The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Create a post with details about your car.

Moderators: IMOC Moderators, IMOC Committee Members

Post Reply
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

Evening All,

Seeing as I have joined here and taking a regular look of the forum thought I would post some photos and background into my new MR2 and my passion for Japanese cars.

I got first MR2 around 1999/2000 when I was at university (a MK2 REV2 G-Limited T-Bar). I got into MR2's as my step-dad was in the motor trade and during the boom years of the Japanese imports back in the late 1990s turn of the millennium used to earn some spare cash picking up cars from Southampton docks, Tilbury docks, Felixstowe, etc.

My first MR2 should have been a turbo as it was a REV1 dark green turbo I first got a drive in. It was bloody quick but a bit rough and I had a nice MK1 MX5 at the time and didn't fancy it. Instead I waited till our agent in Japan found the black G-Limited which was a nicer car.

In between the MR2s I also tried since or before other Japanese cars like Civics, S2000's RX7's FTO's and the MK1 MX5s. My real passion is for the MK1 MX5 and since that time in the late 1990's I have owned over 60 and currently have 6 of them in various forms.

Overall IIRC I have had 3 or 4 MR2's before all G-Limited apart from my last which I sold in 2004 which was a REV2 turbo.

It was special as was resprayed Nissan Skyline blue, had some great looking deep dish split rim alloys, bomex front bumper and Red Honda S2000 leather seats. I bought from a Japanese guy in Eastbourne who had freshly imported it. I got it with a mate 50/50 share till he bought a Supra and I bought him out. Back then it was a bit of a whore as all my mates got a ride in it and picked up a few trophy wins amongst supposedly faster cars. I sold it as got a decent company car and went sensible. Hindsight I should have kept it as for myself and my mates we still talk glowingly about that car.

For now my MX5s as gives a flavour of the projects I have done.....

My silver Tuckin 99 FM2 Turbo. I have owned this longest of my roadsters as had it since 2007. The Tuckin99 N2 arches are taken from the moulds Tuckin99 bought from Mazdaspeed back in the day as originally these were design and built by Mazdaspeed for track cars. Alongside the Tuckin99 N2 arches the FM2 Turbo kit I fitted gives it a fair bit of get up and go as making about 250bhp.

Image

Image

Image

My second longest owning roadster I have owned twice. I bought it back originally in 2009. It is nicknamed the Corns Roadster as it is believed to have been worked in Japan by Carmake Corns, a specialist tuner. When I first bought the car it was pretty ropey and a few friends wondered what I had done. However it was a 2008 import, essentially solid but shagged mechanicals. In my first duration of ownership I changed the diff, gearbox, had it resprayed, added new parts from Japan plus a lot of other mechanical parts. I sold it around 2011 to fund a RX7 habit but bought it back in 2012 as the chap I sold it too kindly stuck to a gentlemans agreement to sell it back to me if he ever wanted to get rid. In the second round of ownership I replaced the worn carb'd engine with a forged engine built by Tomei Racing in Japan mated to a Mazdaspeed supercharger kit. It is essentially a noisy, track car as is stripped out, caged, etc. It is not massive power as only 5psi and just over 200bhp. However the driving experience is great fun and the engine is almost v-tec like with the forged engine.

Image
Image
Image

My third roadster is more marmite then the last two. It is a Pitcrew Roadster I started to build from scratch end of 2012/2013 based from a Eunos Roadster S Limited. It went a little over budget and along the way I fitted it with IRTB's and with the amount of shipments from Japan I had going on at one point I am surprised I didn't get a visit from customs. Likewise my contacts in Japan must have wondered what the crazy Englishman was doing with all those parts!

Image
Image
Image

My fourth roadster I bought start of 2015. It is a R Limited Eunos Roadster. Before I bought this R Limited I went through 2 others in short succession trying to find the right one to restore. This one was a 1 owner 2006/7 import, all original and very little signs of rust. In my ownership I fully re-sprayed the car, replaced the dash with one in better condition, fitted newly trimmed seats while I have also carried out various service/maintenance works

Image
Image
Image
Image

My fifth roadster is a 1990 red roadster that was a impulse buy from Gumtree one Saturday afternoon mid-2015. I saw it for sale and recognized it from a old member on MX5Nutz. It was memorable for the 13' Hayahsi Superstreet wheels. I bought it as spares/repairs from down in Cornwall (unseen) and had it trailered back home as it was a non-runner. Its plus point was the wheels, the fact it was a low mileage (49000 miles) and a 2009 import so solid. However it hadn't been used in over 2 years following mechanical and electrical issues.

Image
Image
Image

My last roadster at the moment. It was a car I remember from back in the day on MX5Nutz as was imported by Suffolk Mazda in 2007/8 and had lots of nice parts from Japan (work wheels, HKS parts, T-House Clubman front bumper). It looked a cool little roadster. By the time 2015 came round it was looking rather sorry for itself living in Kent with all the nice parts gone apart from the T-House front bumper. Luckily it hadn't been used much so was still solid but missing parts, shabby paint, etc. I carried out mechanical and maintenance work alongside a full respray while have added my own idea for nice parts from Japan to restore this car back to something the old owner in Japan would hopefully not be dismissive of.

Image
Image
Image

So I had been looking on and off for a MR2 Turbo prices for the last 6 months. As a mate said as been chatting about another MR2 for quite a while it was an itch I needed to scratch. I had put an offer on one which was accepted and then the seller sold to someone who offered more while I also agreed a deal on another one after Christmas only for the seller to phone me 2 days before collecting that he didn't want to sell. I started to feel it wasn't going to happen. However there was another recently that had been gaining my interest and I contacted the seller to see what could be done.

The plus points was it being a 1995 Rev3 GTS Turbo Tin-top version. It had also only done 80,000 miles with MOT's and history back to when it was imported. For me it had some juicy JDM parts already fitted and as you can see I like my genuine JDM parts which this car ticked the boxes with. Importantly I also liked the wheels as go through quite a few alloys on cars trying to get the right look. The slight negative was the Rev3 engine had been changed at some point for a Rev2 turbo engine although this had been refreshed and when done the following work below done. So the details on the car are as follows:

1. Freshly built engine fitted done 8k since build using ARP bolts, cometic head gasket, ACL race shells, new valves, etc.
2. Recent new starter motor.
3. Recent new alternator.
4. LSD gearbox and shafts.
5. Rev 3 turbo and management rebuilt CT20B turbo.
6. Full turbo back Blitz NUR Spec Exhaust.
7. Smart e-boost controller - 9/10psi, 13/14psi, 17/18psi.
8. New grooved discs with yellow stuff pads all round.
9. Goodrich flexi brake hoses.
10. HKS lowering springs.
11. Border front bumper.
12. Rear Subframe and trailing arms, anti-rollbar, inlet manifold all powder-coated white.
13. New Polybushes for anti-roll bar.
14. HKS side-mount intercooler.
15. HKS Blow off valve.
16. Green cotton air-filter.
17. 550cc injectors.
18. TRD ball-type leather gear knob.
19. Full leather seats in good condition.
20. Firewall behind seats dynamatted and under seats.
21. Super Advan RC Limited Rally 17" alloys
22. Both sills have been replaced.
23. Front arches have just been undersealed.

Some photos.

Image
Image
Image
Image

For now plans are limited as it has emptied my pockets to buy it. The car looks better in the photos but does need some TLC - speedo not working, slight bit of rust on rear arch. However I think it has potential and on the whole seems solid. My plans are limited for now as I have bought this car on a tight budget. However as better weather arrives I start working on it and hopefully get it up to a similar standard to my mx5s.

Thanks for looking.
Last edited by Madabout on Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:32 pm, edited 17 times in total.
aussieGT
Posts: 1249
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:17 am
Location: Staffs/Stoke

Re: Back in a MR2 - Madabout's MR2 Turbo

Post by aussieGT »

Madabout wrote: I had put an offer on one which was accepted and then the seller sold to someone who offered more while I also agreed a deal on another one after Christmas only for the seller to phone me 2 days before collecting that he didn't want to sell.


Aren't people just azzholes sometimes??
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: Back in a MR2 - Madabout's MR2 Turbo

Post by Madabout »

aussieGT wrote:
Madabout wrote: I had put an offer on one which was accepted and then the seller sold to someone who offered more while I also agreed a deal on another one after Christmas only for the seller to phone me 2 days before collecting that he didn't want to sell.


Aren't people just azzholes sometimes??


Had buyers mess me around but sellers is a first. To be fair the chap after Christmas who backed out seemed genuine enough and I don't think had fully thought through his decision to sell before offering it to me.

Least it's given me the opportunity to take on this car and hopefully move forwards with some of my own ideas.
aussieGT
Posts: 1249
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:17 am
Location: Staffs/Stoke

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by aussieGT »

Looks like you ended up with a nice car anyway, so maybe it was for the best.
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

aussieGT wrote:Looks like you ended up with a nice car anyway, so maybe it was for the best.


It needs some TLC but seems to have had a fair bit done over the last few years. It is nice to have another MR2.

Photo of the interior - it has full black leather seats in pretty good condition - sadly missing the mr2 factory mats but pretty stock finish.

Image
Image
Last edited by Madabout on Sun Jul 09, 2017 7:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

Got to spend a little time with the MR2 mainly giving it a clean and having a poke around it to get to know it better.

Having been away from a MK2 MR2 for so long I had forgotten how light the steering feel is and general pointy nature from the front.

A bit of a clean up -

Image
Image
Image
Image

Really want to find some original MR2 floor mats as all my roadsters rock some nice factory floor mats while I have just had some nice roadster floor mats arrive from Japan this week so the existing floor mat is hopefully a temporary measure.

Gave the exterior a polish and it looks better then it did but ideally will need a few panels paint to get it mint. Also cleaned the front compartment area under the bonnet.
Last edited by Madabout on Sun Jul 09, 2017 7:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
Chumbaside
Posts: 635
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:52 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Chumbaside »

Welcome - nice MR2!

I have a set of the Man in Dandism mats, a little tatty on the driver's side. Make me an offer :thumleft:

Image
craig
Posts: 43936
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:44 am

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by craig »

Nice car :thumleft:
Draven
Posts: 14965
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:34 am
Location: One of the Hamptons.
Contact:

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Draven »

Those advan wheels are lovely. Don't half make the brakes look small though.
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

Thanks for the welcomes.

It needs some TLC but for what I paid can invest a bit of time and money getting it right. Overall it seems quite solid. The previous owner has undercoated behind the front wings, greased up lots of parts like the suspension, fitted some new polybushes in places, powdercoated parts like the rear sub-frame, wishbones, etc. It hasn't been used much but cleaning up OK.

My initial plans are:

1. Fitting a new cam cover gasket and dizzy o-ring together with MR2-Ben cam cover bolts and washers to replace the phillips screws. I was surprised to see phillips screws holding down the cam cover and found some of these a bit loose when I checked them out last weekend. I see the MR2-Ben cam cover bolts as a useful upgrade.

2. Early March it is booked in with a specialist garage I use on some of my cars who is going to cut out the rust on the rear arch, make good. Whilst that is done I get an alloy rad fitted and plan to refit the standard front bumper and if I can afford it a Aeroware or Greddy front lip. Also I aim to get the speedo sorted then if possible as the owner of the garage is a auto-electrician by trade so hopefully can wire back in the plug to the gearbox.

3. Along the way find and fit some missing bits like spare wheel retaining bolt (found), plastic radiator shroud (found), Toyota mats, etc.
Last edited by Madabout on Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:25 am, edited 2 times in total.
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

I found the phillips screws for holding cam cover were loose. I changed these out for the MR2-Ben cam cover bolts and while I was at it fitted a new cam cover gasket, throttle body gasket and and dizzy o-ring seal. I would definitely recommend the mr2-Ben bolts over the phillips screws.

Image

Next up is ive got a rev3 front bumper and lip on route so in March will get that sprayed and fitted so car looks more stock. The spare stock bumper that came with the car is off a rev2 and had a poor repair at some stage so picked up this full rev3 bumper instead. Also got a few missing bits on route (radiator plastic shroud), Toyota tool kit and battery clamp and spare wheel clamp (though digging through the bag of bits in the boot think I found the last 2 parts).

So in March plan is:

1. Rear arch repaired where it's got paint bubbling - rust cut out and replacement panel welded in.

2. Rev3 front bumper and lip fitted and sprayed to match car alongside the front wings and bonnet.

3. Fit the alloy radiator I have.

4. Find out why speedo is not working. The seller included a plug and says this needs wiring and plugged into gearbox. The car is off road at the moment but reading reports as it's a electronic speedo sensor means the power steering will be light at the moment.
Last edited by Madabout on Sat Jul 29, 2017 4:56 pm, edited 4 times in total.
androo007
Posts: 2363
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 1:43 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by androo007 »

This is going to be a good one!!!!

Might be worth popping off the rear bumper and looking at that section for rust along with the inner sill just so you have no surprises come welding time!
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

androo007 wrote:This is going to be a good one!!!!

Might be worth popping off the rear bumper and looking at that section for rust along with the inner sill just so you have no surprises come welding time!


Thanks. I have not used it since getting it but there is a parts gathering process going on. I am going to use a chap who has worked on my old FD RX7 and worked on my modified MX5s to do the more major work I don't want to tackle. He is a Japanese car specialist, used to have a GT4 Celica himself and is really good at welding, fabrication work. I will get him to remove bumper to double check. Inside the boot seems all OK and underside seems solid. Rear Sub frame has all been off along with trailing arms and powder coated so hopefully no major surprises.

Thanks to Mark aka Chumbaside I had some genuine JDM MR2 mats - Man in Dandism, turn up this week. All my roadsters run similar mazda roadster mats and always a interior part I prefer.

Image

Various other parts also turned up mentioned above this week so have a full rev3 front bumper to go on as I standardize it a little, missing bits like the plastic radiator shroud, tool kit, battery clamp, spare wheel retaining lock, etc.
Last edited by Madabout on Sun Jul 09, 2017 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

A little bit of time to myself this weekend and not raining the whole time so did a few jobs on the MR2.

1. On reading on here it seems Toyota fitted foam in the sills and also down in the sides of the boot. I removed the side panels in the car and found the passenger one had already been removed but the driver side was still in place. Pulled it out and it wasn't wet but showed a bit of rust. Shone the light in and couldn't see anything bar some white/grey metal so hoping al OK.The sills have been done so hoping this is from before work was done.

Image

2. Decided to check the tyre pressure in all the wheels. I removed the cap on the rear passenger wheel and the whole valve just popped out with a lot of air whooshing out. I haven't used the car yet and glad I hadn't. Bizarrely I put the cap and valve back in and it held the remaining air pressure till this morning when I spun the wheel off and went to my local tyre shop and got a new valve fitted.

Image

3. Mats are now in the car, got the tool kit in. I must be being dumb but cannot work out how the battery clamp fits round battery. I've had the battery out and everything but obviously missing something simple or got the wrong battery.

I've found the rust on the rear arch is worse then I thought so will mean more metal cut out and fabrication work. There is also a odd beeping sound from the cabin of the car. Doesn't happen all the time but noticed it when it was running yesterday once and today it beeped once when I released hand brake. Odd?

Going through photobucket some other cars from back in the day I've had.
I should have kept this one. VX220 Turbo. It went like xxxx of a shovel and handled like on rails. I got rid as wasn't using enough and needed to cut my costs.

Image

My old FD RX7. I imported this direct from Japan. It came over with a full RE-Amemiya bodykit. Originally the car was black but in Japan had been resprayed black and yellow with yellow sprayed interior panels (not well done.)

By the time I'd finished it was a HKS single turbo with Bridgeported engine making around 450bhp. I fitted the later RE-Amemiya front bumper, resprayed the car fully black again, red-did the interior, etc. I'd never have one again though as was a money pit, drank fuel and very temperamental. In the end I fell out of love with it and broke for parts. These days RX7s seem to be trading higher on values probably taking a bit of a bonus off Skyline prices.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Video of it running.

http://vid305.photobucket.com/albums/nn ... 13aebd.mp4

So the rear arch on the MR2 is going to need sorting with some extra work too. Not the end of the world as the person I know is a good metal fabricator and rather cut out more metal to ensure its good. I have bought a spare UK speedo with pretty much the mileage of my car so may switch that in while going to get the aerial deleted and smoothed over when I get the rear panel done and put a hidden aerial in the car for the time being. This wont go as lairy as my RX7 or be as highly modified mechanically as a couple of my MX5s but hopefully will be a nice subtle modified MR2 Turbo once I do a few bits in the next few months.
Last edited by Madabout on Sun Sep 17, 2017 7:44 am, edited 5 times in total.
ads
Posts: 515
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: oswestry, shropshire
Contact:

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by ads »

great thread. quite a collection of mx5s you have there - back in '87 I was a photographer working for a company in Worthing called IAD who did a lot of initial work on the mk1 during initial design phase. got to drive the car pre launch which was fun.

I love my '2 but have always hankered after an fd rx7 - how did your car compare to the mr2 as a driving experience?
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

ads wrote:great thread. quite a collection of mx5s you have there - back in '87 I was a photographer working for a company in Worthing called IAD who did a lot of initial work on the mk1 during initial design phase. got to drive the car pre launch which was fun.

I love my '2 but have always hankered after an fd rx7 - how did your car compare to the mr2 as a driving experience?


As a MK1 MX5 enthusiast that would have been pretty cool to have been involved in the design work. I know from reading up on the history of them the company in Worthing was instrumental in the design alongside I believe another studio in California IIRC.

I wouldn't do another RX7 as lost the love. My only advice would be to go street port and not bridge port (they sound great but is not a engine designed for road use, etc.). Single turbo was fun and does away with the complex twin turbo set up, etc. Likewise a late '99 spec onwards is the preferred model type.

In terms of driving experience the RX7 handles well, the engine opens up to be revved hard while when the turbo spools up to the max its pretty intoxicating. Mine had HKS coilovers that were a bit too hard for UK roads if I am honest and on 'B' road blasts wasn't as much fun to drive legally compared to the MX5 as I preferred the handling of a MK1 MX5.
ads
Posts: 515
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: oswestry, shropshire
Contact:

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by ads »

Yeah that was a long time ago . I didn't get involved in the mechanical side although I was based in the design office at IAD.

The designers ran some interesting motors, Renault 5 Turbo II (mid engined) being one of them - LOUD and fun to be in. Also a porsche 928 and pre '89 911 stuff like that.

When we went out to shoot photos of the mx5 no one really knew what it was :-k

thanks for the info on the rex, so '99 and later then. got a classic Mini and the '2 plus a van and no more money/space right now, but you never know
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

ads wrote:Yeah that was a long time ago . I didn't get involved in the mechanical side although I was based in the design office at IAD.

The designers ran some interesting motors, Renault 5 Turbo II (mid engined) being one of them - LOUD and fun to be in. Also a porsche 928 and pre '89 911 stuff like that.

When we went out to shoot photos of the mx5 no one really knew what it was :-k

thanks for the info on the rex, so '99 and later then. got a classic Mini and the '2 plus a van and no more money/space right now, but you never know


No worries the '99 spec seem the more desirable. Also a model with the same carbon fibre recaro seats I have in my mx5. Forgotten the limited edition name but that also is popular. Classic mini must be fun. I briefly had a rover Mini Cooper a few years back - another good fun car.
ads
Posts: 515
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: oswestry, shropshire
Contact:

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by ads »

The Mini gets more attention than anything I've ever driven. people absolutely love it. runs a 1293 motor so nippy too, if a bit bouncy
Madabout
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

Post by Madabout »

ads wrote:The Mini gets more attention than anything I've ever driven. people absolutely love it. runs a 1293 motor so nippy too, if a bit bouncy


Nice one. I sold mine before prices went up. Classic iconic cars.
Post Reply

Return to “Member Profiles”