The worst mod you ever did to your twin?

[SUB-FT86]

Originally Posted by ninedice

I really didn't notice much of a power difference to be completely honest. The whole experience made me realize that if I wanted power that badly, I bought the wrong car. I learned to drive it better and that is better than any mod.

I personally feel if I buy a UEL header that I would feel like you. I drove a EL Tomei 86 with a High Flow Filter, E70 in the tank dyno tuned and I couldn't tell much of a difference. My high flow filter and exhaust felt better which is crazy because the Tomei 86 car should be making at least 30whp because I saw the dyno sheet for the car. I think the only way to go for this car is F/I or full bolts ons + 4.556/4.88 Final Drive so that torque to the ground in every gear makes a difference in FEEL. If a mod doesn't have any feel to it it's worthless to me and that's what the OFT did to me.

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86

I think the only way to go for this car is F/I or full bolts ons + 4.556/4.88 Final Drive so that torque to the ground in every gear makes a difference in FEEL.

You need some very expensive and quality aftermarket parts to have an actual difference. This is a well thought car. For example, I remember some aftermarket vendors changing the suspension to coilovers and the trials on a track were giving almost same or even worst times. Then they were trying to hide this by changing simultaneously the tires size ...

FI is a good option and for sure it makes a difference, but the engine compression ratio is a bit high for my tastes.

[SUB-FT86]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

You need some very expensive and quality aftermarket parts to have an actual difference. This is a well thought car. For example, I remember some aftermarket vendors changing the suspension to coilovers and the trials on a track were giving almost same or even worst times. Then they were trying to hide this by changing simultaneously the tires size ...

FI is a good option and for sure it makes a difference, but the engine compression ratio is a bit high for my tastes.

That's so true. I enjoy the car as is because a lot of money spent might make me have too many regrets and I may not get what I'm looking for.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

You need some very expensive and quality aftermarket parts to have an actual difference. This is a well thought car.

This thread holds a great example of how well the original engineering was done. Just go back and look at how many guys have said they regret changing the intake and then switched back and just went with a drop in filter. Pretty much the only reason to change the intake is to pretty up the engine bay (a perfectly respectable reason if anybody want's a pretty bay though).
The "needs FI to be good" guys are after something else and as long as they know why they want it then all is good. If their only reason is "I read it" or "my buddies tell me" then they need to think things through on their own. This is why the whole "the car needs insert seemingly random number HP" always bugs me. If the original design team felt it "needed" that much it would have it already. I filly understand the desire to mod cars but so many just want to second guess the engineers and the results are not always an improvement.

[fang_gt86]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

This thread holds a great example of how well the original engineering was done. Just go back and look at how many guys have said they regret changing the intake and then switched back and just went with a drop in filter. Pretty much the only reason to change the intake is to pretty up the engine bay (a perfectly respectable reason if anybody want's a pretty bay though).
The "needs FI to be good" guys are after something else and as long as they know why they want it then all is good. If their only reason is "I read it" or "my buddies tell me" then they need to think things through on their own. This is why the whole "the car needs insert seemingly random number HP" always bugs me. If the original design team felt it "needed" that much it would have it already. I filly understand the desire to mod cars but so many just want to second guess the engineers and the results are not always an improvement.

There's a bright side to all of these useless mods. These guys are the ones pay-to-play and find out the hard way first, so I don't have to. Thanks to them, there are countless stories to read about before buying any mods (Bought all my pricy parts used for half price too .. lol)

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by fang_gt86

There's a bright side to all of these useless mods. These guys are the ones pay-to-play and find out the hard way first, so I don't have to. Thanks to them, there are countless stories to read about before buying any mods (Bought all my pricy parts used for half price too .. lol)

Well, for every person that didn't like a particular mod there is at least one that did. Otherwise each aftermarket company would just need to make one part and we could all pass it around. There is one guy here that has bought enough different exhaust set ups that he has pretty much single handedly supplied the Canadian second hand market requirements.

[Mr.Impreza]

Originally Posted by Wise

My 17x9 Enkei RPF1 wheels.

Don't get me wrong I like the way they look. But I miss the flowy light feeling that you don't get now with a 235 or 245 tyre.

When I get a chance I'm probably going to sell the Enkei's and pick up some OZ Ultraleggera 17x8s and run a 225 summer tyre.

Glad someone agrees. I understand people do it for looks/traction and to have the wheels flush with the body of the car, but for me, 17x7 is an ideal size for this car because it makes it more nimble and it only have 200hp

17X8 would also be superb with 225 if you track and want more grip and plan to change to aftermarket wheels.

I however like my stock wheels

Originally Posted by nikitopo

You need some very expensive and quality aftermarket parts to have an actual difference. This is a well thought car. For example, I remember some aftermarket vendors changing the suspension to coilovers and the trials on a track were giving almost same or even worst times. Then they were trying to hide this by changing simultaneously the tires size ...

+1

I believe if you plan to cheap out, than just keep the stock components because (this leads up perfectly to Tcoat)

Originally Posted by Tcoat

This thread holds a great example of how well the original engineering was done. Just go back and look at how many guys have said they regret changing the intake and then switched back and just went with a drop in filter. Pretty much the only reason to change the intake is to pretty up the engine bay (a perfectly respectable reason if anybody want's a pretty bay though).
The "needs FI to be good" guys are after something else and as long as they know why they want it then all is good. If their only reason is "I read it" or "my buddies tell me" then they need to think things through on their own. This is why the whole "the car needs insert seemingly random number HP" always bugs me. If the original design team felt it "needed" that much it would have it already. I filly understand the desire to mod cars but so many just want to second guess the engineers and the results are not always an improvement.

Exactly

[gramicci101]

To be fair, I absolutely don't regret my RCE Yellows, especially now that I've put better tires on it. While I do lose a bit of that tail-happy sensation of OEM, I'm not on a drift pad trying to step the rear end out, so I'm fine with that. A clover leaf onramp is not the time to be trying to countersteer; it's the time to stick to the corner and stay off the wall.

[brandonblt2]

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86

I personally feel if I buy a UEL header that I would feel like you. I drove a EL Tomei 86 with a High Flow Filter, E70 in the tank dyno tuned and I couldn't tell much of a difference. My high flow filter and exhaust felt better which is crazy because the Tomei 86 car should be making at least 30whp because I saw the dyno sheet for the car. I think the only way to go for this car is F/I or full bolts ons + 4.556/4.88 Final Drive so that torque to the ground in every gear makes a difference in FEEL. If a mod doesn't have any feel to it it's worthless to me and that's what the OFT did to me.

I have uel headers and its probably my favorite mod currently. Uel headers and a tune defiantly changed the feel of the car feels like I actually have torque and don't have to downshift to pass someone. You said you tested EL headers, those don't improve the torque dip much if you can try driving someone's car who has uel headers.

[SUB-FT86]

Originally Posted by brandonblt2

I have uel headers and its probably my favorite mod currently. Uel headers and a tune defiantly changed the feel of the car feels like I actually have torque and don't have to downshift to pass someone. You said you tested EL headers, those don't improve the torque dip much if you can try driving someone's car who has uel headers.

I need to drive one most definitely because the guy I quoted said he didn't feel a thing. Now on this very forum I saw a lot of good praises for stage 1 OFT with filter and catback yet when I bought the OFT I felt 0 differences. It actually felt like I lost some power to a degree.

[Th3rdSun]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

This is why the whole "the car needs insert seemingly random number HP" always bugs me. If the original design team felt it "needed" that much it would have it already. I filly understand the desire to mod cars but so many just want to second guess the engineers and the results are not always an improvement.

Yeah,I don't buy that reasoning.While I personally feel that the car would be better with an extra 25~50 hp stock,on wider tires(again,just my personal preference),I don't think that the design team had anything to do with deciding that it would be what it is now.That was totally a business decision coming down from the top brass.

Scion has pretty much always been a company that catered to the tuner/modified crowd,so it's cheaper to produce a car with lower end specs that the consumer can tinker with as they please.This car could have easily been over engineered to directly compete with cars like the Genesis Coupe or 370Z,but it's obvious that they didn't want to aim for that market.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Th3rdSun

Yeah,I don't buy that reasoning.While I personally feel that the car would be better with an extra 25~50 hp stock,on wider tires(again,just my personal preference),I don't think that the design team had anything to do with deciding that it would be what it is now.That was totally a business decision coming down from the top brass.

Scion has pretty much always been a company that catered to the tuner/modified crowd,so it's cheaper to produce a car with lower end specs that the consumer can tinker with as they please.This car could have easily been over engineered to directly compete with cars like the Genesis Coupe or 370Z,but it's obvious that they didn't want to aim for that market.

First I need to make it very clear that although I may sound like I think the car is perfect as is I really don't. When I make comments about power and such I am saying that although many may want more that was never the intent of the vehicle from the start. There are all kinds of documented statements from the design team that the target was a lower HP NA car right from the beginning. That is not a debatable subject really. I do believe that if the team had wanted more HP they would have got it and this was not a boardroom mandate.

[Breeeep]

Originally Posted by weederr33

Yeah... I don't have that option anymore. But at least being modded gives me a chance to surprise the rednecks in my area.

I'm sure your car would fit in better with the locals if it had a Ranch-Hand bumper on it!

[funwheeldrive]

If anything this car needs to lose weight. 2600lbs in this car would be great.

I would have loved a RS model offered here like they do in Japan.