CSG Mike's personal 2017 BRZ build and thoughts. - Page 6 - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

CSG Mike · 10-18-2016, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAEMANO

If the clearance is right and if the quality is up to par, and if you can source the sandwich plate from the SARD oil cooler kit, it might do the trick. @nigel-jdmparts might still have a lead. Still looks tight to me.

http://www.more-japan.com/blogs/2013...rs-subaru-brz/

My only issue is that the lines are longer there, but that gives me some creative ideas. I might be able to make a Jackson cooler fit with modified fittings....

DAEMANO · 10-18-2016, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

My only issue is that the lines are longer there, but that gives me some creative ideas. I might be able to make a Jackson cooler fit with modified fittings....

Can't wait to see what you come up with.

brzaapi · 10-19-2016, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Well, this car was ordered with a very specific plan in mind,

Alright. No one has ask so far....so what is this specific plan you have laid out for the new BRZ in your life?

Inquiring minds want to know.

CSG Mike · 10-20-2016, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brzaapi

Alright. No one has ask so far....so what is this specific plan you have laid out for the new BRZ in your life?

Inquiring minds want to know.

It's going to be campaigned for 2017.

Still some TBD parts... all in due time.

strat61caster · 10-20-2016, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

It's going to be campaigned for 2017.

Still some TBD parts... all in due time.

Hmmm campaigned... could be Solo... could be 86Cup... could be SCCA or NASA... could be PWC?

But if it's a track rat that gets beaten to within an inch of it's life week in and week out by you I'll still be a happy camper knowing another car is being used as it should be.

Good luck!

CounterSpace Garage · 10-20-2016, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Hmmm campaigned... could be Solo... could be 86Cup... could be SCCA or NASA... could be PWC?

But if it's a track rat that gets beaten to within an inch of it's life week in and week out by you I'll still be a happy camper knowing another car is being used as it should be.

Good luck!

Everything gets beaten to death...

This guy destroys whatever resources we have, but we get results and data.

CounterSpace Garage · 10-21-2016, 01:40 PM

Our driver @CSG Mike doing another round of testing at "The Fastest Road in the West": Willow Springs International Raceway.

spicyricecake · 10-21-2016, 02:55 PM

you guys need an Instagram so I can check daily without having to come here. :P

unhappymeal · 10-21-2016, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CounterSpace Garage

Our driver @CSG Mike doing another round of testing at "The Fastest Road in the West": Willow Springs International Raceway.

Looking good. Random question: do you notice any difference between the LEDs on the 2017s and the HIDs on the 2016s? I couldn't, but I only took the cars out during the day when it was overcast and rainy.

CSG Mike · 10-21-2016, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

Looking good. Random question: do you notice any difference between the LEDs on the 2017s and the HIDs on the 2016s? I couldn't, but I only took the cars out during the day when it was overcast and rainy.

Yes. The LEDs have a very narrow spectrum of output; I'd much rather have the HIDs from the 13-16.

CSG Mike · 10-21-2016, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spicyricecake

you guys need an Instagram so I can check daily without having to come here. :P

www.instagram.com/counterspacegarage

Mim · 10-22-2016, 03:21 AM

I have to admit the style update for the 2017 BRZ is nothing short of spectacular. I'm not used to seeing Subaru bringing out something genuinely desirable from an aesthetics perspective. Hope this is reflected in a boost to sales.

Enjoying the thread and your perspective!

CSG Mike · 10-25-2016, 08:41 PM

After a few weeks of driving the car around, here are my thoughts.

- The 2017 is a HUGE improvement over the 2013-2016 car. The core of the car hasn't changed, but this is a more mature, better dialed in version of the car. Overall, this is what the car should have been, in 2013. Driving this and a 13-16 back to back, I can tell the original car was rushed, and not quite what it could have been.

- I much prefer the output of the 2013's HIDs, to the 17's LEDs. The HIDs could be leveled manually, whereas the LEDs are fixed height. The factory aim is legal, but on the high side, and regularly blinds drivers on the other side of the road. I've quite frequently been high-beamed by a driver at an opposing stoplight, who thinks I have my high beams on. Additionally, the older HIDs output a much broader spectrum of light, versus the LEDs, which put out a lot of blue, but very little yellow or green. As a result, green/white highway signs are almost black/white at night, and yellow center lines are a very pale highlighter yellow instead of a very rich orange/cheese yellow. High beam output and spread are about similar.

- The balance of the 17 is far, far superior to the 13. The 13 was an understeering pig, that only kicked the rear end out if you forced it, or made a grievous driving error (contrary to what the press would like you to believe). The 17 is much more balanced with changed spring rates and a stiffer rear sway bar (how many of you have seen me preach a stiffer rear sway on stock suspension for years now?), and I have, literally, not had VSC intervene once, while driving the car around. Even going around corners, WOT, at what I would consider somewhat questionable speeds, the VSC does not intervene, because the car is not losing control. I can get a nice bit of throttle steer around corners with the stock output, but the output is not enough to actually kick the rear out.

- The only time I've had VSC intervene, is when I've intentionally done something to see when it would kick in.

- The OEM Primacys are excellently matched to the stock output. Yes, there could be more grip. Yes, there could be faster response. No, more grip and response wouldn't make for a better stock car. Think Miata. The new Miata is intentionally designed for driver enjoyment, rather than pure performance. I believe that's why these tires were chosen. That, and MPG. The OEM tires also make a nice, audible white noise under cornering, that changes to a screeching when you start approaching, and then exceeding the limit.

- I've averaged around 30-31 MPG combined. That's taking into account a stop-and-go traffic, some light canyoning, the occasional redline sprint, and commuting on the highway. I fully expect this to drop 20-25% once I put on a stickier, non-low-rolling-resistance tire.

- I like the diameter of the steering wheel versus the older steering wheel. I don't, however, like the new material. Even though it's technically "nicer", it feels cheap. I also don't like how the back of the wheel, at the connecting points of the "T", stick out.

- The steering wheel controls are convenient, but that's about it. The Mute button is nice. Every car needs a mute button. My s2000 has one, and my 3000GT VR4 had one.

- The LSD tuning is different. This one is less harsh, or at least it seems to engage less harshly. In a 13, I would hear it chatter making u-turns when cold. This one seems to chatter less. Maybe it's a function of the 4.3 final drive, or the factory fluid, vs the thicker stuff I normally use.

- The torque dip is much narrower now. The car is much friendlier to drive around in traffic, since the powerband extends up to 4k instead of 3k like before. Coming out of the torque dip is, literally, like hitting Vtec in the s2k. You will feel it, and hear it. If you're in the torque dip, it's worse than before.

- The car seems much friendlier on 91 than before. Race gas saw virtually zero power gains. The car attempted to advance timing, failed, and decremented the IAM, temporarily losing power.

- The car wants to dump fuel at high RPMs much more aggressively, to protect the cat. Anytime you want to redline, you may need to do a few pulls to actually get full power, at least on the stock tune.

- The new leather touches in the interior look nice, especially the dash piece.

- I'm not a fan of the "piano black" bezel on the new head unit. It will scratch very easily.

- The new head unit "lags". By that, I mean the bluetooth input has a delay of about a second, whereas the 13/14 head unit does not. The Pandora integration is nice, but because the head unit is slow, trying to scroll through radio stations to find one is annoying.

CSG Mike · 10-25-2016, 08:44 PM

Also, what's going on here....

10-22-2016, 03:21 AM	#82
Mim Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Drives: MY11 Maxima 350st, MY15 BRZ Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 534 Thanks: 304 Thanked 342 Times in 185 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I have to admit the style update for the 2017 BRZ is nothing short of spectacular. I'm not used to seeing Subaru bringing out something genuinely desirable from an aesthetics perspective. Hope this is reflected in a boost to sales. Enjoying the thread and your perspective! __________________ MY15 CWP A/T BRZ \| Leather heated seats \| STI CAI filter, A/T leather shifter, strut brace, V-brace, draw stiffener, battery tie down, Radiator cap, Oil cap, push start button \| TRD door stabilizer \| YoSpeed STI console garnish \| Pioneer AVIC-F70DAB + Rev-camera, TS-WX710A sub \| JL speakers, Amp \| TOMS' Clear Brake Lights \| Cusco 4.556 FD \| Driveshaft Shop aluminum shaft \| Tein FlexZ, EDFC AP+GPS \| Crawford BPB

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10-21-2016, 01:40 PM	#77
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10-21-2016, 02:55 PM	#78
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10-25-2016, 08:41 PM	#83
CSG Mike Join Date: Jul 2012 Drives: S2000 CR Location: Orange County Posts: 14,562 Thanks: 8,942 Thanked 14,211 Times in 6,854 Posts Mentioned: 970 Post(s) Tagged: 14 Thread(s)	After a few weeks of driving the car around, here are my thoughts. - The 2017 is a HUGE improvement over the 2013-2016 car. The core of the car hasn't changed, but this is a more mature, better dialed in version of the car. Overall, this is what the car should have been, in 2013. Driving this and a 13-16 back to back, I can tell the original car was rushed, and not quite what it could have been. - I much prefer the output of the 2013's HIDs, to the 17's LEDs. The HIDs could be leveled manually, whereas the LEDs are fixed height. The factory aim is legal, but on the high side, and regularly blinds drivers on the other side of the road. I've quite frequently been high-beamed by a driver at an opposing stoplight, who thinks I have my high beams on. Additionally, the older HIDs output a much broader spectrum of light, versus the LEDs, which put out a lot of blue, but very little yellow or green. As a result, green/white highway signs are almost black/white at night, and yellow center lines are a very pale highlighter yellow instead of a very rich orange/cheese yellow. High beam output and spread are about similar. - The balance of the 17 is far, far superior to the 13. The 13 was an understeering pig, that only kicked the rear end out if you forced it, or made a grievous driving error (contrary to what the press would like you to believe). The 17 is much more balanced with changed spring rates and a stiffer rear sway bar (how many of you have seen me preach a stiffer rear sway on stock suspension for years now?), and I have, literally, not had VSC intervene once, while driving the car around. Even going around corners, WOT, at what I would consider somewhat questionable speeds, the VSC does not intervene, because the car is not losing control. I can get a nice bit of throttle steer around corners with the stock output, but the output is not enough to actually kick the rear out. - The only time I've had VSC intervene, is when I've intentionally done something to see when it would kick in. - The OEM Primacys are excellently matched to the stock output. Yes, there could be more grip. Yes, there could be faster response. No, more grip and response wouldn't make for a better stock car. Think Miata. The new Miata is intentionally designed for driver enjoyment, rather than pure performance. I believe that's why these tires were chosen. That, and MPG. The OEM tires also make a nice, audible white noise under cornering, that changes to a screeching when you start approaching, and then exceeding the limit. - I've averaged around 30-31 MPG combined. That's taking into account a stop-and-go traffic, some light canyoning, the occasional redline sprint, and commuting on the highway. I fully expect this to drop 20-25% once I put on a stickier, non-low-rolling-resistance tire. - I like the diameter of the steering wheel versus the older steering wheel. I don't, however, like the new material. Even though it's technically "nicer", it feels cheap. I also don't like how the back of the wheel, at the connecting points of the "T", stick out. - The steering wheel controls are convenient, but that's about it. The Mute button is nice. Every car needs a mute button. My s2000 has one, and my 3000GT VR4 had one. - The LSD tuning is different. This one is less harsh, or at least it seems to engage less harshly. In a 13, I would hear it chatter making u-turns when cold. This one seems to chatter less. Maybe it's a function of the 4.3 final drive, or the factory fluid, vs the thicker stuff I normally use. - The torque dip is much narrower now. The car is much friendlier to drive around in traffic, since the powerband extends up to 4k instead of 3k like before. Coming out of the torque dip is, literally, like hitting Vtec in the s2k. You will feel it, and hear it. If you're in the torque dip, it's worse than before. - The car seems much friendlier on 91 than before. Race gas saw virtually zero power gains. The car attempted to advance timing, failed, and decremented the IAM, temporarily losing power. - The car wants to dump fuel at high RPMs much more aggressively, to protect the cat. Anytime you want to redline, you may need to do a few pulls to actually get full power, at least on the stock tune. - The new leather touches in the interior look nice, especially the dash piece. - I'm not a fan of the "piano black" bezel on the new head unit. It will scratch very easily. - The new head unit "lags". By that, I mean the bluetooth input has a delay of about a second, whereas the 13/14 head unit does not. The Pandora integration is nice, but because the head unit is slow, trying to scroll through radio stations to find one is annoying.

10-25-2016, 08:44 PM	#84
CSG Mike Join Date: Jul 2012 Drives: S2000 CR Location: Orange County Posts: 14,562 Thanks: 8,942 Thanked 14,211 Times in 6,854 Posts Mentioned: 970 Post(s) Tagged: 14 Thread(s)	Also, what's going on here....

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