86Fest 2016, presented by Turn14 was a scorcher this year, but the 86 faithful still showed up in droves with dozens of beautifully built and modded cars. ModBargains was proud to attend and show our love for the 86 community. We had Marketing Manager, Charles ‘ContinueCrushing’ Pages’ supercharged FR-S as well as my own Project OEM+ in all its stock (hopefully not for long!) glory representing our booth while we got set up bright and early. As we were setting up, you could hear the thundering of cars blasting down the race track, Auto Club Speedway really is an awesome venue for these events.
Modbargains’ Charles Pages and Mark Ual‘s 86s
There were tons of great builds and unique mods throughout the vendor/show car paddock with Rocket Bunny FR-S/BRZs and Panda AE86s all over. It was great to see Valenti tail lights, probably our favorite design, on a bunch of the show cars and vendor displays.
Awesome metallic teal wrapped FR-S with Smoked Lens Valenti Tail Lights and a Perrin Catback Exhaust
Clean example of a Scion FR-S RS 1.0 featuring Red Lens w/ chrome Valenti Tail Lights
Finally we have a very smooth ultramarine FR-S sporting the Clear Lens Valentis Tail Light and 4th Brake Light
Lighting changes are probably one of the most noticeable exterior mods you can do to your car and they can actually improve your night time safety thanks to their brighter output. We carry a wide variety of Valenti tail lights in our warehouse, including the brand new updated tail lights with sequential turn signals. Chances are, most of the Valentis at 86Fest came from us!
Another huge visual (and performance) upgrade would be a set of performance wheels and tires. I’m quite partial to Forgestar F14s because they offer a fairly unique design compared to the oceans of RPF-1s you’ll see at any car meet. Plus, they can be custom made to your specifications while featuring some of the lightest weights you’ll see on a flow-formed/rotary-forged wheel. Heck, that’s why Charles runs them on his car and why I plan to get them for mine.
Gorgeous raven FR-S with Semi-Gloss Black Forgestar F14 18″ with Hankook Tires
Forgestar F14 18″ with Hankook Tires
Forgestar F14 18″ with Continental ExtremeContact DWS
Because Forgestars are custom made, even the same model can look considerably different between owners. Here we have some great examples of F14s, both 18″ but with different finishes and concavity profiles. What really gets me though is the weight. At under 20lbs for an 18″ wheel, they offer serious performance gains, especially on a car that’s all about being light weight and nimble. We might sound a little biased, but really any enthusiast can appreciate a light weight, good looking, custom wheel.
After spotting some awesome wheels and tail lights, I came across something I’ve actually been looking really forward to, Injen’s Evolution Intake System. Injen’s a big name in the aftermarket intake scene, having created the first tuned cold air intake, and their Evolution Intake System for the FR-S is another knock out! This rotomolded intake sports a HUGE air filter to allow the maximum amount of air to flow through to the throttle body. It even features a short ram inlet tube to ensure that the path from duct to throttle is as smooth and efficient as possible.
Check out how awesome the Injen Evolution Intake System looks on their FR-S which had an amazing metalic grey paint job
This intake has some serious presence in the engine bay
Nice to see Motul getting some love at 86Fest
I was glad to see Motul getting some representation at 86Fest. Those that have used their oils, myself included, swear by them, especially their transmission oil. Anyone who’s had their FR-S/BRZ for a while know that sometimes shifting while the transmission is cold can be a bit tricky. Worst still, when it’s hot, you can actually experience a slight synchro grind between some gears if you shift too quicky. While the transmission is often praised for its direct and mechanical feel, it can also be quite notchy and stiff. Swapping out the transmission and diff fluid with Motul Gear 300 can help alleviate those problems and provide a much smooth shifting experience.
More Motul love paired nicely with a Perrin Intake Tube
Now, Motul won’t make your engine rev to 8000 or turn your transmission into a dual clutch speed demon, but it will provided substantially better lubrication and protection than your standard run of the mill oils. If you want to maximize the lifespan and performance of your engine and power train, you need high performance lubrication and Motul just delivers.
Hyper Blue Subaru BRZ
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Subaru World Rally Blue color, but there’s just something awesome about the super rare (only 500 units were made) Hyper Blue color scheme. It really makes the lines on the car pop, especially with the black accent trims. However, as striking as it looks stock, a few mods here and there wouldn’t go amiss. First off, I’d get rid of that fender gap with some nice coilovers like the RS*R Sports-i Coils; I’m personally planning on installing because of the design philosophy that went into making them, performance without sacrificing comfort. Pair that drop with some nicer wheels to fill out the wheel wells and you’d be set.
Panda Panda Panda
Obviously, I can’t go to 86Fest and not take a photo of a Panda AE86, especially if it’s next to a Panda’d GT86 with a Rocket Bunny kit. Say what you will about us weebs and our Initial D box sets, but the Panda 86 paint scheme has to be one of the most iconic JDM colorways ever. And sure, it might not make sense to a Japanese speaking, car-enthusiast, non-anime person (‘Wait what? Why does it say Fujiwara Tofu Shop on it?’), but, like every Herbie the Love Bug, DeLorean Time Machine, or General Lee Dodge Charger, when you own a car that’s been made famous by a show/movie/cartoon, sometimes you just have to pay tribute to it. I have my own plans to add some “Panda-esque” accents to my Whiteout FR-S, but those are far in the future. Really, it just comes down to people modding their cars just the way they want, and that’s what we’re all about at ModBargains.
Despite the heat, 86Fest was an amazing experience, and we’re looking forward to seeing you all again next year! Hopefully by then my Project OEM+ will be more of a looker! (Fingers crossed)
Story & Photos by Mark Ual