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Stubaru BRZ


Stutopia

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  • 2 months later...

Being in between house moves has really put the brakes on the mods, I've got a replacement high level brake light (which replaces the monstrosity that blocks most of the view out the back) but it requires access to tools to get it fitted, which is impossible right now. Likewise for some cam solenoid covers. This means I'm restricted to browsing goodies, rather than fitting them. Unless, of course, they are a doddle to fit!

 

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Yes it's ricetastic but it's better than the yellow. Next up is probably wheels, Enkei RPF01s or Volk TE37s, obviously in gold/bronze. Decisions, decisions, decisions. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

You're yet to fit the most important upgrade to the 86/BRZ!!

 

Valenti Rear taillights - a work colleague owns a ginger 86, we fitted these a few months ago and it has completly changed the look of the car. They're stunning.

 

We've wrapped the horrible carbon look dash plastic in alcantara on his too to match the seats, brings the interior up a couple of notches!

 

We didn't fit the lower light to his, they also have sequential indicators like new VAG stuff

 

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5 hours ago, Cimanu said:

You're yet to fit the most important upgrade to the 86/BRZ!!

 

Valenti Rear taillights - a work colleague owns a ginger 86, we fitted these a few months ago and it has completly changed the look of the car. They're stunning.

 

We've wrapped the horrible carbon look dash plastic in alcantara on his too to match the seats, brings the interior up a couple of notches!

 

We didn't fit the lower light to his, they also have sequential indicators like new VAG stuff

 

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I have browsed the Valentis, the ones pictured above are the only ones I like, other than Toms, but they’re too rich IMHO for just rear lights. I may do these in future, but they don’t bother me enough to do anything in the short term.

 

I don’t suffer from the horrible carbon effect, thankfully, but I would like to Alcantara the dash. I might just pick up the kouki interior trim panels though, rather than get them clad. 

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  • 2 months later...

Due to house moves, job change, general life getting the way stuff I've not done a mod on the BRZ for an eternity, but tonight the stars aligned. My tools came out of storage, the weather was good, there was no World Cup and I remembered to bring home my recent package from across the pond. Perfect.

 

Now you all know by now that I don't go in for the frivolous modding business, wasting your hard earned on bits and pieces of performance and bling. So when I get the allen keys out, you know it's preventative maintenance or safety related. This is both. I've noticed a bit of a rattle from the stick area at high revs and the other day the gear position badge popped off. So I decided to deal with matters, before maintenance it turned into a serious safety issue.

 

Tired old nob, well thumbed, quite greasy and not all that satisfying to hold.

 

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I picked up this luuurrrveerrrrly bit of kit from Raceseng in the US, yeah you get stung on shipping and taxes, but it's two gorgeous pieces of machine work.

 

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Hopefully my rattles are gone and I'll enjoy the feel of a heftier, more bulbous nob for years to come.

 

Some of you may notice that I failed to get my sheath back in position before the money shot, I was just a bit too excited and the camera just went off in my hand before I had time to withdraw.

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I've had my eye on this, quite literally, since I test drove the BRZ. The monstrosity of a high level brake light blocks about 85% of the view out the rear, helpfully there is a solution.

 

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This little guy.

 

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Testing the LEDs. I did test in the boot first but wanted to make sure the frustration of lying upside down, in the rear of a coupe, in 50 degree heat and losing my rag at least once, didn't have an impact.

 

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All done and dusted, nice and clean and I can finally see out the back to keep an eye on the heavy Zeds behind disappearing away. ;) 

 

Easy install, if you don't consider the trim clip, which bravely gave it's life for the greater good. Remember kids, safety mods can be fun too.

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  • 9 months later...

It has been quite some time since I've done anything on the BRZ, turns out modifying kitchens and bathrooms is more expensive, more time consuming and less exciting than taking care of your car. However, Subaru finally got around to doing the valve spring recall that's been looming for a while now, which was an opportunity to change the clutch and plugs (not to mention a free fluids service!) and drive an Aygo for a few days. Most of those things were good. Since she's been to pieces and put back together again, all seems well. As a reward (and an excellent birthday present to myself) I treated her to some new rims, big thanks to @Adrian@TORQEN for sorting them out. These are an inch up in radius and width over stock, not the perfect offset to go flush, but that wasn't an objective, I just really, really hated cleaning the OEM wheels. Booked in for a setup tomorrow to put things right.

 

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In other news, I've decided to abandon the #failing no modification policy and also the find a more sensible daily initiative, I've to plan some comfort improvements too. More in future, hopefully.

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On 01/07/2018 at 10:36, SuperStu said:

I've had my eye on this, quite literally, since I test drove the BRZ. The monstrosity of a high level brake light blocks about 85% of the view out the rear, helpfully there is a solution.

 

 

 

This little guy.

 

 

 

Testing the LEDs. I did test in the boot first but wanted to make sure the frustration of lying upside down, in the rear of a coupe, in 50 degree heat and losing my rag at least once, didn't have an impact.

 

 

 

 

 

All done and dusted, nice and clean and I can finally see out the back to keep an eye on the heavy Zeds behind disappearing away. ;) 

 

Easy install, if you don't consider the trim clip, which bravely gave it's life for the greater good. Remember kids, safety mods can be fun too.

Are you supercharged? Any plans for Alcantara dash etc?

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5 hours ago, GranTurismoEra said:

Are you supercharged? Any plans for Alcantara dash etc?

I keep eyeing the alcantara dash panel from the facelift BRZ, I might pull the trigger, but for the time being it's not really bothering me, pretty as the new one is. I'm actually much more jealous of the facelift rear lights, steering wheel controls and the Brembos on the 86 Blue Edition. If I was sensible, I'd sell this and just stump up for the blue edition, but the colour just isn't up my street. Plus I keep browsing ohlins coilies too...

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  • 1 month later...

The front headlights on the BRZ post 17 are nice with the daytime running lights. But the blue edition on Toyotas side is very tempting too. 

 

Apparently the BRZ has a stiffer front suspension so its flatter through corners. 

 

Speaking of chargers. They say 290hp is a safer zone for the engine. I guess Fensport in Cambridge would know or Litchfield.

 

Subaru blue or Toyota blue edition? I think Subaru has the better interior and front headlights! But that blue edition from Toyota!!

 

Edited by GranTurismoEra
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  • 2 weeks later...

Been a busy bee of late, nice to be back doing mods and not sanding doors or building Ikea furniture. Which brings us right to it. Ever since I replaced the headunit waaaaaay back at the start of this thread, I've had an eye on replacing the speakers. Finally the time, funds and inclination all came together. I set about removing the requisite trim and getting to the paper cones that should only be used for seaside chips and replaced them with something altogether better.

 

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Helpfully, Focal do a plug and play kit for Toyotas and we share quite a bit of the same DNA as that lot, so I was enjoying a nice easy install. I also treated myself to a square mile of 2mm heavy sound deadening and some lighter foam stuff too. The doors do a great job of letting in both low and high frequencies, the rear section mainly just tyre roar. I'm hoping both kinds of deadening should be me some broad spectrum noise retardation. Stuck a load of the heavy stuff on the door behind the waterproofing and on the inside of the outer skin too. 

 

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Hard to believe someone who is paid to design automobiles allowed this abomination in, but that's what the rears look like.

 

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I'm working up an MDF template to find a better way of mounting a rear speaker, none too pretty but it's a start.

 

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Slapped a load of both heavy and light noise absorption in the rear on the outer skin...

 

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...and on the wheel arches...

 

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... and all over the under seat area.

 

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This only went in this afternoon before some other jobs got in the way, so I've not heard (or not heard, if you get me) the difference yet. Rather excited about my long drive tomorrow though.

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Whilst I had the trim removal tools out, it seemed rude not to pop in the Valentis which have come all the way from Australia. I've been putting this off for ages because every Toybaru has Valentis and I wanted something different, but the combination of the OEM units condensating (despite this being addressed once already) and me being too tight to stump up for the more insanely priced options, forced me into it.

 

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These are red, as you can see, and despite my initial reservations, I'm really pleased with how much better they look over OEM, particular lit up (forgot to get a pic). They have the option for the indicators to be either sequential or flash, can't make my mind up.

 

 

 

What do you prefer?

 

 

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Ooooo.......these rear lights are definitely a MUST HAVE.

In the same way as the later 350z rear led clusters were they totally transform the rear.

Side by side the old clusters look very retro "Lexus lights" esque 

As for flash or sequential you can't go wrong as the lights look so damn nice it doesn't matter :lol:

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