Things to do when you first get your MR2 NA

[runabout93]

I see this question a lot... So, I started to write this up months ago. And decided to post what I had so far... But, It's a work in-progress. Feel free to comment, add to the ideas, or correct me if I am wrong somewhere. I'll try to add/edit as I have time. But, figure this would be a good starting point for more relevant questions from new comers.

Anyway, here it goes... in order of importance:

Tune-Up:
- Do a tune-up. Don't pay for someone to do it. Do it yourself (DIY).
- Get quality Toyota cap & rotor, fuel filter, plug wires, and spark plugs.
- PCV valve - 93+ 5sfe's have a pcv valve.. might as well replace it if needed. If you have a 91-92 then you do not have a PCV valve (breather tube only), so skip this.
- Flush and fill all fluids (coolant, oil, transmission) use high quality synthetic fluids when possilbe. Do a search for recommendations.
- While you are at it, clean everything that is dirty... get some good engine de-greaser and go to town.

Most of this stuff can be done for $100-$200 depending on what you had to get. But, getting to know your car is the main benefit. Second benefit is know that you car is now up-to-date on all maintenance. Now you know when things need to be replaced. And lastly, depending on how well the car was maintained before you, a tune-up can drastically help with performance.

Misc. (Things to consider)
- Timing Belt, If you do not know when or if your timing belt was changed and your car has over 80k miles on it, then this might be needed. If the belt snaps you are dead in the water. NOTE: Change accessory belts at the same time. (belts are less than $50 dollars... labor for timing belt change at the garage can cost up to $500
- Battery (if and only if you're having issues)

Brakes:
Replace brake pads and inspect rotors. Toyota brake pads are okay... but, shop around for good quality pads. If there is any damage to your rotors then you might have other issues. Like calipers might be seized (rebuild or replace as needed). Replace rotors if needed. Then bleed the entire system and replace with high quality Synthetic fluid.
- Buy ss braded brake lines if you have the extra money. (TRD, Goodridge, STOPTECH, Earls, is usually good.)
- Aftermarket rotors (buy only high quality rotors from a respectable company). Drilled rotors buy you nothing but decreased structural integrity and looks. Slotted rotors stop faster but will wear down your pads faster too.
- Big brake kits - (usually unecessary and expensive) $1500-$2500+)
- 93+ turbo upgrade - After 1993 the turbo models received a larger brake system. This is a common modification for 91-95 NA and 91-92 turbo folks. Used parts can often be sourced from mr2's being parted out MK2 Parts for sale. New parts can be best found at our sponsor Lithia Toyota: MkII big brake conversion parts

Suspension and Handling:
Suspension is definitely high on the list... but you will find quickly that this is not cheap. And do not be cheap. It will ultimately make you enjoy your car more in the long run. You can search for hours, days, months for this.. I know, because that's how long I've been trying to decide.
- Alignment, it is a good idea to get this checked... MR2's go through tires fast. If your alignment is off, it wont be long before you have to get new tires too. Alignment should also be checked after any suspension upgrade or modification. NOTE FROM TOM: "mr2s DO HAVE adjustable camber!! if you have a 91 or 92, you also have adjustable caster! 93's have fixed caster, but camber is adjustable on ALL years!" Click here for more info! You can also purchase crash bolts for cheap to adjust camber: Click here for more info!
- Springs, struts, and coilovers: If you are replacing this... I dont see any reason to stay with OEM parts. OEM will offer very little in peformance and cost as much as high performance parts. Anyway, because we share the same simple MacPherson Strut suspension setup as the 3sgte, we have many options here. You can go to a full coilover suspension or strut and spring combo. The choice is usually determined by price and preference. But you have tons of choices, I've seen coilovers and springs made by TRD, Tein, Megan Racing, Buddy Club, Cusco, Tanabe, HKS, JIC, and many more. Springs allow the MR2 to typically drop from 1"-1.5" depending on the manufacturer/model. Some common dampers would be Koni, Tokico, KYB, and Billstein. Some struts come with dampening adjustments. Koni yellows, which offers ride adjustment (firm/soft), seems to be a favorite of many. The obvious benefit of coilovers is the flexibility to variably change suspension height and to choose different levels of dampening. Plus they allow some camber adjustability. However coilovers typically cost hundreds of dollars more. approx. range for any of these systems is ($600 - $2750)
- Ball Joints & Bushings - If these are bad then replace... no sense in doing an alignment or anything else while these are loose, torn, or warn out.
- Get a rear upper strut x-brace if you don't have one. This will stiffen up your rear chasis end looks cool too.
- You can also get a variety of aftermarket front/rear strut bars (TRD, Cusco, Tanabe, ebay knock-offs)
- I've heard the MR2 comes suprisingly stiff... so I wouldn't invest crazy amounts of money to increase stiffness unless you really feel a need to do so.
- Sway bars also stiffen things up by decreasing body roll. Do front and rear... increasing one and not the other can cause undesired effects with understeer. Available manufacturers: Suspension Technique, TRD, and Tanabe sway bars. ($150-$300)
- Lower braces - attach to the frame at usually 4 points. This increases rigidity. (Tanabe and Cusco)? ($100-$200??)
- 91-92 vs 93+ suspension changes: There is a really nice comment about this here... read this post from carcrazyguy for more info.
NOTE: Everyone has different opinions and preference on ride quality. Plus it depends on type of driving and what the car is going to be used for... so you have to use your best judgement based on past experience and the experience of others. Try to find someone who has similar taste and driving styles.

Some good things to do on a budget:
- buy an ebay intake and get a good cone filter (k&n, apexi, afe, etc.). (do a search in the 5sfe section) Clean your throttle body while you're at it. This won't give you crazy amount of power... But if you like the looks and sound then it is a good thing.
- replace vacuum hoses with silicon (you can get some color in your engine bay if you want)
- replace hoses with ss braded hose where applicable
- polish things up... (heat shields, intake manifold, valve color)
- Detail your car... cleaning your interior is a no brainer... nobody wants to see a filthy car, then clean and wax the exterior car. Use what works best for you.

Getting more power from your engine (5sfe):
- Seafoam the intake ONLY. do NOT pour in the oil. seafoam it up and get the carbon out of the combustion chamber (from TomsMR2)
- Crank your timing to 14 degrees. you can continue running 87 octane gas, it'll be fine. enjoy the free power, it does make a difference! (from TomsMR2)
- Cams. As best said by TomsMR2, "go straight to cams and skip everything thats not cams. buying flywheels and pullies and very expensive exhausts will get you very little power for a LOT of money and hard work. the car needs cams more than anything, and if you do it right it can be done under 300-350!"
- Header... do a search in the fs section here... someone is selling headers for cheap. $130 (most restrictive element of the 5sfe exhaust.. but, don't expect miracles) Plus all of them remove the cat... so you'll no longer be smog legal... unless you get a cat welded in.
- Exhaust... KO dual exhaust is nice and the megan racing dual exhaust (if you like the drift spec look) $500+ (this is mostly for looks and sound) EMSPowered now offers there nicely priced dual exhaust system for the 5sfe ($399.99): FS: 5sfe Exhaust for MR2 SW20 or EMSPowered Website
- Nitrous kit (You're on your own) But, good kits start around $500+
- Turbo... search on 5sfte (you'll waste all of your time doing research there) But, I have figured it's going to cost at least $2000 dollars to do it right.
- Lightened Flywheel ($250-$300)
- Unorthodox Underdrive pully ($150-$200)
- Clutch... Not needed unless you have to... or might as well if you are doing the flywheel. (go mild aftemarket... not a lot of need for a race clutch on a 5sfe) ($150+)

Wheels and Tires:
As far as the exterior appearance goes, Wheels and Tires are #1 in my book. It's all about taste and style. Your wheels can define the entire attitude of your car. Think this one through. It wont be cheap. But, worth it if done right.
- Rims... try to go lightweight. This will help the modest power of the 5sfe. The rest is up to you... sky is the limit (staggered, sizes, colors, and shapes)
- Buy the rubber that matches what you will be using the car for. If you're driving it everday, don't get racing slicks. Do research and comparison shopping.

Body:
Body can be completely tranformed using any combination of a dozen kits out there. I would save this for last... get to know your car and decide what's best for it. There are a lot of cheap replicas... make sure you buy from someone you trust or has a good reputation.
- 94+ Tail Light Mod, This is a favorite for the sw20/21 owners. It's getting expensive but if you like the looks of the tail lights... go do it. You'll need the sides and the center panels for reverse lights. These generally run $300+ unless you're lucky and find a pair on ebay going cheap.
- Clear side corner lenses... The amber lights on the side of your front bumber can be replaced with clear or smoked lenses. These are usually under $100 bucks shipped in the US on ebay.

PLEASE READ
Think about a specific topic to ask... don't just ask, "what do I do with my car." Nobody knows the answer to that. Start a thread if you have searched and still don't understand how something works or if you need to know what options to take. Be specific... Then lot of people here can help quicly... without trying to figure out what the question is.

All of the topics above have been discussed in other posts... always search before asking questions.

Dedicated MR2 Sites (Parts/Accessory sales and info)
- Twos R Us - Great info and products for all version of the MR2 (NATKO Exhaust, short shifter, bushings, brakes, suspension)
- MR2 Trader Board - Swap and sell your mr2 Paraphernalia. Check back frequently... new listings all of the time.

Need to add in our active board vendors?

mod edit: all questions and OT comments will be deleted from this thread, feel free to start a new thread, but lets keep this for information only!

[Mr2crazybyong]

Great write-up! Anyway, I would like to add:

To check your timing belt and replace it if you are having doubts about its condition, this is a good safety measure for your engine, coz when this snaps, you're gonna be spending much more than just the belt.
Check also the other belts(alternator,ac), and I think it's better to change them while you're at it because they're cheap anyway, and you don't want them to snap while you're in the middle of nowhere..
Maybe have your wheel alignment checked also and your tires for uneven wear.
Just my 0.02..

[TomsMR2]

Originally Posted by Mr2crazybyong

To check your timing belt and replace it if you are having doubts about its condition, this is a good safety measure for your engine, coz when this snaps, you're gonna be spending much more than just the belt.

nope if it snaps nothing happens. engine coasts to a stop and thats it. toss a new belt on and you're good to go. completely non interference engine, with room to spare.

[TomsMR2]

one thing that everyone should do when they get their mr2's..

use seafoam in the intake ONLY. do NOT pour in the oil. seafoam it up and get the carbon out of the combustion chamber.. then crank your timing to 14 degrees. you can continue running 87 octane gas, it'll be fine. enjoy the free power, it does make a difference!

[TomsMR2]

regarding alignment:

this is a fact! mr2s DO HAVE adjustable camber!! if you have a 91 or 92, you also have adjustable caster! 93's have fixed caster, but camber is adjustable on ALL years!

i say this because the bgb says its not adjustable. hunter alignment machines also say its not adjustable. before you hand over your money to get your vehicle aligned, get it in writing, on paper, that camber will be adjusted to spec, or as close as reasonable to spec. i have had mr2s on alignment racks myself, and it absolutely can be adjusted. many shops, including most dealerships, will specifically tell you that it cant be adjusted. any shop that does performance alignments will know better, but will also charge a bit more. this is something that is worth paying a bit more for.

if you're dead set on not paying extra for a proper alignment, you can jack the car up yourself, loosen the strut bolts and max your camber out at home, then drive to the shop and have toe and caster set per normal. its better than nothing i guess. (note: maxing out your camber will screw up your toe settings severely! avoid the freeway and watch yourself, its going to be a squirrely drive until you get to the shop!)

never align a car with loose ball joints or tie rod ends, or worn out bushings. your alignment will be off again the second they drive it off the rack.

[runabout93]

^ okay... I got it. Crashbolts all the way.

I think most, including me, think we are getting more for our money with coilovers. From what I have seen, Koni's cost about $600 for a set and then another $300 for springs. So, then we starting thinking... hmmm $900 dollars is almost as much as coilovers. And then we see Megan Racing and Tein Basics are basically the same price and are height adjustable... it just all falls into place.

[pothiawala786]

Like runabout93 mentioned, most people tend to get coilovers for the shock dampening ability, and the fact that you can adjust ride height EXACTLY to your liking, something springs can't do (unless you have adjstable spring perches on your strut).

There is also another option, Ground Control's coilover conversion kit. I'm not really sure if they make them for MR2's, but its basically a sleeve you fit over your shock that allows ride height adjustability. It does shorten your shock travel though, specially if you slam your car. They usually run about $3-400 for the kit, and they include the 4 sleeves, and 4 Eibach springs. They usually will give you custom spring rates for free. All the need next is shocks.

Also, about stainless steel brake lines, I've read some people have had issues with the hoses bursting when not going with a good brand. If it has to do with your braking system, dont cheap out.

Also, you'd be surprised how important an alignment is like stressed earlier in this thread. When I first bought my MR2, everytime I would go over 70mph, it would "seem drunk" or "wobble". The first thing I did was throw it on the alignment rack and did a full 4 wheel alignment. Completely fixed the problem.

[TomsMR2]

Originally Posted by pothiawala786

Like runabout93 mentioned, most people tend to get coilovers for the shock dampening ability, and the fact that you can adjust ride height EXACTLY to your liking, something springs can't do (unless you have adjstable spring perches on your strut).

shock dampening ability is exactly the reason you dont want coilovers. especially a junk coilover like tein basics. megans arent much better.

you get a MUCH higher quality damper by buying a koni. sure its not height adjustable, but any time you touch the height you have to align it. the height adjustment is for corner balancing anyway, something most people dont do.

the only exception for cheap coilovers is the H&R coilovers, they use nice bilstein struts.. but they're not adjustable. a non adjustable h&r coilover is still a better buy than a tein or megan adjustable.

with most coilovers you're actually paying a little more for a lot less

[carcrazyguy]

Originally Posted by runabout93

Oh yeah... While we are still on suspension. Anyone know of a writeup about the differences between 91-92 and 93+ suspension? And how to convert to 93+ if desired or any thoughts on it?

There was an extensive breakdown a few years ago on the IMOC mailing list which even gave every last part number for the conversion.

FWIW however, the general consensus is to stick with the 91-92 suspension if you have an NA, as "snap" didn't really plague these models. It was mainly due the increased power and rear weight bias of the turbo that caused it to exhibit these symptoms.
Look at it this way, the original design is what was intended for the car, and gave the car a "live feel" that is nearly missing with the 93 NA's, as they had "mind numbing understeer" a direct quote from R&T's 93 road test, while C&D basically said the fun was gone, in not those exact words.

Keep in mind that the redesign was done for "lawsuit reasons" - as one might assume it was a pure upgrade, had they not researched it fully. Sure, grip increased marginally (around .02g) but the wheel / tire improvement, or for that matter the stickier compound alone, would account for that, not to mention the increase in spring and damping rates. In other words, there is no reason I can see to spend the bucks on the conversion for your pre-93 NA.

Take it from someone that has owned a few of both styles back to back - hands down the 91-92 NA has more of a "MKI feel" in the curvies. However, if someone is a "dangerous" driver, I am sure the 93 setup will give a little more insurance, at the price of the mild loss of turn-in response, and a chunk out of their wallet.

[Choctaw]

Tom's right. I had a belt fail at 100,000 miles, it was improperly installed, I was told. It lasted only 37,000 miles, but when it failed the engine shut down immediately w/o any interference at all. However, I don't agree about not bothering to replace it. The book says replace at 60,000 miles, and I go w/the book.

[Lee_91MR2]

would adding seafoam to the gasoline be recommended too? just to clean up the fuel system.

[zpi28]

Great information especially on the timing belt. Im doing a belt today on a 91, its good to know that its a no interferance motor. Thanks..

Steven

[STLMR2na]

I;ve heard people talking about Seafoaming the intake and cranking the timing to 14 degrees, Well what does this mean?
I'm buying an intake with a K&N filter soon...like to know this because i want to do it if i get improvement

[P0wder]

Originally Posted by STLMR2na

I;ve heard people talking about Seafoaming the intake and cranking the timing to 14 degrees, Well what does this mean?
I'm buying an intake with a K&N filter soon...like to know this because i want to do it if i get improvement

cranking the timing means using a timing light to advance the timing to 14 degrees. If you don't know how to do this get someone who does to help you and consult the BGB (big green book aka shop manual.) If your plugs are not new this would be a good time for fresh plugs and wires.
SeaFoaming the intake means using seafoam to clean the intake and combustion chamber. There are a couple thread on this board and MR2oc that are helpful on how to accomplish this. Again if you are not comfortable doing this ask someone for help. I would also change the fuel filter while you're doing all this, they are cheap and probably in need of replacing. I also like to do an oil change with a motor flush, good synthetic oil and an OEM oil filter. DON'T put the SeaFoam in the oil though, some people get leaks after they do this. I did all these things when i first got my car and it made a big difference. Of course 6 months later I did a 3sgte heart transplant, but I planed to do that when I bought the car.