I thought I'd start a blog on what I am doing with my Toyota GT86. I bought the car on September 1st this year, with a plan to modify the car to death. I previously had a new Porsche, which I was scared to take apart because of its value vs. Warranty.. I discovered that I enjoy modifying cars more than just driving them. The GT 86 was the perfect choice in my opinion, I believe it is a canvas that you can throw money and time at all you want to.. 


I came across this picture...
 


That was it.. my mind was made up.. I wanted a white RB v1.

After covering only 100 miles in the car, I decided it was time to start stripping things.

First things first, I needed to find a way of using normal axle stands without damaging my sills, so I designed and made these little nylon beauties...



They sit on the jacking point of the sill and allow the front or rear to be raised by any amount without causing any damage to the car whatsoever.





So, we begin getting our spanners out.....


Toyota(Subaru) apply a thick black sticky underseal to the inner wheelarches and all over the suspension components. It is like the thickblack aftermarket underseal you can buy in tins. Why??? This stuff hasn't been used on production cars since the eighties???


Any way, it had to go. There's no way I'm working on a car and getting this shitty crap on my hands and everything I touch!! So, now we have this... a clean repainted wheel arch.




I really don't know why they put the tar all over the arches, it's not as if they don't already have the thick rubberised sealant everywhere, just like all the other manufacturers use???

So, on to the mods.. I decided the first thing to be done would be the subframe bushes, and while I'm there the diff bushes also.


I selected the Super-pro bushes for the subframe and Whiteline for the Diff.



They are like chalk and cheese... The Whiteline kits come beautifully packaged with instructions and also an online fitting guide. the Super-pro comes with nothing, and their website is useless. There are three different types of bush in the set, you are left to guess which goes where. I think I've worked it out, but really, at £180 a set, I shouldn't have to "Think I've worked it out"!! I don't think I'll be buying any more Super-pro for this car??


I found the Subframe was covered in weld spatter so I started chipping it off. There were also signs of rust coming through the welds, it looks like they don't clean the welds up before painting? I decided that while this was out and the old bushings were gone, I'd give the frame a bit of a makeover..


Etch primer on the bare metal...



Then some primer, then this....





I also decided to paint the underside of the car as it was all going to look so pretty under there.





Now we have a nice background for the Perrin 3" Cat back and Ohlins coil overs I have waiting to go on.