What you HATE the most on your FR-S/BRZ/GT86/FT86?

[Spankopotomous]

I hate the road noise and wish for a more comfortable ride.

Back in February 19 I got my stock asphalt manual 13 FR-S with 34k miles. I drive roughly 1.3k L.A. traffic highway miles a month and I hate the road noise/ride quality. Upgrading from stock tires to 225/45/17 MPS4's improved grip immensely but did nothing to quiet road noise. Shouting to passengers or listening to the stock radio between 40-50 volume on the highway seems excessive.

I love the sports car weight and handling, it feels like riding a guided missile barreling down the 110. Now the car is approaching 60k/a major service interval. I can't help to imagine that some dynamat, sound deadening, lightweight 17x9+35's, a sound tube delete, or new bushings/window seals may be in order.

These are over exaggerations but I really believe the car can be improved to a true GT.

Has anyone built and achieved a comfortable "GT" build?

[Bonburner]

Originally Posted by Spankopotomous

I hate the road noise and wish for a more comfortable ride.

Back in February 19 I got my stock asphalt manual 13 FR-S with 34k miles. I drive roughly 1.3k L.A. traffic highway miles a month and I hate the road noise/ride quality. Upgrading from stock tires to 225/45/17 MPS4's improved grip immensely but did nothing to quiet road noise. Shouting to passengers or listening to the stock radio between 40-50 volume on the highway seems excessive.

I love the sports car weight and handling, it feels like riding a guided missile barreling down the 110. Now the car is approaching 60k/a major service interval. I can't help to imagine that some dynamat, sound deadening, lightweight 17x9+35's, a sound tube delete, or new bushings/window seals may be in order.

These are over exaggerations but I really believe the car can be improved to a true GT.

Has anyone built and achieved a comfortable "GT" build?

Google is your friend

That being said, the second page of that thread the guy says:

Originally Posted by nalc

It's probably not Lexus LS quiet. The real limiting factor at this point is the frameless windows. Road and engine noise are down significantly, but there's still some wind noise, and there's not much I can do about it.

I measured it around 85 dB with the app on my old phone at 65mph on the highway, and 78 dB after the sound deadening. I don't know how accurate that app is, so the numbers are probably off (I've already been challenged that there's no way the BRZ reaches 85 dB at that speed), but the 7 dB reduction is probably about accurate. Remember, it's a logarithmic scale, so 10 dB = 10 x as loud.

As a better example, I took someone for a ride who did not know that I had done any sound deadening, and he remarked that he was surprised how quiet it was. I'd certainly be up for doing an actual comparison with an accurate SPL meter, perhaps at a meet or some other event where we could compare my car to a stock car at the same speed on the same road.

As for the headliner, there is nothing securing the Thinsulate. It's just sandwiched between the headliner (which is actually quite stiff) and the roof. One nice thing about treating the headliner is that you lose the "rain drops on a tin roof" sound when it rains. Raindrops make practically no noise on the roof now.

I'll post a more detailed write up on it once I have a chance (maybe tonight), but for now the pics are available in the imgur album in the first post.

I paid about $600 for all the materials. In retrospect, my amount of CLD was a bit low (I used 45 and could likely have found room for another 5 without too much trouble), my amount of CCF was too high (I only used half of what I ordered, since there was already foam below the carpet), and my MLV and Thinsulate were right on the money.

I should also add that if you're doing any JDM interior pieces (like the kneepads or armrest), or if you're installing upgraded speakers, do them at the same time. Taking all these panels off makes those upgrades very fast and easy.

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Spankopotomous

I hate the road noise and wish for a more comfortable ride.

...sound tube delete...

My experience is that the sound tube isn't that loud, but the noise it brings into the cabin are in an especially bothersome frequency (at least for me, making my ears hurt after even a short drive).

I tested this by driving around stock, then plugging the sound tube with the 12V socket cover from the glove box and driving some more. Noise level hasn't changed much, but the noise profile is pretty different. It's free, so give it a try.

Since then I replaced the intake with a Perrin one that deletes the sound tube entirely. Still noisy, especially tire noise on the highway, but barrable for me. I don't commute much, though.

[JesseG]

Originally Posted by Decep

Worst things about the car for a daily driver are definitely the door checks and for those of us without backup cameras, rear visibility at night is terrible for parallel parking. reverse lights barely light anything up due to how low they are.

Yeah a backup camera is really needed with the FR-S. I have a 2016 and it has one. I think that is the year it was required in all cars? I find the reverse lights work pretty good?


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[JesseG]

Originally Posted by Spankopotomous

I hate the road noise and wish for a more comfortable ride.

Back in February 19 I got my stock asphalt manual 13 FR-S with 34k miles. I drive roughly 1.3k L.A. traffic highway miles a month and I hate the road noise/ride quality. Upgrading from stock tires to 225/45/17 MPS4's improved grip immensely but did nothing to quiet road noise. Shouting to passengers or listening to the stock radio between 40-50 volume on the highway seems excessive.

I love the sports car weight and handling, it feels like riding a guided missile barreling down the 110. Now the car is approaching 60k/a major service interval. I can't help to imagine that some dynamat, sound deadening, lightweight 17x9+35's, a sound tube delete, or new bushings/window seals may be in order.

These are over exaggerations but I really believe the car can be improved to a true GT.

Has anyone built and achieved a comfortable "GT" build?

I don’t think I would like driving my car in LA traffic, Dallas traffic is bad enough. Unfortunately the FRS isn’t ever going to be very comfortable or quiet, unless you go to extreme lengths. And then you start to wonder wouldn’t a different car be better? I’m jealous of some of the amazing roads you have in California, but the traffic would kill me in this car.
Some tips that you and others have mentioned, better tires can help, get rid of the sound tube it sucks, and maybe have a good shop install some dynamat? Unless you feel comfortable doing that yourself. Other than that I can’t think of anything else. Do you have manual or the auto?
Honestly if I lived in LA and having the FRS as a second option wasn’t possible, I would get a better GT type car. Something like the Golf R would be perfect. Comfortable but still fun, and if you get the DSG trans, it is excellent at being docile or fast shifting. And if the AWD seems like overkill, a new GTI could be great.
You will lose most of the mechanical raw feel of the FRS, but you won’t be miserable in traffic.


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[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by soundman98

third brake light is a simple mod to move up to the top.

True. I'm getting there. And I think it's more of an issue for us slightly below average height people as far as it getting in the way of the rear view.

On the plus side of the below average height thing, that little quarter window in back lets me see perfectly out to where my blind spot would be, so yay for that.

[JesseG]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

True. I'm getting there. And I think it's more of an issue for us slightly below average height people as far as it getting in the way of the rear view.

On the plus side of the below average height thing, that little quarter window in back lets me see perfectly out to where my blind spot would be, so yay for that.

Now that’s looking at the glass half full I have to duck my head a little to look through the rear quarter windows.


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[LimitedSlip]

Originally Posted by Spankopotomous

Has anyone built and achieved a comfortable "GT" build?

Here is a somewhat related thread you might investigate:

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138549

[mrg666]

AC control panel. Too much space wasted. They could have easily created a good size pocket at the bottom to throw a wallet, sunglasses, etc.

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by Spankopotomous

I hate the road noise and wish for a more comfortable ride.

Back in February 19 I got my stock asphalt manual 13 FR-S with 34k miles. I drive roughly 1.3k L.A. traffic highway miles a month and I hate the road noise/ride quality. Upgrading from stock tires to 225/45/17 MPS4's improved grip immensely but did nothing to quiet road noise. Shouting to passengers or listening to the stock radio between 40-50 volume on the highway seems excessive.

I love the sports car weight and handling, it feels like riding a guided missile barreling down the 110. Now the car is approaching 60k/a major service interval. I can't help to imagine that some dynamat, sound deadening, lightweight 17x9+35's, a sound tube delete, or new bushings/window seals may be in order.

These are over exaggerations but I really believe the car can be improved to a true GT.

Has anyone built and achieved a comfortable "GT" build?

trade in the 13 for a 17+ (18+ for the available more premium dual HVAC interior) and you'll probably get as close to "GT" comfort as you can get without modding anything

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by mrg666

AC control panel. Too much space wasted. They could have easily created a good size pocket at the bottom to throw a wallet, sunglasses, etc.

That cubby (even smaller in the keyless cars) makes me feel like the car arrived just a little too late and they weren't prepared for the growth in phone size at that time. I suppose the only thing you could fit there that would make sense would be an iPod from back in the day and plug your little aux cord in right next to it, but even those were already on their way out by that time, too. It really is wasted space.

[LimitedSlip]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

That cubby . . . really is wasted space

If this was a British sports car you would need proper accommodations for a cell phone because you would regularly use it to call for a tow truck. Being a Toyobaru, the designers felt there was no such need.

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by LimitedSlip

If this was a British sports car you would need proper accommodations for a cell phone because you would regularly use it to call for a tow truck. Being a Toyobaru, the designers felt there was no such need.

Actually, the little slot in the cupholder was perfectly sized for the iPhone of the time...unless you were charging it. A lot of smartphones will still fit there, so they did provision for it.

[JesseG]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Actually, the little slot in the cupholder was perfectly sized for the iPhone of the time...unless you were charging it. A lot of smartphones will still fit there, so they did provision for it.

It can’t hold much, so I just use it to hold the remote to my apartment gate. And sometimes my wallet on a longer drive. It’s sort of useful.


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