My AW11 Fritzinger widebody. Some years of work in pictures

[synXero]

3S-GTE engines in these make so much sense!

[XLarge]

I´m more a fan of N/A or SC engines in the AW11. I mostly drive my MR2 on mointain roads and a beasty, a bit laggy Turbo engine that throws in it´s torque with a big hammer would be difficult to manage with the mid engine balance and this light car.
I love the turbo punch of the 3S-GTE in my Celica, but this is a hole other car as it is a bit heavyer and got all wheel drive.

[Finn]

My family calls me insane as I´m thinking about to buy a 4th car, but that probably won´t stop me. It a 1975 Celica TA23 GT, or more a big puzzel of one as it´s split to pieces and the shell ist already sandblasted.

I have four cars and may be getting a 5th one. Tell your family not to worry...yet.

[cartledge_uk]

Fantastic!

And your English is better than most peoples on here!

Please come over to the UK for some of the shows.

[XLarge]

Writing english is easy as I can edit my mistakes and cheat by using google translator.

[stenky]

My fifth will be RA2X celica or MA70 supra

[Big_Martin]

Great read, fascinating! Thank you for sharing

[wilki]

Great read, fascinating! Thank you for sharing

Agreed fantastic work with great results

[XLarge]

Oh, I´ve forgot that I´ve already took some pictures from the last session. So I can take the writeup a little bit further.

As my MR2 is still parked in it´s grave (a rented barn) I currently can only work on parts of the car.

As the fuel pump didn´t survived the time I will have to change it. Not such a big thing as I still have the stock pump of my Celica (where it was replaced by a Supra pump) but to change it the fuel tank have to come out of the car. The tank in the car is a bit rusty but I´ve kept the one of the donor car which is better but not perfect. So I´ll swap tank but before the "new" tank have to be refurbished.

So I steelbrushed the undersite of the tank:



treated it with Fertan rust converter and primered it. Did the same to the water pipes of the donor car as the pipes under my MR2 are rusted too:



Now I awaiting a package from Paul Woods. He is sending me a set of JDM tail lights as mine are not in a good condition and a exaust header flange so I can start to build a custom exaust header.

[KarlBristol]

Great work
It's coming together really well

[SuperRedMR2]

I'd be interested to see the header when its done

Can't seem to find one

[XLarge]

Can't seem to find one

I had this problem too. A guy in the states sell 4to1 headers for the 4A-GE, but very expensive at 325 Dollar plus shipping and import taxes.

The header of the 4A-GE 20V can be modyfied to fit the 16V by drill some additional holes into the flange but this header don´t give enough space for the starter at it´s stock position on the 16V. By using a starter of a 4A-FE the starter can be moved to the backside of the engine but only on Mk1b as the gearbox of the Mk1b got two starter brackets unlike the gearbox of the Mk1a which have only one in front of the engine.

As I don´t want to buy a other gearbox for my Mk1a I will build my own header. Can´t be so difficult.

[XLarge]

Been shopping through the internet the last weekend. Yesterday the first items arrived.

A used set of JDM tail lights in exellent condition and exaust manifold flange to build a custom four branch exaust manifold from Paul Woods:





Also made a very good deal on german eBay, a 6 speed gearbox out of a 99 Corolla E11 G6 for 50 € I will to pick up from Luxembourg:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/160970483414?ssP ... 1423.l2649

[PW@Woodsport]

Just so you are aware, the gear linkage assembly on that is on the wrong side for use in an AW11, you will need a Celica 6 speed centre case and selector assembly to make that work, sadly the centre case from the C52 won't work either, the selector detent is wrong for the 6 speed assembly.

I can source the parts you need though if you still buy it.

[XLarge]

I know that the linkage is on the wrong side. Thought I can drill the box housing and use the MR2´s linkage than folloing a guide to convert a 5 speed Corolla LSD I´ve found on the web.

Please make me an offer for the parts I´ll need if You´ve got them, Paul.

[PW@Woodsport]

Yes you can drill the casing, but it needs to be spot on and you need to install an oil seal as well, i only tried this method once and while it worked it wasn't ideal.

The 5 speed selector shaft is no good, unless you have it properly welded to the 6 speed assembly, then it will work, but again it needs to be perfectly straight.

I'll see what i can do on the parts if you still want to go that way,it really takes the pain out of the conversion to 6 speed.

[XLarge]

Spend some money again today. Picked up my engine from the metalworker who builded the custom exaust manifold out of the flange I´ve bought from Paul:



Later I drove to Luxemburg to pick up the 99 Corolla 6speed gearbox I´ve shooted at eBay at a embarrassing price of 50 € :

[PW@Woodsport]

That manifold is superb

[XLarge]

Didn´t done much today. Painted the fuel tank black and the cooling and heater pipes silver:





And I´ve fitted the Spal fans ( aka "windmachines" as they move 1650 m³ air per hour) to the alu radiator using universal brackets from Spal:

[elbon50]

I intend to disconnect my rad fans as I doubt they ever cut in

If all is well I shall remove them altogether