Toyota MR2

Author
Discussion

TameRacingDriver

18,117 posts

273 months

Friday 14th July 2023
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Shifter1 said:
Personally, I would drive it till it no longer performs, before doing anything. A bad engine will not perform. This is where I draw the line. If it doesn't feel down on power, nothing wrong. smile
beer

QuantumTokoloshi

Original Poster:

4,166 posts

218 months

Friday 14th July 2023
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Shifter1 said:
OP, what tyres do you have on?
Kumho Ecstas, still got 5 mm on them, will get a good few months out of them.

Mike230

66 posts

63 months

Friday 14th July 2023
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I'm happy with the 1zz myself. It's not quick by modern standards but that isn't the point of the car in my opinion. The handling is amazing and it's quick enough when it counts, in the twistys.

Someone tried a supercharger install on mr2roc site. They aren't easy and I got the impression it never worked perfectly but happy to be corrected on that.

markiii

3,645 posts

195 months

Friday 14th July 2023
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I turboed mine, was great fun

Shifter1

1,079 posts

92 months

Sunday 16th July 2023
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QuantumTokoloshi said:
Shifter1 said:
OP, what tyres do you have on?
Kumho Ecstas, still got 5 mm on them, will get a good few months out of them.
Alright. I believe they don't come in stock sizes though? At least currently. But I might be mistaking.

QuantumTokoloshi

Original Poster:

4,166 posts

218 months

Sunday 16th July 2023
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Not had them before, seem okay so far.

I am fan of Falken tyres, both their all season mud & snow for 4x4s, used then for many years and their Summer performance tyres both performed well and reasonably priced, got a dealer nearby, which is convenient.

Small jobs done, sorted bluetooth with a FM transmitter, fixed the cigarette lighter which was not working and added an LED interior light, which was comically dim, while the incandescent bulb got really hot too.

Taped up some wires in the engine bay and harness, to offer extra protection from heat etc. I added vanity mirrors to the sunshades, which seems excessively miserly by mister Toyota.

I also only noticed this afternoon, I had no jack or tool set, towing eye etc. Omission on my part. Got one ordered off ebay. Oops.

Edited by QuantumTokoloshi on Sunday 16th July 21:24

Shifter1

1,079 posts

92 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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I happen to like stiffer tyres on them. I think it does the car well and sharpens it nicely. But by experience a quick way to ruin them is to go for cheap or just any tyre. Very tyre sensitive them little things.

You may have already mentioned it somewhere, but what is your goal with the car? Just having a convertible to drive around, sporting driving, maybe some track days? Given what you have done so far I would think more towards the first option? Great thing about these cars is they can do all the above with no problems. smile

QuantumTokoloshi

Original Poster:

4,166 posts

218 months

Monday 17th July 2023
quotequote all
Shifter1 said:
I happen to like stiffer tyres on them. I think it does the car well and sharpens it nicely. But by experience a quick way to ruin them is to go for cheap or just any tyre. Very tyre sensitive them little things.

You may have already mentioned it somewhere, but what is your goal with the car? Just having a convertible to drive around, sporting driving, maybe some track days? Given what you have done so far I would think more towards the first option? Great thing about these cars is they can do all the above with no problems. smile
All of the above, will be looking at a suspension refresh next, coil overs and shock absorbers first, maybe a 10 or 15 mm drop, KW, Tein or BC (wide differences in prices which is likely reflected in performance and longevity) and extra body bracing when funds allow, but always open to suggestions.

I had good experiences with Falkens on my other cars, the previous gen FK451s and their replacements were the only tyres along with F1s, that did not torque steer all over the place, even Michelins Primacy would be all over the road. Getting the XL rating, gives it a stiffer sidewall which may well be a good option, as the stock suspension is on the compliant side of tuning.

Edited by QuantumTokoloshi on Monday 17th July 10:30

C70R

17,596 posts

105 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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I'd suggest driving a car with coilovers before committing.

Even the expensive ones can be really much too stiff for British B-roads. I ruined my Mini for country lanes by fitting £1100 worth of coilovers to make it more fun on a handful of trackdays a year. Even with all the faffing around with spring rates and damper settings, it was too stiff to properly enjoy on the road. You've got a lovely compliant chassis, and I'd be very hesitant about making it more stiff than it absolutely needs to be.

Shifter1

1,079 posts

92 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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C70R said:
I'd suggest driving a car with coilovers before committing.

Even the expensive ones can be really much too stiff for British B-roads. I ruined my Mini for country lanes by fitting £1100 worth of coilovers to make it more fun on a handful of trackdays a year. Even with all the faffing around with spring rates and damper settings, it was too stiff to properly enjoy on the road. You've got a lovely compliant chassis, and I'd be very hesitant about making it more stiff than it absolutely needs to be.
I would second that. I find the MR2 suspension just fine for road use. All that is needed IMO are stiffer tyres. The Yokohama AD08RS are one of the best, if not the best of current options if you want summer tyres for both road and track fun.

QuantumTokoloshi

Original Poster:

4,166 posts

218 months

Monday 17th July 2023
quotequote all
C70R said:
I'd suggest driving a car with coilovers before committing.

Even the expensive ones can be really much too stiff for British B-roads. I ruined my Mini for country lanes by fitting £1100 worth of coilovers to make it more fun on a handful of trackdays a year. Even with all the faffing around with spring rates and damper settings, it was too stiff to properly enjoy on the road. You've got a lovely compliant chassis, and I'd be very hesitant about making it more stiff than it absolutely needs to be.
That is something I like about the chassis as it is now, stiff enough not to be wallowing all over the place but compliant enough to give a decent ride on B-roads when making progress, with the roads round here being as rutted and potholed as you could wish for.

I may just refresh the 2 decade old shocks for a start.

TameRacingDriver

18,117 posts

273 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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I asked the same question on the mx5 owners club so to whether coilovers were worth it for my use case (road driving) and the answer was overwhelmingly no, they are not worth the expense and in fact could even make the car less enjoyable. So instead I treated it to a proper alignment, and Christ almighty the difference was huge, in a good way. I've decided now that if any changes need to be made to my suspension I'll just renew the standard bits, bushes, drop links and that sort of thing. I think people tend to overlook the basics and go straight in with coilovers.

Although my mx5 is lowered on eibach springs, but that is a no brainer for these cars, as they were, I believe, intended to be run with a lower ride height but Mazda for whatever reason shipped them with an artificially heightened ride height.

I also lowered my MR2 but in the case of that car it didn't need it, except one of my springs snapped and I was offered a brand new set of eibach springs for very little money so I just went ahead with it. Luckily it didn't affect things too much but it did look better. I also got that car aligned and it was again noticeably better.

markiii

3,645 posts

195 months

Monday 17th July 2023
quotequote all
C70R said:
I'd suggest driving a car with coilovers before committing.

Even the expensive ones can be really much too stiff for British B-roads. I ruined my Mini for country lanes by fitting £1100 worth of coilovers to make it more fun on a handful of trackdays a year. Even with all the faffing around with spring rates and damper settings, it was too stiff to properly enjoy on the road. You've got a lovely compliant chassis, and I'd be very hesitant about making it more stiff than it absolutely needs to be.
they have coilovers from the factory

TheJimi

25,040 posts

244 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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markiii said:
C70R said:
I'd suggest driving a car with coilovers before committing.

Even the expensive ones can be really much too stiff for British B-roads. I ruined my Mini for country lanes by fitting £1100 worth of coilovers to make it more fun on a handful of trackdays a year. Even with all the faffing around with spring rates and damper settings, it was too stiff to properly enjoy on the road. You've got a lovely compliant chassis, and I'd be very hesitant about making it more stiff than it absolutely needs to be.
they have coilovers from the factory
That's news to me, assuming you're not being obtuse over terminology.


markiii

3,645 posts

195 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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I'm being accurate a coil spring over a shock is ................................ a coilover

I believe aftermarket adjustable suspension is he meant?

TheJimi

25,040 posts

244 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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Ah, so you were being obtuse smile

markiii

3,645 posts

195 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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nope telling someone to replace the suspension with coilovers because they are better. Or not too because they are worse. When coilovers is what they already have, is stupid and misinformative

C70R

17,596 posts

105 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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TheJimi said:
Ah, so you were being obtuse smile
Some people are very odd.

We all know that "coilover" means "coil over spring" to denote the suspension configuration.

We also all know that "coilover" is regularly used to describe height-adjustable aftermarket suspension.

I'm sure everyone's glad he shared that little pearl of wisdom.

TheJimi

25,040 posts

244 months

Monday 17th July 2023
quotequote all
C70R said:
TheJimi said:
Ah, so you were being obtuse smile
Some people are very odd.

We all know that "coilover" means "coil over spring" to denote the suspension configuration.

We also all know that "coilover" is regularly used to describe height-adjustable aftermarket suspension.

I'm sure everyone's glad he shared that little pearl of wisdom.
My bold - indeed and has been an accepted term for decades.

Never mind, wee pat on the back for markiii hehe


Edited by TheJimi on Monday 17th July 13:51

markiii

3,645 posts

195 months

Monday 17th July 2023
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happy to help those hampered by poor vocabulary