My MR2 and its hard life! 1994 GT-S
My MR2 and its hard life! 1994 GT-S
I looked through a few owners clubs at buyers guides and recommended importers and found a chap called Tom (http://www.nvicars.co.uk/) who was based about 10 miles from my house and got very favourable reviews. I saw a Caribbean Blue MK2 Turbo on his website and phoned him up straight away. A test drive was arranged. This was the sight that greeted me when I pulled up to his farm:
![[Image: n689086643_368038_7669.jpg]](https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v142/31/31/689086643/n689086643_368038_7669.jpg)
I liked it. A lot. The test drive highlighted a slight misfire (cured by new sparks) and some *very* stiff coilovers. A deposit was put down and the car went off for the conversion work to make it MOT legal. I rapidly discovered I couldn't actually afford to insure it!
A year came and went, and I managed to get the car together as I wanted. Next up was a change of alloys as I didn't like the mismatched front/back look. A set of Super Advan SA3 split rims were fitted, here's the car cruising down the French toll roads on the way to the Le Mans 24hr last year:
![[Image: n689086643_983235_3044.jpg]](https://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v251/31/31/689086643/n689086643_983235_3044.jpg)
I wasn't happy with the front bumper, it was a cheap Bomex copy. I took a gamble on a cheap Border copy which had never been fitted. It wasn't great but it fitted a lot better than the Bomex did. I'd also bought some TOM's replica skirts for the sides which would match the border front end - it's a common combination but I'd never seen it in blue. Then, while I was saving the cash up to get the final bodywork changes made, this happened:
![[Image: n689086643_1620770_5590.jpg]](https://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1494/31/31/689086643/n689086643_1620770_5590.jpg)
![[Image: n689086643_1620771_6431.jpg]](https://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1494/31/31/689086643/n689086643_1620771_6431.jpg)
Disaster! I was in the middle of a 3-car shunt in the outside lane of the M1. The insurance company declared the car a write off. The exhaust, rear crash bar, crash bar mount, exhaust mount, front wing and my priceless AirWalker rear bumper were toast. However they were working on the guide price for a UK spec MR2 which was £1750 - I managed to prove to an independant inspector that it would cost me closer to £4500 to import a car of a similar age and spec, and they awarded me a cash-in-lieu settlement. I got the cash required to repair all the crash damage, as well as fitting the new parts I had lying around. This was the result, and is more or less how it looks today:
![[Image: n689086643_1842208_6655.jpg]](https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2094/31/31/689086643/n689086643_1842208_6655.jpg)
![[Image: n689086643_1842209_7068.jpg]](https://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2094/31/31/689086643/n689086643_1842209_7068.jpg)
Props to the bodyshop guys who I found through DriftWorks who did a stunning job putting the car right:
![[Image: n689086643_1842211_7820.jpg]](https://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2094/31/31/689086643/n689086643_1842211_7820.jpg)
Since import I've decatted it with a cast decat pipe (the stainless steel ones for the 3S-GTE all seem to crack) and fitted a chargecooler from the Celica GT4 ST205. The one I've got came from a WRC edition Celica, but I'm not sure that makes any difference. I ditched the insane Jap coilovers and got a set of Koni adjustables with TRD topmounts which are lovely, the car is a great deal more useable as a result. Having swapped the alloys I found that the fronts contacted the suspension and the rears contacted the arches, so I've got 20mm hubcentric spacers on the front and have had the rear arches rolled. I've also gone a bit ICE crazy, there's a 10" sub in a custom enclosure behind each seat with a 1200w amp in the front to drive them (actual 1200w RMS as well) as well as Alpine components in the doors and a Soundstream Class A amp driving those. To top the interior off nicely I've got a black headlining and half leather/alcantra seats from a GT spec MR2. Next on my list is an engine bay tidy up, as I'll be selling the car next year to buy an S2000 and I want to get it as clean as possible prior to that.
The car has taken me to the Le Mans 24hr 2 years running without a hitch, and I think the only mechanical failure I've had on it since I bought it (that wasn't accident related) is the alternator failing. It had done 53000 miles when I picked it up in 2006 and it's now on 68000. Pretty good going I think!
I've always loved the MR2, when I was a kid I was obsessed with cars with popup lights and used to point out every MK1 on the motorway, much to the chargrin of my parents! Once I got around to the stage where I thought I could own one I did my research, read up on all the different marques and models and decided I might as well go the whole hog and get an imported MK2 model with the turbo engine! A bit more research informed me that there are 5 revisions of the MK2, with the major facelift occuring between Revision 2 and Revision 3. I worked out I could get an early Revision 3 (updated rear lights, more finely tuned engine) and fit into a nice little loophole allowing me to still pass an MOT with pre-cat emissions levels, freeing up a few more horses.
I looked through a few owners clubs at buyers guides and recommended importers and found a chap called Tom (http://www.nvicars.co.uk/) who was based about 10 miles from my house and got very favourable reviews. I saw a Caribbean Blue MK2 Turbo on his website and phoned him up straight away. A test drive was arranged. This was the sight that greeted me when I pulled up to his farm:
I liked it. A lot. The test drive highlighted a slight misfire (cured by new sparks) and some *very* stiff coilovers. A deposit was put down and the car went off for the conversion work to make it MOT legal. I rapidly discovered I couldn't actually afford to insure it!
A year came and went, and I managed to get the car together as I wanted. Next up was a change of alloys as I didn't like the mismatched front/back look. A set of Super Advan SA3 split rims were fitted, here's the car cruising down the French toll roads on the way to the Le Mans 24hr last year:
I wasn't happy with the front bumper, it was a cheap Bomex copy. I took a gamble on a cheap Border copy which had never been fitted. It wasn't great but it fitted a lot better than the Bomex did. I'd also bought some TOM's replica skirts for the sides which would match the border front end - it's a common combination but I'd never seen it in blue. Then, while I was saving the cash up to get the final bodywork changes made, this happened:
Disaster! I was in the middle of a 3-car shunt in the outside lane of the M1. The insurance company declared the car a write off. The exhaust, rear crash bar, crash bar mount, exhaust mount, front wing and my priceless AirWalker rear bumper were toast. However they were working on the guide price for a UK spec MR2 which was £1750 - I managed to prove to an independant inspector that it would cost me closer to £4500 to import a car of a similar age and spec, and they awarded me a cash-in-lieu settlement. I got the cash required to repair all the crash damage, as well as fitting the new parts I had lying around. This was the result, and is more or less how it looks today:
Props to the bodyshop guys who I found through DriftWorks who did a stunning job putting the car right:
Since import I've decatted it with a cast decat pipe (the stainless steel ones for the 3S-GTE all seem to crack) and fitted a chargecooler from the Celica GT4 ST205. The one I've got came from a WRC edition Celica, but I'm not sure that makes any difference. I ditched the insane Jap coilovers and got a set of Koni adjustables with TRD topmounts which are lovely, the car is a great deal more useable as a result. Having swapped the alloys I found that the fronts contacted the suspension and the rears contacted the arches, so I've got 20mm hubcentric spacers on the front and have had the rear arches rolled. I've also gone a bit ICE crazy, there's a 10" sub in a custom enclosure behind each seat with a 1200w amp in the front to drive them (actual 1200w RMS as well) as well as Alpine components in the doors and a Soundstream Class A amp driving those. To top the interior off nicely I've got a black headlining and half leather/alcantra seats from a GT spec MR2. Next on my list is an engine bay tidy up, as I'll be selling the car next year to buy an S2000 and I want to get it as clean as possible prior to that.
The car has taken me to the Le Mans 24hr 2 years running without a hitch, and I think the only mechanical failure I've had on it since I bought it (that wasn't accident related) is the alternator failing. It had done 53000 miles when I picked it up in 2006 and it's now on 68000. Pretty good going I think!
I had to sell my MR2 because i was involved in a go kart accident and needed a Auto so i sold her off and really miss driving the turbo, and having the turbo timer was really funny as people would say your left your engine on....
Great write up there toxo i think other than the 4 wheeldrive the gt4 is the same engine as the mr2 is that right.
I had to sell my MR2 because i was involved in a go kart accident and needed a Auto so i sold her off and really miss driving the turbo, and having the turbo timer was really funny as people would say your left your engine on....
Lexusboy Great write up there toxo i think other than the 4 wheeldrive the gt4 is the same engine as the mr2 is that right.
More or less, there are some pretty major differences in the power steering and water systems and the later Celica is chargecooled as standard so they messed around with ign timing and pulled some more power out of it. Different turbos (steel shafted vs ceramic shaft). Same block, head and manifolds though.
Lexusboy Great write up there toxo i think other than the 4 wheeldrive the gt4 is the same engine as the mr2 is that right.
More or less, there are some pretty major differences in the power steering and water systems and the later Celica is chargecooled as standard so they messed around with ign timing and pulled some more power out of it. Different turbos (steel shafted vs ceramic shaft). Same block, head and manifolds though.
Dan_Turism0
12-05-2017, 01:06 PM #4has to be said this car has had a hell of a lot of tlc, may have to put a similar one up for my Lex :p
![[Image: LexuS-Copy.jpg]](http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/Sparkystav/LexuS-Copy.jpg)
Read my thread here: The Evolution of my Turbo Lexus from NA-Supercharged-Twin Turbo-Massive Single
Please leave your comments.
Sparkystav
12-05-2017, 01:16 PM #6Great write up mate
Read my thread here: The Evolution of my Turbo Lexus from NA-Supercharged-Twin Turbo-Massive Single
Please leave your comments.
There's always a pile of parts in the corner of my office. This is the next thing in the pile:![[Image: shroud.JPG]](http://www.22817448.net/Images/shroud.JPG)
The stock engine bay fan is attached to the intercooler, which I want to remove (as I no longer use it) and doesn't operate very well with the chargecooler fitted due to the location of the engine bay temperature sensor so I'm going to build a fan controller that works via the ECU's water temp sensor instead. This new fan tray will fit on the inside of the engine lid and then blind people every time I open it.
lol, Dan has just seen the number of parts in Toyota boxes that keep turning up here at work There's always a pile of parts in the corner of my office. This is the next thing in the pile:
The stock engine bay fan is attached to the intercooler, which I want to remove (as I no longer use it) and doesn't operate very well with the chargecooler fitted due to the location of the engine bay temperature sensor so I'm going to build a fan controller that works via the ECU's water temp sensor instead. This new fan tray will fit on the inside of the engine lid and then blind people every time I open it.
Dan_Turism0
12-05-2017, 05:22 PM #8you have missed something out John, what about the escapade in the #2 at this years Le Mans :p ?
![[Image: Sig-enginebay.jpg]](http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/SteveHammatt/Sig-enginebay.jpg)
IS200 Turbo project now just about complete ! See my thread here and leave your comments.
Now running standalone Syvecs ECU and no stock ECU !
steviewevie
13-05-2017, 04:04 AM #10Good stuff, nice to hear some stories about other members' cars !
IS200 Turbo project now just about complete ! See my thread here and leave your comments.
Now running standalone Syvecs ECU and no stock ECU !
1 Guest(s)
1 Guest(s)