After selling the Turbo a few weeks ago, it didn't take me long to hunt down my ideal mk3:
2004, black, 39k miles, leather (rare yellow/black combo), TTE roll hoop.
In terms of driving enjoyment, I really do mean "upgrade". What a great chassis and instantly responsive steering the mk3 has.
Obviously it depends on what you want from a car, but for me the mk3 is a far better car than the mk2. I absolutely love this car, something I was never quite convinced of with my mk2s.
HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
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Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
looks nice mate, glad your happy with it, what kind of price do these go for just now?
you just going to leave it as it is or change things(like the wheels etc.)?
you just going to leave it as it is or change things(like the wheels etc.)?
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Thanks
They go for about £7 -8k for that year, but I got an absolute bargain from a private seller.
It's going to stay standard. I really don't think a lot of mods suit the car. The TTE body kit looks pretty good, though. The car would look better lowered, but the handling as it is is great.
I can imagine that with 200bhp or more, sticky rubber and some chassis mods that they would be an absolute track weapon. As standard I think Toyota got it pretty much spot on as a road car.
They go for about £7 -8k for that year, but I got an absolute bargain from a private seller.
It's going to stay standard. I really don't think a lot of mods suit the car. The TTE body kit looks pretty good, though. The car would look better lowered, but the handling as it is is great.
I can imagine that with 200bhp or more, sticky rubber and some chassis mods that they would be an absolute track weapon. As standard I think Toyota got it pretty much spot on as a road car.
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
TTE never made a bodykit for the car, only a front bumper
Trust me, you want to drop the car preferably on the TTE springs but if they're not available anymore then the Teins will do. Add a front strut brace to that and you'll seriously transform a standard car, and they would be my absolute must-do mods if I was starting again.
Trust me, you want to drop the car preferably on the TTE springs but if they're not available anymore then the Teins will do. Add a front strut brace to that and you'll seriously transform a standard car, and they would be my absolute must-do mods if I was starting again.
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Oh I thought they did skirts, rear spats and a little rear spoiler.
You're not the first person to recommend the springs and brace. I'll definitely look into it
You're not the first person to recommend the springs and brace. I'll definitely look into it
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Nice
Well... nice to know that I'm in for a treat when I pick mine up tomorrow.
My tubby had such stiff suspension that I could feel my fillings start to fall out. Pot holes? Any dent in the road made a bang
eBay has the toyota lowering springs but after a call to Toyota today for a valve, I asked about he springs and they are around £126+vat brand new.
Yes... it must be done
My tubby had such stiff suspension that I could feel my fillings start to fall out. Pot holes? Any dent in the road made a bang
eBay has the toyota lowering springs but after a call to Toyota today for a valve, I asked about he springs and they are around £126+vat brand new.
Yes... it must be done
Re: Nice
excalibur1814 wrote:Well... nice to know that I'm in for a treat when I pick mine up tomorrow.
And not only that. You get to drive it on some of the best roads in the UK
Seriously, after a stiff mk2, a mk3 will be a revelation. The steering rack is very quick, but light, so minimal movement and effort is required on the twisties.
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
mattcambs wrote:Oh I thought they did skirts, rear spats and a little rear spoiler.
No worries, you're not the first person to make that mistake. The bodykit you're thinking of was only ever released over here by Toyota GB, although the banana spoiler that sits ahead of the engine bay is by TTE as well.
There are a few TGB kits still floating around the Toyota dealer network, and they're going for silly money as well (£100-ish for the lot!), so if you think you'd ever want that kit then it's worth a phonecall to a dealer or two to see if they've got any knocking around...
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Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Hey Matt congratulations on what looks a very nice car. I confess to us loving Miches mk3 after living with it now almost 18mths. Speeds bumps at 30 rather than 20, potholes with abandon rather than weaving up the road practicing avoidance, roof down without getting out on these sunny days and as has been said a lovely chassis to play with.
I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun mate.
I love them both compared to executive boxes but given a choice it'd still be my rev1.. it would have to be. Practical in a way the mk3 without a boot can never be for me as photographer, responsive, with proven reliability, entertaining and for me somehow more involving. Plus it still looks lovely, is nicely retro and getting noticeably rarer where the mk3 is less so on all counts.
Just for a one off, roof down, clean the system, blow away the cobwebs, give yourself a little scare blast round the twisties it might be a different story though.
R.
PS. I think TTE also did/do a twin exit exhaust which supposedly sounds throatier and looks IMO better in the same way twins do on the mk2. Trying to convince Miche on the ex and on the springs...
I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun mate.
I love them both compared to executive boxes but given a choice it'd still be my rev1.. it would have to be. Practical in a way the mk3 without a boot can never be for me as photographer, responsive, with proven reliability, entertaining and for me somehow more involving. Plus it still looks lovely, is nicely retro and getting noticeably rarer where the mk3 is less so on all counts.
Just for a one off, roof down, clean the system, blow away the cobwebs, give yourself a little scare blast round the twisties it might be a different story though.
R.
PS. I think TTE also did/do a twin exit exhaust which supposedly sounds throatier and looks IMO better in the same way twins do on the mk2. Trying to convince Miche on the ex and on the springs...
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
You'll love it.
I think I am going to get another later this year...this time for racing!
I think I am going to get another later this year...this time for racing!
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Matt - Good looking car there -I like the TTE hoops - enjoy it in this weather
If you've ever had a Mk1 the handling / feedback is very similar.
My highly recommended first mod is a front strut tower brace - that will transform the feel of the steering. I've got a TRD on mine, but there are others available ( eg Silverstone Performance etc )
Put some braided brake hoses on as well and that will firm up the brake pedal.
If you've ever had a Mk1 the handling / feedback is very similar.
My highly recommended first mod is a front strut tower brace - that will transform the feel of the steering. I've got a TRD on mine, but there are others available ( eg Silverstone Performance etc )
Put some braided brake hoses on as well and that will firm up the brake pedal.
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
tonigmr2 wrote:You'll love it.
I think I am going to get another later this year...this time for racing!
You defo won't regret it Toni!
Hope you're feeling better by the way
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Rowland wrote:tonigmr2 wrote:You'll love it.
I think I am going to get another later this year...this time for racing!
You defo won't regret it Toni!
Hope you're feeling better by the way
I really want to, just got to sort a few things.
Back to OP - never saw a black/yellow interior before - is that aftermarket?
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
BenF wrote:
Put some braided brake hoses on as well and that will firm up the brake pedal.
Hmh, have you had experiance with brake fade on the mk3 Ben?
Whilst prepping my mk3 for racing I put braided hoses in the 'nice to have' catergory rather than the 'must have' catergory.
An upgrade to Carbotech pads, 5.1 fluid and new OEM discs give masses of braking ability and fade free after 20 mins at 10/10ths on circuit.
Can happily out brake those mk2's into corners in the mk3!
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Hi Toni
The interior is from the factory - just optional colours.
I still can't get over just what a great little car these are
The interior is from the factory - just optional colours.
I still can't get over just what a great little car these are
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Rowland wrote:BenF wrote:
Put some braided brake hoses on as well and that will firm up the brake pedal.
Hmh, have you had experiance with brake fade on the mk3 Ben?
Nope, no issues, but generally I don't push brake pads to the limit on track - but certainly have done on the old Mk2 and had some fade due to the temperatures they reached.
The most taxing circuit I've driven the mk2 and mk3 on is the 'ring. The first third of the lap at the ring is fast and has some big stops which used to get my Mk2 brakes hot but were no problem in the Mk3.
Braided hoses I really did only to improve the pedal firmness. Didn't cause problems with Heel and Toe downshifts either.
Whilst prepping my mk3 for racing I put braided hoses in the 'nice to have' catergory rather than the 'must have' catergory.
An upgrade to Carbotech pads, 5.1 fluid and new OEM discs give masses of braking ability and fade free after 20 mins at 10/10ths on circuit.
Can happily out brake those mk2's into corners in the mk3!
Hmm ... carbotech pads for the MK3 - I didn't know they were available. Standard MrT ones are also surprisingly good, even for track use - and cheap !
Having said that, there is the disk scoring issue - I've got a set of disks and pads to fit to my Roadster as the inside surface of the disks is scored after abuot 30k miles.
Maybe I need to do more trackdays and this wouldn't be an issue
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
mk3's are cool
'02 VX220 2.2 n/a Daily driver - Exige Size TD 1.2 - TAT shorty Diffuser - HardTop - Chris Tullet 4-1 Manifold.
'97 mk1 Mazda Eunos Turbo track car with 260bhp/ton - soon more as Chris Wilsons going to build me an engine over the winter ) .
'97 mk1 Mazda Eunos Turbo track car with 260bhp/ton - soon more as Chris Wilsons going to build me an engine over the winter ) .
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Nice
Ordered a set of lowering springs for Toyota today and thus:
http://tinyurl.com/phko5h
Would the above strut brace do well or is it on the cheap side hence not very good?
The Mk3 is fantastic, loving every second of it! After having a Mk1, Mk2 and now a Mk3, my least favourite is the Mk2. I always thought that the Mk1 would literally 'hop' off the road whereas the Mk2 would slide off like a big boulder and destroy things. All in all, i love all the Mk's.
http://tinyurl.com/phko5h
Would the above strut brace do well or is it on the cheap side hence not very good?
The Mk3 is fantastic, loving every second of it! After having a Mk1, Mk2 and now a Mk3, my least favourite is the Mk2. I always thought that the Mk1 would literally 'hop' off the road whereas the Mk2 would slide off like a big boulder and destroy things. All in all, i love all the Mk's.
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Looks a bit Mickey Mouse to me, especially seeing as how the mounting point isn't even a complete circle! You should be able to pick up a proper Cusco one for about £100, and that's where my money would be going. TRD ones are even better, but pricier still and for no real performance gain.
Re: HA HA! Upgraded to mk3!
Got 40mpg from my first tank in the mk3. Mixture of 70% motorway cruise and 30% A/B road fairly spirited.
excalibur1814, I agree about the mk2. Phenomonal grip, but no confidence in when it would give up. I've driven a variety of mk2s, from stock to highly modified in the chassis department, none are a patch on the chassis feedback and balance of the mk3.
excalibur1814, I agree about the mk2. Phenomonal grip, but no confidence in when it would give up. I've driven a variety of mk2s, from stock to highly modified in the chassis department, none are a patch on the chassis feedback and balance of the mk3.