Hello,

I'm a brand new FD3 owner and here is my story.

I started with Jaguars which always hold a special place in my heart. But I had a different calling and I found myself starting to assemble my own version of a JDM dream garage.

I'm on my 2nd Subaru now, the first was a modified BRZ with lots of Perrin goodies and NA putting down 200whp and 175tq and it was a great car. I now daily a '14 STi Limited totally stock.

After 7 years, I recently totaled my mint 6spd Supra Turbo in January after a series of "bad." Bad decision, bad tires, bad road, bad (very cold) weather and spun out at highway speed on icy road. I still deeply lament the loss of that car but while totaled, I walked away with only a slight scar of the airbag smacking my face. I'm searching carefully for another Supra with very specific criteria. I know my handle says JaguarXJ6 because that is what I've always used on forums, but my one car that I have to always have is the Supra.

I replaced the BRZ with a '15 GT-R and that was a short love affair after a year and a half. The GT-R is sublime and so capable in many ways that would be on many people's only 1 car list. But, it ends up being too fast and too boring without pushing it particularly outside of a track environment. I suddenly stopped driving it in favor of my Supra taking advantage of the empty canyon roads at altitude coupled with a bulletproof manual, sound, and of course RWD.

To get back to driving in its purer/purest form, I really wanted race car attributes when I replaced the GT-R. Lightweight, manual, loud, fast, RWD, nanny free and uncompromising. Almost all of the things that the GT-R is not without taking it's mechanical limits even further away from accessibility in the real world.

I always had a fascination with the power triangle and it ticked off all of the boxes for me. It wasn't a Lotus, nor a stripped out track weapon, or an Aerial Atom, or cup car. It fits the Japanese garage setup I enjoy so here I am! It was by sheer coincidence I ended up selling the GT-R just days before my flight out after listing it for 2 months.

I purchased Nick's SSM and red FD and drove it back from Detroit this past weekend. Nearly 1500mi plus a little bit of detour local driving and I arrived safely in Colorado where I immediately set to washing it. Then, feeling rejuvenated I proceeded to take it to a hot import nights get together a few miles away at about 10pm, not yet feeling the fatigue of the trip. On Sunday morning, I was right back behind the wheel to an open dyno day at a Subaru performance shop I've always wanted to check out.

I went on the dyno towards the very end, the 2nd to last car of the two "crazy cars" that were there. I put down respectable power rich as hell from the altitude and 50hp at the wheel less. Same peak torque but a sliding curve that loses about 75tq to redline instead of being mostly flat curve at sea level. I put down more torque with a better curve than almost all of the BPU+ corn fed Subaru's there. I'll be checking in with Banzai Racing on their recommendation before even touching my alphabet soup controller.

I was nervous the whole week leading up to the flight out to take delivery. Now that it's home, the adrenaline the car gives me on the highway or in the canyons makes me sleep like the dead! All I want to do is drive it. And then have the best sleep and dreams of driving afterwards.

I will attempt to share some pictures below, the highlights of the trip. I am getting an error maybe from spending too much time in this window so they may be on a follow-up post.

However, I should be able to link a video for you to enjoy of the dyno day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ab_vroLCs

 

I resized the photos despite the lack of criteria for max width/height. Not the first time I've been told it's too big.

When I saw the ad:
Nick's ad showed all of the right things I was looking for. His 18 years of ownership and his personal touch and taste to the modifications was readily apparent. I was looking for a Montego Blue (yes, I'm one of them) with Silver Stone being a close 2nd choice and instantly fell in love with the car. I couldn't believe it didn't sell before and the deal for me was simply stellar with the extra goodies on top. Lucky for me, so many already have their FD and were passing on it for one reason or another.

My driving impressions so far:
I love the way it fits like a glove. The rear view mirror is a joke, and even at 5' 9" it can spot headlights far enough away. The first rule of Italian driving is what is behind you doesn't matter! With everything hard mounted, you feel so much more than you do in a modern car. The modern car tries to dial NVH out, this car puts it back in. Getting to explore it's limits as a total driving experience beyond just a sensation of speed is something I can look forward to every weekend for at least one of the days.

Handling, steering:
It's a P/S delete so aside from a more careful angle picked during parking, only the really tight corners give me a workout. I am considering adding it back in but chances of getting to drive one with P/S will tell me that is a bad idea. The canyons here have some increasing radius 10mph switchbacks that make it more difficult to explore the chassis limits without throttle induced oversteer to help you through. And I don't know of a big rotary community in Denver for the FC/FD that also take their cars out for regular exercise. Putting down the power even in poor conditions that you can see from the photos went without drama. I was boosting carefully but 4-7K through 3rd or 4th felt so sticky that I can't wait for more 60F days this Spring.

Power, response:
I had a similar turbo on my Supra, but the spool was something unexpected due to the amount of fuel on tap with the injector size and streetport. It's deliciously addictive to downshift a gear and give it a squirt even through mundane driving on the street or highway going from home to the canyons. You need to rev it out past 3k to get usable power? Hogwash. I have a hard time trying to do a gentle acceleration from a stop because this car wants to PULL. It wants throttle and you can tell it's happy above 3K as much as possible. Anything less is just a waste of a good opportunity or so I am learning trying to be "smooth."

Sound, smell
I drove back without ear plugs because screw it. I want the full experience and frankly couldn't be bothered to fish them out of the luggage. My noise canceling Bose headset was in a front pocket of my carry on but that felt I would be missing something. For local drives where I am planning to be 70mph+ I keep a good set of ear plugs in the ashtray when I don't want muffle ear when I arrive at my destination. Obligatory, because racecar. I'm pre-mixed and discovered that my favorite jacket smells like two stroke and cologne. That might be a hit with certain two wheel riders, but for me I am going to pick up a jacket specifically for when driving the FD.

Looks, attention:
Far more than the GT-R ever did. On my social circle of friends, more people react with admiration or praise than they did my Supra which I had for many years. I don't mind it one bit. I bought it for me!

 

That's a very impressive garage picture!

How much steering feel is gained by the P/S delete? Or is this just to remove rotational load.

 

Thanks! The steering feel is tremendous but how much of that is the delete then the front suspension I couldn't say. On the highway so deliciously weighted and in tight turns feels precise. No issue parking but I grew used to that quickly. When my P/S pump died in my Jaguar that felt like I would break the wheel turning it. Not in the FD it is stiff but moves readily.

 

Nice car JaguarXJ6, sorry to hear about your Supra, one day I will have the chance to get one of my own. You should go on to facebook and look up Mile high Rotary club, they're a local group of rotary enthusiasts. Anyways they do cruise nights and get togethers and in September they're planning a cruise to Sevenstock. Your Fd is awesome! Hopefully I'll have one in time to go to Sevenstock with them. It's nice to see another Fd in Colorado.

 

Thanks! I sent in a request to join the group. I'm looking forward to making more friends in the RE community and getting the cars out to drive.

 

I saw your post on FB. The group is always looking to meet up. Hopefully I 'll have my FD up and running in time to join you guys.

 

Congratulations! I took just took my new FD for a 1500 mile road trip. I was shocked that it was ... well... actually comfortable! Not to mention fun as anything I've ever driven. I was looking forward to onramps, offramps, curves and straightaways -- basically the whole drive. Stop and go traffic around DC sucked though....


Incredible car, and congratulations!

 

Thanks, me too! It was with me almost 7 years. The next one will hopefully be with me to the grave. When I am too old to clutch it, I will swap it to built auto! And, collecting parts for that eventual day so I can whip off the tarp and task a speed shop to do it. I guess by that age, it will be a "Supra restoration shop!"

 

does the a/c work? impressive drive-home pictures...i wish we got even a little bit of that coldness. not for driving...just to get something below 78 is always nice.

that's a nice looking car, i'm thinking of using that wheel setup on mine once i get the front end sorted out and it's actually able to get out on the road again.

 

great writeup jag.. if you hadn't snapped her up the time you did.. I would have..
just bad timing on my part.. love the garage.. aspire to do something similar with mine..