Hot Molten Lava Toyobaru - Page 8

Jeff_DML · 09-12-2013, 11:53 AM

I noticed the low/mid range lack while test driving a BRZ last weekend, figure that is why you have a MT

bren · 09-12-2013, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggins

Any thoughts on how losing 3-7 lbs. of rotating mass from a lighter wheel/tire setup may affect things? Has the difference been THAT significant in your past experiences?

That's really pointy end stuff. I wouldn't worry about it, well actually, I would, but it's not going to make any actual difference in reality.

Get the "right" tires, and talk to Sam about set-up - shocks, alignment, etc.

*clyde* · 09-12-2013, 12:09 PM

The biggest benefit of reduced wheel weight is how much of a pain it is to swap them and move them around. It makes a performance difference, but it's really, really small at best.

Even with the bar you have, it sounds like set up and driving are the things you need to work on. Sam is pretty good at both those, too.

Biggins · 10-23-2014, 10:16 AM

It has been over a year since I updated this thread, but I had mixed feelings on the FR-S after the 2013 autocross season and first ~20 months of ownership. The car handled well and still seemed fast (remember I came from a 318i automatic), but it did not suit my autocross driving style which was the purpose of buying this car.

It is an okay but not good daily driver for where I live. It is too stiff to enjoy driving around the city, highway cruising is fine but an Accord/Camry is faster, and there are no back roads in my normal driving to truly enjoy the car where it’s meant to be driven. The dog fits but hates riding in it. It is a driver’s car, and that’s about it.

Last spring and early summer, I made several seemingly minor but extremely significant changes that transformed the car. I added “fancy” brake pads, switched to a smaller front sway bar, and tire tested. I bought Ferodo DS2500 brake pads and a 19mm front bar, but these two changes made the FR-S a new car. I could brake scary late into corners and the car stuck, yet understeer was very limited with the addition of the smaller front bar and some Koni adjustments. I dumped the Dunlop ZII tires for Yokohama AD08Rs. These tires are a few tenths or so faster and feel incredible on the car. I hesitantly picked up a co-driver who hated driving an AWD Subaru his friend had built, and he really helped me to drive faster the rest of the year. He got a set of Hankook RS3 tires for the car, and that allowed the car to go even faster for the rest of the season. In turn, I really like the FR-S after learning to drive it faster and getting the right parts on it.

Another friend built his BRZ to very similar specs as my car, and we had a great battle all year locally. We both went to the National Championships in Nebraska this year (crazy drive), but all of us each had one terrible day to eliminate us from a good finish. He, my co-driver, and I all finished right in the middle of the pack. It is important to note that I fit four wheels/tires, a jack, a 2.5gal can, two totes, duffel bag, insect sprayer, cooler, and another bag in the car and could still comfortably drive for 10+ hours per day.

After 2.5 years of ownership, I’m actually looking forward to enjoying this car for at least two more years. Best of all, the only thing I should need to buy for next year will be new tires, and I may not need a new set until mid-summer.

I know not many of you may be considering this car, but I can try to answer any questions.

Jeff_DML · 10-23-2014, 10:37 AM

Congrats on making it to nationals and setting up you car the way you like it.

Biggins · 05-28-2015, 11:34 AM

I’ve been driving the FR-S even less over the past few months, but it makes me enjoy it more when I get the chance to drive it. I think I'd feel the same if I were daily driving/commuting in it, but I'm not sure. It’s really just my autocross car. I just rolled over 18k miles in three years of ownership.

This autocross season has not gone too well thus far due to some petty car issues. It’s a $25k car, but I keep finding how cheap some of the nuts/bolts are that were used to put this car together. I had already done quite a bit of preventative nut/bolt replacement for various reasons, but I had a sway bar collar nut & bolt shear off at some point early in the season. I had assumed the car’s poor handling was due to old tires and did six events with a disconnected front sway bar. Luckily, it was only due to the broken nut/bolt and was an easy fix. Some exhaust nuts/bolts also had to be replaced. I still need to do a diff and transmission oil change. After knocking all that out, I’m hoping for no more little issues.

Another annoyance is that the rulemakers for autocross determined that the FR-S is now allowed to have TRD parts (spings/bars) in “stock/street” class. The Subaru version of my car cannot have these parts. I guess I picked the right brand, but I have not ruined any more streetability (yet) of my car. I’m not fully convinced those parts are absolutely better/faster for my car, but they probably are. I’m getting by without these parts for now.

The biggest change for this year has been the tires. Bridgestone and BFGoodrich have new tires that are extremely fast and have made last year’s best tires obsolete. I bought the Bridgestone and have to sort them out. My car has a much higher limit with these tires, almost similar to an R-compound tire.

Due to other things that I have going on this year, I am only doing about 2/3 of the number of events I did last year and only one “national” event in the FR-S. I’m planning to do the big national championships in September, but I will probably fly there and drive someone else’s car.

I will keep this car around for a while for autocrossing, but my eyes have been fixated on the prices of E36/46/90 M3, 128i, 228i M-Sport, among quite a few other cars.

bren · 05-28-2015, 11:47 AM

Sounds like you need a corvette.

Jeff_DML · 05-28-2015, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggins

...

I will keep this car around for a while for autocrossing, but my eyes have been fixated on the prices of E36/46/90 M3, 128i, 228i M-Sport, among quite a few other cars.

not sure if you want a 228 after reading this comparison

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars...st-scion-fr-s/

lupinsea · 05-29-2015, 04:25 PM

I've ridden those roads, specifically, I think they are talking about the part of Hwy 1 that goes from Legget on US 101 over to the coast. It's 22 miles of wonderful twisty hairpins. Then Hwy 1 does open up a bit more on the coast. One fantastic stretch of road running ~250 miles down to San Francisco.

Biggins · 09-24-2015, 11:44 AM

I’m finally going to get some all-season or snow tires for the FR-S this year, so I’m intrigued to see how it will do for occasional winter use. I don’t plan to drive it in the snow at all, but I want to have the appropriate tires for the job in case it comes up. Another thing I just discovered about the car is that I found another power AC outlet buried in the back of the glovebox. The fuse blew in the main AC outlet in the center console, so it was nice to find this “extra” outlet. The only other complaint or gripe I have lately has been that the paint seems to be quite cheap. It just seems to chip and get scratchy a lot easier than any other car I’ve owned. It does remind me that it is a $25k car.

After I got all the petty car issues fixed and sorted out from the beginning half of the autocross season, I bought a set of the Bridgestone RE71R tires. They made the car (and my driving) improve exponentially, and I’ve had the best results since I started autocrossing ten years ago. I did not add the TRD parts to my car this year, but they’re going on for next season… barring any more rules changes. I went to Nebraska again this year for the SCCA Solo Nationals, but I “bought” a ride in another FR-S that had the TRD parts and BFGoodrich Rival S tires. That car was more difficult to drive than mine due to the car owner’s particular set up, but I adjusted and coned away a trophy despite his tricky/strange set up. I ended up 21st/63 cars in the enormous class. I think I would have done even better with my own car, but I liked the convenience of flying in and not having to lose 3-4 days driving across the country… maybe next year.

I know we all have car ADD, but I still see myself being happy with the FR-S for another year or two. Most of the incremental changes I’ve made thus far have improved the car, but I do see friends, family, and autocrossers getting new cars quite often, so I don’t know how long I can fight the itch…

We decided on a CX-5 to replace the CR-V next spring/summer, but I’ll always be browsing Craigslist, BaT, and all the forums for something cool that might scratch the itch. The new ND MX-5 will be tough to beat even though I'm not sold on its looks yet.

09-12-2013, 12:09 PM	#73
clyde Chief title editor Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 26,599	The biggest benefit of reduced wheel weight is how much of a pain it is to swap them and move them around. It makes a performance difference, but it's really, really small at best. Even with the bar you have, it sounds like set up and driving are the things you need to work on. Sam is pretty good at both those, too. __________________ OH NOES!!!!!1 MY CAR HAS T3H UND3R5T33R5555!!!!!!1oneone!!!!11 Team WTF?! What are you gonna do?

10-23-2014, 10:16 AM	#74
Biggins Crotchety Join Date: Aug 2007 Carmudgeonly Ride: 22 Tiguan, 11 328i Posts: 912	Just another update if anyone has time to kill… It has been over a year since I updated this thread, but I had mixed feelings on the FR-S after the 2013 autocross season and first ~20 months of ownership. The car handled well and still seemed fast (remember I came from a 318i automatic), but it did not suit my autocross driving style which was the purpose of buying this car. It is an okay but not good daily driver for where I live. It is too stiff to enjoy driving around the city, highway cruising is fine but an Accord/Camry is faster, and there are no back roads in my normal driving to truly enjoy the car where it’s meant to be driven. The dog fits but hates riding in it. It is a driver’s car, and that’s about it. Last spring and early summer, I made several seemingly minor but extremely significant changes that transformed the car. I added “fancy” brake pads, switched to a smaller front sway bar, and tire tested. I bought Ferodo DS2500 brake pads and a 19mm front bar, but these two changes made the FR-S a new car. I could brake scary late into corners and the car stuck, yet understeer was very limited with the addition of the smaller front bar and some Koni adjustments. I dumped the Dunlop ZII tires for Yokohama AD08Rs. These tires are a few tenths or so faster and feel incredible on the car. I hesitantly picked up a co-driver who hated driving an AWD Subaru his friend had built, and he really helped me to drive faster the rest of the year. He got a set of Hankook RS3 tires for the car, and that allowed the car to go even faster for the rest of the season. In turn, I really like the FR-S after learning to drive it faster and getting the right parts on it. Another friend built his BRZ to very similar specs as my car, and we had a great battle all year locally. We both went to the National Championships in Nebraska this year (crazy drive), but all of us each had one terrible day to eliminate us from a good finish. He, my co-driver, and I all finished right in the middle of the pack. It is important to note that I fit four wheels/tires, a jack, a 2.5gal can, two totes, duffel bag, insect sprayer, cooler, and another bag in the car and could still comfortably drive for 10+ hours per day. After 2.5 years of ownership, I’m actually looking forward to enjoying this car for at least two more years. Best of all, the only thing I should need to buy for next year will be new tires, and I may not need a new set until mid-summer. I know not many of you may be considering this car, but I can try to answer any questions. Attached Thumbnails

05-29-2015, 04:25 PM	#79
lupinsea Jeeped Join Date: Sep 2005 Carmudgeonly Ride: Modified Jeep Tj and '07 Miata Location: Seattle Posts: 10,214	I've ridden those roads, specifically, I think they are talking about the part of Hwy 1 that goes from Legget on US 101 over to the coast. It's 22 miles of wonderful twisty hairpins. Then Hwy 1 does open up a bit more on the coast. One fantastic stretch of road running ~250 miles down to San Francisco. __________________ . My website "Jeep is the only true American sports car" - Enzo Ferrari Or something to that effect.

09-12-2013, 11:53 AM	#71
Jeff_DML Old Fart Join Date: Oct 2005 Carmudgeonly Ride: T4R,GTI Location: San Diego Posts: 8,572	I noticed the low/mid range lack while test driving a BRZ last weekend, figure that is why you have a MT

10-23-2014, 10:37 AM	#75
Jeff_DML Old Fart Join Date: Oct 2005 Carmudgeonly Ride: T4R,GTI Location: San Diego Posts: 8,572	Congrats on making it to nationals and setting up you car the way you like it.

05-28-2015, 11:34 AM	#76
Biggins Crotchety Join Date: Aug 2007 Carmudgeonly Ride: 22 Tiguan, 11 328i Posts: 912	I’ve been driving the FR-S even less over the past few months, but it makes me enjoy it more when I get the chance to drive it. I think I'd feel the same if I were daily driving/commuting in it, but I'm not sure. It’s really just my autocross car. I just rolled over 18k miles in three years of ownership. This autocross season has not gone too well thus far due to some petty car issues. It’s a $25k car, but I keep finding how cheap some of the nuts/bolts are that were used to put this car together. I had already done quite a bit of preventative nut/bolt replacement for various reasons, but I had a sway bar collar nut & bolt shear off at some point early in the season. I had assumed the car’s poor handling was due to old tires and did six events with a disconnected front sway bar. Luckily, it was only due to the broken nut/bolt and was an easy fix. Some exhaust nuts/bolts also had to be replaced. I still need to do a diff and transmission oil change. After knocking all that out, I’m hoping for no more little issues. Another annoyance is that the rulemakers for autocross determined that the FR-S is now allowed to have TRD parts (spings/bars) in “stock/street” class. The Subaru version of my car cannot have these parts. I guess I picked the right brand, but I have not ruined any more streetability (yet) of my car. I’m not fully convinced those parts are absolutely better/faster for my car, but they probably are. I’m getting by without these parts for now. The biggest change for this year has been the tires. Bridgestone and BFGoodrich have new tires that are extremely fast and have made last year’s best tires obsolete. I bought the Bridgestone and have to sort them out. My car has a much higher limit with these tires, almost similar to an R-compound tire. Due to other things that I have going on this year, I am only doing about 2/3 of the number of events I did last year and only one “national” event in the FR-S. I’m planning to do the big national championships in September, but I will probably fly there and drive someone else’s car. I will keep this car around for a while for autocrossing, but my eyes have been fixated on the prices of E36/46/90 M3, 128i, 228i M-Sport, among quite a few other cars.

05-28-2015, 11:47 AM	#77
bren lawn boy Join Date: Oct 2003 Carmudgeonly Ride: e46m3, f25x3,C5 Z06, C4 Vette, 06 CTD Ram, and a trailer Location: Maryland Posts: 14,029	Sounds like you need a corvette.

09-24-2015, 11:44 AM	#80
Biggins Crotchety Join Date: Aug 2007 Carmudgeonly Ride: 22 Tiguan, 11 328i Posts: 912	I’m finally going to get some all-season or snow tires for the FR-S this year, so I’m intrigued to see how it will do for occasional winter use. I don’t plan to drive it in the snow at all, but I want to have the appropriate tires for the job in case it comes up. Another thing I just discovered about the car is that I found another power AC outlet buried in the back of the glovebox. The fuse blew in the main AC outlet in the center console, so it was nice to find this “extra” outlet. The only other complaint or gripe I have lately has been that the paint seems to be quite cheap. It just seems to chip and get scratchy a lot easier than any other car I’ve owned. It does remind me that it is a $25k car. After I got all the petty car issues fixed and sorted out from the beginning half of the autocross season, I bought a set of the Bridgestone RE71R tires. They made the car (and my driving) improve exponentially, and I’ve had the best results since I started autocrossing ten years ago. I did not add the TRD parts to my car this year, but they’re going on for next season… barring any more rules changes. I went to Nebraska again this year for the SCCA Solo Nationals, but I “bought” a ride in another FR-S that had the TRD parts and BFGoodrich Rival S tires. That car was more difficult to drive than mine due to the car owner’s particular set up, but I adjusted and coned away a trophy despite his tricky/strange set up. I ended up 21st/63 cars in the enormous class. I think I would have done even better with my own car, but I liked the convenience of flying in and not having to lose 3-4 days driving across the country… maybe next year. I know we all have car ADD, but I still see myself being happy with the FR-S for another year or two. Most of the incremental changes I’ve made thus far have improved the car, but I do see friends, family, and autocrossers getting new cars quite often, so I don’t know how long I can fight the itch… We decided on a CX-5 to replace the CR-V next spring/summer, but I’ll always be browsing Craigslist, BaT, and all the forums for something cool that might scratch the itch. The new ND MX-5 will be tough to beat even though I'm not sold on its looks yet.