TommyC

Arrived this morning, took 20 seconds to fit!
😆😆😆

That's because the well designed kits aren't designed to shift bias. You use piston area and disc size to maintain the balance, a BBK isn't primarily for improved braking distances, it's to get the heat out the system for longevity.

Ah man gutted for you!
My sentiments follow others here, you've spent all this time and effort getting it to this stage. You'll never get that back parting it out and you'll have nothing to show for after!
Put the car to the side for a bit, cool off and then get back on it in a few months. Or maybe ignore the big issue being the engine for now and focus on the small wins and little jobs that will keep you feeling progress is being made
Think to the future - In many years time this will be a story to tell people...that one time you almost gave up hope on this build but now shes here and awesome

Very well put, exactly my thoughts

So, I popped into my local dealer (WR Davies in Telford) and they are aware of the recall. They say that not all dealers are ready as they’re waiting on tooling/racking/parts etc.
They also said some dealers were chosen to trial the work and give feedback to HQ for any suggestions/alterations to proceedings. My guess is that Toyota want to make sure everything’s good before they give a green light to the entire dealer network.
They are acutely aware of turbo/supercharger upgrades and the extra work involved for the recall with modified cars like this. They may be choosing certain dealers to recommend to customers with such modifications (or maybe even instruct customers to take their vehicles to?!).
WR Davies were interested in what I knew so far from the forums and club etc, but were still encouraging me to ‘WAIT OUT’ (as military types might say!) until they get in touch with me.
With all the information available to date, my opinion is still that dealers will let customers know when they’re told by Toyota. But if a dealer isn’t told yet, and aren’t inquisitive or pushing Toyota for info, then they’ll just do what they’re told, when they’re told!
There’s still no point in fretting about it 🙂  

Got my car back today. It feels super sharp and quick compared to the Blue Edition I've been driving all week. It's worth noting that you effectively get a free intermediate service as the oil and filter are changed as is the coolant (which saves me having it done at 140K). The aircon is recharged too. 
I had a new clutch fitted and looking at the old one, it was getting a bit low so perfect timing. Clutch feels lovely and light, nice. A huge thanks to Gary and Richard at RRG Macclesfield for doing a great job and a great service as they always do.
This time next weekend I will be sprinting at Cadwell. Can't wait. Just need to new poly ARB mounts fitted next week once they come in to sort the creaky steering issue. One of the ARB mounts got cooked by the overpipe over 110k miles, so may put some wrap round it soon. 

So having read this and other forums, finally took the plunge and decided to get my 2012 BRZ mapped.
Contacted Mike on the 18th Feb and he was very helpful, responding quickly to my initial enquiry and patiently responded to my numerous questions.
After a bit of back and forward I decided to go for the NA Tuning Package (UEL), MTEC Uprated Spring and Whiteline Positive shift upgrade kits and since TD would have the car for the best part of the day, decided to have the Billet Cam Plate kit fitted as a preventative measure at the same time.
Everything was arranged for the 7th of March and I was up and out on the road early (5:20am)  to make the trip south from Glasgow.
Arrived at 8:30am and Mike was 15 minutes behind me to open up.  Having handed over the keys, Mike was kind enough to give me a lift to the nearby UBC business centre (3 miles away) where I had booked an office for the day, I currently work mostly remotely from home so was able to effectively work there for the day, meaning I didn’t have to use a days holiday - result!
Picked the car up at 4pm and couldn’t be happier with the upgrades - drives like a different car with the dreaded torque did almost entirely gone with the increased lower rev torque noticeable across all the gears.  Gear changes are now much snappier and the exhaust note subtly enhanced.
Had a bit of a blether with Mike before heading off home, and ooh'd and ahh'd about possibly getting a turbo at some point in the future as well as a couple of options for dealing with the cars suspension, which I have been unhappy about almost from the day I bought it in the summer of 2015. Previous owner had lowered the car on Eibach sportline springs and I subsequently upgraded to 18" rims with the rear end especially, being very unforgiving with the car bouncing badly on rough roads.
Long story short, I was heading back down the M6 two weeks later, this time to get the BC Racing coilovers and the TD Super Resonated CAT back exhaust (my stock exhaust was corroded badly and very slightly beginning to blow so seemed like a good enough excuse).
I have not stopped smiling since ... ride quality and handling are 100% improved and the exhaust note is just loud enough to be noticeable, without being in your face but at the same time very civilised when cruising on the motorway.  
Can’t speak highly enough about Mike, Nick and the rest of the guys at TD. I was well looked after, their prices are competitive and the work has been carried out to a high standard. I have spent a fair chunk of change in anyone’s book in a short space of time, but every upgrade has had a noticeable and very positive effect, all in all it's like having a new car.
My only dilemma now is which kidney am I selling to fund the turbo upgrade? ...

Gary has been giving me updates. Reckons the timing chains look like new. He was impressed with the condition of what he saw of my engine saying it was a lot better than many others he had seen, which surprised me given my high mileage. 


 

Also my clutch still had a good amount of life in it, even after 126,000 miles. Impressive.
 


Richard called today about the upcoming sprint season which is another story and said that Gary had done the work and my engine goes back in tomorrow.
 
 

Except during valve overlap when the exhaust pulses will interact with the intake pulses... 🤔 (second in from the right explains what I’m on about).
However, it’s the two sounds layered together that I found unpleasant (regardless of whether they interact with or effect each other directly).
Honestly wasn’t expecting much of a difference as I thought the drone was all exhaust noise (and probably is). However plugging the intake sound tube has made a difference in the car and the noise experienced has less ‘edge’ now...

Where do you suppose the energy comes from that makes the post-turbo air charge hot? It's proportionate to the temperature of the air coming into the turbo. Aside from a bit of soak from the impeller itself, it's mainly the compression that increases the temperature - see ideal gas law. The higher the starting temperature the more energy in the resulting compressed air,  and the more effort it takes to compress. The intercooler can take 10 degrees or more out of the intake charge, but I don't believe the cooling efficiency increases with temperature as much as the heat of compression does.
That's before you take into account the practical effects of a car that heatsoaks at idle and has to drain the engine bay of hot air, instead of just the intake volume. I've lost count of how many times I've seen people complaining about wobbly idles and erratic fuelling from replacing their intakes and filter boxes. Good air supply matters! At least to a point. NA ram-scoops have a tiny effect, and most cold air induction kits trade weather resilience for marginal improvements over OEM offerings.

She's loud... 😂
received_362255684620532.mp4 received_2239612489394440.mp4 received_416101535825672.mp4

I'm starting the "something is rattling in my dash but I don't know where" club.
£20 p/a, bi monthly newsletter with guest columnist, a membership badge and a yearly prize draw.
 
I'm also chairman of the "something is rattling in my dashboard and I've already had 99% of it out and stuck foam everywhere so how is the little twat still rattling" club.
 
Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk
 
 
 
 

Definately go for the test drive, either way your time wint be wasted.
Im 8'6'' but with the front seat ripped out and a hole cut in the roof I can drive very comfortably from the back. 😉

I would 100% recommend it, yes it is a bit of money but it is worth every penny. I Can't explain the difference it makes. 

I switched from res to super-res in my TD setup.  It's much better now.  It can still be loud when seriously pressing on, but holding speed and cruising on the motorway are no problem.  I can hear the radio just fine!

Hi All,
Just thought i'd share my experiences of the excellent Tuning Developments and their Stage 1 turbo kit.
First of all about me. I've had my 86 since 2013 (it's a Peal White limited edition with the red cross hatched stitching on the leather for the interested) and been lightly modifying it for the last couple of years. So far i'm running, Valenti sequential tail lights, trd spoiler, beatsonic antenna, stop tech disks and pads front and rear, tuning developments brake cooling fins, ate super blue brake fluid, P3 multigauge, Scorpion cat back and decat with a miltek overpipe. So, naughtier but still well behaved. Normally driving wise my trips consist of pootles around town mostly, some hard A road driving and long motorway jaunts. I track it once or twice a year, usually at Brands or Silverstone as they are closest to me.
I'll start by saying i loved the stock car, great balance, surprising nippy on track and quite rewarding to wring it's neck. Gripes? Well the god damn squealing stock brakes and needing to wring its neck to get it shifting. As i said earlier, i do a fair chunk of long motorway drives and that ability to shift lanes and blow past something that was always missing.
Or was....
I missed the first TD black friday sale but caught it this time round. If they do it again, definitely jump on it. I went for stage 1 turbo with UEL headers for the bass and the wub wub wub, knowing i may drop a couple of ponies for the pleasure but gain a little low down torque. The guys at TD did an excellent job turning it around in a week with no dramas what so ever.
The new car (because i can't really refer to it as the old one anymore) is a completely different animal. Soundwise, there's probably 3 distinct phases. It's quieter than it was at idle, startup and when running round on 0-25% throttle. My exhaust was probably a little on the loud side especially when pulling under load and that has just lost a few dB and hit a sweet spot now. 25-50% throttle there's a little turbo whoosh from under the bonnet and a little grumble from the exhaust but pretty tasteful, hitting that little boost is probably my favorite of the sounds. At full chat, there's a lovely spooling sound followed by a dump of pure power. It sounds awesome!
Balance wise, I've not driven it on track yet but i have taken it down a few A roads. Word to the wise, get an oil cooler before going on track, mine runs a few degrees hotter now and it wasn't exactly a cold running car to start with. Bearing in mind that i'm still on the stock primacy's (damn tires are harder than rock) traction is surprisingly good. One can't stand on the power out of a corner anymore but that adds to the enjoyment in my book and suits my driving style. Hopefully this'll speed the death of my tires and I can legit throw on an upgrade.
The power, my god, the power. That's why we are all here right? Well i'll probably split this into everyday and pressing on. For everyday driving it's the perfect solution. I'm sure you've all done it, lent on the accelerator, felt the revs and torque build to a crescendo but been a little disappointed that it never really came. Well, now that crescendo is there, the one after that, and the one after that is there too. It pulls... well...everywhere. Mine makes more power and torque pretty much everywhere on the band vs stock. After the upgrade peak torque was 230ish with peak HP at 277.7 (check out the dyno below) the stock car was probably putting out something in the 180s. What's more important is that the torque is pretty flat across the band and is massive so it just hammers home. Driving down the motorway now, 6th used to pull better at 90 than at 70 and required a bit of a run up at 70 too. Now you can leave it where it is in 6th, lean on 50% throttle and you've departed and left everything behind.
Pushing on, the sheer power as it punches through the gears is unbelievable. After my first couple  full throttle blasts i was left giggling at the steering wheel saying "jesus christ, yeah f***ing right" to myself. If it wasn't playing my bluetooth, i would have sworn they swapped the car. It's always hard to compare apples with apples though  with just how much quicker it has got however I was lucky enough to be given a direct competitor to measure against. At a number of track days I've caught but struggled to pass Caymans, just too quick on the straights with reasonable brakes.  Well i was served one with a willing driver on the way home. A Cayman S PDK (last generation) no less and thought here's a good benchmark. He looked at me, i looked at him, we both knew it was on. We did a couple of drags from 65 north...significantly north (kph or mph i couldn't say). I did mine purely in 6th just to see what she could do, the answer was to pull a gap and keep pulling a gap, higher in the rev range the gap stabilized but the initial gap was decent. We did this a few times, the result the same and then the Cayman S departed with a confused shake of the head and a look of bewilderment.
Well there you have it, in short, just get one, it is simply incredible. If i had to describe it in one word, for me the delivery is just so progressive and smooth it would have to be "creamy." Downside, if there is one is that it now takes only Super. I know, i know i should have been doing this anyway and not just for track days but hey. Hope this helps guide some people, trust me you won't regret it!

Well we popped out for a drive yesterday afternoon in the pouring rain.  My girlfriend loved it although she is not yet convinced by the practicality side or whether it's just too flashy for her.  She's also concerned that I'd be too precious about the car (keeping it clean, looking after it etc) whereas her current car is used as a mobile storage facility/dustbin.  But if she drives the T5 van as a daily then that might be an option?
I was very impressed with the way the GT86 drove.  Yes it felt incredibly slow after the Audi yet in contrast to the Audi it felt light, adjustable, responsive and simple.  I liked it a lot.  More practical than I remember too with the fold down rear bench and also excellent visibility all round I thought for the type of car.  In short I'd have one, it's a big YES from me, but she'll need to give it a little more consideration.
So we're going to have a think about it and hopefully we can reach a decision and (if it's right for her) have a GT86 on the drive by the summer.  Fall back option wont be a Skoda if I can help it but probably something more practical, common and understated like a Megane RS or Golf R.  Would much rather the GT86 though personally.

Tommy and Andrew - thank you so much for all the info. I will need to look into getting the info required when I get time. Then I’ll look into whether or not it’s something I’m able to do. 
Even though electronics (engineering) is a long-standing hobby of mine, there are still limits to what I am comfortable doing with a car, especially given the complexity of electrics in modern cars and motorcycles. I normally shy away from anything too risky, seeing as my 86 is the first car I’ve ever bought outright and, just as when I had motorcycle, I’m hesitant to risk anything that may result in a cascade failure, which would typically occur when I am driving somewhat enthusiastically. 
I’ll see how I get on. 
Very much appreciated. 
 
Richard 

I have a very smart, very compact (smaller than a paperback novel) jump starter battery. It recharges via the 5v USB output in the car, or can be mains charged via an adapter. When I get the inverter I will test it out overnight and see whether it has the low current, continuous drain capacity (vs. the high current, short term power needed for a car start). 
And of course I also have my old, original Toyota battery that was replaced. 
The replacment is an 80Ah (vs. the original’s 45Ah). I am not certain how suitable that would be being used for up to 8 continuous hours. 
According to the manufacturer’s website for my sleep apnoea machine, for a 12v, deep cycle battery, using an inverter, it will draw 0.9 Amps. Given this, I should think that the old battery I have may well manage OK. However I will need to look into the complexities of wiring required to ensure that it is safely connected up to both the car and the inverter.
Perhaps even using just the car’s single existing 80Ah battery will be totally sufficient. Then I can keep the Lipo jump start unit ready in case of higher than expected drain. That would certainly keep costs and complexity low. 

Thanks guys having just read that thread I’ve just realised how much I like the guages I already have 😂. 
Thanks 

Sorry to keep you waiting!
I've been in a bad place since new year for work and personal reasons, so I haven't even seen the car myself for a couple of weeks.
Luckily, Chris from Phoenix Engine Management who did all the custom loom has been an absolute saint! Still working on the Motec map remotely in his spare time without me even asking. I can't think him enough for his efforts and I probably would have lost all interest if it wasn't for him.
I'm due to catch up with Simon at Carson Performance and Chris tomorrow, hopefully to get some more progress as it's been a tricky start to 2019 with various mapping issues.
Still a way to go yet, but we're making steps in the right direction.
Dyno time probably won't be for a while due to funds as the cost of my mapping guy and a dyno for the day will be a fair whack. But the initial fire up video shouldn't be too far away now.
Whilst Chris has been dealing with all the mapping issues, it's given us time to sort out a fuel leak, a water leak and get a new supercharger gasket from Ford USA. All the little niggly bits that you forget about and just take up way more time and effort than you'd expect.

These are now sold please close 

I was wrong. It was a Lib Dem pamphlet highlighting the scandal of reduced green waste collection over christmas.

So I have had a few days in the car on and off, as its essentially like an xmas gift I have had a play although weather has not permitted to much spirited driving. I feel the need to write a up a few thoughts I have had. So I will compare the cars in parts as im sure alot of gt86 owners consider where do I do next after the GT86 or if I feel like a change thoughts that plague a petrols heads mind. I will not write a review based on outright performance laptimes etc as these are two different leagues of cars in terms of price and power more on subjective matters and feel.
Part 1: 
Cost
--------
Im sure most of us start here on sports cars so we don't extend ourselves or run something that ultimately empties our wallets.

Insurance - For me the average increase of a modified GT86 (N/A) to a cayman S is on average 120-200 this takes into account that the Cayman is 3 times the value of the GT86 so overall imo is perfectly acceptable and I dont intend on changing or modifying the Cayman thats a pretty good deal.

Brakes - This is where the Cayman can be expensive with disk and pads costing 800 for fronts along and rears similarly priced, however as part of my deal I received new disks and pads all round so all being well I will not have to replace these but checking them before purchase is a must.

Tyres - Again the Cayman and Porsche Warranty have an effect here in the fact you need N rated tyres and the difference in size. GT86 will cost you 450 fitted for a set of ps4's (17's) where as the Cayman with the 20 inch wheels will cost you 900 for ps4s all round. So double the cost. I was fortunate again to negotiate new tyres with the car and run Pirelli p-zero's all round.
 
Mpg - On a run around the Alps Pyrenees and Scotland the GT86 averaged 33mpg and the Caymans/boxsters where around 30-32 so on long runs the Cayman is very much comparable to the GT86. I think however in the uk on normal shorter runs it would be more like 25-30 for the Cayman and 28-33 in the GT86.

Servicing - The average cost of servicing for a GT86 from Toyota is around 200-400 with the 60k service being the big hit 600 this is done every year or 10k miles or 1 year. For the Cayman 600-900 is what you are looking at. The service was done on the Cayman as part of the initial deal and is done every 20k or 2 years. So overall the servicing cost is the same. A clutch on a Cayman done by an approved specialist in 800.

I will list any other costs as I go along or enounter.

Interior
-------------
I always liked the GT86's basic structure of the interior everything was functional and served a purpose and all the reviews that said it was lacking where always cast aside as rubbish. The GT86 interior does exactly what you need it to (mini rant). Both cars have a nice air'y feel to them when you sat down with the GT86 having slightly more due to the additional seats. Everything is functional and aimed at the driver in both cars. The 987.2 which is the model previous to mine does suffer from being more slightly crampt which is why I went for the 981 as being 6ft 2 has its downsides in sports cars. There are additional useful toys in the cayman in comparison to the GT86, the PCM system being superior to Toyota's effort but again cost plays a factor in this so I will not dwell.

Seating position is something the GT86 excels at, once you have driven a GT86 no other seating position seems to fit quite right and that for me includes several driving experiences in 458's Gallardo's GTR's MX5'sCivic Type R's etc etc. I was always pleased to return to the GT86 and sit in it. Good news for me is that the Cayman does exactly the same as the GT86 which for me was a huge factor in the purchase. You have to feel right in the car and the GT86 and Cayman are both Perfect and I have lots of room in both for a helmet aswell

Exterior
--------------
Both great looking cars and I like the look of them both equally, when people ask why I never considered a BMW140 or M2 etc Its because as a sports car you should want to look over your shoulder at your car when you've parked up and both of these cars do just that. Right ow for obvious reasons being my new toy I prefer the Cayman

Brakes
--------------
The standard brakes on a GT86 are excellent on the road and provide great feed back but for me on track they faded so I bought APracing and so I will try and compare both experiences as I have done so far with the Cayman. So yes the Cayman brakes are better in terms of stopping power and provide excellent road feedback, initial feel of them under hard braking the 'feedback' is as good as the APracing/standard ones if not slightly better but thats my initial impression and I will need to hit the track to really have an idea. So for those worrying about loosing feel that is initially not the case.

Handling
----------------
This is probably the toughest aspect of this for me to write or compare. The engine layouts of the car are different, tyre sizes are very different, power is very different however the connection between you and the car and road can always be quantified in how the car makes you feel when driving it. The GT86 is alive lightweight(ish) in your hands and the rear yaw of the car makes every switchback tight corner feel as though you are on the limit of grip when pushing along. Its an exciting drive designed for the back roads of the UK. The only ever real downside was the perceived lack of shove but this really only mattered in comparison with other cars in isolation anyone who drives or has driven a GT86 have loved it. I kept mine for 4.5years and I regret no day owning it and the joy it brought me was great but we all know this.
So the Cayman, the limits on the car are high so initial feel at lower speeds are not as good as the GT86, now this is not super high speed difference but for example 0-40 my Cayman suffers initially from being a heavier bigger wheeled car. Once beyond 40 and you find a country road (specifically my test road im sure we all have one) the Cayman becomes surprisingly agile the whole car becomes alive and everything goes next level to the GT86 in terms of brakes power grip but the feel of the car and how it makes me feel is comparable to the GT86, the smiles per hour remain the same through out. I have driven other cars before the Cayman M2's Type R's etc looking for a replacement but this has been the only car which made me grin as much through the handling as the GT86. Some aspects such as the turn of the Cayman are just unbelievable making a switchback so enjoyable.
I have not taken the Cayman to the edge of grip and I do not think ive come close but if you where worried as was I on the feedback from this car I can safely say dont be its as good as or better than the GT86 which indirectly tells you how good the GT86 is. I will say however that the steering on the GT86 has a slight edge on the Cayman but I believe that difference is wheel size, having not driven a GT86 on 18's or Cayman on 19's I think its basically just that difference at lower speeds that gives the 86 on 17's that additional feel.

Experience
-------------------
(This section might be biased by new purchase  )
The GT86 Experience is based around is driving ability and smiles per hour but the one thing it did not have for me was noise and presence and that is where the Cayman has it completely beaten, going out to the car and seeing it on your driveway is just amazing and when the flat 6 fires up it awesome. The noise of the engine which is one of the downsides of the 86 makes this car seem very special and add's something to an experience which I have been missing for a while since the high rev'ing days of my RB26 at high revs. Everything feels special in the Cayman and next level in terms sports car hierarchy in comparison to the GT86 . This section here is why I believe the GT86 is a 4/5 car and the Cayman is a 5/5 car.


I hope to give more information as the experience with the Cayman continues (Track, Road trips),so if you where to want a new car you might have a a Cayman on your list as a possible hopefully I can give you a GT86 V Cayman comparison based on subjective matters as per my favourite review of the GT86 by Chris Harris which was also one of the reasons I wanted to try a Cayman  
 

It's taken Carson Performance just 4 days to completely change the engines over and get the new one ready to fire! Their work and determination has been astounding. Never afraid to overcome and issue and put in the extra effort to get things done right.
Today I helped put the finishing touches to the water pipes, reinstall the supercharger and wiring loom. All ready for us to load the base map into the Motec and push the start button.
Unfortunately after hours of trying, we got stuck with the ECU software. Turns out the map was written for 2017 firmware and mine has 2016 firmware on it  such a tiny mistake has halted us at the final hurdle 
Obviously not getting my Christmas miracle, but here's hoping some good news still to come for 2019.