Church

Would be nice to see at least DIY guide pictures hosted locally, so that such will stay independent from cases such as when photobucket policy change fscked up so many. :/ One thing is eye candy, generic blog pics and alikes, another - pics for useful instructions. It would be nice if there was a way to have different local storage policies for these different use types.

Imho this video is rather good on describing strength and weaknesses of cup2.

Also aftermarket driveshaft single-piece design has both pro & con. pro - it further removes slack/play from transmission and is lighter also because of one joint less, con - stock driveshaft is designed two-piece for safety purposes, to allow easier driveshaft to fold, when during crash engine is pushed below cabin. Though then again: "Safety is greatly enhanced with composite shafts. Composites absorb energy upon impact. They can be designed to, and will normally, break apart during an accident rather than entering the passenger compartment catapulting the vehicle, or whipping a broken end through a tank or valuable cargo." Hmm, - some head scratching -. So i guess aftermarket CF DS is better over aftermarket aluminium DS? Though gains from both are probably too little to be had to justify high price of them. It's cheaper and more effective lighten car in other areas then expensive CF DS imho, so unless one has high power forced induction (not mild, like with cossy SC, but eg. 500hp turbo build), i'd skip the idea of driveshaft change.

Lauren: but what i was thinking about for a while - combo of final drive change AND close gear ratio set (from trd/cusco, or some cheaper alternatives, eg. mfactory). As in - so that 1st & 2nd stay somewhat same, but 3-4-5-6 get closer/shorter. If only gearsets had been cheaper, sigh. I find current 2nd rather optimal for many tracks i was at, letting me stay above torque dip even in slowest-tight hairpins and lessen gearswitches. But would have prefer a bit better geared gears above it.

Optimal gearing is very track specific. What may add some acceleration on some, may add extra gearshifts on others, as result even slowing down. Given you already have supercharged, i'd keep it at that. Would think a bit more about FD change on NA stock power though.

- knock on wood - in 3 years ownership i've yet to have a puncture on my gt86 (i wonder if maybe because driving more carefully due lower ground clearance & lower suspension travel over bad roads full of bad roadholes), but on corolla i had before i had puncture on awerage once per 1.5 years, and space saver helped me on several ocasions, so i'll keep it in trunk.

AUDM twins had full size spare (probably because on australian desert roads puncture may happen also several hundeds miles from nearest tire shop). But to fit it also different boot liner is needed, as there needs to be bulb in center for full size spare to fit. Full size spare also weights more of course. Imho space saver donut, that will let one drive in case of emergency and which is something that can be more relied upon then tire repair kit (after usage of which most tire shops refuse to deal with such repaired tires, and often it results in having to buy pair of new tires (for same wear)) and won't rub already small boot volume is best compromise.

Ade: except there was no info if that's the same kit, what piston sizes and so on .. make decision by mentioned rotor size only and some pics seems depending on luck too much. After all, there might be several kits using same caliper line and look almost same but a bit different piston sizes and moving bias to unknown side at unknown rate, resulting in easy to lock rears while fronts are underworked in one case or unstable car under heavy braking with rear tendency to swing in other. Maker, rotor size and caliper line is not the only variable that may change. Often BBKs are used for track use. That's last place i'd wish to see braking compromised. (leaving aside customers, that get BBKs "to fill wheels" and "to have painted calipers with # branding", and which probably can get by with rather large changes, if never pushing when daily driving and if driving with nannies on).

What would be turnoff for me for this set, no mention for what car kit is designed, and "work perfectly great sti wrx or classic upgrade" makes me even more sure that it's not twins native kit, thus very possibly changing brake bias. Cheapness is not worth compromising something as important as brakes.

It's toyota/trd optional part with specific MSRP. I doubt there will be high discount to it even in batch (unless it's some VERY big group buy that probably will never happen). Maybe something can be saved on combined shipping, but i doubt shipping for plastic piece to be very expensive and thus if there is potential to save enough on it. IIRC it's part number is MS346-18001. Fensport in UK also offers it (£179.60). You can google by this part number for other sources/shops.

Imho it should also have another good property of lessening crap like old leaves getting beneath trunk lid around rubber seals. Or actually it should be main function as i somewhat doubt it really doing any real aero impact. As for question .. never saw any aftermarket versions of it. You may order one-off making of such at some shops, but probably price will be even higher then this.

IIRC there was option to choose for what exactly paired phone is used (music/phone/internet), at least on T&G 1. Dig around options, i guess it might be similar in T&G2.

Grimmspeed is good on accounts that it's development process was rather open (always nice to see community involved), and also it specifically was designed to NOT play with MAF sensor readings / for it to work as stock. And as i wrote, it may work a bit better then just aftermarket airfilter, but only slightly, making money better spent elsewhere, if power gains is the goal, eg. good exhaust catless header.

Also aftermarket intake kits don't have stock intake's resonators, that delete specific frequencies, and soundtube, to pass noise in cabin. That also changes noise one hear, not just snorkel/shape. In general, it's your money, but from intake mods on this platform only one worth doing is aftermarket dropin airfilter in stock airbox. Won't net much, but is cheap, thus good price/performancy. Aftermarket intakes cost much more, but perform only slightly better then better filter. Bigger gains reported by some might be because of slight trickery, as they may fool MAF filter due different placement/intake crosssection to make ecu from those wrong readings run engine leaner with stock ecu tune. More power but more knock. Once/if MAF sensors are recalibrated during proper ecu tuning, most of those gains are gone vs just better filter, which should provide 80% of full intake gains but for just $50. On our cars stock airbox is rather well designed and is not bottleneck even if going forced induction route. (P.S. if one has MY2017 car with changed airbox / exhaust manifold, then one doesn't need to change even airfilter, as one of changes were making stock air filter of less pressure drop/resistance. Might be not attributable to AT ones with still old intake and European MT ones aswell (heard that not changed due stricter emission standards)).

Stutopia: take a look for this sample chart friction Mu vs temps: Other vendors probably also have pads covering different temp ranges as optimal operating ones for them. This helps to see why those cold stops for some pads may have friction worse even twice or more for first stops in cold and why/how it differs for different pads designed for different uses. Luckily it's rare one needs heavy braking from car just started, as it's usually waiting a bit for engine to warm and slow moving in yard inner roads to normal ones .. Check nfo in links / charts here for example.

There are no pads good for everything and that imho should be end of story, as one should choose right tool for a job. IF cold stops in colder weather matter more, choose more street oriented range of pads, meant for lower temps. IF more track capability is wanted for pads to not get baked/glazed even at very high temps on longer track sessions, get pads made for that, while compromising "streetability" properties, such as cold stop/cold weather performance, better wearing of rotors, less dusting. While track pads can be used for street purpose too, as often that cold stop friction might be on par on stock pad friction, just that they often brake much better (sometimes even more then twice better) when at designed operating temps, problems with race pads are that their temp range may make it hard to bed brakes properly while driving on public roads and withing legal limits. Unbedded brakes with worn off bedded layer from pads on rotors, may brake & wear worse and squeel at every stoplight making one feel like idiot :(. I'd say, just choose which properties matter to you most and choose pads accordingly. One cannot fault in any way pads that are used outside purpose they are designed of. Best of course would have been two pad sets which get swapped according use, but some may find it too tiresome. But then one has to accept as is faults/deficiencies of misused pads. There are no pads that do anything well after all. P.S. I myself use DS2500 too (on stock brakes) all year round. These are certainly not proper race pads, but a bit better then stockers for track abuse. I guess, what is called "hybrid" pads. They indeed work a bit worse for first stops, but not unmanageably worse, but at least they don't squeel even in winter, even if i haven't tracked for long. They dust badly though

Hmm. Wait. You are using aftermarket track brake pads and complaining about cold bite?

I wouldn't care about milleage of my car, as unless i total it in crash, so far planning to use it till it still runs and not selling it :). 4 years, and still loving it.

May i advise fitting rear camera over parking sensors? Or at least alongside them?

PMed

I wouldn't go for new one, as just driving out of dealership already gives big price drop (i got mine half a year old with around 5K miles on odo for 25% less then price of new, imho nice deal) But also, given choice, i'd try to get MY2017 kouki one (for goodies like improved track mode instead of vsc sport (main reason for me), more comfortable suspension and headunit control buttons on steering wheel). So why not both? ( - lightly used kouki)

If torque dip is the main issue one wants to fix, good aftermarket header/exhaust manifold (mostly UEL ones, from EL - Ace's is known to fix too) is the only proper way to fix it NA. Tune alone will rise overall power, maybe narrow it, maybe move it at a bit higher or a bit lower rpms, but won't fix (unless one will decide to do unprobable and willingly will reduce power pre & post dip, ), dip will still be there. Same for BPB spacers. They will move optimization to lower rpms .. dip still there. Going forced induction also may fix dip. As for my own choice .. i stopped to care about torque dip being there :). If i want surge of power/acceleration, i row 2-4 gears down (and enjoy doing it, both noise wise & involvement in driving wise). If on track - rpms are almost always above dip. Situations when dip may hurt .. like low rpm cruise and wishing for more acceleration without switching gears - i almost never are at. Or if it's daily driving where everybody in traffic are accelerating relatively slow .. i happen to upshift before torque dip. So being below, above, or rowing through gears with downshifting as needed. And as dip is not issue for me, i don't have to throw money at it to fix

Biggest gains from BPB are if used with stock tune. But stacking further .. It's possible to adjust custom ecu tune with taking them into account, true, but gains will be way less vs just ecu tune, making it less of worthy upgrade by gains/$ imho. If with exhaust you thought catback, it also doesn't provide much power gains, it is mostly bought to get better sound. OP post of this thread is rather good regarding various intake/exhaust bolt-on mods options. In general, best gains NA might come from catless header+aftermarket drop-in airfilter+ecu tune. If more wanted, better think of forced induction.

Funny, that even in real drift racing/competition, grip is essential. Top D1 racers run wide, low threadwear grippy half-slick tires at specific pressures for that. Even if rears are smoking, one still needs grip for control. Competitive ice/snow drifters are running on studded tires for very same reason. Without grip, not only overall speeds are much slower, but also control takes heavy hit. Yes, those that are just drift enthusiasts often intentionally reduce grip via running narrower tires or overpumping them or even induce extra instability in alignment (such as with toe-out) for less power needed, choose high threadwear tires for them to last longer (not everybody has in budget tires that can be worn down & need to be replaced after just two runs), but those that have the budget and are into high-profile competitions for results/wins do opposite.

Lauren: from my experience i hadn't seen issues on good roads or track as daily either. But .. not all roads are good here, many new roadholes opened when snow/ice thawed off, and then there were some road defects/uneventies particularly bad .. also maybe it's because stock shocks/springs working bad with camberplates and aftermarket maybe less suffering from that .. but result was as it was. NVH from loud/harsh hits on those defects worsened to extent it made driving unpleasant. I couldn't just drive as i used to .. and was completely OK with rubber topmounts. That's why i posted in previous post .. i love if there is choice, and hate if there isn't. To each his own preferences, tolerances, wishes, each is driving on local to him roads in whatever state they are. For me NVH of camberplates was unbearable. Maybe it may have been worked better with different shocks .. but now i don't want to risk and considering for future only ones that can be used with rubber topmounts (eg. KW/Ohlin/Bilstein/Koni, leaning more to B6). Funny that with pillowball camberplates ARE MOT-legal here (probably because many aftermarket coilovers have them in kit), but they seem exactly ones i don't want according past experience, but PBs elsewhere - MOT fail :/