MrT's mod log

Started by MrT, February 17, 2018, 22:06

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MrT

Thanks Topdownman

Anyway a fairly productive day. Though I've misplaced some fasteners and can't mount a caliper or the bumper... And my taillight is bust, so reached out for some bits to finish then then I can wheel it out the garage at long last.


Cheers
Tyler

Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

MrT

Well many thanks to J-Spec for getting me out a hole, I misplaced all my bumper fixings and needed a replacement tail light, 2 days later and a modest charge for the taillight only and I had the light, bumper fixings including NEW clips and the missing caliper bolts I needed.

So I had a great lunch break today, got the rear end on, just can't reach the engine lid until the car is out the garage so tomorrow hopefully I can do that and get the fuel pump back in and enough interior to get her running, oh plus fit the steering wheel [emoji28]



Few detail pics for my interest... The exhaust manifold and link pipe, both looking rather tired and due some TLC.









PS, don't comment on the jack placement, I have to skootch the car sideways to work on each side and get it out the garage / pack stuff round it...

Cheers
Tyler

Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

MrT

Ok so the car is out the garage [emoji3060][emoji3060][emoji30]



Well the roof isn't fitted and it's torn anyway so likely needs to be replaced. I guess the hard top is going back on...

And I have some missing fasteners and a problem with how I just cut off the fuel lines from the pump rather than disconnecting them a few years back and now I can't connect the replacement pump... I'm hoping I can get replacement lines quickly. And the radiators don't look in very good shape [emoji24]

Cheers
Tyler

Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

MrT

#103
Well it took some doing, but it's running again.

I had a big fight with the front suspension and some missing and broken parts to be replaced via J-Spec but got most of the front end together.



I bought what was listed as a zzw30 radiator but turned out to be a Celica radiator. Anyway the Facebook guys said it'd fit with a different off side hose so I'll go find one but for now I've manoeuvred the original hose into an acceptable position to seal and not kink excessively. Not ideal but enough to drive the thing home.





Tight fit, need a little clearance.but it looks good in there.



The fan shroud stands nearly a centimeter off from the radiator so I trimmed it with a trunk seal,. almost airtight fit now and boy does it move air through (a/c fan helps...)





This was all on the weekend and enough of a headache (after spending Saturday afternoon retrieving the long term project from a family member's garage to replace the MR-S in my lock up. Any guesses?). Then to try and get it started, coolant bled etc. Everything was hooked up fine, alarm seemed to behave but not sure, ignition on, turn and small click of the relay in the passenger foot well. Initially the pump fired but only once. Damn, is the immobiliser being a dick? A night's research and no, that's behaving. This afternoon I crawled under the car again, tested the starter circuit, battery and earth resistances etc, all seemed good.
So I sat in the driver seat thinking wtf else is wrong, these cars are simple and reliable. Got sidetracked thinking my gear knob is still missing and oh I have a new clutch, I wonder if that's working as well. Sheesh, feels light (compared to my 2.0 diesel...) and then in the dead silence of my contemplation I pressed the clutch again and heard a faint click of a switch. #!&##£!!?! Expletives ring out, am I supposed to put the clutch in to start it? YES!!!!!
Success, sort of. This brand new battery sounds like it's really struggling to turn over the motor, and I charged it last night... Oh I know, that hulking great diesel has an oversize battery, let's jump it. Boom, the thing turns over like a sewing machine. Keep trying, it sort of fires but not. Few more attempts and it starts. Couple more tries, it starts but won't idle... hop out and check, off side cylinder (4?) Is not firing, check plug, dry, no fuel?!!! Oh maybe those 3 litres I put in a dry tank weren't quite enough...
Home to cook dinner, hey sun's out so light a fire. Then back to the petrol station for another 5l top up. Now try and after a few attempts and switching the ignition to run the fuel pump and it's running, rough to begin then smoother, and idling now. Leave it to heat up and cycle the fans etc, check coolant leaks and so on. All seems ok. But not coming off fast idle. Cool down and top up coolant then run again.

Meanwhile I put the rest of the front back on. OSF wing is bent, explains the trashed headlight and now nothing aligns but that's near enough sorted and the bumper is back on along with headlight and looks like a car again. Tidy up, pack up and tootle home gently in the dead of night, unroadworthy, no tax, no MOT, no insurance. Only less than half a mile.

And it's home at last. Now for the hard part of fixing that front suspension and getting it running properly. Engine light is on but I can't get the obd reader to connect, job for another day.



Cheers
Tyler
Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

Alex Knight


puma2

 :) nice to see a fellow Custard in the open air up and running 8)  8)
some work gone into that with more to come :)  :)
keeping going its worth it when you drive it O:-)  O:-) 

MrT

Thank you folks.

I've had a few late nights and not updated the thread so hear goes.

First the big headache was removing those old wishbones. The front bolts had rusted solid into the bushes so no undoing or removing the bolts from the bushes or sub-frame. Thankfully, it's like Toyota designed the subframe for a 115mm cutting disc to slip right in to chop the bushes / bolts apart. So that's what I managed to do, chop the bolt out both sides so the wishbone came out.

Then the steering rods were all corroded. The locking nuts fused solid to them. So I carefully cut the nut off then ran a tap down the threads to clean them up.

I realised I've got Whiteline ARBs also kaching!

Anyway all shiny bits back on the car, phew. Yes, alignment is horrible but enough to get to the tyre shop to be set correctly...









Then I was unsure what to do as I cannot fit my Megillian mid brace with the TRD front brace and I realized they're meant to be together... Actually the TRD brace is in bad shape, no paint left and heavily rusted. But structurally fine. Not worth trying to restore in my view so I scrubbed it up, trimmed the Megillian brace and welded them together. It turned out amazingly well all said, I was worried about heat shrinkage and variations in the manufacture of both and the car. But it bolted together beautifully!

Only 2 3rd degree burns from welding within inches of the brace lying directly under the welder but hey... It was self-cauterised [emoji23][emoji23]

Well as I say, too rusted to restore so I converted the rust to protection with my never ending jar of POR15 (it's running low but covers soo much rust) after scrubbing off all the loose rust and grease and it's looking ok. Some day I'll strip it and a few other bits and get them properly blasted, plated and powder coated. Might make a jig too if I have space and time...

Anyway here it is





And home safe again.









PS I hope nobody is upset by my modification of an original TRD brace but like I say it was almost beyond saving and now has a new lease of life plus added benefit for bracing my car.

Cheers
Tyler

Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

MrT

Actually just noticed I didn't take many pics of the actual work, it got dirty and uncomfortable under the car, took another 30min just cleaning up afterwards. Lots of loose rust and debris and muck fell off the car during the work not withstanding the actual chopped metal. But everything is cleaned and sprayed with TCF corrosion inhibitor so should stay healthy for a while.

Cheers
Tyler

Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

puma2

 :) hopefully next time  you get burnt it will be from a day out with the roof down :))  :))
good write up with some man hrs gone in to it to bring the sunshine back out on every trip ;D  ;D
keep going and hope welding disaster has not put you off for live  ;D  ;D

Joesson

#109
@MrT

I can see you have new wishbones and Poly bushes. In your 25 April post you mentioned some Yaris arms. Is that what you used and fitted Poly bushes  to .
Which arms bushes etc did you choose?


MrT

#110
Quote from: Joesson on June  4, 2022, 16:49@MrT

I can see you have new wishbones and Poly bushes. In your 25 April post you mentioned some Yaris arms. Is that what you used and fitted Poly bushes  to .
Which arms bushes etc did you choose?

Yes sir. Got the correct arms this time. 99-2006 Yaris arms. Trick is just making sure they have the ARB link hole in the correct position, there's loads for sale from motor factors or eBay etc. I just trawled for a good deal on eBay from a decent manufacturer.
I already had Polybush bushes so swapped them over. Just had to press the stock bushes out the arms and polybushes back in.

Cheers
Tyler
Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

MrT

#111
So I've chipped away at small jobs but spent some time getting things back together this weekend.

First I made up an exhaust hanger bracket since I don't fit the exhaust tip which had this hanger to hold the silencer back and in place. Without it the silencer twists forward and rattles against the ARB at low RPMs.



I refitted my parcel shelf and rear bins, partly. Bare minimum to save weight, I was horrified by how heavy the doors are but I guess that's for security. So I left them off. And a few inside trim bits that aren't seen underneath the parcel shelf now.



Also put all the dashboard in, steering wheel back on, swapped bulbs in the dash to LED and reconnected the fog light switch that I hate and will change soon.



I did a small repair to a plastic cover and thought it might interest people. Who's read about this little trick to reinforce plastic when gluing it? Use a dry tea bag to give strength, like fibre glassing in miniature. Yorkshire's finest work great, and I made the tea first then washed and dried the bags hence the colour. You must use acetyl acetate something super glue, the instant dry stuff.





But first MOT on Wednesday, so I need to get the alignment done so I can give it a proper (stealthy) drive to get everything hot and running well before the test.



Cheers
Tyler
Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

shnazzle

Quote from: MrT on June 12, 2022, 20:45(My photo uploads keep failing so I'll try again later) ... I'm fed up with Tapatalk, though it seems worst on MR2ROC forum...

Cheers
Tyler

Probably the only forum you visit that uses the SMF forum software.
Tapatalk have been sodding lazy with releasing the plugin for this forum software. So they've left us with this broken pile.
Joyous of them
...neutiquam erro.

MrT

Quote from: shnazzle on June 12, 2022, 21:37Probably the only forum you visit that uses the SMF forum software.
Tapatalk have been sodding lazy with releasing the plugin for this forum software. So they've left us with this broken pile.
Joyous of them
Not a dig at the forum Patrick. Thanks for the support.

Cheers
Tyler

Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

MrT

So I fitted cardboard discs to the car...



Well, failed MOT on corrosion on the discs, apparently not cleaning up enough but the abs was happy with the braking power. Anyway, turned into discs and pads all 4 corners so some caliper love also. Waiting for pads still but I threw the Pagid discs on I got from ecp on sale recently and the paint looks naff, hope they look better scrubbed in and shiny. Still not keen on the silver hub behind my wheel... Oh well.

And they took offense to me having an aftermarket steering wheel. Jerks. Never cared before but hey. Rules right, I'll put it back on when I pull the car back into the drive [emoji28][emoji28]

Hopefully after this everything mechanical and functional is rebuilt and I can relax for getting to the National meet. Then I'll start sorting my audio setup. Just keeping it simple with an amp, split door speakers and a sub, connect directly to my phone for audio and calls. I toyed with headunits and tablets in a NavPod but I'm keen on the clean empty dash look, just the AC controls. I like the floating dash also without radio/ashtray section below. Just need to cover up the wiring and airbag ECU (is that what it is?).

Cheers
Tyler

Cheers
Tyler

RIPieces: Sable \'05 Roadster \'Red\' edition.
Project: MR-S import (JDM) now my toy and mule for:
SC build OR a 2AR-FXE swap (ref: Frankenstein Motorworks) OR Electric conversion
AND rebody with a fibreglass replica of Porsche 550 Spyder.

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