Hot Molten Lava Toyobaru

Biggins · 09-17-2019, 11:21 PM

My car had an engine recall done in January 2019 due to valve spring issues with the early models. My car threw a CEL for a blown ignition coil in the middle of an autocross last year. I swapped out the coil and all seemed well until January when the car was stalling for seemingly no reason. It had all the symptoms of the valve spring issue noted in the recall including one of the known CEL codes, but it turns out the direct injector was blown. The dealer was pretty awesome in fixing the recall and also doing some other maintenance for the cost of parts while they had everything open. After reading some internet hysteria about Toyota dealers struggling with doing recall work on a Subaru motor, I do have some fear of future issues, but I'm hoping we're over the hump now after 2k miles on the motor since the recall work...

My FR-S has been on the sidelines only being used for occasional daycare pickup and has not done an autocross since the end of 2018, but it has been a great year to try out a friend's 2019 Civic Si coupe. Despite having reasonable success in the Si this year, I still enjoy driving the FR-S more. I just prefer RWD.

I need to get a slightly more practical car to haul a toddler. My answer is probably an older Civic Si sedan, so that will truly be on my radar soon enough.

I don't have the budget to tackle the big suspension/power changes I want to make to the FR-S to make it competitive in the STX autocross class quite yet, so I am going to work on some little interior and exterior cosmetic mods to make the car more like what I wanted in 2012 when I bought the car. I might as well make the part of the car I see the most a better place to be?

Since there have been so many special editions between the BRZ, FR-S, and 86 over the years, it gives me tons of OEM options to pick and choose how I want to re-do the interior. I'm going to mix and match some TRD, JDM Toyota spec parts, and some JDM BRZ tS parts to make my interior look slightly more upscale (maybe a little ricey too). For the exterior, I need to respray the front bumper after hopping the curb at an autocross last year. I'm also finally going to rid the car of the Scion badging and replace them with the Toyota GT86 badging that was on the car everywhere else in the world... at least that's my plan for this winter.

09-17-2019, 11:21 PM	#37
Biggins Crotchety Join Date: Aug 2007 Carmudgeonly Ride: 22 Tiguan, 11 328i Posts: 912	My car had an engine recall done in January 2019 due to valve spring issues with the early models. My car threw a CEL for a blown ignition coil in the middle of an autocross last year. I swapped out the coil and all seemed well until January when the car was stalling for seemingly no reason. It had all the symptoms of the valve spring issue noted in the recall including one of the known CEL codes, but it turns out the direct injector was blown. The dealer was pretty awesome in fixing the recall and also doing some other maintenance for the cost of parts while they had everything open. After reading some internet hysteria about Toyota dealers struggling with doing recall work on a Subaru motor, I do have some fear of future issues, but I'm hoping we're over the hump now after 2k miles on the motor since the recall work... My FR-S has been on the sidelines only being used for occasional daycare pickup and has not done an autocross since the end of 2018, but it has been a great year to try out a friend's 2019 Civic Si coupe. Despite having reasonable success in the Si this year, I still enjoy driving the FR-S more. I just prefer RWD. I need to get a slightly more practical car to haul a toddler. My answer is probably an older Civic Si sedan, so that will truly be on my radar soon enough. I don't have the budget to tackle the big suspension/power changes I want to make to the FR-S to make it competitive in the STX autocross class quite yet, so I am going to work on some little interior and exterior cosmetic mods to make the car more like what I wanted in 2012 when I bought the car. I might as well make the part of the car I see the most a better place to be? Since there have been so many special editions between the BRZ, FR-S, and 86 over the years, it gives me tons of OEM options to pick and choose how I want to re-do the interior. I'm going to mix and match some TRD, JDM Toyota spec parts, and some JDM BRZ tS parts to make my interior look slightly more upscale (maybe a little ricey too). For the exterior, I need to respray the front bumper after hopping the curb at an autocross last year. I'm also finally going to rid the car of the Scion badging and replace them with the Toyota GT86 badging that was on the car everywhere else in the world... at least that's my plan for this winter.