Zspeed’s Shirubārōdosutā

[Zspeed]

Hi all,
I thought I would start taking the time to build my ride thread as people on the forum have been helpful at every turn and they might enjoy some of my journey to.

15-20 years ago I used to work in the motor trade and used to get to ride around in various sports cars belonging to management and visit the motor shows. I myself had Golf Gtis, Subaru etc but the best car I had myself was a standard 02 plate Elise. I rushed out and bought one after doing a track experience day at Rockingham. I had it for 2 years as a daily putting 30k on it. Fantastic. Unfortunately i traded it in when I was invited to join the management team and was asked to take a company car. A nicer house was on the horizon so it had to go.

Fast forward to this year and I decided to pick up a lockdown roadster earlier this year when I realised how boring my work commute had become. I have been working throughout and the empty roads and great countryside views made me think.   Why am I in this van? I don't use the space in the back most of the time and with the wife getting a SUV I can always use that when required for my fishing trips.
 
After doing a load of Research,  contemplating various other cars and taking into account my much reduced budget (I would be selling the van and topping it up), I felt that the MR2 Roadster was the closest experience I am going to get to the Elise for my budget.

I was trying to stay calm and make a sensible purchase, but my excitement got the better of me, and instead of waiting until after lockdown and more cars to come on the market I sneaked out and picked up a Silver 04 with a black hardtop, aircon, style bar, air filter,black wheels, a box full of spares and 90k on the clock. It had done about 5k in 5 years after the previous owner had took it on as a project.

At the end of the day I have probably paid more than I should but i was keen to get going. The chap claimed to be a mechanic and it 'was sorted' but after a couple of weeks with it I had realised I certainly now had a project of my own.

More to come......

[puma2]

  lest see how you get on now
fair play got love the Else, i was working in a garage when they 1st came out. went on a test run after climbing out my legs were shacking. what a wonderful feeling  to have that as daily and as  to be in 1 is an experience in it self. after getting in 1    

[Zspeed]

After getting the roadster home, I ordered up some general service bits and planned to get some gloves on for a good look around.

The first thing I noticed underneath was rust!  Maybe because of its Scottish origin, it appeared to have some rust building up around certain areas so my plan was to try and slow
this down with some Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80. The stuff is really impressive.

I started under the drivers side front wheel arch, removing the wheel and giving everything a good rub down prior to applying the BH when I saw something that didn't look right.

There was a crack in something, but with little experience of the cars I couldn't work out what it was at first.

It turned out to be the steering rack fixing!

When I got in close and had a good look the crack was very corroded. Im sure it had been like it for a long time. It was hard to spot without getting the wheel off and getting right in there. There was no unexpected play in the steering or the rack and the UJ had been replaced only a few thousand miles ago. I would urge everyone to get your head in under the arch and have a look to check, as if it has failed it could lead to a serious accident.

I believe it's because the fixing point is part of the cast alloy the pipes are attached to. The other fixing point looks like steel.

Obviously all the fun driving had to come to an immediate stop.😞

As it's my daily, and I believed it had been like it for sometime, I decided it was safe enough to be driven the 10 miles of pretty straight road to work whilst I sorted it out.

A new rack is expensive. A refurbished rack from mr2 Ben is also about £300. I struggled with taking the chance on a breaker, but was lucky to find an unwanted mr2 Ben refurb rack on ebay for £170 which included new rods and covers (although still have these if anyone needs them).

You then really need a new pipe set as they badly corrode, so another £80 to MrEbay, and some power steering fluid to boot.

After a couple of weeks the roadster went for surgery with my friendly diy mechanic and my first big bill was served.

Once done, I could feel the difference in the steering, which I assumed had come from the fluid change, but may also be the rack condition.

On a positive side, I managed to work my way around the car with the BH whilst I waited for the work to be done and found no other ugly surprises. I'll keep checking the rusty areas to see how the BH holds up over time.

Back on the road for some fun as the sun came out! Yay

[Zspeed]

Im really enjoying the car again.  My cross country 10 mile commute is exciting with loads of twisty bits and some long straights delivering plenty of views. 

These cars really are cracking little roadsters, the smiles per mile are racking up nicely.

I have always struggled with the thrill of straight line speed, it seems so short lived, it's like take off in a plane. I can remember having a drive in my brothers cerbera, and how hard it was to push to any limit without a motorway to yourself.   But I do understand we are all different, including our kicks.  This seems to be my thing, a nice moderately paced road rally with no one to race against but myself.

Anyway, more tinkering has occurred. 

Although the car was handling well (within my ability) there was a bit of a issue bugging me and I felt it was time to check it out.  There was a bit of tram lining occurring and I guessed it was to do with the 25mm spacers installed all round.  These  gave it a great stance, but the more I read on the matter the more I doubted they were really doing anything good other than looks. So, for comparison I gave the car a good ragging for a couple of days, then removed the front set and ragged it again. Unsurprisingly the tram lining almost disappeared.

Also, I felt I could tell the weight had been removed from the wheels (The pair of spacers weighed almost 3 kilos). The car felt more nimble and responsive, the amount really surprised me.

So, as soon as I had time, I took the rears off.  It was a shame as the fronts were clearly outside the arches  and needed to come off but the rears sat nice and flush. Not bothered now though as again the drive has improved once more.

With all the threads about lowering springs, coil overs, dampers and arbs I have started to feel my road driving really just needs stock suspension and save the money for some niceties. So I went on the hunt for some new rubber, which I think is the most important part of the the suspension and the current arrangement was a mismatch.

I have got involved in some other threads on the forum regarding this so I won't go into to much detail as I feel it's so subjective and experience based.  I pieced together info that led me to Michelin Pilot Sport 3.  This may sound crazy as I have been told by Michelin they are due to be discontinued this year, but all the recommendations and reviews for them fit my expected use for them, and I have always got on well with the brand.  I'm an all year round daily with demanding dry weather use. I'm not quite stupid enough to drive the car hard in poor conditions, and have options on a reasonably well maintained B road route from door to door or a chance for a lift from the wife in the Lexus. I would have liked to try the Ad08s but felt it was a step to far for all year driving.

I also managed to buy them on a deal saving over 20% on the best price I could get elsewhere and a free dashcam (still in box).  I also reduced the front tyre size  to 195, a bit closer to stock.  They were 205s, the previous owner told me he decided to follow the lead of the guy from Dad Diaries, the front alloys being 6.5j pfl rears, so 185 seemed like they might be a bit skinny for them. The rears are stock.

I'm running standard pressures at the moment but have been reading about the possible need to increase the rears as they are XL load rated but all in good time.  They certainly feel good on the car, and have not managed to get them to lose grip so far!

I was still thinking about whether I should be bothering to up-rate anything else in the suspension setup for anything more than the hell of it, when I got my first eml badge.  😞

[Iain]

I have the PS3s, bl@@dy brilliant tyre. Also like you, its very difficult to un stick the thing now.

I track mine and i found a tad more pressure above stock (2+Psi F&R) really helped and the car just felt better. On the road you may not feel the difference though.

If you love the way the car drives now, then my advice is leave it stock, its all you need on the road.

[Ardent]

You have pretty much nailed it.
Upgrade can be read as new - fresh  - stock.
3KG off the front, yep you can feel that. 185 = stock for the fronts. but if £s already spent. so be it.
The joys of the inverse square law. The further out from the centre of the car the weight reduction is. The more it is felt. Your discovery will put a smile on the face of @Petrus.

[Petrus]

The joys of the inverse square law. The further out from the centre of the car the weight reduction is. The more it is felt. Your discovery will put a smile on the face of @Petrus.

MR2  and not many get that :-)

[Zspeed]

I have the PS3s, bl@@dy brilliant tyre. Also like you, its very difficult to un stick the thing now.

I track mine and i found a tad more pressure above stock (2+Psi F&R) really helped and the car just felt better. On the road you may not feel the difference though.

If you love the way the car drives now, then my advice is leave it stock, its all you need on the road.

Cool, is your car pretty stock then and you still track it?

[Iain]

I have the PS3s, bl@@dy brilliant tyre. Also like you, its very difficult to un stick the thing now.

I track mine and i found a tad more pressure above stock (2+Psi F&R) really helped and the car just felt better. On the road you may not feel the difference though.

If you love the way the car drives now, then my advice is leave it stock, its all you need on the road.

Cool, is your car pretty stock then and you still track it?

Lowered on eibach springs and a front strut brace. Other than that its standard and all the fun you need 😃

[Zspeed]

I have the PS3s, bl@@dy brilliant tyre. Also like you, its very difficult to un stick the thing now.

I track mine and i found a tad more pressure above stock (2+Psi F&R) really helped and the car just felt better. On the road you may not feel the difference though.

If you love the way the car drives now, then my advice is leave it stock, its all you need on the road.

Cool, is your car pretty stock then and you still track it?

Lowered on eibach springs and a front strut brace. Other than that its standard and all the fun you need 😃

@Iain  Do you find the lowered springs made a lot of difference on the track or could you do without them? I have been offered some Tein Superstreets at a reasonable price and thinking of getting them for when the stock suspension is tired. I understand there soft setting is not far off stock, but maybe someone could clarify. @Dev ?

[Dexter101]

lovely car dude,  I know its not much fun for you, but I do enjoy reading build threads which include a hard working new owner bringing an unloved car back to its true potential!

May be a daft question (although I have searched and googled it...) but what does Shirubārōdosutā mean?!  I even google translated it and it came up with nothing

[Iain]

I have the PS3s, bl@@dy brilliant tyre. Also like you, its very difficult to un stick the thing now.

I track mine and i found a tad more pressure above stock (2+Psi F&R) really helped and the car just felt better. On the road you may not feel the difference though.

If you love the way the car drives now, then my advice is leave it stock, its all you need on the road.

Cool, is your car pretty stock then and you still track it?

Lowered on eibach springs and a front strut brace. Other than that its standard and all the fun you need 😃

@Iain  Do you find the lowered springs made a lot of difference on the track or could you do without them? I have been offered some Tein Superstreets at a reasonable price and thinking of getting them for when the stock suspension is tired. I understand there soft setting is not far off stock, but maybe someone could clarify. @Dev ?

I dont think theres a great deal of difference from OEM springs, its not much stiffer. It does corner flatter and probably does aid in some added grip.

I lowered just for looks.

[Zspeed]

lovely car dude,  I know its not much fun for you, but I do enjoy reading build threads which include a hard working new owner bringing an unloved car back to its true potential!

May be a daft question (although I have searched and googled it...) but what does Shirubārōdosutā mean?!  I even google translated it and it came up with nothing

Google tells me it is Japanese for Silver Roadster.

[Zspeed]

@Dexter101

Here, maybe rubbish though. 😂

[Dexter101]

@Dexter101

Here, maybe rubbish though. 😂

Love it! 

taking out the accents I got it to translate back as Silva Rodsta which is making me think of a JDM Rod Stewart tribute act!

It is a brilliant name for the car either way. 

[Dev]

I have the PS3s, bl@@dy brilliant tyre. Also like you, its very difficult to un stick the thing now.

I track mine and i found a tad more pressure above stock (2+Psi F&R) really helped and the car just felt better. On the road you may not feel the difference though.

If you love the way the car drives now, then my advice is leave it stock, its all you need on the road.

Cool, is your car pretty stock then and you still track it?

Lowered on eibach springs and a front strut brace. Other than that its standard and all the fun you need 😃

@Iain  Do you find the lowered springs made a lot of difference on the track or could you do without them? I have been offered some Tein Superstreets at a reasonable price and thinking of getting them for when the stock suspension is tired. I understand there soft setting is not far off stock, but maybe someone could clarify. @Dev ?

The Tein soft setting is softer than stock. However it is a horrible ride because the car will wallow around and it is not good for the strut which will cause premature wear or a blowout.
 The Tein SS are not really all that adjustable. You set them  between level 6-10 and thats it. You set the ride hight to their recommended specs because the body of the strut is tied into the compression of the springs. 

However  they are nearly perfect when they are in the narrow range they are designed for and will completely destroy all of the cheap Taiwanese coilovers for both comfort and traction. They hold more shock oil and they are specifically designed and engineered for the car to be a premium product for street use.
 They will be stiffer then the OEM or OEM with lowering springs and therefore if you live in an area with rough roads I would not recommend them.

[Dev]

I have the PS3s, bl@@dy brilliant tyre. Also like you, its very difficult to un stick the thing now.

I track mine and i found a tad more pressure above stock (2+Psi F&R) really helped and the car just felt better. On the road you may not feel the difference though.

If you love the way the car drives now, then my advice is leave it stock, its all you need on the road.

Cool, is your car pretty stock then and you still track it?

Lowered on eibach springs and a front strut brace. Other than that its standard and all the fun you need 😃

@Iain  Do you find the lowered springs made a lot of difference on the track or could you do without them? I have been offered some Tein Superstreets at a reasonable price and thinking of getting them for when the stock suspension is tired. I understand there soft setting is not far off stock, but maybe someone could clarify. @Dev ?

I dont think theres a great deal of difference from OEM springs, its not much stiffer. It does corner flatter and probably does aid in some added grip.

I lowered just for looks.

That is generally what they do and it's in the name. Any of the quality lowering springs are designed with the tuning of the OEM strut which is a good thing. They might add a little stiffness to resist camber change, add some negative camber naturally and the lower center of gravity does help a little in the handling but it comes at a cost of strut travel which can take away some road comfort if you encounter rough roads. Not a bad option for someone that wants mild results.

[Zspeed]

[/quote]

The Tein soft setting is softer than stock. However it is a horrible ride because the car will wallow around and it is not good for the strut which will cause premature wear or a blowout.
 The Tein SS are not really all that adjustable. You set them  between level 6-10 and thats it. You set the ride hight to their recommended specs because the body of the strut is tied into the compression of the springs. 

However  they are nearly perfect when they are in the narrow range they are designed for and will completely destroy all of the cheap Taiwanese coilovers for both comfort and traction. They hold more shock oil and they are specifically designed and engineered for the car to be a premium product for street use.
 They will be stiffer then the OEM or OEM with lowering springs and therefore if you live in an area with rough roads I would not recommend them.

[/quote]

I appreciate the feedback @Dev ,  I thought the electric control unit meant you could adjust the ride at the push of a button though? The idea being to drive to the track, change the setting, buzz round and then just change it back. It's a shame there doesn't seem to be any decent marketing available for them.

[Dev]

The Tein soft setting is softer than stock. However it is a horrible ride because the car will wallow around and it is not good for the strut which will cause premature wear or a blowout.
 The Tein SS are not really all that adjustable. You set them  between level 6-10 and thats it. You set the ride hight to their recommended specs because the body of the strut is tied into the compression of the springs. 

However  they are nearly perfect when they are in the narrow range they are designed for and will completely destroy all of the cheap Taiwanese coilovers for both comfort and traction. They hold more shock oil and they are specifically designed and engineered for the car to be a premium product for street use.
 They will be stiffer then the OEM or OEM with lowering springs and therefore if you live in an area with rough roads I would not recommend them.

[/quote]

I appreciate the feedback @Dev ,  I thought the electric control unit meant you could adjust the ride at the push of a button though? The idea being to drive to the track, change the setting, buzz round and then just change it back. It's a shame there doesn't seem to be any decent marketing available for them.
[/quote]

Thats how they sell the EDFC but it is not exactly how this kind of suspension works. When you change the dial it is not linear. You give up on compression or rebound in varying ratios which will greatly effect the damping . This is why double or triple adjustable struts are what is needed if you want actual adjustments. One way adjustable is ok on some high end system that only has the range of 5 like the Cusco Zero but all of the others with those 32 adjustable points is a gimmick to think you have flexibility when you don't. The strut is tuned for the dynamics of the car and when you deviate from it will not dampen well and you will lose traction.

The EDFC could possible be used to soften the suspension for highway use because the roads are smooth but even if you have the Teins at the right setting they are smooth for the highway already. 

I hope that makes some sense since there are all kinds of gimmicks and drawbacks with these kinds of suspension. I got my information from talking to the Tein. They were very good about being frank with me on the limitations of their products but it also applies to all others as well.

[Zspeed]

[/quote]

Thats how they sell the EDFC but it is not exactly how this kind of suspension works. When you change the dial it is not linear. You give up on compression or rebound in varying ratios which will greatly effect the damping . This is why double or triple adjustable struts are what is needed if you want actual adjustments. One way adjustable is ok on some high end system that only has the range of 5 like the Cusco Zero but all of the others with those 32 adjustable points is a gimmick to think you have flexibility when you don't. The strut is tuned for the dynamics of the car and when you deviate from it will not dampen well and you will lose traction.

The EDFC could possible be used to soften the suspension for highway use because the roads are smooth but even if you have the Teins at the right setting they are smooth for the highway already. 

I hope that makes some sense since there are all kinds of gimmicks and drawbacks with these kinds of suspension. I got my information from talking to the Tein. They were very good about being frank with me on the limitations of their products but it also applies to all others as well.

[/quote]

Appreciate your views again. They sound like an expensive set of second hand stock suspension then as far as I would use them. I'll price that up and compare.

[Zspeed]

So, back to my ride and the eml.

This was about 2 weeks after the steering project and frustrated me as I started to feel the problems might be queuing up.

Not to be deterred, I had seen a number of people having to regularly  change O2 sensors on the Facebook Enthusiast Group.  Apparently, failures on cheap replacements are a common occurrence and as I had just got the car, this could easily be the case. One member even referred to it as JAFOS, which is a common abbreviation but he had altered to Just Another F*#$ing Oxygen Sensor!

One of the breakers offered to send me good replacements to test with, but then provided me with a discount code for original denso for just £28 posted. This is a good price when I looked about and would much prefer a new part like this than having to do the job twice. He said it was too good to miss and also suggested I get a sensor socket at the same time as I will probably need it in the future. Hmmm, starting to wonder why everyone told me these cars are reliable (I'm using it as a daily so it needs to be).

I was told to drive the car steady and change the sensor when it arrived, and all will be well again.  Hmmm, doesn't sound like my sort of luck.

After ordering I decided to try what is usually more my luck, and used the code reader to reset the eml.  I figured I should try normal computer protocol.  When there is a problem, just turn it off and restart. Fixes most things.

Incredibly, it seemed to work!

The socket came quickly but the sensor seemed like it was on snail mail.  Still no eml after 5 days and over 100miles though. The sun was shining and the country lanes beckoned, so I went for it.

You can probably guess what happened. 2 journeys later my badge was back 😞.   The sensor had now arrived though, ready for the weekend. I thought 'Phew, I haven't wasted my money after all.' Hmmmm

It's a tight squeeze but you can get to it without stripping anything down. I was hopeful when removing the old one, as it had been badly set up with none of the fixing points used and the cable trapped under the light. I thought 'yes, it must be a bad connection. It's the easy fix they were all talking about. I got this.'

The new one went in, all cables up neatly, and I reset the eml. A short spirited drive around the block and no light. Looking good.

I drove to work on Monday morning using the traffic filled quick road as we were busy and I needed to get on. No eml.

The drive home was the country roads though. I must share it in case anyone is in the area, it's a cracking short sprint. It's the b676 from Melton Mowbray, turning off towards Wymondham, then onto Oakham. There are some slightly different routes through as well. There are some nice sights and the roads are in good condition.

Well, I am most of the way home when my friendly eml is back. 😞

JAFOS

[SV-3]

@Zspeed
Thanks for the heads up on the B676.
Next time I'm in Melton/Oakham I'll give it a blast.

[SV-3]

@Zspeed
Thanks for the heads up on the B676.
Next time I'm in Melton/Oakham I'll give it a blast.

Did the B676 Melton to Oakham today (as part of a 75 mile circuit) - Great road/drive

[Ardent]

@SV-3 @Zspeed

Is there enough time left to have a mini meet?


We form a rough triangle. Somewhere central to thurmaston, sw leic and Rutland.

[SV-3]

@SV-3 @Zspeed

Is there enough time left to have a mini meet?


We form a rough triangle. Somewhere central to thurmaston, sw leic and Rutland.

Sounds good Jase, especially while the weather is decent.