SpectreRT's DMG BRZ Build Thread - Stock Harder

[SpectreRT]

Figured I'd do a build thread because... well why not. Helps me keep track of my own stuff.

I took ownership of my 2013 BRZ Limited on June 28th 2013. The car had 17 miles on it; I put 7 of them during test drives. My plan is to keep the car pretty much stock, motor wise. For months I debated between adding power with an Innovate kit and/or an AVO turbocharger kit. Turns out, I'm rather fine with the power for the most part. Adding a little here and there along the way (staying NA) will be my goal, and focus on just having fun.



- Reason for staying NA: Warranty. I’ve seen too many horror stories about the DI system crapping on itself and hurting the motor. Combine that with the extended warranty that Subaru threw in to my deal… and I cannot pass that up. 7+ years of bumper-bumper warranty in a little sports coupe… I’ll take it.

- That said, I’ve got in writing that I can mod whatever I want so long as I don’t mess with the computer, or bolt anything DIRECTLY to the motor. This means: it’s time to start modifying.

Modifications I plan/would like to make (in no specific order):

1) (Purchased) Wheels + Tires: The stock tires are a bit heavy for the 17x7 size. Also I’ve not enjoyed the HP Primacy tires. I’ve purchased 17x7 RPF1s which weigh 14.85 lbs a piece. I went with 17x7 to stay as “stock like” as possible, should I choose to do autocross or something. My scale showed my stock wheel (without tire) weighed in at 21 lbs a piece. That is a savings of ~25 lbs rotational mass total.

For tires, I went with Michelin Pilot Super Sports 225/45. Again staying close to stock, but putting a little more rubber on the ground. So far, I’ve loved these tires. Feels great, grips well, and 30K mile warranty from a high-performance summer compound… I see no faults.



- 3 month post mod review: I love the look of the RPF1s. I actually kind of like the center caps too. The tires: really shows the pros / cons of the stock Primacys. With Primacy tires, you have a good idea of when you’re loosing grip. They’re really not as bad as I thought. However, the PSS is just better in every regard. Absolutely recommend this tire if you’re looking for the perfect blend of performance, comfort, and longevity. If you’re looking for max performance, look into the Rivals.

2) (Purchased) Arm rest: Why this car has no arm rest if beyond me. When looking at options, I decided on the “cup holder” style arm rest, as it comes up higher, and aligns my arm perfectly with the shifter.
- 3 month post mod review: 10/10. Would buy again.



3) (Purchased) Helix Smoked Side Markers: The amber on DMG looks terrible. This had to be done. Got these for $50 shipped I think on a Massdrop group buy. Looks great, blends in well and just makes the side profile look so much cleaner.
- 3 month post mod review: I really like the cleaned up look. These Helix ones seem to get some moisture trapped in there, but not enough to worry me.



4) (Purchased) Rear Diffuser: I don’t know what Toyobaru was thinking switching to these tiny, dinky exhaust tips. Looks awful… pitiful really. I snagged a set of the JDM Tips and an “e-bay style” diffuser from a vendor here. This really cleaned up the rear view of the car. Looks complete now. *Note: Tips sold for exhaust system. Keeping picture for diffuser view.



- 3 month post mod review: I love this look, really completes the back end in my opinion. Some people like it, some don’t. To each his/her own. I think eventually I’ll get a cat-back or axel-back for the sound. But this is overall the look I want.

5) (Purchased) Works drop-in filter: While there is the “concept” or getting more power from the drop-in filter, I mainly buy these to avoid purchasing air filters all the time. Cleaning > rip/replace a part. I did notice the intake noise is a little amplified, and I swear I’ve noticed a little better throttle response. It could be a “mind playing tricks” – but I actually think I feel a minor difference.
- 3 month post mod review: To make sure my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me, I removed and replaced this every few weeks or so, and reset the ECU. Yes, I feel a throttle response difference. It’s not drastic; I primarily feel it when blipping the throttle for a downshift. This alone makes it worth it to me.

6) (Purchased) WeatherTech Mats: In the little time I’ve owned the car, I’ve already ground a deep ‘hole’ into the driver side floor mat. This is terrible, cheap material! I picked up the WeatherTech mats due to terrific reviews on the forums, and seeing these installed on a fellow FR-S (GT-86 @nataku) in my local area.

(space reserved for picture)

- 3 month post mod review: Everyone, just buy these. Traps all the crap you drag in the car, takes care of spills, etc.

7) (Purchased) Front/Rear Strut Tower Bar: I speak from personal experience here, I’ve noticed a major difference in my previous cars handling when I added the strut tower bars to the front + rear (previous cars include Mustang & SRT-4). Many people scoff at the part saying it’s a waste of money. I did Autocross in both the Mustang and SRT-4, and picked up better times with the bars. Also, I’ve driven a FR-S with the front/rear strut tower bar and noticed turn-in to be a little more responsive. There was a little more under-steer though (which in the car, isn’t really a bad thing).



- 1 month post mod review: After installing, driving, removing, driving, and re-installing – yes I feel a difference. I’ve got more confidence throwing the car into a corner. Feels more planted. I also like the look… a little “bling” in the engine bay.

8) (Purchased) Grimspeed Master-Cylinder Brace: This part was surprising. When I drove the same FR-S that had the strut bar, it also had the MCB. I noticed a far superior brake feel over my stock BRZ. This part was a no brainer; everyone should get this thing.



- 2 month post mod review: After 1 month, I couldn’t tell a difference. Turns out the bolts had loosened over time. I re-installed with some anti-seize to help it not “remove” itself. Brake feels firm again. Pretty simple mod – gives some confidence when hitting the brake with moderate pressure.

9) (Not Purchased) Window-Tint: The DMG will look great with tint; I’ve just not gotten around to it. It’s not high on my priority list. I’ll wait for a group event and get this done eventually.

10) (Purchased): AVO Silicon Inlet: The stock rubber-intake tube is already discolored and looks terrible. I like the AVO Silicon inlet, as it will give the clean look I want, and utilize the stock resonator pieces. I want to stay “as stock like as possible” so this wins out over the Perrin part. (that means the noise-tube stays, lol)



-1 month post mod: Looks great still, no more ‘corroding’ look of the accordion rubber thing. Little bit of cabin noise change as well, this was surprising. Throttle response again feels a little more responsive. Even faster blips.

11) (Purchased) Exhaust: So, I took a chance and picked up the Tsudo exhaust from @JonMotoring here on the forums. So far, i'm happy I "took the chance." I got the front pipe with cat, and catback for a VERY competitive price. Install was very smooth. There were some areas where the flanges didnt seeem like it would come together... but once we installed and tightened everything up, it all worked out! Sounds great. I was not looking for raw performance, but i'll be happy if I find some improvements.

Idle Sound Clip: [ame]http://youtu.be/6YBKGqrbWuk[/ame]

Revving Sound Clip: [ame]http://youtu.be/3WkwOyY1lvI[/ame]

In-Cabin During Accell: [ame]http://youtu.be/DM_FPNYxhUM[/ame]



12) BRZ TS Body Panels: For whatever reason, I like the look of the BRZ TS kit. When I saw the cost for some stupid plastic panels I really started laughing. Then I saw some knockoff ones, and pulled the trigger. Worst case, it sucks and I throw it away with a lesson learned.

Turns out, its quite decent! Fitment is good, durability seems good so far - and I got the look I wanted.

[SpectreRT]

For $h!ts and giggles, I'll be posting stuff we do to my lady's Genesis Coupe as well. For those who know me (or care to) she always tries (and usually succeeds) in 1-upping me. She got "Jealous" on month 3 of my BRZ ownership. So what did she do? Find a vehicle with more power, more torque, mod friendly, affordable, and more her style. She test drove an FRS - but she wanted something bigger. I present to you her 2013 Genesis Coupe 2.0T

(If mods dont approve of this because its not a "twin" let me know. This is just a fun comparison project.)



Some mods have been done, but we've not taken pictures due to crap weather. Stay tuned (if you care).

[SpectreRT]

(Reserved Space 2)

[IloveBaldEagles]

Subbed!

[SpectreRT]

Updated with more pictures, also: exhaust has been purchased. Decided to go with the Tsudo 2.5” front pipe & catback.

Reasoning: Listened to one in person; loved it. It had the sound im looking for. I do not expect any performance gains, thus I could not justify the price of a Perrin unit. I considered an Invidia N1, but after riding in one it drones at ~3K RPM pretty bad. I know the wife would kill me for that.

I'll be taking picture of the exhaust install when it occurs.

[JS + BRZ]

Looks great man!

Question.

Where did you order your armrest?

What happens when you have a coffee? lol

[ApolloSki]

Great wheel/tire selection.

[Basket Case]

I was always curious about the genesis, but i couldn't bring myself to accept Hyundai as an option...

[SpectreRT]

Originally Posted by JS + MS3

Looks great man!

Question.

Where did you order your armrest?

What happens when you have a coffee? lol

Thanks!

I got the arm rest from http://www.86industries.com. When I get a coffee, the arm rest pops out of the cup holders, and I get the cup holders back. There are like, 4-5 positions to place the arm rest in so you can have some available cup holders + arm rest. Its really nice!

Originally Posted by ApolloSki

Great wheel/tire selection.

I agree. Best bang for the buck IMO.

[SpectreRT]

Originally Posted by Basket Case

I was always curious about the genesis, but i couldn't bring myself to accept Hyundai as an option...

That makes two of us! She talked me into us test driving it. Its actually quite nice. Its heavy, but makes a lot of power (274hp, 275 torque). Its a great all around car.

[SpectreRT]

So, I had an interesting experience with my exhaust over the last few days. I had a little rattle when I got it installed. Figured it was a bracket or something. But then the rattle got really noticeable at idle. I went to my local welding shop, and they found the issue immediately.


[ame]http://youtu.be/Ofm7GotGCgc[/ame]



The inside of the left exhaust tip did not finish getting folded/welded. The right exhaust tip is perfectly fine, as my shop and video present. The shop actually stated the exhaust looked to be quite the quality piece, and better than they could fabricate.

So I had a few options. 1) Contact the manufacturer and see if they will warranty replace or 2) See if my local shop can help.

I attempted option 1 first. My vendor got the manufacturer to call me within 4 hours. That is impressive, many thanks to my vendor of choice. The manufacturer however, left a bad impression. Their solution was for me to pay for shipping BOTH WAYS for them to diagnose the exhaust and either repair or replace. Note: This was within 72 hours of me receiving the exhaust from them.

I'm not sure how MOST vendors work here on our forum, but in my experience if you're shipped a faulty part its replaced at no charge - including shipping. I've had (on numerous occasions) faulty parts arrive. It happens, and having being delivered a defective part is not the cause of my frustration. I'm honestly peeved that I'm expected to pay shipping both ways - to ship my parts back and then have a replacement/repair delivered back.

That said, I decided to opt for option 2. My local shop pointed out where they could perform a little "surgery" and weld 3 tiny areas to prevent the rattle. The operation was a success. And the exhaust sounds great again.


Picture of welds done:



Video of tip: post repair
[ame]http://youtu.be/oysrLoS6-FE[/ame]



My 5 day review: I'm still overall happy with my purchase. I have the exact sound I wanted - and I like the look (still messing with hangers to make the pipes 100% even). I expected some imperfections with the exhaust at this price-point, so I cannot say I'm "surprised" I had to deal with a rattle. However, the manufacturer's stance just felt straight arrogant.

I'll edit this post with pictures of the welds I needed, and a post video - showing 0 rattle when I tap the exhaust pipe.

[SpectreRT]

(Edited post due to updated product experience)

[SpectreRT]

Updated post with some new parts & pictures!

[hattrickey]

I can't really tell from the pictures, but did you color match the replica side skirts and rear spats? Looks good!