My black '04!

[iffyT]

Hi,
Having had a string of bad luck looking for a good MR2, I've finally found a mint black '04 with red cloth interior. It's done 86k miles, sourced locally, and which is now in it's new home on my drive. So happy!
No pics yet, but attached is a couple from the ad.

I'm actually downsizing from an Abarth 595 Competizione, due to covid and brexit doing a double whammy on my phd funding. This should free up eneough cash to get me through to the new year... Hopefully we're in a better position by then!
I'm really going to miss it, it's great fun and brings out the 5 year old in me that likes gurgling noises. I was worried when I bought that would get old fast, but 3 years on it still makes me grin when I build boost then let off... so childish lol
I wouldn't know what to replace it with in the same price bracket, and so downsizing was a depressing thought. Until I started looking at MR2s- What better way to save money is there in a global pandemic and economic crisis, other than by buying a mid-engined sports car!

So on to the new one.
Almost everything has already been done to my '04, including new radiator, refurb'd rear calipers, discs and pads all round, fresh synth 75-90 GL4 in the 'box, and a pair of new Rainsport 3s on the front, and a fresh MoT with no advisories.

It has been well cared for: The lights are clear, the wheels are good, the hood is as new, the antenna works and there is very little corrosion on the underside. As far as I can tell the subframe is immaculate, and the underside has a coating of Fluid-Film anti-corrosion. No OBD codes current or recently cleared.

Bad Points:
-Not quite my first choice of colour and interior (that would have been blue with leather)

-Drivers seat base has some wear on it and is generally a bit grubby. I'm guessing one of the POs like Levis with the buttons that stick out.

-A few little knocks and creaks going over sharp bumps. It's solid over speedhumps.

-Missing its nappy...

-Some weird pitting/crystalisation on the hood latches. I've seen this in pics here from other other owners, so I'm not too concerned.

-A little bit of a 'rusty' clutch, kind of feels like extending a rusty spring when you push the clutch in. Hard to describe, and subtle- I didn't pick it up on the test drive.

-Slightly weeping chain tensioner. Very slight leak from cam cover. Not dripping, no evidence of a cleaned up engine bay to hide it. I hope I'm right not to be too worried!

-A few car park dings, nothing bad or that's gone through the paint. Ding day! (as an aside, I've explained ding day to a few of my mates and we're all in agreement that's it's such a great idea for a club event)

-Unknown horrors which may lurk beneath the front under bonnet plastic.

Hmmm the bad points list is longer than the good... That's not how it is I swear!


Immediate plan of action:
I'm going to take the car to a mates place this weekend who has a ramp and I'll perform a full service and checkover using the guide PDFs here: https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=49944.0

Service- Oil change, filters, spark plugs, clean MAF, reset ECU, check fuel trims etc using DashCommand.

Check- Steering UJ, PAS pipework and fluid, brake hardlines, Anything else I should add to this list?

Sort- Have a go at cleaning up the seat a bit. In fact I'm going to do that now.


Future plans-
-Chain tensioner o-ring. I might as well replace the whole tensioner?
-New rear tyres in the next month or so, the bridgestones at the rear have plenty of tread but they're 7 years old. Will get matching Rainsport 3s.
-Sort the cam cover oil leak.
-Suspension refresh. Will prob do in stages.
-Definitely a TTE exhaust, coming from the Abarth, the 1zz sounds... yeah.
-Apple car-play double-din maybe.
-Dreams of 2zz-ge's and 2GR-FE's...


Very much enjoying reading this forum. And your advice was invaluable while choosing a car. Many thanks.

[Joesson]

@iffyT
Glad to hear your pleased and now a proper Member.
If your looking for a TTE exhaust have a look at the Remus @Mikeymead has for sale.

[Carolyn]

PM me with your addressand I'll send you a tensioner O ring - slightly fatter than oem (which is rubbish).  FOC

Welcome to the club

[househead]

Welcome to ownership!

Re: clutch squeak, does it sound like this?

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPTxpHscXPFwNhZ0l1rRmbZ62MIfo0Ca-RedxLPfd61xct1IpJ7QyAxO0dhgtZBqA/photo/AF1QipO3zaynOKWj9HyQN4iovodF7ZoizeudAldy3CSx?key=TnNIZGRIQlRRLWMzNzdOMmctQnRqUU1iQTY3YkhR

Mine is the same (on and off), I'm going to grease the fork as soon as it returns (it's giving me an easy time at the moment).

Re: chain tensioner leak, resident master-tech @Carolyn has a stock of O rings from which she might be able to fix you up. Pretty common for them to leak and aiui generally just needs a new O ring.

[Topdownman]

Congratulations on the purchase. I am sure you will be very happy with this as a replacement.

Sounds like you have got a good plan sorted, the only thing I can think to add is to try to lubricate the clutch pivot as this is known to squeak (I see househead has beaten me to it!).

(You may need to get to 30 posts to be able to see the parts for sale section).

[Chilli Girl]

Looks very tidy.  Welcome to this excellent club, you will learn lots from here.

[iffyT]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

@iffyT
Glad to hear your pleased and now a proper Member.
If your looking for a TTE exhaust have a look at the Remus @Mikeymead has for sale.

Thanks, and cheers for the heads up. Funnily enough this car is from near Heathrow. Like yours

PM me with your addressand I'll send you a tensioner O ring - slightly fatter than oem (which is rubbish).  FOC

Welcome to the club

PM'd! Thank you so much!

Welcome to ownership!

Re: clutch squeak, does it sound like this?

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPTxpHscXPFwNhZ0l1rRmbZ62MIfo0Ca-RedxLPfd61xct1IpJ7QyAxO0dhgtZBqA/photo/AF1QipO3zaynOKWj9HyQN4iovodF7ZoizeudAldy3CSx?key=TnNIZGRIQlRRLWMzNzdOMmctQnRqUU1iQTY3YkhR

Mine is the same (on and off), I'm going to grease the fork as soon as it returns (it's giving me an easy time at the moment).

Hmm, there's no sound as far as I know, just a feeling through the pedal, like a scrapey, rusty feel. I'll have a listen under the car while someone pushes the clutch in. I might try greasing the fork to see if it helps.

Congratulations on the purchase. I am sure you will be very happy with this as a replacement.

Sounds like you have got a good plan sorted, the only thing I can think to add is to try to lubricate the clutch pivot as this is known to squeak (I see househead has beaten me to it!).

(You may need to get to 30 posts to be able to see the parts for sale section).

Thanks! Clutch pivot going on list then. Oooh as well as an alignment just remembered. Let the spending commence as you lot say

Looks very tidy.  Welcome to this excellent club, you will learn lots from here.

Thank you, already have!

[Jamtastic]

Hi Iffy

Finally found the right one and it was round the corner! I'm sure it will bring out the 5 year old in you again. Hope all goes smoothly at the weekend.

[iffyT]

Thanks Jam, things mostly went ok!

Up on ramps- Changed oil (treated the car to some £50 a bottle Mobil 3000 FE thanks to ECP sale), air filter, plugs. Checked out underbody. No damage there or any serious corrosion. The hubs are are a little scabby could do with a rub down and treat. I'll do that as I refresh the suspension (pretty sure it needs this, it's very jiggly at low speed, top mounts sound like they might have had it too).

After that beer and chat, and sorting a couple of bits on my mates Capri he's restoring took hold so annoyingly didn't get around to getting the front plastics off and have a look under there.

I am slightly concerned after the oil change- There were a couple of tiny flecks of metal in the old oil... No sheen on the bottom of the pan, and I would say only 10 or so minute chunks. But alarming still. Am I worrying too much? The drain plug has a magnet on it and nothing was stuck to that.
I still have the old oil filter, I'm planning to cut into it and have a look. Is there any special technique to ripping one open?

Other than that , all seems good with the car using it this week, drives very nicely. Was on the M25 on the way home yesterday evening with the top down, heater on, no worries! Driving position is excellent. Jumping in and out of the Abarth this week felt like getting in a very growly, fast and pointy bus!
Valeted up the interior, cleared the drain holes. Replaced a few trim clips in the cubby.

Enjoying ownership so far!

[Jamtastic]

Hi Iffy

There are a few ways to cut open a filter however you need to be careful as you don't want to introduce more metal filings to the filter core. Be careful  (going full health & safety)fingers, an oily tin and sharp blades do not a good mix make.

There is a lot of non ferrous metal in the make up of your engine so not all will stick to the magnet plus the tiny particles you can't see. I'm not an expert on the 1ZZ but a hot drain and flush and a reinspect would be my suggestion at first. Oil is a lot cheaper than a new engine.

[jvanzyl]

Welcome - quick way to sort the seat is to swap the seat back to the passenger side :-) Takes about half an hour to do both sides max. Then you can deal with the wear at your leasuire and enjoy a nice new seat back.

[Smithy]

welcome to the dark side Iffy ( owners of black 2s) wouldn't be my first choice of colour either but get some stainless grills on and they look amazing. check out Bernie's 2 for inspiration

[iffyT]

Hi Iffy

There are a few ways to cut open a filter however you need to be careful as you don't want to introduce more metal filings to the filter core. Be careful  (going full health & safety)fingers, an oily tin and sharp blades do not a good mix make.

There is a lot of non ferrous metal in the make up of your engine so not all will stick to the magnet plus the tiny particles you can't see. I'm not an expert on the 1ZZ but a hot drain and flush and a reinspect would be my suggestion at first. Oil is a lot cheaper than a new engine.

Ok thanks. Filter is in the glovebox of the '2 parked up at my dads until I sell my car. I'll cut into it this weekend, I've got a pipe cutter I think the filter will fit. I'm a little nervous, hope that 2zz isn't on the program just yet!

Welcome - quick way to sort the seat is to swap the seat back to the passenger side :-) Takes about half an hour to do both sides max. Then you can deal with the wear at your leasuire and enjoy a nice new seat back.

Thanks for the tip, is it possible to do this with the seat base? I think I will eventually replace them with some leather ones.

welcome to the dark side Iffy ( owners of black 2s) wouldn't be my first choice of colour either but get some stainless grills on and they look amazing. check out Bernie's 2 for inspiration

Haha thanks! Bernie's car is indeed lovely... black really shines up well. Just takes an awful lot of shining up.

@Carolyn Have received club sponsored o-ring in post today Thank you again

[jvanzyl]

Nope- can't do it with the base, at least not easily to my knowledge as the seat belt is involved.

[GRiches]

so cool, very interesting read

[LeRich]

A good thread so far. Looking forward to the next update.