Ian Barton wanted to preserve the essence of the 86 as he built & drove it. So in that spirit, he wanted to reach the car’s limits BEFORE he added power. Meaning… he did not want to build the car BACKWARDS… as so many people rush out & do. 

5 years ago, the car was to serve dual purpose. A commute-carver on the weekdays, and a weekend track-dayer. And that plan worked for 4 years without a glitch. 

He started with coilovers, bushings, & brakes… wheels, tires… and cooling. 

He chose track-focused brands that accentuated the car’s natural agility (see modlist). Then he started adding a little aftermarket aero & realized that the aero was actually slowing the poor car down a bit, as the car just didn’t have enough power/guts to out accelerate the added downforce. He had hit that wall (figuratively), and it was time to start researching some power-adding options. 

After doing his research, Ian settled on the JDL V2 UEL turbo kit… with a GTX Garrett 2860R turbo. Ian was really attracted to the flow improvements of the Gen-2s, and the 2860R would give him the power he wanted, and STILL be quick-spooling & neck-deep in boost by 3,000rpm. 

BEST 1st MODS FOR 86 CHASSIS

WHEELS / TIRES

The stock tires are awful. They’re meant to set the limits low, which in a way, makes the car fun. So enjoy that part of it. But if you really want to get to the real limits of the chassis, then you need a better set of tires. Match them to a lightweight (forged or flow-formed) 17X8 or 17×9 set of wheels. And avoid staggered fitment. It will tend to induce oversteer, and the car doesn’t have the power to ‘overpower’ it. 

SPRINGS

Get a nice set of properly matched springs. The 86 has a really low center of gravity (knee height), so the body-roll that you might see/feel, is most likely coming from the soft OEM springs, rather than sway bars. You can get a NICE set of coilovers if budget allows. But there are a lot of cheap/bad options out there (that just focus on ‘low’)… so do your homework. 

ALIGNMENT

Get an alignment with a little bit of front camber. You don’t even ‘need’ springs/coilovers to do this, as a good alignment shop can get 1 degree at stock height with stock parts.

DRIVER MOD

Get out there & improve your own limits… while finding the new limits of your car. 

Ian started tracking at 15 with his dad. They drove a Porsche 944. In 2011, Ian got involved in the PCA (Porsche Club of America) Instructor Program. Being an instructor yielded him free track time, so long as instructing… which he was. Things progressed, and he’s now one of the driver’s coaches at Porsche Experience Center. Ian was never on that 86 hype-train, per say. But when he first saw the production model FRS/BRZ, it totally peaked his interest & checked all of his boxes… especially after having spent so many years driving an front engine, rear drive, 4-cylinder 944. And over the past 5-6 years, Ian’s really become a subject-matter expert on the 86 platform… having tested what works, and what doesn’t. 

(…Photos by Jonathan Walker)  (…text by Wooley)

turbocharged BRX FRS 86

Cosmetic:

-Shorty Antenna

-Debadged

-Godspeed Tow Hooks (front and rear) 

-20% Window tint

-Flossy Grip Tape Heavyweight shift knob

-GrimmSpeed Hood Struts

-YoSpeed Black Center Console Plaque

-JPM Coachworks Alcantara Dash Trim Panels

-JPM Coachworks Alcantara Knee Pads

-JPM Coachworks Alcantara Gauge Cluster Hood

-JPM Coachworks Alcantara Shifter Boot

-JPM Coachworks Alcantara E-Brake Boot

-Tom’s USDM Spec Tail Lights

-Clear smoked side markers with white LEDs

-Weathertech floor liners

-Rally Armor mud flaps

-Quik Latches for proper front bumper fitment

-Grillcraft front bumper grille

-Velox Motorsports Fuel Rail Covers

Aerodynamics:

-Velox Motorsports / FT86SpeedFactory Front Race Splitter

-Velox Motorsports dry carbon splitter end plates

-TRD Canards

-JDM Underbody Panels

-TRD Spoiler

-SARD LSR Style Carbon Fiber Rear Wing

-Velox Motorsports rear diffuser and suspension covers

-Velox Motorsports Modular Hood Vent Kit

-Velox Motorsports tunnel covers

-TRD Carbon Fiber Fender Fins

Engine/Exhaust/Trans (360hp):

-Moto-East Flex-Fuel kit with EcuTek RaceROM tune

-Perrin 13-Row Mocal Oil Cooler Kit

-Fluidampr Performance Crankshaft Damper

-Perrin Lightweight Accessory Pulleys

-Mishimoto Radiator

-Koyo 1.3 bar Radiator Cap

-Slim fan shroud with 1150 cfm fans

-Mishimoto Silicone Radiator Hoses

-JDL Auto Design V2 UEL Turbo Kit with a Garrett GTX2860R Gen2

-JDL 2.5″ two piece over/front pipe

-Dezod Motorsports 3″ Catback

-Torque Solutions Polyurethane Exhaust Hangers

-Velox Motorsports Air/Oil Separator

-ACT SB8-XTSS Clutch and LWFW

-Full-Blown Walbro 485 Fuel Pump kit

-Verus Engineering Fuel Starvation Door

-Injector Dynamics 1050x Fuel Injectors

-Millers Motorsport CRX 75w90 NT Trans & Diff fluid

-Millers Nanodrive CFS 0w30 NT oil 

-IRP Short Shifter

-M-Tec Shifter Springs

-Clutch return spring delete

Suspension/Chassis/Brakes:

-RaceComp Engineering Tarmac 2 Coilovers

-Essex/AP Racing Sprint Big Brake Kit

-ARP Extended wheel studs

-Velox Motorsports Brake cooling kit

-Millers Racing Brake Fluid 300 Plus

-Raceseng CasCam Plates and 2″ rear shock tops

-RaceComp Engineering hollow front and rear sway bars

-Whiteline adjustable sway bar end links

-Whiteline anti-dive/+caster inner front-lower control arm bushings

-Whiteline inner-rear front-lower control arm bushings

-Whiteline roll-center/bump-steer correction kit

-Whiteline steering rack bushings

-GrimmSpeed Strut Tower Brace

-GrimmSpeed Master Cylinder Brace

-Perrin Rear Shifter Bushing

-Whiteline rear subframe insert bushings

-Whiteline differential insert bushings

-KCMachine aluminum battery tray and Shorai 6.75 pound battery

-BRZ Limited Fog housings

-Torque Solution engine mounts

-Whiteline transmission mount insert bushing

Wheels & Tires:

Apex ARC-8 17×9 +42 in Anthracite finish

Maxxis Victra VR-1 tires 255/40/17

17×9 +42 Mach V Awesome wheels in Gunmetal finish 

Maxxis Victra VR-1 tires 255/40/17

Safety:

-Agency Power bolt-in harness bar 

-Braum Venom Seats w/ Red Stitching

-Braum SFI 5-Point Harnesses

-Planted Seat Brackets

-G Force full face helmet + HANS device 

Electronics:

-Trunk, dome, plate LEDs

-Beastronix 86Nanny PD

FRS hood vents