TOM'S 96 Rev 3 GTS - BREAK ME UP, BEFORE YOU GO GO

[C35Rob]

So I've decided that I'll definitely be going to the simply Japanese show at Beaulieu at the end of July, which gives me nine weekends to get my finger out and get this done,

[JD]

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/151te-turbo-mig-welder/

that's the one I use at home, admittedly its nowhere near the quality of the professional ESAB / Kemppi etc stuff I've used at work but it does the job and is suitable for any steel work you'll do on a car - saying that if you've got a little extra to spend it's well worth checking out weldequip and looking at something like this https://www.weldequip.com/portamig-165-mig.htm which will be leagues ahead of the clarke stuff

I'd love an AC/DC TIG set at home but for what they cost I just can't justify it for something that might get used a couple of times a year

Aye that's the one I'm after plus a fancy mask.

Good you can take a look at my haggard roadster and I'd love to see this. I can hopefully give you those stickers for the Wise Sports as well - sorry I've been up to all sorts and forgot about those - 2nd next project to get done and printed

[C35Rob]

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/151te-turbo-mig-welder/

that's the one I use at home, admittedly its nowhere near the quality of the professional ESAB / Kemppi etc stuff I've used at work but it does the job and is suitable for any steel work you'll do on a car - saying that if you've got a little extra to spend it's well worth checking out weldequip and looking at something like this https://www.weldequip.com/portamig-165-mig.htm which will be leagues ahead of the clarke stuff

I'd love an AC/DC TIG set at home but for what they cost I just can't justify it for something that might get used a couple of times a year

Aye that's the one I'm after plus a fancy mask.

Good you can take a look at my haggard roadster and I'd love to see this. I can hopefully give you those stickers for the Wise Sports as well - sorry I've been up to all sorts and forgot about those - 2nd next project to get done and printed

Mate, I use a cheapo £30 ebay chinese auto dimming mask at home, granted it's not as comfortable as a proper pro mask but it works perfectly.

It'll be good to put some more faces to names, hopefully the weather is kind to me and I don't have to end up going in the auris!

[C35Rob]

managed to get a couple of hours in this afternoon so made and fitted a wastegate dump pipe or 'screamer pipe' if you prefer.

nothing too exciting here, just a 38mm wastegate flange, a 90 degree bend, some straight tube and a little 45 degree bend.



which was then fully welded and heat wrapped



and then fitted to the car





job done.

I then secured the new PTP turbo blanket with the supplied lock wire (not pictured) and refitted the turbo to intercooler crossover pipe and did a couple of other little bits that aren't really worth going into.

I've decided that I'm going to make a exhaust manifold heat shield too so need to order some stainless sheet

[2mad]

Cant wait for a screamer vid ... looks proper sweet to me ....


Screamers are so much fun

[ashley]

SCCCRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!

[C35Rob]

had a quiet one with the car last weekend, spent loads of time with the mrs and baby instead, however I did get a couple of hours in to tidy up the vac lines, relocate my boost control solenoid and get the boost controller plumbed back in

like so:



I've ordered some of this

http://www.zircotec.com/page/new-flexib ... roducts/97

to apply to a couple of areas that I think will benefit from extra heat shielding and I've also had some stainless sheet cut at work today so I can make an exhaust manifold heat shield

and..... I've booked a session on the rollers for the 16th july!! so now I have a definite deadline, need to book an MOT for before that too.

[C35Rob]

managed to achieve absolutely nothing with this over the weekend due to bad weather and being disgustingly hungover on sunday


however I did book my MOT for the 9th of july. it's going to be quite tight I think, I'm really wishing for dry weather this coming weekend so I can get the essential things to get it road ready before it's too late!

[Ryan S]

Good work man. Watching with interest!

[C35Rob]

ok... so more progress.

since the last update:

front ARP studs have been fitted to the hubs, pulled in no bother with my snap on gun and theres definitely no issues with thread engagement now!





also gave the brakes a bit of a clean off too cause they looked a bit glazed over - it seems like they're DIXCEL M type pads on ENDLESS plain discs





the pads look to be a copper mix material, but going from the Dixcel JP website they're rated to 500 deg ( http://www.rhdjapan.com/dixcel-brake-pads-m-type.html ) so just a fast road pad, however brakes is something I have plans for in the future so this doesn't concern me at the min.

the engine bay is just about there too.. tbh this picture depresses me, it looks really dirty and unpresentable, but I suppose it's functional and I can do the whole paint/powdercoat/tart up thing once the car is back on the road, you'll be able to see the Zircoflex stuff on the hot pipe above the exhaust manifold, which will hopefully stop a little bit of heat soak until I get chance to make a proper heat shield, i've got the stainless sheet but haven't had time yet



so that takes us to this past weekend where usual service was resumed (note ugly legal plate back on in prep for MOT)



this weekend I got all of the rear suspension done, after a set back with the hubs I had blasted, painted up and new bearings in - basically I bought some MA70 supra tie rod bearings as we all know the MR2 ones aren't available seperately - the supra ones fit but just require a M14 bolt and the holes in the tie rod to be opened up, I then proceeded to damage one of the bearings when pressing it it which was totally my own fault, trying to hold the hub square, keep the mandrel on the bearing and operate the hydraulic press at the same time, I then noticed, something I probably should have noticed before that one of the bottom ball joint threads was chewed

so, as the only issue with the hubs I actually have on the car was a little bit of play in the passenger side wheel bearing I just bought one more wheel bearing, and presses that into that hub - so no pretty freshly painted hubs, but they're not rusty and are perfectly serviceable, so these got extended studs pulled in them too and they can stay on the car.

so that's now coilovers, powdercoated lower arms and strut bars with superpro bushes, new rear wheel bearing and sonicboom RCA's all fitted, and I made some rose jointed ARB drop links too (no pics of this as I was just wanting to crack on and get the work done)

this is the old GAB/KYB gymkhana stuff that came off.. it's fair to say that this one was clearly leaking



I also cleaned up the rear pads and adjusted up the handbrake too..

so, where do we stand now?

my to do list "A" - stuff to do before the MOT is:

bleed cooling system
refit rear strut brace, X brace and inspection panels
tweak my map a little cause it's a bit rich at idle
lower the front about 1" to even the ride height out
alignment.
fit some DEI reflect-a-gold to the I/C cold pipe

then once it's MOT'd I can drive it about, do some datalogging and get the tune in the right ballpark before it hits the rollers on the 16th

and list "B" - things to do before the end of july:

fit the poly bushes to the rear ARB and engine stabiliser brace
make manifold heat shield
cut the rain tray out for more ventialtion
oil & filter change

so we're really, really close now!

[gnzyza]

And list C, have some fun, burn some rubber

Would love to see this in the flesh once completed

[thomp1983]

Getting there rob, where did you get the supra tie rod bearings from?

[C35Rob]

Getting there rob, where did you get the supra tie rod bearings from?

I got them online ages ago mate, can't remember where now. The Toyota part no is 42210-14010 . I know mr2-Ben sells them as a kit with the longer bolts and I think TCB parts sell them too.

[ashley]

Good progress! Soon be blasting away on the road

[C35Rob]

Seems like I've had an amazing stroke of luck, due to a planning issue at work the module of the course I was supposed to start on Thursday has been delayed so I've managed to bag a little bit of time at home!

The DEI reflect-a-gold I ordered the other day arrived at lunchtime today, and after running a few errands I got half an hour on the car, so silly expensive gold sellotape was stuck to the intercooler pipe and I got the strut brace and X brace back on followed by the inspection panels - I feel loads better about the engine bay now, a splash of colour takes the eye away from the less aesthetically pleasing bits

[androo007]

Looking good Rob. That strut brace, is it just an eBay jobbie?

[C35Rob]

Looking good Rob. That strut brace, is it just an eBay jobbie?

Thanks mate!, no, it's a genuine TOM'S strut brace I imported from Japan, and had powder coated - I've got the matching front strut brace and lower suspension arm brace too

[androo007]

Shows my ignorance! Looks great.

[C35Rob]

Shows my ignorance! Looks great.

Tbh I've just looked on eBay and it seems like the China ones are a direct copy, only in Ali instead of steel

[C35Rob]

got another few hours on the car today,

dropped the front suspension down an inch, it's still a little higher than the back, not sure whether i'm going to raise the back or drop the front more, but I'll leave it till after the mot cause the place I'm taking it has got quite an old ramp with a steep incline.

cooling system was bled up, no problems here



had my little helper come and see what was going on



and tweaked my idle AFR's



and that's it.. just needs alignment, a thorough wash and an MOT