Killboy & Killgurl's Supercharged FRS and Turbo BRZ by Forged Performance

[mfbmike]

killboy!

I've been up to the dragon for the past 4 years now with the R32 group for wookies in the woods. Originally in my R32, last year in the FR-S and this year will be in a 911 turbo. lol.

I was so stoked when I saw you guys picked up a FR-S! I found the FR-S in stock (power) form to be somewhat tedious on the dragon. 2nd gear was too short in some cases and then shifting to 3rd only kept you in 3rd for a second or two and then you had no torque coming out of a curve if you didn't downshift back into second. Interested in hearing your thoughts and more importantly, a before and after comparison before and after exhaust work and tune.

With that being said, I thought the car was AMAZING on hellbender. Buddy of mine said the hellbender run we did with me leading in the fr-s was the fastest run he'd done through there. It's amazing being able to carry so much speed into turns.

Can't wait to go back again in April. Sure we'll see you up there.

[killboy]

Originally Posted by vroom4

Im going for the opposite, as quiet as possible but eliminate the heavy oem muffler.

Well then don't get a UEL header and just do something like cat-back. We put the Invidia cat-back on alone at first, and it was just barely louder than stock...although honestly, the stock exhaust from the cat back is not that heavy. There wasn't much difference in weight between the Invidia N1, which is respectably light for a SS exhaust, and the stock exhaust. The biggest weight savings was actually the header, with the stock unit having a pre-cat built-in and all that shielding, it was quite heavy. Aftermarket header typically loses that pre-cat, so you'll get more sound but a major weight savings. If you do go with aftermarket header, stick with equal-length since they are quieter.

[vroom4]

But POWAAAAA

[killboy]

Originally Posted by mfbmike

I was so stoked when I saw you guys picked up a FR-S! I found the FR-S in stock (power) form to be somewhat tedious on the dragon. 2nd gear was too short in some cases and then shifting to 3rd only kept you in 3rd for a second or two and then you had no torque coming out of a curve if you didn't downshift back into second. Interested in hearing your thoughts and more importantly, a before and after comparison before and after exhaust work and tune.

I'm kind of used to it with the S2000s being the same way...worse really with their narrower torque/power band. The real savior for me was the RaceROM feature additions with the ECUtek tune. Now that I can flat-foot upshift and it auto-revs downshifts, it's not a big deal to flip up a gear for a second and right back down if needed, where as before I might ride the redline for a second or two just to keep from upshift/downshifting, or I might avoid dropping out of 3rd in a faster bend to avoid shifting and just come out a little bogged down when I really should have been in 2nd on the exit but it would have been a short shift. Now I do whatever shifting needs to be done to be gentler on the motor and have more power coming out.

See you in April!

[mfbmike]

Originally Posted by killboydotcom

I'm kind of used to it with the S2000s being the same way...worse really with their narrower torque/power band. The real savior for me was the RaceROM feature additions with the ECUtek tune. Now that I can flat-foot upshift and it auto-revs downshifts, it's not a big deal to flip up a gear for a second and right back down if needed, where as before I might ride the redline for a second or two just to keep from upshift/downshifting, or I might avoid dropping out of 3rd in a faster bend to avoid shifting and just come out a little bogged down when I really should have been in 2nd on the exit but it would have been a short shift. Now I do whatever shifting needs to be done to be gentler on the motor and have more power coming out.

See you in April!

Sweet. Looks like those features definitely make it better.

See you then!

[killboy]

[ame]http://youtu.be/wSA92B1-mDc[/ame]

[killboy]

Took up the mountain for a drive yesterday.

[ame]http://youtu.be/FtMnySbWQj8[/ame]

[ATL86]

This is cool to see. I just took a job that will have me based in Knoxville, so I will be trying to get out to the dragon as much as possible.

P.S. I love your work. Here's one you got of me about 6 years ago



(Sorry this was jacked from the weekly highlights)

[killboy]

Last week we did another round of upgrades in preparation for increases in suspension stiffness, tire grip, and eventually power adders by upgrading the rear subframe bushings, diff mounts, steering rack mounts, brake pads, and adding a Crawford air/oil separator. Here are some photos of the progress....

Greg at Forged Performance started to work on dropping the rear subframe...


It's not terribly difficult with a lift and the right tools/stands, but not something I would consider easy in your driveway.


Preparing for the drop...


Separation begins...


Ta Dah!


Here you can see the bushings we plan to replace with their upgrade parts beside them.





The included instructions from Whiteline make it sound like this piece should just fall right out. It does not. He had to deform it and beat on it pretty hard to get it loose. Next time, (and if you have access to one) use press.


The terrible offender finally out.


Whiteline included collar went in fairly easy...


Couple of taps just to be sure it was "in there".


Second diff mount was almost as tough...had to take a air saw to it.


Both mounts replaced now.


The stock subframe bushings were really tough to remove, no photos as I was helping hold the assembly steady. Next time, press.


Next he moved around front to stretch and install the Crawford air/oil separator...


This unit is really cool, especially for boosted engines but even Normally Aspirated engines benefit. It directs the excess "blow by" vapors from the crankcase into this canister, which is heated using a coolant line from the engine, then swirls the gases very rapidly inside the can, forcing the oil out onto the sidewalls, where it drains down into a collector at the bottom to be returned back into the block. The remaining air and moisture are sucked out the top and back into the intake. Unlike a catch can, it's zero maintainance, doesn't hold oil outside of the block where it's not doing any good, and doesn't produce any odors.


Here you can see some of the hose routings.


We also upgraded the pads to Hawk HPS for now. We'll get more aggressive as the power and grip levels go up.


Back under the car, steering rack bushing driver side...


And steering rack bushing passenger side. They don't look much different, but the material is poly instead of rubber, and there is a metal insert in the center.


Here is a shot of the rear subframe bushing upgrades mounted up.


And a shot of the wimpy anti-sway bar still in there...for now.


These bushing mods did not make a huge difference in the current setup, and made absolutely no increase in noise/vibration while driving, but they will pay off as we move forward and start to put more cornering and power forces on the chassis with increased grip and stiffer suspension.


Couple other shots from around the shop...here's a shot of Cary fabricating a cage for a customer's GTR. Fun Fact: Forged Performance prepped and tuned the 4 GTRs they used in the upcoming Fast and Furious 7 movie for stunts and crashes.


And finally here's shop dog Brutus using my leg as a bone holder. Hope you enjoyed!

[killboy]

Took the wife up to Cherohala Skyway for a pretty sunset. Not really a build update, I hope you'll forgive me. (Sunset photos in our online store at http://dragonscenery.com)

[killboy]

Fresh round of upgrades! ISC Coilovers, Axis Wheels, Cooper 275/18 Tires, and Whiteline Bushings came in.



Quality is really impressive. We went with the "Race" valving vs. "Street" valving, and they sent 10k front/8k rear springs, which are too stiff for me. We ordered some 6k all around since the rear arm has a moment ratio and the rear of the car is slightly lighter. Right now with these 8k springs, it's hard to get the power down exiting corners without spinning the tires. Makes for some nice drifts though!





They also came with shortened swaybar end-links for the front, since the car will be lowered.



Stock front strut weight:



Saved 4 pounds per side



Rear struts weighed the same before/after.



Also installed the last of the Whiteline bushing upgrades...rear control arm bushings (shown) and Roll Center/Bump-Steer correction kit up front.



Next comes the bigger rubber...275/18s all around.



Stock wheel+tire weight...



After wheel+tire weight. Naturally they're heavier, but the increase in grip makes up for it dramatically. The car is night/day quicker through the turns now.



Next Sharif got it up on the scales and made sure each tire was supporting an equal amount of cross-weight.



Then he broke out the strings and went to work on my alignment...



Setup is time-consuming and crucial



It's a fascinating but tedious process of checking, adjusting, checking...



The finished product!



The wheels/tires fit almost perfect, much better than I expected. No rubbing up front except at full lock, and just a touch of rubbing in the rear at the plastic tab/seam on the outside fender that "self-clearanced" after a couple of days. Offset is right where I like it...no poke but flush with the fender edge. These are 18x9.5 +45, no spacers.



My wife decided she liked the car too, so we picked up a BRZ Limited for her that already had wheels, springs, lip kit, and diffuser. Thinking about doing it up in Blue/white and mine in White/blue. Stay tuned!

[JS + BRZ]

Awesome. Had fun reading the whole thing. Keep it going!

[Cockatoo]

So awesome you have a set of twins!

How long did that corner balance take?

[killboy]

Originally Posted by Cockatoo

So awesome you have a set of twins!

How long did that corner balance take?

Not too long, we lucked into having it close from the start. Maybe 30 minutes.