TOTAL NEWB CONSIDERING MR2 turbo

[sweep121]

THE PLAN

wait 2 months

have a good look for mr2 rev 3s

Preferably black or red with lexus 17" wheels. Must have leather and suede interior and cruise control would be a bonus as I do like for the long drives I plan in the summer. T bar is also a must.

I will buy aftermarket zorst and de cat as well as digital boost control

Then hopefully i'll have fun.

What's the best boost controller? blitz? I don't really want a big chunky apexi thing in the cockpit.

Do the radios tend to be double din's since they are imports?

What is the maximum speed from these babies with the mods I plan.

I won't go much over 1 bar.

What fuel consumption do you get with these beasts, can you tell me in my kind of language ie.........when I put £20 in the coop I'd be doing immensely if it returned me 120 miles(driving like 56 year old undertaker with 39 years no claims currently insured with saga and drained of all testosterone on a sunday)

At the start I was 20% in the frame of mind of getting 2 seater jap machine, but now I am a very strong 85%. Only thing annoying me is that I have a novitec chip and 600 quids worth of exhaust for a fiat coupe so it's tempting to get another one. I'll just throw it on ebay I reckon.

One last question, what about dump valves, are they generally recircs? If not then what is best. I personally don't like the bailey as it made the car less drivable and the pshh was really crap. It sounded like a rusty swing before and after the pshhh(that will not make any sense)

[GeoffC320]

What is the maximum speed from these babies with the mods I plan.

I won't go much over 1 bar.

What fuel consumption do you get with these beasts, can you tell me in my kind of language ie.........when I put £20 in the coop I'd be doing immensely if it returned me 120 miles(driving like 56 year old undertaker with 39 years no claims currently insured with saga and drained of all testosterone on a sunday)

If you can get enough power to hit the limiter in 5th, somewhere between 160 & 170 should be possible, especially on 17s (never seen more than 150 on my private test track myself, but still had a bit left). You will need to make sure the car's been delimited though, as otherwise it's 112!! I have to say licence-wise the 4th/5th gear performance of these cars could be a bit of a liability, it's frighteningly easy to go a LOT faster than you should be!

Fuel consumption can be surprisingly good. I don't spare the horses in mine and never really get less than 200 miles from around £35. Mostly this would be on multiple short journeys so 210 - 220 miles is quite feasible with more to come where motorways are involved. Never tried driving slow as it doesn't appeal...

BTW you can get the interior retrimmed in leather for £350-£500 inc doorcards so I wouldn't turn my nose up at cloth if the rest of the car is what you want. That way you also get a brand new interior instead of a 10 yr old one!

HTH

[sweep121]

You have a good point about getting the new leather. My only problem with that is that as I work in the vehicle valeting trade I have seen a lot of re trims and most of them are really quite ropey. Surely I'd find something half decent eventually. I am really looking forward to my rev 3 turbo now. just need to decide red white or black. Black or white I think.

[Essex MR2]

I've just bought my first tubby. I went for a Rev 2 in black, it's only done around 62k miles and apart from a few minor scratches on the outside was a really good car. BUT.... then I was involved in a crash on the way home from picking it up and managed to cave in the rear quarter and tear apart the passenger door on a lamppost!

Not the best start to owning a 2, but am now actually really enjoying the rebuild. Am getting to know the car very well and fitting select mods along the way.

Before the 2, I had an Escort RS turbo dyno'd at 210bhp and it was pretty quick for what it was, it would see off standard Fiat Coupes as a friend of mine had a 16v turbo one. (Never tried against a 20v)

But my first drive in the 2 was quite an eye-opener. You'll be used to a powerful front-drive car like I was.... and this is totally different. Mine's running 1 bar boost and making around 240bhp (all standard otherwise) it is frighteningly quick. When you nail it in second there's no FWD wheels spin and torque steer.... it just fires you forward like nothing else I've been in. And the handling is also unbeleivable, the way they turn into corners gives you feeling that you're in a TRUE sports car, they're so well balanced.

I've got a few more mods for mine already, Apexi SAFC, HKS intercooler, Trust exhaust and I'm looking for an Apexi intake, and hoping to see around 300bhp @ flywheel when it's all put together and set up properly.

Can't wait.... should be an interesting drive!

[stevecordiner]

Howdy fella,

If it were me, in hindsight, what I'd do is this.

Buy a rev 3 with aftermarket exhaust already. I've seen some cracking rev 3's in the past few months go for 3500-4000.

Then, buy a power fc (400-500 ish from japan) go to Thor race engineering and get it fitted and mapped 300+VAT.

Fit greddy profec B 2 boost controller. (150ish off ebay)

You'll have a safe reliable 250-260 at the wheels and be able to run high 12 second 1/4 miles if you can drive

Then if later on you decide you want to tune further, atleast you have a decent engine management system already in place.

If you add a chargecooler later (around £400 if your handy) - you can expect close to 290 at the wheels and mid 12's at the 1/4 mile.

Steve