Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 So I thought it was time to post up a new project thread for the next step in my car journey. Current SpecFactoryPearl WhiteSat NavManual2.0 NA boxer engineEngineRed Textured Engine TrimMU brake fluid reservoir coverScorpion decatted front pipe with resonator - to be fittedScorpion over pipe - to be fittedBorla UEL - to be fittedWheels and Tyres18x8 et33 BBS RSii's in a custom gold finish with chrome lips, centre caps and red BBS logosVredestein Sessanta tyres 225 40 18SuspensionTein Street Flex ZBeatrush Master cylinder braceExteriorBRZ Side ventsSatin black front lipLaminx yellow fog lightsSilvertec bulbs all roundDebadged boot lidInteriorP3 Vent gauge and code readerRetro-fitted alcantara interiorThe hunt for my next carFor the last 7 year, ignoring a 6 month Qashqai blip, I have owned modified MINI's which has been great and I have met some amazing people along the way but I have always had an inch to scratch in terms of a japanese car right from day 1 as I was on the look out for a DC5 to replace my Seicento and ended up with my first MINI. When I saw the initial concepts for the Subaru BRZ a few years ago I was really excited, but when it was actually released I was a little disappointed in terms of the headline performance figures. It had the looks but on paper at least it didn't have enough power especially when compared to MINI's I had owned. However after watching numerous reviews on the BRZ/GT86, especially Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Harris' ones as well as speaking to a number of owners I had to have one. It seems this car is bags of fun with stock power, but when the powered is increased via a turbo/supercharger the great chassis comes into its own. I have spent the last 6 months researching them while I parted out my clubman and pulled the money together to buy one. Weighing up the minor differences between the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86 I settled on the Toyota as I prefer the front bumper and interior trim. The Test DriveBefore purchasing a test drive was a must. I drove one about a month ago which removed any fears I had about it being slow in stock form and since then I have been looking for a used example which would be a great base car to modify. The biggest learns for me on the test drive was this car has drama out of the box which my clubby couldn't offer without mods and it needs to be rev'd to get the most out of it.Stumbling blockI was in the process of writing a new project thread a couple of weeks ago however even though I had placed a deposit with a dealership close to me for a GT86 in the morning morning, the dealerships up north where the car was located, decided to ignore this and sell it to someone else in the afternoon. As you can expect, I was not very happy and there is an ongoing complaint but the dealership I placed the deposit with have been great in handling the complaint. Locating the right oneBefore I had the money in place there were tonnes of these available over the winter and a great price, however come the day I am ready to pull the trigger, there are none. Requirements were pretty simple as they come fully loaded from the factory so they don't have many options. Must haves were manual, white or orange and low mileage. I had given 5 dealerships my details to watch out for cars coming in. Its took a lot of patience and not just buying one in the wrong colour just so I could have one. Many times I have considered buying one of the many black or red ones that keep coming up but I had my heart set on white/orange, so I stuck to my guns. I had many false starts but finally after the one I mentioned above fell through, straight away probably luck on their part, they managed to locate for me a second GT86 matching my requirements: -Pearl white-Manual-13 plate-9k on the clock-Sat nav which is a bonus It was a little over my price range but due to the complaint I managed to negotiate a decent price on it, knocking off a further £700. Funny thing is I have placed a deposit on the car and I am collecting it hopefully next monday with the clubman going in as a trade in, yet they haven't seen my car and I haven't seen theirs. However if the car isn't as described then I am fully entitled to a refund of the deposit so no real concern there. That works the same for my trade in, but at least they have seen photos of that.So hopefully on 23rd March I can report back with lots of photos of the car after collecting it. Previous Car History- Fiat Seicento Sporting 1.1 NA 54bhp in Yellow- MINI Cooper S 1.6 Supercharged 170bhp tuned up to 265bhp in Dark Silver - http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f273/tweedbeans-r53-mcs-18403/- MINI JCW 1.6 Turbo 215bhp in Laser Blue - http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f272/tweedbeans-r56-fjcw-25319/- Nissan Qashqai Tekna 2.0 NA 139bhp in Silver- MINI Clubman JCW 1.6 Turbo tuned to 270 bhp/236.9 whp and peak torque of 283.1lb/ft. In Laser Blue http://www.minifoo.com/forum/index.php?threads/tweedbeans-clubaru.58/ Car History by tweedbean, on Flickr 2 Keethos and Special K reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Pre-purchase mods and plans First off lets start by saying yes I plan to mod this car, I know I have said no with my other cars, but this one is not staying stock from day 1. The first couple of months will be slow on the mod front but May onwards is where the fun begins Plans include removing the fugly stock spoiler and fitting a duck tail type one, BRZ side vents, a set of wheels and coilovers. Then I can start planning the performance mods which would include a turbo/supercharger kit of some sort and a brake upgrade. I am also 70/30 split on a rocket bunny kit which is a irreversible mod as you have to cut away the arches to get it to fit. If I don't go for this, I will go down the 5 axis kit route which is subtle in comparison to the RB kit. For anyone that knows me, they wont be shocked when I say that before I have even purchased the car I have a number of mods in the garage ready to go: Alcantara/leather Interior A full alcantara/leather interior just incase the car I find didn't have one. A lot of the cars seem to have a cloth interior which wouldn't do, plus even if the car I purchase does have alcantara, this gives me a spare set to retrim etc later down the line: Alcantara and Cloth Interior by tweedbean, on Flickr P3 Vent Gauge I have purchased a P3 air vent gauge as I was going to keep my scangauge from the Clubby however I couldn't find anywhere to fit it in the GT86 interior that would look right. Its great as it still allows you to use the air vent. It does everything my scangauge could do including reading codes etc and also has connections for boost if I decide down the FI (Forced Induction)route: P3Gauge for the GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr P3Gauge for the GT86 Fitted by tweedbean, on Flickr VHT Red Wrinkle Finish Paint Purchased this to add some colour into the engine bay, spotted this done on a car in the US and it looked pretty good so I am going to give it a go. More details once its done. Wrinkle VHT paint by tweedbean, on Flickr Red light tint and green glass paint To remove the lexus style stock rear lights I want to tint them all red, while I take my time to decide if I want to switch to aftermarket lights. Green glass paint to ensure rear indicators flash amber through the red tint. Red light tint and green glass paint by tweedbean, on Flickr 1 Keethos reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lauren 2259 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Just so you know, the rear lights are not 'Lexus Style'. They are based on the 2000GT which was a key influence in the design as seen in the side glass profile also. Good luck for the 23rd! 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Just so you know, the rear lights are not 'Lexus Style'. They are based on the 2000GT which was a key influence in the design as seen in the side glass profile also. Good luck for the 23rd! Thanks, hopefully all goes to plan this time. They are calling me to confirm the date but when I spoke to them yesterday they were 90% sure it would be Monday. In regards to the rear lights, I get that, I have done a lot of research into the car and its orgins but for me there is just too much chrome on show in them. Just like on my previous cars the chrome has to go, that includes doing something different with the headlights at some point. All down to personal preference of course Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keelerad 256 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Musing on Mods It's strange what people want to do changes for, the only thing I've changed to make it look better is the Oil Filler Cap and you can't even see that 99% of the time As far as changes to what the outside of a car looks like I personally don't get it, my one question every time is "Does it effect how it drives". How it looks from outside ? I don't care, as I only see it from inside when driving it But I still like reading about what those of you with the modding bug are planning Alec p.s. it just struck me I did do a mod that alters the external appearance of the car, I painted my Brake Calipers Red, cost about £8 for the can of engine enamel (unfortunately the supposed 400C engine enamel couldn't cope with Oulton Park and on the fronts I need to redo the burnt bits ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JamesP1991 222 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 I will be sure to drop by and follow this build Tweedbean, looks like you have big plans! 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keethos 842 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Awesome stuff dude, we need to meet up at some point once you've picked her up! You manage to source some BRZ side vents? I've got a group buy running at the moment if you want in. 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Musing on Mods It's strange what people want to do changes for, the only thing I've changed to make it look better is the Oil Filler Cap and you can't even see that 99% of the time As far as changes to what the outside of a car looks like I personally don't get it, my one question every time is "Does it effect how it drives". Ha I like to do a bit of both, a mix of looks and performance to make it a car that makes me smile just looking at it as well as driving. I will be sure to drop by and follow this build Tweedbean, looks like you have big plans! Thanks, I am already busy hunting for wheels to go with the theme I have developing in my head. Awesome stuff dude, we need to meet up at some point once you've picked her up! You manage to source some BRZ side vents? I've got a group buy running at the moment if you want in. Thanks, will do. As for BRZ vents, I haven't yet. If a friend buys my clubby rather than trading it in, I will have a bit of spare cash so I will be straight into your group buy for those vents. Just waiting to hear back if he is having it or not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JamesP1991 222 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Ha I like to do a bit of both, a mix of looks and performance to make it a car that makes me smile just looking at it as well as driving. Thanks, I am already busy hunting for wheels to go with the theme I have developing in my head. Thanks, will do. As for BRZ vents, I haven't yet. If a friend buys my clubby rather than trading it in, I will have a bit of spare cash so I will be straight into your group buy for those vents. Just waiting to hear back if he is having it or not. What kind of style wheels do you want? Always interesting seeing what choices people go for Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 What kind of style wheels do you want? Always interesting seeing what choices people go for Lots of ideas in my head at the moment in terms of wheels. It has to be something different having run purple BBS RZ’s and Gold Volk CE28n’s on the MINI’s, a set of reps won’t do. Not a fan of the stock wheels so they will be slung in the garage as soon as possible, maybe for use for winter/drifting. In my mind I want two sets a summer a winter/track set of wheels. Summer I am thinking of something like the Works VS XX with a twist, winters/track something along the lines of the Volks TE37 look. These are only ideas at the moment and may change once I get the car and spend more time around GT86’s. It would be good to see some of the cars on here in the flesh to see what style of wheel really works with the shape of car, I think with the curves of this car, its going to be a harder choice over picking wheels for the MINI. Another influencing factor will be size and what works on the 86. I have never gone bigger than 17" on the mini as it ruins the handling, but 18" seems to look good on the 86 so I am interested in experiencing what impact this has on the car and its characteristics. Its going to be a case of a lot of research, trial and error which I look forward to. Weight is another concern as well as the ability to fit over larger brakes. I like the idea of fitting the STI brakes from a scooby, but refurbishing them to suit the theme of the car. 1 Polishingpedlar reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lauren 2259 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 You may want to consider the TRD Aero Fins instead of the BRZ ones. The BRZ ones are half the price though! As for wheels, there are some BBK's that will fit under 17" rims. Having driven the car on both 17s and 18's, I would say 18's don't necessarily ruin the handling, but you'd need a light weight wheel and in 18" that rules out all the Taiwanese ones really. The stock brakes are absolutely fine on the road. Yes it is possible to get them smoking and to fade, but it tends to happen after a prolonged period of really pushing the car. So it won't happen that often. On track anything over ten minutes can get them smoking, but if it's a trackday there's no need to hammer the brakes all the time, though I appreciate it's great if you just don't have to worry about it. The thing is with 17" is that if you go for a 225/45/17 there is too much sidewall flex whatever you do, so it's better on a 215/45 which having less of a sidewall doesn't seem to have the same problem. This is why I run a 215 on an 8" rim. I may though when I burn off the Primacy tyres I've got on there try an Advan again but in stock sizes on my 8" rim as that may offer the best compromise. If you run an 18" wheel with 225/40/18 you don't get the sidewall flex option, but you need to ensure that you have a light wheel! It's complicated, but I've driven lots of other people's cars and experimented with tyre size myself, so that's what I've found. Coming from the Mini you'll be used to tons of grip as the Mini is fairly over-tyred really. This car doesn't flow unless you've got it moving around a bit I find, so it's a careful balancing act, especially if you are running NA. Too much grip and you don't get the joy of the handling. Too little and it's a handful, but ultimately more enjoyable! Choices, choices! 3 LFA, Tweedbean and JamesP1991 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LFA 68 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 I know this is going to be a good thread. Despite running more power, I think my 225 40 18 MPSS (18x7.5rims) set up is giving relatively speaking near stock levels of grip, although feels somewhat stiffer than the primacies obviously, and more durable for track use. Whilst the 86/BRZ looks great on wide rubber, particularly filling those rear arches, appropriately offset/ lowered etc, from a driver's perspective I'd be more conservative. 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted March 18, 2015 You're welcome to have a go in my stock car shod with 18x9 720 form wheels when it's running. After all, you've seen it and you know how fat it looks. Not quite sure how it's gonna handle on stock suspension and power though?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quball 60 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Will be following this thread Tweedbean, 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 442 Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Yes, Quball - this is a 'must follow' thread, like Nigel's... Tweed... we Gt86ers are individuals, probably more so than any other freeky group on the car Forum front.. the knowledgeable members herein can give advice based on personal experiences/desires on what we need from our hormone transplant.. (... oh - didn't the dealer tell you that, when you first sit in a demo GT86, this secret needle injects you...??) At the end of the day that's where it's at. Are your hormones track or road focussed? Is it blinging for style or blatting for ego - or a combination of both? Rims? Tyres? Brakes? Suspension? Boost? Mapping? Tattoos? Body mods? Prince Alberts? You don't win a war by winning the first battle (unless you're Lewis Hamilton last Sunday, haha..). So my suggestion would be to fine tune your ultimate needs - post them on this Forum - evaluate the replies and ask your questions - then make your buying decisions. Spec K 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 19, 2015 Frustrating, the car has been delayed a week as the car it was being traded in for has been delayed from the factory by a week. So roll on 30th now. Proves complicated as I have sold the clubby privately with it being collected 21st so working from home for a week I guess. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keethos 842 Report post Posted March 19, 2015 Things really aren't going your way are they? But it'll be worth it in the end, I had had a pretty nightmare of a time getting my car from my local dealer. 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark-in-Stoke 488 Report post Posted March 19, 2015 I'm going to enjoy this thread Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ztox 230 Report post Posted March 19, 2015 30th eh? Same day as me (been waiting since early Jan). Interested to see what you do with it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JamesP1991 222 Report post Posted March 19, 2015 Just can't catch a break eh?! At least it gives you more time to invest in some more modifications though 1 Tweedbean reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 21, 2015 Well the clubby has now gone to its new owner today and I am officially car-less for the first time since passing my driving test 10 years ago. Hopefully there will be no more delays with toyota as a week feels so long right now. In the mean time I have got my name down on the group buy for the brz side vents, so look forward to getting those as I'm not a fan of the gt86 ones, although I would like to use the logos from them somewhere else maybe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 442 Report post Posted March 22, 2015 Tweed - insist on a courtesy car! Even a grotbox eco-cringing Yaris is better than the heaving cattle boxes we call buses/trains.. if Dolce & Gabbani encapsulated our public transport body odour they could sell it as a defence weapon... ... even outer space aliens would steer clear of planet Earth.. (and I know... I am one...) Spec K (also known as XYLZZMK*&&YC from planet 0233 Epsilon Cluster - err, hello Keethos, why do we hide any more..?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 22, 2015 Not to bothered as we have an Evoque aswell for the other half if I need to go anywhere, and it's a good excuse to work from home for a week. Will get them to throw in a tank of petrol for the inconvenience. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keethos 842 Report post Posted March 22, 2015 Meh, don't think they'd accept us if they knew Keith Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedbean 151 Report post Posted March 30, 2015 Its finally here :) Today wasn't without its challenges but I am happy to say I now finally own a GT86 in pearl white. Toyota Burton have been great in turning this car around in less than 4 hours from when it was traded in to handing me the keys. Even with a last minute dash from the previous owners as he forgot to give them the log book, then he got stuck in traffic, but finally he arrived back with it. I was then able to check the car over and do a quick test drive which wasn't that successful as Burton was jammed full of traffic. Before I knew it I was out the door with the keys Findings after my first drive back from Burton to Rugby is that these are a hoot to drive, I definitely made the right choice. I learnt it needs a centre armrest and its weird not having any stereo/nav controls on the steering wheel. Not a fan of the cloth seats but I am fitting a full heated alcantara/leather interior Friday. I also have a few other little bits on the way to get the modding started. The headunit is better than I expected, sat nav worked a treat, even if it was a little on the quiet side at first. I just need to work a few things out like where the option is to see how many miles are left in the tank, if it does that and if I can relocate the USB port to the glove box as I dont like my iPod cable hanging down the dash. This car brought a huge grin to my face and I am already looking for excuses to go for a drive. Side way action on the way home, all very controlled even in the rain which is great. My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr My GT86 by tweedbean, on Flickr 3 Keethos, Lee and JamesP1991 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
