The Ramblings and Diary of a Japanese Car Enthusiast

[Madabout]

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!

I have just been admiring your car on facebook. It looks very nice! I like the TOM's kit a bit how I like the Tuckin99 kit on my silver roadster as that kit was originally from Mazdaspeed (Tuckin99 bought the moulds) so a bit of motorsport heritage behind them both.

Rob did a great job on the car. It needs a new shock and a MOT from what I can tell but being a recent import and only used in the dry plus the chassis refresh it is amazingly clean underneath. It reminds me of the fresh import roadsters.

Thanks for the note.

[craig]

Nice one mate, as said on FB, glad you saved it from breaking!

2 fantastic MR2s

[JAAASH]

Thanks mate I do have a build thread here but it's well overdue an update! All my images are photobucket hosted too unfortunately, so it needs a good few hours spent on it to sort out

That silver Mazda of yours is lovely (all of them are tbh). Always fancied one but busy enough with all mine at the moment. One day im sure!

[Madabout]

Nice one mate, as said on FB, glad you saved it from breaking!

2 fantastic MR2s

Thanks Craig. When I enquired to Rob about parts I was deep in discussion to buy a V6, insurance organized, etc. but trying to negotiate a final buying price as had some doubts. The sound of a V6 is beautiful. My first message to Rob was he sure on selling as seemed a shame if he wasn't sure and/or to see it broken for parts. I am glad Rob agreed to sell to me as it is like brand new underneath given all the work he did and the fact it is essentially a fresh import (almost seems a shame to use it!)

Thanks mate I do have a build thread here but it's well overdue an update! All my images are photobucket hosted too unfortunately, so it needs a good few hours spent on it to sort out

That silver Mazda of yours is lovely (all of them are tbh). Always fancied one but busy enough with all mine at the moment. One day im sure!

Photobucket has destroyed a lot of forum build threads Josh. It would be great to see more of your car. I saw some tasty chosen additions so for a be interested to see what else you have done.

The MK1 MX5 is a great car. The silver one is making around 250bhp so power to weight ratio pretty rapid. Rob had a mx5 before his MR2 and in his build thread talked about the gearbox in the MX5. It is one thing Mazda got so right.

They are becoming quite iconic little cars.

[Madabout]

I joined MR2OC recently and asked the question if anyone had photos of Japfest 2004 as took my old custom blue Rev2 Turbo there back in 2004. I wish I had kept some photos of the car and/or the car as growing up for me and some good mates it has some fond memories. Only photo found is this one. Be great if I can come across some better photos. For reference and if any members know the car it was a rev2 with bomex kit (no rear spoiler), red s2000 leather seats and some nice split rim polished alloys. I took it to Japfest 2004 and year before when I first got it a Essex mr2 meet.



In other news was cursing today. Greased up all the locks on the white car. Put the keys in all the locks to see if they felt better and with the boot lock suddenly found the key wouldn't turn to open the boot and the release pull in the car wouldn't do anything

Initially I thought the lock had broke but a quick google and the MR2.com revealed on the mk2 mr2 it if you turn the boot lock left it puts the key slot in a horizontal position and valet mode. You then cannot open the boot unless you have the master key. I used the secondary key I got with the car and luckily this did the job.

Thank goodness for Google

[Madabout]

The white TOMS car now has a new HSD shock I fitted this morning with a mate. When I bought the car the existing shock had blown so a new replacement has been fitted. It was sitting slightly lower on the passenger side but the new shock seems to have sorted this.

With this done I phoned the MOT centre and it is booked in for next Saturday.

Old shock.



New shock waiting to be built up.



New shock fitted, checking the other side all matched up before the wheel went back on.



Cheeky photo.



This seat sits you really low

[Madabout]

Locally to me on a regular basis on a Sunday is a MX5 meet where I know a lot of the owners. I took Custard as took my little boy with me. I have a good helper as he enjoys helping me with the cars and enjoyed going out in it even though he is only 5 years old.

Likewise a couple of friends followed me back to get some mx5 parts who each have MK1 MX5s running on Weber 45 carbs, which sounded lovely on some Sussex country roads.

When I got back seeing as it's a lovely day got some photos of my two MR2's together.

[Magic Beans]

Two cracking cars, James

[Madabout]

Two cracking cars, James

Thanks Phil. Hope you've had a nice weekend?

The white one will now go for a MOT this Saturday so I am hoping that will make it road legal.

[craig]

Very nice mate.

Bomex vs Rev 5 spoiler....

I'm currently in 2 minds what to do about my Bomex wing. I stupidly sold my genuine rev 5 spoiler. Still kicking myself for that!!

I love the Bomex, but unsure if it works with stock body on mine.

That, and the fact I much prefer oem over aftermarket.

Best of luck with the MOT, given it's Rob's old car, I'd like to think it goes straight through.

[androo007]

Still got my rev 5 wing sat here craig.....tempt me

[Madabout]

Very nice mate.

Bomex vs Rev 5 spoiler....

I'm currently in 2 minds what to do about my Bomex wing. I stupidly sold my genuine rev 5 spoiler. Still kicking myself for that!!

I love the Bomex, but unsure if it works with stock body on mine.

That, and the fact I much prefer oem over aftermarket.

Best of luck with the MOT, given it's Rob's old car, I'd like to think it goes straight through.

Thanks Craig and hope you've had a nice weekend. I have to see your car at some point. Hopefully the white one will be ok for the MOT. Rob did a cracking job on it. It's that clean underneath I even gave the underside a bit of a detail!

Personally on a stock mr2 body I prefer the rev3 or rev5 spoiler. When I was looking start of the year I wanted a rev3 but the yellow one seems to suit the rev5 spoiler and being a late rev4 matches up exterior wise.

The the rev5 spoiler though wouldn't look right on the white one as a more modified finish and the bomex looks better. In fairness though I'm not a fan of many of the aftermarket mr2 spoilers.

Personally on your car if your going more stock I'd go rev5.

Still got my rev 5 wing sat here craig.....tempt me

Have to get that mr2 meet arranged soon.

[Madabout]

My old red one is living the good life outside the UK. Heard from the new owner and he is looking after it, which is good.

[craig]

My old red one is living the good life outside the UK. Heard from the new owner and he is looking after it, which is good.

Another stunning MR2! Decided that the Bomex wing is going in favour of my old rev 3.

Rev 5 spoilers seem to be going for £300, which doesn't interest me in the slightest. Gonna keep the car with period features

[Madabout]

My old red one is living the good life outside the UK. Heard from the new owner and he is looking after it, which is good.

Another stunning MR2! Decided that the Bomex wing is going in favour of my old rev 3.

Rev 5 spoilers seem to be going for £300, which doesn't interest me in the slightest. Gonna keep the car with period features

Hey mate. I like the Rev 3 spoiler and still have the spare yellow one from my Rev 4. I would have done the same.

[Madabout]

This morning I got the white car MOT'd I bought from Rob on here. I hadn't driven till today as when I bought it the car needed the front shock replaced, which I did last weekend.

It passed the MOT all OK and the MOT tester commented how clean it was and that you could visually tell the time and effort Rob had invested into it.

Driving it the car seems quick on low boost, spools up quickly, screamer pipe sounds great (never had a car with one), handles very nicely while the short
shift kit with the lever extension works really well and make the gear throw probably the sweetest I've had in a MR2. It's one thing I've always lamented compared to the MX5.





The car is a real credit to Rob and the build he did. I am glad Rob sold to me and it didn't get broke for parts as for me having followed the Japanese car scene for RX7s and Mx5s it capulates the essence of a modified 90's Japanese in the land of the Rising Sun.

[Madabout]

Another weekend and some more time spent on the MR2. This week I picked up some new parts for the white MR2. Firstly a complete black headliner kit from a rev1. I have this same part in my yellow rev4. I prefer the black headliner in the earlier models as gives a nicer feel in the cabin IMO.

I managed to fit with the seats still in place and the bigger pita was the mirror.



Next up I had also purchased from a mate a pair of factory original Recaro 'confetti' seats. I fitted the passenger side as the driver side bucket will be a bit more work to do and having had a busy morning can wait for another day.




TBH I quite like the contrasting seats. In Japan it wouldn't be uncommon to find cars modified with a more serious driver bucket seat with another more relaxed aftermarket bucket seat in the passenger. It certainly fits with the theme of the car.

Likewise also got a genuine Toyota plastic bootliner like I have in the yellow car so that's in place now too.

Next jobs is the yellow work is getting some work done in October. I had planned to do sooner but run out of time.

Thanks for looking.

[craig]

Nice work mate, love the Recaro seats!

When my car came over from Japan (my old tin top), it had a stock seat on the passenger side, and a fixed Bride bucket seat on the driver side. At first, I thought it was cool, but OCD soon took over and I sold it and sourced a matching drivers seat

That boot mat really is a nice factory touch.

[Madabout]

Nice work mate, love the Recaro seats!

When my car came over from Japan (my old tin top), it had a stock seat on the passenger side, and a fixed Bride bucket seat on the driver side. At first, I thought it was cool, but OCD soon took over and I sold it and sourced a matching drivers seat

That boot mat really is a nice factory touch.

Morning mate - yeah I really like the factory Recaros I have in the yellow car so getting the white car I felt it needed some period bucket seats from Japan.

Yellow one has the Toyota boot mat and I bought the headliner and this off a fellow IMOC member who has a lovely white turbo (Mark).

As you found it is a pretty common mod in Japan. I have seen it on lots of MK1 Eunos Roadsters. I think eventually OCD will get the better of me and I will fit the driver seat too. I like the bucket seat in it and I ran out of time yesterday morning and this side will be more of a ball ache to do.

Yellow one is due to get a little paintwork done in October that I meant to do but got delayed while also getting a fog light wired in and a few other odds and sods as due a MOT in November.

I have also been looking into total production of the SW20 and it is surprising how little were made particularly towards the last few years of production. I found this info on MR2 Wiki which says 130,732 SW20 cars were made. What is also interesting is the markets these were sold in.

[Madabout]

Few jobs done this morning.

This week I had bought some suede door cards for the white mr2. It had the standard door cards fitted but I felt suede door cards would look better.




Also changed the plastic trim under the steering wheel as the cubby box was missing on the one with the car so bought a replacement with a cubby box still in place.