The commuter that does it all.

[Dliverance]

Hello everyone. I have wanted a Toyota vitz since the year 2000. When I was 15 I used to play gran turismo every single day! Something about the vitz really had my eye. Unfortunately, the vitz wasn’t available to me in Florida. The closest I ever got was a red echo hatchback that I saw on the highway. In 2006 I remember seeing my first Yaris. I was broke and had no credit but boy was I in love. I couldn’t afford a Yaris then because I will only buy a car that I can pay for cash. Some years went by and I kinda forgot about the Yaris bug I once had. I have been fortunate enough to have some great cars. Lots of crx’s, lots of Miatas, an FD rx7, a handful of Subaru’s and more Ford festivas than I could count. I also got into autox and road racing with the SCCA. Last month I was building a festiva for autox when I broke off a cv joint in the transmission. When I called the local parts store, they told me that they didn’t have a throwout bearing in stock and couldn’t find one in the country. This made me really want a newer car so I sat down and thought about what I would buy if I was in the market for a newer car. I got on craigslist and set the filters to hatchback, manual, 4 cylinder and hit search. When I saw “Sky” (what the previous owner named her), I knew I had to have her. I had a long talk with the GF and now I’m the proud owner of a 2008 Yaris base. It has 78k miles and it is perfect.

Over the course of the next few months I’m going to be making her mine. The plan is to make her a really good looking autox car/daily driver. I’ll be running my first autox with her today to get an idea of just how much work is ahead of me. The only mod she has right now is a set of volk te37v in 15x7.5+25 f and 15x8+25 r configuration that were supposed to go on my zzw30. They fit like a champ but I think I’ll reserve those for daily driving or swap the rears up to the front when I autox.

Here’s a few pictures.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4695/39899726694_423e385277_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/23MNwEj)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4698/39891928074_32edce6b56_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/23M7ypm)

[Captain Yaris]

Very nice! Welcome!

[Dliverance]

Very nice! Welcome!

Thank you Captain. I’m about to start my runs now.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4670/25745510807_6ed75a6434_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Fe3tpn)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4771/40574001232_04f2ef9795_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24PomZo)

[WeeYari]

Looks to be a very good, extremely low mileage '08. Great find. Now get those wiper arms repositioned.

Sent from my Elite_5_5_Octa using Tapatalk

[tmontague]

welcome to the club, interested to hear your take on how your Yaris feels during autox in its current state

[NYC-SE]

Now get those wiper arms repositioned.

Ha! I was thinking the same thing, just didn't have the nerve to write it.

Oh and congrats on the new car Dliverance. Looks good.

[Dliverance]

I thought the wipers looked a little high. I’ll get those taken care of when I get home.

[Dliverance]

welcome to the club, interested to hear your take on how your Yaris feels during autox in its current state

To be honest, the car felt great. I didn’t expect the federals to perform as well as they did. It was cold today (in the 30’s) and the federals performed exactly like my last set of re71r’s until it got wet. With the staggered fitment I expected the car to plow but not once in the entire event did it plow. In fact, the car even spun on me once.

The rest of the suspension needs a lot of work. I’m going to be shopping for coilovers this month. I would like something rebuildable like teins but I’m leaning closer to the Bilstein b14’s because a scion/Yaris friend of mine is suggesting them. They’re also within by coilover budget.

[tmontague]

Take a look at the BC racing BR series. The reason I ended up going with them was the fact that they offered custom spring rates at that price range (~$1k). The price is pretty solid too. The ones i ordered are being built so i can't speak to their performance.

YW member Armstrong has been racing on BC racing DR coil overs for a while now and has said good things

[Jason@SportsCar]

Thank you Captain. I’m about to start my runs now.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4670/25745510807_6ed75a6434_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Fe3tpn)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4771/40574001232_04f2ef9795_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24PomZo)

Is that Bremerton?

[Dliverance]

Sure is

[Jason@SportsCar]

Sure is

Fun place. Spent many weekends there.

[Dliverance]

Take a look at the BC racing BR series. The reason I ended up going with them was the fact that they offered custom spring rates at that price range (~$1k). The price is pretty solid too. The ones i ordered are being built so i can't speak to their performance.

YW member Armstrong has been racing on BC racing DR coil overs for a while now and has said good things

Do you mind if I ask what rates you went with?

[tmontague]

I went with 7k front and 9k rear. This should allow me to remove my TRD sway bar and sell it to put the cash towards a dyno.

I had run 4k front and 3k rear last year with basic lowering springs with oem dampers up front and tokiko blue's in the rear. Paired with the sway bar it made the rear end tail happy which I wanted to help rotate the car in corners. The problem was the front end dipped hard under full braking which made it too tail happy when braking at the beginning of a hard corner. The car would also get upset on quick transitions from alternating corners.

The new spring rates should keep the car tail happy but control the front end dip and keep the car more stable. It also gives me the benefit of being able to adjust damping which really appeals to me. I was already happy with my ride height but now at least I can corner balance my car.

Fwiw, my chosen spring rates were based on recommendations from many YW members and their experience such as Jason and Tom who had experience in road courses with varying spring rates

[ArmstrongRacing]

Do you mind if I ask what rates you went with?

I tried the standard 5/3 springs from BC, and even had more experienced drivers than myself help tune the car. The front with 5k is good, but 3k in the rear was useless and we had the dampers maxes out. We then tried a square setup with 5k all around, and we were getting excellent rotation from the rear at 16-clicks

Before I tried 8k in the rear we installed a ULtra Racing rear brace in addition to the TRD RSB, and that seemed to give us a little more rotation as well.

It may be better to run an 8k rear spring and toss all of the braces. But I’m unsure if any of this translates since my car is around 1950lbs.

[Runethecursed]

Haha the bremerton Drags... I just left there. Good Times, The roads back by Tahuya and Seabeck are worth galavanting around. I know some guys still in the area.

Welcome to that #yarislife

[Dliverance]

Thanks guys. I need to sit down and really think about what I’m going to do for spring rates. My car won’t be light since it has to be my daily as well but I don’t mind a stiff ride. Right now I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do about front camber. I’m probably going to move the 8” wide wheels to the front and run some more camber and leave the rears at stock camber but adjust the toe. Before I do any purchasing I need to sell my mr2 and all of my festiva stuff. After that some great things are going to happen.

[Runethecursed]

Id talk to Steve, http://141motors.com/ hes in near seattle but you wont find a shop that will be more dedicated to getting you want you want. I know afew supra owners who go there but steve isnt above working on random cars (he expressed interest in my old 1uz swapped 240)

[Dliverance]

Oh. I appreciate it but I do all of my purchasing and wrenching myself. The only things I let other people do for me is transmission rebuilds, tire mounting/balancing and windshield installation. I can’t think of anything more relaxing than working in my shop and having a beer.

[Dliverance]

Well today was a good day. I got some more spyder parts sold so I decided to treat myself. Now, I know it’s going to bump me into a ridiculous class that I won’t be competitive in but I got myself a supercharger on the way. The one that Innovative 1 was selling. Sometime next week I’ll be ordering my coilovers too. If all goes well I’ll have the supercharger and coilovers installed by the mid April event. I’m not trying to go to nationals or anything so the class doesn’t really matter to me. I just want the car to be in the top 25% of the field.

[Runethecursed]

Interesting choice but I can't wait to see the results. I'm coheresed into trying that 2zr swap. Where you going to get it tuned by?

[Dliverance]

I haven’t had a chance to look into local shops yet but when the time comes I’ll post it here. Worst case scenario though I’ll just have to learn to tune myself and rent myself some dyno time. From what I understand though, it comes with a pretty nice map.

[Dliverance]

Coilovers are on their way! I have no idea what the Bilstein b14 spring rates are but from what I’m hearing, I can’t go wrong. It would be nice if they gave some more info but I guess I’ll just have to look at the spring part numbers when I get them.

[Runethecursed]

Indeed, I need to do some sifting around on what Tien uses, and maybe look at swift on custom springs.

[Dliverance]

I would personally go with swift.

Got some bad news today. The first vendor cancelled my order on the coilovers so I ordered them thru tirerack. It was a bit more expensive and they said that the coilovers are on back order. There is a 2-3 month wait right now.

[Dliverance]

This isn’t autox/track related but it’s part of my long term goal with the car. I’m going to be swapping the 08 front out and making it into an 09 s front. I still need a bumper, fog lights, headlights, a grill and paint but it’s going to look great when I’m done. Here’s the first package.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/790/40242073554_f499e5be39_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24j49so)

[tmontague]

Where did you find the lower bumper and how much?

My bumper has seen better days and I've always liked the yaris S front bumper/body kit and I'm curious about buying an 09 front end kit

[Dliverance]

I ordered it from some random Toyota dealership. It cost an arm and a leg too. Over $300 after shipping. I just googled the part number and went from dealership to dealership to find the cheapest one.

[tmontague]

Do you mind posting up the part # for the front bumper body kit and the 09 bumper.

I wouldn't mind checking the local wreckers for a bumper

[Runethecursed]

also posting the part number for me. i want that front end. i have an 09 non s...

[Dliverance]

For those looking for the 09+ Yaris S oem body kit for liftback they are below..


FRONT LIP
PZ321-52032

REAR LIP
PZ321-52036

Left and Right Side Skirt
76915-52901
76916-52901


There’s those. And here is the number for the S front bumper with the mounting holes already made.

5211952961PFM

[Dliverance]

Do you mind posting up the part # for the front bumper body kit and the 09 bumper.

I wouldn't mind checking the local wreckers for a bumper

How’s that gonna work for a sedan?

[Runethecursed]

Looks like itll be around 300 bucks for just a show piece... but itll dramatically change the front end... Rockauto has the bumper cover for 160 bucks.

[tmontague]

How’s that gonna work for a sedan?

I have to look more into it for comparability and what not. Just want to syartvwoth part numbers first. Currently sticking with parts that make my car faster or handle better but I do plan to fix my bumper down the road

[Dliverance]

Looks like itll be around 300 bucks for just a show piece... but itll dramatically change the front end... Rockauto has the bumper cover for 160 bucks.

Rock autos shipping is ridiculously expensive. I’m going to get the oem non drilled bumper for $150 shipped and dremel my own mounting holes.

I have to look more into it for comparability and what not. Just want to syartvwoth part numbers first. Currently sticking with parts that make my car faster or handle better but I do plan to fix my bumper down the road

I think it would be pretty neat to see a sedan with a hatch s front

[Dliverance]

USPS delivered some goodness today.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/814/40418957934_580a4b8e5e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24zFJ25)

[Dliverance]

Good things are happening very slowly. I’m selling one of my festivas tonight and the new owner doesn’t some of the parts. I will be swapping over my Sparco steering wheel and my recaro rep seat. If all goes well, I’ll have the bracket and hub ordered tomorrow. My front bumper came in too. It looks pretty damn good to me. To finish that project I need headlights, fog lights and a grill. I’ll probably get it over to my paint guy this week.

I’m also waiting for some bc racing coilovers. I got another email from tirerack saying it would be up to 4 months before I got my bilsteins so I cancelled the order. It’s a bummer but oh well. The bc’s seem to be pretty decent quality.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/890/41307740691_137c54a144_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/25WdYaH)

[Runethecursed]

i just wish it wasnt so expensive for that piece. it really makes the front end change. splitter ready now

[Dliverance]

i just wish it wasnt so expensive for that piece. it really makes the front end change. splitter ready now

It is a bit expensive but not really. When I built my FD, parts were waaaay more overpriced. I like to think that I’m going to have this car for a long time and this piece is a good investment. I’m also working on some other aesthetics but I don’t know for sure if they’re going to happen. I want to add some simple skirts and a rear diffuser from a Chinese manufacturer but I don’t know if they’re still in production. They’re made of polyurethane and that’s the only material I would use. I’m not s big fan of fiberglass. I’ve sent a few emails today and I’m waiting to hear back but if the kit is a no go, I’ll be going with the s rear lip. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Once I get the rear, sides and spoiler done, I’ll be focusing on making the car faster again.

Here’s the lip/diffuser I’m talking about.


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/872/40640334564_d0feef0383_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24Vfkzw)

[Runethecursed]

looks good. Personally I am a fan of fabricated underplated diffusers on chopped bumpers. stuff like above looks good and all.. .

also you seen the center exit exhaust? so much pretty, makes me want it for nothing but selfish reasons.

[Dliverance]

I agree with you. If this wasn’t going to be a daily as well as an autox car I would make a proper diffuser but since it is, I’m trying to keep it subtle. I haven’t heard back from that company yet and it’s been almost a week. I’m starting to give up hope. I emailed all three of their different accounts and I check my inbox and spam on a daily basis looking for a response. I don’t even know if they’re still in business.

[Dliverance]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/896/39608225330_92bf78f0fe_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/23m3vsJ)

Fog lights came in today. Just waiting for the grill and headlights now. If all goes well, I’ll have the bumper dropped off at my paint guy this weekend and installed by next weekend.

I’ve also inquired about another rear lip. It’s not as nice as the one above but it’s pretty nice. I want the car to look close to stock but different at the same time. Keep the mods subtle.

[Dliverance]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/806/26622273567_20d8f6d554_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Gyw7qF)

[Runethecursed]

https://can.org.nz/system/files/images/stop-faffing.jpg

[yarisugi]

If the Chinese rear bumper doesn't pan out, the other (and best) option would be the jdm Vitz RS bumper. Let me know if you're interested in the Netz emblem to replace the Toyota emblem for the front.

[Dliverance]

If the Chinese rear bumper doesn't pan out, the other (and best) option would be the jdm Vitz RS bumper. Let me know if you're interested in the Netz emblem to replace the Toyota emblem for the front.

I would love be to get my hands on a vitz rear but I can’t find one for a reasonable price (under $800 shipped) and yes, I would like that emblem. Pm’ing you in a few

[Dliverance]

Looks like I’m going to be selling the blue car. I found a black 2012 locally that I really want. The good news is that I can put my coilovers and supercharger on it but the bad news is that I have a 2010 s front end that I won’t be using now.

[Runethecursed]

Looks like I’m going to be selling the blue car. I found a black 2012 locally that I really want. The good news is that I can put my coilovers and supercharger on it but the bad news is that I have a 2010 s front end that I won’t be using now.

oh man time to jump on it...

but also the newer 2012's are MUCH better

[Dliverance]

oh man time to jump on it...

but also the newer 2012's are MUCH better

I agree. I’m already planning an SE front end swap. I’m trading my spyder towards it tomorrow. Made the call to the dealership today. It’s a black two door 5 speed. First one I’ve seen here and I looked for months.

[Runethecursed]

Good luck man, post photos when you get the car!

[ern-diz]

...but also the newer 2012's are MUCH better

https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F07%2F11%2F63603878074997 7255-182146632_tumblr_loqkzvkuPi1qh17feo1_500.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=67&h=5c85efb96d04d7c35f8f0a2b157e66bc7818a45f5d287c76 dd6d35d74ecdc6a3&size=980x&c=2380342222

[Dliverance]

I picked the ‘12 up last night and I have to say, it’s a lot less comfortable than my ‘08. There’s no nice padding on the doors, the dash looks 3D printed and it feels a little bit...cheaper. I like the front end and the overall feel of the car but I’m kind of disappointed that this model doesn’t have cruise control and has traction control. I’m still happy about the purchase but I feel like Toyota didn’t invest as much into this gen.

[Dliverance]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/867/41809932381_92c295e2a4_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/26GAQg8)

[ern-diz]

No doubt about it, they look great.