Mike's 2016 Raven FR-S Build (RCE SS-1, TE37 OG, JDL 4-2-1, Brembo GT)

[Mike_ZN6]

Originally Posted by Thefalls

Better wrap it if you are not doing any ceramic coating.

The DEI stuff is really good. Not much smell on the first heat cycles. And it doesn't itch that much, only a little.

The header already has bronze ceramic coating on it. I was thinking about doing the wrap in addition. Partly just because neatly wrapped headers look so good!

[Mike_ZN6]

The Xenon Depot Xtreme Pro LEDs and DRL PWM drivers showed up yesterday. The FR-S uses PWM to make the stock DRL/high beam halogen bulbs emit a dim light in DRL mode and a much brighter light in high beam mode. LEDs don't work with PWM and they operate at full power 100% of the time when connected to a PWM system. So when you replace the stock FR-S DRL/high beam bulbs with LEDs, you are essentially driving around with your brights on all the time blinding everybody.

This kit is the only one on the market that I could find which provides the capability to use an LED for a PWM controlled dual DRL/high beam bulb and maintain proper DRL functionality. The Xenon Depot DRL PWM drivers are supposed to dim the LED light output to 12% in DRL mode and increase output to 100% for high beam mode. The kit was designed for the Toyota Tacoma, but the Xenon Depot staff told me it works for many other Toyota models. I decided to give it a chance because I would really like to match the 6300k color temperature of the Morimoto M LED 2.0 headlights as close as possible and this is only really achievable with LEDs.

Everything in the kit seems like quality parts. I installed everything on the car and the passenger side works fine, but the driver side flickers when in DRL mode. I thought maybe the LED or the PWM driver were bad on the driver side, so I swapped both setups to the opposite sides of the car. Same exact behavior with the driver side flickering in DRL mode. The LED/driver that did not work on the driver side works perfect on the passenger side.

I am going to contact Xenon Depot tomorrow and see what they say. Hopefully, they have a fix or I can just return the kit. I am starting to think I have no other option than to get some blue tinted halogens like the Philips Diamond Vision or OSRAM Cool Blue Boost if I want to try and match the 6300k Morimotos.

[Mike_ZN6]

This afternoon I got around to installing the BRZ tS VSC module I picked up from a part out on FB. Installing the VSC module from a 2017+ BRZ/86 on a 2012-2016 model will upgrade the traction control system from the pre-facelift 'Sport Mode' to the less intrusive 'Track Mode'.

Most people think all 2017+ VSC modules are the same, but there are actually three different part numbers listed for the manual BRZ: one for cars with STi (tS/Brembo/Michelin Pilot Sport 4S), one for cars with all season tires, and one for the normal OEM Primacy tires.





This indicates there may actually be slightly different programming in the VSC modules that is appropriately tuned for the varying grip levels of the tires that come equipped on the different models. I am not sure if it would make sense for Subaru/Toyota to do that because it would cause VSC to behave incorrectly if you ever changed the type of tires on the car. There may not actually be any difference in the VSC module programming. Many other members have reported using 2017+ VSC modules on various tire types with no issues.

The module I received came from a 2018 Subaru BRZ tS with 20k miles. This would be the ideal match for the 245 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S setup on the car if the VSC modules actually have different programming.

The install was actually super easy. You basically just unplug the original one, remove the 4 bolts, screw in the new one, and plug it back in. The whole thing took less than 30 minutes and I was really taking my time, taking pictures, etc. I followed the excellent guide by @Yoshoobaroo found here: https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140946

Before I installed the new VSC module, I went for a test drive and paid very close attention to the traction control intervention on a few specific corners. The traction control would consistently activate much too early, often before I even felt like I actually lost grip. Even when Sport Mode was activated, the traction control system would still interfere. The pre-facelift traction control is just much too aggressive.

I was not sure how much difference the updated Track Mode traction control programming would make. I was actually very surprised! Returning to the same corners I had just driven earlier made the difference immediately noticeable. The traction control system is actually rather difficult to activate now! The whole system is less intrusive now when Track Mode is on or off. With Track Mode off, the traction control no longer activates prior to losing grip. With Track Mode on, I can now break the rear tires free a bit in the corners without traction control kicking in at all!

This mod turned out to be a totally worth it. I would suggest anyone with a 2012-2016 model year car do this upgrade. You can find a used one for $100-$150, but the prices seem to be going up. There seems to be a premium for the version from Brembo/Michelin Pilot Sport 4S equipped cars, even though it is not confirmed if there is actually a difference.

[Mike_ZN6]

Took some quick pictures of the car earlier:

[Z06ZN6]

So clean!

[Mike_ZN6]

After all of the trouble I went through trying to get functional LED DRL/high-beams on my FR-S headlights, I realized the best option was to get some normal halogen 9005 bulbs with the coolest possible color temperature. I decided to go with Philips Diamond Vision bulbs.

BulbFacts does independent testing on various automotive bulbs and they show the Diamond Vision have 5500k color temperature and better light output than competing blue tinted halogens. They give off a very white color temperature with just a hint of blue. The light output is slightly less than OEM, but the high-beams are definitely still functional and provide adequate lighting.

I wish I had known it would not be possible to get functional LED DRL/high-beams working in the FR-S headlights due to the PWM system. These bulbs provide the look I was going for and they were cheap and easy.

[Mike_ZN6]

The twins have a relatively uncommon 200mm head unit design, which makes the aftermarket replacement options pretty limited if you do not wish to run adapter brackets. In many vehicles the adapter brackets look fine, but I have not seen one for the twins that looks acceptable to me.

I decided to go with the Pioneer AVH-ZL5150BT. It fits the 200mm slot perfect without brackets and has Apple CarPlay. It was difficult to get a hold of this unit, it was never sold in the US and currently may have been discontinued. After a lot of searching, I was able to track down an Australian dealer that still had one on the shelf.

I bought a wiring adapter kit from AutoHarnessHouse. The kit made the install 90% plug and play. Even with the adapter kit, I still had to sort out some minor issues. CarPlay audio would mute while the car was moving but I searched the forums and found a thread that said to cut the pink wire on the direct wire adapter and it fixed that problem. I also had horrible AM/FM reception originally. It turned out AutoHarnessHouse sent out the wrong AM/FM and direct wire adapters. I contacted them and they sent out the correct ones. They were even nice enough to make the connection between the AM/FM and direct wire adapters before shipping them out. With the correct adapters, the AM/FM reception started working as expected.

Another little issue I had to deal with was the Bluetooth mic. The OEM one is not compatible with the Pioneer, there is no adapter. The Pioneer came with it's own mic, so I ran it behind the dash and up the A-pillar on the passenger side to the OEM location. FRStoreUS on Etsy sells a 3D printed adapter (pictured) to allow the Pioneer mic to fit in the OEM location and it worked perfectly.

I am happy with this head unit. The display has a sharp resolution. The interface is responsive. Apple CarPlay works well. I think the audio quality sounds a bit better than stock. Most importantly, it does not say 'Scion' on it. The only feature this unit is lacking that I would really like to have is wireless CarPlay.

[rbfr.s]

Phew...that sure is pretty! Makes me want to put off other projects for this.

[Mike_ZN6]

I installed a K&N air filter last week in preparation for getting the car tuned.

[Mike_ZN6]

Now that I wrapped up the projects I have been working on, I was able to get around to the JDL 4-2-1 headers. I originally planned to install these myself, but I got a great price on the install and tuning at PTuning. I have been to several of the import performance shops in the DMV area and I have had the best experience with them. PTuning also has a good reputation for tuning.

I decided to go with the JDL 4-2-1 because it has the best value. The JDL 4-2-1 with ceramic coating (free on Black Friday special) and JDL overpipe was over $1000 cheaper than the ACE 350 with CSG coating. The design of the headers is so similar I really doubt you could actually ever feel the difference from the slightly longer runners on the ACE. Also, 949 Racing had the ACE 350 on their race car, but they swapped to the JDL 4-2-1 instead. 949 said the headers had similar torque curves but the JDL 4-2-1 had more top end.

Unfortunately, I was not able to get baseline dynos on the same day of the tuning. I had to get the baselines done the evening before. The day of the baseline pulls it was in the low 70s. The car actually put down pretty good numbers for a stock twin, especially a first gen. PTuning uses a Dyno Dynamics dyno and I head they read low. The car put down 174.7 hp and 150.8 ft lbs of torque on the best pull. PTuning said first gen twins normally put down low 160s on their dyno.

After the headers were installed and PTuning completed the custom EcuTek tuning, the car made 207.1 hp and 162.6 ft lbs of torque. That is a gain of 32.4 hp and 11.8 ft lbs of torque! The fuel is 93 octane. I was only hoping for 195-200 hp, so I am super happy with the numbers I ended up with! The day of the tuning was actually much hotter too, around 88 degrees. I am not so sure that Dyno Dynamics dynos read low anymore, because these seem like high numbers for a twin to me.

Seat of the pants, the car definitely pulls harder now. As you can see on the dyno, the torque dip is now almost completely gone. The car no longer feels like it gives up half way up the RPMs. It keeps the same feeling of acceleration going all the way through the power band. It is not a massive difference like an FI setup, but you could easily tell the difference between a stock one and a car with this header/tune. I got what I expected out of these mods and overall I am pretty happy with the results.

[Mike_ZN6]

I have a few more things planned for the car coming up. I recently installed JDM clear sidemarkers and I will try to get the pics up in the next few days. I have a set of PP Brembos that will be going on soon hopefully.

After that I want to replace the seats. I wanted to get a pair of Bride Stradia IIs, but they discontinued them and the new Stradia IIIs are ugly. You need seats with a removable bottom cushion so you can place the passenger occupancy sensor under it without ripping into the new seat, and the options are pretty limited. I am now considering fixed back Recaro Pole Positions.

[Z06ZN6]

Ooooooh, nice teaser pic! I just started looking at brakes too but am probably a few months away from doing anything. What rotors are you considering? Are you sticking with the red color on the calipers or doing a color change?

I don't think the new Brides are that bad. They look a bit strange as a stand alone seat in a photo but installed in a modern car they seem to work well (see pic below, which is not my car). The black stradia 3s aren't that much different than the 2s and the red stitch would match your interior. The red seats on the other hand I would prefer they lose the black/cf material shoulder and resume the logo gradation, but I'd still buy them as I love the Bride fit compared to the Sparcos and Recaros I've tested in the past. I run the red gradation Zeta 3's in my cars and do 5 hour one way road trips every two weeks, six months out of the year, without tiring. Thankfully, I have spare Zetas on the shelf which will probably bridge me to the Zeta 5.

[Mike_ZN6]

Originally Posted by Z06ZN6

Ooooooh, nice teaser pic! I just started looking at brakes too but am probably a few months away from doing anything. What rotors are you considering? Are you sticking with the red color on the calipers or doing a color change?
I don't think the new Brides are that bad. They look a bit strange as a stand alone seat in a photo but installed in a modern car they seem to work well (see pic below, which is not my car). The black stradia 3s aren't that much different than the 2s and the red stitch would match your interior. The red seats on the other hand I would prefer they lose the black/cf material shoulder and resume the logo gradation, but I'd still buy them as I love the Bride fit compared to the Sparcos and Recaros I've tested in the past. I run the red gradation Zeta 3's in my cars and do 5 hour one way road trips every two weeks, six months out of the year, without tiring. Thankfully, I have spare Zetas on the shelf which will probably bridge me to the Zeta 5.

I can't decide if I want to just put on the stock rotors the PP Brembos came with or upgrade to Girodisc 2-piece. You have to grind off a section of the backing plate on the rear pads to get them to fit.

I also can't decide if I want to get the calipers refinished in black or keep them red. I actually conducted a poll on here for people to vote between red and black calipers on my car, and red won 15 to 9. On some level I feel the car has too many colors on its palette (black, red, silver, and bronze) and I contemplate going with black calipers and switching the interior parts with red stitch over to 2017+ 86 versions with the silver stitch. I am actually leaning towards red right now because getting the calipers powder coated is more expensive than I thought and it would actually make more sense to just sell the PP Brembos and buy the Brembo GT kits in black at that point.

For the new Brides, I could probably get over the circular belt cutouts but the "+" shaped back padding has not grown on me. I really need to sit in some Brides and Recaros in the next few months before I make any decisions.

That Supra looks amazing! The red seats and white wheels really pop on the black.

[Z06ZN6]

I was also thinking about building a kit off the girodiscs (not surprisingly since our cars are so similar and we seem to have identical, impeccable taste).

I missed the poll but would have voted for black. In my opinion, red doesn't go too well with the girodisc blue or the bronze te's.

Here's a pic of a girodisc combo with a bronze wheel and black caliper. I like this simple combo a lot and will probably go with this to keep down the color contrast on what is my daily driver car. I have gold stoptechs with black hats on my old race car with original TE's and really like that combo too.

I hear you on the cost. I got quoted $800 for powder coating in my area, which doesn't sound too bad really, but I'll probably just paint and clear then myself, otherwise, yeah that money could be invested to upgrade brakes and get the color you want at the same time. I know Girodisc has some custom hat colors so calling them direct would help. When I built my stop techs for the race car I just had to wait a little bit for the gold vs something I could have quickly off the shelf. Maybe a different hat color might give you some more ideas or options with the PP red caliper color.

The main thing slowing my brake project down now (pardon the stupid pun) is I need to work out what will fit my 17" snow wheels and tires. I don't want any hidden surprises that add another bunch of stuff I need to change. Pic of the snows below. Lame offsets help me run chains but usually never need them.

I'll definitely be checking back in to see what you do as I am sure its going to look good.