Mistople's 2017 BRZ PP Track Build

[mistople]

Finally pulled the trigger.

I was so thrilled to see the Performance Package option released last year, and was lucky enough to grab a great deal on a new 2017 Limited PP in Crystal White Pearl as the model year came to a close. The BRZ has always intrigued me, but like many, I was initially put off by the relatively low numbers on the spec sheet. Needless to say, numbers don't matter on a car like this. I've never had so much fun with an vehicle in my life. That includes the 15 minute F430 drive I was lucky enough to experience a few summer's ago.

Bought new with 4 miles on the clock. It will see about 50/50 track/road use around the PNW area. Looking forward to sharing the journey with everyone. The first few months are all about getting to know the car, getting some proper lessons at the track, and of course stockpiling all of the parts.












Current spec:

Engine
Jackson Racing C30-94 Supercharger Kit
ACE A350 4-2-1 Header w/ CSG Double Ceramic
EcuTek + Delicious Tuning FNG
Perrin 2.5" Resonated Catback Exhaust
Jackson Racing Oil Track Oil Cooler
Motul 300V High RPM Engine Oil

Drivetrain
MTEC Shifter Springs
Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing
STi Engine Mounts
Whiteline Transmission Mount
Whiteline Differential Outrigger Inserts
Clutch Spring Delete
Motul Gear 300 75W-90 Transmission & Diff Oil

Suspension / Chassis / Brakes
Tein CSG Spec Flex A Coilovers
Winmax W5 F/R Pads
Winmax BF Racing Fluid
Perrin Steering Rack Lockdowns

Alignment
Camber F= -3.0 | R= -2.4, Caster = 6.2, Rear Toe-in = 1/16th (total toe)

Wheels & Tires
WedsSports TC105N 17x9 +35
Bridgestone Potenza RE71R 245/40/17


Exterior
STi Front Lip
STi Rear Quarter Under Spoilers
OEM D4S Crystal Black Silica Mirror Caps
OEM Front Mud Guards

Interior
Cusco Throttle Pedal
STi Shift Knob

Removed
Jackson Racing C30-94 Supercharger

Thread index:

02-12-18 | Initial driving impressions
02-17-18 | Cleaning supplies
02-17-18 | Clutch spring delete
02-18-18 | MTEC Shifter Springs + Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing + Whiteline Transmission mount
02-19-18 | Country road drive
02-23-18 | EcuTek + Delicious Tuning Stage 2 Tune
03-17-18 | JDL UEL Headers + DT tune
03-19-18 | Perrin 2.5" Resonated Catback
03-23-18 | Logging DT tune + Power B.I. Visualizations
04-22-18 | Transmission + Exhaust Driving Impressions
04-24-18 | SPC Camber Bolts + Shoei Helmet
04-26-18 | CSG Spec Tein Flex A
04-29-18 | First track day at Ridge Motorsports Park - 2:15.22
04-30-18 | Picture from 4-28-18 at RMP
05-03-18 | Winmax W5 Pads + Winmax BF Racing Fluid
05-22-18 | GT Radial SX2 245/40/17
06-01-18 | WedsSport TC105N 17x9 +35 + SX2
06-14-18 | CSG FLA + TC105N Installed + First alignment
06-15-18 | Motul 300V + Winmax W5 + BFR Fluid Installed
06-25-18 | Track day at RMP - 2:09.33
07-08-18 | Jackson Racing NA Track Oil Cooler Installed
09-18-18 | YouTube feature w/ Driving Sports TV: 2018 Subaru BRZ tS Review: Build it our buy it?
09-19-18 | Track day at RMP - 2:07.06
09-21-18 | Picture from Driving Sports TV Review
09-24-18 | Track day at RMP - 2:05.02
09-26-18 | Clean car without melted rubber
10-12-18 | Longacre Magnum Tire Pressure Gauge
10-20-18 | Perrin Steering Rack Lockdowns
11-18-18 | Perrin Steering Rack Lockdowns Installed
11-24-18 | Back to stock wheels + raised ride height
12-01-18 | Jackson Racing C30-94 Supercharger + ACE A350 Header w/ CSG Double Ceramic
12-15-18 | ACE A350 Header Installed + GoPro shakedown
12-30-18 | STi Lip + STi Rear Spats + OEM Black Mirror Caps + OEM Front Mud Guards installed
02-12-19 | 2019 Track day schedule
02-23-19 | Longacre Accutech Deluxe Pyrometer + Fresh alignment
03-24-19 | Track day at Pacific Raceways - 1:46.17
03-26-19 | Arai GP-6S + Simpson Hybrid-S + Sparco RG-5

[mistople]

Some initial driving impressions:

This car is ridiculously telepathic. It goes where I want it to before I even realize I'm turning the wheel. They nailed the electric steering.

The upgraded Sachs dampers that come with the Performance Package are quite good. It corners nearly flat and rides well on bumpy roads.

The power is almost perfect for the stock configuration. I agree that it could use a bit more punch (tune + headers should do it..for the near future), but I love the feeling of getting to row through the gears and carry momentum through the corners. It feels happy when revving high.

I love the lack of sound deadening. Its great to hear and feel the engine/road/clutch/etc. All part of the experience. Coming from noisy Ducati race bikes, I love hearing everything as I drive.

It is a great car to learn on. The transmission and clutch are predictable and relatively forgiving. I would argue that 1st gear is too short, however. Shifting into second took some getting used to compared to other cars.

The feeling of the low seating position cannot be overstated. It makes you feel like you're driving a Porsche. An M2 or Focus RS feel like driving an SUV by comparison.

Overall, I'm having a blast. Still not a proper build for some months to come...but the parts stockpiling has begun.

[TheBRZsKnees]

Hey, another Seattle area BRZ owner. Welcome to the family. Were those pictures taken at Redmond Town Center?

[spicyricecake]

you're a great photographer! Excited to see where this build goes. I know we have similar taste in wheels already :P

Originally Posted by ph4zon

Hey, another Seattle area BRZ owner. Welcome to the family. Were those pictures taken at Redmond Town Center?

he apparently works at my company also :P befriend him so when I visit we can all hang out!

[mistople]

Originally Posted by ph4zon

Hey, another Seattle area BRZ owner. Welcome to the family. Were those pictures taken at Redmond Town Center?

Thank you! Happy to finally join the club.

Good eye--that is RTC. I was headed home after a long drive through Duvall/Carnation and decided to snap a few in the parking lot.

[mistople]

Originally Posted by spicyricecake

you're a great photographer! Excited to see where this build goes. I know we have similar taste in wheels already :P

Thanks! I'm not used to shooting cars, and have a less-than-ideal camera for it, but I'm having fun regardless

Shhh don't ruin the 17x9 15.6lb surprise

[TheBRZsKnees]

Originally Posted by spicyricecake

you're a great photographer! Excited to see where this build goes. I know we have similar taste in wheels already :P

he apparently works at my company also :P befriend him so when I visit we can all hang out!

Take a road trip over. We can do a SWP/CWP photo shoot XD

[spicyricecake]

Originally Posted by ph4zon

Take a road trip over. We can do a SWP/CWP photo shoot XD

You're funny. Just wait till I get a transfer to Seattle!

[mistople]

A few little bits arrived this week. Nothing terribly exciting, but important nonetheless. I needed to refresh my washing gear, and after going down the rabbit hole of car wash forums to get some advice, I put together a simple package.

2x Adam's Polishes Bucket + Grit Guard

These are arguably too expensive for what they are, but I know they are built very well, so I don't mind.





Chemical Guys Microfiber Towel + Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash Mitt





ABN Wheel Woolies

These things are great. I've used them for one wash already, and they do their job wonderfully. No damage to the wheels. Hard to clean after use, however. No surprises there.



Sonax Wheel Cleaner + Adam's Polishes Shampoo

Sonax is a known quantity--nothing more I need to say about it. I want to try a bunch of different shampoos. I heard good things about Adam's stuff, so I'll give it a shot.

[mistople]

I finally got around to doing the clutch return spring delete.

Wow.

I'm amazed they still ship this car with the spring. Like many others, the BRZ made me feel like an MT amateur with its unpredictable clutch bit and vague feel. After a couple weeks of driving it, I think I basically just relied on muscle memory to get it right. But even so, I'd still royally mess up starts and 1->2 shifts at an alarmingly high rate.

Installation thoughts

The delete is relatively straightforward. I'd highly recommend getting a buddy to hold down the clutch pedal with a broom handle while you're hips-deep in the footwell.

I ended up using a few zip ties to hold the mount that gets left behind. It bugs me a little bit to know I've already used zip ties on a brand new car, but at least it isn't a mod I ever plan to undo!

No photos of the delete since its been covered fairly extensively around the forum. I cleaned up the spring and promptly locked it away, hopefully never to be seen again

Driving impressions

Straight away I can say that this is probably the best modification you could do to this car. The clutch pedal is now firm but predictable. It feels like a real MT now. The bite point is so much more obvious, and I find myself exercising much finer control at slow speeds and hill starts. The spring was less of a problem when you were up to speed, but it was a huge pain coming off of stoplights or putting around parking lots.

A lot of people seem to say the pedal isn't actually any stiffer. It definitely is. If you haven't driven MT cars before this, it might heavy to you compared to stock. However, the pedal is still much lighter than my brother's '16 Mustang GT. Nothing to worry about.

There is a tiny bit of play at the top of the pedal's travel as everyone says. Its so minor that I forgot about it after 5 minutes of driving. No problems there either.

All in all, I'm thrilled with this tiny little "mod" to the car. Its important to me to get the most out of the essentially stock car before getting into "game-changer" mods like coils, tunes, FI, etc.

[StraightOuttaCanadaEh]

I like this thread! Very well written mini-reviews

[mistople]

These mods are considered 101 for this platform, but I'm super excited regardless! The gearbox is great from the factory, but there are some small improvements to be made. Many thanks to Speed Factory for the quick delivery.

MTEC Shifter Springs

I'm hoping this will guide 3rd->2nd and 4th->5th a bit more cleanly. I don't have any consistent problems with those shifts right now, but these will hopefully tighten up the travel and make those shifts a bit more fluid. 3rd->2nd is far and away the hardest shift to nail on the BRZ, and is met with the most resistance. I find 5th->4th very fluid and natural, but 3rd-2nd can put up a fight. Here's hoping this takes some of the edge off.

Its very easy to botch this install--still undecided if I will have my shop fit these or not.



Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing

More of the same here. Hoping to reduce any play/sloppiness in the stock setup. This one will also be a pain to install, but certainly easier than the shifter springs. Bought as part of the Positive Shift Kit with the Transmission insert below.





Whiteline Transmission Mount Insert

This one went straight on the car--I didn't even pause for a picture. Spoiler: It is a piece of black urethane! Whiteline no longer appears to make their products in yellow.

Installation thoughts

Although most walkthroughs have you remove the front pipe and the entire crossmember to install this, there is a less involved approach that saved us having to buy new gaskets and drop the pipe.

We put the car on stands, removed the engine & transmission covers, and supported the transmission on a jack. I supported the front pipe with a wood block, and removed the FP hanger. Removed the 17mm center bolt on the transmission mount, and raised the transmission ever so slightly.

From there, all that was required was greasing up the insert, having my buddy hold up the center bolt, and the insert went right in. I cleaned up the grease, threaded the 17mm bolt back on, then the exhaust hangers, then the engine/trans covers. Job done.

I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I should't have raised the transmission. It was probably only 1cm--I'd imagine it sees much more movement just driving around. I wasn't worried about it.

The install took us a few hours. More experienced owners will be able to do this in much less time.

Driving impressions

I fired up the car and immediately noticed an increase in both vibration and exhaust volume. There's much more noticeable high-frequency vibration, and because the FP is hung from the transmission, it seems to resonate through the car much moreso than stock.

Backing the car out of the driveway was enough to tell me that this was going to be a great addition. Even small amounts of throttle send great feedback through the whole car. You feel the car beneath you with much greater fidelity.

Now comes the good part. 1st/2nd/3rd pulls. Two words: gearbox whine. Glorious gearbox whine. It honestly sounds bit like a subtle sequential gearbox. Its VERY noticeable in 1st and 2nd, and starts to trail off around the end of 3rd gear. I don't notice it much in 5th. Cruising in 6th at 2500-3000 will bring back some of the whine as well. I LOVE it. The best way I can describe it is that it sounds as if you are hearing the transmission through your shifter assembly/dash. Its just there. You instantly feel so much more connected to the drivetrain. The whole car comes alive, and feels more raw and authentic. This may be a subtle mod, but it made a huge difference to me.

After a day of hard driving, I can confirm that it does its job where it needs to. Under heavy load, shifts feels more crisp and connected. Shifts are less upset by bumpy surfaces, and overall it removes some of the slop. If you haven't done so already, buy it. You won't be disappointed.

I do have my concerns about stiffening only this section of the transmission. I'll likely get some engine mounts as well as I start to drive the car harder.

[mistople]

Long weekend = lots of great seat time in the car. Learning a ton. Does anyone have experience with larger throttle pedals? I agree with many that it is much too far away from the brake. I can heel toe fine, but it took some getting used to.

[SkyeHack]

Originally Posted by mistople

Thanks! I'm not used to shooting cars, and have a less-than-ideal camera for it, but I'm having fun regardless

Shhh don't ruin the 17x9 15.6lb surprise

What are you shooting with?