Discussion
LordGrover said:
... and if you're like me you may be disappointed despite forking out north of £300. Twice. 
I've spent a few bob tweaking but ultimately, most of it was wasted or unwarranted. Please, think long and hard before you make any mods, you may regret it. They're a great drive as they are.
Ooft! This is what I'm worried about. As much as I want to change the wheels, I dont want to change the way it drives.I've spent a few bob tweaking but ultimately, most of it was wasted or unwarranted. Please, think long and hard before you make any mods, you may regret it. They're a great drive as they are.
Sorry, for the thread Hijack btw OP, secretly jealous of your cars colour, wish I had that option!
threespires said:
I can't understand why you'd buy a piece of JapCr*p when you could have had an Audi TT, German engineering at its finest.
??
Easy - they have taste and want a proper drivers car - oh and lets face it Audi are real boring with no character and stuffed full of driver aids to make you look good. Then there is the not so small issue of buying from a "trusted" brand that is well err not trustworthy at all ;-) ??
Been having a good few months with the 86 and absolutely love driving the thing now im past the run in period. Over the Christmas break I had some time to fit a few small mods to the car.
First up was the 86 steering wheel emblem as from day one I couldn't help but feel this just didn't look right. Nice easy fitment with some sticky tape on the back and just needed to make sure it was on at the right angle and central. Wasn't overly impressed with the quality for the price with little dents all over it so the supplier sent a second one. Air mail took an age but then the second one was even worse. Fitted on the car it looks nice and from a few foot you don't notice the imperfections.
A Cosworth air filter was next on the list which was a doddle to fit even when I took my time to remove the air box and do it properly.
From the side you can see the little tab so that it only goes in one way.
Given im just outside the run in period I cant really tell if its adding much or if the engine is loosening up but it does seem to have a bit more pull at high revs and added noise through the inducted pipe.
Courtesy of Tarmacsportz i picked up a TRD style spoiler and had a quick trial fit before paint. It sat nice and flat so i took it down to a body shop a mate recommended.
The painter commented on the oem quality and finish which was a good sign with the only problem being he couldnt find the paint code on the system as its relatively new colour.
Finally was the arm rest which I decided to wait for a weekend when my dad was free to give me a hand and someone else to blame if it all went wrong. The Toyota PDF was a great help especially as it has the template but this job was a right pain in the arse! it was nerve racking stuff when my dad was holding the drill and almost drilled a hole in the alcantara. A few holes needed a touch of filing to line everything up and it came together in the end. Took about 1 hour and a half mainly checking and rechecking then filing with the most useless files in my tool draw.
It adds a nice touch to add to the interior and it will hopefully get some use on a few driving holidays I have planned this year when stuck on the motorways. The big trip we have booked this year is a week long euro trip. London, Calais, Lake Geneva, Lake Como, Davos, Lauterbrunnen, Nurburg then home. Any recommendations along the way would be great.
First up was the 86 steering wheel emblem as from day one I couldn't help but feel this just didn't look right. Nice easy fitment with some sticky tape on the back and just needed to make sure it was on at the right angle and central. Wasn't overly impressed with the quality for the price with little dents all over it so the supplier sent a second one. Air mail took an age but then the second one was even worse. Fitted on the car it looks nice and from a few foot you don't notice the imperfections.
A Cosworth air filter was next on the list which was a doddle to fit even when I took my time to remove the air box and do it properly.
From the side you can see the little tab so that it only goes in one way.
Given im just outside the run in period I cant really tell if its adding much or if the engine is loosening up but it does seem to have a bit more pull at high revs and added noise through the inducted pipe.
Courtesy of Tarmacsportz i picked up a TRD style spoiler and had a quick trial fit before paint. It sat nice and flat so i took it down to a body shop a mate recommended.
The painter commented on the oem quality and finish which was a good sign with the only problem being he couldnt find the paint code on the system as its relatively new colour.
Finally was the arm rest which I decided to wait for a weekend when my dad was free to give me a hand and someone else to blame if it all went wrong. The Toyota PDF was a great help especially as it has the template but this job was a right pain in the arse! it was nerve racking stuff when my dad was holding the drill and almost drilled a hole in the alcantara. A few holes needed a touch of filing to line everything up and it came together in the end. Took about 1 hour and a half mainly checking and rechecking then filing with the most useless files in my tool draw.
It adds a nice touch to add to the interior and it will hopefully get some use on a few driving holidays I have planned this year when stuck on the motorways. The big trip we have booked this year is a week long euro trip. London, Calais, Lake Geneva, Lake Como, Davos, Lauterbrunnen, Nurburg then home. Any recommendations along the way would be great.
Other than the wheels my only other big complaint about the exterior was the rear spoiler. I've opted for the TRD spoiler which suits the lines perfectly and had it painted by surrey accident repairs on Canterbury Road, Croydon who did a great job on the colour match and finish. At the same time I partly debadged the boot lid which cleans the rear up nicely.
Whilst cleaning it I had to sort the drivers door seal which curves around the drives rear quarter window and pops out now and again when opening the door. It looks like the sticky backing holding it to the B pillar has unstuck already so I will see if a blob of tiger seal keeps it in place as a detour to the dealer seems a waste of time at the moment.
Whilst cleaning it I had to sort the drivers door seal which curves around the drives rear quarter window and pops out now and again when opening the door. It looks like the sticky backing holding it to the B pillar has unstuck already so I will see if a blob of tiger seal keeps it in place as a detour to the dealer seems a waste of time at the moment.
bassett said:
Other than the wheels my only other big complaint about the exterior was the rear spoiler. I've opted for the TRD spoiler which suits the lines perfectly and had it painted by surrey accident repairs on Canterbury Road, Croydon who did a great job on the colour match and finish. At the same time I partly debadged the boot lid which cleans the rear up nicely.
Looks good. 
Had a great start to the day yesterday as you can see.
Looks like the honeymoon period of ownership is over with this being the second time in two months with a flat battery, it wouldnt even unlock. It gets even better when you have to use a crap mechanical key you pull out of the fob that has no leverage which is almost essential when your parked nose first in a tight garage with a flat battery.
I am still covered with the toyota assistance and the AA technician was careful round the car as well as thorough checking every convenience light was turning off and not causing a drain. Even still he found a 0.4(assuming amps???) drain which he had expected to drop off to 0.1 once everything had fully shut down yet it didn't. The AA database listed a known fault and that the alarm drains the battery with the only advice to drive the car frequently although he still felt the battery condition wasn't right and it should be replaced regardless. Time to get in touch with Toyota as that's not fit for purpose in my books and isn't always possible with work away from home and 2 week long holidays.
Anyway as it had such a low charge, starting at 1 volt rising to 3 over 20 minutes of running the technician was concerned if the drive wasnt long enough or i stalled the battery would be dead and id be stranded. I decided to take the risk on a long B road blast to goodwood with the plus being id heard there was some sprinting on today, worst case if i broke down id get the AA out and they would send another bill to Toyota.
Luckily the car was faultless and it was a great drive. The weather was on my side and I found the tyres much more composed with predictable round about slides and high speed grip which was a stark contrast to the abrupt twitchyness I felt in the greasy, cold winter months. Having lost a couple of hours waiting for the AA the traffic was heavier than planned but with a dropped gear landing right at the start of the power band at 4k it wasn't too much bother with just a tad more planning required. The engine is also getting better and better, the low end does have a hesitancy but once through this your into the sweet spot and it starts dragging you harder with more punch to the red line and i love that it doesn't feel out of puff at the top end. The brakes were damn good aswell having avoided smattering a pheasant all over the front end although the wife was less than impressed as she was flung forwards having dozed off.
Even with the rocky 86 relationship I've booked up a week long euro tour in the summer with Italian lakes, alpine passes and a tiny bit of Germany covered to properly stretch the 86's legs.
Looks like the honeymoon period of ownership is over with this being the second time in two months with a flat battery, it wouldnt even unlock. It gets even better when you have to use a crap mechanical key you pull out of the fob that has no leverage which is almost essential when your parked nose first in a tight garage with a flat battery.
I am still covered with the toyota assistance and the AA technician was careful round the car as well as thorough checking every convenience light was turning off and not causing a drain. Even still he found a 0.4(assuming amps???) drain which he had expected to drop off to 0.1 once everything had fully shut down yet it didn't. The AA database listed a known fault and that the alarm drains the battery with the only advice to drive the car frequently although he still felt the battery condition wasn't right and it should be replaced regardless. Time to get in touch with Toyota as that's not fit for purpose in my books and isn't always possible with work away from home and 2 week long holidays.
Anyway as it had such a low charge, starting at 1 volt rising to 3 over 20 minutes of running the technician was concerned if the drive wasnt long enough or i stalled the battery would be dead and id be stranded. I decided to take the risk on a long B road blast to goodwood with the plus being id heard there was some sprinting on today, worst case if i broke down id get the AA out and they would send another bill to Toyota.
Luckily the car was faultless and it was a great drive. The weather was on my side and I found the tyres much more composed with predictable round about slides and high speed grip which was a stark contrast to the abrupt twitchyness I felt in the greasy, cold winter months. Having lost a couple of hours waiting for the AA the traffic was heavier than planned but with a dropped gear landing right at the start of the power band at 4k it wasn't too much bother with just a tad more planning required. The engine is also getting better and better, the low end does have a hesitancy but once through this your into the sweet spot and it starts dragging you harder with more punch to the red line and i love that it doesn't feel out of puff at the top end. The brakes were damn good aswell having avoided smattering a pheasant all over the front end although the wife was less than impressed as she was flung forwards having dozed off.
Even with the rocky 86 relationship I've booked up a week long euro tour in the summer with Italian lakes, alpine passes and a tiny bit of Germany covered to properly stretch the 86's legs.
Edited by bassett on Tuesday 27th February 22:35
Finally the battery issue has been resolved as Toyota updradged the little Panasonic battery to a 50% higher capacity Toyota battery.
On to something more exciting, not quite the power modifications I want but for long time now I have wanted aftermarket tail lights and I've had them listed on the insurance since day one as I knew id be changing them. Id always been after full red units particularly TOM's units and with no UK stockists the only way is through Japan, generally costing around £350+ after shipping and customs so id been against the idea as its half way to a manifold/remap. Last week I came across a GT86 readers cars thread on here and saw the chap, David had fitted Valenti red edition tail lights. I dropped him a message to see where he got them from in case id overlooked a UK supplier and turns out he had sold the car and had the lights lying around waiting to be sold. I'd never usually go for second hand parts however given the low age of the parts I snapped them up along with Eibach lowering springs.
Fitting the lights was a simple job as the USDM wires for turn signals had already been repinned with the only nuissance being the new lights don't allow for remounting the wiring clips which are now cable tied out of the way.
A few before, part way through and after shots
20160612_152538.jpg
20160612_154109.jpg
20160612_155541.jpg
On to something more exciting, not quite the power modifications I want but for long time now I have wanted aftermarket tail lights and I've had them listed on the insurance since day one as I knew id be changing them. Id always been after full red units particularly TOM's units and with no UK stockists the only way is through Japan, generally costing around £350+ after shipping and customs so id been against the idea as its half way to a manifold/remap. Last week I came across a GT86 readers cars thread on here and saw the chap, David had fitted Valenti red edition tail lights. I dropped him a message to see where he got them from in case id overlooked a UK supplier and turns out he had sold the car and had the lights lying around waiting to be sold. I'd never usually go for second hand parts however given the low age of the parts I snapped them up along with Eibach lowering springs.
Fitting the lights was a simple job as the USDM wires for turn signals had already been repinned with the only nuissance being the new lights don't allow for remounting the wiring clips which are now cable tied out of the way.
A few before, part way through and after shots
20160612_152538.jpg
20160612_154109.jpg
20160612_155541.jpg
Lovely car and colour.
I picked up a 2014 BRZ a month back and so far I've really been enjoying it. I swore I'd leave it standard and just enjoy the hassle free ownership with 5 year warranty, but reading ft86 forums I am already tempted by a SBD turbo ($3000 plus time and fitting) or innovate SC.
The car is really well designed. You have the perfect seating position and makes my 911 feel like an SUV. The steering is really quick and communicative. Pedal are light, which makes it an easy daily driver. Easy to drive day to day and then great fun when you want to press on. Brakes have great feel. Engine has a lovely warble to it and is quick enough for the road. I'm inly considering FI as the kits are such good value. I bought mine to use everyday and put the fun back into driving. It's all gone to plan so far. I'd recommend one to anyone.
I picked up a 2014 BRZ a month back and so far I've really been enjoying it. I swore I'd leave it standard and just enjoy the hassle free ownership with 5 year warranty, but reading ft86 forums I am already tempted by a SBD turbo ($3000 plus time and fitting) or innovate SC.
The car is really well designed. You have the perfect seating position and makes my 911 feel like an SUV. The steering is really quick and communicative. Pedal are light, which makes it an easy daily driver. Easy to drive day to day and then great fun when you want to press on. Brakes have great feel. Engine has a lovely warble to it and is quick enough for the road. I'm inly considering FI as the kits are such good value. I bought mine to use everyday and put the fun back into driving. It's all gone to plan so far. I'd recommend one to anyone.
I can suggest a few routes for your commute from the south to Nürburg that let you miss some of the autobahn send the you through the Schwarzwald/Black Forest. Some autobahn commuting is good fun but if in honest, I'll take the B-roads if time isn't of the essence.
Love the colour and I love these cars; is it daft to still want one in the garage when it'll park beside an M346?
Love the colour and I love these cars; is it daft to still want one in the garage when it'll park beside an M346?
The lowering springs aren't even on yet and might not even allow me to get down to my garage but somehow I ended up buying some second hand alloys. They came up at a decent price with the only caveat that they aren't quite the perfect spec. Of the 5 wheels, 5 are in 99% perfect condition with the last one coming with a tyre with a bad curb mark but either way a spare is handy. Most of the wheels are mint but one has some very minor chips/light curb scratch which I will touch up. I've always loved the design of this classic wheel and it should look slightly different from the norm
Wheel specs
Speedline Corse Turinis (2120) in Light anthracite 18x8 100x5 et 48 with CB 57.1 which isn't quite perfect and I'm not 100% certain they will fit although other helpful forum members suggest they will. On the scales they came in at 9.6kg roughly so not exactly light although apparently very strong
Hopefully this picture shows the condition of them
They wont quite have the poke I was hoping for, maybe an extra 12.5mm as the ET is the same as the stock wheels if I'm correct.
After i find out if the springs lower the car enough but not too much and I can get into my garage I will also need to find some tyres, wheel nuts, TPMS sensors and work out how they are coded??? and fit some spigot rings adapting to the 56.1 CB Toyota hubs.
None of this is likely to take place for 2 months as I'm off on a euro trip in August and want the car stock in case of any issues whilst I still have the Toyota warranty and it will also be booked in for its first service shortly after.
If anyone has any advice on changing over TPMS/reusing old TPMS etc and recoding them id be interested to hear
Wheel specs
Speedline Corse Turinis (2120) in Light anthracite 18x8 100x5 et 48 with CB 57.1 which isn't quite perfect and I'm not 100% certain they will fit although other helpful forum members suggest they will. On the scales they came in at 9.6kg roughly so not exactly light although apparently very strong
Hopefully this picture shows the condition of them
They wont quite have the poke I was hoping for, maybe an extra 12.5mm as the ET is the same as the stock wheels if I'm correct.
After i find out if the springs lower the car enough but not too much and I can get into my garage I will also need to find some tyres, wheel nuts, TPMS sensors and work out how they are coded??? and fit some spigot rings adapting to the 56.1 CB Toyota hubs.
None of this is likely to take place for 2 months as I'm off on a euro trip in August and want the car stock in case of any issues whilst I still have the Toyota warranty and it will also be booked in for its first service shortly after.
If anyone has any advice on changing over TPMS/reusing old TPMS etc and recoding them id be interested to hear
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