Saw it while I was replacing the front headlight header. Smashed in front cross member, and a bent up radiator support. This guy was in a fender at some point in time.
Oh well. The whole thing is going to get cut out soon anyway.
In retrospect I should have gotten the RallyArmors. Originally I was going to take the BRZ on a RallyX event but got rained out.
It doesn't look so bad with the OEM ones, but its not that aggressive. One thing though, the driver's side fender apparently collects a bunch of junk. The passenger side was clear. I think there is drain on the driver's side. I'll have to double check.
Bit of backstory. The BRZ came with a very wimpy looking cat back from the factory.
Bit ole holes for a proper sized exhaust, but stuck with a set of tiny ones. I wanted an exhaust bad. The stock one sounded stock, very quiet, not very sporty. No start up bark, and no growl under load. Given that I like to build my cars the I figure the factory would, I wanted to get the TRD exhaust. On YouTube, the drive by and in car videos sounded great. A nice sporty sounding exhaust that wasn't too loud and everyone claimed had no drone. Plus I'll save like 5 lbs of weight. Win for everyone.
So I managed to source a used TRD exhaust online off of FT86club.com.
Takes about an hour or so to install. Word of the wise, either have some soapy water in a spray bottle or WD-40 to lube up the rubber hangers, else you'll be in a world of hurt.
Looks shiny too. However there was a catch.
It was loud. And not "Oh, that's a good aggressive loud" or "That's a proper noise." No, this was just straight up, plug you ears, bloody hell, kinda of loud. And the drone. Terrible, terrible drone.
It didn't sound sporty at all. Literally it just felt that I added a noisemaker to my trunk. It sounded mean on a cold start, but from 0-4000 RPM it was just LOUD. After 4000 RPM it'd go dead silent. Yet, at highway cruse you'd get just this hint of a drone in the 65 MPHish range. Pushing past ticket issuing speeds would make it go away, but I'm not looking for a speeding ticket.
The internet's can't be wrong here. It factory fitment and everything. I double checked my install looking for leaks, or blown gaskets. Nothing. Everything is nicely sealed up. Nothing venting where it shouldn't. The thing is just bloody loud.
So I pulled it off and went back to stock in that same afternoon. Given the amount of highway driving I do, highway drone is a no go for me. I could have added sound deadening to the car, but given that cat backs aren't known for adding power to the FA20, nor was there crazy weight savings, it didn't make sense to keep it.
Sold it in the next week or so to some high schoolers. Invidia Q3000 is supposed to be much quieter, so I may give that a shot.
Here you have a set of sealed beams from 1992. Lens and bulb are a single assembly with the lens focusing and projecting the light
View from the driver's seat. You can see the light is predominately focused into one very narrow and slim area with very minimal spread. Borderline spot light kind of pattern.
Fast forward 24 years to the HIDs I have in the BRZ
World of a difference. Light is spread across my full view, but with a bit of a center line focus on whatever the nose of the car is pointing too. The MR2 most definitely needs an upgrade.
Still need to do a proper inspection and overview but man is this thing cool. Toyota really had it down in the 90s. Even though the car is 23 years old, the front suspension sounds like its about to fall off, plus a bunch of other random noises, but man is it cool.
You can hear the power plant come alive right behind your ears, the turbo spool, the hiss of the re-circulation valve, the gears in the box engaging, its alive. Given how worn out things are, suspension, shifter, clutch, and god knows what else, its still far more lively than the BRZ.
The BRZ is a surgically precise machine. Shifts are more like a switch to toggle different gears. The clutch toggle for power. Steering is direct and immediately responsive. Suspension is firm and communicative. Its a tool. A very effective tool.
The MR2 has a soul. Its an old girl, but one that still has it. Restoring it should be a trip.
On another note, the passenger side T-Top has a minor leak, the front likes to wash out in any kind of puddle and I think the seats have their original leather.
Didn't have the time to build one. Getting re-certified on a welder plus acquiring the materials and R&D would have taken way too long. So I spent the $$$ and just bought it
WJ Hidden Winch Mount w/ D-Ring Shackle Tabs - 1999 to 2004
This is the same winch mount used in our Hidden Winch Mount application except for one difference; it features our innovative (welded) D-Ring Shackle tabs which reach the WJ's frame rails. This mount can be used with or with-out the bumper fascia. It is also intended for those who are interested in custom making their own bumper.
Solid company, HK Off Road, very good customer service. They texted me as to what kind of factory setup I had and my current bumper configuration, rather than just sending out whatever. Looking forward to getting it
Beats building one myself. Price isn't bad either.
WJ Winch Mount w/ D-Ring Shackle Mounts- 1999 to 2004
This is the same winch mount used in our Hidden Winch Mount application except for one difference; it features our innovative D-Ring Shackle Mounts. This mount is intended for those not interested in using the factory bumper and for those who are interested in custom making their own bumper.
Would be good for the Jeep
DIY sPod system. Has anyone built one? - Expedition Portal
I have been looking at getting an sPod system for the Jeep and I just started to realize that six switches wont be enough. I have found some videos on Youtube to build a 5 relay DIY sPod and on other forums to build a 10 relay.
Rating: 4/5
This is one long drive. Like really long. It'll take about 2-2.5 hours end to end. Wear sun screen as you will get sunburned on the way up or down. There isn't a lot of shade on the road. If starting at Livemore the road begins as a single lane. After about 45 mins or so, the road narrows down to the point where there is only a single lane in both directions. There is enough room for a BRZ or an S2k to share the road with an F-250, but that's about it. Once you hit the mountain itself the road turns to gravel. Based on the construction equipment left around it seems that CalTrans is in the process of repaving it. The surface is slippery. Once you get closer to the top the road becomes paved again. Rather nicely I might add.
Once up top, Lick Observatory is a pretty cool place to check out. A lot history in the place. Be sure to check out the tour if you are up there. There is a vending machine, post office and a gift shop up there. Its a good place to rest up before heading down.
Heading back down towards East San Jose is a pretty nice run. The road has been recently paved, and has some amazing views of San Jose on the way down. The corners are pretty tight, barely wide enough for a BRZ. Visibility is bad as well due to the tightness of the turns. On coming traffic may move out into your lane as they are navigating up to the Observatory, so watch out. Eventually you'll end up in the foothills of San Jose and get dumped out into a residential area. 680 is another 15 minutes or so away.
All told, worth the drive, but its a bit of a mission. Most definitely a day trip.