K20 MR2 Spyder build

Started by Dudi, February 11, 2019, 14:10

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Dudi

I've never done a build thread before even though I've comprehensively modified current and previous cars so here goes!

The car in question is a 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder which I bought ready with a 2ZZ build.

Spec as started -

2zz with 6 speed LSD box.
Custom cages half cage
Yellow stuff pads
Everything else as standard

Me and a good friend set about getting it ready for track. Over the course of 6 weeks or so we fitted the following -


Elise parts sump
Rogue enhanced stock manifold, sport cat and rear muffler
Bucket seats
6 point harnesses
TRD short shifter
Mishimoto front rad
BC coilover
Full hard race arms
Whiteline front and rear anti roll bars
New discs front and back
New refurbished rear calipers
Braided hoses front and rear
New CV boots
Underbody bracing
HKS oil pressure and temperature gauges
AD08 on 15" stock wheels

It had it's first trackday at Castle Combe and performed brilliantly for most of the day. Towards the end it started crunching gears and being difficult to engage. We diagnosed it to a clutch and/or gearbox issue. Quick call to Andy at Bonsai and it was dropped off on the way home from Combe.

We fitted a brand new C60 gearbox with LSD, competition clutch stage 4 and a lightweight flywheel. Then it was down to Avia motorsport in Bridgend for a full corner weighting and coilover setup.

Work got in the way and the car was stored for the best part of 10 months. It was occasionally used on the road but really it's trackdays we built it for.

I ruptured my achilles in October and we had an Anglesey trackday booked early November which I wasn't able to part take in. My co-driver took the car with a few other mates. Unfortunately the 2ZZ decided it's had enough and spun a bearing. I was always underwhelmed with the stock 2ZZ so I wasn't all that disappointed.

The car was transported home and it's sat looking sorry for itself in the garage until we decided what the best step to take was. We did consider mx-engineinwrongplace , S2000, E36 M3's and the likes but the MR2 in my opinion has a fairly unique charm.

I've always fancied an Elise/Exige K20 track car however the vulnerable fibreglass clams have put me off with it being a fun car, a good friend owns a Honda S2000 and the reliability of the drivetrain has been impressive. He's not the most mechanically sympathetic but it's taken trackdays in it's stride.

It was decided last week that we're going to do a K20 transplant, standalone ECU (Hondata or Ecumaster Black via the groupbuy), LSD gearbox with a shorter final drive. I was offered a low compression turbo engine but the limited space for an intercooler/chargecooler and lack of off the shelf turbo manifold is likely to keep it N/A but we'll see.

We're hoping to do the transplant in my garage, have ordered the Innovative mounts, gear linkage adaptors, Mitch Auto wiring harness adaptor and Innovative driveshafts.

I drove a manual drivetrain for the first time since my injury last night so am itching to get the car on track again!




1979scotte

Best of luck with this great engine swap for a track car.
Tbh if I can fit a good size charge cooler in my v6 swap sure it wouldn't be hard with a 4 pot.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

Dudi

Quote from: 1979scotte on February 11, 2019, 16:03
Best of luck with this great engine swap for a track car.
Tbh if I can fit a good size charge cooler in my v6 swap sure it wouldn't be hard with a 4 pot.

If we decide to do so, I'm going to use the skills of a friend that works for JLR to potentially design a turbo manifold and cooling. Reliability is key so I'll have to do some more thinking if we really do want to go the FI route.

Gaz2405

Watching this with interest, potentially thinking of going boosted k20 next.
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

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