Decent Friday

"AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC" (addictedtom3s)
07/01/2017 at 01:34 • Filed to: None

Decent sized exhaust tips

Got my car aligned after the DIY-ing the lowering springs last week. -1 degree of camber in front and -2 degrees of camber in rear. The rest of the settings are back to factory.

Got home to see my catback finally delivered. Apparently the catback manufacture sent my catback with their UPS shipment (it was supposed to ship to me through FedEx) and it got lost for a few days before being sent back to them. Basically, a 2 day delay. No big deal though since I didn’t plan to install it until today anyways. Installed it with a friend. Those exhaust hangers are a pain in the ass. No joke. We got a pitcher of 805 Blonde Ale and some pizza afterwards as is mandatory when one installs a mod with a friend.

For those curious enough, the catback is an MXP Comp RS catback. The welds are top notch and the exhaust feels very solid. It was LOUD when I did a cold start. It’s since gotten quieter since I’ve driven a few miles on it. Hopefully it continues to tone down a little more as I add more miles on it and break it in a bit.

DISCUSSION (13)

RallyWrench > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
07/01/2017 at 01:44

How does that compare to the factory alignment numbers?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > RallyWrench
07/01/2017 at 01:52

From the factory it has 0 camber in front and -1 in the rear. The rear is stuck where it is unless I get adjustable lower control arms. The -2 happened because the lowering of the car gives it another degree of negative camber.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
07/01/2017 at 11:05

How much pep do all your mods add? I’m thinking of going FR-S/86 but I want to see if I can get enough enough power out of it before I end up going Turbo/Supercharged

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
07/02/2017 at 13:11

My catback doesn’t add any pep per say. Although if you’re after power the easiest route is a header and Open Flash Tablet (OFT) tune / ECUTek tune. If you go for a JDL header and an OFT tune then you can gain about 30hp, some torque and remove the torque dip. The car should be plenty fast with that.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
07/02/2017 at 14:19

Is it a really noticeable difference with the +30?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
07/02/2017 at 14:41

It’s not so much the +30 but the torque dip removal from the torque curve. That’s the main reason everyone complains about the lack of power. It has plenty of go after 4500rpm. It’s just the main cruising and freeway overtaking range between 2800 to 4500 is pretty gutless. The tune and headers remove that making the car feel like it pulls in a more linear fashion.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
07/02/2017 at 14:46

That’s what I noticed when I test drove one. On the freeway it seemed to lock the oomph I needed and am used to with my LS400. I know it’s not a V8 but I needed just a bump more. That sounds like the move before FI.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
07/02/2017 at 14:50

Yeah, some people do both, some people stick with just headers and a tune to keep the NA nature, while some do FI. Or there’s those like me who just leave it stock and do an exhaust and suspension for fun and keep the rest stock. Either way, it’s a fun car. If you want torque though I’d strongly consider a WRX. Jalopnik/Oppo seems to fetishize the lightweight torqueless cars because they all chant “slow car fast” mantra. It’s great if it’s your weekend track car but when you actually have to daily it, I call bullshit. The BRZ is fine as a daily but it’s ALWAYS between gears in traffic.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
07/02/2017 at 14:53

Luckily my commute is 10 minutes or so but other than that I think the 30-60 more HP would be perfect. If I can get it closer to my LS I would be happy. Luckily I’ll probably be able to sleep the LS for the longer trips and dog carrying duties.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
07/02/2017 at 15:05

In that case the BRZ sounds like it would fit your needs. Keep in mind it’s also a lot lighter so 30hp goes a long way.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
07/02/2017 at 15:11

Exactly. I’d probably go for the FR-S because Toyota guy but same thing. That 30-40hp would help for sure and then figuring out how to handle better(after I get over how different it is then the LS) then getting it to handle better without ruining the ride. Also are there any visual mods you would recommend?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
07/02/2017 at 15:47

The handling is quite capable from the factory. One of my previous posts I detailed how I got RCE lowering springs and found them a slight improvement. Although personally I would have skipped them and gotten either ST, Tein Flex Z (they’re actually really good quality apparently), or KWs. The reason for that is I would like the height adjustment and learning how all the suspension settings work.

I prefer an OEM+ look but for visual mods I would advise some tail lights if you’re getting a used pre-facelift one like I have. TOM’S has some really beautiful DOT certified tail lights. Other than that I wouldn’t and haven’t done much else in terms of visuals. Maybe wheels like Wedssport TC105ns or Apex Racing Arc-8 wheels. Enkei RPF1

Here’s the stock on the right and Tom’s on the left. The car looks much more modern than the stock chrome tails.

Kinja'd!!!

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
07/02/2017 at 16:28

I like those a lot. I feel the simpl things add up very nicely.