Hi. I'm Rick from Grand Rapids. I found out about this site when I saw a Kzoo Rice sticker on a car a while ago. I'm a Toyota guy, and I have worked in the parts department at both Toyota dealers here in GR. I currently work for a domestic..ugh. I've had a Matrix, Scion tC, and now a 2008 Yaris hatchback. I just got the Yaris in July. So far, I have installed a Megan Racing axle back exhaust, an AFE short ram intake, a Piggies short shift kit, Konig Feather 17" wheels with Kumho Ecsta AST tires, got the windows tinted, and the rear lip spoiler from Toyota. I put a cold air intake and TRD exhaust on the Matrix, and the TRD supercharger and exhaust on the tC. I think the TRD supercharger was a little too much for the 2.4 Camry engine in the tC to handle. It started using oil at about 24k miles and I had to get a new short block. Before that, I had to have the supercharger replaced twice. They worked but developed a terribly loud squealing noise. This, combined with the car requiring premium fuel, and a personal financial crisis, are the reasons the tC is gone. Too bad, because that car was fun as Hell to drive.

I purchased the Yaris because I wanted an inexpensive car that got good gas mileage.
When I had the tC, I was on ScionLife.com and got together with some people from Kalamazoo for a couple poker runs. I came in first in both runs The host had a tC and a Honda S-2000. I met a few cool guys through ScionLife, and am still close friends with one of the guys who had an xB at the time.
There doesn't seem to be an organized group of tuners/enthusiasts here in GR. I am looking forward to meeting y'all and maybe going on a future cruise, poker run, whatever. Too bad winter is around the corner...

welcome aboard

Thank you!

Sweet Yaris.

Hatchback love. <3

Welcome to the site!

-Richard-

welcome

welcome

Thanks for the welcomes. Any of you peep my tC bad supercharger video yet?

Yeah and it hurt my ears.

welcome

man why you gotta hate on domestics like that?

but yea, neat yaris, not a big fan, but different strokes for different fokes... none the less welcome aboard....

I remember that poker run, I was in my silver shelby daytona. It was a bunch of S2000, and Scions and me and boots (groove83 aka richard)

Welcome, cool to see a Toyo enthusiast!

TRD S/C too much for the tC? Shit with the S/C don't they still only run low 15's? Very disappointing, but I guess for warranty purposes it worked.

I dig the Yaris, unique platform to mod.

Welcome!

turbo the Yaris?


Better yet...LSx swap...

Sounded like a circular saw.

welcome

Welcome from a gas guzzler.

Welcome from another gas guzzler. LOL

welcome

thank you for attempting to offset my carbon footprint.

they run low 15's stock...supercharged ones run in the mid 14's...low 14's with a pulley and a tune. not fast but not bad...Early superchargers had lots of issues which are "supposedly" fixed with the newer units...then again there is a reason they are being sold so cheap now.

And I still maintain that newer 1.5L in the yaris etc. is garbage...toyota cheaped out on lots of the components for that "powerplant"

I don't really dislike the yaris, but the hatchback version just kinda hits me as a muffin on wheels.

^ Gotcha.

BTW was the tC on Craigslist a while back? Black also? Unsure, I just recall an S/C'd tC in GR! If so I shared it with the g/f and what a decent deal it was! Nice to know these things now, haha.

Welome! Glad to see another 'Yota-head up on the rice...

Welcome from a fellow GR'er... ?

real talk the yaris is terrible.

welcome

last year the one yaris in front of me couldn't get up the icy hill. Well it eventually made it up, but almost got stuck again turning onto kilgore. Even the ranger with it's lazy posi made it up the hill with some effort..

I like some domestics but I'm a bigger import fan. Actually, the Grand Prix is one domestic I would like to own.



Cool. I remember you with the Daytona. The second run in the fall didn't have quite the turnout, but still fun!



I would love to, but I don't think I would do that to my daily driver again. I don't want anything that requires premium fuel or isn't reliable. If it was my screwin' around car, and I had another daily driver, that Yaris would be a blast with even a small turbo.



Possibly the same one. I think it was ok after the fixes, but I didn't know how long it would last.

welcome to the 4m's

This Yaris is my commuter and what I needed right now financially. Believe me, there are many cars that I would rather drive if I could afford it.
Someday, I would like to get an old 240Z, RX7, Porsche, or something to play around with and maybe do some SCCA events.
For now, I will enjoy my daily driver as much as I can. I wasn't trying to "mod" it as much as I was making it more my style. I don't have any pipe dreams of making it some crazy performance machine.

Welcome.

Yarrrrrrrr, welcome to they site mate.

Thanks. Was that greeting because I drive a Yarrrrr-is?

welcome..I'm in GR also. do you know the guy named Chantha at GR toyota? he had help me fixed several cars as his side job...

welcome

Yeah...I worked with Chan for many years there. I think he might still be there. He knows his stuff, especially when it comes to Asian cars. Good tech and a good guy!

I returned to this old thread to let people here know I'm starting as a parts guy at Metro Toyota in Kalamazoo on Monday 10/12.
Let me know if you need anything!

Rick
Metro Toyota 269-375-1000

lol, have fun.

theres probably SOMETHING i will need to pick up from the dealer. keep forgetting what it was tho, ah well. I needed a new parts guy, mine is gone now.

well, I'd really like a hatch for an 82-85 Celica, or even better an 85 Celica Supra, but I know that aint happening.

I'm pretty sure I could buy Yugo / Trabant parts easier, than stuff for your Celi'.



-Richard-

I wanted to get my girl into a yaris so i could do this to it.

stealing 4Runner/Tacoma/Pick-up parts and Celica Supra parts has treated our Celicas pretty well up 'til this point. lmao