of our Albino Rhino as we put it thru its paces.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts83V4y2XHk"]The Albino Rhino BRZ Stock Suspension Test[/ame]


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Thanks,
Rick