4k GT86 Gets a Rocket Bunny Kit & LS3 V8 Swap!
Discussion
So it's another slow update coming in but quite a big one.
An update that some people have been dreading and others have been hyped for (myself included!)
So the last 3 weeks I've been driving my old Subaru WRX around for a bit because the 86 has been up on jackstands. Throughout this heat i've been taking my time to install a whole host of new parts including my Whiteline Anti-roll bars, Whiteline bushing inserts and my Air-Lift Suspension system.
I wanted to go slowly with it to just make sure everything is installed as best and as cleanly as possible to avoid any future problems or funny noises, etc. I also took the time to put some sound deadening in the boot to dampen some of the exhaust groans as well as the compressors.
I started off on the front, working with a friend to get the OEM front struts and ARB off. Some of the bolts and joints were either a little crusty and hard to break the seal or really slimey from what I can only assume is the underseal they use on these cars if the engine bay was anything to go by when I cleaned it.
The front ARB is a bit of a pain to fit thanks to the brackets it sits on and how many brittle plastic/glass fibre under trays there are under the car. the ARB probably took the most time out of these bits. I didn't get a picture of it but I somewhat sanded back and cleaned up the rusted welds on the ARB subframe thinghs and repainted it with some etching primer and underseal.
The weekend after that we moved on to the rear. getting the struts out was a bit of a paint this time but generally on the rear it was all very easy including the ARB. We also Installed the Whiteline Subframe and Diff bushing inserts which against was actually quite easy to do, it took up a couple of hours all in to do the bushing inserts. While running the Braided Air Lift hoses on the rear they went under the car rather than in to the engine bay. In reality they shouldn't be at risk of getting hot as there's quite a big gap between them and the Exhaust, not to mention that's right at the end of the exhaust rather than up by the manifold but seeing as I had some Mishimoto gold tape to hand I thought i'd dress them up a little bit, if Anything it makes the undercarriage a little sparkly!
And finally this weekend I took on the task of running all the wiring, making the modifications required for my particular dual compressor set up, pulling the air lines and hardness through the car, tucking it all away and mounting the tank, compressors, manifold, etc all in the boot! It sounds easier than rolling around on your back under the car but i can assure you it was just as exhausting!
This is also where the laminate wood flooring comes in, it might be a bit silly but of course you need something solid to mount all the gear in the boot on. In hindsight I could have just used a sheet of MDF and wrapped it in some carpet but it also needs to be segmented to fit in the boot at all which is the beauty of laminate I guess as you can hide the seems in the board gaps, it's also very cheap and it saves me having to deal with fiddly carpet!
All of that hard work results in a car that is lowered, can go even lower if I really want to or can soar in to the heavens if there's a particularly big speed bump or multi-story car park ramp while also having a nice mix of firmness and compliance to the road. It's quite a strange feeling that's quite difficult to describe really. The Air lift suspension is comparably soft to stock but is also a bit more firm, the ARB's really help to dial out any body roll and even when wiggling the car about on the road help to keep it fairly flat. To top it all of there are no big clunks or noises during driving that would scream low quality parts or bad fitment to me, the only noises so far is a bit more feedback from the rear subframe/diff when selecting gears or coming off the accelerator. I'll need to fiddle with the drop links a bit as I think the rear ones are too long and putting preload on the ARB and I still have a whole load of compression settings to play around with on the struts to make it even more supple on the road!
The above pic is how the car sits at its "low" setting, if anything this was me just trying to see how low it can go. In the near future i'll likely need to adjust the front strut to sit lower just so the front and rear lowers at a more equal rate, as you can see the rear looks far lower than the front with litterally 0 pressure in the front air bags. i'll also need to invest in some rear lower control arms to sort out the camber the car gains when its low and maybe some spacers just to make the wheels sit a bit better in the arches.
There's also a video of it airing out I can link to if anyone's curious.
An update that some people have been dreading and others have been hyped for (myself included!)
So the last 3 weeks I've been driving my old Subaru WRX around for a bit because the 86 has been up on jackstands. Throughout this heat i've been taking my time to install a whole host of new parts including my Whiteline Anti-roll bars, Whiteline bushing inserts and my Air-Lift Suspension system.
I wanted to go slowly with it to just make sure everything is installed as best and as cleanly as possible to avoid any future problems or funny noises, etc. I also took the time to put some sound deadening in the boot to dampen some of the exhaust groans as well as the compressors.
I started off on the front, working with a friend to get the OEM front struts and ARB off. Some of the bolts and joints were either a little crusty and hard to break the seal or really slimey from what I can only assume is the underseal they use on these cars if the engine bay was anything to go by when I cleaned it.
The front ARB is a bit of a pain to fit thanks to the brackets it sits on and how many brittle plastic/glass fibre under trays there are under the car. the ARB probably took the most time out of these bits. I didn't get a picture of it but I somewhat sanded back and cleaned up the rusted welds on the ARB subframe thinghs and repainted it with some etching primer and underseal.
The weekend after that we moved on to the rear. getting the struts out was a bit of a paint this time but generally on the rear it was all very easy including the ARB. We also Installed the Whiteline Subframe and Diff bushing inserts which against was actually quite easy to do, it took up a couple of hours all in to do the bushing inserts. While running the Braided Air Lift hoses on the rear they went under the car rather than in to the engine bay. In reality they shouldn't be at risk of getting hot as there's quite a big gap between them and the Exhaust, not to mention that's right at the end of the exhaust rather than up by the manifold but seeing as I had some Mishimoto gold tape to hand I thought i'd dress them up a little bit, if Anything it makes the undercarriage a little sparkly!
And finally this weekend I took on the task of running all the wiring, making the modifications required for my particular dual compressor set up, pulling the air lines and hardness through the car, tucking it all away and mounting the tank, compressors, manifold, etc all in the boot! It sounds easier than rolling around on your back under the car but i can assure you it was just as exhausting!
This is also where the laminate wood flooring comes in, it might be a bit silly but of course you need something solid to mount all the gear in the boot on. In hindsight I could have just used a sheet of MDF and wrapped it in some carpet but it also needs to be segmented to fit in the boot at all which is the beauty of laminate I guess as you can hide the seems in the board gaps, it's also very cheap and it saves me having to deal with fiddly carpet!
All of that hard work results in a car that is lowered, can go even lower if I really want to or can soar in to the heavens if there's a particularly big speed bump or multi-story car park ramp while also having a nice mix of firmness and compliance to the road. It's quite a strange feeling that's quite difficult to describe really. The Air lift suspension is comparably soft to stock but is also a bit more firm, the ARB's really help to dial out any body roll and even when wiggling the car about on the road help to keep it fairly flat. To top it all of there are no big clunks or noises during driving that would scream low quality parts or bad fitment to me, the only noises so far is a bit more feedback from the rear subframe/diff when selecting gears or coming off the accelerator. I'll need to fiddle with the drop links a bit as I think the rear ones are too long and putting preload on the ARB and I still have a whole load of compression settings to play around with on the struts to make it even more supple on the road!
The above pic is how the car sits at its "low" setting, if anything this was me just trying to see how low it can go. In the near future i'll likely need to adjust the front strut to sit lower just so the front and rear lowers at a more equal rate, as you can see the rear looks far lower than the front with litterally 0 pressure in the front air bags. i'll also need to invest in some rear lower control arms to sort out the camber the car gains when its low and maybe some spacers just to make the wheels sit a bit better in the arches.
There's also a video of it airing out I can link to if anyone's curious.
Scottchester said:
I saw the first pic of the tank and thought you'd added NOS.
Air ride is so much cooler though, heard good things about the ride quality
Haha i'm glad you think so.Air ride is so much cooler though, heard good things about the ride quality
I've had a couple of people ask me what they drive like from a performance standpoint, Unfortunately i've only driven about 20 miles or so but I would say they feel exactly the same as a set of coilovers with some mildly stiff springs on. Probably something like 8kg/6kg front/rear which is what most Tein, BC Mesiter R coilovers come with for this car.
There are a couple of things to sort out on the car. I need to lower the front strut as i'd rather have the pressure front/rear more in-line with each other rather than the front bags being considerably lower pressure just to reach my desired ride height and there's a bit of noise which I think is either just the new bushing inserts being a bit noisy or the Anti-roll bars being Preloaded. Nothing that I can't sort out fairly easily after work one day
M4CK 1 said:
How much weight does the air ride kit add to the car compared to normal springs??
Unfortunately i've not weighed it all. The Struts themselves are quite a bit lighter as of course there's no heavy steel coil spring on them. The main heavy parts are the compressors and the air lift manifold so i'd say you probably add 2-4kg overall but that added weight is in the rear so I guess that helps balance the 86's 52/48 Weight distributionSo I've been driving the 86 around for a week or so now and have had a chance to adjust a few little bits and pieces here and there. The loud knocking noise I was experiencing was from a couple of bolts not being torqued down so that was easily rectified albeit quite silly of me to say the least. There are still a few subtle humming or low noises while driving but its mostly drivetrain/diff noises along with the clonking that you inherently get when going in to 1st and sometimes from 1st to 2nd is louder with the bushing inserts. It's nothing to be worried about and it isn't particularly jarring to hear either as i know the noises have always been there and are simply a bit louder now.
As for the feel itself, the fun part. It's definitely a little bit stiffer but not too much, the combo of air suspension + ARB's and bushing inserts definitely gives the car a slightly stiffer feel all over both from what the road conveys to you but also how it handles and how it reacts to being given power or leaning in to corners. Overall the easiest way to describe it is like a set of soft-ish coilovers but with faster reaction times.
Anyway so I lowered it a little more today just to even out the height front/rear without one having to be overly low pressure to achieve a matching height and took the chance to check out the new "aired out" height, although part of me wants to say this is "too low" knowing that the moment i get in and turn the ignition on the car will rise up just makes me really love this look, It's not for everyone but it does look a little mean being barely an inch from the ground.
As for the feel itself, the fun part. It's definitely a little bit stiffer but not too much, the combo of air suspension + ARB's and bushing inserts definitely gives the car a slightly stiffer feel all over both from what the road conveys to you but also how it handles and how it reacts to being given power or leaning in to corners. Overall the easiest way to describe it is like a set of soft-ish coilovers but with faster reaction times.
Anyway so I lowered it a little more today just to even out the height front/rear without one having to be overly low pressure to achieve a matching height and took the chance to check out the new "aired out" height, although part of me wants to say this is "too low" knowing that the moment i get in and turn the ignition on the car will rise up just makes me really love this look, It's not for everyone but it does look a little mean being barely an inch from the ground.
Edited by Samjeev on Saturday 13th July 21:05
ZX10R NIN said:
It's just crying out for a set of alloys now, great work.
I know! I would love to put the wheels from my Subaru back on that it had fitted in earlier pics but I plan to sell the Subaru soon so they have to go with it.I'd love to invest in some wheels but seeing as they're often the best part of a grand with tyres i'd rather hold off and save for something special.
Next plans for the car are essentially Widebody + Works wheels. Not a particularly unique formula these days and neither of those things make the car go faster but currently i'm not really looking for that
with both the Subaru and my track car up for sale I guess I've kind of had enough of chasing lap times for now and atleast for this year I want to get the car looking the way I had envisioned even prior to my purchase of it.Next year on the other hand.. well, we might have some go fast bits then
Shappers24 said:
I seem to recall from my gt86 ownership experience that oem headlights are disgustingly expensive... £900 each I seem to recall.
Good luck raising it from the dead!
Good luck raising it from the dead!
Shappers24 said:
It’s a crazy amount for lights it really is.
Appreciate this was ages ago, but I asked BMW once how much for a full headlight assembly for an E31, which is lower brackets, shock absorber, actuator, seal, cover, few nuts and bolts and the main glass unit plus the Vat was £1900....for one, headlight. you can have just the glass for just over £1000, but crazier would be the indicator and foglamp assembly, £340 for absolutely nothing.Anyway, good build, it is also refreshing to see a GT86 without a stupid rocket bunny kit or dreadful over arches, and the boot install is top notch fair play
I really like the slammed look. You said it's an inch off the ground, can you go even lower? Like literally on the ground? I think that would be even cooler, especially since you won't be driving it like that, only parking it.
And good job with the boot installation. Looks good.
Random question though, can any of that stuff go into the spare wheel well to reduce the centre of gravity?
And good job with the boot installation. Looks good.
Random question though, can any of that stuff go into the spare wheel well to reduce the centre of gravity?
greeneggsandham said:
I really like the slammed look. You said it's an inch off the ground, can you go even lower? Like literally on the ground? I think that would be even cooler, especially since you won't be driving it like that, only parking it.
And good job with the boot installation. Looks good.
Random question though, can any of that stuff go into the spare wheel well to reduce the centre of gravity?
I can make it lower if i physically wind in the struts but that last image is currently as low as it goes with the Bags alone. And good job with the boot installation. Looks good.
Random question though, can any of that stuff go into the spare wheel well to reduce the centre of gravity?
it is possible to install the gear in to the spare wheel well but you'd probably want a smaller tank. I didn't do it myself as I have an OEM upgrade sub in the spare wheel well and being one that quite enjoys his tunes I didn't want to give that up
I originally wanted to install the compressors in there but with the sub as well they don't fit.All you need to do now is this:
Saw this at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year and it is insane!
I know you won't but would be so cool. Your car does look amazing, been following this thread for a while and wondered how it would turn out. Lovely job... you've even got me liking a car on air, not something I'm usually a fan of but suits yours very well indeed.
Saw this at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year and it is insane!
I know you won't but would be so cool. Your car does look amazing, been following this thread for a while and wondered how it would turn out. Lovely job... you've even got me liking a car on air, not something I'm usually a fan of but suits yours very well indeed.
aazer89 said:
All you need to do now is this:
Saw this at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year and it is insane!
I know you won't but would be so cool. Your car does look amazing, been following this thread for a while and wondered how it would turn out. Lovely job... you've even got me liking a car on air, not something I'm usually a fan of but suits yours very well indeed.
Haha oh i'd love to do that! Saw this at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year and it is insane!
I know you won't but would be so cool. Your car does look amazing, been following this thread for a while and wondered how it would turn out. Lovely job... you've even got me liking a car on air, not something I'm usually a fan of but suits yours very well indeed.
I'd really love to go wild with an engine swap and fit something like a 2UR-GSE from the Lexus RCF or similar but I'm going to keep things somewhat simple so that I can DIY it still. I'm No welder and no electrician and my pockets aren't bottomless so If i can get off the shelf engine mounts and off the shelf ECU/Wiring harness that's perfect for me, both of which exist for the 2Jz and LS Platforms already.
Thanks for the kind words! In regards to the air suspension It was something I was never in to either but after having a low car that barred me from going in to multi story car parks and undoing my own hard paint work on a front bumper it got boring fast so the thought of having suspension that I can manually change the height on at the push of a button with the slight trade off of a tiny bit potential performance compared to coilovers was exciting!
I'm not looking to show off how low my car is as it's a bit of a false-boast when you have air suspension but it's been good fun to play around with and it's a bit of a new challenge for me making a more show-orientated car.
It's not dead yet! i'm bringing this topic back from the dead for another very big and very exciting update but I'll just let this do the talking...
That's right, i've just ordered my Rocket Bunny V2 Kit for the Car. I have to say it was VERY expensive being that alot of sites online don't include the 20% import Tax or even Air-freight from japan costs in to their online listings for it but to me it's well worth it. To some this might sound silly but this kit was one of my reasons for getting a gt86 in the first place and was the primary reason i went for a write-off (Why cut up a perfectly good example?) which does mean, yes I kind of chose the 86 for looks over performance but have been quite wowed by its ability since owning it.
Some of you might also be rolling your eyes and having lost interest (if you haven't already from the air lift) but im hoping that the 3 people who are still following (hi mum!) keep watching. This was a bit of a goal for me and i'm really pleased to make it a reality before the end of the year. I've purchased it through the official Rocket bunny EU supplier who are based over in Germany and rather than have them deliver it to me will be making a bit of a holiday/road trip for myself as I go over there to pick it up with a mate, should be fun!
Also just to finish thing's off seeing as i've always found the Greddy/Rocket Bunny renderings really lackluster here's one of my favourite cars with this kit belonging to Connor_lol
That's right, i've just ordered my Rocket Bunny V2 Kit for the Car. I have to say it was VERY expensive being that alot of sites online don't include the 20% import Tax or even Air-freight from japan costs in to their online listings for it but to me it's well worth it. To some this might sound silly but this kit was one of my reasons for getting a gt86 in the first place and was the primary reason i went for a write-off (Why cut up a perfectly good example?) which does mean, yes I kind of chose the 86 for looks over performance but have been quite wowed by its ability since owning it.
Some of you might also be rolling your eyes and having lost interest (if you haven't already from the air lift) but im hoping that the 3 people who are still following (hi mum!) keep watching. This was a bit of a goal for me and i'm really pleased to make it a reality before the end of the year. I've purchased it through the official Rocket bunny EU supplier who are based over in Germany and rather than have them deliver it to me will be making a bit of a holiday/road trip for myself as I go over there to pick it up with a mate, should be fun!
Also just to finish thing's off seeing as i've always found the Greddy/Rocket Bunny renderings really lackluster here's one of my favourite cars with this kit belonging to Connor_lol
oppsGassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff