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

[KarlBristol]

how much is this conversion?

If you have to ask, too much

[KarlBristol]

Well it's been just shy of a month now since I sent off my V5 to the DVLA with all the documents in order for them to alter it and show the appropriate engine size/number. I chased them up today and can honestly say they are useless...

They haven't issued my new V5 yet and can't even confirm to me if they have received the documents that I sent in to them. In fact they couldn't tell me anything... They have advised me to wait another two weeks and if I haven't heard anything to call them back again and waste another half an hour

It's no wonder people don't change their V5s over!!!

[KarlBristol]

If you cast your minds back you will remember that I applied for an agreed value on my insurance policy when I renewed it. Although the car is worth a lot more I only requested a £6,500 agreed value so that I wouldn't have any issues arguing about its price (as I feel that the car should be snapped up at that price if it was put up for sale, and it cost me over 3 times that to build it up to this stage).

Adrian Flux were happy to issue an agreed value on my car after seeing only a couple of my receipts as opposed to the x4 huge binders full that I have upstairs. Happy days

So the agreed value is now set (relatively lowly albeit but it's better than them arguing that it's worth pennies if the unthinkable happens). I've included a copy of part of my insurance document below proving my agreed value (although I've edited out all personal details so you can't send me hate mail or change my insurance policy around )




Really quite pleased that Adrian Flux didn't request to see all of my receipts and agreed at the value I requested. It's nice to know the car is worth something especially in the current market for cars!!

On a side note I've still not had anything from the useless dungeons of the DVLA

I'm sure you've all read but my exhaust is making an annoying rattle currently. The exhaust hanger mounts either side are in very good condition but the company that fabricated the exhaust didn't make the metal rod that's welded to the exhaust and fits through this hanger quite wide enough. This means that with any vibrations the exhaust rod is hitting the hanger mount and causing a knocking. A little bit of rubber tubing had been slid over this before I picked the car up, but has come loose and I find myself putting it back every mile or two. Here's the issue (this shows the rubber hose loose at the end of the rod which is going through the hanger)



Thanks to a member on here I have a cunning plan on how to rectify the issue. I'm hoping to have the parts to do my exhaust hanger modification tomorrow when all will become clear

I will have to take the hangers off of the car, and whilst I'm at it if the bolts which hold it to the chassis happen to be the same size as the undertray bolts they might find themselves being replaced with stainless steel at the same time.... That work will either be done tomorrow or the next day so photos will go up of that

My brake light fault is going to be sorted out for me tomorrow by an auto-electrician as I simply don't have the time with the amount of work I'm doing currently.

Plenty more planned for the car despite the ever shrinking budget and impending arrival of a little one

[Rory]

Great news about the agreed value. I set one up with sky and they agreed a value that covers the cost of building a car to my spec again (pretty close anyway). It's definay worth it on these type of one off cars now days. Good luck with the dvla

[MR2 Rich]

Thanks for the reply Karl, I was getting your engine (out of the rx350) and the 2gr (supra engine) confused.

[synXero]

Thanks for the reply Karl, I was getting your engine (out of the rx350) and the 2gr (supra engine) confused.

Supras are 2JZs buddy! 2GR is the other big 3.5L V6 used in MR2 swaps. 2JZ is the inline 6 in the Supra. No one's really using them in MR2s because of the space, and the layout. Just a heads up.

[KarlBristol]

What he said /\



Now pay day has come and gone my new rear drop links have been delivered... Once again very sturdy, well put together and I've very chuffed that they are adjustable. A credit to TFS, thank you

Here they are:





It was absolutely hammering it down today so I refused to whip the old ones off and replace them in the pouring rain so I did it in the garage instead. It was a bit of a squeeze but was definitely do-able

So I took the first one off and did a bit of an old (8 months ) and new comparison. It's evident that the new ones are far chunkier.



I then adjusted both of my new ones to a shortened height to compensate for the "PI Racing" dropped springs which are in there, and allow the car to feel as tight as possible and not wallowly (not that it does but I want it as good as possible):



I went to fit them but the heads are a smidgen too big to fit in the standard position and they rub against back of the wheel arch when fitted. So it got removed and it is now fitted in reverse, and so is facing inwards instead. This got repeated the other side.

It was left looking like this:



Wheels went back on and it was rolled back into the garage under its cover and secured back on the battery trickle charger again until my rest days are over and I'm back at work

I had one delivery from a kind member on here which I will post up about tomorrow, and am still due a couple of deliveries (I always seem to have stuff I want to buy for her! )... On a side note the bits for my exhaust fix still hasn't appeared yet... Nor my damn V5

[Peter Gidden]

I then adjusted both of my new ones to a shortened height to compensate for the "PI Racing" dropped springs which are in there, and allow the car to feel as tight as possible and not wallowly (not that it does but I want it as good as possible.

Careful Karl.

Length of droplinks will make no difference to how effective the ARB is.


However, make them too short and when steering you may end up exceeding the angle of misalignment in the joints and either damaging the joints or even ripping off the droplink mount on the strut.

Best way to adjust them is with the car at rest, lengthen them til you have a finger's width between the control arm and ARB. That way they are as long as possible but will never contact any other part of the car.

[T.F.S.]

You it's need to return them to the position the anti roll bar sat at before the car was lowered (as it came from factory) which will make the drop link about 10mm shorter than stock going from experience which looking at the pictures is pretty much exactly what Karl has gone for?

[KarlBristol]

I did a lot of research before modifying the length of the drop links from standard and fitting them, and I thought that I had the lengths pretty much spot on

I'm sure it works the other way as well - having drop links too long for your set up (standard lengths in this case) could potentially result in damage to the ball joints, mountings etc....


Anyway - the DVLA finally pulled their fingers out and decided to modify and issue my new V5 showing the altered engine details and size




None of my outstanding small orders for my car have decided to turn up yet... Hopefully they will arrive soon

[KarlBristol]

Well maybe I spoke a little too soon today as the postman has just arrived again... I've now joined the IMOC Pingi following

I figured that as the car is now a daily driver and we are fast approaching freezing weather I didn't want to be scraping ice off of the inside of the windscreen when it's parked outside work on a night shift!!


I went for x2 XL Pingis (450g). I figured that this should take most of the moisture out from the inside of the car





I was going to hang them on the hooks behind the seats but I had horrible visions of them unravelling themselves and the contents being emptied all over the car. As such they are currently being left on the rear cubby shelves until I can work out a better place for them...



Think that's probably all of the updates for today

[juliankv73]

Spooky...

That penguin or Pingi, looks the same as "crenda's" avatar

[KarlBristol]

Hhhmmm now you mention it, it does look rather similar

[KarlBristol]

Brake light issue fixed today.

It turned out that the live for the brake light in the wiring loom had broken at some point. Replaced it and it's working spotlessly again

Parts still not delivered for the exhaust mount. Really keeping my fingers crossed for its delivery tomorrow

Car is running spotlessly and is a joy to drive. Feels like a brand new car to drive, I love it!!!

[KarlBristol]

Exhaust mounts are fixed

The part I was waiting for in order to fix my exhaust mounts arrived today... I decided to use electrical rubber heat wrap. It's so simple yet should be effective as the hotter the exhaust gets the tighter the wraps will hold to the exhaust mount rod, thus meaning that they shouldn't rattle loose. I decided to buy a large selection box as this is the weird sort of thing that comes in very handy when you least expect it:



I decided to use the black ones for a less in your face look when the car is up on ramps:



I did some measuring and realised that there was enough space for one and a half lengths of this new heat wrap so one duly got cut in two:



I checked under the car and found that only one of the existing rubbers was still on the car.... And was hanging off the end which explains the slight rear end rattle recently

Anyway here is a new vs old:



So I set about working on it one side at a time... I supported the exhaust and then removed the mount:





I couldn't take any photos under the car as there wasn't enough light and my phone doesn't have a flash. The heat wraps got fitted and were perfect - they even sealed over the ends of the mounting pole. I then covered them in copper grease and managed to squeeze the older rubber tubing over the top. This also got copper greased. My reason behind doing this is that if I packed out the gap as much as possible it should ensure that I don't have any movement. Plus it's a bit of a contingency - should the rubber on top come off at least the pole is still covered with the heat wrap. As everything is copper greased this should also mean that the mounts don't grip the rubber as they move anyway thus ensuring that they don't pull free. Everything got fitted back and I then attacked the other side. As usual all of the bolts got a liberal coating of copper grease in case I need to remove them in future

Fingers crossed this works well. Should I find that it doesn't work I will simply tap a thread down the length of the rods and then fit a nut to either side of the rod bolting it onto the exhaust mount.


On another note I've ordered some genuine rear red triangles and looms. I intend to have them wired into my sidelights. I'm getting them imported from the states as it works out at around half the price of buying them here!! As usual - photos when they arrive

[KarlBristol]

Well over this last week there's been a knocking coming from the rear nearside. I took the wheel off and investigated, expecting it to be the drop link having loosened off. This wasn't the case... After some head-scratching I found that the rubbers on the exhaust rod had come off and were no longer

I've placed another heat wrap sleeve on there to get me through this coming week but that won't be a long term solution. I guess I'm going to have to create a thread down the entire rod and then secure a nut either side. This is not a job I'm looking forward to given the limited space but one that I need to do.

The postie brought me better news today though... My imported USDM red triangles with USDM looms



To prove they aren't orange ones sprayed up:



And the looms:



I fitted some standard 501 bulbs that I had kicking around but I have quickly decided that this isn't what I want in there....

As such I've ordered a set of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310359392987? ... 1439.l2649

I think they will be a tight squeeze but should set it off nicely.
I haven't had a chance to fit the lights yet.... I'm hoping to do that tomorrow

[ashley]

http://www.heatshrink-online.co.uk/heat ... hrink.html

Worth a try

[KarlBristol]

That's a great find; I didn't realise that an adhesive based one existed

It's now been purchased and is on its way. Thanks

[KarlBristol]

Right it's been a short while since my last update (which for this thread is mightily unusual!! ) so what's happened?

Well I replaced my UK looms with my USDM rear light looms so that I could utilise the red triangles only to find that some muppet has modified them badly

The USDM sidelights didn't work at all and the red triangles were wired to come on with the fog lights. I won't even mention how badly the earth cables were bodged. So I decided to strip it all to pieces and use just the wiring that I needed for the triangles spliced into my current unmolested UK looms as I'd know exactly what had been modified then...

So I went from this:



To this:





I placed everything to one side then and waited as I had ordered some LED lights for the red triangle bulb holders but I wanted to fit everything at the same time. Low and behold they arrived today and so I could crack on:



The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that these are the same bulbs that I have in my number plate holder. I was so impressed with the colour of light, amount of output and general sharpness that I chose them for my red triangles as well. So I set about modifying my UK looms which led to the following results:











And the other side:





I then had some adhesive based heat wrap delivered this morning:



And I went through the same process as before... Let's see if this has any effect on the slight exhaust mount knock

I need to work out what to buy next for the car now

[KarlBristol]

I almost forgot - I just took a photo of the rear lights in the dark which is of course obligatory after any lighting mod



I love that picture and it clearly shows that I've invested some decent time and money into good bulbs and lighting modifications IMO. Very pleased