Modding your DD - where's the sweet median?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Porcupint

Not all roads in Louisiana are THAT bad! lol

Oh, I believe you! But if that is what he has to deal with all the time I can understand his reluctance to lower.

[tennisfreak]

Out of the mods I have dont to my car, which is my DD, far and away the best one IMO is the SARD seat covers.

The stock FR-S seat material sucks and is a bitch to keep clean.

The seat covers make the seats perfect, easy to keep clean, and give it a nice look.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by tennisfreak

Out of the mods I have dont to my car, which is my DD, far and away the best one IMO is the SARD seat covers.

The stock FR-S seat material sucks and is a bitch to keep clean.

The seat covers make the seats perfect, easy to keep clean, and give it a nice look.

More info?
Please!

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Scubaru

The Sprintex S/C I have greatly improved the performance of the car, but as far as just cruising around town or cruising on the interstate, you can hardly tell a difference before/after installation.

Did you see any significant change in MPG after installing the S/C in day to day driving?

As for me, I've made a few mild mods (that can be seen in my Owner's Journal) but nothing that really does anything significant to the actual car.

I do need new tires, but will probably go with some type of all-season which I expect will mess up the gas mileage a bit and have some impact to handling but neither should be significant.

I wouldn't mind a bit of a softer ride since it is my DD, but I'm really OK with it as is.

[Porcupint]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Oh, I believe you! But if that is what he has to deal with all the time I can understand his reluctance to lower.

Agreed. That is insanely bad.

[rice_classic]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Dude the sound tube is supposed to be hooked up to the intake not the exhaust!

I'm surprised 100 guys haven't messaged me asking me what my secret is to a quiet car ride!

[CatDaddysBBQ]

My FR-S is a 18k/yr DD and 4-8 times a year AUTOX/ HPDE. Tough balance to find, really. In the end, i see it going through a few phases in it's lifetime.

Now, i'm in the sole car/DD and toy category that i financed and has a warranty. So for now, it's wheels/tires/brakes/air filter/axleback exhaust/camber bolts/shifter/etc - nothing to have the factory freak out about, and nothing I have to be blamed for if anything goes wrong.

Phase 2? Once warranty is up, there may be a few more additions, but nothing crazy like building a race car or anything. Looking at a phantom FT supercharger kit, maybe some further suspension mods, a mild tune to go with the low level FI, etc.

Phase 3? Whenever it is no longer my DD, I want to really go nuts and rip the interior out, cage it, swap the phantom for a turbo or "real" S/C and more intrusive mods and make it a track toy that i never "have" to drive.

It's great, because it keeps me with a carrot to chase after and increases my interest in the car long-term, knowing that in a few years i will always have a few big milestone goals for it while i own it.

[Pbrown]

Once you've spent more on swapping out perfectly good parts for upgrades worth more than the value of the car you may have gone to far. Up to that point GIVE ER!

[BRZZZZZZZZZZ]

Originally Posted by Pbrown

Once you've spent more on swapping out perfectly good parts for upgrades worth more than the value of the car you may have gone to far. Up to that point GIVE ER!

Ooop I am almost there!

[BlackMonarch]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I have the TRD exhaust and spend a minimum of 14 hours a week on the highway (the tales of my being on here24/7 are greatly exaggerated) and spent the first two weeks I had it pricing materials and reading the sound proofing DIYs. I guess I got used to it because I don't even notice anymore. I spend a pile of time on the hands free phone and have never had an issue hearing or being heard so it isn't as bad as some would have you think. Certainly not Lexus quite or anything like that though.

Are not.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by BlackMonarch

Are not.

[tennisfreak]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

More info?
Please!

@Tcoat

Here is a link to the install and review thread: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37972

I can say that these are a perfect fit, super high quality, premium product.
I have absolutely no negatives to speak of on this (other than how hard it was to install them, but this is not specific to brand it is just how small our car is).

I bought them from nigel. Here is a link to them on his website: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37972

I did not want to pay full price for them so I petitioned for a groupbuy and nigel was great. After getting enough people to commit he did the groupbuy and I was able to get them significantly cheaper than the regular price on his website.

[Scubaru]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Did you see any significant change in MPG after installing the S/C in day to day driving?

As for me, I've made a few mild mods (that can be seen in my Owner's Journal) but nothing that really does anything significant to the actual car.

I do need new tires, but will probably go with some type of all-season which I expect will mess up the gas mileage a bit and have some impact to handling but neither should be significant.

I wouldn't mind a bit of a softer ride since it is my DD, but I'm really OK with it as is.

When I drove up to Sterling, VA to have the work done, I averaged 37.4 MPG straight interstate cruising @ 70 MPH. On the trip back, I averaged 34.6 MPG. I live in the mountains, so it's hard to say if the trip back didn't have more of an incline than the trip up.

Right now on the regular, I used to average 33ish all around, and lately it's been around 27-28 (I've had my foot in it though )

Best tank I've averaged so far is 29.5 with probably 2-3 15-80 MPH pulls thrown in there. I'm sure I could easily squeeze 30.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Porcupint

Jesus! Where are you? BR and the surrounding areas are no where near that bad. And back home in north Louisiana it isn't that bad either... Not all roads in Louisiana are THAT bad! lol

I'm in New Orleans, which does probably have the worst streets in the state.

However, my job takes me to every obscure corner of the state, and nowhere is exempt from bad roads. This entire state has an infrastructure problem. I have lived in eight states and driven in more than 30, and I've never seen anything quite this bad overall.

You're certainly not exempt from ugly roads in BR. Plank Road, Winbourne, Choctaw, Greenwell Springs... BR has pretty much given up on keeping the pavement glued down in that area of town. Airline Highway is a fucking disaster north of I-12. If you continue north on it and take the "scenic" Highway 61 out of town, you'll be lucky to have all your teeth by the time you reach the Mississippi border.

The state government here ought to be embarrassed.