Friday 12th August 2011

SOTW: Toyota MR2... With A V6

This one's not just another MR2...

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On the face of it, £1000 for a moderately ratty-looking Mk1 MR2 is not exactly bargain of the century. After all, these things are fairly numerous - and quite often as rotten as a minibus-ful of News of the World 'investigative' journalists.

But this Mister-Two hides a dirty little secret beneath its blocky bodywork - a 3.0-litre V6. Now, we don't know whence this lump hails, but the ad does at least say that it was "rebuilt around 300 miles ago, New rings, Shells, All new gaskets, Water pump, Belts etc", which sounds encouraging.

Combining that V6 with the endearingly tatty standard bodywork (resprayed, but not very well, by all accounts), we reckon, could make this thing a great track toy; the sort of thing that looks unassuming but could easily embarrass a wussily driven 911 C4S.

It's not a pay-your-money-and-head-straight-for-Silverstone deal, however. The suspension has been upgraded, with coilover jobs on the rear, but it needs setting up (presumably to cope with what must be quite a heavy motor), a heat shield needs fitting for the fuel tank (that's fairly key, we imagine) and the engine needs mapping.

We might also humbly suggest that the new engine might have some significant effects on the MR2's weight distribution, possibly resulting in some 'interesting' changes to the car's already 'gravel-trap challenging' handling characteristics...

But hey, it's got MOT and tax until November, and a relatively small amount of work should leave you with a properly subtle plaything.

Oh, and if you do buy it, do let us know where the engine was originally installed...

Advert is reproduced below

Mk1 MR2 3.0 V6 Emerald ECU. Unfinished Track Car (1989)
106,000 miles £1,000

My brothers MR2...

Due to Illness we regret to put this up for sale.

It is MOT'ed and Taxed, MOT'ed until 11th November 2011. Taxed until the end of this month (Can re-tax at buyers cost)
It requires a few things to fully finish it, Mapping being one, It also needs a heatshield on the exhaust.

Engine was fitted early this year, rebuilt around 300 miles ago, New rings, Shells, All new gaskets, Water pump, Belts etc. No proof of this but its a strong engine that once mapped, will run perfect. Has Turbo flywheel and pressure plate with NA friction plate.

Exhaust is a custom system and it is very loud!

Suspension has KYB dampers all round with coilover conversion on the rear. Fully polybushed.

22v rear brake calipers, with corsa diesel discs.

Emerald K6 ECU, Inovate LC1 wideband, AFR gauge fitted next to dials.

The body is solid, Has had both rear arches replaced not that long ago and although it isn't mint it isnt completely rotten as per most.

Gemini alarm fitted, All tyres have good tread, Fronts are Yoko's.

Rear Turbo Anti roll bar, New T-bar seals, Windscreen replaced last year. Unfortunately it has a leak through the top of the drivers window, A simple window adjustment should solve this, Just don't have time!

Interior has been changed from blue to black although a few bits of blue trim remain, aswell as the blue cloth seats.

The whole car has been resprayed and is not a good finish, Don't expect it to be great, Its not a show car!

Everything works as it should, Wouldn't take much to be a awesome cheap fun/track car (As it was intended!).

To finish it off it needs Mapping, Suspension setting up (ideally front converting to coilovers too) and a heatsheild for the fuel tank, This is a must before any long trips, Although May be able to do this if a deposit is paid so you can drive it home. Remember, It needs mapping and while it is driveable, Its not good on fuel, and does not rev perfectly.

Any questions just ask and I'll do my best to help.

 

[seagrey]

Thsts a 3VZ-FE engine,most probably from a Camry.

Cast iron block! should be great fun into a corner at speed.

Edited by seagrey on Friday 12th August 08:48

[hornetrider]

Poor show Shed, this is a nail and no mistake. Who sells such a project still 'requiring work' or 'simple fixes'? Owners knowing they've fked it up, that's who.

[900T-R]

Hey Stiglet, this is what you should've done with yours...

Or maybe it is (or rather used to be) yours and the next owner did the right thing...

[Owlwood]

Hmmm, only for the brave I think....

[Seight_Returns]

I rememeber my Mk1 MR2 very fondly - but this one looks like a pig.

[excel monkey]

seagrey said:

Thsts a 3VZ-FE engine,most probably from a Camry.
There are a few of these conversions about.

Looks like a tight squeeze in the MR2's engine bay. Quite impressive that they've managed to fit it in there.

Are there many V6 conversions for the MX5? The 1.8 engine from the MX3 would make a nice noise (if not much power) and the 2.5 engine from the MX6 would definitely be interesting.

[MarJay]

No, shed. This is back to form! After last weeks disgraces, this is a truly awesome shed. This is definitely something that I'd be willing to risk 'a bag of sand' on.

The Camry engine is an excellent smooth and reasonably powerful lump. Its also quite light weight and won't screw up the handling too much. I was strongly considering sending my Mk2 to Woodsport to have the conversion done as it is pretty easy, and in fact its easier to do belts etc on the V6 in the MR2 bay than it is to do belts on the standard 3S-GE 4 pot engine.

Great shed, back on form after last week's debacle.

[Rawwr]

I'd rather be penetrated. This is not good shed material.

[zaphod42]

excel monkey said:

Looks like a tight squeeze in the MR2's engine bay. Quite impressive that they've managed to fit it in there.

Are there many V6 conversions for the MX5? The 1.8 engine from the MX3 would make a nice noise (if not much power) and the 2.5 engine from the MX6 would definitely be interesting.

There are some lovely LS1 v8 conversions fit the '5. A few RX7/8 conversions as well.

[anonymous-user]

Never understood the attraction of MR2s to be honest. Someone will like it though.

[nav p]

I always find it a little suspicious when someone does a job like this (rebuilt 300 miles ago) then wants out, i may be synical..but i feel it would play on my mind

[Tyre Tread]

A shed? Definitely!

SOTW? Only of you're looking fo the worst shed possible.

Good luck to anyone who buys this. You could save your self a lot of time by flushing a grand and probably a bit more down the toilet.

First time I've voted a big fat zero.

[Ug_lee]

PSBuckshot said:

Never understood the attraction of MR2s to be honest. Someone will like it though.

Because they have an engine in the middle, don't breakdown every 2 minutes, good fun to drive and are cheap to improve/maintain/buy. Also in certain flavours it is the best bang for buck money can buy. A Mk1 V6 certainly doesn't hang around.

I'd probably pay a bit more to get a slightly tidier one with a standard camry ECU as mapping is an expensive business when you cannot do it yourself. However great project for someone with the knowledge.

[CampDavid]

As far as it goes, that's so bad I feel the need to post my own SOTW.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3048807.htm

Seriously gyuys, that's aweful (unlike the barge above, which is awesome)

[900T-R]

Come on folks... the bargaining starts with a grand, the hard work seems to be done and this is not supposed to be a 'nice' road car... Drive it away for £7-800, spend a couple of weekends sorting it and you'd have a base for a lovely track hack that's a bit different from all the tired old E30 Beemers and MX5s out there or if it all goes pear shaped, you've got an Emerald ECU that's worth a couple of hundred and a load of other stuff.

[CampDavid]

900T-R said:

... Drive it away for £7-800, spend a couple of weekends in hospital with third degree burns after the fuel tank explodes

EFA

[900T-R]

CampDavid said:

As far as it goes, that's so bad I feel the need to post my own SOTW.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3048807.htm

Seriously gyuys, that's aweful (unlike the barge above, which is awesome)

Yawn, yet another barge. Those are cheap for a reason - not enough OAPs with a financial deathwish around.

[andy-xr]

Interesting idea, but you get the impression that engine's not sitting well if it's going out the door with so little miles afterwards. Happy to be wrong but whenever I've seen them in the past, owner can't get it working and is passing the problem on

If it's legit though...hmm....

[mrtwisty]

Well done shed, very courageous! One for the brave certainly, but how boring would SOTW be if it was just all barges?

Good to see something different and 'challenging'...

[snorkel sucker]

That really is a shed. Whoever alluded to flushing your money down the loo was right - you'd get about 2 corners into your first track outing before it went pop, bang, or snap. No crackles to be had here I doubt