First time car modder looking to install Full Blown SCION FRS Stage 2 Turbo Kit

[Kryptos]

Hi,

I am a beginner to car modding (but have some theoretical knowledge) and have recently bought a 2013 GT86.

Please don't respond by saying that because I am a beginner, I should start with something smaller or less extreme. I will be doing this project over the next year and will be using it to learn about every part of the car as well as gain a considerable boost.

I am considering forced induction using Full Blown SCION FRS Stage 2 Turbo Kit as that seems to be the one providing the most horsepower gains. Am I right in thinking that for that to work, I will also need the following mods:

FULL BLOWN SCION FRS SUBARU BRZ FA20 Stage 3 Short Block
FULL BLOWN SCION FRS SUBARU BRZ FA20 Stage 3 Head Package (what is this btw?)
Grimmspeed Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ Cold Air Intake
A high airflow cat and some headers. Again I have no idea which ones yet so suggestions are welcome.
Is there anything else I would need?

I know I will also need an exhaust but I don't know which one to get. I would like to get a titanium one to reduce weight and I would like one with dual tailpipe. Preferably, it wouldn't be too loud when driving normally but will have a better sound when I accelerate. I am unable to find one meeting all of these requirements.

On top of this, I will be getting coilovers, rear diffuser, front splitter. If you have any recommendations, please post below since I haven't started researching this yet.

Furthermore, again to save weight, I would like to swap out the majority of the body with carbon fibre. Is this possible?

Just a thought, I have also seen twin charger systems and they seem to be good at eliminating turbo lag at lower rpms. Would this be good? Since I am already getting quite a powerful turbo, would this still be advantageous or will it just increase weight without increasing speed much. Also, has anyone tried NOS in a gt86. Can I use NOS with a turbo as well? Is NOS (or anything mentioned above) even legal in the UK? There seems to be different answers online ranging from yes if you tell insurance to a straight up no.

One very basic question: What tools are necessary to actually perform these modifications? Please can someone point me to a recommended tools list as this will have probably been asked before.

My final question: Is it worth just selling the GT86 and buying the GR86 when it comes out? It has a much larger engine but I don't know how much aftermarket support will exist for it.

Sorry if there are any stupid questions in here.

[Lantanafrs2]

You're going to put a ton of money into a depreciating vehicle

[Kryptos]

Originally Posted by Lantanafrs2

You're going to put a ton of money into a depreciating vehicle

What do you mean depreciating like in terms of resale value? Cos if I mod it, its unlikely I will sell it.

[Lantanafrs2]

Originally Posted by Kryptos

What do you mean depreciating like in terms of resale value? Cos if I mod it, its unlikely I will sell it.

Eventually you'll want to sell it. It's more unlikely anyone will buy it. If you're new at this, start with more basic mods. Half the turbo kits end up in the classifieds, many never installed.

[soundman98]

how much money are you realistically considering putting towards this? because it's important to understand the turbo kit hard parts are really just a 'down payment'.

do you have a 2nd vehicle, and space to work that would allow this vehicle to be down for 3-4+ months?

in terms of tools, a full vehicle lift would be ideal, but you'll need a full complement of tools, and at least a floor jack, and 2 jack stands minimum. that would round out to about $500-1,000 minimum depending on the brand and sale location of the tools purchased.

[Kryptos]

Originally Posted by soundman98

how much money are you realistically considering putting towards this? because it's important to understand the turbo kit hard parts are really just a 'down payment'.

do you have a 2nd vehicle, and space to work that would allow this vehicle to be down for 3-4+ months?

in terms of tools, a full vehicle lift would be ideal, but you'll need a full complement of tools, and at least a floor jack, and 2 jack stands minimum. that would round out to about $500-1,000 minimum depending on the brand and sale location of the tools purchased.

I am looking to do this project under 50k including cost of car if possible (looking at parts it should be... I can go a bit over if necessary).
I have a second vehicle so was looking to complete this project over the next year or so

[TommyW]

50K? you're joking, right? Why would you do that and lose 35K? That makes zero sense. I guess we all lose a bit with mods however that is pretty extreme.

[NoHaveMSG]

Do you have someone experienced to help you?

[Lantanafrs2]

A simple header at first and getting acquainted with flashing tunes would be a good start

[x808drifter]

Obvious toll is obvious.

[soundman98]

ok, i had some more time to look over your post.

Originally Posted by Kryptos

Hi,

I am a beginner to car modding (but have some theoretical knowledge) and have recently bought a 2013 GT86.

Please don't respond by saying that because I am a beginner, I should start with something smaller or less extreme. I will be doing this project over the next year and will be using it to learn about every part of the car as well as gain a considerable boost.

um, yeah, unfortunately, that's going to be the honest case. you're asking to eat an entire heard of elephants, and you haven't even picked out a knife a fork to get started.

Originally Posted by Kryptos

I am considering forced induction using Full Blown SCION FRS Stage 2 Turbo Kit as that seems to be the one providing the most horsepower gains. Am I right in thinking that for that to work, I will also need the following mods:

FULL BLOWN SCION FRS SUBARU BRZ FA20 Stage 3 Short Block
FULL BLOWN SCION FRS SUBARU BRZ FA20 Stage 3 Head Package (what is this btw?)
Grimmspeed Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ Cold Air Intake
A high airflow cat and some headers. Again I have no idea which ones yet so suggestions are welcome.
Is there anything else I would need?

many of those things are redundant. you also don't appear to be including any tuning, or fuel system alterations, and i have no idea where these components are being sourced from. short blocks can come just as a raw block, or require full assembly.

i've seen prices/expectations that a single/simple turbo setup should cost around about $10k start to finish.

you really need to start looking into others turbo setups first-- i would say take at least 3-6 months just for this. you are nearly 10 years behind on leading any sort of development into this platform. the techniques, procedures, and parts that do work and don't work aren't just well documented, many have already been blown up, and torture tested. there is absolutely no reason to go into this blindly with a can-do attitude.

but if you insist to do that, i suspect you'll end up needing at least $100k for the build to account for all the parts you're going to break and mangle in the process.

Originally Posted by Kryptos

I know I will also need an exhaust but I don't know which one to get. I would like to get a titanium one to reduce weight and I would like one with dual tailpipe. Preferably, it wouldn't be too loud when driving normally but will have a better sound when I accelerate. I am unable to find one meeting all of these requirements.

what you want doesn't exist.

Originally Posted by Kryptos

On top of this, I will be getting coilovers, rear diffuser, front splitter. If you have any recommendations, please post below since I haven't started researching this yet.

verus, kw v3.

Originally Posted by Kryptos

Furthermore, again to save weight, I would like to swap out the majority of the body with carbon fibre. Is this possible?

with enough money, anything is possible. the pre-made panels run about $10-20k total. but the roof panel is structural, you'll need the $1000 roof panel, as well as a specialized, certified repair shop to install--this is impossible to do yourself for under $10k in tools/materials.

Originally Posted by Kryptos

Just a thought, I have also seen twin charger systems and they seem to be good at eliminating turbo lag at lower rpms. Would this be good? Since I am already getting quite a powerful turbo, would this still be advantageous or will it just increase weight without increasing speed much. Also, has anyone tried NOS in a gt86. Can I use NOS with a turbo as well? Is NOS (or anything mentioned above) even legal in the UK? There seems to be different answers online ranging from yes if you tell insurance to a straight up no.

if the estimate is $10k for a single turbo, make it $20k for a dual-charged setup...

i don't believe any engine modifications are legal in the UK...

Nitrous oxide can always be added. it all depends on how the engine is tuned. talk to your engine tuner.

Originally Posted by Kryptos

One very basic question: What tools are necessary to actually perform these modifications? Please can someone point me to a recommended tools list as this will have probably been asked before.

no, it's really not been asked because anyone that takes on a project like this already has been tinkering with motors/vehicles for years before, and has generally accumulated tools and experience to build up to the point you're attempting to jump into without that past.

generally, the people that work this far into a motor are going to have around $1k-10k in tools. the guy's i know generally will have those tools in a $35k-80k tool box.. because they don't do just a single project from beginning to end. while they're doing this motor, they're changing that differential, and that other motor, and..., and...

this is major 'heart' surgery on a vehicle, and you're asking to omit years of knowledge, experience, and forethought for a simple 'step 1, 2, 3...' process. this process has a thousand different part combo's and orientations, each part and combo slightly different than the rest, and many people involved have their own nuanced approaches, which make every step entirely different for every person...

Originally Posted by Kryptos

My final question: Is it worth just selling the GT86 and buying the GR86 when it comes out? It has a much larger engine but I don't know how much aftermarket support will exist for it.

nothing reliable is currently known about the new version other than the raw specifications--aftermarket companies have already had a chance to go over it, and start to develop parts though. it will likely have a similar aftermarket support, but shifting to the forefront of aftermarket modifications with a new design only has a benefit if you enjoy standing in lines yelling "first!" to anyone that will pay attention. that, and burning very large amounts of cash figuring out problems that no one else has had a chance to figure out yet.


TLDR: if you want to go fast enough to kill yourself in a way that only leaves little itty bitty pieces, there's a lot more efficient ways to do it with $50k than an ft86.

[steverife]

I think a beginner can take on this project and succeed. But you are going to have to read a LOT and define your goals. People can't spoon feed this to you. They will help you, but you are going to have to get to a point where you know the big stuff and have specific questions.

[spcmafia]

In all honesty, that's great you want to fully invest yourself on the car. Really, good for you. If you have the money, do it. But on the same token, I would start slow. Take your time to read the FI section on the forums.

As someone told me here, suddenly adding power/handling mods will only mask your mistakes on the track or road. So get familiar with the vehicle, start with basic mods for these platforms. Headers, E85, Tune, Tires. Going FI is no joke and even those who are at that level have encountered several issues or some unlucky ones have heard their engines play a rendition of "Knocking on Heavens Doors".

I was just like you when I first got my vehicle, but I took all the enthusiasm and used it to read and learn about the pros and cons about every single mod, no matter how big or small. So really, take it slow.

All of your questions are valid, but if you have to ask, you're probably not ready to go full bananas on your build. I mean this in the nicest way possible. I would hate to see a future post on your behalf on how your build went horribly wrong and now your dream car is just sitting on blocks.

[jeepmor]

If you've never done this type of project before, expect it to take three times longer than you plan for. This is my rule of thumb on anything I've never done before. Even as a seasoned gearhead type who works on mechanical systems for a living. A good amount of that 3x will be doing the homework.

Best of luck, good advice in here. Your willingness to take the leap is exemplary, most talk themselves out of it. Chops for that, but once started, like most big projects, you'll get about half way through and start telling yourself. "What the hell was I thinking." While looking at a pile of receipts and parts and not being where you think you should be by now.

This is when perseverance and faith in yourself will drive you through. I recently put an HKS SC on my car, the forums were invaluable in helping me pick that system. But mine's a commuter, sounds like you're building a formidable beast in comparison. Your expenditures sound like they'll exceed the cost of swapping to an LS and new trans build. In that light, I'd poke around those subforums as well.