Shadow_'s FRS Build

[Shadow_]

Little late to the game, but I figured I'd throw up my build thread as well.

A little background: I've been a car guy all my life, but my experience is with European cars. My previous vehicle was a 2008 Volkswagen GTI, that I sunk every bit of $20,000 into. It was stage 3, with a custom PTE5858 big turbo setup, with water/meth injection, E85, a Peloquin LSD, a fully built suspension, and all the supporting bits and mods. It made around 450whp, so I'm no stranger to wrenching on a car, and eventually, I plan to get my FRS to around 375whp via forced induction or LSx swap.

Back in September of 2015, I picked up a 2015 Ultramarine FRS. 8 Miles on it, factory options included the Glasscote protection, (I have a wife and baby, so this was a must), and I upgraded to the Navigation radio as well.

Baby's first bath:


Right away, I got tired of the lack of traction with the stock Prius wheel and tire setup. Got a screaming deal on a set of Enkei Kojins in 18x9, wrapped in a set of 225/40s in the front, and 225/45s in the rear.



Next it was time for more power. Pulled the trigger on a group purchase for a set of 1320's UEL headers and 62mm overpipe.



Fitment of the headers to the block was pretty good. I was shorted a set of hardware, so I had to go to Home Depot and purchase two bolts, four washers, and two lock washers to mate the overpipe to the headers. From the first start up, the flex pipes leaked. A little disappointed in that, but several months later, I still haven't been bothered enough by it to fix it.

At this point, I saw a fellow FRS owner with an eBay rear diffuser, and decided to have one for myself. I want to say it was like $80, and the fitment is spot on. The instructions are garbage, but anyone with any experience with trim pieces could figure it out with no issues. I didn't drill any holes for mine, and I've had zero issues with sag or it being too loose. I also added OEM Toyota mudflaps to help with the debris coming from the wider tires. Good mod, but I'll be switching to the RallyArmor mudflaps soon. (See exhaust picture below for these mods installed on the car.)

Next came an OFT. I flashed the stage 2 UEL tune, and it really woke the car up. But I wanted more. I located the nearest gas station with E85, which was almost 45 miles from me, but decided to give it a shot. I ran a FlexFuel kit and E85 on my GTI previous to this, and the results were impressive, so I was keen to see how it would perform on a naturally aspirated car. I used OFT's pre-loaded E85/UEL tune, and was pretty happy with the results. The car now had a solid amount of mid-range power, and the torque dip was GREATLY reduced.

I was really annoyed with how much the stock catback muffled the UELs, and like everyone else with this car, I was after the boxer rumble. That came courtesy of an Invidia N1 resonated catback.



(FAQ: Yes, it's loud. Yes, it drones. No, I haven't received any tickets.)

I was VERY happy with the exhaust, and the butt dyno showed a little more torque, with maybe some high end power gains. Certainly minimal, but definitely felt a little better.

Next, I added a drop in K&N filter. I debated this mod more than any other modification that I've done to this car. I did extensive research, and it seems like the general opinion is split pretty evenly down the middle, as to whether it's worth it or not. In my opinion, I think it's worth it. I definitely heard a little more induction noise, and throttle response felt improved to me. Again, no numbers to back it up, but the butt dyno felt an ever-so-slight change. My only recommendation with this filter is to get off all of the excess oil BEFORE you install it.

While attempting to put spacers on the rear wheels to get my fitment and HELLAFLUSH sorted out, I stripped out one of the rear wheel studs, so I pulled the trigger on a set of ARP's extended wheels studs.



Next, I picked up a set of authentic, clear Valenti tails from a local who was selling at a good price. (Please pardon the crappy iPhone pictures)

Halfway through:


Completed:


Install was super easy, maybe 15 minutes. Still one of my favorite mods to this day.

While backing into a parking spot at night, I BARELY touched the curb with my passenger side rear wheel. So, it was time to refinish the wheels. Sanded the curbage out, and body filled the damaged area. For shits and giggles, I decided to paint them white. I like it. Nobody else in my area has white wheels on an Ultramarine FRS, and I can't find too many people with it on Google either. Maybe because people don't like the way it looks, but oh well. :thumbs:



Picked up a Kartboy shifter from another local here, and installed it promptly. Install was easy enough. FT86Speedfactory has a great video on YouTube that makes it almost fool-proof. I was impressed with the feel of the shorter throws. I couldn't really notice a difference just running through the gears while parked, but as soon as I got on the road, the difference was huge. My only complaint was that it felt sloppy. There was WAY too much play in the actual shifter, both in neutral and in gear, so it was time for a Perrin rear shift bushing and MTEC shift springs.

Made an order from @ft86speedfactory:



Very happy with the whole experience. Received the Eibach springs and the bushing 2 days after placing the order, and the MTEC springs a day after that. The strut bar should arrive tomorrow.

I installed the springs first. I chose the Eibach kit for several reasons. I had experience with Eibach in the past, and their customer service has always impressed me. That in and of itself is reason for me to spend a few extra dollars. But I also liked that the Sportline Kit included new bumps tops and dust covers. Modifying the OEM ones was not ideal to me. The install was very straightforward. If you've ever done any suspension work before, this will be a piece of cake. Whole thing took less than two hours, and I did it by myself. I did not use the new dust covers, as my car is still relatively new, and I liked the way the OEM covers fit, as opposed to the Eibach covers. Ride comfort is a 7/10. Not as stiff as stock, but more spring-y. I definitely avoided bumps with the stock suspension, but now it's more of necessity. I didn't take measurements, but if I had to guess, I would say that they lowered the car the advertised 1.4". If not, it's VERY close. I'll take some pictures as soon it stops raining.

I installed the MTEC springs and the bushing the day after. There are two 10mm nuts on the driver's side of the transmission, and FT86's video isn't entirely clear, so make sure that you don't remove your transmission fluid drain plug instead of the spring housing nut. Also, I would recommend dropping at least the front pipe to remove the 21mm housing on the passenger's side. (This was convenient for me, as I was installing a new front pipe as well..more on that below) It's a tight space, and between the driveshaft and the exhaust, there's not a whole lot of room to hand thread the housing back into its location, which is a must!. The MTEC springs are a great upgrade, and I cannot speak highly enough of them.

Next came the Perrin shifter bushing. I'd like to take a second to say kudos to Perrin for great instructions. In my opinion, great instructions make a mod a hundred times better. However, make sure you have extra tampons on hand, as installing it is a BITCH. The fitment is V.E.R.Y. tight. (Perrin says as much in the instructions, but I'm serious...it's tight.). The bushing, coupled with the MTEC springs, in my opinion, are some of the best mods for the money. They drastically changed the feel of the shifting experience, and tightened up the loose shifter. For $60, and an hour of install time, I cannot recommend them enough.

Also got a steal of a deal on an Agency Power overpipe/frontpipe combo from a local. I read a lot of reviews from people who said that AP should be avoided like the plague, but honestly, the fitment was PERFECT, and I had zero leaks or issues. The whole install took literally 5 minutes. It took longer to get my jack and jack stands out and to jack up the car than it did to install the pipe. So I'm pleased as of right now. I'm a little unsure of how I like the sound, as it's starting to become a little too raspy and fart-cannon-y, and less rumble-y, but I've only had it on for ~50 miles, so I'll decide after I put some more miles on it. Supposedly, upgrading the frontpipe is supposed to give an increase in throttle response, but honestly, I don't really feel it. If it's there, it's very minimal.

Picture of it installed on his car, as my car is obviously not red



Phew, that was a lot! If you're still with me, thanks for reading! I'll continue to update this thread as I work on the car. Next mod will be a Tanabe Sustec front strut tower brace, which should be coming in the mail tomorrow. Who knows what's next after that?

-Shadow_

Special thanks to Kyle @ StreetStars Motorsports (@worstenemy453), Michael @ IlluminocityCustoms, and @ft86SpeedFactory for helping me with this build.

[Shadow_]

Updates!

Random shot, now that it's not in 4x4 mode anymore:


Crappy phone image from a local meet a few nights ago:


Onto the mods!

Apparently Virginia has a monsoon season now...anyways....finally installed the Tannabe Sustec Front Strut Tower Bar! Looks pretty good, and I can feel a little more rigidity in the corners. Nowhere near as noticeable as a sway bar, but there felt like less chassis roll to me, could just be placebo. Also installed lower Valenti bumper light. Looks clean, and install couldn't have been easier.

Pictures!








Lastly, had my car tinted at TintTech of Fredericksburg, VA. 35% sides and 20% on the rear. Couldn't be happier with the look!

[Shadow_]

Update time!

Lot of things have been installed recently!

The car has been lowered for a few months now, and I like the way the wheels sit in the fenders, but being 18" wheels, it still sits a little higher off the ground than I want it to, so it was time for some aero/aesthetic parts. I picked up a brand new set of side skirts, and a like new front lip from a local for $50 for all three. The look was good, but apparently it was too low for daily driver duties, as I snapped the front lip in half with 2 weeks of it being installed. (On that note, also got ran off of the road but a tractor trailer that wasn't paying attention, which snapped my rear diffisuer in hand...:angryface Rounding out the aesthetics upgrades was a TRD-style duck lip spoiler. Looks okay, but I'll be replacing it soon enough; most likely with a VIS trunk.

I've had the Kartboy shifter, and the Perrin shift bushing installed for a few months now as well, and the shifting experience still wasn't smooth enough for me. I added a Raceseng Slammer shift knob to try to remedy that issue. My first impressions of it are great! I've been using it for about 2/3 weeks now. The quality is great, the feel is great, and it really made a noticeable difference in every gear transition except from 1st to 2nd. I've got a full Motul 300 fluid change planned to see if that helps me at all.

One of the very first mods I did to this car was to install spot mirrors, as the blindspots in my car were really bad. They got the job done, but I decided to pick up the blue-tinted Rexspeed concave mirrors as a more permanent solution. These are truly a must-have for this car! The blind spots are almost totally eliminated, and the blue tinting really helps with the annoying headlight glare from other motorists at night.

Also made some lighting upgrades. Sold my Valenti tails, and bought some JDM Tom's tails. Really like the way the all red housing looks with the Ultramarine!. I also added LED license plate bulbs, and switchback turn signals from Diode Dynamics.

On to the performance goodies! Some of you may have heard about my issue with 1320 and the leaky header they sold me. After fighting with them for weeks, and gaining no ground, I sold the header as a project header, and picked up a RevWorks UEL header. This one had already had the collector reinforced, and was professionally checked for leaks. I have to say, the sound is great, and it's so nice to not have a leaky exhaust! Lastly, I installed the Perrin True-Cold Air intake. I was really apprehensive to take the front bumper off, but a buddy a few beers later, and the job was done!


A few pictures, showing most of the mods:



I'll be dynoing the car on August 6th at PTuning in Manassas, hopefully I'll be in the 210-215 RWHP range. Stay tuned for more updates!

[Shadow_]

MOAR UPDATES! Installed a Perrin intake elbow to replace my haggard-ass AutoZone noise pipe-delete. Also picked up an Alcantara 320mm NRG wheel. Just waiting on my Works Bell hub to be delivered so I can install it! Thinking about adding harnesses next....


Pictures coming soon!

Car is getting dynoed a week from today, I'm excited to see what it does!

[ry_zillafrs]

wow beautiful. specs on rim and tires?