jon Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 In March 2006 I bought a mk2 rev3 mr2 turbo with the intent of turning it into a track car. I was in the fortunate position of having a Civic Type R on order so sold my NA MR2 and found the below car to begin my project (please click on any images to enlarge) My goal originally was just to have something unique to me, light and a bit of fun on track. Since taking on the project i've already discovered it's one of the faster MR2's around track (me being faster than a whole host of 3-400bhp mr2's on my last track day) so I figure once the chassis is finished i'll move onto engine and get it entered in top level tournaments ie TOTB, amongst other things. Light weight is the theme though and i'll do pretty much anything to save a few KGs as I've always wanted the car to be quick through handling and road holding, not raw BHP numbers. I'm also using the car to further my set-up / geometry knowledge and will hopefully be entering into sprints / hill climbs soon. The money round: The first thing I had to do was remove all the unwanted easy heavy bits from the chassis and replace them with up-rated parts. Here's some of the bigger bits swapped within the first month of the cars life... Stock suspension -> Tein HA Coilovers Heavy Wasanbe rims -> Forged Volk TE37s in 16x8 16/7 (5.2kgs/wheel) Stock Seats -> Carbon Fibre drivers shell, no passenger seat Brakes -> New discs, new calipers, yellow stuff pads (for now) Stock Braces -> Uprated Cusco Braces Spoiler -> Bin Then i felt the need to do a proper job on the interior to remove every single ounce of weight from there, so... Project 1 - The interior This is where the quest for weight takes over sanity. Bonded to the inside of the mr2 floorpan is a semi thick sound deadening material. To remove it you need hammer and chisel it off, not an easy job but having been told it's 10kgs worth off i went. First, out came all the plastic trim, carpets and I angle ground some needless cross braces out of the drivers side, total savings around 22kgs. It then took 4 solid weekends to get the sound deadening off and smoothed back down to a point where i could spray it. A few weekends later and i'm left with the below. And finished: It took 5 weekends of long hard work and probably £50 in paints to save 10kgs of sound bonding. To top that off i've ended up with a finish that looks almost identical to how it started. Why do we do it Project 2 - The chargecooler & downpipe As we all know, creating boost creates heat. The MR2's stock intercooler is rubbish at best so a lot of people update the intercooler with larger versions. Unfortunately due to the location of the mr2's engine the airflow is the biggest limiting factor which is while i've chosen an air to water chargecooler (strictly speaking intercooler and chargecooler mean the same things but the internet seems to use IC for air -> air and CC for air -> water). Fitting the chargecooler from a celica st205 is a fantastic mod to the mr2 as not only does water have a much greater capacity to move heat than air the heat exchange is also done at the FRONT of the car with a pre-rad. I'm currently at the parts stage which consist of: ST205wrc chargecooler core - the biggest from the celica you can get. Chiqucento rad - this is a double pass light weight alloy rad that fits very nicely in front of the stock rad. Should give me plenty of cooling Celica connectors to connect the CC to the TB and to guide the throttle cable 54mm samco turbo hose tch54 to connect between the turbo and CC ABA and mikalor clamps Davis Craig water pump, rated at 13l/min and 3 years continuous use. It also weighs about 1/5th of the stock water pump (which isn't designed to run all the time) Water Wetter exhaust wrap to clad the hose in the engine bay 6 meters of clear, reinforced hose to run from the engine bay, to the front then back to the rear. This CC setup should be safe flowing and cooling 450bhp so something tells me i'm not going to max out anytime soon It'll also give me a slightly faster spool and as many people report, a few extra PSI of boost (i've still no EBC) Pictures and installation details to come. On Going Concerns Geometry and tyre evolution is an on going concern. I will be working with our very own Tony to discover exactly what works best with the MK2 to ensure i've the most competitive MR2 in the country. My next set of boots will hopefully be the kuhmo trackday tyre at around 245 rear and 215 front. Future Projects Waiting to be fitted The following list i have 'bought and paid for' and are just waiting to go on my car Engine: Cat replacement Downpipe Chargecooler Greddy Oil / Water temp + Oil pressure Gauges Chassis: Brake booster brace Front under brace Full Poly Bush kit Interior: Turbo Timer HKS Lap timer (need proof ) Stage 2 Mods Custom exhaust My plan is to fabricate a new exhaust to come up into the boot and out the rear panels. This will a) be unique and give me enough room for... Flat bottom + diffuser One of the more track based american guys has offered me a template so i can approach a alloy cutter in the UK and make panels to flatten bottom my car. This, coupled with a fairly aggressive diffuser should give me enough extra 'downforce' (or anti lift) to get away without having to mount a big GT wing and cause extra drag for my feeble engine. I'd also like to cut a hole in the front of my bonnet and relocate the airflow from in and under the car to in and over the car at the front. Transmission / Steering 1.5way LSD and a quick manual rack will go in soon Stage 3 Mods Eventually i'll have to get to the engine as mine being virtually stock will probably be running around 275FWHP (210WHP), but this is where cost and potential for failure starts to worry me. The 3SGTE engine being designed and built by Yahama has MASSIVE potential and can easily be modded up to 300WHP with an EBC and proper mapping. Some of the UK guys have nice looking 400bhp engines and the american boys are way past 500 however NONE of these cars can go around corners. Fortunately i'm a fairly well known face in the MR2 community so i should get help when i need it My initial engine plans follow something like... Full Engine management eg motec Chargecooler (the one i'm installing is good to flow and cool up to 500bhp) Downpipe EBC Uprated head gasket Uprated turbo, possibly CT27 (still small enough to spool quickly but will flow 1.5bar without turning into a hairdryer) The various supporting mods to make the above reliable at 8000rpm on track Anyway, i've probably waffled enough and as this is the first time i've written anything like this, a lot of it probably makes no sense. Any questions feel free to ask and i'll keep people updated with progress at various stages of build and competitive events. Oh, any with any luck once Tony has moved to his new location the car might just be wearing WIM branding on the side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adie Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Great write up mate and well done on the work so far. The car looks lovely in the bottom pic. Much better than the first pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Thanks There's an MR2 over states side beating nobles / GT3's in sprints and hill climbs but he's got a 500bhp engine and this is the category i'll be compeating in. Not quite as light as mine though so hopefully that'll balance things out when i get to my first event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Stunning example of evolution jon Thank You for such a detailed description, wim would be honored if you can continue up-dating us with the cars development.... Other than LOC (Lexus Owners Club) and the evolution of the 'Monster' by tdiplc (Torque Developments International plc) i have never seen such a complete/determined example in any other forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jap Devil Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Totally agree with Jon, the MR2 Mk2 is a great car to start off with, comes with the legenday 3S-GTE engine and is almost infinitely modifiable. I bought my late 1996 Rev4 GT Turbo T-Bar in December 2005 as a weekend fun car / occasional track car but it soon had me biting the modding bug. I've no intention of stripping it right down like Jon, as it'll primarily be a road car, but have already made some quite impressive: Stock exhaust > Blitz Nur Spec & cat replacement Stock suspension > TRD coilovers Stock ARB DL's > Custom made DL's Stock air box > Blitz SUS LM induction Stock pads > EBC RedStuff pads (both discs hardly worn) Mine's rear strut brace Heavy 17" Lenso 5KR, 205/35 front, 235/35 rear > Refurbished Racing Sparco 16 x 7 205/45 front, 16 x 8 245/45 rear Dastek Unichip & rolling road remap A few other costmetic mods This is currently producing 296bhp (fly) To come very soon: 15mm H&R front spacers TRD ARB's and poly bushes ATS TD06 Turbo & downpipe Berk intercooler 800cc uprated injectors Uprated fuel rail Walbro fuel pump I don't think I'll be able to keep up with Jon, especially round the corners, but it'll be fun trying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pip Posted June 2, 2006 Report Share Posted June 2, 2006 Much nicer than the first barry boy pic when you got the car mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 jon you 'State Future projects waiting to be fitted' are these parts you have or parts you desire for the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 good to see someone else likes to take tinkering serious, as opposed to buying of the shelf stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 good to see someone else likes to take tinkering serious, as opposed to buying of the shelf stuff I think the Monster has set a president Mat.... Your step by step development and the assistance of tdiplc displays a matter of fact method for all to read and follow in LOC.... I only hope jon can display a similar example here in wim and guide people along with similar examples.... I feel the MR2 community will capture jon's work here since wim allows a very wide pictorial availability for the members aiding the understanding. Within a very short period of time wim has a wealth of strength within the members, a collaboration of skills and Development Support/Availability through tdiplc could only add to wim's infrastructure, jon's MR2 hopefully will develop before our eyes, Geometrically-Mechanically and soon be on the intended destination 'The Track'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted June 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 jon you 'State Future projects waiting to be fitted' are these parts you have or parts you desire for the car. All bits i have just waiting to go on. I've started the writeup on the chargecooler / downpipe project as i plan to be attempting these in a few weeks with a friend. As always, lots of pictures. The parts list for hte chargecooler a lone is rather scarey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted June 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 I've updated the thread with "Project 2 - The chargecooler & downpipe" and a finished picture of "Project 1". Plus i've thumbnailed all the images for easier viewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 I've updated the thread with "Project 2 - The chargecooler & downpipe" and a finished picture of "Project 1". Plus i've thumbnailed all the images for easier viewing. Nice work..... Nice work indeed!. I am looking forward to your cars development with the intention of learning by example.... I'm just very sorry i don't own the expertize to advise directly.... The only comfort i can offer is that we have some very experienced people here, who will I'm sure assist constructively (no pun intended) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adie Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 How's this project coming along? Anymore progress? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted June 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Unfortunately I was recently taken ill and am still recovering so things have stalled. The downpipe and carbon fibre seat which should already be in are my next job, then the chargecooler on top (hopefully with some dyno runs between steps). I've also got my hands on a lower front brace and some rather nice Defi guages for oil temp and pressure and water temp. Should at least mean i can keep an eye on what's going on when out on track. Oh, i did actually manage to rewire the dash and install my laptimer and turbo timer all nice and neatly, i'll have to get some photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Sorry to read you have been ill jon... wim's best wishes hope you are better very soon! If we can distract you then please continue your project in pictorial format, the evolution examples much passion wim admires that..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted July 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Update coming soon(ish lol)! I've just finished a high and tight polybush install front and rear plus i've finally got my downpipe on so i've a nice free flowing exhaust front to rear, no cat That was about 5 weeks of the odd evening and weekend work. Hard hard graft in this heat Nice to finally have her off axel stands. Tony, i finally fitted camber bolts all round so my camber is around <guess> degrees at each corner. Lets hope friday is ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Update coming soon(ish lol)! I've just finished a high and tight polybush install front and rear plus i've finally got my downpipe on so i've a nice free flowing exhaust front to rear, no cat That was about 5 weeks of the odd evening and weekend work. Hard hard graft in this heat Nice to finally have her off axel stands. Tony, i finally fitted camber bolts all round so my camber is around <guess> degrees at each corner. Lets hope friday is ok! Me too..... the set-up was for track days wasn't it?....... it's been a while one forgets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Trackdays? What are they then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Trackdays? What are they then... Remember this Quote: Hey mate, Heard good things about you over at imoc and just noticed you started posting (I’m jonb-) I recently put coilovers on my track car and haven’t had the geometry checked yet but I know it’s out. As it’s my track car I want something quite aggressive, can I dome down and see you at some point to have this checked / set? Likely cost for entire car, including camber (though I’ve only 2 adjustments on my front topmounts.) Also, can you corner balance? Thanks .................................... I just 'trulled' though my emails to find this request......... So 'track day' set-up it is then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Plus i've 2 x 245/45 16 Bridgestone s-02's in the post so we need to account for the new found rear grip Ironically, whatever i've done with the toe and camber the front of the car feels even better than before, and the balance on right hand cornering is actually quite lovely. Be interesting to see what the initial figures are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Plus i've 2 x 245/45 16 Bridgestone s-02's in the post so we need to account for the new found rear grip Ironically, whatever i've done with the toe and camber the front of the car feels even better than before, and the balance on right hand cornering is actually quite lovely. Be interesting to see what the initial figures are! Fitting the front camber adjusters would have been done with the front wheels off the ground (agreed) The relaxed position of the wheels toward positive as the bolts were fitted could only compliment the recovery necessary to remove the previous Drift set-up 'dumped at 3d' as memory serves..... the toe must be a real issue now albeit undetectable to you..... take things safe until Friday jon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 I left the tab in the positive camber position but my method of tightening the nuts were somewhat random and I couldn't get a torque wrench on. Basically the car picked it's own camber once i dropped it. I don't believe the toe will be too far out as i never had the trackrods off, it's just whatever static change for the hub there it between the old and new bushes. Either way i'm expecting a rather comical 'before' printout (hopefully friday.) Lucky I don't have to use the car until then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 I left the tab in the positive camber position but my method of tightening the nuts were somewhat random and I couldn't get a torque wrench on. Basically the car picked it's own camber once i dropped it. I don't believe the toe will be too far out as i never had the trackrods off, it's just whatever static change for the hub there it between the old and new bushes. Either way i'm expecting a rather comical 'before' printout (hopefully friday.) Lucky I don't have to use the car until then! The rotation of camber drastically effects the toe.... If you have moved the camber positive then the toe will rotate positive..... hopefully not by much... Friday will be interesting..... would you like to pay an 'capture fee' so now one gets to view the positions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Might as well share, if you still have my first alignment on record it will be a great example of just how much change bushes and bolts can make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Might as well share, if you still have my first alignment on record it will be a great example of just how much change bushes and bolts can make. It's nice to share ... wim loves examples within all possible learning curves, especially a project car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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