JoeCools 2ZZ Project: Fast Fun!

[JoeCool]

Out with the old:


In with the new:





Made it safely home 120 miles... didn't push it obviously, but it seems to run very well. And it goes into lift   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Also sorted my facelift headlights so they work properly, got it another years MOT, fitted new rear pads and a new drive shafte to replace the one with the split CV. Also, pulling the engine and refitting it has moves the shifter location slightly, and it's now much easier to get into reverse, as well as shifting the 'pattern' over to the right a bit. Shifting is much improved.  All in all she appears back in good health.

Finally, a sneak preview of another Project in the Bonsai Skunk Works (nothing to do with me I hasten to add!)

[1979scotte]

I am very pleased indeed.

[JoeCool]

Right, so, took it out for a little spin today. 110520 miles on the Odo.

Oil checked: At the Top of the dip stick. No signs of any leaks/loss. Coolant ok.

Drove absolutely fine. I'm still not ragging it, but it basically drives exactly like it did before. Exhaust is a bit more muted in the cabin, at a guess it was blowing before. I've had all new gaskets put in this time. Did a nice little 20 mile loop and got some pics: (It's filthy, detailers/ocd types beware).

[Carolyn]

I must say it looks, well,,, coool!

[JoeCool]

I've ordered a pair of stack gauges, oil pressure and oil temp. They look like they should match the stock gauges quite well, white faces with black numbers and red needles. I also got a mishimoto sandwich plate.

Hopefully that will let me monitor the oils behaviour on track in a couple of weeks.

[JoeCool]

Today I:

• Bled the brakes with pagid DOT 4 fluid.
• tried to drop the front coilovers 5mm but annoyingly one of the locking collars is on too tight and I bent the adjuster tool trying to loosen it, so the front end is staying where it is for now.
• Checked and adjusted tyre pressures to 26 front and 30 rear. They were a bit low! (19 front and 22 rear all round!). Noticed some perishing of the valve stems, I don't think they're leaking I just haven't checked the pressures for way too long. Will monitor.
• Weighed it at the dump weighbridge: 1020Kg with 1/4 Tank of fuel.
• Washed it.

What I didn't get done, annoyingly, is my gauges fitted.  s:( s:(  too little time and too many other commitments, plus the wire I ordered didn't show up on time.

So now I have to do a trackday tomorrow with no monitoring....

[Topdownman]

Same happened with my coilovers when I last tried to change them.

I got a new spanner off ebay but havent got round to adjusting them since so no idea if the new one will work.

[MilesH]

What I didn't get done, annoyingly, is my gauges fitted.  s:( s:(  too little time and too many other commitments, plus the wire I ordered didn't show up on time.

So now I have to do a trackday tomorrow with no monitoring....

Ignorance is bliss!  s;) s;)

Hope the trackday goes well  s:) s:)

[LeoD]

Brilliant, brilliant thread. Car looks amazing

[JoeCool]

Rockingham Trackday Completed: Car deaths: 1 (Not mine! Phew!)

Rockingham was a truly excellent day. Well organised, well run, minimal down time even with 40+ cars and an open pit lane. Everyone was really polite and happy to chat, and well behaved on the track. The Circuit was in the 'International Supersports' layout, so there was one banked oval bend. However, there was also highly variable grip, from 'zero' in turn one to 'not much' most other places. This had the positive effect of keeping lateral G's down and hopefully keeping the oil pick up in oil. However it did mean it was SUPER difficult to lean on the car with confidence, especially when there's a huge wall to your right. Car nearly swapped ends under braking into turn one on a number of occasions, so it was a good lesson in car control anyway.

The MR2 performed flawlessly. With no gauges, I kept a close eye on coolant temp to gauge how hard the engine was working (I've previously seen it as high as 110 coming off a Nurburgring lap with no ill effects). It ran at 88 most of the day, only creeping up to 92 when working hard. The benefits of trackdays in December! I completed about 70 miles on track. Got ~18Mpg across the day on track. I wasn't fully extending the engine, focussing mainly on lines, traction and not crashing.

I also had some driver instruction from Chris (an ex touring car driver) who thoroughly deconstructed my driving and gave me plenty to think about.

There was some very tasty metal on display, and as ever I failed to get many shots of my own car. I did get some in car footage so I'll try and edit something together at some point.


Our Cars. The RX-8 really surprised me with how much grunt and grip it had, especially as it was on super-budget rears. Hard to imaging more car for a grand. The 490bhp E30 Touring was awesome as always, and brought a steady stream of people to our garage to find out exactly how a 30 year old 316i managed to pull away from their M3 in the straights..... (A 4.4 V8 with a supercharger will do that).


Our friends Spire Kit car - Hayabusa Powered.


Sadly the day didn't end well for him.


Because of that.  s:( s:(


There was some Japanese Street Racing crew there.


Godzilla!


I may have had a slight love affair with this car......


Best shot I got of my car. It looks wrong. Too much front tyre. I need to drop the nose and fit lower section front tyres, to try and get the nose down a bit (for front end grip/turn in, honest, not looks). Ideally I'd find a set of 15/16" staggered wheels, but I do like my Ultraleggeras.

Full album of images here

[JoeCool]

Quick compilation video on youtube

[delhusband]

Nice vid and pics, looked like good fun  s:) s:)

[JoeCool]

Car isn't going anywhere in this!

[Stevebratt]

looks like the perfect track car. Im looking to purchase a similar Mr2 for as cheap as possible hopefully around feb or march to do track days, so this is great inspiration. the plan is to service the car and then do a track day or two completely stock and then slowly modifying the car eventually fitting the 2zz. I cant find a batter car bang for buck thats mid engine rear wheel drive. Looking forward to taking one for a spin

[LeoD]

looks like the perfect track car. I'm looking to purchase a similar Mr2 for as cheap as possible hopefully around feb or march to do track days, so this is great inspiration. the plan is to service the car and then do a track day or two completely stock and then slowly modifying the car eventually fitting the 2zz. I cant find a batter car bang for buck thats mid engine rear wheel drive. Looking forward to taking one for a spin

Steve, I have purchased one about four weeks ago and have done two tracks days and very happy so far. I have come from an E46 M3 so of course the standard MR2 is much slower, but at my local track Mondello I was able to match the M3s lap time on the first outing simply because the cornering ability of these cars is exceptional. You can just fling them about a track and know it will be manageable.

I will be doing the 2ZZ thing in January and really excited for this. I would highly recommend one and good luck with your project.

Joe. This thread has greatly guided me. Many thanks for taking the time for all the detailed posts and information

[JoeCool]

Joe. This thread has greatly guided me. Many thanks for taking the time for all the detailed posts and information

No worries. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer!

[Stevebratt]

looks like the perfect track car. I'm looking to purchase a similar Mr2 for as cheap as possible hopefully around feb or march to do track days, so this is great inspiration. the plan is to service the car and then do a track day or two completely stock and then slowly modifying the car eventually fitting the 2zz. I cant find a batter car bang for buck thats mid engine rear wheel drive. Looking forward to taking one for a spin

Steve, I have purchased one about four weeks ago and have done two tracks days and very happy so far. I have come from an E46 M3 so of course the standard MR2 is much slower, but at my local track Mondello I was able to match the M3s lap time on the first outing simply because the cornering ability of these cars is exceptional. You can just fling them about a track and know it will be manageable.

I will be doing the 2ZZ thing in January and really excited for this. I would highly recommend one and good luck with your project.

Joe. This thread has greatly guided me. Many thanks for taking the time for all the detailed posts and information

Awesome leo, thats pretty much the exact plan for me. Dont judge me but I actually have a 911 997 Carrera S as a weekend car (around 355 BHP) the car is a rocket, but there are a few problems. While everyone thinks im some kind of millionaire to be able to afford such a car, its actually a large chunk of my monthly budget to keep it running, I dont have any of the money required to track it, the tyres and brakes are so expensive and should I break the engine I wouldn't be able to afford to fix it, at least not in the next 4 years or so. the car is amazing and has been a dream car since i was a youngster having had loads of models and such. Its just not practical for me to track it, especially if i want it to hold some kind of value should i need to sell it. The other problem is, ive never had a rear wheel drive car let alone a rear engine rear wheel drive car, and the car is quite simply far better than I am, It still makes me nervous the way the back end steps out when i floor it.

so the solution for me is to find a car with a similar setup that i can push to the limits that doesn't break the bank. the MR2 is like the perfect trainer car. Its cheap enough that if i smash it to pieces it wont really matter (i mean i really dont weant to do that but its not the end of the world), and stock it should be slow enough to make it much harder to smash to peices whilst still being fun to drive. as my confidence builds i can do the essential things like brakes and suspension and then eventually do the engine. the 2zz turbo projects ive seen online can give up to 350bhp to these tiny little cars, having an MR2 that can out perform my S seems bonkers to me but i can only imagine would be a huge amount of fun. And if i break the entire engine or a steering arm, the costs are night and day different.

on top of all that, Ive always wanted to track day and never done it, and i think its about time i did.

I cant wait to get started, luckily for me im no stranger to the mechanical side as I used to be big into mk2 golfs so ive done engines brakes suspension etc itching to get started. Leo Id love to see a thread about what your up to with the car and this thread is great.  Where about are you based leo? which tracks have you done?

[LeoD]

Hey Steve, yep the M3 would cost on average €800 per track day on wear and tear, mostly Tyres & Brakes but also managed to crack the subframe and other bits but worth every penny!!!  In this Car I did Mondello International x14 (IRL), Angelsey, Oulton, Brands Hatch, Spa (x2), Monza and a few trips to the Ring.

I don't want to hog to much of Joe' thread but in my humble opinion track days are not to be feared and the MR2 is much more than a starter car for track use. I can't get over the simple drive pleasure and it capability on track. Greatly under rated. I have also done multi venue auto tests in mine and it is perfect for this.

I would suggest you start with the 1ZZ, upgrade the discs and Pads (I went EBC discs and Yellow Pads) and a good set of tyres like the AD08s Joe uses. Do few track days to get the feel for her before you push on with major upgrades.

Personally I will be following Joe's Blueprint as it seems the best all round package for me with some variations.

And don't worry we wouldn't judge you on a 997, if you had said Bentley Bentayga that would be a different matter!!!

[JoeCool]

Just ordered new front discs and pistons for the front calipers. Need to do a brake rebuild, I have the caliper rebuild kits already. Winter has not been kind to my front discs, and there was a pretty bad imbalance on the MOT test although it still passed.

Booked this year's Nurburgring trip in late may, so have to get cracking on the jobs list once again!

[LeoD]

Hey Joe, a few of us our heading to Oultan on the 7th March if you fancy it?  It is very well priced as it is mid week and not very congested.  There will be three roadsters there including mine, one runninng approx 210bhp.  I am just finishing the 2ZZ transplant so going to us this a shake down!

[JoeCool]

That's an awesome offer but sadly I have unavoidable commitments at work that day.  (:< >

I mean... I could quit....

[LeoD]

Work is over rated !!

[JoeCool]

Getting my list together for Nurburgring Prep this year.

• Rebuild front brakes. Ordered new pistons and discs (winter salt killed them whilst the car sat over christmas), I have the rebuild kits in stock, not sure if I'm going to be able to get the calipers media blasted or not.
• Fix broken adjuster on the front shock - Meister R have kindly agreed to send a replacement tool and collar
• Pull the Air Con Rad out
• Thinking abut dropping the fronts to 205/45 R16 and taking a bit of ride height out, and having it re-aligned. For handling and not looks, honest.
• Need to sort front arch liners too. I've run without them for long enough, crud is getting everywhere.
• Fit the bloody gauges!!
• Oil change now she's run in.

I'm sure there's more.

[JoeCool]

Right, I managed to do none of that!

Trip report: Nurburgring 2018.

I was in a bit of an odd space in the run up to this years trip. I was extremely busy at work, we're trying to sell our house, and I'd also convinced myself that the 'new' engine was about to let go at any moment. Just standard paranoia. Ultimately, what I managed to do was change the oil (1,000 miles since the new engine went in), check tyre condition and pressures, and wash it. So I was dramatically under prepared for the Nurburgring. The car spec is basically identical to last year, except with a reconditioned engine.

My confidence in the car increased somewhat after chasing my mates M3 across the continent without a hitch. However, my head was NOT in the right spot heading out on the first evening, and this translated into a nervous, frustrating drive where it felt like every other car in the place was hunting me. I called it quits after 2 laps and went for a few beers to chill out.

Day 2, I decided to wipe the slate clean. I did my pre flight checks, put my helmet on (mainly to stop me spending all my time listening for different engine noises), put my big boy pants on and went out and had FUN. Just drove it, got the car up on tip toes, found the confidence to lean on the tyres and just rolled with the flow. Had a big slide into Caracciola due to a botched gear change which I caught, and served as a big reminder that I CAN catch the car when it goes. That lap was a 9:40, the next one I took a passenger out and did a 9:30 (timed after the fact I hasten to add, I don't run against a clock when I'm driving). The evening was threatening rain, so I decided to end on a high and not go out again. Just 4 laps tallied this year.

We were meant to be there for 3 days but the third day schedule changed and the 'ring wasn't open for Touristfahten as planned, So I came home on an earlier ferry to give my wife a bit more parenting support!

So, a lot learned about mindset and preparation this year. The car is still where it was last year, the driver certainly wasn't.

Time to attack that jobs list and refine my skills before the next outing, I think.



A video of my better lap

[JoeCool]

So, the love-hate cycle continues! I really should drive this car more, because when I do, I love it.

Trip to the nurburgring scheduled once again. I couldn't bear the thought of missing out, or riding alone in someone else's car. They all drive bmws... Yuk!

Anyway, the 'ring necessitates prep and I'd let a few things slide, so my jobs list looked like:

• fit new brake discs all round - pitted and rusty.
  
• Step up to EBC yellow stuff pads
  
• rebuild the front calipers as the brake force was a bit uneven in the last mot.
  
• remove the redundant air con rad, with the hope of more airflow and thus cooling to the main rad behind.
  
• remove redundant air con piping.
  
• straighten up the steering wheel which to my shame has been five degrees off since I fitted it in a hurry the night before last year's trip!
  
• fit new undamaged coilover adjustment collar, pull 5mm out of the front ride height.... In preparation for
  
• fitting 205/45 r16 yoko ad08-r's on the front. I really think the car would benefit from a bit less front sidewall, a bit more rake, and I don't like the looks of the equal sidewall depth front and rear. So that's getting sorted.
  
• realignment at wheels in motion
  
• really need to try and address the rattly roof. I always have earphones in wehn not on track, but this will drive my passenger nuts!
  
• general fluid service, oil, filters and a full brake bleed.
  
• general condition check of suspension and torques.
  
• my back left light has 2 bulbs out but I suspect it might be a bad ground or something, need to check it out.
  
• fit front headlight replacement bracket.
  
  So, this morning I set out and did quite a bit of this list. Everything went really smoothly, even putting in the new caliper pistons single handed, as well as sorting the coilover collar which I thought would be a bitch of a job. Even had time for a dab of paint on the front calipers.
  
  Pics to follow!