MY Tubby and me !

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Judderman
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:08 pm
Location: Shropshire

MY Tubby and me !

Post by Judderman »

Hi everyone, New member here. Thought i'd tell my story... :)

I bought a Rev 1 turbo in 2001 from a mate who had got it from the importers. Wow, never had anything like it - and even today it still puts a huge smile on my face to drive her (yes its a her - family have named her Murtle - closest name to MR2 they could think of)

She was my daily for a couple of years or so, and I did a lot of miles. Apart from a K&N cone filter and a hand built Powerflow exhaust (what was I thinking) shes stock - oh and the contents of the cat removed as it had come apart. Had to replace the turbo and odd jobs here and there, but was perfectly happy.

The time came to get something more 'sensible'. So in 2004 I drove her to my parents 150 miles away, parked her up under covers, and that's where she stayed for the best part of 10 years. Every now and then when I was up there wed uncover her and she'd start up 1st time every time :)

6 months ago I moved, and now have a garage of my own. Uncovered Murtle, and took her for an MOT - passed after sorting out the front fogs \:D/
Taking a drive the other week, I noticed whilst sat at the lights that there was steam pouring from the engine cover - turbo coolant pipe had sprung a leak. I've always done my own mechanical repairs etc, so now is a good time to see what 25 years and just over 100K miles have done to the engine.

So far, I have the exhaust, DP, turbo, ex manifold, intake piping, TB, intake manifold, injectors and cam cover removed.
How much oil and sand had collected around the injectors astounded me !! Got the ex Manifold off without breaking anything - though one of the studs looks like its brought some of the ally from the head with it. All the intake pipes and tb are covered in sticky oily gunk inside as you can imagine. Couple of the small bore water pipes attached to the intake mani are completely blocked with rust and c**p.

Checked the cam gaps, 4 of them were out by about .02mm, so not bad. considering.

Timing belt and head off next - don't thing the HG is gone, but whilst im down there ill change it..

Just a general thanks to everyone who over the years has posted on here, and has made the removal of parts soooo much easier.

Thanks for your time :)

Ant
synXero
Posts: 3781
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: London, Edinburgh, or the Highlands!

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by synXero »

That's an awesome story :thumleft:

Let's see some pics from your... 14 year fling!?
Draven
Posts: 14965
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:34 am
Location: One of the Hamptons.
Contact:

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by Draven »

Get your 15 posts up and show us some pictures. :thumleft:
slipping clutch
Posts: 1844
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:22 pm

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by slipping clutch »

I enjoyed reading that write up and little story - keep posting updates please. And you will need an m10x1.25 helicoil kit to repair that exhaust stud if the threads are gone. You did well - I wound up helicoiling every exhaust stud on my head.
ads
Posts: 515
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: oswestry, shropshire
Contact:

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by ads »

Called mine Muttley for some reason not dissimilar sounding I suppose.

Sounds like you've had a good experience over the years, encouraging to anyone who is afraid of the turbo on grounds of perceived unreliability

Photos please
craig
Posts: 43936
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:44 am

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by craig »

Welcome mate. Looking forward to seeing pics. :thumleft:
Judderman
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:08 pm
Location: Shropshire

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by Judderman »

Guess i'd best get my 15 posts in !

Then i'll get some pics up guys.

Thanks for the info on the Heliociol. Have to be honest, after reading so many of the horror stories regarding getting the manifold off, I wasn't looking forward to doing it.
So far the only nut that has snapped off is one of the dizzy cap nuts. Fingers crossed for the cam and head bolts.
Going to change the dreaded HFH and HFHOE. Lots of oil around the oil cooler, though the filter was loose.

Don't know if I have just been lucky Ads, I have always done the best I can at the time to keep her running with oil changes and repairs etc. Shes had a water leak for years, which I now know it the heater hoses, and not the rad pipes like I first thought. Shes certainly not been pushed with regards to boost or anything, but yeh, seems pretty solid.

The grin I still get driving says it all !

Ill keep you all posted. Going to take a while as I steal a few hours here and there.
SrSilkie
Posts: 516
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 9:37 am
Location: London

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by SrSilkie »

I notice someone has hit 15 posts...

Picture time! :mrgreen:
Black 94' GT-S Turbo
Judderman
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:08 pm
Location: Shropshire

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by Judderman »

OK well I have my 15 posts, so heres a few pics of Murtle....


This is how she spent the last 10 years or so - once my dad had kicked her out of his garage lol
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Few outside shots

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Inside - this is exactly how I bought her. The seats and door cards had come out of a Ferrari replica that had curled itself around a tree.

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And this is her now....
Taking the boot lid off so I could sit in it to work on the engine made life sooo much easier lol

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Next job is head off, then by the looks of things about 6 months of cleaning off the oil, sand (seriously maybe she used to live on a beach in Japan) and carbon from everything . All good fun though \:D/
ads
Posts: 515
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: oswestry, shropshire
Contact:

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by ads »

Good to see this - exterior shots as she stands now or are they old photos?
Judderman
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:08 pm
Location: Shropshire

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by Judderman »

Hi Ads, the exterior shots were taken a few summers ago, however, since then shes been under covers and hasn't really done any more miles. So once I give her a wash and polish, that's still how she looks. The rims need changing, they are quite badly corroded and I took then to a refurb shop who basically sais that it would be cheaper to get new ones. Its a labour of love keeping the 25yr old paint looking anything half decent.

:thumleft:
SrSilkie
Posts: 516
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 9:37 am
Location: London

Re: MY Tubby and me !

Post by SrSilkie »

The paintwork looks bloody great for a 25 year old example :thumleft:
Black 94' GT-S Turbo
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