My uplanned MR2 build project!

[leesredgt]

I've now got a turbo MR2 im redoing and thought this would be a good time to finally start a semi-build thread.

As some of you know,I bought a 92 N/A and absolutely fell in love with the car; so I started to look for a turbo. That's when I came across the beauty. A 1991 Turbo with around 122,xxx miles on it with a supposedly blown head gasket.







Here is a picture of it on the trailer after we got it home next to my N/A MR2.




So I dropped the engine and of course in the process gathered parts up to fix it. Well, after I got it pulled apart I came across this:



So needless to say it was rebuild time. I bought some used JE pistons off the forums. After that kind of find; it pretty much blew my budget. So, I screwed the budget and kind of went on a shopping spree. My goal was to just get it back to factory condition but that plan got shot.



new wheels!(rolled them up to my N/A just to see)



New exhaust and a CRW divorced DP. I went ahead and had the valve cover powered coated a sweet red as well.






So, now that the engine is at the machine shop it was time to work on the interior. The seats were shot and as I again came to find out to my surprise so was the dash. So again, not wanting to I had to pull the dash and replace it to which that's the point im at today. After pulling the seats and carpet I found a lot of rust so ive got to weld a few spots up now as well.






My fiancee helping with the dash removal. She actually did most of it and was good at it to.




We finally got the dash,crash bar, and dash harness out. (Only got a pic of the dash removed)



Well, that's were I'm at as of today. I reckon since I'm this far into it I'm going to go ahead and paint the entire car just to make it all new. I'm thinking about maybe a Tuxedo Black what do you guys think?

[sbird1]

Tear it up, son! Looks like it will be fun once you get it back together. You'd better keep this thing updated. I have high expectations for this thread now...

[asoomal]

Nice MR2 :P

My brother has one, 1991 Turbo, just installed a set of Koni's with TRD springs.

He wants to do a 2GR swap lol.

[leesredgt]

Oh i do plan to keep this thread up indeed! I cant wait to get this thing on the road its gonna be sweet!

I would loooovvvvvve to do a 2GR swap lol

[MellowZ32]

I say go K20/24!
lee, I hate you and very jelly!

[sx moneypit]

Subscribed !!

[BusyBadger]

One of my favourite cars. Can't wait to see how it turns out...and of course, the pics along the way!

[frapjap]

Sweet ride! Go for broke and make it something you'll never get rid of.

[DamonDread]

Looks great Lee. Been trying to talk my wife into getting an mr2! Maybe pics of your finished prod. when its done will push her over the edge lol.

[breadbox]

sweet. I loved my friends MR2 stock turbo, donuts galore.

I just heard about an RB build that uses MR2 turbo pistons in a RB20 block with 26 rods and crank.

[leesredgt]

Well gotta call from the machine shop today and well, the head is shot, and the block might be as well now! So im in search for a new head as of now and hopefully not a block later.

I dont know how the engine got so much rust got in it but, that is what is causing the issue as of now. So tomorrow i reckon im just gonna paint the crash bar and fix the rust and wait to see what becomes of the engine. Plus im going on vacation next week anyways so its a good stopping point lol

[breadbox]

K20 turbo swap it. There is a guy in VA with an MR-s like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFOETnmUPmo

[MellowZ32]

that's what I say!

[simmode1]

I love SW20's! If some crazy ever happened to my 240's, thats probably what I'd pick up next, a nice turbo MR2! But 2GR-FE swap FTW!

[leesredgt]

I would love to do any type of engine swap right now but money is whats hindering my abilities right now sadly

Heres where were at as of today!

We took the crash bar out and sanded it down and primered it up and gave it a good coat of paint! I let her pick the color and of course she picked pink lol














Not to bad i say!

[leesredgt]

So I took a vacation last week so of course I didn't get anything done. On the way down there I did get a call from the machine shop and they said the engine that came out of the car was complete trash. I reckon when the piston went, coolant sat for a few years and rusted up all the oil and coolant passages beyond repair.

So with that new I started the search for a new engine. That's when I came across this engine. The bottom end needs to be redone but i was going to do that anyways and I get a good head with it to. The best part is, it only set me back 300$!

So as soon as I got back Saturday from 6hr drive I turned around on Sunday and drove back down half way to pick this thing up, I'm hoping to have it broke down and at the machine shop by Friday.

Oh and while getting this engine i got to stop at the huge Sumit Racing store/warehouse. Apparently there's only 3 locations in America. Pretty cool.

[sbird1]

Looks nice. Get to work on that motor. Which Summit store did you visit? Did they have much stuff that you could use or was it mostly 'Merican stuff? I still want to go to one. I think there's one in ATL...

[Kompresshun]

Nice MR2 man! I've always loved that body style.

Summit store did you visit? Did they have much stuff that you could use or was it mostly 'Merican stuff? I still want to go to one. I think there's one in ATL...

It looks like the McDonough, GA store, which I lived right down the road from before I moved . I visited very regularly

[leesredgt]

It looks like the McDonough, GA store, which I lived right down the road from before I moved . I visited very regularly

Yeah it was the McDonough store.


Well I finally got to work on the car. After having all the rain we've had I haven't really had much of a chance to go outside but that didn't stop me completely. Since I was confined indoors and what little time I had in between rain showers outside I decided to rebuild the turbo!


Here's how it looked when I pulled it off the engine.




And here's how it turned out after I torn it down and cleaned it up!




After I got that put back together i decided to go get my paint! I know its not black but, I saw a red MR2 while I was on vacation and knew I had to have the red. Plus im a sucker for red.lol




Since the seats were in dire need of recovering I ordered these puppies and like everything else, plan i doing it myself. I also ordered some other goodies but Ill show you those when they get here!




So know that the rain is finally cleared I was able to get back out and continue the tear down. I got a lot further then this but this is the only picture I took during the process. I also have new t-top weather stripping on the way as well.




And that's were I'm at as of today. I hopefully will have more steady updates now that the weather has improved.

[sx moneypit]

Looking good Lee!I have been doing odds and ends to my MR2 interior (new speedometer head,some plastic trim around the instrument cluster),fixing to put a new transmission in it, then hopefully i can get on with some paint work!

[leesredgt]

Thanks man!!! Post some pictures of yours up!

[ADDirishboy]

More pics of the fiancee.

[leesredgt]

lol.Here's a picture of us from our engagement pictures.

[ADDirishboy]

Damn, nice catch man!

Also, I'm disappointed you don't actually look like Borat.

[leesredgt]

Thanks man!

lol And yes i too am disappointed i don't look like Borat. lol

[sx moneypit]

Thanks man!!! Post some pictures of yours up!

I'll try to get some pics of both of my cars this weekend.

[PBfrEAk]

Very nice man. I've always been a sucker for a good-lookin' MR-2.

[leesredgt]

Ok finally got the rest of the car broke down and started sanding on it! I also got some new parts in as well! Here's were I'm at as of now.





She was hard at work!



I pulled the front bumper off and started some Bondo work fixing up those pesky hair line cracks and some gashes.




Im hoping I'll be ready to spray by not the next, but the next weekend after this one coming.

Here's some of the goodies I got:

Old school HKS turbo timer.



New T-Top weather stripping.



And a rav4 steering wheel and airbag.




Thats pretty much were im at as of now. Just sanding and taping.lol I also got a old school Greddy boost controller but I forgot to take a picture of, but thats it as of now!

[leesredgt]

Sorry for the lack of updates guys, ive been super busy with work and we have had some rain so i havent been able to make as much progress as i would like. The plan now is to paint Saturday! Should be a huge change after that.

I did manage to get a tiny bit done though. I got the head and oil pump back on the engine. Still waiting on a socket i ordered to fit the ARP head stud nuts.






Also got my omori boost gauge in today and the airbag adapter harness for the rav4 airbag as well!





Thats it for now. I will def. have pictures Saturday when the paint goes on. I cant wait!!!

[King Ranzo]

I am quite interested in this. Loving the pink crash bar