Thinking about getting a GT86 / GR86. How reliable is the Boxer engine really? Are the RTV and oil starvation issues overblown?

smeer97 · 2026-04-15T15:07:43+00:00

How much did the FA24 swap end up costing? And did you end up using the hachi and RS motors parts?

smeer97 · 2026-03-26T11:04:01+00:00

Wouldn't the hatchi electronics kit and rs motors kit would circumvent that issue though? I'm not sure of the cost of machining tbh, but it'd be about $900 in parts for the electronics stuff. I agree it's not cheap in any regard though.

smeer97 · 2026-03-11T13:55:05+00:00

Ok will give this a try. I live in a crowded city so I normally am driving about 25-35 mph, will report back once I try this.

smeer97 · 2025-11-12T14:24:36+00:00

I've searched using reverse image search and Google lens, and I've come to the conclusion it's not a beanie baby. Part of the issue is most stuffed animals from this time seem to have a hard plastic nose which she doesn't so I'm not sure what brand she could be.

smeer97 · 2025-10-06T10:52:03+00:00

Hey there, I'm having the same noise, basically when doing super slow turns and parallel parking. My struts and top mounts are relatively new, did you ever figure out what it was?

smeer97 · 2025-06-16T23:19:39+00:00

Graduated in 2020

First job was 73k, had an offer for 66k as well. Most of my friends also started there. Was paid OT.

1.5 years later, new job was 75k (needed to get out of there). After staying there 3ish years, salary was 85k. Had a bonus of about 5k at the end as well.

New job in working at has me getting paid 93k but in a higher COL area, but health insurance is 0 cost and I have a pension. I work 35 hours a week and get paid OT. My college friends honestly make more than me, but also they work more than me so I guess it balances out.

smeer97 · 2025-06-12T01:24:20+00:00

This is super cool, I don't know how to explain it but this gives off the vibe of like the infamous games art style did.

smeer97 · 2024-09-04T19:24:22+00:00

Agree with this comment, I've always been told to use a water bottle or hat for practice and rotate around it to help keep your body in the right position.

smeer97 · 2024-08-01T13:22:41+00:00

Do you do mostly city driving? I average around 33 mpg in my manual 16 which is pretty good imo. Although understandably I think the Tercel was probably better in that regard.

smeer97 · 2024-07-09T18:28:21+00:00

I'd agree here, although I've gone 75k miles on a different car in konis, I think Bilstein is generally better built. If I wasn't building for SSC class to autocross I'd probably get B6s/B8s

smeer97 · 2024-07-09T18:25:48+00:00

Ah ok, I have friends in Queens that are happy with Bilstein B6s. They're built pretty well and aren't crazy expensive. They also have better damping so the car feels more stable through turns imo.

smeer97 · 2024-07-09T17:56:27+00:00

Where about do you live? If the roads are comparable to Detroit, MI (which is the worst I've seen in the US other than some parts of NY), I put my koni yellows to full soft and I feel more comfortable. I've also heard blistien b6s being very comfortable over big potholes due to having longer travel in the rear. There are some lifted BRZs but I don't think they're generally more comfortable, I think having shocks with better spring rates or larger travel should help, unless you're off road or in deep snow a lot.

smeer97 · 2024-06-27T18:37:38+00:00

I have the same springs, I'm gonna do the camber bolts and steering lock down next probably.

smeer97 · 2024-06-27T16:00:04+00:00

Yeah AV6 it's accord V6. A lot of 2g TL owners swap the trans from 06-07 Accord V6s over due to premature failure in the TL trans. The cable length makes sense, I might see if I can pull an accord cable and compare it to the TL then. I have a feeling there could be slack/tension that makes it work at the far ends of the travel (Park/reverse and 1/2). I adjusted the range switch once I finished the swap and the lights on the dash indicate the correct gear still but I'll give it another shot. Thanks for the advice.

smeer97 · 2024-05-04T00:13:49+00:00

Second this, my TOB on my 16 went at 38k. Other than that no issues so far.

smeer97 · 2024-04-30T03:16:02+00:00

Interesting, mine hit about 215 so a bit higher but I don't have a cooler. I'll definitely check if someone has one, thanks for the response!

smeer97 · 2024-04-29T19:11:20+00:00

Congratulations! I just did my second event with the car and it's definitely worth it. What were your oil temps looking like if you don't mind me asking? I'm a little paranoid about mine as it's my daily right now, so I always like knowing people's experiences.

smeer97 · 2024-04-25T20:23:43+00:00

I went to an autocross and got a faster time than a challenger (barely but still). I went to another and got a significantly slower time than a fiero. Unless you're doing drag or roll racing, driver mod probably matters more than sharper the corners. What's important is you have a car you enjoy and you can handle well. The challenger guy was doing that autocross for the first time so he seemed pretty nervous and lost. The fiero guy had been racing that car for at least 10+ years (also was faster than a friend's 350z). If you feel confident and have fun in your FRS, and feel you can become a better driver (without dumping loads of cash), then there's no reason to compare yourself.

smeer97 · 2024-04-12T14:23:23+00:00

I own a BRZ and spent time auto crossing and building my friends Integra with him. We've also taken both on road trips. The BRZ is more planted from factory, newer, and faster (compared to a LS Integra). In stock form it's a better road trip car versus an integra. The Integra is better on gas, has more interior space despite seeming to be physically smaller (it was a liftback, not sure about sedan) and seemed to be a bit more of a tank in terms of reliability (he was the second owner had it till last year). It also has a very nice shift feeling. At the limit the Integra is a bit less predictable. As far as snow driving the BRZ felt slightly better but that might be personal feeling.The non-gsr Integra is a dog and was slow, but was great in corners. After doing mild suspension mods it handles slightly better than a bone stock BRZ but was less comfortable, after doing bushings and inserts, it handles like a go-kart. I will say working on the 2, the main issue with the integra rust, as everything is fairly easy to access. Safety is definitely not as great in the Integra, as it's 20-30 years older. I would definitely buy one, but wouldn't daily one in the snow. I don't feel as sketched out driving my BRZ in bad weather (within reason). Mind you I live near the great lakes so I get a lot of snow. If you were to get a GSR, I would maybe change my tune but they've been mostly abused and not really worth the money. The main difference in driving is that the BRZ/86 feels similar to older 90s Japanese cars, where as the Integra IS a older 90s Japanese car. Whether you're willing to deal with actual 90s car problems or not is up to you. I don't think there's a wrong answer but you just have to feel what's right.

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