**UPDATED** 1991 Rev 1 (Beastly V6 1MZ-FE VVTI) **UPDATED**

[KarlBristol]

I also forgot to add that I managed to link the clock up to an independant battery pack and get it working ... it didn't last long before all the batteries went dead!

So I'm now trying to gain the courage to splice it into the hazard light electrical loom where it lives....

[KarlBristol]

Only a 2 minute update today after coming home from work - the rest of the parts are waiting for me at the post office

Got a set of these delivered:



I went for a set of bright white smds, as I thought that it would give a brigher overall appearance than red ones as they are at the higher end of the colour spectrum. Thats the theory anyway

Removed these:



From this:



And then fitted the new ones:



Here they are working:





And the other side fitted:




I have the following parts on order waiting to be delivered:

- Another spal fan
- LED wide arm brake lights
- Autopista centre panel
- Leather TRD gearknob
- New top of the range Clarion CX609E headunit

And a few other bits that you'll see soon enough

[jack-p]

Cant wait to see that center panel fitted Karl, hurry up and pick it up!
With the courtesy door LEDs wouldn't it have been better to use red LEDs to give a brighter red?

[KarlBristol]

Cant wait to see that center panel fitted Karl, hurry up and pick it up!
With the courtesy door LEDs wouldn't it have been better to use red LEDs to give a brighter red?

Lol - Hopefully I can get to the post office and pick it up today

Red leds behind a red filter would not be as brights as white leds behind a red filter.

The red plastic panel filters all colour to make it appear red anyway, so ideally the leds you fit need to be to the higher end of the colour spectrum to give the best results. Hence white leds behind a red filter should be the brightest whilst still giving a crisp colour (thats the theory anyway! lol)

With the rest of the day off hopefully there will be some car updates later

[riot68]

So let me get this straight, they're white LED's behind a red filter?

Keep 'em coming...

[KarlBristol]

I had another 12" slimline engine spal fan delivered today

Unfortunately my car seems to have been sat under a cover and not been worked on for a while. I've been at a wedding for the past few days hence the lack of updates.

Today though I got home and went and picked up my Autopista centre panel from the post office ... unfortunately for me it was badly damaged and the old paintwork was pretty much wrecked aswell:







I started to rub it all back in an effort to strip it to original. I was told that it had been bonded to the old centre panel, although unfortunately only the top had been. So I set about bonding the unit to the back plate and also back together:





Here it is bonded back together and after the first couple of hours of being rubbed back:



It looks better in the photos than it is in real life!

I sprayed it up in black base primer just so that I could see where I needed to work on it more:



It clearly needs work! lol



After 3 layers of filling and rubbing:



Plastic primer on but still in need of work:





Hopefully this is the last coat of filler before some more primer and a couple of coats of paint





Slowly but surely getting there!!

[craig]

Kudos on the effort mate, hopefully it'll look sweet fitted

[riot68]

Good work fella, shame it turned up so bad, bringing back from the dead though...

[DAN_REV1_TURBO]

I think any centre panel has got to look better than a stock rev1/2 centre, just think they make the back end look dated. I think that autopista is going to be a good look and you dont see many at all really, so it will make the rear quite individual.

[gaz700]

some good work there and should look good when fitted!

[KarlBristol]

Thanks for all the kind comments

Fingers crossed its going to look better than whats fitted currently, and a little more unusual as I am yet to see one fitted ... and I've never seen another one for sale before


Unfortunately I under-estimated the amount of work needed when I said that it was nearly done! lol. I've spent around 6 hours on it since my last update .

I estimate that its had about 20 hours work so far to get it to this stage - if its not perfect it doesn't go on the car. Nothing but the best for my MR2

Its still not perfect but it honestly is nearly there now. There are a few little imperfections that I can feel when running along parts of it with my fingernail, so these will be sorted out tomorrow evening.

Hopefully I can prime it tomorrow evening ready for painting and fitting. Pictures don't do it justice as to how nice its looking in the flesh atm (it looks a little wierd due to all those colours! lol)





I've decided to paint it black which will match the rub strips on the car. I decided that I would not be able to colour match properly myself out of a rattle can and so would do a very good jo on it but in a different colour. I will ask for a photoshop to be done after and if I prefer it colour coded I will get the bodyshop to spray it for me

Heres to hoping that tomorrows progress is positive

[KarlBristol]

After another hour of working on the panel today it was ready for primer. Here it is after a single coat of primer





It'll need more coats of plastic primer and then after a very quick wet and dry session it should be ready for a few coats of paint. I can't wait!!!

[riot68]

time and effort pays off again chap, looks great, top job...

[StuRobinson88]

More good work.
Patience does pay off!

Stu.

[KarlBristol]

Mixed results with the car after work today ...

I finished priming the centre panel, baked it dry and keyed it up ready for paint. After a couple of hours I started spraying it up and initially it was going really well as you can see here:





Unfortunately when the paint dried it had a reaction with something on the panel and pulled away from certain sections and also didn't level itself out, leaving some large bumps which weren't there originally. I've now started to rub back the affected areas (all by the initially broken section) and am hoping that when I spray it up tomorrow it will be a lot better. Heres how the mini rub down is going so far:



On a major down side today, the person that I've sent a considerable amount of money to on this forum for my new headunit is not responding to my messages. They haven't contacted me since I sent them the money, and haven't said that its been posted. It should have been with me by now and I don't even know if it's been shipped let alone if it even exists!!

One a lighter note I had a few deliveries today that I will endeavour to fit tomorrow if I find time (I'm also building a garage for someone tomorrow so I'm a little busy)

My new gearknob to match my short shifter:



It should make such a difference being, and should hopefully feel more secure being screwed on as opposed to held on by allan key pins

I have also had my new LED wide arm brake lights finally delivered from the US!!





I'm intrigued to see what these look like fitted - roll on tomorrow!!
Unfortunately progresses has been slower recently due to my work

[timlowthian]

Id be realy interested in pictures of them new bulbs you have mate! I was looking at getting some myself! Need to get rid of these annoying lexus lights for standard rev 3 lights first tho!

I think you should slow down working on your car though following ur thread makes me feel i do nothing on my 2 mr2's lol!

Love all the documenting on here you do you 2 is really looking good now!

[MR2O12]

Primer needs a long time to harden and 'set' at least a few days, and using a hairdryer? Or heat to dry it makes thing worse and when you paint it can start to do what yours did.. hapend to me

[KarlBristol]

Did a small amount on the car today... none of which has been positive.

I test fitted the centre panel and I think that it looks too aftermarket/modified on my car, so it will have to go ... (and after all that work I've done on it! lol) Oh well, I will continue to look for a Forgman.

I then fitted the new rear bulbs. Although they worked they had the wrong bottom fitment, and look a bit too modern. They will probably look great on a Rev3+ but just don't suit the rev1 lights. These will also be for sale! lol.

Here is how they looked:





I then set about giving the car a clean, and went for a little drive.

I have some more parts on order and am currently wondering what else I can blow my money on... lol

[craig]

Oh man, all that effort/expense, only to sack it all off!

[riot68]

Sorry to hear about all that chap, Rev1 cars look great in my opinion, I like the rear lights, centre panel and black side strips, they are never going to look 'modern' no matter what you do as even rev5's are over 10 years old now, better to look how they were meant too, keep it retro and spend your cash on other stuff like your interior which is looking great too, engine bay etc...