Bram Turismo's Toyota GT86

[Bram Turismo]

Small update on the GT86: I've replaced the stock air filter with a K&N air filter. People say this mod does a ton to the car, but I just think it's a placebo-effect. I just like the thought of a bit better airflow, as well as a part they don't have to charge me replacing anymore. I've also ordered an LED-package for the interior lighting as to replace the amber dome light, sun visor lights, and the boot light. This way the interior lighting properly matches the LED numberplate lighting, as well as the paint of the car.

I'd love to get an extra 30hp out of this car. Local tuners are getting 227-232hp out of it with an exhaust system and a tune. But I'm not sure it's ever worth the money. Especially since I seriously doubt I'd ever get any resale value on these parts.

So I'm probably going to replace the rear foglight by a Valenti 3rd brakelight. I'm not quite sure whether I prefer a regular red housing, or a black one to sort of mask the light in daylight.

In June I plan on roadtripping this car to Norway. This year with a friend and his 2006 Cayman S. I'll keep an eye on the wear of the current tyres and maybe buy a set of new tyres that are better suited for the twisty stuff in the mountains. Last year I found that the stock tyres make the car a bit nervous when you throw the car around. The current ones have done 25,000km and aren't worn yet, which is a statement to just how hard this Michelin Premacy is...

 

[GDII]

The dark one might go well with your colour and tail lights. The lighter one with red might only suit having those white stripe tail lights.

 

[PASM]

I would go with the dark one too. 30 hp with an exhaust and software tuning is on the far end of the scale. I'm not saying it can't be done and I'm not that familiar with the boxer. I'm just a bit sceptical. With the Clio you'd be looking at different cams and throttle bodies by then. Also north of 3000 euros.

 

[Bram Turismo]

I would go with the dark one too. 30 hp with an exhaust and software tuning is on the far end of the scale. I'm not saying it can't be done and I'm not that familiar with the boxer. I'm just a bit sceptical. With the Clio you'd be looking at different cams and throttle bodies by then. Also north of 3000 euros.

I really don't know. I merely get my numbers from the tuners. They claim 30-40hp with a tune, full exhaust system and a new header. I've looked at the costs, and I don't think it's worth the money. Well, unless I would actually have that money going to waste, but I don't. 230hp with added torque, and an adjusted torque curve to get rid of that dip would make this car perfect in my opinion, but 1) it's expensive as you said, and 2) I'd have to go to the MOT with my stock parts, or this car wouldn't pass.

Same goes for the rims and tyres I wanted to get. I can only get a 215 wide tyre, anything wider and I won't pass MOT.

Today I replaced the interior lights, it looks much fresher now and it fits really well with the white paint. Only the reverse light to replace to match everything, but I think getting a dark Valenti light will look best, especially since it's a third brake light, and not only a reverse / fog light.

 

[GDII]

Wow your car modding rules seem very tight. I feel lucky I can do what I can do here in NZ with no issues. However a lot of US states have even more relaxed modding rules. Adjustable suspension being one of them.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Wow your car modding rules seem very tight. I feel lucky I can do what I can do here in NZ with no issues. However a lot of US states have even more relaxed modding rules. Adjustable suspension being one of them.

If I fit 225 tyres, I won't pass MOT. Seriously, if I tint my rear window, they will charge me an extra 5 euros and classify it under "tuning".

This country is a joke for car enthusiasts.

 

[eiriksmil]

It's good to have a dude. Not the kind of dude that'll let Flintstone cars without brakes through but tinted rear windows seem a bit too strict..

However a lot of US states have even more relaxed modding rules. Adjustable suspension being one of them.

Some US states have no state inspections with cars bordering unsafe. Something in the middle is good haha. The TUV part is my biggest pet peeve here in Europe.. Japanese manufacturers of coilovers etc don't go through TUV approving meaning it's only Euro made stuff that have TUV. Not much available for weird Japanese cars.

 

[GDII]

If I fit 225 tyres, I won't pass MOT. Seriously, if I tint my rear window, they will charge me an extra 5 euros and classify it under "tuning".

This country is a joke for car enthusiasts.

Wow that's tough. I know Norway has some pretty tough rules too.

Some US states have no state inspections with cars bordering unsafe. Something in the middle is good haha. The TUV part is my biggest pet peeve here in Europe.. Japanese manufacturers of coilovers etc don't go through TUV approving meaning it's only Euro made stuff that have TUV. Not much available for weird Japanese cars.

Yeah the TV show 'Pimp My Ride' showed some pretty bad cars. So much rust there wasn't much of a car left.

I do like our modding system and we can still do a lot before we need to certify the changes. I understand why we have this system and the rules imposed. Like you've probably seen NZ has a huge DIY car modding culture. Some cars are modded and not certed because they don't need it like mine or if they are, they are built properly within the rules. Not too many of the rules make doing things prohibitive due to the origin of the rules coming from custom built hotrod cars.

 

[DigitalBaka]

Some US states have no state inspections with cars bordering unsafe. Something in the middle is good haha. The TUV part is my biggest pet peeve here in Europe.. Japanese manufacturers of coilovers etc don't go through TUV approving meaning it's only Euro made stuff that have TUV. Not much available for weird Japanese cars.

Where I live I have to pass an emissions test every two years. That's it. They plug in the OBD and if it's not throwing any codes I'm good to go in two minutes, no other inspections at all.

There are of course rules around tinting (no darker than 35% tint), lighting (lights front and back must be clearly visible from 500 feet) and sound (fuzzy on the rules but you can get pulled over for a loud exhaust or audio system). Everything else is pretty fair game and even if you go past legal, they can only check if you get pulled over and the police suspect you're outside the limits. Where I am there are a lot of slammed Hondas with limo tint and "fart can" exhausts and just as many Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers with what I would swear are straight-through exhausts. If they don't get caught....

 

[Bram Turismo]

Picture from yesterday, after a ride with my mate's Cayman S. Honestly, I might just drop all these mods, and just get a set of good tyres and go on trackdays. Best fun you could have with this car.

 

[Bram Turismo]

So, I'm looking at taking part in a track course at Zolder that includes driving theory and laps behind the pace car with an instructor. I'd like to install a set of Hankook Ventus EVO2 K120 tyres, so that I don't have to squeel around the track on the Prius tyres. I'm probably going to let someone check my brakes as well, so I'm sure they're fine.

@jjaisli You do a lot of trackdays, right? I keep reading that the oil temperature in this car can go alarmingly high. I read many suggesting to install an oil cooler. What's your view and/or experience on this matter? The trackday sessions are around an hour. My first two concerns to have sorted are tyres and brakes.

 

[jjaisli]

Laps behind the pace car, hmmm, it's sort of debatable what kind of pace they're going to run you. But I'm guessing not something too aggressive. If it's going to be a one-off, you'll probably be OK. Probably. None-the-less, and particularly if you intend to do more of these anyway, I would suggest, in this order:

- oil & brake fluid change before the event. For the brake fluid, use something like a Motul 600F, that won't boil or foam with excessive heat. This is probably more important than anything.
- As you said, check your brake pads. If you have ANY less or are even close to 50% wear, or even if you have more material but they're still original, change them and use something more aggressive than the stock pads.* And make SURE they're bedded in properly before hitting the track. Again, you may not be using the brakes aggressively behind a moderately driven pace car but if they start picking up the pace, once you start building up heat, you'd be amazed how quickly you'll wear through the stock pads. And the less material you have, the less the pads will be able to dissipate the heat and the quicker they'll burn through. Generally at the track, anything less than 50% and it's end of life/replace.
- if you're still on the stock tires, they're good for learning car control since they have lower limits. Since you already have some track experience you might want to move up to something like an extreme or ultra performance, 200 treadwear tire. The stock tires will build up heat quickly and you'll find they'll get "greasy" way too quickly and you'll be forced to run cool down laps and back off. Which can really ruin your momentum. Or worse, they'll start 'chunking and shredding rubber. I don't personally have any experience with the Ventus Evo2 but it's in the right category. Just remember too, once you start moving up to a 'sticky' tire, you'll also be burning through your brakes harder and faster. It's like one long handshake. Everything effects everything else.

Don't worry about the oil cooler for now. Yes, everything you heard is correct. Sustained, wide open throttle running at higher rpm in this car will result in worryingly high oil temperatures. But just change your oil again after the event. And again at the next event. You'll be fine. If you find that this is something that you're going to do somewhat regularly (say >4-5 times per year) you should probably consider an oil cooler. But it comes with complications. If you daily drive your car, you'll find during the winter months that the oil temperature is actually too low, especially cruising on the highway in 6th gear. Even at 120 kmh you won't be generating enough oil temperatures in <0* C ambient temperatures. The oil cooler has a thermostat so that it doesn't activate below a certain temperature. But you always have some oil circulating and it will bring the temperature down no matter what. So if you eventually get one, you may have to rig some sort of shield/cover for the oil radiator for the cold months. So as I said, it just complicates things somewhat.

*The brakes. In general, you should use more aggressive pads on the front of the car than on the rear. And the fronts will wear faster. That said, the stability control/traction control on this car utilizes the rear brakes. Even if you turn the traction control off completely (which I would NOT suggest at your first event) the system is not fully defeatable unless you do the pedal dance. And once you're on an aggressive tire and you start really pushing at the track, you'll come off the track and probably find the REAR brakes smoking because the DSC is constantly fighting you.

EDIT: For pad replacement (front) I would suggest:
Hawk HP Plus or even a DCT-30
Carbotech DCT-10

You can always change back to the regular pads for street driving.

I hope you find this helpful.

 

[Bram Turismo]

@jjaisli Thanks man! I spoke to a Toyota dealership who frequently prepare GT86 cupcars. Since the course will consist of mostly driving theory and laps with an instructor, they've recommended me to take in the car just for a brake fluid change, tyre check, and brake pad change. These laps are not at pace, so they told me to not invest too much into parts until I know that the car will see the track at pace. In that case, better pads might be in order. I'm probably going to the course with the stock tyres.

Today I spent the day with my friend and his Cayman S, again. We find ourselves doing a lot of drives lately. I just get left behind due to lack of power and torque, but in the corners I even left him behind. It's just such a joy to be able to tell the car what you want to do. It's like a lapdog: It's always exited, but when you slap it, it's too forgiving to bite back. The Cayman on the other hand is a brute. Floor it, and it'll bite back at you. Everytime I drive the GT86 hard, I seem to fall in love with it all over again. It's so forgiving, yet so involving and exiting when you really step on it.

And the stock tyres are still not worn out, this continues to baffle me...

 

[jjaisli]

All very sensible advice. 👍 I totally agree. For what it's worth, I think you're really doing this the right way. No matter what your driving level, it's always worth while to have a qualified instructor in the right seat. I'm sure it's going to be a great experience for you and you'll get a lot out of it. When are you heading to Zolder? I hope you'll post a recap afterwards.

My car actually came from the dealer with the alternate Bridgestone all season tires as opposed to the Michelin Primacy, so going on the track with them was never really an option and I had to move over to a suitable track tire from the beginning. The Primacy isn't as bad as people make it out to be. But the fact that it's lasting so long is also a bit of a curse.

As for your comments on the Cayman S, let's just say I know first hand.

 

[Bram Turismo]

@jjaisli Epic garage man!

The GT86 is scheduled for a brake and tyre check May 4th. I'd like to do the course at Zolder June 6th.
Today I got to drive my friend's Cayman. The soundtrack adds so much to the entire experience of the car. I have it for an entire week. I promised him I'd detail the Cayman. What a great car! 👍

 

[Bram Turismo]

So this is currently camping in my garage

​

I took this as a detailing job for my friend. Car has done 150,000km and is 12 years old. But a good decontamination, glaze, and a sealant can do wonders to a clearcoat. Leather seats were also scrubbed and revived with a leather conditioner. Car smells like brandnew leather inside

 

[Bram Turismo]

Onboard my first ever laps alone around Zolder. I always took it easy on the first lap, just as a "system check". I truly had a blast today! I inflated all tyres to 2,8 bars as suggested by the same maintenance place that prepares GT86 cup cars for the 24h Nurburgring race. After some laps, they warmed up to 3,1-3,2 bars, so I deflated them back to 2,8. It's only a shame the brakes faded everytime I got into a rythm. I could do 3-4 laps at pace max before the brakes faded.

My instructor said that I drove very good technically, but I lacked some finesse in terms of hitting the apex. I think my car to be wider than it actually is, so I miss the apex' by about half a meter, which is a lot. And then I also have a habit of entering too slowly, and exiting too slowly because I want to make up for the loss of speed before I've hit the apex. So a lot to learn, but it was only my first time ever on a trackday.

Received an extra coupon, so I get to enter another trackday at no charge :tup:

 

[homeforsummer]

I could do 3-4 laps at pace max before the brakes faded.

That's not too bad at Zolder actually, which seems like it has a few heavy-ish stops per lap.

Uprated pads definitely sound like a wise purchase though if you've got the trackday bug. Ditto fluid. Brake fade is always a bit of a downer on a trackday, and once they've faded the first time I find they never quite feel the same for the rest of the day either so you're never as confident in braking zones.

Changing discs/pads/fluid in my MX-5 was the best thing I've done to it. Went from having a very soft pedal at the end of one trackday, to being able to do ten laps at a time with zero fade at the next.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Changing discs/pads/fluid in my MX-5 was the best thing I've done to it. Went from having a very soft pedal at the end of one trackday, to being able to do ten laps at a time with zero fade at the next.

Problem is, Belgian laws don't really like people altering their cars. I cannot change the brake discs or calipers. So all I can do is change the fluid and opt for better pads.

I did get a fluid change that according to the garage should cope with the temperatures ever so slightly better, but they didn't really recommend me to go all out with money for a first ever trackday.

Problem now is of course, the bug has bitten...

 

[GDII]

Problem is, Belgian laws don't really like people altering their cars. I cannot change the brake discs or calipers. So all I can do is change the fluid and opt for better pads.

I did get a fluid change that according to the garage should cope with the temperatures ever so slightly better, but they didn't really recommend me to go all out with money for a first ever trackday.

Problem now is of course, the bug has bitten...

What fluid did you get put in? Does it have a temp rating from new? DOT ratings don't tend to give proper temp ratings as I have a DOT4 that well exceeds a DOT5.1.

 

[Bram Turismo]

What fluid did you get put in? Does it have a temp rating from new? DOT ratings don't tend to give proper temp ratings as I have a DOT4 that well exceeds a DOT5.1.

I've no idea what fluid is in right now. I'm just laying my faith into the garage. They're currently working on 2 GT86 cupcars that entered the Nurb 24 hour race. Shame I didn't take images of those! I might upgrade to some better pads, but in the end it is no solution to the discs getting hot.

I can only dream of what it must be like to drive around a track in a fully prepared trackcar. One can only hope and work hard! 👍

 

[PASM]

Nice driving Bram. Too bad about the brakes and the strict Belgian laws. I realize we have it good in the Netherlands with these things. That said, the Renault OEM Dot 4 fluid in my Clio is now 3,5 years old and the interval is 4 years. Now I recently bought a brake fluid tester to see how much water had accumulated in the fluid. Expecting it to be reasonably well, because on my trackday at Assen and 5 laps of the Nordschleife I could rely on the brakes 100%. Could also be down to the fact my front brake pads are Ferodo DS Performance, which is a street pad: it performs from cold but is better at high temperatures and doesn't glaze solid like traditional street pads.

Received an extra coupon, so I get to enter another trackday at no charge :tup:

Jealous. How did you manage to do that?

 

[Bram Turismo]

Jealous. How did you manage to do that?

Part of the package 👍

I'm probably returning to the track July 18th. May visit the workshop before then and discuss the possibilities of increasing the lifespan of the brakes, so I can actually start to test where the limits of the tyres are.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Some images from today's visit to the Nordschleife!

 

[jjaisli]

The Ring is really a unique experience. I did a few tourist laps last year with a rented car and it was almost surreal to actually be driving it. But the track is so long and has so many corners, it's almost impossible to really a get a feel for the track until you've done many, many laps. And even then, the fact that you have such a disparity of other cars and more importantly, drivers who run the gamut from very competent and quick to others who simply shouldn't be out there, makes it tough to ever truly feel confident when overtaking or being overtaken. Most people, myself included would like to at least set a respectable BTG time, even though officially it's discouraged. But I think the best strategy is to simply head out, eyes up, wide vision, with a 3rd eye on your mirrors and drive within your ability, and just take it as it comes. Inevitably, on almost every lap, you'll run into a yellow flag, or a slow moving emergency vehicle or one rather slow car overtaking an even slower car (or a train of ridiculously fast cars all passing just when you come up on a slower car yourself) and your lap will almost always be compromised in some way. And the fact that there are so many other cars out there also means that a large numbers of corners you'll be navigating off-line.

Despite all this, it's still the greatest track and probably the most amazing on-track experience one can ever have. It's truly unique in all the world and very special. How would you compare your laps and approach this year after your experience at Zolder?

I never commented after your Zolder run but "nice going". I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's a bit of an eye opening experience heading out there for the first time with an experienced instructor. You mentioned that you were possibly going again in July. Did you ever make it?

Just a personal comment, if you're driving with the stock camber settings, it's a good idea to have your tires inflated a bit higher to protect the outside edges otherwise you can literally drive the tread off. But I really think 2.8 bar is overinflated. It depends a lot on the tires you're running but with a 100 treadwear tire, I normally try to come off with hot pressures of around 36-37 psi which is about 2.5~2.6. With a good R-compound, probably closer to 2.4. With 2.8 and higher, you're going to suffer from understeer. And higher than that, it's actually dangerous, in my opinion. But if that's what they tell you, I guess just stick with it. Eventually you'll be able to test different pressures and feel the difference and see for yourself what works. And in the beginning, it's more important to hit your apexes and brake marks, than worry about pressures.

 

[Bram Turismo]

delete.

 

[Bram Turismo]

@jjaisli Thanks for the visit man! Have you been doing any trackdays lately?

I didn't make it to the July trackday as I decided to go on vacation instead. But in August I'll try and make it down to the track again.
The Nordschleife is indeed a great experience, but I think it's so dangerous because of other drivers. There are some points on the track where you need to be mindful of, like for example the kink in the long fast left after Flugplatz. But if you know where those points are, the track itselfs isn't all that scary. What is scary are other drivers. I do miss the driver ethics of an official track. At Zolder, other drivers respect you, and only decide to overtake when they analyze the situation as being safe. It's like real racing, both parties each do their own part to secure a safe passage for the faster car. This is why I enjoy official trackdays at Zolder, and the fact that you are being obligated to take part in a course first. This way, you know that every car in front or behind you, in some way have any idea what they're doing. Strict rules make for safe play I think.

On the Nordschleife, people behave differently. You have the racey Germans that drive purely on their ego, and the slowpokes that do not pay attention to their surroundings. After my course on Zolder, I wanted to bring over the ethics to the Nordschleife, but things work differently there. And because there are no rules or limitations on cars, it only makes it the more dangerous. The APEX M3 just comes out of nowhere, you'll never even see it coming until it overtakes you, it's that fast. Like you said, all you can do is drive with a third eye fixated on your rear-view mirror. I don't know the apex' or brake points, but I feel that knowing the track lay-out from Gran Turismo helps a lot in knowing what is coming.

As for the tyre pressures, I was merely following their advice since I have abolutely no experience. After some runs, I decided to run with 2.8 bars hot as the front did indeed tend to skid in low speed, sharp corners. I have more experience to get though as I still don't fully know how the car reacts. I find that on stock tyre pressures, the car tends to understeer. Usually I assume it's tyre flex and that I'm nearing the grip limit of the tyre. Others say that at this point I just need to take it by the scuff of the neck, and balance out the understeer with throttle input. I'm not really keen on testing this out on public roads, and on a track the car seems to behave differently. I just need more experience with this car, to feel what is actually going on.

On road trips I drive together with a BRZ on full brembo brake kit and semi slicks, and a Cayman S on P Zeros. I usually let them take off because I know I'm on Primacy tyres, and having an ego to try and keep up with them is going to get me killed.

That said, I'm still loving this car. I lacks character and performance, but it's absolutely perfect to learn how to drive. No one seems to care about it I feel, but everyone who's driven one at pace loves it. Even after all this time of ownership, I still leave the car with a huge smile after I drive it on a track. I still think this is a brilliant car, and I've more love for small FR sportscar like the MX5, GT86 and S2000 than I've ever had.

I've purchased a set of Hankook Ventus Evo2 tyres. A few more trackdays and the Michelins will be dead, and I'd like something that hangs on just a bit better at the front. I managed to get a set for $250, so cheaper than the Primacy but more performance.

 

[jjaisli]

I haven't actually been on track since early June. I ran my last event at NJMP and I kind of struggled with the car all weekend. I needed to adjust the aero settings (too much downforce in the rear) and then needed to adjust the front splitter. What's more, on a suggestion from the chief instructor who has a BRZ, I made some adjustments to the dampening after he drove my car and I wasn't happy or comfortable with the results. I was getting both understeer and oversteer in different places. Compounded by the fact that my tires were really heat cycled out at this point. Yikes. (Yeah, excuse time extreme--LOL)

But I have some video of that event (below) taken from my buddy, driving most of the time behind me in a 981 Cayman. We sort of agreed that we would try and run together which is why he waited for me, I sort of waited for him, and why I let the other twins go. You can see from time to time how my car was getting a bit out of sorts in this session so I wasn't pushing all that hard.



I have another event coming up in a week (always my favorite) Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec. My car has actually been in the shop for a few weeks after pulling a CEL P0018 (camshaft sensor error). The car went into limp mode and I had it towed to the shop. But after several weeks, the shop has been unable to repeat the error. So I'll probably pick it up tomorrow and hope for the best. I have a new (scrubbed) set of Continental slicks and a scrubbed set of RA1s ready to go so I should be fine. I also had the brake fluid in the Cayman changed last week (as a back-up plan), but I didn't want to invest the money in tires and wheels and pads at this point, and I know the stock Pirellis and pads would only last about 10-15 minutes before getting greasy so it looks like at this point it's back to the '86.

I completely and fully agree with everything you say about driving the Nurburgring. When I rented a car, they gave me a big lecture that I shouldn't pass anybody who didn't signal right and to be patient, etc. And I tried to. But After the 1st lap I sort of gave up because you realize that half the people out there don't bother anyway. Considering the rather reckless way some of the really fast guys in GT3s are overtaking and how some of the people in normal road cars just drive down the middle of the track, it's kind of surprising that there aren't more accidents. So yes, driving at a 'normal' track club event where the drivers sort of know and respect each other is a bit safer and actually allows for more aggressive driving by accepting some common rules and similar skill sets. It's just that no other track is quite the same.

I remember arguing this point in some online forum once, referring to a video of somebody driving overly aggressive (actually, really stupidly aggressive) at the ring and being told that I didn't understand what 'real racing' was all about. And I was then subsequently thumbed down by a dozen people. Yeah, as if doing a tourist drive on the ring was 'real racing'. Oh well.

I also agree with you about the '86. It's such a great car. And people who constantly moan about it's lack of power are really missing the point. The Primacy tires are going to understeer no matter what. And the longer you're out there, the worse it will get. And yes, people have a point about learning to balance the car with the throttle. It's good to learn this for car control. And it will be easier to do this on the Primacy tires, especially when they're overinflated and overheated because the grip limits will be much lower. But of course the best place to test this out is in slow corners with plenty of run off. The concept is the same but stickier tires will have different break-away characteristics and you'll have to adjust accordingly once you mount the Hankooks. Once you run on R-compounds, there is very little warning when they go so you'll need quick reactions.

This video is actually the chief instructor driving my car, with me as a passenger, when we were adjusting the suspension settings. You can see how quickly it steps out.



Good luck out there. And post a recap if you go in August. 👍

 

[Bram Turismo]

@jjaisli It did snap on you alright! Sounding great, though!

Here's an onboard of the lap with my brother. It's a slow and easy lap, I wasn't going to take any chances with family onboard. Funny how a lap always feels so much faster in person. When that GTI passed me I pushed a little, car definitely started to move around a bit. But from the onboard it still looks horribly slow

 

[GDII]

Still looks quite fast for a car that doesn't have silly power. I'm sure I'd struggle to keep up with your car in a straight line in the MR2. It's quite down on power vs yours.