First time FRS build looking for advice/ideas

[BoostinIX]

Originally Posted by FT86Hypnotic

I plan on going towards the performance aspect as well but I am waiting to see what else gets released as the market continues to grow with the modifications that are available for the car. I wanted to start with suspension because it is something that will really give the car a better feel while driving and will be a pretty noticeable difference.

I have considered doing performance mods first when it comes to power and everything but until something really grabs my eye I enjoy the gas mileage I get with the car how it is but down the road higher performance modifications will be done.

Mach V Springs (Lowers just enough to fill well, and takes all the floating out of highway drives. LOVE em)

Catback exhaust

Brake pads

Decent tires

Awesome street car to enjoy every day.

[DAEMANO]

For suspension
Since you're in MD, I would definitely make sure that any suspension upgrade has good anti-corrosion coating.

People seem to really like the new Tein Flex Z's. Start there for $870. Since you're not tracking I would leave the bushings alone for now unless you really want a stiffer feel (after the coilovers).

For Brakes
Get pads and fluid. My research says Winmax W2s are consistent and work well on the street and can also nice handle canyon and track days.

For power
Get any brand of drop-in filter (skip all intakes, they don't do anything).

Then, get an OpenFlashTablet w/tunes for $500 ($400 used). It'll improve the stock car's response, raise the redline and make the car generally run more reliably. It also allows you to run e85 basically for free (which is a big power bump). You could also look at ECUTek offerings, but from what I've seen they only seem to offer advantages after you go F.I.

After that get a header (UEL will kill the Torque dip between 3400-4000 RPM, EL will give you a higher top end).

OP/FP/Catbacks don't make much more power N/A and are largely cosmetic (for your ears). Get these things if you want a more aggressive sounding car.

For a non-turbo or supercharged car that's all you really need for the street and the occasional track day if you are staying N/A for now. Still consider an oil cooler to keep your engine running safe and cool. If you later want even more power go F.I. and then that's a whole other discussion.

Here are a bunch of cars at a recent dyno day I attended (at Church Auto Testing). Open the linked spreadsheet, on the "detail" tab you can compare what mods made the biggest difference on the dyno. Also, look at the dyno charts people posted in the thread itself to get an idea about each car's driving characteristics outside of just max power (area under the curve).

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...&postcount=105

[FT86Hypnotic]

It's finally time to get my car a little more focused - I'm quite used to the factory setup and generally it's pretty decent. I just want the car to be a bit more responsive and precise; but I'd like to retain as much civility as possible as I drive it every day.

I'd like to get more capability and performance out of the car at the track and the ability to change the balance of the car to suit different tracks, tires, etc. I'd also prefer to buy things once as much as possible - so finding some kind of common ground where there is some adjustability without needing to get an engineering degree to make the most out of it. I also have to work within my budget but I'd rather get a handful of high quality upgrades than a car full of junk for half the money.

I've talked to a few friends and a couple of local shops that I like for different opinions and recommendations and I'm fairly certain I want to upgrade some of the suspension bushings, add adjustable sway bars, and some coilovers. That should get me a better handling, more fun car now - with some headroom as I get more track time as a driver.

For the coilovers I like the idea of the Fortune Auto 500 series - the reviews I've found are very good, and I like that they're made here and can be serviced and upgraded in-house whether that means I need to have them serviced in the future or overhauled & upgraded - I can go from a known baseline rather than throwing my old kit in the garbage and hoping I've chosen a decent replacement.

On the bushing end of things I got a couple of different suggestions but when we started talking about daily driving the car and trying to keep the noise and comfort levels close to stock both JE and IAG recommended SuperPro bushings. I have a buddy with a '10 STI that has a ton of their stuff on his car that he is quite happy with. They have a pretty big FRS catalog and some information on their website - anyone have any feedback on their stuff? They also make a bunch of swaybar options and hunting around for reviews they seem to be high quality.

I think with some upgraded damping and sway bars along with some improved bushings I'm on the way to a pretty comprehensive upgrade that should keep the personality of the car in tact but elevate the performance. I'm looking for feedback and suggestions on the above.

[Bimble Bamble]

Bilstein B14 coilovers are my next purchase and might be good if you are a newbie like me. No adjustments that you could set the wrong way on your own.

[FT86Hypnotic]

Originally Posted by Patrick_B

Bilstein B14 coilovers are my next purchase and might be good if you are a newbie like me. No adjustments that you could set the wrong way on your own.

Yeah I had taken a look at Bilstein but after taking a look at Fortune Auto's 510 series and talking with the guys at a show I am pretty hooked on them considering they can always be upgraded to the next level when you progress with the modifications on the car.

[AG3NT_5CARFAC3]

+1 for Bilstein B14 coils.

I run with those. Love them.

[FT86Hypnotic]

Originally Posted by AG3NT_5CARFAC3

+1 for Bilstein B14 coils.

I run with those. Love them.

What made you decide to go with the B14's?

[AG3NT_5CARFAC3]

Originally Posted by FT86Hypnotic

What made you decide to go with the B14's?

The damping set from factory is really great.
I have no issues at all. Im happy with them.

I should also say its a little stiff but its not annoying by any means; might be annoying to some though...

[FT86Hypnotic]

Originally Posted by AG3NT_5CARFAC3

The damping set from factory is really great.
I have no issues at all. Im happy with them.

I should also say its a little stiff but its not annoying by any means; might be annoying to some though...

Yeah my biggest concern is that for now it is still going to be a daily and occasional track use but driving everyday down the highway it will still have to feel normal and be comfortable because I95 traffic haha.

[Jaylyons1]

I had ST coilovers for a while. They are made by KW. I had them for a while but ended up upgrading to KW V3's once I had the money to do so. I'd never throw any aftermarket springs on without further upgrading other suspension bits.

Depending on the type of racing, pads may be something to look into. I autocross mine and the stock pads work quite well.

Of course, if not already done, tires would make the most drastic change.

My favorite mod was my rev works header. Once I installed that, and Mach V tuned it, the torque dip was completely gone. Changes the dynamic of the car quite a bit.

[FT86Hypnotic]

Originally Posted by Jaylyons1

I had ST coilovers for a while. They are made by KW. I had them for a while but ended up upgrading to KW V3's once I had the money to do so. I'd never throw any aftermarket springs on without further upgrading other suspension bits.

Depending on the type of racing, pads may be something to look into. I autocross mine and the stock pads work quite well.

Of course, if not already done, tires would make the most drastic change.

My favorite mod was my rev works header. Once I installed that, and Mach V tuned it, the torque dip was completely gone. Changes the dynamic of the car quite a bit.

Yeah I am planning to upgrade more than just the coils and it will more than likely be something like autocross.

I also am planning on replacing both the tires and wheels as soon as I can to get off the oem parts.

[Biggins]

It sounds like you still have no definite idea of what you want to do first... the car is a great performer in its stock form. If you're not planning much autocross or track events, any of the previously suggested suspension options will be fine. If you only go with lowering springs, I'd suggest getting some shocks to match.

There are some ridiculous rules in some sanctioning bodies for autocross and track events for what parts you pick, so it might be better to look them over if you ever want to compete to the rules... I run my FR-S in the street autocross class that only allows shocks, brake pads, exhaust and sticky "street" tires. @Jaylyons1 runs in a class that allows a lot more, but still "street" tires.

I have Koni shocks, Ferodo brake pads, a muffler delete, lighter 17x7 wheels, and sticky Bridgestone tires on my car with no engine work, and it is quite good for autocross. I'm lowering my car on TRD springs over the winter and might upgrade to custom Koni, Bilstein, or MCS shocks depending on my budget.

I always tell people to do what makes them happy with their car. I have autocross rules to follow that make my car not quite what I'd build if there were no rules, but it makes me happy enough for now.

[Jaylyons1]

Originally Posted by Biggins

It sounds like you still have no definite idea of what you want to do first... the car is a great performer in its stock form. If you're not planning much autocross or track events, any of the previously suggested suspension options will be fine. If you only go with lowering springs, I'd suggest getting some shocks to match.

There are some ridiculous rules in some sanctioning bodies for autocross and track events for what parts you pick, so it might be better to look them over if you ever want to compete to the rules... I run my FR-S in the street autocross class that only allows shocks, brake pads, exhaust and sticky "street" tires. @Jaylyons1 runs in a class that allows a lot more, but still "street" tires.

I have Koni shocks, Ferodo brake pads, a muffler delete, lighter 17x7 wheels, and sticky Bridgestone tires on my car with no engine work, and it is quite good for autocross. I'm lowering my car on TRD springs over the winter and might upgrade to custom Koni, Bilstein, or MCS shocks depending on my budget.

I always tell people to do what makes them happy with their car. I have autocross rules to follow that make my car not quite what I'd build if there were no rules, but it makes me happy enough for now.

The rules in STX are definitely what has kept me in check with my car as well and that's the reason I like my class. I haven't done a ton to it but I really didn't feel like it needed much. That blasted torque dip was my main concern after wheels/tires so it would be consistent.

I would say that if you plan on autocrossing the car, try it in stock form first for a while so you can actually see or feel what changes the parts you install actually make. The car is pretty damn good out of the box, especially for autocross (other than the Prius tires).

[FT86Hypnotic]

So I decided to order all of my suspension parts at one time to get it all done at once. I decided to go with SuperPro Suspensions for the Bushings, control arms, and sway bars along with a set of Fortune Auto Coilovers. The guys over at JE Import Performance in Baltimore have been awesome taking me through all the parts step by step and helping me get every part I would need ordered and shipped in. They are also going to be doing the entire installation for me. They gave me a great pricing on all the parts and the labor to get it installed. I will be posting some pictures up of all the parts that I got as soon as they get here and will be taking some pictures throughout the process of installation. I cannot wait to get started!