MR2 Only Project Mk1 track car

[Steve@mr2only.com]

Im pleased to announce that by the powers of Ebay MR2 Only now are the proud owners of a rather rusty little 87 mk1 MR2, needs a little TLC, and a few hours with Mr Grinder, but we are going to follow the progress in the magazine and on www.mr2only.com and indeed here at our forum on the Board, with a step by step guide to preparing an MR2 for track days.

As they say, Watch this space...

[Steve@mr2only.com]

Picked the little fella up today and brought it home

http://www.mr2only.com/projectmk1.html?f=144.

[PHOENIX]

So whats first?

[Steve@mr2only.com]

First job is to sort out the body work, currently sourcing sill replacements, so we can cut out the rusty ones, and rear panel, and replace the nose cone with the proper 1b one, which I think we may have located, luckily enough in red!

Its getting quite cold and horrible here in the UK now so not much will be done until Spring, just a bit of general poking around the car and seeing which parts we need to replace, oh and plan our big brake conversion!

[Steve@mr2only.com]

Some more progress to report, well with gathering parts at least...

By kind sponsorhip by Craig Mallinson of CM Fabrications we now have our sill skin replacement panels, just waiting to get them welded in.

And despite being tempted by a Hi-spec Billet big brake set up, we kind of thought that would be cheating, and the brakes would be worth 5 times more than the car is presently, so we reverted to plan b and im now sitting looking at a Celica GT4 ST185 big brake set up kindly sponsored by Trevor at www.tcbparts.co.uk recon calipers, new disks and new pads.
Just need to get the disks machined for 4 stud fitment, will post up some photos later.

Oh and thanks to our good friend Kirsty we now have another mk1 that she kindly donated to the cause, for parts, now she has a new shiny SC!!

Some more photos can be found here of our diary:-

http://www.mr2only.com/projectmk1.html?f=144.

STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!!!! ISSUE 3 OF MR2 ONLY MAG, IN JUST 2 WEEKS!!!!!

[Steve@mr2only.com]

Well our project nearly come to and end last weekend when we stripped down the front of our AW11 to find a twisted mess, and a bent chassis, with far too much work needed to ever see the road again, let a lone a track, but good news, we bought another AW11 on Friday, and after having a good poke around yesterday, its a good one and is structurally solid and a perfect base for our track car, just a few cosmetics to sort out.

Our GT4 discs have been taken away for re-machining to four stood, and we have a set of track springs coming in exchange for one of our spare bonnets from the first car.

For photos and yesterdays fun and games click below..
http://www.mr2only.com/images/index10.htm

http://www.mr2only.com/images/index10.htm

[Steve@mr2only.com]

MR2 Only Mag back on track...

http://www.mr2only.com/images/index15.htm

Some recent pics of our track car project, its having a load of goodies fitted next weekend, and has its maiden voyage on track, fingers crossed! on the 18th of March at Donnington..

More photos and reports of any projects or events we attend will be both o our website www.mr2only.com and in MR2 Only magazine

[PearlJammzz]

I love the roof top, haha. Reminds me of a mini.

Now go out there and earn some sweet track times!

[Hiighboost2]

Lookin good

[Steve@mr2only.com]

Mk1 project gets a little mechanical TLC mk1 owners club style!

http://www.mr2only.com/images/index16.htm

Just back in from an excellent day at Stoneleigh Restoration Show, Warwickshire, UK where our Mk1 track car project received lots of much needed mechanical TLC on the mk1 club stand, with an excellent team of professionals and enough bearding equipment to make Williams F1 pit team jealous, today we achieved:-

Rear brake pads changed
Front big brake upgrade to Celica ST185 calipers and disc with new pads
Front drop links renewed
Rear drop links renewed, angle grinder borrowed from the Triumph Dolomite OC and much perceiverence (SP?) from the mk1 club guys - thanks!!
Engine oil, oil filter, air filter, dizzy cap, rotor arm, nice Magnecor leads and new plugs.
Clutch problem diagnosed, not the slave cylinder, on closer inspection there was no fluid in the clutch reservoir, Id been looking at the brake reservoir, muppet!
Bonnet pins fitted, not as important as any of the above, but make it look like a track car [Smile]

Massive thanks to everyone in the mk1 club for the help today, learned loads about the car, even that its got a Mk1a engine, seems to be a changeover model.

On the way back to Sunny Stoke the Mk1 pulled harder, stopped a lot quicker and changed gear a lot smoother, different again!!

Pics will be updated very soon and all of todays hard work by everyone will be in Aprils MR2 Only mag.

Thanks also for the parts, BOK Motorsport, TCB Peformance Parts and JPR Motor Parts and Chris for the bargain Magnecor leads

[Steve@mr2only.com]

Made it on our first track day in the project mk1 yesterday, was excellent, cant wait for the next one, we have an overheating issue, possibly down to a sticking thermostat, the expansion tank cap is also cracked, overheated 3 times during the day, each time with a dirty big air lock! Heres some photos, lots more to come (the red mk2 turbo pictured is Simon our technical writers stripped out 300bhp track car) passengering in that beast was an experience, lapping Donnington in 1m 24 ish!

Some pics
http://www.mr2only.com/images/index17.htm

[PHOENIX]

Very nice!