'05 Budget Track Hack

Started by Roj, August 23, 2020, 14:12

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Roj

Hi folks!

As per my newbies introduction post, I'm back in an MR2 after an eight year hiatus. I owned a low mileage '00 PFL around '09-'12 but had to sell it due to a lack of space. Since then I've had a Mk5 Golf Gti (still currently owned),  Saab 9-5 Aero, 911 Carrera 4S, MG ZT V6, a few bargey Mercs and some others not worth mentioning :) It feels great to be back in a lightweight, involving, open top car again.

The car is an '05 in Silver with black leather. It's done 93k miles, is in a reasonable condition apart from a small scrape on on the driver's sill and the odd minor scratch here and there. The front end has been painted fairly recently by the looks of things, not particularly well tbh but the front slam panel, chassis legs, wings etc. are all straight so I'm 99% sure it was just a freshen up rather than crash repair. The roof is in a poor state but that doesn't bother me too much as it'll live under cover anyway. Overall the car was by far the best one I went to view.

It's almost entirely standard at the moment, with the only mod I'm aware of being the gutted pre-cats, carried out by a previous owner. The chap who sold me the car was a member on a couple of the Facebook groups and I think on here also, as he was pretty clued up on the Mk3 foibles like the pre-cats, oval bores, drain cleaning etc. Always good to buy from an enthusiast.

On the way home from collecting the car... perfect weather for it and a trip across the Cairn O' Mount was the ideal way to settle in to ownership:






The main reason for buying an MR2 was to use as a cheap n' cheerful fast road and track day car. I had an evening at Knockhill booked the week after I picked the car up so I wanted to ensure all was well prior to hitting the track.

I'd ordered up a service kit from Opie Oils with Titan Race Pro oil, K&N filter etc. but UPS failed to deliver on time, so I spent the Saturday morning scrabbling around local factors picking up what I could. The Mobil Super 3000 oil wasn't ideal for the planned track workout but it was the correct spec and I knew I'd be changing it again soon anyway.... plus the local prices for Mobil 1 were bonkers! Similar story with the spark plugs - NGKs will go in at some point but the Bosch Super 4s will do for now. The bulbs they gave me at the parts store were H4s for PFL lights, not the H7s I needed, but I didn't realise until I went to fit them.  >:(



Nice to see a decent oil filter had been used at the last oil change...



Two of the coils aren't in good shape but the local factors didn't have any in stock on a Saturday afternoon so I'll need to get them ordered up. Any advice on pattern parts for these, or better to stump up and go for the Densos?



I find it useful to print off a service check-list to remind me what to check and for keeping in my files for future reference...



Air filter to be replaced this week once it arrives. Power steering fluid is ok just now, but I'll probably change anyway - same goes for the gearbox oil.

The underside of the car will need a tidy up, there's some surface corrosion that I'll clean up, rub back, treat and paint to prevent any serious degradation. The discs and pads were new all round and the fluid had been changed recently when the previous owner serviced the rear calipers, plus the front springs look new and the bushes aren't in fantastic shape but they're all intact and don't seem too brittle. The tyres were relatively new Avon ZV7s with good tread, correct sizes, with no damage.

So all in all it was looking OK for the first venture out onto track in it on a rainy (as per usual!) Knockhill. Three hour open pit lane meant it wasn't going to be too hard going, plus it's always a bit easier on brakes, tyres and cooling when its wet.







The car ran pretty sweet. I took it easy for three laps, came back in to check it over and all was well. I managed another four sessions of around 15-20 laps each, including a bit of waiting back in the pit lane and paddock for cars to be recovered after spins/offs. The tyres aren't the best to be honest - I dropped the rears to 30psi for the last two sessions which provided a bit more predictable loss of traction but I could tell the fronts were flexing quite a bit at 26psi. I thought about increasing the pressure in the fronts slightly but they were doing better than I expected so I left as-is for the rest of the evening. I'll play around with the pressures over the next few events but I'll probably end up on AD08RS before too long.

The car still needs to be a road car first and foremost, so it won't be too extreme, the intention is to go for a clubsport spec, rather than all-out track-day special. Plans are to use as-is for the immediate future, all going well. Once the current pads are shot I'll fit some EBC Yellowstuffs along with braided lines and 5.1 fluid. Suspension wise I'm looking at Whiteline ARBs, selected PU bushes, along with new lower arms, drop links etc. I might go for Meister R CRDs eventually but not in the near future. I'm also toying with the 2ZZ idea, but I'll wait until I've moved house to a place with a proper sized garage/workshop for that, if it happens at all.

Upcoming events includes another couple of evening sessions at Knockhill, a 1000 mile tour of Scotland next month and hopefully a day at Croft too. Next year I'll be taking it over to the 'ring, plus other UK track days and tours throughout the year.

I'll keep this updated as and when things progress.

Cheers.

 

 




AdamR28

Great stuff! Glad to see you enjoying the car already and it seems to be a good un.

JB21

Looking good. Really fancy Knockhill myself. Rainsport 5' are a good compromise for road and track if its raining a lot. Sidewalls are a bit soft but all weather grip is decent.

AdamR28

They are indeed, 5-10psi more helps to give them some support.

Ardent


Roj

Quote from: AdamR28 on August 23, 2020, 14:33Great stuff! Glad to see you enjoying the car already and it seems to be a good un.

Thanks! I sure am enjoying it, long may it continue :)

Roj

Quote from: JB21 on August 23, 2020, 15:24Looking good. Really fancy Knockhill myself. Rainsport 5' are a good compromise for road and track if its raining a lot. Sidewalls are a bit soft but all weather grip is decent.

Cheers :) You should make the trip up if you can, it doesn't look all that on TV (BTCC, BSCC etc.) but it's a great little circuit. Although it's short and has relatively few turns, it's got loads of elevation change and three turns are blind on entry so it's quite exciting from that respect.

I had the old Rainsport 3's on a previous car, think it was my old Volvo, and I seem to recall them being much better than I'd expected. A lot of the Track Scotland guys rate them too. I hope to pick up a second set of wheels at some point so specific wets would be a good shout to compliment some more 'dry-focused' rubber.

Roj

Quote from: AdamR28 on August 23, 2020, 16:33They are indeed, 5-10psi more helps to give them some support.

Good to know, cheers!

Roj


thetyrant

Looks good, its a few years since ive been upto knockhill and due another visit, let me know when your next on i will try and get booked on for some scottish wet laps :D....think i did get a half a day dry there once though :D
Ex-2005 roadster  owner, i will be back :D

Gaz2405

Glad to see more track focused cars on the forum!

Looking forward to it.
1zz turbo. Home built and home mapped.

Now 2zz turbo. Home built and home mapped

Build thread https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=67004.0

Roj

Quote from: thetyrant on August 25, 2020, 15:47Looks good, its a few years since ive been upto knockhill and due another visit, let me know when your next on i will try and get booked on for some scottish wet laps :D....think i did get a half a day dry there once though :D

Will do, would be great to see more Roadsters up there :)


Quote from: Gaz2405 on August 25, 2020, 17:49Glad to see more track focused cars on the forum!

Looking forward to it.

Cheers, me too!

iffyT

Printing off a service checklist is a cracking idea. I wish I'd done that!

Chilli Girl

I did Knockhill a few years back.  Went round in an MGF and a Formula 3 lookalike with a Ford engine 1.6.  Great fun and the track was slightly damp, brilliant. ;D
Ex owners of Chilli red facelift 52 reg called Chilli, silver 55 reg called Foxy and blue pfl W reg MR-S called Sapphire. Now 2 less!

Roj

#14
It was my birthday last week and I decided to procrastinate from work a bit and install the short-shift kit my better half had bought me.

Old shifter...



New short-shifter...



Old knob back on...



I have to admit, I wasn't impressed with how stiff the shift had become. Short, yeah, but pretty horrible to punt around the gate. I'd used plenty of good quality ceramic grease, so I was a bit miffed as to why it was so stiff. I actually had a sore elbow after the first 15min test drive. But I'd read that it would ease up, so what better way to do so than a 1k mile road trip?!

I planned a route that would last five days, heading South West from Aberdeen to Kinloch Rannoch, then take the long road through Glen Coe to Plockton on the west coast, head North to join the North Coast 500 loop on the way up to Lochinver, then finish the route over the last couple of days.

I've lived in Scotland most of my life, save a few sporadic years in England, so I'd driven a lot of these roads previously. However I'd not been north of Ullapool, so the far northern sections would be new to me. I was a bit excited!

First day, stopped off in Balmoral to hike up to Albert's Cairn...





Kinloch Rannoch...



Glen Etive...



Bealach Na Ba...





Just amazing scenery...





A drop of plonk in Tulloch Castle for the final night...



My girlfriend took more photos than me and if I can figure out how to host and upload I'll add a timelapse video she took which is quite impressive.

The weather was mostly great, with a few showers here and there. We had the rood down most of the time which makes a huge difference to the sense of occasion without taking your attention off the road ahead.

After a day or so I realised that the shift wasn't actually stiff, it's just that I was trying to get the shifter into positions it wasn't going to anymore. It became much more intuitive pretty quickly, although 3rd to 2nd will need some work.

The car performed faultlessly, dealing with the rough roads, pot holes and broken up passing places without any problem. Unfortunately it has developed a crack in the windscreen, I think from when I took evasive action from an eejit who pulled out from behind a van that had stopped to let me past. Booked in for a replacement screen next week, then it's off down to Knockhill for another short track evening the following week.

All in all, a great week was had :)

Cheers.

Roj

Quote from: thetyrant on August 25, 2020, 15:47Looks good, its a few years since ive been upto knockhill and due another visit, let me know when your next on i will try and get booked on for some scottish wet laps :D....think i did get a half a day dry there once though :D

I'm heading there on the 21st but it's only a 2hr evening session so I doubt it would be worth the drive up if you're a distance away. I'll keep you posted of any full days that come up though.

Roj

Quote from: Chilli Girl on September  6, 2020, 20:16I did Knockhill a few years back.  Went round in an MGF and a Formula 3 lookalike with a Ford engine 1.6.  Great fun and the track was slightly damp, brilliant. ;D

It's a great wee track. The elevation changes and the ever changing weather make up for the lack of turns :)

househead

@Roj if you've not done it for a while, I recommend getting some wd40 in and around the gear shift cables and bushes in the engine compartment. Having someone shift the stick around while you spray it will ensure the lube gets everywhere it needs to.

My own installation of a short shifter initially was very stiff but after lubing up in the back it improved dramatically. I also changed out my transaxle oil which may also have helped.

I think it's always going to be a little stiffer than the standard shifter as you have less leverage, but over time it's easy to get used to.
2004 Sable Red Edition, TTE Twin Exhaust, Toyosports Manifold

Roj

Quote from: househead on September 10, 2020, 14:32@Roj if you've not done it for a while, I recommend getting some wd40 in and around the gear shift cables and bushes in the engine compartment. Having someone shift the stick around while you spray it will ensure the lube gets everywhere it needs to.

My own installation of a short shifter initially was very stiff but after lubing up in the back it improved dramatically. I also changed out my transaxle oil which may also have helped.

I think it's always going to be a little stiffer than the standard shifter as you have less leverage, but over time it's easy to get used to.

Thanks for the tip. I've got some BRD poly bushes to go in so I'll give everything a good lube up when I get round to fitting them. Gearbox oil change is on the to-do list too... along with clutch fluid, EPS fluid, another engine oil flush and change... Never ending!

treeroy

Would love to go to Knockhill, shame I don't live anywhere near the north. Played it on project CARS and it seems like a mega little track.

Where did you get your short shift kit from?

Roj

Quote from: treeroy on September 10, 2020, 16:57Would love to go to Knockhill, shame I don't live anywhere near the north. Played it on project CARS and it seems like a mega little track.

Where did you get your short shift kit from?

At least you get plenty other tracks to play on, we're stuck with one! Croft is the next closest and that's a 5.5hr drive for me.

It was just one of the many unbranded kits on ebay. Not a great deal to get wrong and cheap enough to give it a try.

treeroy

Quote from: Roj on September 10, 2020, 20:17At least you get plenty other tracks to play on, we're stuck with one! Croft is the next closest and that's a 5.5hr drive for me.

It was just one of the many unbranded kits on ebay. Not a great deal to get wrong and cheap enough to give it a try.
Yeah that's true, guess i take it for granted that I live in Motorsport Central. Within a 100 mile radius of me there's probably more tracks than anywhere else in the world.

Speaking of which need to get my MR2 on track, never done a RWD car on track before !


Thanks I can see the short shifter kit on ebay. From your picture it looks like the gear stick is shorter than the original, does the knob feel much lower? Although the gear stick is strangely tall for a convertible i actually like the stock height as I can reach my phone mounted on the dash with my wrist resting on the gear knob.

Roj

Quote from: treeroy on September 11, 2020, 13:05
Quote from: Roj on September 10, 2020, 20:17At least you get plenty other tracks to play on, we're stuck with one! Croft is the next closest and that's a 5.5hr drive for me.

It was just one of the many unbranded kits on ebay. Not a great deal to get wrong and cheap enough to give it a try.
Yeah that's true, guess i take it for granted that I live in Motorsport Central. Within a 100 mile radius of me there's probably more tracks than anywhere else in the world.

Speaking of which need to get my MR2 on track, never done a RWD car on track before !


Thanks I can see the short shifter kit on ebay. From your picture it looks like the gear stick is shorter than the original, does the knob feel much lower? Although the gear stick is strangely tall for a convertible i actually like the stock height as I can reach my phone mounted on the dash with my wrist resting on the gear knob.

It is a fair bit shorter, yes. I thought I had a photo of them both side by side but I can't find it. I'd say it sits a good couple of inches lower than standard.

A few people have been able to move the pivot point of the standard shifter up the shaft so that the top of the lever sits lower and the throw is reduced. You could move it 20mm or so which wouldn't be as pronounced as the ebay kit. I think you just need to remove the shifter, clamp the pivot ball in a vice and tap the shaft down until you're happy. You could then buy the cage bushes and you'd have a halfway house between the ebay kit and standard.

Roj

#23
Entirely unexciting update time...

I swapped out the air filter and cleaned the MAF as the new filter arrived the morning we left for the road trip. The removed panel looked pretty clean, more evidence the car had been serviced fairly recently prior to me buying it (spark plugs were pretty good too). Couldn't feel much difference after the MAF clean, but it wasn't caked in crud so maybe it's been cleaned in the past too.

My replacement coils arrived while I was on the road trip last week and I just got round to installing them last night. I was going to go for the OEM Densos but I noticed Magneti Marelli on the autodoc site for a third of the price of the Densos. Worth a punt - they're a good brand and as long as they last a few years I expect they'll outlive the engine. 2-off installed on cylinders 2 & 3. 1 & 4 were in great condition, possibly been replaced in the past.

Split original on the right...




While in about the engine I thought I'd go for a premature (1500 miles since the last one) oil change, primarily as I have another track evening coming up but also because I wanted to try my 'dipstick' oil pump.

Got the good stuff this time...



This pump is what a lot of German cars use now as they don't have sump plugs, even the dealerships have to suck the oil out through the dipstick tube. Connects to the battery and usually takes about ten mins to pump 4L. It has done a good job on cars in the past.



The dipstick was showing almost full but only 2.5L came out using the pump. I then opened the sump drain and another ~0.5L came out, plus the usual amount from the filter when removed. So I won't be using the pump on this car any more! Not sure why it didn't suck it all out, I guess because it's not designed with that in mind from scratch. Shame, as it makes oil changes a lot less messy than draining.

Then this morning I took it in to have the windscreen replaced. Auto Windscreens in Aberdeen did a great job. I forgot to take a pic of the crack prior to dropping the car off, but the new screen is great, it's so nice getting a crisp, clear new screen with nothing to distract your focus.

I'm at Knockhill again this coming Monday night, though it's just another short evening session. Looks like it could be dry this time after the rain on the last outing, so I'm keen to see how the car performs.

Joesson

#24
@Roj, your " Egyptian " tour looked interesting, so is the oil removal pump.
My daily has a sealed for life gear box that has a fill hole but no drain. Your pump may suit if it could handle the more viscous gear oil. Could you please post details of your pump.
PS
I use the Mobil oil, any particular reason you changed to Fuchs

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