Hello all!
Welcome to the thread of what will be hopefully become a deep dive into the building of my MR2 and the surrounding events that myself and the car will inevitably be involved in.
To immediately rock the boat, you actually join me a year into my MR2 ownership...
I bought her when I was 19, and with this MR2 being a year 2000 registered car, she's actually a bit of a cougar to me.
It had 63000 original miles, a hard top, and a spotless interior. Admittedly, the paint work wasn't perfect as the bonnet had faded to matte over time and the arches/mirrors definitely needed a touch up. But besides that, the car was very clean, had been passed through the hands of several enthusiasts during it's life and came with a long list of goodies (including some rare little leather 'boxing gloves' for the naked hardtop mounting cones) so I was eager to pick it up with the confidence that it will make a good base for any future projects.
Anyway, enough of my affinity with older cars; lets have a look at it!
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Following the purchase of the car, I enjoyed a summer of my first RWD car which was of course enhanced by the drop top and extremely clean interior. Great car to have at that age and I definitely felt like I had made the right choice in choosing an MR2 over an MX5.
This, however, did not remain a clean car for long...
It wasn't long before I learnt about the possible traumatic handling of an MR car.
By neglecting my tyres which were a mix of cheap Michelin specials from 2004 and 2005, I had met my match by putting my foot down through a wet bend.
Being a teenage idiot, I had already messed about in carparks to learn about how the car 'handled' when it went sideways. Nothing, however, could've prepared me for the absolutely hilarious "Ah s***." look on my face when my tail end came straight round and into the curb on the other side of the road.
Thankfully enough it was quiet and late at night so no other members of the public were put at risk of my naivety. That being said, my pride took a huge hit as I slowly exited the car to see obscene amounts of positive camber protruding from the rear left of the car.
(https://i.ibb.co/4Y4Fdn9/IMG-2881.png) (https://ibb.co/4Y4Fdn9)
Needless to say, I had f***** it and felt very guilty towards all the loving previous owners that I had undoubtedly offended with my horrific driving skills.
For whatever reason, I thought the most appropriate way of dealing with the situation was driving it 12 miles back home and dropping it off at my local garage.
Note to self - never do this again, just call the AA. It was crab walk central and a very unnerving half an hour of my life.
All in all, the car was out of action for a month. I had severely damaged the lower arms and hub. The hub was replaced and the arm was given an extremely questionable cheap fix with it being bent back into place and welded. Truth be told the garage did advise me to change this ASAP for a replacement arm but this did not give me faith in letting other people do mechanical work for you if you can do it own your own driveway.
Additional points: I got my hands on a set of old Enkei RC-S wheels on some Toyo TR1 tyres, some Tein lowering springs, and some KYB shocks which I had all installed by the garage as I saw this as a chance to blow some money on the car. It was back to driveable with a nice aesthetic change - but oh boy was I more cautious in the wet now.
(https://i.ibb.co/c3b5Vr0/IMG-2635.jpg) (https://ibb.co/c3b5Vr0)
image uploader (https://imgbb.com/)
Great looking 2!
:) there is a teenager in all of us 8)
we all make mistakes that is how we learn when it comes to cars its the cost involved :)
your up and running now giving the 2 some respect that they need at time :)
keep up with your 2 and let us no how you get on 8) 8)
Well done on dealing with it.
I echo the advice of your garage- get a new/used suspension arm from
@J-SPEC think it was £40 delivered.
My garage said that if I bent my previous arm back it would likely fail and it would be horrific.
Quote from: jvanzyl on August 4, 2023, 13:36Well done on dealing with it.
I echo the advice of your garage- get a new/used suspension arm from @J-SPEC think it was £40 delivered.
My garage said that if I bent my previous arm back it would likely fail and it would be horrific.
The story isn't over yet!
Don't worry - the crappy fix on the suspension arms was addressed and the car has come a fair way since. Once I get back from work tonight I'll update the thread with the continuation.
So, I was back to enjoying the MR2! Not long after getting it back on the road it was simply just enjoyable to drive around in what was still a relatively clean 2. And this time, with some much needed modifications to make it feel like 'my own'.
(https://i.ibb.co/25fk2Wz/IMG-2883.png) (https://ibb.co/25fk2Wz)
Over the next few weeks, I decided to buy a set of 16 inch rota slipstreams to try the staggered look.
(https://i.ibb.co/BgtjdqD/IMG-3742.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BgtjdqD)
Considering the styling of the rims matched the enkeis, I was pretty happy with the look - it felt very much like an homage to the drift scenes of the early 2000's with mismatched wheels.
This, combined with an oil change and a purchase of some Zestino Grudge tyres saw me through to disaster number 2...
Clearly my teenage tendencies were still alive and well. In hindsight, buying any sort of dry performance orientated tyre and using it during winter months is illadvised. Needless to say - it was the decision I would come to regret.
Driving back from work one December evening, I was aware that the roads were icy so I was deliberately driving very modestly. Ironically enough, my mum had reminded me that evening to be extra careful driving back due to the ice. I had confidently responded that I was aware and would be fine.
Alas, I drove over a bridge that was usually covered with a thin layer of dorment water from the stream below it. My lapse of judgment paid for this dearly as this layer of thin water was now ice, and as soon as my rear tyres contacted at 60mph, I sent myself into a huge tank slapper.
I made my best effort to save the spin, catching the first couple of violent turns until the rear tyres caught traction again and shot me off into the curb and airborne into the barrier that thankfully stopped me from taking a 30ft fall.
I was shaken up, very upset and angry with myself but thankfully uninjured.
Having only had the car back for just over a month, I was so furious with myself for again putting my only car in harms way and thinking about another financial recovery I'd have to make - or worse - saying goodbye to the MR2.
(https://i.ibb.co/QJrQpp4/IMG-2900.png) (https://ibb.co/QJrQpp4)
After a quick call to dad to help rescue me and a few hours waiting for the AA, the car was loaded onto the back of the AA truck and taken to a storage unit to be delivered back to the garage the next day.
I had examined the damage at the scene of the crash to make a quick guess at what I had broken. If any previous owners of the car are viewing this post, now is the time to look away...
In the crash, I had broken: 3 of the 4 wheels - the enkeis were dented but the rotas on the rear had been completely obliterated. 1 point to 'real' wheel brands.
I had also broken both rear hubs, part of the rear struts that supported the quarter panel, the rear quarter panel, all of the rear suspension arms on both sides, my rear and front nearside lights and my front bumper.
My red paint, along with the significant denting, still lives on that bridge till this day.
My main concern was that when the garage got back to me about the extensiveness of the damage, the frame would be straight and undamaged.
(https://i.ibb.co/Qkm7fRj/IMG-2897.png) (https://ibb.co/Qkm7fRj)
(https://i.ibb.co/wh7ZZ5N/IMG-2898.png) (https://ibb.co/wh7ZZ5N)
(https://i.ibb.co/HNFBzcC/IMG-2901.png) (https://ibb.co/HNFBzcC)
(https://i.ibb.co/846pfVc/IMG-3330.jpg) (https://ibb.co/846pfVc)
(https://i.ibb.co/QHPQTPB/IMG-3331.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QHPQTPB)
It was officially back to square -1.
Whilst the MR2 was out of action for the foreseeable future, I needed to sort myself out with a vehicle quickly so I could get myself to work.
That vehicle came from the heavens in the form of a Saxo VTR.
(https://i.ibb.co/F3mkNh3/IMG-2946.jpg) (https://ibb.co/F3mkNh3)
(https://i.ibb.co/rH3HqHp/IMG-3132.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rH3HqHp)
(https://i.ibb.co/nDXFFwY/IMG-3268.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nDXFFwY)
Let me make this clear, as much fun as it was owning this car - it was the biggest heap of crap I think I will ever own! :))
Rust everywhere, no speakers or radio, no interior, missing washer jets and system, missing bolts on the strut towers, missing wheel nuts, slow punctures in every tyre, a loose battery floating around in the engine bay that died on me on day 1, a VERY squeaky auxiliary belt, dents in every panel and a rather confused idle control valve.
The thing was a mess but it somehow got me from A to B. Absolutely hilarious to drive purely out of shear fear factor. I sorted almost all the issues it had in the first weekend I had it and then proceeded to drive it to an early grave whilst waiting for the MR2 to be repaired.
This did include many burnouts and crashes on country lanes due to my complete lack of sympathy for the car which had seemingly had a hard life already.
Not caring about a car for the first time in my life unironically opened my eyes to what I want out of a car... Banger racing anyone??
After a long 2 months of waiting to have the MR2 back due to it becoming an obvious 'low priority' item to the garage, I finally got her back.
There was definitely work that needed to be done to her. The MR2 got treated to new hubs, Hardrace suspension arms and the remaining set of wheels I had from running the staggered setup.
After getting her back, I stitched up the front bumper with zipties, ordered and replaced the smashed rear light (which took hammering the rear frame and quarter panel back into place - not a pretty job or easy to learn quickly) and was once again just happy to have the MR2 back and working.
(https://i.ibb.co/LCmcMjb/IMG-3426.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LCmcMjb)
Snow!
(https://i.ibb.co/zs9rL4h/IMG-3480.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zs9rL4h)
The car then served me well for the following few months, only changing tyres and oil periodically. It took me down to Snowdon for a weekend away trip with my friends and loved all the curves that Wales could throw her way!
(https://i.ibb.co/zxrxpqX/IMG-4420.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zxrxpqX)
This brings us close to present day, but it has been the last couple months that have been the most developmental in this little MR2's life...
Ok, time to return to this thread.
Due to not having the patience to write out the entire story - I'll give a rundown of how the car currently sits and the future plans...
The car has received a set of Motegi Racing MR146 wheels in 15x8 et35 front and et28 rear (the fitment is pretty bang on).
The car also sits on a set of BC coilovers (RA) 5/7kg/mm split. After I take the car on track I'll consider moving these springs up to 7k front, 11k rear to match the future engine swap plan.
The car now has a Whiteline rear ARB and new droplinks. Front ARB has been left standard mimicking I believe the 2018 version of the Techno Pro Spirit car.
Some new wheels nuts and sprigot rings were sorted to clean up the new wheel and tyre package - tyres of choice were Nankang AR-1's in 205/50/15 front and 225/45/15 rear. Meaty.
On the interior, I went for a Sparco Rev QRT seat, Rogue Motorsports seat mounts (after accidentally ordering some generic seat mounts in error - these are still in my possession if you'd like to buy) a Momo boss kit and Sabelt SW633 wheel in alcantara. The seat was mounted with some Race safety hardware.
I also removed the spare wheel and all plastic trim in the frunk.
Now, for the review of how it was in this state - bloody brilliant. Now I know that going all out on the roads is frowned upon, but living in the sticks I can occasionally give it full chat on the twisties to push the car to the limits and see what the changes have done for it. After dialling in the coilovers to some suitable rebound settings, this kind of setup is pretty much impossible to unsettle in a corner on public roads which was both an ecstatic and scary experience. Literally mind blowing how well balanced this chassis is and how much it will just eat up a corner until I run out of balls.
Since then, the rear tires have become completely void of rubber so I've calmed down as keeping it in a straight line in the wet was a death defying feat in itself. The car is now sat on some more suitable all seasons to keep it going through the winter as I don't really have the budget to buy a sensible daily that I wouldn't hate driving (if I want to keep pouring money into the 2, that is).
Soon to arrive this week is a carbon Sard GT Type S spoiler all the way from Japan which I'm rather excited about. It won't make the car any quicker on the road but for sheer style points I can't wait!
I'm still waiting on the C-one style front bumper which is mildly annoying as I can't install the new headlights until it comes and gets painted but hey ho.
Here are some photos of the car in its (somewhat) prime.
(https://i.ibb.co/khK9jS6/IMG-4452.jpg) (https://ibb.co/khK9jS6) (https://i.ibb.co/pyXCDm4/IMG-4453.jpg) (https://ibb.co/pyXCDm4) (https://i.ibb.co/x746bK9/IMG-4454.jpg) (https://ibb.co/x746bK9) (https://i.ibb.co/99Qs9Ct/IMG-4458.jpg) (https://ibb.co/99Qs9Ct) (https://i.ibb.co/SQddyCY/IMG-4461.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SQddyCY) (https://i.ibb.co/Y8hx9cc/IMG-4462.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Y8hx9cc) (https://i.ibb.co/yWwT6Kk/IMG-4253.jpg) (https://ibb.co/yWwT6Kk) (https://i.ibb.co/ZXwSJHH/IMG-4257.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZXwSJHH) (https://i.ibb.co/YDcQZw0/IMG-4184.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YDcQZw0) (https://i.ibb.co/RTDL1Xz/IMG-4185.jpg) (https://ibb.co/RTDL1Xz) (https://i.ibb.co/dWFbhM1/IMG-4171.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dWFbhM1)
Forgot to mention, but I also did a little mod with the throttle thanks to a thread I found on here. Adding a couple of spacers behind the top bolt of where the pedal bolts to the arm puts a little bit more tension on the cable and removed the slack I had in my throttle. For a 10 minute job (doing this with a fixed seat made it a pain) it was well worth it. Cripsy downshifts have never felt so good baby! Instant 1zz power! :o
My brakes are absolutely shot, trust me to upgrade everything else before maintenance.
I've decided, "Why not waste more needless money?", so I'm going ahead and doing a complete refresh.
So, upgrades to be ordered tonight...
EBC Yellow stuff front pads and rotors (just vented, no grooves or drilled holes in this mr2 thank you).
EBC Yellow stuff rear pads and rotors to match.
EBC braided lines
Aluminium Prius XW20 front callipers. A whopping 1.2kg per front wheel of unsrpung mass saved (yummy).
A couple bottles of RBF600 fluid.
Some OE left and right rear callipers.
In total... 860 quid. Ouch.
Right, long term plans.
I really like the idea of going time attack and consistent track day weapon - so here's the sauce that's gonna get me there...
A Zurawski Motorsport BAM swap - netting a safe 250bhp if I want to stick to Javelin Sprint class rules and stay within the 250bhp mark. If I decide otherwise then a full fat 300bhp which sounds ridiculously scary.
This swap typically will cost someone 6-6.5k for a standard drive in drive out service. I'd quite like to have an LSD and baffled oil sump thrown in mine so this will probably be closer to 7.5-8k for the swap. Despite this being much cheaper if I do the swap, I don't really want to tackle it on my driveaway as the 2 is my only car at the moment and there seems to be a lot of small fixes and bits needing chopping off that are required to do to the engine in order for it to work seamlessly. That's fine with me - I'd just rather not do any of that myself! The work that Stav and Thomas have been putting out looks pretty mega in quality over other engine swaps so I'd be happy to leave the car in their hands.
Only issue is cost - I think it's realistically time to get saving for a rather long time if I want this car to be swapped next year.
To accompany the engine swap, I'll be going as far as I can with the track car idea whilst keeping it road legal on my own.
So, fully stripped, bonnet webbing cut out - the works.
A pigeon hit my aerial today on my way into work and its all skiwhiff - refuses to go back down fully after I bent it into place so removing that will be a satisfying job!
Other than that, permanent hardtop mounts, full polybush refresh, a lightweight battery and potentially relocation, roll cage (I think I can get away with a half cage for time attack events - not the safest but eh weight saving and practicality), harnesses, some sort of short shifter solution. The RZR shifter I've seen looks beautiful so splashing out on that would be lovely, and it should work with the engine swap in future with no compatibility issues there. Mega.
Final things would be sorting a switch board to put in the centre console for a kill switch and all that jazz.
Liking the progress, but after seeing countless projects come and go I just wonder if there isn't a purpose built 250hp/tonne track day toy for around the cost of potential engine swapped MR2 with mods and initial purchase price of the car, call it £10k-12k?
These cars are horrible "investments" at best, and that just gets worse when modded.
FYI - I'm currently on 205 R16 front and 225 R16 rear. I don't like the way the front handles, seems over-tyred.
Maybe you'll get on better with smaller R15 wheels, but I'm thinking about going down to 195 front next rubber change.
Looking forward to seeing restoration progress.
Quote from: SuperArt on October 16, 2023, 19:10Liking the progress, but after seeing countless projects come and go I just wonder if there isn't a purpose built 250hp/tonne track day toy for around the cost of potential engine swapped MR2 with mods and initial purchase price of the car, call it £10k-12k?
These cars are horrible "investments" at best, and that just gets worse when modded.
FYI - I'm currently on 205 R16 front and 225 R16 rear. I don't like the way the front handles, seems over-tyred.
Maybe you'll get on better with smaller R15 wheels, but I'm thinking about going down to 195 front next rubber change.
Looking forward to seeing restoration progress.
Yep, no real financial sense around here I'm afraid. As the only real money taxing hobby of mine, I'm happy to justify it as I'd rather have the experience - whether that be fun or complete pain and tears - of home building a race car than have 15k more in my bank account at the age of 30.
Just one mans life view, don't get me wrong though, this is completely moronic on my end :))
Quote from: SuperArt on October 16, 2023, 19:10Liking the progress, but after seeing countless projects come and go I just wonder if there isn't a purpose built 250hp/tonne track day toy for around the cost of potential engine swapped MR2 with mods and initial purchase price of the car, call it £10k-12k?
These cars are horrible "investments" at best, and that just gets worse when modded.
FYI - I'm currently on 205 R16 front and 225 R16 rear. I don't like the way the front handles, seems over-tyred.
Maybe you'll get on better with smaller R15 wheels, but I'm thinking about going down to 195 front next rubber change.
Looking forward to seeing restoration progress.
Also, to address the tyre feel - It felt a little sluggish with my tyre setup under normal driving, but as soon as I started to press on it felt very reassuring and I had complete confidence in what the car was doing underneath me (albeit in dry conditions only).
I now have 195/50 and 205/50 on the car now, feels lovely and playful but just not as 'racecar' orientated which I guess is sensible for road use. All seasons too so really not a huge amount grip on the road regardless of tyre size.
Just thought I'd put a different angle on your overall need, which is to participate in the sprint series.
You can probably tick that box with a better/different platform than to extensively graft serious performance into a MR2.
Honestly wish I could do what you're doing, I'm just not brave enough to even start something as intensive as race prepping a car. Kudos to you.
Oh and I wouldn't pay too much attention to any financial advice given by a guy with two turbo MR2s, they absolutely do not practice what they preach.
Quote from: Slowpoke on October 16, 2023, 18:28My brakes are absolutely shot, trust me to upgrade everything else before maintenance.
I've decided, "Why not waste more needless money?", so I'm going ahead and doing a complete refresh.
So, upgrades to be ordered tonight...
EBC Yellow stuff front pads and rotors (just vented, no grooves or drilled holes in this mr2 thank you).
EBC Yellow stuff rear pads and rotors to match.
EBC braided lines
Aluminium Prius XW20 front callipers. A whopping 1.2kg per front wheel of unsrpung mass saved (yummy).
A couple bottles of RBF600 fluid.
Some OE left and right rear callipers.
In total... 860 quid. Ouch.
"Ouch" indeed.
Maybe much of that is for the "OE left and right rear callipers.".
After market calipers or professional refurb of yours could ease the pain.
Quote from: Joesson on October 16, 2023, 19:46"Ouch" indeed.
Maybe much of that is for the "OE left and right rear callipers.".
After market calipers or professional refurb of yours could ease the pain.
Yep, I've ordered everything else but held off on the 2 rear callipers, £130 a pop seemed a bit over the top to me.
I definitely have issues with the rear left calliper though and in turn my handbrake does nothing (no surprises there). The sound from the back is rather annoying with the clacking. It could just be the slider bolt in which case it's a cheap fix. Gonna ask my mate at the garage what he reckons the best course of action is.
Quote from: SuperArt on October 16, 2023, 19:40Just thought I'd put a different angle on your overall need, which is to participate in the sprint series.
You can probably tick that box with a better/different platform than to extensively graft serious performance into a MR2.
Honestly wish I could do what you're doing, I'm just not brave enough to even start something as intensive as race prepping a car. Kudos to you.
Oh and I wouldn't pay too much attention to any financial advice given by a guy with two turbo MR2s, they absolutely do not practice what they preach.
You're absolutely right, there are better platforms out there for sure. I quite like the MR2 platform though - it seems capable of fighting well above its weight.
I know this is a drastic comparison but there's a car out there owned by a Mr Pieter Zeelie which is a hill climb car and utterly bonkers. There's not much MR2 of it left but as a platform it's pretty wild to see how far you can take it.
I've figured that I've already made a financial commitment that I won't see a return on so I might as well keep going! The MR2 is charming to me, would be rather fun to beat some big performance cars on a 'budget'.
Have a look at
https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?topic=74432.0
:) some fun and money spent 8) 8)
great to see you enjoying your 2 :) :)
Quote from: Petrus on October 17, 2023, 07:41Have a look at
https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?topic=74432.0
Seen it for sale, looks like a blast but just not the kind of machine I'm wanting to build!
I want the car to remain road legal for as long as possible until I can buy a trailer and car that can tow. Some might say I should prioritise my spending better but that's no fun at all ;)
I do quite fancy looking at an auto is200 as a daily though - insurance is relatively reasonable for my age (being 20, insurance is an absolute joke at the moment) and it can be a nice cruiser for a small up front cost.
I think the obvious dream 2 car solution is a streetable track toy MR2 and a Land Cruiser Amazon though - they are pretty baller in full spec 8)
Quote from: SuperArt on October 16, 2023, 19:40Just thought I'd put a different angle on your overall need, which is to participate in the sprint series.
You can probably tick that box with a better/different platform than to extensively graft serious performance into a MR2.
Honestly wish I could do what you're doing, I'm just not brave enough to even start something as intensive as race prepping a car. Kudos to you.
Oh and I wouldn't pay too much attention to any financial advice given by a guy with two turbo MR2s, they absolutely do not practice what they preach.
Out of interest, what power are you running in your turbo 2's? Would be nice to get an understanding of what the future power could feel like...
@SuperArt and
@Ardent are two of the members with original TTE turbo cars.
The TTE turbo has about the same max output and the 2ZZ in the MR2 boiler room albeit with more torque whereas the 2ZZ has a way wider rev range.
Either is about as much power as you want for daily use on UK (winter) roads.
Also there are plenty of mods, adding lightness making the car quicker in évery aspect and stopping shorter.
Quote from: Petrus on October 17, 2023, 12:49@SuperArt and @Ardent are two of the members with original TTE turbo cars.
The TTE turbo has about the same max output and the 2ZZ in the MR2 boiler room albeit with more torque whereas the 2ZZ has a way wider rev range.
Either is about as much power as you want for daily use on UK (winter) roads.
Also there are plenty of mods, adding lightness making the car quicker in évery aspect and stopping shorter.
Ah, those TTE turbo cars are a rarity - very cool.
In all honesty is it a bit of an inner battle not going down the 2zz route. I can't get enough of high revving N/A engines. I think it's just the easiness of living with a 1.8T engine that sells it for me - plus it is much better suited for tuning on the cheap.
Now that I'm thinking about it, a 2zz with a cut firewall to fit some ITB's would be fun ;)
And in regards to the lightness - I cannot wait to mutilate my car and cut out as much weight as humanly possible but with it being my daily I'm holding back... for now
Quote from: Slowpoke on October 17, 2023, 13:53And in regards to the lightness - I cannot wait to mutilate my car and cut out as much weight as humanly possible but with it being my daily I'm holding back... for now
There is quite some to be done for free/cheap without getting in the way of daily use.
By all means read up on Belle´s thread (best read áll before questions ;) ) and the threads of me and @Node on Spyderchat.
As to the output of the 1ZZ there is the TRD or Markiii inlet, Cap Weir´s MAF mod and an unrestricted mid/cat pipe. Effective, noticable and a lót cheaper than an engine swap.
Oh and find yourself an industrial estate that´s empty on Sunday mornings ;D
Quote from: Petrus on October 17, 2023, 14:35There is quite some to be done for free/cheap without getting in the way of daily use.
By all means read up on Belle´s thread (best read áll before questions ;) ) and the threads of me and @Node on Spyderchat.
As to the output of the 1ZZ there is the TRD or Markiii inlet, Cap Weir´s MAF mod and an unrestricted mid/cat pipe. Effective, noticable and a lót cheaper than an engine swap.
Oh and find yourself an industrial estate that´s empty on Sunday mornings ;D
I've gone through your intensive hunt for weight reduction and it is mighty I must say! By far the most interesting choice was the recent lexan windscreen. I think if my car ever makes it that far in development I'll be opting for rear and side windows in lexan only and keep the front glass from a safety perspective!
I'm also refraining from spending any money on the current engine - even though I could see some performance gains from some cheap breathing mods (and weight reduction in the exhaust), it's hard to justify if I'll be chucking it all away for a different block.
The purist in me will die at this but the 1zz just doesn't seem cut out for the chassis' potential.
Bring on the VAG???
Quote from: Slowpoke on October 17, 2023, 14:53I'll be opting for rear and side windows in lexan only and keep the front glass from a safety perspective!
Ah well, Lexan is only 200 or so times safer than glass and in this case even 25% more because the Lexan is thicker than the OEM glass 8)
As to power, all has been said and done. Do as you seem fit. For the moment I´d suggest getting to grips with the handling. The stock engine can easily push speed óver the max though the real world corners even in summer ;)
And concerning cornering speed, more power does not raise the bar whereas adding lightness doés. Have a read up on tyre load sensitivity.
Quote from: Petrus on October 17, 2023, 15:39Ah well, Lexan is only 200 or so times safer than glass and in this case even 25% more because the Lexan is thicker than the OEM glass 8)
As to power, all has been said and done. Do as you seem fit. For the moment I´d suggest getting to grips with the handling. The stock engine can easily push speed óver the max though the real world corners even in summer ;)
And concerning cornering speed, more power does not raise the bar whereas adding lightness doés. Have a read up on tyre load sensitivity.
I'm not convinced about the lexan... any use of wipers is surely going to scratch the screen if they have dirt on them - as soon as some sun hits those scratches I can't imagine you'd be able to see a thing! Have you coated your screen with any protective elements?
And yep, more power ≠ faster cornering speed. But it's the fun engine that the MR2 lacks. Everything else about the car is fun besides the engine unfortunately.
Easy way to tell is driving the car flat out vs progressive on twisty roads - progressive always puts more smiles on my face because I'm not wishing I could go quicker with a more powerful engine behind me! I can appreciate the steering and balance of the car instead (but most notably the sounds of the 80s playlist I'll be blasting out the window)
Quote from: Slowpoke on October 17, 2023, 18:17I'm not convinced about the lexan...
Millions of motorcyclist have Lexan windscreens on their helmets and wipe those with dirty gloves. Did so too for several decades ;D
But hey; homo sapiens no urinate en vento :))
There is só much more you can do before you get to the windshield ;)
(https://i.ibb.co/cJt0bmG/Von-Petrus.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cJt0bmG)
Quote from: Petrus on October 17, 2023, 18:36Millions of motorcyclist have Lexan windscreens on their helmets and wipe those with dirty gloves. Did so too for several decades ;D
But hey; homo sapiens no urinate en vento :))
There is só much more you can do before you get to the windshield ;)
(https://i.ibb.co/cJt0bmG/Von-Petrus.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cJt0bmG)
Bonnet webbing! Recognise that little gem anywhere
Quote from: Slowpoke on October 18, 2023, 01:15Bonnet webbing! Recognise that little gem anywhere
´Back, báck, BÁCK!!´ - Von Petrus, weight hunter.
Really enjoyed reading your thread so far :)
Thanks for taking the time! Kept me entertained on long travels.
I've seen countless people on the internet obsess over carbon fibre parts and I always thought it was completely over the top and unjustified.
With that being said, my spoiler arrived today. I can not stop looking at it. I get it now. I understand the carbon craze.
(https://i.ibb.co/swVffHJ/40482692-5-CC1-4-F70-91-F0-1-C42-CA03-ECAF.jpg) (https://ibb.co/swVffHJ)
(https://i.ibb.co/h1zMGc8/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/h1zMGc8)
I am so incredibly aroused by this. Twill weave 'cahhbo fibehh'. Well worth the 6 month wait!
Quick update, brakes arrived!
With the amount of things that have arrived, I can't see myself tackling any of this until the weekend.
Also, despite the wing being ZZW30 specific, the width between the mounting legs is just a smidge wider than the vents in the engine lid. Slightly worried that this'll be a weak point in the metal so I'll have to come up with some way of reinforcing the mounting points. Some fabricated metal slats the same dimensions as the ones provided that go on top should suffice if I sandwich them underneath.
Any other ideas welcome!
(https://i.ibb.co/9c9HpCM/1-C6-E04-BC-636-E-46-DF-BECA-11-A804-B34727.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9c9HpCM)
(https://i.ibb.co/cYZDyhC/6878-E729-6-D91-470-E-848-D-03-DF181-D0959.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cYZDyhC)
Quote from: Slowpoke on October 19, 2023, 13:04Also, despite the wing being ZZW30 specific, the width between the mounting legs is just a smidge wider than the vents in the engine lid. Slightly worried that this'll be a weak point in the metal so I'll have to come up with some way of reinforcing the mounting points.
Depending on hów close to the slits the generous supports distribute forces nicely. Remember that these are supposed to be dównwards and (by leverage) only púlling upwards at the front bolts. An überlarge stiff washer or any other flat force spreader will do imo.
The best way to mount a wing is to the chassis. Mounting on any body panel is not ideal, if the wing really does the job properly you could buckle a panel in the worst case.
Never actually seen it happen with a zzw30 mind so maybe lid mounting will be ok. *shrug*
Quote from: SuperArt on October 19, 2023, 22:30The best way to mount a wing is to the chassis.
The ideal is to not have the wing push on the suspension but that is unworkable theory only. Ditto not adding up a roll moment.
´Chassis´ is a bit confusing as most modern mass produced cars have a monocoque chassis/body. Thus working on the suspension wherever you bolt it down on. As such it does not matter all that much if the wing is sitting on the rear lid because the force is vertically down.
What doés count is how far it is attached relative to the rear axle as thát distance is the lever potentially unloading the front wheels.
What doés count is that
Quote from: Petrus on October 20, 2023, 09:06The ideal is to not have the wing push on the suspension but that is unworkable theory only. Ditto not adding up a roll moment.
´Chassis´ is a bit confusing as most modern mass produced cars have a monocoque chassis/body. Thus working on the suspension wherever you bolt it down on. As such it does not matter all that much if the wing is sitting on the rear lid because the force is vertically down.
What doés count is how far it is attached relative to the rear axle as thát distance is the lever potentially unloading the front wheels.
What doés count is that
Quote from: Petrus on October 20, 2023, 09:06The ideal is to not have the wing push on the suspension but that is unworkable theory only. Ditto not adding up a roll moment.
´Chassis´ is a bit confusing as most modern mass produced cars have a monocoque chassis/body. Thus working on the suspension wherever you bolt it down on. As such it does not matter all that much if the wing is sitting on the rear lid because the force is vertically down.
What doés count is how far it is attached relative to the rear axle as thát distance is the lever potentially unloading the front wheels.
What doés count is that
Yep, this was all taken into consideration. Ideally yes, the spoiler mounts would go through slits made in the engine lid and be mounted to the cross member in the engine bay. As I don't have the facilities or money to get those kinds of mounts fabricated, the off the shelf version will do.
Wing was mounted this afternoon!
Wasn't a bad job at all - measure everything many times, drill the lid, apply some hammerite and you're good to go.
In all honesty, the wing looks a little out of place cosmetically as the car lacks an aggressive looking side profile due to no side skirts or aftermarket front end.
With that being said - I'm a function over form guy; despite the fact that I won't notice much of a difference with this thing on public roads >:D .
Photo time!
(https://i.ibb.co/V9NKgJG/B7998-DDC-0-CAA-4-BC2-B5-F7-4-A3-D25-CB92-CF.jpg) (https://ibb.co/V9NKgJG)
(https://i.ibb.co/jw4kh2H/24-AAB66-F-D089-4-AB3-8760-0686-DD0-CF62-A.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jw4kh2H)
(https://i.ibb.co/hHD0v2B/84-C01-B99-F9-DC-49-B9-9824-C9-D31-B828-D78.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hHD0v2B)
(https://i.ibb.co/pPw4SbN/CCC09432-392-B-41-BF-9371-71837765926-E.jpg) (https://ibb.co/pPw4SbN)
(https://i.ibb.co/g6jtNHp/0-EB00-A34-A0-C2-408-C-B865-801-AE7-EF8-D12.jpg) (https://ibb.co/g6jtNHp)
(https://i.ibb.co/cg8v1TJ/792-B5-FE3-7-DD0-4-F7-A-BD59-14-C172-B0-D941.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cg8v1TJ)
The myth is that a road car is not going fast enough but that is .... myth. Like any good myth it has a core of truth because ´road car´ refers to the 2 ton ones common in the US.
On the 1k kg spyder aero counts twice as strong obviously.
The second ´truth´ is that aero forces increase with the square of the speed. They start adding up thpugh from 1!!! and already are a serious thing at cycling speed.
A sizeable aero mod like your wing has a faily large surface area and the effect adds up to kgs in the double digits from 50 - 60 km/h.
Cornering at 80-100 it doés increase traction without adding centrifugal forces = raise limits.
Lastly the myth does not take into account that because of the lo MR2 our spyder inherently is not the straightest arrow from highway speeds up.
Added to this is the aerodynamically not perfect round bum creating more than ideal turbulence/drag.
The two together can make the car feel not all that stable.
The wing will be like fletches of the arrow make the car feel more stable.
Also fitting a lip to the rear of the deck will increase the air speed under the wing/reduce the turbulence.
All in all, it doés work on our car at legal speeds.
Note on your wing: Because the supports are at fair bit from the side plates, the wíll be some bending downwards. You could use this to approximate the forces by ´calibrating´ the movement/force needed, measure it at speed and extrapolate over the wing surface.
Note to your install; the angle of attack seems a bit flat.
Here is mine:
(https://myalbum.com/photo/MyWh4Yd3XEVd/1k0.jpg)
Quote from: Petrus on October 22, 2023, 07:45The myth is that a road car is not going fast enough but that is .... myth. Like any good myth it has a core of truth because ´road car´ refers to the 2 ton ones common in the US.
On the 1k kg spyder aero counts twice as strong obviously.
The second ´truth´ is that aero forces increase with the square of the speed. They start adding up thpugh from 1!!! and already are a serious thing at cycling speed.
A sizeable aero mod like your wing has a faily large surface area and the effect adds up to kgs in the double digits from 50 - 60 km/h.
Cornering at 80-100 it doés increase traction without adding centrifugal forces = raise limits.
Lastly the myth does not take into account that because of the lo MR2 our spyder inherently is not the straightest arrow from highway speeds up.
Added to this is the aerodynamically not perfect round bum creating more than ideal turbulence/drag.
The two together can make the car feel not all that stable.
The wing will be like fletches of the arrow make the car feel more stable.
Also fitting a lip to the rear of the deck will increase the air speed under the wing/reduce the turbulence.
All in all, it doés work on our car at legal speeds.
Note on your wing: Because the supports are at fair bit from the side plates, the wíll be some bending downwards. You could use this to approximate the forces by ´calibrating´ the movement/force needed, measure it at speed and extrapolate over the wing surface.
Note to your install; the angle of attack seems a bit flat.
Here is mine:
(https://myalbum.com/photo/MyWh4Yd3XEVd/1k0.jpg)
Yep, I can easily change the AoT thankfully, quite a bit of variance built in to the supports.
After driving it a bit I can notice the more stable rear end at high speed corners, but accelerating past 80mph is definitely a larger task for the car now...
It stands to reason that the top speed will be lower but I have not nóticed any such effect in acceleration well into the illegal.
Same thing less fuel economy.
That observed, it must also be noted that I drive just about exclusively even windows down and had the impression that the aero actually impróved.
All in all, better stability and more cornering traction are great wins imo. Those I dó enjoy.
Quick update in regards to the car - I've got some Sard sikeskirts on their way (as seen in image) as well as the C-One front bumper. With a little luck these should be painted and on the car before christmas.
In other news, I tweaked the seating position to give my knees more clearance under the wheel. Moved down a couple notches at the front and back on the Rouge Motorsports mounts and also moved back a couple holes.
It's a pain in the arse job unfortunately as whilst the split plate design of the seat mount from Rogue gives you some good adjustability, it's a ball ache to line up so that the bolts for the mounts will go into the floor nicely.
After a thorough test drive last night it is very surprising feeling the effects of my own weight moving down and back only a couple of inches and what it did to the handling of the car. Definitely encourages more rotation with less weight distributed over the front wheels. I can see why on some GT cars the whole cockpit is moved back and the driver sits behind the B pillar (although these cars are rarely mid engined so I might not have thought hard enough about this).
Also, brakes are yet to go on - I'm awaiting delivery of the right side Prius XW20 caliper before getting stuck in.
Should be coming together nicely very soon!
(https://i.ibb.co/YpWqXzc/FA93-EAF8-C5-F4-4-BFC-BC43-A4-F50-A270-BDC.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YpWqXzc)
Forgot to mention, increased the angle of attack of the spoiler and raised it using the many holes that were available to me. Slightly paranoid about it being stolen if I ever park it in a bad area though as all it takes is a spanner and allen key to grab all that carbon.
For the time being, I need to buy some more tyres so I can run matching wheels again - not a fan of the mismatch look.
Also, I can't stop watching 2zz content. I think I'm definitely warming to the idea of carrying out all the engine swap work myself and going down the light N/A route.
This would be paired with as light of an exhaust as I could get, along with an LSD, C60 gearbox and lightweight flywheel. Also tempted by an ABS and power steering delete eventually. Still need to prioritise buying a proper daily.
Its coming along!
If I had known you were looking for a front bumper I would have been suggesting my Top Secret one I have for sale!
(Also got some ET35 wheels for sale which would give a bit more track and stance...).
Could you get security bolts for the spoiler so they would need a bit more than an allen key to get it off?
This is the exact video that made me buy an MR2 with the intention of immediately 2ZZ swapping it, which I duly did.
Quote from: Slowpoke on November 14, 2023, 17:20This would be paired with as light of an exhaust as I could get, along with an LSD, C60 gearbox and lightweight flywheel. Also tempted by an ABS and power steering delete eventually. Still need to prioritise buying a proper daily.
Power steering delete is a doddle.
About the ABS delete I had concerns about the front rear balance but diving deep into the info found it has no bias provision. Any brake bias the ZZW30 has is in the disc diameter/calipers/weight distribution.
With the Prius calipers fitted up front, retaining the ABS may be useful.
Quote from: Petrus on November 15, 2023, 20:40Power steering delete is a doddle.
About the ABS delete I had concerns about the front rear balance but diving deep into the info found it has no bias provision. Any brake bias the ZZW30 has is in the disc diameter/calipers/weight distribution.
With the Prius calipers fitted up front, retaining the ABS may be useful.
good advice, that reminds me that techno pro spirit added a super simple brake balancer to their car to remedy this
Quote from: Alex Knight on November 14, 2023, 22:42This is the exact video that made me buy an MR2 with the intention of immediately 2ZZ swapping it, which I duly did.
What a great sounding engine! You just can't beat aggressive track driving like that - hearing the revs skip as the car flies over curbs
Quote from: Slowpoke on November 15, 2023, 23:16good advice, that reminds me that techno pro spirit added a super simple brake balancer to their car to remedy this
it is very, véry tricky to set up a manual bias valve and then it is either a compromise or you need a diffeifferent setting for different circumstances.
Because there is a front/rear split in the ABS, it does it nicely for you no hassle.
Quote from: Petrus on November 16, 2023, 02:37it is very, véry tricky to set up a manual bias valve and then it is either a compromise or you need a diffeifferent setting for different circumstances.
Because there is a front/rear split in the ABS, it does it nicely for you no hassle.
In that case it seems smarter to leave the ABS system and focus on weight saving in other places.
My wallet is terrified at the thought of carbon doors and panels but my god would it be nice.
That's the tricky stuff anyways - everything else is just removing things or getting the angle grinder out. Free performance at it's finest (and the bragging rights to call it a proper race car).
Small update, the entire braking system should all be getting fitted very soon - I just made an error in ordering two right sided prius calipers so I'm waiting for delivery of the left one.
Oops.
Quote from: Slowpoke on November 20, 2023, 12:09In that case it seems smarter to leave the ABS system and focus on weight saving in other places.
My wallet is terrified at the thought of carbon doors and panels but my god would it be nice.
That's the tricky stuff anyways - everything else is just removing things or getting the angle grinder out. Free performance at it's finest (and the bragging rights to call it a proper race car).
Carbon panel doors would be a serious weight saver. Unfortunately they are the opposite of straightforward. More importantly still they compromise the stiffness of the tub considerably: The original doors can be made to fit quite tightly, improving stiffness notably. Dev´s spacers and the TRD sliders work! Either will do. Fitting the other will add more stiffness still but follow the rule of diminishing returns.
I absolutely would NOT want to be T-Boned in a car with carbon doors and no side impact protection.
Quote from: Alex Knight on November 20, 2023, 15:46I absolutely would NOT want to be T-Boned in a car with carbon doors and no side impact protection.
I would not want to be T-boned by a modern lardy in any MR cabrio. I a modern two ton plus barges into you a 40mm diameter rod in the door is token only.
Quote from: Petrus on November 20, 2023, 15:54I would not want to be T-boned by a modern lardy in any MR cabrio. I a modern two ton plus barges into you a 40mm diameter rod in the door is token only.
It's not the rod in the door I was referring to, but the door.
I would have thought that was obvious, seeing as the subject was the construction of the door itself, but I guess to you it was not.
Look at an F1 wishbone. Tremendously strong laterally, but if you were to stand on one, it would snap.
F1 is a 8) example of how good cf is in a crash. Regardless
@Alex Knight I agree we (fundamentally) disagree and will let the floor to Slowpoke.
@Slowpoke thanks for reminding me. Am looking at the chinese carbon products (again). The same companies offer grp products too.
Shipping and red tape makes buying any of it overseas too costly, but I may talk to the local bloke again about the rear lid. It was big fun putting the Margard Lexan windshield in together.
@Alex Knight @Petrus You both make good points, yes the carbon fibre doors would be awful in a crash, not to mention very upsetting to stomach the costs. In theory if I ever get that far with developing the car then there would be door bars as part of the roll cage to ensure that level of safety with the original doors isn't diminished too much.
The TPS car has the same approach, and they also don't use a full cage to save weight because they still meet safety regulations with the 'half cage' they have. Same applies to most UK based sprint series/time attack events and with the nature of those being 1 car at a time opposed to wheel to wheel racing, there is obviously a decreased risk of serious impact with other cars.
For street driving, I'm not sure if it's entirely legal in the UK to have carbon doors anyway but I'd be inclined to have it as a track toy only if I ever spent that much money on it.
Had it cleaned and went for a coffee run over the weekend, thought I'd update everyone with a couple photos...
(https://i.ibb.co/Cmxd4Dh/AABBD7-B2-FA5-E-44-C8-B826-08-BD47-ABD399.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Cmxd4Dh)
(https://i.ibb.co/kVZLxp5/1-BDB7-B3-C-659-F-4687-B508-1998328-BD078.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kVZLxp5)
(https://i.ibb.co/Np10Zxb/2-EF154-D7-84-C7-4856-9-F92-530135-F8-CD85.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Np10Zxb)
(https://i.ibb.co/ZTjbvR4/8468-F176-375-E-4-A3-A-9706-C7376-DB754-F4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZTjbvR4)
(https://i.ibb.co/G5fb0xz/0083-CC3-E-F9-F1-46-B2-8691-B8424-D4-C33-AE.jpg) (https://ibb.co/G5fb0xz)
Snow! Tested the car in 4 inches of fresh snow and it really surprised me how predictable and controllable the car was. I must admit it was brilliant fun and weirdly confidence inspiring.
The below photo of the car covered in snow was taken at 3am. Crazy how light it was due to the conditions.
(https://i.ibb.co/zJHHs08/B16760-C8-042-D-4372-BF40-C55-F2884-C21-D.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zJHHs08) (https://i.ibb.co/ZzssXSv/4-DE7-E607-272-D-4138-942-D-F3681-DD6-EC0-E.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZzssXSv) (https://i.ibb.co/0QCjrsZ/D0-B5-D012-AA4-B-4-A2-F-B402-B9-FD4-BFC36-CB.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0QCjrsZ) (https://i.ibb.co/F7QZkpD/1-A614-A5-D-ACF3-43-E7-A93-B-7-E1-F900-B609-D.jpg) (https://ibb.co/F7QZkpD) (https://i.ibb.co/z4dSKVq/61-CB0-B09-A409-41-E1-B6-E1-8-AF0-D156-D5-CE.jpg) (https://ibb.co/z4dSKVq) (https://i.ibb.co/sgQdTNx/D301-CC40-0-F41-43-AA-BEE7-6694-EC0-B5876.jpg) (https://ibb.co/sgQdTNx) (https://i.ibb.co/9t8NmPW/55-D8-C7-D5-1-ABF-43-EC-8-F22-558-BDF60-E8-CD.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9t8NmPW)
Quote from: Slowpoke on December 3, 2023, 19:35it really surprised me how predictable and controllable the car was. I must admit it was brilliant fun and weirdly confidence inspiring.
Tatááá ;) Congrats!!
I'm a bit gutted that we haven't had snow yet down here in the Soft South. I'm looking forward to finding an iced-over empty car park and having a play with the car. I haven't managed to make it lose grip yet, which is almost certainly a sign that I haven't been trying hard enough. But I'd like to do it first in a makeshift skid pan environment so I can get a feel for it, before risking it happening on the road.
@inigopete if you're around Essex there's a proper skid pan run by ex met police driving instructors.
I wouldn't purposely swing my car around in any other setting/venue. Don't want bin my car or attract the wrong attention.
Quote from: SuperArt on December 4, 2023, 13:53@inigopete if you're around Essex there's a proper skid pan run by ex met police driving instructors.
I wouldn't purposely swing my car around in any other setting/venue. Don't want bin my car or attract the wrong attention.
Rain makes any road a skid pad no?!
A Sunday morning empty industrial estate will do. There is súre to be a roundabout even. In second gear speeds are low and gives wéll enough torque.
And just for the fun of it, a Nordic flick in first gear on a wet parking lot makes a 180 on the throttle a doddle.
That observed, the only fine I have received in 22 years here (knocking wood) was for
´drifting at high speed´ in the dry on a roundabout (with 120 diesel hp. in a 2 ton old style 4x4 8) ) so yes I dó get the remark about unwanted attention.
Quote from: SuperArt on December 4, 2023, 13:53@inigopete if you're around Essex there's a proper skid pan run by ex met police driving instructors.
I wouldn't purposely swing my car around in any other setting/venue. Don't want bin my car or attract the wrong attention.
I grew up in Essex, my dad was a police-trained driver, so I'm familiar with that skid pan. It's awesome. :)
I remember, while I was learning to drive, my dad taking me to an icy supermarket car park on a Sunday - when supermarkets were closed on Sundays! - to learn how the car lost grip and how to steer into / out of skids. It was invaluable, and why I'd like to have a bit of a play with the MR2. Of course, it was also a chance for him to show off his skills J-turning and doing other evasive manoeuvres without destroying his tyres. ;)
Quote from: inigopete on December 4, 2023, 15:51I grew up in Essex, my dad was a police-trained driver, so I'm familiar with that skid pan. It's awesome. :)
I remember, while I was learning to drive, my dad taking me to an icy supermarket car park on a Sunday - when supermarkets were closed on Sundays! - to learn how the car lost grip and how to steer into / out of skids. It was invaluable, and why I'd like to have a bit of a play with the MR2. Of course, it was also a chance for him to show off his skills J-turning and doing other evasive manoeuvres without destroying his tyres. ;)
Honestly, seat time is the biggest thing and messing about in a large carpark late at night is one of the easiest ways to get comfortable with how your car handles when it's not got all the grip in the world. Give it some revs and clutch kick it whilst giving some steering angle, you'll get used to how the weight feels when it comes round pretty quickly.
I must add, MR2s seem very difficult to drift
consistently in the dry compared to more popular platforms, but taking it out in 4 inches of fresh snow with my mates piled in the passenger seat showed me that it's actually extremely controllable in certain conditions - it was essentially low speed drifting in slow motion, but to the point where you could get lots of angle and connect every corner.
Lots of fun haha
So, I killed the 1zz.
Was driving home giving it some beans and the engine went kaboom. I don't believe it was oil starvation related but the thing sounds like a bag of spanners.
Not really interested in investigating what it actually is as I'm not going to fix the 1zz.
MR2 is going into storage whilst it's dead - looking to swap it (unfortunately a lot sooner than I would've liked). 2zz swap I reckon when I can afford it.
In the meantime, I've bought an Audi A3 1.9tdi sport quattro off a friend of mine as the MR2 was my daily.
Rip 1zz.
(https://i.ibb.co/PC2MFjT/6-E4-F6534-1960-4-FE4-A073-F7-CFECAD4550.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PC2MFjT)
(https://i.ibb.co/xHhQPhr/ABDF99-A9-4-E53-47-F5-BC4-D-3-B720817306-C.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xHhQPhr)
That's sad news, I hope the storage isn't too expensive - and neither is the 2ZZ!
>:D gutted for you as you can tell you were haveing such a good time with your 2 and getting out in all weathers.
enjoy your new daily and lets us no what you do next with your 2.
hopefully wont be to long before you turn your plans into a 2zz :) :)
ps love the snow pictures
Quote from: inigopete on December 18, 2023, 23:27That's sad news, I hope the storage isn't too expensive - and neither is the 2ZZ!
Me too! Couldn't have been at a worse time too with Christmas around the corner.
I'm asking the local farmers if they would be keen to part with some barn storage for a bit of cash. Definitely a cheaper option that going to proper storage providers. Also I'll be able to easily spend evenings going down to work on the car as I still have the brakes to do from my purchase last month as well as getting the skirts and bumper painted (which still hasn't arrived - grr) and fitted to the car.
I did ironically make a big old plan of all the jobs I have planned to do to the car over winter right before the engine went pop and the engine swap was right at the bottom of the list. Annoyingly it's all of a sudden rose straight to the top :))
Sorry to hear this. Let me know if you need any 2ZZ swap advice. I've seen all aspects now!
Also worth noting, the engine has only done 79,000 miles - the fact that it's eaten itself is still baffling to me. I know I wasn't shy of wringing it's neck but complete failure?? The car had an extremely well kept service history and never missed an oil change - admittedly I only performed 2 in the year and a half that I've had it but that is the 'normal' baseline.
I would never have assumed the 1zz to be a 'weak' engine despite it's lackluster power. I'm still certain it can't have been an oil issue as on cheap summer tyres I really shouldn't be capable of pulling enough G's on the road to upset the engine. Not to mention that the 1zz sump is baffled so...
I'm tempted to investigate but seeing as though I won't be continuing with the 1zz platform, it might be a waste of time. I also need to decide on whether I want to carry out an engine swap myself (cheaper but testing my spanner wielding skills) or if I save up enough to have Zurawski Motorsports put a 1.8T in it or alternatively getting Rogue to throw a 2zz in it.
Either way, I want the next engine to be somewhat built and prepared to handle some abuse so it's going to cost £££ regardless.
Quote from: Alex Knight on December 20, 2023, 16:36Sorry to hear this. Let me know if you need any 2ZZ swap advice. I've seen all aspects now!
This is the most likely option I see for me in the future. I have a good job at a very good company but as I'm in the early stages of my career I'm not quite dipping my toes into what I'd consider the 'comfortable' salaries yet. Will have to make do with what I can if I want the MR2 back on the road next year so 2zz with some nice parts sounds reasonable (and carrying out the swap myself).
Would appreciate any advice with that and I'll definitely be asking for the help when it comes to that time.
With that being said, it seems like good second hand 2zz's have become increasingly harder to find?
Quote from: puma2 on December 20, 2023, 07:40>:D gutted for you as you can tell you were haveing such a good time with your 2 and getting out in all weathers.
enjoy your new daily and lets us no what you do next with your 2.
hopefully wont be to long before you turn your plans into a 2zz :) :)
ps love the snow pictures
Thanks, the new daily is admittedly quite fun. It's my first turbo diesel experience and having useable torque that is easily accessible is proving to be a nice luxury even on my mundane drives to work.
Also letting off the throttle just before peak boost makes a huge CHOO sound which is pleasing the child in me.
Quote from: Slowpoke on December 20, 2023, 16:50Thanks, the new daily is admittedly quite fun. It's my first turbo diesel experience and having useable torque that is easily accessible is proving to be a nice luxury even on my mundane drives to work.
Also letting off the throttle just before peak boost makes a huge CHOO sound which is pleasing the child in me.
It is said it's good to torque!
Quick update,
Constant boost leaks with the daily and I feel very unenthused to continue life with it. Dangerous situation to be in, MR2 engine swap money is starting to look awfully like v8 E39 money!!!
But hey ho, almost there financially for the swap - the MR2 hasn't moved since my last update besides sticking a dehumidifier in there. Battery is dead as a dodo so that's a great excuse to buy a lightweight race battery just in time to do the swap.
I also think I'm settled on a 1.8T - somewhat mini Dallara Stradale vibes (if you don't know what these are, seriously look them up they are awesome). Will cost a bit more to have it 'motorsport capable' but in all honesty I'll pay that price for 270 reliable ponies.
Slowpoke out
Quote from: Slowpoke on March 21, 2024, 17:02Dallara Stradale vibes (if you don't know what these are, seriously look them up they are awesome)
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/a30349116/dallara-stradale-review/ (https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/a30349116/dallara-stradale-review/) - my word, that article gave me goosebumps!!