The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

[Madabout]

Love the new yellow motor mate, didn't notice aftermarket suspension listed
above, its running a little higher then the red car. Any plans for this ?

Thanks Jordan. Sorry for the slow reply. The yellow one is on standard shocks with Apex lowering springs (updated post ) . The red one sits lower (I prefer its ride height). Yellow one longer term is maybe coilovers at the moment.

Lovely cars

Thanks. It is MR2 Life at the moment!

Glad it worked out as you'd hoped. It is a lovely car, plenty of potential too

Thanks Phil and for the advice. I found some of the previous owners and found out about the car who all talked positively about it and regretted selling. At one stage it has R32 GTR alloys on it which worked well too.

[Madabout]

Washed the car mats yesterday so left them to dry till today and took some photo updates.

[Madabout]

Bit of a boring update but bugged me after I drove the yellow car. The reason for this is the yellow car has a short shift kit fitted. I had fitted the TRD ball gear knob on it from the red car but it didn't work very well as too light and a little lost looking on the shorter shift. On my MX5s I have some nice heavily weight gear knobs from Joyfast in Japan who are well respected for designing an excellent gearknob for the excellent gearbox in the MK1 MX5. On investigation no decent sources so I decided on a Rev5 gear knob. Went into Toyota who quoted me £150 with 5% discount to get it down to about £140. Instead I have bought this from MR2Ben which is a re-trimmed version and more then does the job.

[Magic Beans]

Didn't realise you could still buy them new?! That one looks smart though

[Madabout]

No real updates in the Madabout garage. The red mr2 has gone as have a couple of mx5s

I did use the yellow one last week, met up with some friends at a pub with a classic beetle and classic mini. Both makes and models of cars I have owned before. The MR2 looked so modern against them.

[craig]

That's a stunning MR2. Nice buy

[Madabout]

That's a stunning MR2. Nice buy

Thanks. Changed the gear gaiter this week to a black leather version as matches better with the rev5 gearknob.

[Madabout]

Found some photos of the car back in the day when it used to live in Ireland and spoken to one of the previous owners. It was imported in 2006 to the R.O.I. It had one owner for quite a while but wasn't used much as he moved to Australia while the next had it in dry storage for about 5 year as imagine it was one of his toys as ran his own car business.

Photos from back in the day.

How it looked before it came to England on the GTR alloys






It would be interesting to know how many yellow mr2 were produced in 1997. According to MR2 Wilki 2381 cars were sold worldwide with 1389 in Japan. I'm guessing it cannot have been many.

[Madabout]

I had taken the car to work this week as we had a nice warm sunny Friday. It has gained the nickname 'custard!' Today and yesterday I gave the car a good clean removing the rubber weather strips in the frunk where dirt had built up underneath even, etc. Took it for a drive out this afternoon. The aftermarket boost gauge wire was loose so I made a repair and as Friday had been in commuter traffic was nice to get out and open it up a bit more.

Some fresh photos.






Thanks for looking. Hopefully this coming week all being well some exciting plans too

[Magic Beans]

Stunning car, James. You definitely picked the right one

[craig]

Stunning car, James. You definitely picked the right one

Definitely on my favorites list.

What's the future plans for 'custard' mate?

[Madabout]

Stunning car, James. You definitely picked the right one

I am pleased with it. I am pretty sure the red one was quicker or sounded it with the Blitz NUR Spec exhaust, etc. The yellow is far more subtle in its approach till you look at the speedo!

Stunning car, James. You definitely picked the right one

Definitely on my favorites list.

What's the future plans for 'custard' mate?

Nothing major TBH mate. Its got some nice extras but I don't plan to up the boost or anything. I like the fact it is almost a factory finish. I have a rev1 deep pile carpet I was going to fit in the red one so may fit in this (as put the black headliner in the yellow one) but that maybe about it.

[craig]

Yeah, I've got the Rev 1 deeper pile carpets, cubby box lids, firewall carpet. Rev 1 black headlining, T bar shades, sun visors & map light housing. It's definitey (in my opinion) a lot nicer than rev 2-5 short pile carpets and grey roof lining etc.

[Madabout]

Yeah, I've got the Rev 1 deeper pile carpets, cubby box lids, firewall carpet. Rev 1 black headlining, T bar shades, sun visors & map light housing. It's definitey (in my opinion) a lot nicer than rev 2-5 short pile carpets and grey roof lining etc.

Mazda did the same with the MK1. Better quality carpets and some other trim in earlier models. The rev1 carpet I have is a full set. I've the black sun visors but the yellow car has door cards and sun visors re trimmed in Bride material. When I got the car I wasn't so sure but it's grown on me so stayed.

[Madabout]

Well my 8 month return to MR2 ownership continues to change like our good ladies go through expensive shoes! Having sold the red rev3 MR2 Turbo as I sensibly thought I only needed 1x MR2 I started looking at V6 MR2s. This looking became serious and I was very close to buying one as wasn't far off a deal until I saw Rob on here posted he was going to break his very late (June '96) Rev3 Turbo. I messaged Rob as asked if he was doing the right thing as I have been there with cars before and had always enjoyed and admired his build thread on here. I was interested in a couple of the parts but didn't want to be a car vulture preying off the parts of a quality car if the seller wasn't sure. A few PM's went back and forth with Rob over the course of a week discussing cars, his plans, etc. whilst I was still thinking of buying a V6 MR2 I asked if I could buy the whole car which led to photos and videos, etc. and a deal was agreed.

Like an excited school kid I did around a 650 mile round trip to get it today on a low loader (it needs a little work to go back on the road). The car in fairness is in better condition then I imagined and is essentially a fresh import so you could eat your dinner from underneath it as its that clean. It has also only done 60,000 miles warranted by a rated Japanese car importer. I appreciate Rob selling it to me and does feel slightly odd owning as like I mentioned I have admired this build long before I even bought a MR2 in January this year. Its a very impressive spec and my MR2 ownership now sits a little like my MX5 ownership where I have some subtle stock cars to some modified OG JDM cars.

It was a long haul and 50mph all the way back but it is the things we do for our hobbies.

So a bit about the car:

June 1996 (one of the last 10 to 15 built) Rev3 MR2 GT Turbo

1. K&N air filter on custom made silicone intake pipe
2. Owen developments T35-6471 Garrett turbocharger (hot side is a .63AR T31 housing with a Stage 3 64mm T3 turbine wheel, cold side is a GT3071 compressor wheel & housing)
3. braided stainless aeroquip oil feed (-4) and return lines (-12), PTP turbo blanket, ATS racing CT20-T3 adapter block
4. Tial F38 wastegate with 0.8 bar spring
5. custom made 3” stainless V band downpipe with titanium heat wrap
6. 38mm stainless steel screamer pipe with titanium heat wrap
7. HKS Hi-power exhuast
8. Sidemount intercooler with fan and shroud
9. Berk technology 1 piece cold pipe wrapped in DEI reflect-a-gold
10. Walbro 255lph fuel pump
11. Braided fuel hoses with genuine Speedflow and EARL’S fittings
12. Tomei Type ‘S’ fuel pressure regulator and gauge
13. SARD top feed fuel rail
14. 875cc injectors
15. Greddy engine oil cap.
16. Apexi Power FC ecu with commander
17. AEM Uego wideband AFR gauge.
18. Greddy Profec OLED boost controller
19. Greddy Multi D/A gauge which does – boost pressure, oil pressure and temperature, water temp, batt volts
20. HSD monopro coilovers
21. All suspension arms have been blasted and powder coated in black, brand new ball joints all round, new NSR wheel bearing
22. Full set of superpro poly bushings
23. Cusco front adjustable tension rods
24. Powerflex black series steering rack mounting bushes
25. URAS rack spacers (for extra steering lock)
26. SONICBOOM camber & roll centre adjusters
27. Genuine TOM’S 3 piece brace set (f&r strut braces, front lower arm brace) powder coated in candy blue.
28. SUPERNOW! Bump steer correction track rod ends.
29. ENDLESS front discs, DIXCEL type M front pads. Stock rear discs, upgraded rear pads
30. APP stainless braided hoses all round.
31. Genuine TOM’S kit (front and rear bumpers, sideskirts with Stage 21 front wings waiting to be fitted)
32 Bomex drift wing
33. Bimarco Futura fixed back FIA approved bucket seat
34. Takata 4 point ‘Drift 3’ road legal harness
35. Nardi Deep Corn 330mm steering wheel
36. TRD leather gear knob
37. Tegiwa 3.75' shift extender
38. Leather trimmed centre console and gear gaiter
39. Genuine JDM floor mats.
40. Broadway interior mirror
41. 7.5x17 et36 and 9x17 et35 Desmond Wise Sports 3 piece split rims
42. ARP extended wheel studs on the front
43. Fensport extended wheel studs on the rear

I have probably missed a few bits but here is some photos.











Web link to Rob's build thread -

http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewtopic. ... 82&start=0

[androo007]

OK Lets get this sussex meet sorted now thank you please

[monkeymax]

Saw this posting on Facebook on one of my rare jaunts on there yesterday! That looks a lovely car!
Are you based on the South Coast? I saw mention of Re-worx - are those the guys in Portsmouth?

[Madabout]

OK Lets get this sussex meet sorted now thank you please

Hi mate, yes we need to get this Sussex meet organized. I need to get the shock replaced and an MOT on the car again.

Saw this posting on Facebook on one of my rare jaunts on there yesterday! That looks a lovely car!
Are you based on the South Coast? I saw mention of Re-worx - are those the guys in Portsmouth?

Thanks for the comments. I used to live near Portsmouth but now near Gatwick Airport. RE-Worx are based in Portsmouth. I use them as know the owner and they have done work on various cars for me since I owned a FD RX7. Chris the owner is handy at most mechanical work but most of the recent stuff he has done for me is welding, which I wouldn't touch.

Before I picked the car up yesterday I had a look through some photos the importer of the car had on facebook and found one of it going through the auctions in Japan.





I have the original front bumper and as you can see the car was a version in Japan that came without the fog lights. It also doesn't have retractable wing mirrors.

Likewise a better one of the interior.

[Madabout]

Having bought the white one I have done a bit of research on TOMS. I know them from their motorsport activity. It turns out this body kit was part of a specialist NA tuned MR2 they did called the TO20 (assumptions being the TO was from TOMS and 20 from SW20). The TO20 was launched around 1995 and imagine a fairly rare car to find. At around the same time TOMS did a upgrade back for the Starlet (T082) and the Corolla (T101).





TOMS was established in 1974 by Nobuhide Tachi, a former Toyota works driver and Kiyoshi Oiwa, who was engaged in sales of performance accessories for motor sports at a Toyota dealership. TOM'S immediately started racing activities after set up of the company with the support of Toyota Motor Corporation and by 1975 was a official Toyota tuning shop.

Full info can be found here.

https://www.tomsracing.co.jp/global/e/h ... index.html

[JAAASH]

One of the best looking kits out there imho. Though i'm slightly biased given that i've fitted most of the TOM'S kit to my car

Congrats on the purchase of Rob's motor too. Good to see it staying in the club. I did comment on one of your facebook posts. I'm Josh, just to put faces to usernames

Look forward to seeing what you do with it!