The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

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Magic Beans
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Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:01 pm

Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

So, here we go, the story of how this journey began: Mule I

It all started back in 2011. I'd always had company cars since passing my test so I'd never had to buy my own car. For some time I'd had the itch to buy something as a weekend toy, something fun and something I use as a way of improving my mechanical knowledge. But what to buy?! :-k :-k :-k

I'd always loved the styling of Mk2 MR2s, since way back when they were first released in the 90's. There was something about the lines that really appealed to my eye and after much deliberation I decided that's what I wanted. At the time I had no clue what I was looking for with regard to revisions, what a good example looked like, or what to watch out for etc. What I did know was my ideal looking car being a white T bar turbo that was tastefully modified (sound familiar..? :-k :lol:).

I spent a whole chunk of time looking at a load of different cars, mainly stuff on eBay, but never found anything that tickled my fancy. Then one cold December evening I found an ad for a Caribbean Blue "Rev 4" (confusion related to the registration plate/year), which was conveniently located about 15 miles from me. It was sat on eBay, 2 hours left on the auction, £1750 with no bids. After discussing it with a friend he suggested it looked to be a lot of car for very little money, so I took the plunge and bought it blind! 8-[

Within 24 hours I went to collect my new acquisition. The seller was a mechanic and had built the car for a friend. He owner ran the car for a while, threw a load of money at it, before leaving it to sit for a few years. The builder eventually bought the car from him, with the intention of giving it a refresh etc. However, he ultimately decided to sell it on. Well, that's the story at least.. :-k

These are the original photos from his ad:

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Full spec can be found on page 1 of this thread, but it goes along the lines of:

Fully forged build (87mm pistons!)
Hybrid CT20
HKS Hi Power
Rays TE37
Aquamist WI set-up
Stock ECU with piggyback modules (HKS FCD and SLD)
The cheapest set of ditchfinder tyres known to man (we'll hear more about these later....)

The car was SORN'd, had no MOT, the turbo smoked, the brakes were later found to all be pretty shot and the alternator belt snapped after the I got it home. The tensioner then wouldn't loosen, meaning I couldn't replace the belt and had to get it towed to a garage. They sorted the main issues and got it through its MOT, with a little "help"... :whistle:

It definitely wasn't the winning any Show 'n Shines at the time of buying it. However, I was confident that with a bit of love, a lot of cleaning products and a good few hours of scrubbing there might just be a nice little car to be found. Turns out there was :) Or the makings of at least.

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I stumbled across IMOC whilst looking for information on replacement turbos. Decided I liked the place, promptly signed up and then made a certain build thread.. My plan was to use it as a car journal where I could off-load details of the work I was doing, allowing look back on it all later after the dust had settled. Turns out I had a lot to off-load :mrgreen:

I also got to know a bunch of fellow owners and occasionally took the slowly improving blue lump to car shows and The Pod.

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Given it had the WORST TYRES IN THE WORLD on it didn't do too bad, clocking a 12.9s 1/4 mile. It certainly whet my appetite for more power...

Time passed, I meddled with things and a sea of parcels arrived at work each day. I learnt more and more about the car as each day passed. That ever present upgrade itch getting stronger and stronger... This is around the point where a certain Rev 5 Turbo belonging to Rob B came up for sale. One hell of a car and was running the engine from Roy Ashby's (see "MR2 wheelie" on YouTube) old car. I didn't end up buying it and I regret that decision to this day #-o The car was broken for cars and I ended up with piles 8-[ :lol:

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This little lot comprised of:

Full GT3076R turbo kit, Tial wastegate and screamer pipe
Apexi Power FC Pro Drag ECU (Included launch control) and Hand Commander
Radtec Chargecooler kit
SARD 800cc injectors
ATS Racing 4" Intake kit and K&N filter
ATS Racing cam pulleys
Aeromotive FPR
Carbotech pads
Rogue dual engine lid fans
Rev 5 spoiler
Cusco braces - Front and rear
Gas engine lid strut

The car was booked in for the work to be done, along with me booking holidays so I could "help" (read learn). The Mule made another new friend while it was there.

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A few days, a few cuts and a whole chunk of cash later we ended up with this.

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The difference was huge and immediately obvious when driving it. The ECU still had Rob's 5S build map on it, which meant I drove it back off boost (mostly... :whistle:). It was clear, though, this car was starting to really come alive!

I'd booked in for a mapping session with Ryan G off of 2Bar Tuning, so I had a leisurely 3 hour drive down to Surrey Rolling Road. All of which was during one of the wettest summers we'd seen in years, so all I saw was this.

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It was clear that the £7 worth of tyres the previous owner had fitted weren't going to cut it. Hell, they made the drive pretty terrifying!! :pale: We did eventually get there though and my bottom had some time to unclench! Met up with Ryan, we had a good chat about the car and my goals, he then set to work. Power wise I'd always wanted a 400bhp car. I don't know why 400bhp specifically but that was the long term goal for the car.

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The engine was strong, very strong. Unfortunately there were a few little issues that needed resolving, which held the car back from hitting my power goal. Still, we saw a good 350bhp and most importantly we had a solid map on.

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I was a happy boy! \:D/ \:D/ \:D/ I was so close to my power goal and knew what was left to do in order to meet it. Everything felt good in the world, apart from the dent in my wallet! Little did I know what was about to happen...

The weather on the drive back was horrendous and the ditchfinders really weren't helping., with aquaplaning being a big problem. Eventually something was going to go bad and coming off the A43 just before the M1 it did... :pale: :pale:

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I hit a big patch of standing water, the car went into raft mode and headed out of the lane. I attempted to catch it, which surprisingly I did, but then it caught traction again and snapped on me. It was enough to mount the curb and tap the railings on the NS front and rear. Not a big impact by any means but enough to do some serious damage. GUTTED, absolutely gutted! :( Sky high to rock bottom within minutes!

I sat in Northampton services for 3 hours, while I waited for a tow truck to come and recover the lump of metal I'd just put blood, sweat and cash into. Eventually we got home and I went to bed to wallow in my own self pity :(

Next day I took myself out and assessed the damage; it wasn't pretty. The front wing, door, and rear quarter were mangled, two of the TE37s were buckled, the front and rear arms were bent, lights shattered etc. I also had no idea if the chassis was bent. I had some thinking to do and some decisions to make. The outcome of those spelled the end of Mule I. The photos of which I'll spare you..

However, it wasn't the end. In fact it spawned the next chapter in the journey: Mule II. Which comes next 8)
pistol pete
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by pistol pete »

A good write up as always buddy, with a sad ending :(, i know where it goes next :twisted:
Madabout
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Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Madabout »

Nice update Phil. My first MR2 Turbo whilst not the original Toyota blue was very similar to that colour back in the day. Nice write up and looking forward to hearing about Mule II.
craig
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by craig »

Real shame what happened to Mule 1! Looked a beauty.

Such a nice combo, caribbean blue with bronze TE37s 8)
Draven
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Draven »

Crazy to think you paid £1750 for it.. :shock:
Magic Beans
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

pistol pete wrote:A good write up as always buddy, with a sad ending :(, i know where it goes next :twisted:


Just need to write it up now...

Madabout wrote:Nice update Phil. My first MR2 Turbo whilst not the original Toyota blue was very similar to that colour back in the day. Nice write up and looking forward to hearing about Mule II.


:thumleft:

craig wrote:Real shame what happened to Mule 1! Looked a beauty.

Such a nice combo, caribbean blue with bronze TE37s 8)


It is a real shame, could have been a cracking car. Although, I did later find the VIN plate was missing.... :-k :-k

Draven wrote:Crazy to think you paid £1750 for it.. :shock:


It was super cheap, even back then when the prices were rock bottom. I paid him extra in the end, I felt like I was robbing him!
Draven
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Draven »

I always loved carribean blue, thats why i bought 2 mr2's in that colour. I miss my first one. That was a cracking car.
Magic Beans
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

Draven wrote:I always loved carribean blue, thats why i bought 2 mr2's in that colour. I miss my first one. That was a cracking car.


It's a stunning colour, when properly looked after. I'd have had another one if I'd seen one when looking.
Martin F
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Martin F »

The car is looking really nice Phil, good choice. That's the mule 'II' and kind of 'I' sorn and as off tomorrow anything other than the power plant is up for grabs, pm me if you would like first shout on anything :wink: , make it an ironic ending to the 'MULE' story and maybe somewhat fitting to the latter pages of this thread.... :thumleft:
Magic Beans
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

Martin F wrote:The car is looking really nice Phil, good choice. That's the mule 'II' and kind of 'I' sorn and as off tomorrow anything other than the power plant is up for grabs, pm me if you would like first shout on anything :wink: , make it an ironic ending to the 'MULE' story and maybe somewhat fitting to the latter pages of this thread.... :thumleft:


Decision made then, Martin? It's a shame, but as we've discussed previously, it's become somewhat inevitable. My list of bits still stands, I'll drop you a PM :)
Magic Beans
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

In other news: Seeing as those with the coding smarts have figured out a way of making plugins for Firefox and Chrome, which fix the broken PB links, I guess I can put the write-ups on hold. For now at least... 8-[

Since going to JAE I've not had much opportunity to drive it, so it's tucked away nice and warm in the garage. I have some winter jobs to crack on with and intend to have a good run or two before taking it off the road for a while. Nothing major planned really, other than preventative maintenance etc. Maybe one or two special additions, we'll see... :wink:
Rob
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Location: Baydon, Wiltshire

Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Rob »

Had a great lunchtime reading some of this thread! Car is lovely so credit to you and former keepers!

2 Questions:

1/ What is the spare wheel cover from?

2/ I have an OBD1 reader like that and want to rig it up like yours is - could you put some pictures up of how it is plumbed in?

Rob
stuMR2lee
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by stuMR2lee »

As the previous owner responsible for these I can help:

1, from a MK3 MR2.

2, idea/guide came from a Twobrutal thread on the Toyobd1. Hardwired to diagnostic port wiring with a 3 way toggle switch in the boot. http://www.twobrutal.co.uk/forum/showth ... this/page6

Stu
Last edited by stuMR2lee on Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rob
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Rob »

Awesome - thanks Stu!
Magic Beans
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

Sorry, my attention has been focused elsewhere recently, so haven't had time to catch up on here :( Thanks for stepping in, Stu :) To be fair, you're far better placed to answer anyway.

Guess as I'm here I might as well throw some words out there. So what's been done recently? Well, one thing I did manage to do is scrape my OSF wheel (in two places) when putting the car back in the garage after JAE. Space is pretty tight in there, due to the benches, toolbox and all manner of other workshop bits I have. Due to this the angle I have pull it at and the proximity to other things means that I need a second pair of eyes, to make sure I don't clip anything. Let's just say there was a miscommunication on this occasion, so the wheels were turned in at the time I was clearing the opening #-o It not major, it does stand out though and for the sake of my eyes it needs repairing. I've not had time to get over to a wheel shop, so the wheel is off ready and the car's sat with the space saver on :| I'm off on Monday, I'll aim to drop it in then.

Here's the damage:

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The other thing I've been quite excited about. For some time I've been wanting to add an accent piece for the car, something to identify it as a Mule. I'd been bouncing around a few ideas, another of which I think I'll still do but in a non-Mule guise... Anyway, these arrived the other day, anyone recognise them...? :wink:

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For those that don't; they're the custom fuse covers I had made for Mule II. I'll let Martin explain why I have them again, but sufficed to say it's awesome to have them back and they're the perfect tribute piece for the car :D

As always I can't put anything on the car unless it's been fettled with in some way, so I took to sanding them back and giving them a fresh coat of paint. Sanding first:

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The 3rd of many coats of Toyota 040 applied. After this they were sanded back with fine sandpaper and the final coats applied:

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The covers, pre being thoroughly cleaned:

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Prep finished, the covers were now finished and ready to go back on:

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Fitted (crappy light due to perpetual Weathermageddon at the moment #-o ):

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Small touch but it's perfect for several reasons. I can even overlook the fact they add an extra 0.5 kg to the car :lol:

That's about it, for now. I'll try not to leave it as long next time. Mainly by ensuring I'm doing things to the car, which are on the winter list. And yes, one of them is painting the mani, cam cover and other bits, which it so desperately needs doing :lol

Toodle pip :)
craig
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by craig »

Nice Mule 2 tribute! :mrgreen:

Shame about the wheel dude! :(

Any future plans, or is it hibernation time now?
Madabout
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Madabout »

The fuse covers look a nice touch mate.
Magic Beans
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

craig wrote:Any future plans, or is it hibernation time now?


Mainly hibernation. Does need a good run out though, it's not moved since JAE. A bit of preventative maintenance planned, mainly surrounding the paint. I have a few other things I'm considering doing. Not sure which I'll do though.

Madabout wrote:The fuse covers look a nice touch mate.


Cheers, James :) It's only a small touch but it's quite special to me.

How are the white and yellow cars doing?
Magic Beans
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by Magic Beans »

The wheel's back from having a SMART repair. They just did the rim, so as to avoid the risk of the whole wheel not being a perfect colour match. Turned out well :)

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And an excessively processed shot of the car, just because I'd forgot to upload it before :mrgreen:

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muckyman
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Re: The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

Post by muckyman »

Hi Phil,
hows things going with the car? Not seen any updates for quite some time.
For me, after ten months with the Supra, I sold it (for a very nice profit) and moved onto a 4ltr V8 M3 which I'll be moving on from soon - constant car changer lol.....
If you ever feel like selling the mule, I'll happily have it back :-)
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