The Project Pad

Those tail lights look great! This whole car is so rad. Keep it up, man

Thanks.

I'm not sure how far I want to take this car performance wise. I question it, since I have two cars with the 3SGTE engine and most performance parts for one of those engines. I do want it quicker, but I do not need it be a monster.

Added to the spring update pile: a 93+ short shifter and HKS exhaust.

A month ago I found a very clean JDM seat in NJ for sale. I offered him $100 figuring for that amount, I could now replace the slightly worn driver side lumbar and could swap the back (and possibly foam) from this seat to mine.


Picked up a complete TCS intercooler kit (hard pipes, intercooler, intake pipe, air filter, and such).

Picked up the HKS BOV:


Started the JDM smoked side marker swap:


Also, since the SSRs coating is darker than the center caps (could not powder coat them as they are partially plastic), I did a bit of custom painting.
top left: stock, top right: sanded. Bottom painted and cleared:


Masked them to minimize clean up:


After I filled the recesses with gloss black enamel:


After a few days I will wet sand the faces and clear them more.

Intercooler kit came inand was not happy with the "grain/scratches" in the piping so I sent them out for nickel plating:





I will send the throttle body, intake plenum and some other parts off next run.

I very much respect your attention to detail and appreciation for fine craftsmanship. Love watching your vehicles come together!

Love what you are doing to the car and level of detail! Also love mid engine cars and love the turn in going into corners with the weight of the engine in the back. Mine never had enough power to throttle steer, but on wet roads one twist of the steering wheel and the rest of the corner can be negotiated with the right foot. FUN

So so far behind.

From April 14th 2017:
I do need larger spacers in the front, but at least they are not sticking out in the front anymore (actually in a bunch). I will tighten up the dampening and lower it a bit more. Ordered the front spacers tonight.



From May 16th 2017
Finished up the JDM side markers with the smoked copies:




June 24th 2017
I started with the intercooler, timing belt, valve cover, exhaust installs today.

I finally removed the intercooler (not all that easy).




July 23rd 2017
I did get the new valve cover on, the berk downpipe and bracket installed. Also got the AC compressor bolted back up, all other factory brackets and parts are installed. I now need to install the new A/C and alt belts, then install the intercooler. It will be back on the ground soon.

Before I put the PCV plate back on:






July 25th 2017
Ok, almost there. I was checking fitment of everything since i could not finalize the intercooler fan (needed longer hardware for the shroud). The TCS X brace does not fit correctly (I emailed them the flaws already).

She does look pretty though


I need to swap the new intake (need to complete the new hoses) once I get the fan on the intercooler.

July 27th 2017
They are sending me a new X brace with a return label for this one. Perfect. Exactly how I like the people I do business to be.

Intake and all hoses, new cap, rotor, cleaned plug wires and intercooler fan (wiring not final) are in. Today was the first start.

RAN GREAT and even though I did not swap the exhaust yet, boy that downpipe made this thing sound amazing.

I also threw the new steering wheel on. Today was a good day.



Cleaned the stock red wires (I had new ones, but they are blue (NGK)):




Aug 2nd 2017
Things are back together, with only one thing left, the intercooler fan connection. I need to verify polarity of the wiring (id guess blue/red is pos, blue/black is neg) when it calls for the fan to run then verify the fan direction. I drove it a bit tonight but I guess it did not warm up enough to activate it.

The interior is back together. The cluster works 100%, but I could not swap the gauges into the JDM cluster, so I have to run the UK cluster with is for a non turbo so a few idiot lights are not present for my car (ABS/power steering/intercooler warm/engine bay warm/boost gauge). I will revisit this cluster issue later. So far I am happy I have MPH and a working tach.





Aug 5th 2017
Tossed on the shine auto rear CF add ons.





Aug 11th 2017
I removed the warning lable and Mike Brucker ceramic coated the factory heat shield and bolts. TCS sent me another X brace, that fit slightly better, but I still had to pull things into place with an impact. I had a bit of time and put them on tonight:

Cleaned up:


Ceramic coated:


I riveted the warning back on:


Installed:


X brace on and the engine bay is done for the time being:


Aug 24th 2017
I finally got the exhaust off today. I had to use a cut off wheel to cut the mid pipe to exhaust bolts off, they were far too rusted.








Setp 4th 2017
I put the smoked sides in the other day and lowered it a bit more. I went out to Munnsville to visit a friend that wanted to check it out.


1920x:http://gallery.mcboost.com/albums/userpics...G_9981_copy.jpg


1920x:http://gallery.mcboost.com/albums/userpics...G_9998_copy.jpg

Oct 29th 2017
The side skirts went on. The cluster, plates, boost controller and such will go on next year.

Boy it was beautiful out yesterday...

The final trip before storage:

Big: http://gallery.mcboost.com/albums/userpics...G_5753_copy.JPG


Big: http://gallery.mcboost.com/albums/userpics...G_5766_copy.JPG

Nov 23rd 2017
A few photos I never posted of some progress and items:

Clears and installed:




Caps:




Plates:




End of 2017 thangs.

2018

4-9-2018:
a few weeks ago I bought a reproduction autopista rear spoiler, but it was slightly chipped on a corner. Instead of returning it, they refunded me a bit and am going to have my shop of choice fix it and paint it (it was fixed last week):



I plan on bringing the MR2 home this Saturday to pull off the fuel parts and ship them to ATS for their fuel rail mods.

This year the main project will be the truck, but nibble on the MR2 as possible, so the MR2 can be the fun weekend car, but the truck be the longer term project.

4-23-2018
i dabbled with the MR2 and truck this weekend.

I installed the front strut brace and replaced the front chrome emblem with a dark grey one (the only chrome on the outside of the car, no idea why the back ones were black and the front one is chrome).

the old and new emblem:

The emblem is from the mk4 supra and is the same color as the MR2 logo I bought for the new tail light install.

Installed:


The stock front brace:


The TRD rep in stainless:


4-25-2018
I pulled the fuel rail and FPR tonight.

Doing my best not to beat up things.


Finally out, was a PITA.




Stripped and nothing was lost:


They are going off to ATS tomorrow for the bored rail and modded FPR. This will be my "stage 1" mods before going stand alone/big injectors next year (or earlier if i get a few more contracts).

5-4-2018
Nothing was on the ground, but they were all there. Using an inspection camera I was able to look down there while it was still assembled to verify they were all there.
A good one, a bit bubbled from being pressed against the head:


However, I did notice something, and when they were apart, I verified there were tears on two of them.



So I had to take everything apart again to get at the rail. The seals. Two good, two bad:


I ended up using the old ones, since they were not nearly as weak as the new ones, but still pliable and free of cracks.

Finally back together and drove it for around 30 minutes and it seemed normal again.


Later I put the rear brace back on and was done for the night.

5-28-2018
A quick catch up.

Boost gauge installed:


Spoiler on:




5-28-2018
I had a 4 day weekend (which turned into a one day...) so I planned on starting/doing one or another project:

Installed the boost sensor. Also pull the air fuel ratio gauge sensor and mount it into the downpipe. Seems pretty simple.

Do the sway bars, roll center spacers and roll the fenders. More work, but I have 4 days to get it done right?!

Well lots of other things came up, so I finally started the sway bars today. the rear went pretty easy but it was hot. I took my time and finished the rear then dove into rolling the rear quarters, which also went very well. No cracked paint and I got the metal between the molding screw points quite vertical and flat. I am unsure if I will need to dig into the molding screw areas. Time will tell. I put the back on the ground and turned it around to be ready for the fronts this week after work.

I did not do the rear roll center spacers, I plan to when I lower it more.

Dropped the rear subframe to get to the top bolt holding the sway bar bushing bracket:


Out:


Installed on the softer side for now:


Then rolling:


Before:


After:


6-2-2018
finalized the sway bars today, lowered it a bit more (more to come soon). I actually had a bit of time to go out and get a couple of real photos of it.


1920x:
http://gallery.mcboost.com/albums/userpics...3645_copyWM.jpg


1920x:
http://gallery.mcboost.com/albums/userpics...G_3657_copy.jpg

End of 2018 stuff