This morning I taped off the parts and started to coat the calipers.
Rear Before & After two coats

Front Before & After two coats

After waiting three hours I applied the LT SPYDER decals.
Front

Rear

All done and wheels on.
Rear

Front

By: Brett Robertson (97 Supra)

You will need:

1.) Bottle of Meguiar’s PlastX

2.) Sandpaper grit depends on the severity of your lens damage. Which ever grit you choose to start with, you must also purchase 1 sheet of the higher number grit paper – up to what ever grit you are comfortable with to complete the restoration process. (I stopped at 2500.)

Example: If you start with 1000, you must also buy 1500 2000 and 2500.

2a.) 1 sheet of 1000 grit (to start with when working on severely oxidized and yellow lenses.)

2b.) 1 sheet of 1500 grit (to start on not so yellow, but very cloudy / faded and or lightly swirled/scratched lenses.)

2c.) 1 sheet of 2000 grit (starting with mostly clear, or barely cloudy lenses)

2d.) 1 sheet of 25000 grit to finish off with (or continue on to 3000 if it makes you happy.)

3.) Any # pack of microfiber towels.

4.) 1 flannel cloth – any size, just make sure it’s easy to fold up and work on your headlight with.

5.) 1 roll of your favorite masking tape, I chose 3M blue 1″ masking tape.

6.) 1 bucket your size and color choice don’t matter so much as long as the container is large enough to soak your sheets of sand paper in, it will work.

The Process:

1.) Gather your supplies.

2.) Mask off the light you choose to work with first using the masking tape. Be generous, you do not want to accidentally slip and sand your precious paint job.

3.) Cut your different grit papers (1000, 1500, 2000, 2500) into workable sizes. Allow them all to soak in your bucket for 8-10 minutes to make sure they are saturated.

4.) Remove your first lowest grit paper from the water (I started with 2000) and fold it in half. Choose 1 direction to sand in to start with, vertically or horizontally. (I chose vertical to start.) do NOT sand in a circle. Sand the lens until it is uniform, and looks evenly worked.

4a.) Be sure to keep applying water to the working area via spray bottle, cup, or other method to ensure adequate water is being supplied to the paper which working with it.

4b.) Be sure to dip your sanding hand, along with the sand paper you are working with into the bucket often as to flush the debris off of you and the paper.

5.) Using 1 of your many microfiber cloths, dry the lens off to check for consistency in your work. Feel free to do this as many times as necessary to ensure you are getting a uniform surface.

6.) Once you have dried the lens, and checked for a uniform surface, go ahead and change the water in your bucket. Place your other papers back in the clean water, and select the next grit paper. (I used 2500 now.)

6a.) Fold the new paper in half, and soak the lens before applying the higher grit wet sand paper to the lens.

6.b) Sand in the opposite direction as you did previously. (every time you switch grit paper.) If you started out sanding vertically as I did, you will now be sanding horizontally.

7.) Sand in the opposite direction with your next higher grit paper as I previously mentioned. Keep rinsing off your working hand, and working paper. As well, be sure to keep wetting the lens as you are working as I previously mentioned.

8.) Once you have sanded in the opposite direction with your higher grit paper, make sure the surface is evenly worked by drying the lens off with a new microfiber cloth. If necessary re-sand until the surface is evenly sanded.

9.) At this point the lens is going to look cloudy from sanding, but not as cloudy as the previous grit left the lens. (see previous photo compared to this one.)

9a.) Repeat the previous steps with higher grit sandpaper if you choose to for a finer finish before the following steps. (I did not, I finished with 2500.)

10.) Heres where that oddball flannel cloth I told you to get comes in. Get out your Meguiar’s PlastX and put a dime size on the flannel cloth. Apply firm pressure to the cloth against the the lens and in a circular motion work small areas at a time, maintaining firm pressure. Do not press so hard you crack or damage your lens, use good judgment, the more firm you press the better the polish works. Once you have worked one area, allow the PlastX to dry there, and work another area – repeat until you have worked the entire lens surface.

11.) Once you have finished working in your PlastX, use another one of your fresh microfiber cloths and remove the plastX from the lens.

11a.) To obtain the best possible clarity, you will need to repeat steps 10 and 11 until you have the the clarity you desire. This may get tedious, but the results are well worth it.

12.) Once the desired clarity has been reached, remove your masking tape.

13.) Once the tape has been removed, go ahead and place a generous amount of PlastX on your hand and work it in real good. Once the lens is completely covered, stop and allow the product to dry on the lens. This may take a few minutes depending on the temperature and humidity around you. (You may also work the PlastX around with a fresh microfiber cloth if you fear you might be allergic to any chemicals.)

14.) Man we love some microfiber. With a fresh microfiber cloth, polish the lens clean using a fresh side of the cloth for your final swipe.

15.) Make sure you have cleaned off any excess product, or sanding materials from the lens and stand back to take a look at the results.

15a.) Repeat this process for the other headlight lens.

16.) If you want to seal the headlights, choose the Meguiar’s product of your choice and apply it at this time. I will be using some NXT liquid on my light to keep the newly refinished surface sealed and better protected.

Disclaimer:

This “how to” was my own personal experience. I am sharing it with you because I was very satisfied with the results. I can not guarantee your results will be the same, as your workman ship may differ from my own. As well, every lens damage is NOT identical. Some may turn out for better or worse. You just watched me do this to my 1997 Toyota Supra (It’s 1 of 55.) New headlights would have cost me about $800.00. I spent about $15.00 on the supplies to end up with these results following the process I described above. Take that for what it’s worth, and always detail using your best judgment.

Thanks for looking, I can’t wait to go for a night drive! Often the results of this (depending on the condition of your lenses prior to the process) light output and night visibility can be improved as much as 50%.

For the winter you are going to want a dedicated set of snow tires. The reason for this is a summer compound will harden up like a rock in the cold. For the most part you can still drive in the cold on a summer tire so long as you take it slow and don’t do anything crazy. But then take into account summer tires are also meant for mostly dry grip. The tread pattern will at most be designed to take away water during a summer shower. However anything that isn’t a liquid will just fill up the tread and leave you with slicks. You also cannot run just two winter tires like people so often do. Especially with a summer tire up front the back end will have plenty of grip buy the front will not want to turn or stick to the road. Even in the dry the car will be all over the place even in a straight line. The same goes for the all-season front/ winter tire rear combo. It is dangerous to yourself and others on the road.

Now that you know WHY you need a winter tire let’s talk about what you are going to mount them on. This will save you money in the long run because you will get on average at least 2 seasons out of your winter tires. If you didn’t get a second set of wheels you would be mounting and remounting tires each spring and fall. A set of 15” steel wheels will run you about $120 on tirerack.com. However, to get steel wheels for an “MR2” off of tire rack you have to trick the system a little. When selecting a tire/wheel package you are going to have to enter 2005 Scion XB instead of 200x Toyota MR2. If you don’t they don’t offer steel wheels for the MR2. The scion has the same bolt pattern and has an offset that will fit the MR2 just fine and many (including myself) have used them. Also for anyone interested the actual size of the 2005 scion XB steel wheels are 15×6 with a bolt pattern of 4×100 and a +40 offset.

Before you select which tire you have yet another thing to consider. What size are you going to buy? Now most of us know that in the summer at least a wider tire is going to provide more traction and make you less likely to slide. At the same time, for better or worse a lot of people believe that having a smaller tire up front then in the back will make the car less prone to oversteer. Without thinking too much about it, it would appear the same logic would apply to a tire in the snow. Greater contact patch means more room for the tire to grip right? Well, not quite. You see when you are driving along in a car on the snow the tires are trying desperately to sink into the snow to get grip. They need pressure pushing them down into the snow before they can get any significant traction. If you were to run a really wide tire in the snow you would just float on top of the snow and slide all over. If you get a narrow tire it will dig in and you will be able to get the grip needed to stay on the road. Now about that stagger, applying that principle to your traditional stagger of having a smaller tire in the front would actually be, in a sense, a REVERSE stagger. Thus, instead of helping to control the oversteer it would promote it! In theory you could run a larger tire in front and smaller in the rear but that wouldn’t be practical for those days when there wasn’t any snow on the road and you were traveling at higher speeds. To compromise it would be best to just run the same size all around. It still leaves the issue of what size you are going to choose. For that you have to analyze what conditions you feel you will facing the most. If it is mostly or completely snow a 185/55/15 will do just fine. It will dig in and give you plenty of grip when the white stuff starts flying. If you are worried about seeing ice a 195/50/15 might be a better choice. The theory behind this being ice is more like normal pavement in that a larger contact patch is better since you are not sinking into the ice itself. This theory was developed by myself and another member (WIWhite87) a while back and is just something we came up with in our heads. There is no real scientific backing behind it. However it was mentioned by Tem that in Finland they run as narrow of a tire as possible (Something like a 155mm width) and have no issues on Ice. This could mean that a narrower tire actually is beneficial on the ice as well. The idea that backs this theory is it’s not so much the ice that is slick it’s the very thin layer of water that forms between your tire and ice that make things slick. This is why a siped tire does so well on the ice. It wicks away the water so the tire is able to come in full contact with the ice instead of riding on that very thin layer of water. It is hard to tell which theory is correct but in the end if you are only choosing between a tire that is 185mm wide and 195mm wide you are probably not going to see any major differences. The tire itself will make more of a difference in the end.

Note: A 185/60/15 or a 195/55/15 can be substituted in as well if the other two are not readily available. They will however make your speedometer read a little slow. The 185/60/15 will read 2.9% slow while the 195/55/15 will read 1.6% slow.

We move onto one of the final decisions you will have to make and that is what type of tire you will be buying. First off let me start by saying you should always buy a “studless ice and snow” tire and not a “performance” winter tire. The reason for this is the “performance” winter will sacrifice snow and ice grip for handling and braking. Not something you want to do on a MR2, when you are in the snow in an MR2 you just want to get through it. The reason I don’t bring up studded tires is IMO they are being surpassed by studless tires. A test done by tirerack shows that for the most part studless tires are as good or better then studded tires on ice. This may be hard to believe but for the most part the reason you can’t get grip on ice is because of a thin layer of water that builds up under your tires. What a studless tire does is it takes the 5 or so sipes that are cut into each tread block and take away that thin layer of water. A studded tire relied upon little metal studs that were inserted into little holes and they would grip the ice surface. The problem is they are loud, hinder braking performance, dry traction suffers, they also hinder snow performance, and they harm the road surface. (Note: if you do end up choosing a studded tire for whatever reason you must insert the studs before using the tire. You cannot insert studs into a tire after it has been used.)

Finally we move onto the detail of which tire to buy. There are many choices out there but I will just mention the few are have gotten the best reviews and seem to hold the most promise for our little car. I’ll start off with the Bridgestone blizzak line of tires since that is what I have experience with. At this current point in time there are two blizzaks to chose from, the now older WS-50 and the new as of this year WS-60. I own a set of the WS-50s (195/55/15) and love them. They are great in the snow and ice. I’ve traveled through snow that was at least 6 inches deep on my driveway and have seen others with snow packed in the grill because it was so deep when they went through it with these tires. You can still find them at tirerack and other tire dealers but they are being phased out (which does mean cheaper pricing) for the WS-60. From what I have read so far the WS-60 is everything the WS-50 was but better. No one has run this tire on the MR2 as of yet but from the testing done by tirerack it can be seen it should be a winner. There is one catch to the blizzak line; the siping (the little grooves that allow the tire to grip so well on snow and ice) only goes through about 60% of the tread. After that it is just a normal winter compound. The other tires I will mention have the siping all the way through. But keep in mind you won’t want to run a tire all the way down to the wear bars in the snow or you will more than likely end up in the ditch. As for the competition you have the Michelin X-ice which is a strong competitor. It provides a little better traction in the deep stuff then the blizzaks but isn’t quite as good in the light snow and ice. It is debatable how much of a difference this really is though. There is also the Nokian Hakkapeliitta which is harder to find. Not as many people run this tire but it is still a solid tire especially for the snow. I have heard the X-ice and blizzaks are better in the ice though YMMV. EDIT: Here is a test done by tirerack that includes the X-ice and WS-60 (which IMO are the two best choices once the WS-50 is gone completely). It also has a winterforce studdable snow tire and a dunlop winter tire as well. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/…ay.jsp?ttid=94 I would also like to note that the last two years Bridgestone has had a deal where you can get 50 dollars back on their blizzak line of winter tires if you purchase them around mid November if I recall correctly. Of course the WS-50 will most likely not be included in this as it is on closeout status and is not being produced anymore.

In the end it all depends upon your needs but no matter what if you need to drive the MR2 in the winter a set of winter tires is a must. I am not sure if I will be buying another set of winter tires once these are worn out or not. The salt and ever present chance of someone smashing into the MR2 will surely take their toll in the end. Winter tires also have a way of taking the fun out of the car; they have soft sidewalls with very little grip so they allow for 0 twisties what so ever. Even if you did take them out for a spirited ride (which would be suicidal) you would quickly wear out the tires which are made of a very soft compound. In the end however running the car in the winter is an experience everyone should have at least once in their life. It can really teach you a lot about this car that you can use for the summer and can lead to some fun times in the snow.

I just thought I would include a couple of threads down here to give you guys an idea of how good winter tires really are on this car.

This thread has some pictures and movies of owners driving in the snow with the Blizzak WS-50

Here’s another thread that’s got a few talking about the new Blizzak WS-60

Michelin has just released a new tire called the Xi-2. There is very little information on it right now but I created this thread about it. http://spyderchat.com/forums/index.php?sho…p;#entry4817515

Also the WS-50 is all but dead right now with tirerack being sold out of the top two sizes for a 15 inch wheel on the spyder. I will update this thread more as we come closer to the winter driving season. I will also be buying a set of winter tires this fall so rest assured I will be staying on top of anything new that is out there.

Gotta have tools. The more tools you have the better. Basic tools are essential; socket set, wrench set, screwdriver set, test light, mulitmeter volts/ohms, jumper wires ( make yourself a set ), timing light, set of plyers ( angled ones are a plus ), wire crimpers/strippers, spark tester, jack and stands. If you have access to better diagnotic tools or are willing to buy them they make finding your car problems a lot quicker. Ie; automotive scope, graphing meter, noid lights, pressure tester w/gauge kit, exhaust pressure kit, compression tester, leak down tester, low amp probe, injector tester, diagnostic scanner, 4-gas analyser.

Basics of making the engine run:

Ok, everyone knows that in order for the engine to run it needs compression, ignition, and fuel.

In order for your electronics to function properly you need source power, a load, and ground.

Oil and coolant are essential for survival of moving parts.

If you have access to a VAT machine then you can simple perform and amp/voltage draw test on the battery. 300+ amps is excessive, and anything lower than 9.6 volts mean you should recharge the battery and re-test.

If you dont happen to have a VAT machine in your garage, use your multimeter to check voltage when cranking. Dont hold the starter in the crank position for more than 15 seconds, you could burn up your stator windings. You just want to see if there is actually a voltage “drop”, or the system is trying to use the battery. As before, anything below 9.6 is considered weak source voltage.

But you say, hey my dash lights work and my idiot lights come on. The radio seems to work but it still doesn’t crank over the engine.

Now that you’ve confirmed the source power (battery) is in proper working condition we move on to the starting circuit. Battery terminals must be clean and properly fastened. Even slight corrosion between the post and the terminal will be enough to keep the electronics from working properly. Battery post cleaners are cheap, pick one up and keep it handy.

Check for power at the starter, the big wire on the side of the starter. It is source power all the time, unless you forget to hook it up. Test light is quick and easy for checking. If you suspect a bad wire you can do a voltage drop test with your multimeter by checking voltage from the wire at the batter and then again at the starter. The difference in voltage, is what is called the “drop”. It should be very minimal, less than .25 volts , most of the time it reads the same.

The next wire to check is the ignition start terminal, the connector located right next to the big power wire. That is power that comes from the ignition switch (key switch). Someone will need to turn the key in the crank position while you unplug the connector and check it with the test light. It should light the test light every time the key is in the crank position. If it does not, then your problem lies in the ignition start circuit; key in crank position power, clutch switch/or park/neutral position switch, starter relay, or ground. Now the simplest thing to do is find your starter relay and make sure it has power, key power , ground and load. Unplug the relay, it should have power at one terminal, power at another when the key is in the crank position, a good ground at one terminal, and the load side should be the same as the wire that goes to the starter. Now before you put a wire across the relay to bypass the starter ( will need the electrical diagram or else you smoke fuses ) you could also use a remote starter (also cheap tool you can buy) and hook it right up to the starter to see if it actually works. The remote starter is basically a switch with long wires terminated with clips so you can pull power and apply it directly to the ignition terminal on the starter to see if it actually engages and spins. I suggest making sure the vehicle is in neutral/park with parking brake set, or the rear wheels are off the ground. Nothing like standing next to your car and hittin the button just to see it take off on you, heeh. If you have igntion crank power then that means the ignition switch works and the clutch or park neutral switch works. If you dont have power than check your fuses ( the BGB or a decent repair manula will come in handy ). If you suspect a bad ground from the relay you can always use a jumper wire to ground ( radio shack is gonna be your best friend, heh.). Or as mentioned before, if you know how to read a wiring diagram then you can jumper the relay connector and completely bypass the relay.

Now keep in mind so far all we’ve really checked is power through the system. You must have a dedicated engine ground. That big black wire that runs from your tranny or block straight to the body. The starter pulls lots of amperage and a thin wire will not be enough. Make sure grounds are clean and properly secured.

Fuel system requirements: Alright, no matter what type of fuel you are using you need volume and pressure. Since we are doing diagnostics and not tuning we are going to skip AFR’s for the moment and go to requirements and delivery. A fuel pressure test will be handy, they’re relatively inexpensive for what they can tell you so buying one is a good investment. Since there are no schraders you are going to have to get a kit that will allow you to tap into the fuel filter or cold start banjo fitting. The proper place to test for line pressure is before the fuel rail. You are looking for about 40 or more psi when the system is primed and at least 36 with the engine running. Think of the injectors as gates, they dont make the pressure. You need the pressure for a proper spray pattern. Modern day engines run higher pressure but with about 40 psi it should try and run. With the gauge you can also see if you have an excessive drop in fuel pressure with the engine running or if an injector is bleeding off. Volume is a little tricky. You could use a graduated beaker and see how much volume is pumped at a certain interval. A quick test for the DIY‘er is to use a bottle and plumb the fuel delivery hose into it. A quick prime or start should fill the bottle quickly. Now would be a good time to tell your smoking buddies to put out their cig’s , hehe.

The injectors not only need to fire electronically but mechanically. A quick probe with your test light or meter will tell you if the injectors are powered. A noid light or inductive injector testor will pulse the light when the injectors fired. Even a long extension on the injector body and your ear up to it will make a noise when the injector fires and the pintel contacts its seat. If you have a low amp inductive probe you can actually see the pintel come off it’s seat and fire on a graphing meter. They should all react the same. A silent injectors or one that does not pulse has issues. Even though it works electronically dont assume that the injector is delivering fuel correctly. A leaky injector or one that is partially clogged will cause troublesome driveabiltiy issues that will be hard to track down.

Now assuming that the injectors are the suspect problem. You can pull the rail out with the injectors intact and do a quick test fire to check spray pattern. An electronic injector tester has a pigtail connector and is independently powered so you can fire the injector manually. Being able to physically see the injector work connected to the system is sometimes a pain in the ass to do but well worth it when chasing driveability issues. Dont assume that a wet spark plug means the injectors are working properly. When in doubt, take them out and have them tested. It’s cheap insurance and in some cases remanufactured ones are cheap enough that it’ll save you time instead of chasing all the possiblities.

It’s always a good rule of thumb to replace the fuel filter when you replace injectors. If something got by the filter to mess up the injector, then it’ll do it again to the new ones. Don’t forget to get new o-rings and grommets.

When performing a compression test make sure that the ignition and fuel system are defeated. I like to use a remote starter when the starter is easily accessed. That way the key does not need to be on and the electronics are not powered. If you plan on just cranking the car you can pull the relays or main fuses.

Testing is best done with the engine warm, near operating temp, to get the best results. General rule of thumb is 5 complete cranks. You should see 150-175 on most engines. In peformance application the range will change. Around 130 is the breaking point for decent compression. Once it drops below that it starts affecting the the cylinder’s ability to produce power without some sort of induction.

A wet test is where a little oil is added to the cylinder to see if the piston rings are adequately sealing the chamber. You can do a regular test and then a wet test to compare the difference. I find a little plastic syringe with a vacuum hose on the end of it works pretty good. You can see how much oil you are adding and it doesnt make a mess.

The first compression stroke on the guage should be a quick solid jump followed by shorter jumps until you stop cranking. You may notice a little drop when the guage stops, especially with a big gauge, but what you are looking for is peak numbers. Rule of thumb is 15 percent variation between all cylinders.

Keep in mind compression happens rather quickly. You are only checking to see if there is enough compression for the engine to run mechanically. A leak down test is the best way to determine the condition of the parts exposed in the chamber. If you have access to a borescope, handy little self powered inspection camera, you can take a look inside the chamber.

The basic components to the ignition system: igniter, coil, distributor, distributor cap, distributor rotor, spark plug wires, spark plugs. Now if the system is coil on plug or distributorless than you wont have some of the parts. The igniter needs a signal to fire the coil. On vehicles with distributors the sensors ( or pick-ups as we like to call them) are located inside the distributor.

The first test is to see if we have spark. A spark tester is a handy cheap tool that generally plugs into the end of the spark plug wire and then is grounded. You are looking for a nice sharp blue spark. If you don’t have a spark tester you can use a screw driver in the end of the plug wire and hold it a couple millimeters from a good ground and crank on the engine to see if there is a spark.

If there is NO SPARK generally the first thing we check is power at the coil and if the igniter is controlling it. The simplest quick test to do is ground the secondary side of the coil ( so you dont burn it up) and then crank on the engine with a test light on the negative side of the coil. The light should be nice and bright with the key on and then flicker quickly when the engine is cranking. If you dont know what the seconday side of the coil is, it’s the contact that goes to the center of the distributor rotor. If the light flickers, that will tell you that the pick-up is generating a signal and the igniter is grounding the primary side of the coil.

Now if you have a coil on plug system it gets more complicated because you need an inductive device to check the coil operation. You can try pulling the coil packs and using a spark tester.

So let’s say you have power at the coil and still no spark, but the test light only dims on the negative side of the coil when you crank the engine. That’s usually a sign of a bad igniter that can no longer properly ground the primary side of the coil. If you get no change at all then you need to check the signal from the pick-ups. Since most MR2s are distributor systems we will only discuss this particular application. The pick-ups are inside the distributor so take a good visual inspection to make sure they are not damaged or coated with oil. You will need the BGB for wireing daigrams and a good mulitmeter to check the signals. Unless you have a good graphing meter to check pick-up wave forms the best that you can do with a digital meter is checking power and resistance across the sensor. This is generally about the time when most people start looking for a “known good part” to swap in for testing. I generally keep a few good spare parts like distributors and airflow meter and oxygen sensors and ecu’s around for testing purposes.

Let’s assume that you’ve done all the basic tests and the coil/igniter/sensors all come out good but still no spark. Now you will have to test resistance/continuity through the distributor cap and wires. That white crusty stuff that grows inside the distributor cap can be enough to stop the spark from traveling across it. High resistance, like worn out spark plugs or chaffed wires can cause the spark to prematurely jump to ground before it gets across the spark plug. A couple of quick tests for random ignition misfires are a light water mist with a spray bottle over secondary ignition components. You can actually see the spark jump sometimes or the engine misfire increases. You can also run a jumper wire along the secondary components with one side grounded. If there is a weak point then you’re supplying a great groung path and the spark will go to your jumper wire. Snaping noise generated when an errant spark jumps to ground. Even a decent timing light will show intermittent flashes on a bad wire.

Mechanical timing: The relationship of the crankshaft to the camshaft(s). There is a TDC mark on the crank pulley and crank sprocket. There is also a timing mark on the cam sprocket(s). A quick check is to line up the crank pulley mark on zero and then take the distributor cap off to see if the distributor rotor is pointing at cyl #1. On a 4 cylinder you can be 180 degrees off so if the rotor can also be pointing at #4. It is best to use cylinder #1 since that’s what’s going to start the whole process, so rotate the crank till the rotor come around to point at it. Now is a good time to see if the rotor actually moves, in case you suspect a broken timing belt. On a dual cam cylinder head, it is best to remove the top cover so you can verify that both cams are in the proper position. If you have a chain driven engine or one without a distributor you can use a compression tester. Install the compression tester and rotate the engine till you see the gauge move. That will tell you that the valves are closed and the piston is moving upwards ( which is the compression stroke). On an engine like the 4a you can stick a long screwdriver down the spark plug hole and turn the crank till the screwdriver stops moving upwards, that’s pretty close to TDC.

Electronic timing: This is where sensors take mechanical timing and use it to fire the spark plugs and fuel injectors. Base timing is what the computer uses as a baseline for ignition advance/retard and injector pulse. If you’re base timing ( mechanical timing ) is off then every action there after will be off. This is where a timing light and more sophisticated diagnostic tools come in handy. Always start off with checking base timing. On the MR2’s that is accomplished by jumpering terminal E1 and Te1 in the diagnostic box. With the timing light hooked up you should see the advanced timing mark jump back to zero. You should also be able to notice a change in how the engine runs when you jumper it to base timing. It is very important for the computer to see that the engine is at normal operating temperature and is idleing. Otherwise you may not be at true base timing. If your engine is stock then use the base timing specs in the BGB ( or the sticker under the engine compartment lid). If you have a performance engine then you will need to make sure that base timing is where you want it to be at.

If you dont have a timing light I suggest getting one that will show you degrees and rpms. One that is compact is better since it can be hard to get a good look at the crank pulley. I generally try to clean the mark off and paint it. Anytime i have the timing cover off i always paint the crank pulley mark and the degree marks on the cover. It looks good and it makes it easier to see later. My timing light is a black light, makes white paint glow so it’s easier to see even on bright days or a well lit shop.

If the owner claims that it is making gobs of power, don’t believe it unless you see a recent dyno chart from a reputable shop. Make sure the car is exactly in the same trim it was dynoed. It’s too easy for the seller to pull a few critical pieces off and replace them with parts that aren’t up to the task. Find out the fuel and boost level it was dynoed at. If you want 300rwhp all the time, don’t purchase a setup that made 310rwhp at 25psi on race gas. Better yet, pay a good local shop for a baseline and remove all doubts.

Check the wiring throroughly. I cannot stress this enough. Pull out the trunk liner, look under the engine lid, look under the dash, pull off the center console the kick panels and inspect the inside of all the fuse boxes. Deduct big money for every T-tap you see. Be particularly wary of S-AFC, boost controller, EMS and piggyback installations that cut and splice into the stock wiring. People have paid me for tons of hours of wiring work just to get badly hacked up wiring removed and the original Toyota harnesses put back to a reliable state. Also pay close attention to how the wires are routed. In many cases inexperienced installers wire a boost controller so the only way to pull the engine harness out of the trunk to drop the engine is to cut the wires. Of course, these same installers use a single color wire so you cannot easily tell one from the other. If you see loose, naked wires running around all over the engine bay and/or the trunk, stay away from the car. Speaker wire in the engine bay? God forbid! What about unused connectors for removed stock equipment? These should all have been carefully taped up with electrical tape to prevent unwanted shorts or water damage. Inspect aftermarked fan and pump wiring carefully. Are they getting their power supply from the right place? Are there fuses close to the power source or is the entire setup ready to light off like a dry christmas tree tossed in a bonfire?

Look for missing bolts or bolts that don’t look OEM. You can expect to see non-Toyota bolts on aftermarket kits, but having these all over the motor is a sure sign of shoddy work done by an inexperienced or inattentive person. Are the bolts on the exhaust system stainless or are they rusting in place? Is the distributor or fuel rail held on with just one bolt? Are any nuts or studs on the manifolds missing? If yes, you might want to give the car a pass.

Are there missing parts? Is the timing belt cover missing? If so, I’ll bet the idler pulleys are rusted to hell. What about one or more of the engine grounds? Are the heat shields between the turbo and the gas tank missing? What about the battery? Is that puppy strapped down with the stock bar or is it ready to keep you off the track at your first track event? Are all the plastic undercovers on the car there and are they all held by more than one or two bolts? Missing parts are a sure sign that the car was not modified by somebody who paid attention to details. Some parts should be missing (like the cruise control–both units, not just the actuator) but other things should be there regardless. At the very least, make a list of the missing parts, get a quote for them deduct the cost of replacing them from the asking price.

Were holes made through the firewalls to get fuel or water lines routed? Obviously somebody never heard of bulkhead connectors or was too cheap or lazy to use them. You should deduct big time, especially if the holes were made with a sawzall.

Do the modifications make sense? If they are making 350rwhp on a stock IC, you need to be moving right along. Unfortunatelly, unless you trust the guy who built the car like a brother, you need to do your homework or at the very least run the mods list past someone who knows what they are doing to have it critiqued.

Is there a turbo kit? You better take a very close look. Is the center section properly clocked? Most turbo manufacturers specify that the oil feed must be no more than 5-10 degrees off vertical. If the oil feed is visibly clocked to one side, the turbo is probably already damaged. Start the car and warm it up. Do you see any visible signs of smoke? Do you smell any oil in the exhaust? Pull off the downpipe and see it there is any oil there. Check the shaft for play. What about the quality of the lines and the installation? Are there bolts or fasteners missing? Are the welds good? Did they clamp stainless steel braided lines on with hose clamps? Are areof the fittings loose or visibly leaking? All these point at a poorly assembled kit or an inexperienced installation job. Proceed with caution.

Take a close look at the vacuum lines, clamps and hoses. Are they in good shape or rotted and ready to pop off and either strand you or cause the overboost event that starts a new motor build? Are there clamps on all the vacuum lines that might see boost? What kind of shape are the turbo hoses in? Do the intercooler pipes and their routing look well thought out? My favorite was the car that came in with a silicone hose clamped right onto a smaller diameter silicone hose. Are there strange transitions between different diameters in places where they don’t need to be? Are there more turns in the pipes than you encountered at your last hill climbing event?

A leak down test is a good idea on a used car, but it is essential before you put down big money on a modified turbo setup. The 3S motor may be non-inteference, but with higher lift aftermarket cams the possibility of bent valves is there and too many shops simply don’t know what they are doing when they try to degree cams. Pull off the valve cover and check valve clearances. A well built motor will be on the tight end of the spec. A loosy-goosy set of measurements within spec but all over the map are a sign of either an older setup way past its prime or a poorly built head.

If the seller doesn’t allow you to perform these tests on the setup then take a pass. Don’t pay top dollar for somebody else’s mistakes. It’s better to pass up a deal than to get stuck with your next living nightmare.

If everything looks good, ask yourself honestly if the car is going to be enjoyable to drive for more than a few minutes. Is the fuel pump or the air-to-water intercooler pump so loud that you can hear it over the motor? Does the motor shake your seat so hard that you see blood on your next visit to the urinal? Is the car going to attract unwanted attention from law enforcement in your area even when you are granny driving? Is the clutch so hard that you end up with a left leg twice as strong as the right one after a couple weels of driving it? These things may be expected on a 600rwhp setup, but hardly warranted at the 300rwhp level.

The Golden Rules

Check air pressures in all tyres regularly.
It is preferable that this check be made weekly, when tyres are cold, and using a gauge known to be accurate.

Avoid hard braking and sudden acceleration.
Tyres may wear quickly if consistently subjected to hard braking or rapid acceleration. Adopting a conservative driving style will maximise tyre life.

Use care when parking to avoid tyre damage.
Many impact fractures occur in the sidewall area of the tyre. rather than the tread.
Careful parking will reduce damage to tyre sidewalls that can occur through contact with kerbs.

Ensure that tyres have more than 1.6mm of tread.
Most new tyres have about 8-9 mm of tread pattern when manufactured but when the tread wears down to less that 1.6mm, the tyre may be unsafe to use in wet conditions and should be replaced as soon as possible. Tyres have Tread Wear indicators in their tread pattern which show as lines across the tread when reduced to 1.6mm… this is also the legal limit, if your tyres are below 1.6mm you are breaking the law.

Do not use sealants to repair punctures.
After a puncture, tyres should be inspected internally to assess what damage has occurred, and whether the tyre sill complies with minimum safety standards.

While sealants may be acceptable as a temporary emergency measure after a puncture has occurred, they often do not fully inflate the tyre and accordingly the vehicle should be driven and reduced speeds until the tyre can be changed or permanently repaired. Sealants should not be used as preventative measures. the use of sealants may invalidate tyre warranties.

Understanding Tyre markings

Tyres have a code system moulded into their sidewall which allows you to understand their technical capabilities.

This code provides information on the tyre’s construction (e.g. radial), its size, its load-carrying capacity and its speed rating.

For example, the code on a common fitment for cars is:

205/65R15 95H

205 – indicates the nominal section width of the tyre in millimeters (205mm).

65 – indicates its aspect ratio, a comparison of the tyre’s section height with its section width (65 indicates the height is 65% of its width).

R - indicates radial ply construction.

15 - indicates the nominal diameter of the wheel rim (15 inches)

95H - is a symbol indicating the maximum load capacity and speed at which the tyre can be safely operated, subject to the tyre being in sound condition, correctly fitted, and with recommended inflation pressures (95 represents a maximum load of 690kg per tyre; H represents a maximum speed of 130mp/h).

Tyre speed symbols..

N – 87mph
P – 93mph
Q – 99mph
R – 106mph
S – 113mph
T – 118mph
H – 130mph
V – 149mph
W – 168mph
Y – 189mph
ZR – 149mph

Tyre load ratings..

The maximum weight of the vehicle shouldn’t be more than the weight the tyres are designed to carry.

Tyres with a load rating code of 91 (615KG) shouldn’t be fitted to a vehicle that weighs in excess of 2460KG.. 616 x 4 = 2460.

Tyre rotation

Tyre rotation is vital to achieving even tread wear and long tread life. Rotation is necessary because of the uneven wear characteristics of each wheel position on the vehicle. A good example is Front Wheel Drive vehicles which places braking, steering and driving forces on the front axle tyres. Rear axle tyres only receive braking forces resulting in a much faster wear rate for the front axle tyres. Tyre rotation for these vehicles therefore becomes very important for optimum tyre life.

Tyre rotation should be undertaken every 5,000 to 8,000 kilometres:
EVEN IF THERE IS NO SIGN OF UNEVEN WEAR
Cross Rotation

The “Cross Pattern” provides the best results and can be performed on any Front or Rear Wheel Drive vehicle equipped with 4 non-unidirectional tyres. (Unidirectional tyres must be rotated front to rear only.)

NOTE: Free rolling axle tyres are crossed and installed to the drive axle, while the drive axle tyres are brought straight to the free rolling axle (without crossing).

Vehicles equipped with permanent 4-Wheel Drive and those with “on Command” 4-Wheel Drive and driven mainly in 4-Wheel mode, are best suited to a four tyre cross rotation. With this pattern, tyres from both axles are crossed and installed on the opposing axle.
Straight Rotation

Straight Rotation was developed in the early years of radial tyres. This rotation method simply replaces the front to rear and rear to front.
5 Tyre Rotation

If the vehicle owner has a regular tyre as a spare tyre and wishes to include it in the tyre rotation process, the proper procedure is to use the appropriate rotation pattern shown for 4 Tyre Rotation, BUT insert the spare in the right rear position. Place the tyre which would have gone to the right rear in the trunk as the new spare.

Note: Never include a temporary spare tyre in the rotation.

IMPORTANT: Unidirectional treads are designed to perform in the direction denoted on the tyre sidewall only. They must always be rotated front to rear – despite the type of vehicle they are installed on – so the direction of the revolution does not change.

NOTE: MR2 Roadsters have different sized tyres front and rear, and as such can’t be rotated from front to rear.
Of course you all know this fact

Temporary Spares

Temporary use spare tyres or space savers are specially constructed spare tyre and rim combinations provided by vehicle manufacturers as standard equipment in many vehicles.

These spares are lighter and smaller than those which you normally see fitted to motor cars.

Temporary use spare tyres are generally recognizable by their unusual design (yellow rim) and compact size.

Some notes to remember when using a Temporary Spare

1. Fit only the temporary use spare tyres provided by the vehicle manufacturer for your vehicle model. (Replacement tyres offered by reputable tyre companies may also be used provided they match the original equipment specifications.)

2. Temporary use spare tyres are not designed to travel long distances. If you are unsure of the condition of the space saver spare tyre, check it before driving the car.

3. Do not attempt to fit a temporary use spare tyre to any other rim.

4. Use the temporary use spare tyre strictly in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Carefully observe the manufacturer’s recommendations for any limits on speed, tyre pressure, load and safe travel distance. Note inflation pressure will not be the same for the temporary spare as the primary tyre. This information can be found either on a placard near the spare tyre or in the vehicle handbook.

Aspect ratios.

Tyre profiles have changed considerably in recent years because of changes in vehicle styling and demand for increased vehicle performance. Today’s tyres have a squat appearance, rather than the tall, narrow look of yesteryear. The aspect ratio is a comparison of the tyre’s section height with its section width (45 indicates the height is 45% of its width).

Upgrade to low profile tyres.

An upgrade to a tyre with a lower profile size than the original will generally improve the vehicle’s steering response, handling characteristics and appearance. There are options available to change the rim width and diameter, which will maintain similar specifications to the original tyre fitment. For more information, talk to your local tyre centre to ensure the upgrade is suitable for your vehicle.

NOTE: When fitting new replacement tyres and/or wheels, ensure any alternative to the original tyre and wheel fitment complies with relevant legislation, and that tyre load and speed ratings equal or exceed the minimum allowed for that vehicle in your state.

Inflation pressure.

It is air that carries the total load of the vehicle and passengers, so correct inflation pressure is essential to ensure the integrity of the tyre and the safe handling of the car.

Pressures should be checked regularly, preferably weekly, when tyres are cold. Never reduce air pressure when tyres are hot from driving because it is normal for pressures to increase while tyres are hot. After checking pressures, ensure that valve caps are replaced as these are the primary seal. Use only sealing-type valve caps.

Over inflation reduces the ability of the tyre to absorb road shocks, resulting in a much harsher ride. In fact, excessive over inflation may lead to impact fracture, or other casing failures. Over inflation will also cause excessive wear of the centre of the tyre. This will result in premature removal of the tyre. Check the tyre placard for recommended inflation pressures.

Under inflation is a frequent cause of tyre damage. Under inflation causes excessive flexing in the tyre, which builds up internal heat and may eventually weaken the casing. It will also cause rapid shoulder and irregular tread wear. Check the tyre placard for recommended inclation pressures.

Air for your tyres
All cars are different, different weights, different sizes etc. Because of this each individual car needs something different from their tyres. Whether it needs high performance tyres for greater handling or smooth and silent tyres for the family car. No matter what tyre you use, incorrect inflation pressure can be detrimental to your tyres.

Rules and Guidelines

All tyres deflate overtime- typically your tyres can lose up to 2psi per month. So it is up to you to check your tyre pressures. Here are some simple rules and guidelines when checking tyre pressures.

* Tyres should be inflated to the vehicle manufacturers recommended pressures.
* Tyre pressures should only be checked when the tyre is cold. This is due to the tyre heating up when in use and causing increased air pressure, which in turn will give an incorrect air pressure reading.
* Always ensure that dust caps are applied tightly to each tyre valve. Dust caps prevent dirt and moisture entering the valve mechanism causing damage and also prevent sudden tyre deflation through the valve.
* Don’t forget the spare tyre.

Different Pressure for Different Occasions

Different driving conditions require different pressures. Here are some simple tips to follow.

* For everyday motoring, tyre pressures should never be lower than the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. Manufacturers recommend air pressure to best give a combination of ride and handling when carrying a load.
* Putting extra stress on your tyres by carrying heavy loads or by towing trailers can significantly reduce the life of your tyres. It must be remembered that it may be necessary to increase the pressure in your tyres when carrying heavier loads (usually +4-6 psi).

Problems of Over and Under Inflating
Correct tyre pressure will ensure you get the best performance and mileage out of your tyres; it will also optimise both ride comfort and fuel economy.

Over-inflation: When this happens it results in the tyre not sitting squarely on the road. Tyre flex is reduced and causes excessive wear through the centre of the tyre. It also results in smaller footprints and less grip.

Under-inflation: This is more common and sometimes not so obvious to notice. It creates excess wear on the shoulders of the tyre and the increase in flexing generates great amounts of heat. The extra heat and strain can increase the risk of casing failure and separation failures.

Balancing your wheels.

Safety is the main reason for balancing the wheels and tyres on your vehicle. Balancing will help ensure a smooth, vibration free ride as well as improving tyre life.

When the wheels on your car have an imbalance, the most notable effect is that the steering wheel moves up and down in your hands or the seat vibrates. This can be extremely frustrating and especially tiring on a long trip, which may result in the driver’s judgement being impaired. In a mishap, a vibration that is excessive may result in some suspension damage if the cause of the vibration is not corrected for a long period of time. As the tyre and wheel assembly is vibrating, the contact pressure of the tyre on the road varies, which can cause irregular wear and will in turn, result in premature tyre removal.

The wheels should be balanced when new tyres are fitted, any time that the tyre is removed from the rim and at regular intervals to take into account any variation in tyre balance from irregular wear.

Wheel alignment.

Correctly wheel aligning your vehicle will ensure that it drives straight down the road. Correct wheel alignment will also ensure that the tyres on your vehicle wear evenly and are not removed prematurely as a result of irregular wear. This will also increase fuel economy.

Wheel alignment should occur upon fitting new tyres to your vehicle and for every 10,000km after. Your vehicle should be wheel aligned at regular intervals throughout the life of the tyre, especially when components have been replaced in the front or rear suspension or if the vehicle has hit anything (e.g. a kerb). Your local tyre centre will be able to inspect the tyres fitted to your vehicle and advise you as to whether a wheel alignment is required.

Repair or replace.

Some tyres are damaged so badly that they must be discarded. Tyres that should never be repaired include those with tread or casing separation; fabric chafer damage which would reduce the tubeless air seal; broken, kinked or exposed bead wires; flex breaks; presence of an internal liquid sealant with any penetration damage through the inner liner; tread depth below 1.6mm; cracks which extend into the tyre fabric; open liner splices which show exposed cords; liner and first ply showing evidence of having been run flat, under inflated or overloaded.

It is recommended that repairs should be undertaken only by qualified tyre technicians, because sometimes tyres with apparently minor external damage have actually sustained unseen but serious internal damage.

Wear life.

The rate of tread wear depends on factors such as vehicle speed, load, braking, cornering, acceleration, inflation pressures, wheel alignment, road surface, climatic and even geographical conditions. A conservative driving style will help to prolong tyre durability.

Valve maintenance.

Tyre valves maintain the air pressure in the tyre. It is recommended that the valve be replaced when new tyres are fitted. Valve caps are the primary air seal, and protect the valve from dust, grit and water. Soft plastic dust caps which have no sealing ability are not recommended.

Visual inspection (general inspection engine and drivetrain ):

Fluids:

1) Does it have coolant? What color is the coolant, green is usually the most common, but then there’s red and blue and pink and orange and off yellow. To which i’ve noticed is almost like how many different flavors of cool aide there is, interesting eh? Is the coolant clean , not cloudy or lumpy. If you can’t see through it or it sticks like peanut butter that’s a good indication it wasn’t properly serviced. Check yr coolant at the fill port in the engine compartment. Driver’s side on MKII and pass side on MKI, cant remember where it is in the MKIII, but if its’ an MKIII you better damned well still have yr owners manual. Now dont just except that since there is coolant at the fill port that the system is full, if you’ve ever had to bleed the system then you already know. There is the air bleed port on the radiator and the air bleed port at the hot water valve. If the heater hoses are routed back into themselves at the hot water valve it has a heater core problem. If there is no signs of coolant then you have a problem. Where did it go? Lots of places where there are potential leaks, but this is the visual inspection. So take a good look at all the hoses, heater bypass and radiator. You may not be able to see the tubes, but if there is a sizeable leak there will be puddles drippin from the plastic underpanels. Common leak that is hard to pinpoint sometimes is from the weep-hole in the water pump, generally there will be a trail underneath the timing cover above the oil pan at the front of the engine. The “hose from hell” will be more on the left side of the engine. While you have the cap off dont forget to inspect the rubber seal inside of it. Then the heater pipes tend to crack right at the tabs where they fasten to the body. Take a good look in the resivior, see if there is sludge in it, kinda hard to do sometimes, but you can get an indication by the level indicator stick or the brown clump that stick to the end of the tube when you pull the cap off. Make sure that yr radiator isnt just zip tied to yr core support cause it cant do much cooling when it’s bouncing around.

2) Engine oil, sure it may be clean and it may be full, but we are more interested in what it smells like and where it isnt suppose to be. Fuel smell from the engine oil is a bad thing, think piston rings and injectors. Engine oil that looks like chocolate milk is a sign of water/coolant in the oil, think headgasket. It may be a little tricky gettin the dipstick in and out, damned engineers, but take more than one reading and take note of what the wet end looks like, carbon build up on the stick means carbon build up in the engine. Sure there are a lot of possible places oil can leak. Valve cover gaskets, main seals, oil pump seals, turbo lines, oil pan gasket, head gasket, distributor o-ring, cooler. Front seals will definitely need to be replaced and while yr at it the oil pump o-ring and seal. Knocking noise on start up and quick accel is a sign of low oil pressure. Moist is acceptable for high mileage, wet and dripping is not.

3) Transmission fluid, no you cant see it unless you have an automatic, so it shouldnt be anywhere. If you see wet around the axle seals you should wiggle the CV joints to make sure they arent worn out.

4) Power steering fluid, if you cant find it, then you prob dont have power steering, haha. It should be relatively clean and full in the resivoir. Fluid at the steering rack boots is a sign of the internal seals in the rack leaking.

5) A/C , does it even work? Freon evaporates very quickly, but there will be traces of refrigerant oil in places that leak, like where all the fittings are.

6) Fuel, there better not be any fuel leaks, haha. Do a visual on the lines and injectors. Dont be shy bout stickin yr nose down there and taking a whiff in case the leak is too small to see.

Drive belts and timing belt:

Have to be able to run the A/C and alternator. Squeaky belts are either loose or worn out. Generally visible from above in the engine compartment with a flashlight. Timing belt is not visible, unless the cover isn’t there. Flappin noise from behind the cover is generally from a stretched belt. Oil leaks from the front seal will deteriorate the timing belt.

Air filter:

Is it clean, is there a mouse nest underneath the filter in the air box?

The leak down tester includes two gauges, a regulator, a port for connecting to an air compressor and a port for connecting into your spark plug hole.  Testing with a leak down tester is similar to a compression test, but the position of the cylinders is critical to getting valid results.  In general the piston should be at top dead center on the compression stroke.  You can also test leak down with the piston at bottom dead center, but most consider top-dead-center to give the most valuable results.

A typical leak down test kit:

The first step is to warm up the engine to normal operating temperature.  This is done so that the rings have expanded and hence will seal better, and should give more meaningful results.  This is not absolutely necessary, however, and the test can certainly be done with the engine cold.  The test results will not vary (in my experience anyway!) all that much.
Next, remove all the spark plugs.

How to position the engine

After the spark plugs have been removed, you can position a piston to top dead center by taking a thin, long screw diver and putting it into the spark plug hole.  If you have a manual transmission, put the car into top gear (5th gear in most cases), and release the brake.  As you move the car forward, or backward you can watch the screw driver rise and fall.  After the screw driver reaches the top, and just begins to fall, put on the parking brake.  Screw in the test tube into the spark plug hole, and run the test.  If you have an automatic transmission, I believe your only option is to turn the engine by hand.  This can be done by turning the crankshaft pulley with a socket wrench.

To run the test connect the regulator end of the tester to an air compressor.  Adjust the air compressor to at least 100psi.  My own compressor goes to 120psi, and that’s what I use.  Adjust the regulator so that the left gauge reads 100psi.  If you hear a lot of air coming out, and the right gauge reads very very low (like 40psi or less), chances are that the engine is in the wrong position – that is – it was on the exhaust stroke instead of the compression stroke.  Remove the test tube, and move the car again so that the piston drops and comes back up to top dead center again.  Re-install the test tube, and adjust the regulator to 100psi.  If the right gauge reads 90psi, that means you have a 10% lead-down.  If the right gauge reads 95psi, you have 5% leak down (time to celebrate!).  According to sources, anything greater than 15% indicates excessive leak down, and repair should be done.  If you listen to where the air is coming out of, you can hopefully determine this repair.  Make sure that the leak down test tube is sealed well in the spark plug hole.  I had to get a better O-ring for the kit, and I actually super-glued the end of the test pipe so that if I tuned the rubber part of the tube, the threaded end would turn as well.  This allowed me to get a better seal in the spark plug hole.

The following was taken from the following website (Walt Osborn):
http://www.morrowmarsh.ca/concours/techpages/leakdowntester.htm

“Listen for leakage at the following places:

* Adjacent cylinders sparkplug hole. Use a piece of small rubber vacuum hose, stick one end near the spark plug hole and the other end in your ear. Leakage, air hiss, heard here may be a blown head gasket between cylinders or it may be leakage heard through an open valve.
* Exhaust pipe. May indicate a burnt or stuck exhaust valve.
* Carburetor or throttle body. May indicate a bent or stuck intake valve.
* Oil filler or dipstick hole. May indicate broken rings or a damaged piston.
* Radiator filler cap. Bubbles here will indicate a leaking head gasket or cracked head.
”

Repeat the above steps for each cylinder, record the numbers, and check the above locations for air.  If the numbers are suspect, you might want to run the test again with the piston close to bottom dead center.

Short Answer: No

Long Answer:

The MR2 is a special and unique car. That is what so many of us spend so much time fixated on this message board, mailing lists, club events, etc. The reason you are here reading about the MR2, researching it, considering it is very likely that you have recognized the MR2 provides some features that set it apart from your run-of-the-mill VW/Honda/Acura/BMW/Toyota. Aside from its striking looks, you’ve probably observed that the MR2 has:

1) Mid Engine
2) Rear Wheel Drive
3) Short Wheelbase
4) McPherson Struts
5) On some models, Turbo

All of these attributes make the MR2 a tuner’s delight. While the car has tremendous bang for the buck right out of the box, with a little tuning and tweaking, all of the fundamentals are there for it to compete with true super cars like the 911, NSX, Lotus Esprit/Elise etc. That’s why we are all here, after all.

Invariably, posts come up with someone asking whether an MR2 would make a good first car. They can be bought fairly cheap these days, there’s a decent supply of aftermarket cosmetic and performance upgrades, and the idea of driving one around when all of your friends have Civics/Integras/GTIs/Celicas has a certain appeal. Thing is, you are far more likely to keep yourself and a Civic/Integra/GTI/Celica in one piece than an MR2. This should be a critical factor in selecting one’s first car. The fact that the MR2 is a highly impractical car (limited storage space, little to no wet weather and winter usability, higher servicing costs) don’t require any input from me or any of the other board/list members. This is a judgment call each of us is capable of making regardless of age/experience level.

However, the other more performance-oriented factors are worth some input from the older crowd. I’ll preface what I’m about to say by pointing out that these threads almost always follow the same pattern. 16/17/18 year old asks about MR2 as first car, older owner cautions that it might not be a great idea, other MR2 owners both old and young jump in and contradict this advice saying they got their MR2s at 16/17/18 and never wrecked it (despite having spun it 8 times in the first month they owned it). Original poster walks away with lots of contradictory feedback.

Without getting too philosophical, we all need to take responsibility for the choices we make in life. Buying an MR2 at 16/17/18 is one of them. Lots of people do it, love it, and have no regrets. That said, the MR2 is one of the most challenging cars to drive on the market, at any price. Seriously. It has enormous potential, but this is only true in very experienced hands. If you are not driving this car to its potential, you’d be just as happy in a Civic/Integra/GTI/Celica. If you are driving this car to the point where it is out performing your buddy’s Civic/Integra/GTI/Celica, you better have a whole lot of experience and/or natural talent.

Let’s look at the list of MR2 attributes above and why the car’s designers made a point of including them:

1) Mid Engine: Knife like precision handling. Transitions faster and sharper than a front or rear engined car. (Drag racing: launches hard)
2) Rear Wheel Drive: Ability to modulate the car’s cornering attitude with the throttle (Drag racing: Hooks up)
3) Short Wheel Base: Nimble
4) McPherson Struts: Lightweight.
5) Turbo: Power/Engine tuning potential

So, you have all the makings of a super car at a fraction of the price, with greater tunability, riding on the wheelbase of a VW GTI. Sounds like fun — and it is!

However, let’s look at the list again:

1) Mid Engine: When it starts to spin, exceptionally tricky to recover. When it lets go, it gets ugly really fast.
2) Rear Wheel Drive: Go into a corner too fast and you can’t brake or lift off the throttle to save it. In fact, you have to either keep a steady foot on the gas, or even give it more throttle to keep the car from spinning This means you actually have to try to go faster when you are about to lose it from going too fast in order to keep the car from spinning.
3) Short Wheel Base: Little to no warning when you have exceeded the car’s limits.
4) McPherson struts: Car does not like bumps or surface irregularities mid corner. Hit a pothole or uneven surface and watch the tail step out of line.
5) Turbo: Lag/Boost is very tricky to modulate – especially on a modified car. If you need extra power to exit a corner and the turbo is not spooled because you let the revs drop or are in the wrong gear = you’re screwed. Hit boost early to mid corner when you’re close to the tire’s limits of adhesion = bye-bye.

So why did Toyota release this car on the market if it is so dangerous? Well, remember, when the MKII (’91-95) MR2 was released, you were not the target demographic. Toyota was selling this car as to 30-40 year olds with a large discretionary income looking to buy a 2nd or 3rd car for weekend drives. The MR2 was not a cheap car when new, and Toyota may not have anticipated the import tuner boom so popular with teenagers some 10 years after the MKII was launched. Also, look at what the Toyota designers changed with the MKIII MR2: no rear trunk (so owners wouldn’t screw up the handling balance by adding weight behind the engine), no turbo, stretched wheelbase relative to size/weight of the car.

Also, while the above list is true for MR2s generally, certain MR2s have a reputation for being more dangerous than others. Driving a ’91-92 turbo model (pre ‘93 suspension tuning revisions) tops the list of car’s requiring vast amounts of experience to drive at the limit. Professional drivers have walked away from lapping sessions with red faces from having spun these cars. An ’85 MKI model is less likely than a MKII turbo to allow an inexperienced driver to get in over his/her head, but also lacks the safety equipment (airbags, ABS, etc.) and sheer mass of later cars. The MKIII is probably the safest of the bunch, but most 16/17/18 year olds are looking at hopping up the older cars, not buying a new MKIII. Also, without installing an aftermarket roll bar, the MKIII is likely the least safe in a rollover.

None of this means a 16/17/18 year old should never get an MR2 as a first car. I’m sure there were 16/17/18 year olds who had a Corvair or Porsche 930 turbo as a first car and lived to tell about it. Those guys and gals are probably truly kick-ass drivers by now. However, unless you have the wisdom of Yoda, the patience of Gandhi and have been kart racing competitively since you were in diapers, the MR2 is probably not a responsible choice as a first car. There are always exceptions to the rule, but they are few and far between.

Anyway, as your parents will/have already told you, at 16/17/18 there are other things to focus on besides fixing up an MR2 (dating/school/etc.) Likewise, despite what your friends may have told you, fixing up an MR2 is nowhere near as inexpensive as a Honda/Acura/VW etc. While there is a healthy tuning market for these cars, most 16/17/18 year olds are not going to be able to recreate the fantasy MR2s they see or hear about without a large amount of discretionary income greatly exceeding the value of the car as well as a lot of time and dedication (neither of which is conducive to a balanced social/professional life — at any age!). There is a pervasive myth of the 400rwhp with simple bolt-ons MR2, and the board and list members are in part to blame for perpetuating this myth since we all think so highly of the MR2. That said, the percentage of 300rwhp cars, let alone 400 is very, very small – even among the rabid enthusiasts who post on this board.

Bottom line: If the only way you will be happy with is if you have an MR2 as your first car, then nothing I or anyone else will say is likely to discourage you. However, keep in mind that many of us have owned and wrecked GTIs, Integras and (gasp) Civics before graduating to an MR2 later in life. If you are going to buy one, at 16/17/18 — or any age — make sure that the car is in a decent state of tune, with a proper alignment, good performance tires (in particular, never let the rear tires go bald), and brakes and spend some time learning how to drive the car. This does not mean going out by yourself in an empty parking lot (although this can be helpful for fine tuning technique and learning the car’s reactions at the limit). Instead, sign up for a performance driving school at your local road course and make a point of going back at least once a year to freshen and improve on your skills. Sign up for a weekend autocross and ask the fastest drivers for ride-alongs to compare what they do differently out there than you. In particular, try to ride along in several different types of cars on the same course (front engine, mid engine, rear engine, FWD, RWD, AWD, turbo, NA, etc). Compare notes.

Above all, stay safe! As enthusiasts, we would all like to see MR2s stay on the road and our insurance premiums remain affordable.