Targa Newfoundland Scion FR-S Gets Headers and a Dyno Tune

Peter and Dave from Speed Academy make one last stop before shipping their Scion Racing FR-S to Newfoundland for the Targa rally. Visiting Total Motor Werkes, where Sasha from OnPoint Dyno set up his Dynapack dyno. Sasha fine-tuned the factory engine management system using Ecutek software, dialing in the tune for the intake and exhaust modifications made and for the 91-octane fuel the team would be running during the race. But before that, Peter and Dave needed to install one last set of modifications, a sexy long-tube equal length exhaust manifold from JDL Auto Design, along with a JDL over-pipe and catted front-pipe. As you’ll hear in Episode 9 of Speed Academy’s YouTube build series, the JDL goodies really bring the car’s exhaust note alive, making it sound like a proper racecar.

Sasha’s tuning worked wonders too, bringing the Targa FR-S’s output up to an impressive 181 horsepower at the rear hubs, which converts to about 225 horsepower at the crank, or about 25-hp more than stock. Not too shabby! That wraps up their build series on the FR-S, but there’s still a documentary-style video to come, covering their entire Targa Newfoundland adventure and the dramatic way the week of competition wrapped up for them.

Targa Newfoundland Scion FR-S Gets Drivetrain & Cooling Upgrades

Prior to shipping their Scion Racing FR-S to Newfoundland for an epic week-long race around the island, Peter and Dave from Speed Academy made a quick stop at Cyrious Garageworks, where Scion Racing pro drifter Pat Cyr and his crew helped with the installation of a new clutch-type limited slip differential from Tomei and a Stage 3 clutch kit and lightweight aluminum flywheel from SPEC Clutch.

Peter and Dave also made themselves useful in Episode 8 of their YouTube series by installing a Koyo direct-fit radiator and Perrin oil cooler setup, supplied by Motovicity, one of the biggest aftermarket performance parts wholesalers in the world. Plus you’ll notice Dave tackled the “difficult” job of installing Godspeed Project tow hooks in record time. That boy has skills! Oh, and although it’s not covered in the video, they also traced the traction control and ABS issues to a faulty steering angle sensor, likely damaged when they removed the steering wheel when prepping the car for roll cage fabrication. The sensor was replaced by team tech Andrew “Moose” DeLaCour and calibrated by team engineer Vinh Pham and both systems were back in perfect working order. Phew!

Targa Newfoundland Scion FR-S Hits The Track

Peter and Dave from Speed Academy returned safely from Targa Newfoundland with their Scion Racing FR-S and brought home some impressive hardware to go with it (more on that soon), but before shipping the car to Newfoundland they needed to do some track testing to see how the car was working and identify any areas that needed their attention before wrapping up the build.

As you’ll see in Episode 7 of their YouTube series, the FR-S was handling and stopping really well, but they were having some real problems with the limited slip differential and a mysterious new problem emerged with the traction control and ABS systems. Up next, the Speed Academy duo addresses the differential and traction control issues and makes a few other key upgrades while visiting Cyrious Garageworks.

The Passion Behind the Build

Watch the passion behind the Targa Newfoundland FR-S build!

Peter and Dave from Speed Academy are back from Targa Newfoundland, and we're proud to say they brought home an impressive collection of trophies with their Scion Racing FR-S. More on that soon, but in the meantime here's a video that captures the grassroots passion these guys brought to the Targa Newfoundland FR-S project.

Speed Academy will have a documentary-style video coming soon that covers their entire Targa Newfoundland experience and will give you an inside look at what it's like to compete at this iconic Canadian motorsports adventure.

Targa Newfoundland Scion FR-S Suspension Tweaks and Racewear

Peter and Dave from Speed Academy continue their mad thrash on the Scion FR-S they’re preparing for Targa Newfoundland, this time by upgrading the sway bars, bushings and ball joints. And as you’ll see at the end of Episode 6 of their YouTube series documenting the entire build process, they also start to gear up to meet the safety requirements for Targa NL by wrapping themselves in Alpinestars’ new entry-level GP Start race apparel.

When Dave and Peter adopted this FR-S from last year’s Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge program it was missing a few parts including the front sway bar. This, of course, meant they had the perfect excuse to upgrade to Eibach’s anti-roll kit, which includes larger diameter and much stiffer front and rear sway bars that keep the FR-S’s amazing handling balance intact but reduces body roll in the process. Both bars are adjustable (two positions) so that roll rates can be fine-tuned to their needs.

Virtually all of the factory bushings on the car have been upgraded to Whiteline urethane bushings, which reduce compliance in these joints for greater handling precision and in some cases also correct suspension geometry on lowered cars. The front lower bushing, for example, is offset for improved caster and anti-dive characteristics.

Safety is, of course, also a big concern any time you go racing, especially at an event like Targa NL where trees and houses are just a few feet off the tarmac. In case of an in-car fire, both Dave and Peter will be wearing Alpinestars GP Start suits, which are constructed from 2 layers of fire-retardant Aramid fabric, plus a Nomex fire-retardant layer of underwear for good measure. Add to that GP Start gloves and shoes and they should be both safe and comfortable during the 43 flat-out Targa race stages next week.

They’ve also protected their heads with Stilo helmets and intercom, which have integrated mics and earphones so that they can talk to each other on the rally stages. It’s critical in a rally like Targa NL for the co-driver to be able to read the pace notes to the driver so he knows what’s ahead, be it a fast right-hander, a narrow bridge, or a giant pothole.