Hello everyone, Ive decided to finally post the progress of my build, as well as a link to my "FundAnything" build page in case people want to get in on the action.

I'm going to give a detailed list of my current upgrades, as well as some pics, and also a list of future upgrades. If you have any input or want to contribute, please visit my page and let me know. Also if you happen to know of a crackhead deal on some of the parts I don't have yet, feel free to bring them to my attention!

For starters: here is my project page:

http://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/project-scion-tc

Next up I'm going to give a detailed list of the parts I have and the parts I need. The parts I have are in BLUE and the parts I don't have but still need to get are in RED.

Engine
Injen Intake
NST alt/wp/crank pulleys
Descendant Intake Manifold
Okada Plasma Coils
AEM FMIC
Port-n-Polish Job (Dezod?)


Exhaust

DC Ceramic Header
Invidia S-Pipe
TRD Axleback

Braking

TRD Big Brake Kit
Stop Tech Rear Slotted Rotors
Stainless Steel Lines

Cooling
Mishimoto Radiator
Mishimoto Electric Fan Shroud
Mishimoto Hoses
Mishimoto Thermostat

Suspension
TRD Springs/Shocks
TRD Rear Sway Bar
Hotchkis Front Sway Bar
DC Front Strut Brace
Ingalls Rear 4 point Strut Brace
Energy Suspension Engine/Trans Mounts
Megan C-pillar Bar
TB Performance Front Cross Member Brace
TB Performance Rear Tie Brace


Drivetrain
Spec Stage 1 Clutch
Spec Flywheel
TRD Limited Slip Differential
TRD Shortshifter
Dezod Stainless Steel Clutchline
NST Shift Linkage Bushings

Wheels
Enkei RPF1's 18x8 et35
Hankook Ventus V12 Tires

Forced Induction
TRD Supercharger
--upgraded (gompka) shaft
--upgraded bearings
--Forge BPV
NST 9.5lb Pulley
MMW Supercharger Intake
Turbo Timer
Greddy Oil Catch Can
Walbro 255lph Fuel Pump

Exterior
V.I.S Carbon Fiber Hood
V.I.S. Carbon Fiber Hatch
Seibon Carbon Fiber Doors
Seibon Carbon Fiber Fenders
Kaminari Carbon Fiber Roof
Carbon Fiber Fuel Door
VRD Grilles

Interior
Sparco Milano 2's (seats)
Sparco Harness
Sparco Steering Wheel
Sparco Pedals
Sparco E-Brake Handle

Miscellaneous
A.E.M. Wideband O2 Sensor
Optima Battery
TRD Oil Cap
TRD Radiator Cap
NRG Grounding Kit
Creative Compacts A-pillar triple gauge pod
ATI Center-mount triple gauge pod

Fluids
Royal Purple 5w-20 Full Synthetic
Redline MT-90 Full Synthetic Transmission Fluid
Castrol SRF Brake Fluid
RS*R Ran Up (oil additive)
Evans NPG+C Radiator Coolant

 

more pics

 

any input? I love to talk shop, even if it's an obscure nuance of a particular upgrade

 

I see you're looking at the SPEC clutch. I highly recommend it. Ive had their stage 2+ for about a year now and love it. Never has a problem grabbing and is easy enough for daily driving. You'll be happy with the SPEC if you go that route. Id go stage 2 if you're getting the S/C just to be on the safe side

Why do you wanna go S/C and not turbo?

Also. I have a set of Sparco Milano cloth seats with brackets and rails that need to be re-upholstered if you're interested.

 

Cool, thanks for the input on the Spec clutch, I figured the Stage 1 would be strong enough for my build, but I'll consider the Stage 2 since you say it is easy enough for daily driving.

I don't want to go turbo because I want to have a conservative build for this car, don't want to have to get intercooler piping and all that jazz. Also, I'm on a budget and it has taken me 7 years just to get to where I'm at now in the build, and Ive acquired all my parts, including the TRD S/c, for super cheap (got the s/c for $900).
My whole goal from day 1 has been to build the "GT" model that Toyota should have built from the factory, which is a much lighter weight, much better handling, much better stopping, 2 door coupe with at least 250whp.
I'm not really interested in a 500hp monster, I'll just get a different car altogether when it comes time to go there.

 

Sounds interesting.....do you have any pics? Would you be willing to part with them for super cheap in a month or so? What part of the country do you live in? Florida I hope? (I'm sure the shipping would be outrageous if you happen to be on the west coast or something!)

 

so i have been browsing and found your thread its funny how i keep happening upon your posts...anyhow i wanted to know specifics about your suspension, right now i have the dc strut bar, trd rear sway, energy suspension master bushing set and poly engine/trans mounts... what i want is almost identicle to yours i want everything but the c pillar bar

first question...how do you like the trd struts and springs? i dont want adjustability, are they worth the price? and do u need a camber kit or anything special when doing the install

second... ingalls 4 point strut bar does it make any difference IYO? some people say yes some people say no...i know an effective strut bar should have at least 3 points of contact anything less than that is virtually for show, right now i can pick one up for 90 bucks is that mod worth 90 bucks? cause if not ill spend the money elsewhere

finally...front sway bar, i have heard its a little overboard for street use and promotes oversteer, however i saw and auto x comment of yours that said u still use the e-brake...anyway they are expensive and a PITA to install, again IYO worth it or not?

 

Hey again! I'm always glad to answer questions so here goes:

I like the TRD struts/springs, they are huge improvement over stock, and honestly I didn't need the adjustability either, I just wanted a good ride height in addition to better handling. They drop the car about 1.25" which is perfect and doesn't require any camber/caster kits or adjustments, although you might want to get an alignment after you drive them the first 100 miles and have given them time to "settle." Usually, trdsparks has the best price on these:

http://trdsparks.com/displayparts.ph...1&parts_id=586

They are perfect for a daily driver and for the car that occasionally sees track time. Although I will say I'll probably get the TRD Coilovers when it comes time to change them out again, but by then I'll have another daily driver and this will be a dedicated track car so I'll actually use the additional stiffness.

Get the Ingalls 4point rear strut brace, especially if you can get it for $90! This is my absolute favorite suspension mod on the entire car. In stock form the TC has a ton of body roll and this brace gets rid of a lot of it. It really keeps the rear end flat thru the corners and it let's me feel way more confident about pushing the car. If anyone tells you it isn't worth the money, it's probably because they never really push their car with spirited driving, or they are just driving in a straight line so they don't notice the benefit. Granted, this mod works even better for me because Ive got the TRD shocks/springs, as well as wider/stickier tires, but you will absolutely see a major improvement thru the curves even if the rest of the car is stock.

As far as the front sway bar goes, I'm a big fan of this as well, but only if you have a decent amount of driving experience. Your average front wheel drive passenger vehicle (chevy cavalier, nissan altima, ford taurus, buick regal etc) is designed from the factory to understeer because it's a lot safer in normal traffic conditions, especially for your average soccer mom who is going to slam on the brakes and cut the wheel to avoid a wreck or some other road hazard. You don't want Grandma going into an oversteer spin if she is trying to avoid a squirrel lol.
With that being said, a performance car driver or even just a mediocre enthusiast who knows what to do and isn't afraid of man-handling a car typically hates understeer, and prefers a little bit of oversteer because it's necessary to take a corner properly.
The Scion TC has so much understeer in stock form, that even with the front sway bar, front strut brace, and wider tires it still understeers some, so yes I do tug on the e-brake a little bit in certain circumstances.
But the front sway does give the car much sharper initial turn-in. I view this mod as absolutely necessary to get decent handling out of the car, although if you are getting mods one at a time, get the Ingalls rear brace first.

 

And yes, the front sway is a PITA to install, you need a lift and you have to drop the front sub-frame.....

Some guy on here apparently managed to install it without dropping the front sub-frame, but I don't know how. I guess he just wiggled and shoved the hell out of it and somehow managed to get it in there but I wouldn't try it that way.

 

well luckily for me the sky is the limit on PITA mods my neighbor runs a shop out of his garage and has a hydraulic lift and almost the entire snap on catalog...he charges me 30 bucks an hour to use his shop and know how on the weekends so cant beat that...thanks again for sharing your experience...after i put the sway bar on im addicted to suspension no other mod can deliver out of box bang for the buck like suspension mods, on top of that the tc is sloppy from the factory im tired of bouncing around corners

 

Your welcome! That's a pretty sweet hookup to know somebody with a shop that will help you, it shouldn't take you more than an hour or so for the front sway if you have a lift and all the right tools. And you are right, nothing gives you more bang for the buck like suspension mods......speaking of which, don't forget to eventually check out the last two mods on my suspension list, I just added them because I just found out that they recently started making them. They can be found here:

http://www.tbperformanceproducts.com/scion-tc1.php

 

already did my research on them...i have a list that gets 2 more parts on it every time i scratch one off but yeah those braces are already on there...i have only seen a couple reviews for them so im kinda excited to try them and write a review, hopefully sooner than later

 

id go turbo before s/c anyday

 

just got a Scion tC 2009 Manual Tranny. And I dislike the "Boat-like" drive it has. I don't want to get hard suspension, I'm not a race car driver. I just want to fix this. I want a nice every day driver setup that will give me a nice ride without bouncing all over... Is TRD my best option......

 

TRD might be your best option. It is by no means a race suspension, but it holds the car much more steady than the stock set-up.

The TRD shocks and springs are probably the mid-way point before you get to actual coilovers. You can try Tokico's and Tein S-techs but imo you won't get as nice of a ride.

Also, you want to get the rear sway bar (either the TRD or the Hotchkis), and possibly the Ingalls rear 4 point strut brace. Once again, these aren't going to turn you into a race car, but they keep the rear end flat around curves which is the biggest problem you initially encounter with the "boat-float" feel. The stock suspension was so crappy that these upgrades are honestly what it takes just make the car feel "normal." I can't tell you how many times I was on a simple on-ramp on the freeway and the back end of my car floated up and leaned so much that the wheels started to slide.....and that was on a dry road......if it's been raining you might as well stay home and forget about it lol.

If you ever need an actual race suspension with this car, you want to go full roll cage, coilovers, control arms, sway bars, strut bars, end-links, tie-braces, etc, because that's how much it would take to make this car handle well.

 

hello! Wow I'm excited to get a reply! Thanks.

this was my initial assumption. I figured TRD being official for the car that maybe itd be a better drive. As long as its not bumpy and feel like I'm breaking the rims on bad roads than I'll be happy. I figured a slightly tougher spring rate and front and rear strut bars would help. I'm getting all TRD branded products just to ensure good fitment and quality. I also got the stiffy kit (only because it was cheap $70) and it greatly improves performance and I believe it will help my components to last longer.

I want the lip kit for this. Any suggestions on where to get one without breaking the bank too bad? I will be searching junk yards occasionally.

my scion is very stock right now. Only 29k on it. Has no TRD mods so far except stiffy kit...

thanks for the feedback its hugely appreciated!

 

The Stiffy kit? Are you talking about the Ingalls stiffy engine dampener?

If so that will certainly help, but I was referring to the ingalls rear 4point brace:

http://www.dezod.com/pd_ingalls_engi...iangulated.cfm


As far as the lip kit.....you might check ebay or the junkyard for a used one because they can be pricey. There are a couple new ones here:

http://www.fastscions.com/Scion-tC-C...iber-Lips.aspx



And yeah you can't go wrong with TRD since they are made specifically for the car.