It's been quite awhile since I've updated my personal project Scion FR-S. Since it's carbon fiber suit up I've finally had the time and money to spoil her. As most of you know the beginning of this year was quite rocky for a lot of people on the media end of the aftermarket industry. To make matters worse, the FR-S got quite the battle scar on the passenger side - damn sidewalks. Nothing a little retail therapy couldn't fix though.
| Scion FR S Update OEM Head Lights 15
Scion Tuner Challenge Build
First order of business was to repair the rashed side skirts. I heard that the local Carson Toyota was one of the few dealers that could order you the cool stuff from Japan so instead of just fixing the battle scar, I rang Louis at the dealership for a set of TRD sideskirts. To my surprise they had one unpainted set left. After copping it I turned to Sean from Griffinwurx, for paint and repairs. Using only the fender garnish, which is slightly different from the body, Sean was able to paint match the side skirts flawlessly.
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I turned my focus to the front of the car. Fortunately, our friends Young and Meng Tea from FRS 86 opened up their new shop Auto Tuned conveniently close to Irwindale Speedway. First to go was the hideous USDM headlights. I opted for Spyder Auto's projector headlights simply because it was affordable and they look pretty darn sexy. Before you bash on a USDM brand, grab a parts guide for a GT86 and you'll see that JDM brands such as Dazz Fellows, Intec, and Revier are using a similar style. Young Tea says, "The install was pretty straight forward, but there are 2-3 wires that needed to be tapped for the halos."
| Scion FR S Update Spyder Auto Head Lights 01
For a more aggressive face I contacted Greddy for an original Tra Kyoto Rocket Bunny front lip. Young painted it in a matte black to match the lower part of my TRD sideskirts. For a slightly different look I turned back to Carson Toyota and ordered a set of TRD canards to complete the look.
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In the pursuit of more power, I looked to engine specialist Tomei for its Extreme Ti straight pipe. Tomei uses high-grade titanium to maximize weight reduction and power gains. While the stock unit weighed in at 12 pounds, the Tomei Extreme Ti pushed the scale to only three pounds - a 75% weight difference.
| Scion FR S Update Eibach Car Lift 07
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| Scion FR S Update Seibon Diffuser 13
Jonathon Wong at Eibach then answered my suspension needs. After touring the Eibach facility I handed my keys to one of the mechanics to install a Eibach anti-roll sway bar kit. Manufactured from high-strength aircraft-grade steel, the sway bars drastically increased responsiveness and cornering grip at the street level. What's even better is the million-mile warranty that comes with it.
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