Track car project - Season 2

Vix · 17 Jan 2009 at 17:16

16th January 2009

A little update for those who haven’t been keeping up!

We like Mk1 MR2’s. A bit.

In 2006 we were given another Mk1 MR2 as the owner didn’t want it. A bit like a dogs home! We named him Humphrey.

Phil had competed in sprints before ( a kind of time trial event) and decided that we should prep Humphrey for the Toyota Sprint Series. We did, and Phil ended up winning the class, as well as picking up some other trophies on the way.

I didn’t complete the series due to breaking my leg and ankle after the third round. Read about last season here: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17834253
This season, we have plans to replace the 1600 n/a engine with a Supercharged one.

As well as hopefully some other tweaks.

Today we began to remove the old engine!

Phil started by clearing the garage so we would have somewhere to put the engine.

You can see the new engine on it’s lovely stand in this picture, and also the white item in the top left are fibreglasss wings which hopefully will be put on at some point. There are also lots and lots of bits of MR2.

The last time Phil took an engine out, he lifted it over the top of the car. However this car was a scrapper, and he didn’t care about how many times he clonked the engine on the bodywork. So he decided this time to go for the ‘Snetterton method’.

This method is one we saw after Phil had helpfully sold one of our spare engines to an MR2 Racing competitor at a Snetterton meet. Yes, it involves lifting the car by the boot, and dragging the engine out of the bottom!

The driveshafts got in the way a bit.

It took most of the afternoon, but finally we had one removed engine

Something should go in here:

I don’t think it’s one of these:

kaiowas · 17 Jan 2009 at 17:28

Over the winter the supercharged engine was given a bit of a once over, it needed the headgasket doing anyway so while it was in bits I also replaced the cambelt, tensioner and water pump as well as numerous gaskets etc.

I've also fitted an na sump (and painted it silver) as it has a tapping for an oil cooler (as standard the na has a cooler, the sc doesn't so seeing as we've got one in the car I thought we may as well make use of it.

Peter Diffey · 17 Jan 2009 at 17:48

Wow you have loads

The white one looks awsome

Griffo · 17 Jan 2009 at 17:49

Hah, great photos! I enjoy reading your progress with builds/racing etc. Keep up the good/hard work!

EDIT: Oh, will you clean the engine bay before the new'un goes in? Or is it this: Not worth it. ?

mattpc · 17 Jan 2009 at 18:01

good work guys. I have supercharger envy.

Skeeter · 17 Jan 2009 at 19:32

There appears to be an MR2 breading ground on your drive...

I really would love to get a car, strip and tune for tracking, but I dont have the skills or money.

InvaderGIR · 17 Jan 2009 at 19:38

Skeeter said:
but I dont have the skills or money.

Skills can be learnt by doing.

Money on the other hand is always a problem.

I didn't realise Phil got so many trophies, well done.

Season 2 looks like it could be nice and interesting.

Pete19s · 17 Jan 2009 at 19:46

Looking good, I did notice you have quite a collection of vehicles while doing a delivery on your close just before christmas. Was going to give you a beep.

L0rdMike · 17 Jan 2009 at 19:49

I'll take the Mica Blue one off of your hands.

Lopéz · 17 Jan 2009 at 20:11

Skeeter said:
There appears to be an MR2 breading ground on your drive...

I really would love to get a car, strip and tune for tracking, but I dont have the skills or money.

Nobody has the skills to start with, it's the same as anything, you have to learn how to do it.

Fevvahz · 17 Jan 2009 at 22:23

Lopéz said:
Nobody has the skills to start with, it's the same as anything, you have to learn how to do it.

Aye - spot on Lopéz! Too many have such a defeatist attitude towards things like this

NightShadow · 17 Jan 2009 at 23:35

Really like the Mk1 MR2s. My boss has a late model one in light blue metallic thats been sat on his drive for about 10 years or so. If I had a garage I would have bought it off of him to fix up and use as a weekend car. I went and looked at it but the arches are rotton and the engine hasn't been run in years so it's probably had it.

NS

Vix · 17 Jan 2009 at 23:43

Thanks for everyone's comments!

Peter D, the white one is mine, and she is indeed awesome!

Griffo, good idea, I think that job may be delegated to me

Invader GIR, some of those trophies weren't all from the Sprint Series, a lot are from the Lotus Motor Club Karting and Championship events Phil did. In fact one of them is mine

Pete 19s, you should have honked, if all 3 cars are there we are generally in. Knock on the door next time lol!

kaiowas · 17 Jan 2009 at 23:46

L0rdMike said:
I'll take the Mica Blue one off of your hands.

You can have bits of it

Unfortunately it succumbed to serious chassis/floor rot and was scrapped last year, was a shame as it still looked awesome but just wasn't worth saving

Still got plenty of parts off it which will find their way into use though.

Vix · 17 Jan 2009 at 23:48

You can see the Mica doors in the garage pic

I nearly fell over whilst carrying two wheels today and thwacked them into them though :/

Ooh forgot about the wheels. Will post pics tomorrow.

Zip · 18 Jan 2009 at 00:09

I want your fleet

Pete19s · 18 Jan 2009 at 09:48

Vix said:
Pete 19s, you should have honked, if all 3 cars are there we are generally in. Knock on the door next time lol!

Hehe will do, you were then off out while I was sorting the van out so missed my chance. Good to see you walking about! Out of curiosity, apart from one having a supercharger what if any are the differences between the 2 engines? Had a good look round a supercharged one at last years police gala day and it was immaculate.

kaiowas · 18 Jan 2009 at 10:41

Pete19s said:
apart from one having a supercharger what if any are the differences between the 2 engines?

Not a great deal, head/cams etc is all identical, different pistons to change compression ratio, block, crank and rods are the same as on the later na engines (most mechanical revisions on the later cars were in preperation for the sc version) Engine management system is different (SC is MAF based). Intake side of the engine is obviously totally different plus alternator is relocated to the exhaust side

L0rdMike · 18 Jan 2009 at 10:59

kaiowas said:
You can have bits of it

Unfortunately it succumbed to serious chassis/floor rot and was scrapped last year, was a shame as it still looked awesome but just wasn't worth saving

Still got plenty of parts off it which will find their way into use though.

Aw no, shame as it looked really good.

Vix · 18 Jan 2009 at 16:32

18th Jan

Forgot to mention the wheels. Lighter racing wheels, bought rather baraginly second hand, as we would have had to import them new.

Today we took the flywheel and clutch off the old engine to fit to the new one. I then spent some time cleaning up some random rusty bits so Phil can paint them.