Mk2 2gr supercharged

[alan_uk]

Thanks mate appreciate it 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[2mad]

Update Paul ? .. keep checking to see how your getting on

[PW@Woodsport]

No work done on the car this last week, just too busy with customers cars.

[MRV6]

No work done on the car this last week, just too busy with customers cars.

Come on son get your finger out, stop slacking. You'd think you have a business to run.

[PW@Woodsport]

So the high build primer process has begun, this will involve several applications of 4+1 with flattening back between each coat to get the body 100% flat, after this it will get a preliminary spray in black 2k to get a gloss on it to highlight any remaining high or low spots or ripples. That too will be flattened right back before the final Base coat Woodsport gunmetal colour goes on and finished off with 5 or 6 deep coats of 2k lacquer.



The quality of finish is already showing at this early stage.

[2mad]

Inspiring stuff Paul

[Marty J]

[PW@Woodsport]

So work has started on the rear end which probably has more to do here than any other part of the bodywork. To recap I have moved the light units about 2" outboard to properly align with the quarter panel as I believe TRD would have done had they built the car from scratch, that leaves a gap between the centre panel and light (red rectangle), so I will be extending the centre panel in this area.

The yellow area is the first build up showing how bad the kit was here, this needs several hours on both sides to get it right. Work has also started profiling the rear diffuser into the TRD bumper (green), this will not be flush blended, and will be kept as a separate section that can be unbolted.

You can also see the spoiler side pod profile from behind works so much nicer than a stock Rev1/2, in fact I love how the Autopista chunks out the TRD rear end now, and works perfectly with the diffuser.

PS, that's an old Rev3 light cluster being used for mock up, it will be binned after this stage. Also the centre panel will be gloss black, cluster frame will be black and lower diffuser gloss black. The rest of the car will be WS gunmetal.

[MRV6]

That's looking good son. Nice to see a rear view shot. The lights look better moved out and the rear wing and pods/winglets are taking shape nicely. For what it's worth I'd go with the rev 3+ lights. Just my opinion, I don't want angry villagers with pick axes and torches at my door.

[2mad]

That's looking good son. Nice to see a rear view shot. The lights look better moved out and the rear wing and pods/winglets are taking shape nicely. For what it's worth I'd go with the rev 3+ lights. Just my opinion, I don't want angry villagers with pick axes and torches at my door.

I thought that too about the rev3 lights that is .. is taking shape though paul .. good stuff

[PW@Woodsport]

Thanks chaps, the rear light decision has been a tough one because Rev1/2 really do look good on it, but the Rev3 lights just look better for me, I prefer the centre panel too.

Hopefully this week will see the rear end come together, still a lot of work to do.

[PW@Woodsport]

Not much progress made lately due to heavy customer workload, but I did get a little done yesterday. As you know I am moving the rear lights outboard like the Sard MC8R is and how I genuinely believe TRD should have done but for some reason didn't. You can see here on the only road going production car they moved them outboard and extended the centre light panel at each side (keeping the reverse lights and boot lock in the same position).



Quite why they left the TRD with those terrible gaps between the lights and wider body I will never know, but it is something I cannot live with on mine, this is just wrong in my opinion....



So I cut the ends off the panel, made aluminium bridging pieces that include the fixing holes into the original light bracket (so no stress is being put on bridging filler) and bonded the aluminium strips in. These were then Fibral filled over (as strong as the original plastic) and a cosmetic bodyfiller layer to finish off.

Once sanded and painted this will look completely factory.



You can see at the sides I have decided to leave a 10mm lip instead of completely flush, this is because the lights have a 10mm recess under the boot lid edge too, it wouldn't look right only having flush fitment at the sides.



So not a massive update but progress all the same, there isn't much basic fabrication left to do now. The Rev3 lights shown here are scrap and only being used for mock up, the final lights will need fibreglass work and new bracketry added to make them sit in this position, but as with everything will be made to look OEM.

[MRV6]

Having a look today, the centre panel looks spot on mate as do the rev 3 lights. I would go with the pods/winglet things as they are, you can go too far and spoil the look. Get some paint on and see what they look like.

[PW@Woodsport]

Minor update, I haven't managed to get any time on the car recently due to a heavy customer workload but I did manage to track down a genuine Evora S exhaust silencer with factory exhaust bypass valve for £150, these normally go for over £500 so a real result, sometimes it pays to know people in the trade who work for Lotus

[PW@Woodsport]

No pics to show you, but progress has been made during the last few weeks. The Evora ABS module has now been wired in, this replaces the Mr2 ABS ECU and pump meaning the ABS system is now controlled by the Lotus ECU, it also means I get traction control for free.

Using the Lotus ABS unit also means the engine ECU is totally happy, and will allow my sport mode button to work which gives a higher RPM limit and more aggressive drive by wire throttle map. I have also needed to fit the Evora SAS module and YAW module to keep everything happy, this also gets my speedo working and cancels out the ABS/traction warning lights on the dash.

The wiring for the Mr2 ABS system had to be methodically pinned out and tested manually, I couldn't get my hands on a 99 ABS circuit diagram and the system totally changed design in 97, all online sources only show 90-97 types, but from 97 onwards the ABS pump and its harness completely changed. That gave me a few headaches but I managed to work it all out.

So electrically I am pretty much done now, I will be honest and say if it wasn't for the need to get the Evora dashboard working and the supercharger engine mapping, I probably wouldn't have chosen the Lotus ECU as the route to go down, but a stock Toyota 2gr ECU is never going to work as well in supercharged form, so would require a standalone which I definitely do not want.

This way the Evoras full Canbus network is installed in the car, which also gives me all of the cool features the Lotus has, TPMS, that dashboard, traction control etc

I do still need to wire in a 120k ohm resistor across the Can lines but apart from that I am done.

The Evora S exhaust system goes on in the new year and I am on the final run to complete the bodywork before show season starts, that's the plan anyway.

[Marty J]

Dedication and determination, you have my admiration for the work you have put into this MR2.

[PW@Woodsport]

Thanks, good to see someone is still following the build at least.

[synXero]

Lots of us still following this one Paul! This thread and Ashley's thread are about the only reasons I still visit IMOC.

[markstevieandmads]

I love following this build.

[HighwayStar]

Likewise…. really looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Happy New Year!