Are You Making a Mistake With Your BRZ/FRS?!

Find out the perfect fitment for your FRS/BRZ! 👇

Do you own a BRZ/FRS? We ask you to hold off on modifying until you watch this video! Given how popular this platform is we figured why not make a video breakdown of all the things you should know prior to modifications. We give our take on wheels, tires, suspension, performance, exterior, and even interior mods that are necessary to create the ultimate build that'll break necks driving down the road.

Socials

0:00 intro
1:51 overview
4:18 wheels
6:12 tires
6:31 suspension
7:29 performance
9:46 exterior
10:27 interior
10:47 outro

#SubaruBRZ #BRZ #FRS

[FitmentIndustries]

Find out the perfect fitment for your FRS/BRZ! 👇

[thorch]

I kept my FRS exterior stock to be different.

[aaronsahib]

The "BRZ/FRS Scene" is . . . something else. It's got bad apple reps, but pretty solid overall.

[Immashift]

I was INCREDIBLY happy my '13 escaped the valve spring issue. After checking my mail and finding my recall notice, then checking sites against my VIN and finally calling my dealer, I found out mine was just a few off the line after that happened.

The cricket noises... kinda. My '13 is fairly quiet at idle, save for the normal Subaru noisy engine stuff. Just what it do.

Torque dip can be improved with the Openflash tablet, which I got for adding launch control 2step noises for shits and giggles. Another thing you might have is shitty idle that goes up and down at lights even when it's warmed up and you're not changing engine loads, etc. Found out that is just what it do stock. Dealer can update the ECU firmware, or the Openflash tablet will cut that out for you.

RPF1s. It ain't a Civic. Still looking out for a set of Enkei Kojins in my area.

I'm not gonna widebody it. It's a lil guy, it's gonna stay a lil guy. Bought it because I fell in love with the aero the way it is. Widebody looks great, but isn't my thing. Also fitting into half a parking space is fun.

I'm still on the fence about boosting mine. It's more than fun enough, and from the seat, when it hits 3500+ RPM it feels like a different car, kinda wakes up and remembers it's a sportscar. I daily mine for 3 seasons and I need reliability over stututututu noises. Also gas mileage.

Went with cheap Teins for suspension and I may swap those for something more adjustable later. The Tein basis Z set has been fine for 5 years now and my only complaint is that hitting a pothole feels like you dropped your shopping cart off a curb you weren't expecting to be there. Learn where they are and avoid them. I turn dodging them into a game lol. If I had to do suspension over again though, like if the Teins suddenly drop out of the car, I'm gonna spend a lot more on a better set. Actually one other small complaint is the rears don't come down far enough with stock wheels. Even with a set of spacers it's slightly off where I want it. Bottoming out the height on the fronts looks perfect though. A set of anything 18" would fix the fitment. Specific wheels are just hard to find in Canada though.

My exhaust is an MXP Comp RS. Couldn't be happier with the tone. Does lil baby pops decelerating and I can make it do it on command, just don't expect angry AMG noises from just a catback. Without the cats and with headers it'd be even better but I also like not getting tickets. The Comp RS is a little drony on the highway but not terrible. It's loud, but not obnoxious, and at city speeds it's barely noticable while moving with traffic.

If you drive the thing in winter, which I did for two years before getting a 4x4 truck for a second vehicle, you will both have hilarious amounts of fun and irritation. The fun comes from flying up an on ramp at 5k RPM thirty degrees sideways and spinning off every stoplight without nanny mode TCS on, and the irritation comes from the windows:

The windows are frameless, and roll down an inch to break the seal as you get out. Only in winter, if the window is frozen shut, and you get in to go to work, the window can't roll down, and the computer resets. Then you get to work, and get out, the window rolls down, but doesn't roll the 1 inch back up. You then have to get back in the car, turn the key to run, roll the window the way down (snow and ice in your lap lol), then the way back up. Then get out and it now remembers that it has to roll back up. Made me a couple min late to work many times sitting in the lot fiddling with my stupid windows

Do what I did and pull the relay for what controls the windows before winter. No power windows then, but it's less annoying. Or get a second vehicle for winter like me :D

The second irritation comes from the seatbelt chime. DEAR GOD. Put so much as a few sheets of paper on your passenger seat and you get for an entire minute as you drive away. There is however a box you can plug in behind the stereo that eliminates both that and the pedal dance to disable TCS completely.

People also don't know about the trunk safe lol. If you clean your trunk, and then your fob and the cabin button won't pop it, pop it with the key and look for a button on the far left that disables popping the trunk electronically. Great for expensive audio equipment. Good luck if you lock your keys in your trunk with that on, as the seat releases are also in the trunk.

Also don't try to stick a 12" sub in the trunk. She don't fit.
Sorry for the essay. :)

[futurefunksaturn]

Got my 86 in thunder gray color with stage 2 e85 with a tune. Totally agree with the difference in feel once tuned with a header, esp adding e85 to the mix gives that area of where the torque dip is a punch.

[Blacklisthgs]

I was a huge fan of Initial D and when I finished the series, I originally loved the introduction of the new-gen 86 when it came out.

I am now picking up my 22’ BRZ this Saturday and so stoked.

Although I cannot stand the camber on the wheels that people do that end up destroying the car on bumps.

[jrodo]

I went the boosted route and I absolutely love it 8psi e60 320hp and 10psi e60 350hp it’s insane and love it might got built block soon

[richiesworld]

5:50 These are the Gram Lights 57DR-X. The best looking in my opinion, but only really available in 5x108.8, 5x112, and 6x112, so mostly 4WD's.

[kingz]

Looking into getting an brz/frs and I definitely needed this!!

[jamesvermillion]

My 2013 FRS is modified, but only with brake pads & tires (and a sticker). Purchased in August 2012, I found her to be the best drivers car that I have ever owned. And yes, she's still in my garage. I say her as I have named her after my late wife. Save for my mods, she's completely stock after any recall repairs.
After all these years, I still do not hear the crickets that everyone complains about. I've driven her on the back roads in WI, the road coarse @ BIR, Tail of the Dragon and the city streets where I live. My daily driver when there is no snow on the ground. More fun than my motorcycles ever were.
Whereas, I do appreciate your enthusiasm about the platform. I do however, need to correct your power statement. You show power estimates that are crank power, not wheel power.

[MMMA.BR]

I have a 2017 86 and got my wheels, tires and suspension from you guys 😜 love your videos

[spongesurf]

My ‘13 is still a great car almost 10 years in. I love it every time I go around a corner! Had the valve spring recall done because it was a must for Ca registration but has been fine since. Mild mods: OpenFlash tune, Borla catback, 8.5x17 Forgestar F14 with Pilot Sport AS3+, RCE springs, shift springs. Considering building a flat bottom/splitter/diffuser. Maybe a blower someday?

[israelrivas]

I just recently got my dream BRZ last week, honestly, the only thing I'm going to be changing is the wheels/tires and the taillights

[SteezyTeej]

got a tomei uel header, remark muffler delete and my brz sounds like a blobeye EJ. E85 tune helps the torque dip, and i just got my first set of wheels from you guys. Had the car for 1 year and i love every moment i get to drive it. always find myself making excuses to drive it. If this car had 2015+ wrx power, it'd be insane. Might supercharge someday

[efactor]

The crickets is from ethanol. When I was stationed in Germany using 98RON, it had less ethanol than the US. I never heard the crickets for three straight years until I came back.

[Mxer]

Headers and OFT. Makes huge difference.

[efraincastro]

I just finished working on a 86, i have a brz and the new fitment ep is about these cars lets gooo xD love u guys:)

[jaydub]

I love what you guys are doing at FI, I just have not liked any of the deco-directional wheels... I guess I'm just a symmetrical kinda guy. I run matte bronze Niche 17’s on my 7.5 gen Accord EX-L V6 6MT

[darrinn]

The impacted cars with the valve spring issue (model year 2013) are those built & sold in 2012 and early built in 2013. Check the vin, don’t let a good deal on a 2013 FR-S or BRZ slip thinking all 2013 have this problem! Typically if you get a 10 Series built in June it shouldn’t have it.
The chirping isn’t just a 2013 thing. They did that for several years until 2017. It’s noticeable if you idle with your hood open or idle at a drive thru as the sound of the metallic chirp bounces of a wall right back at you. They changed the fuel pump for MY2016 and it kept chirping, in MY2017 they changed the fuel pump cam to reduce friction then the chirps went away.
The torque dip wasn’t mostly resolved until the second gen, boosting and changing the headers plus a tune will fix this. A E85 tune by itself will help slightly.
The 2012-13 FR-S/BRZ still have the cooler front bumper cover (refreshed MY2017 look like the mouth of a catfish).

[duomxll]

One of the things you missed was the Throw Out Bearing in the transmission. Some are good forever but, like mine, it will wear out and start grinding. If not addressed, it could damage your trans snout and seize your transmission causing it not to engage at all. It sounds like a whining/grinding noise when you push in the clutch.