MR2 for track days

[thornz]

im gonna say a early model MX5 (1600 not 1800). fairly nippy, excellent handling, easy for parts, weigh nothing, good g box, ok brakes etc etc.

there are even a few turbo ones kicking about on trade me in the region of 7-10k

and yeah they are a bit "nancy" but so are MR2s.

here is the 1 i was thinking of
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 898990.htm

Yeah, I had actually thought about a MX5, but I just know the amount of crap my mates would give me for owning one, I don't think I would live that one down lol.

[Eddy1612]

I would have to say some MR2s break and some don't.

Ive owned four MR2s: 2 broke easily and 2 remained strong no matter what i threw at them.

MR2s are mean fun at tracks days. Ive owned 9 cars and i keep coming back to MR2s cos they are just so fun to drive once you have them set up right.

If you want something reliable and fun but without maintence cost then go with a gen III MR2 non turbo manual hardtop.
They acutally have a bit of power for a NA and their suspension set up is better than the gen1s and gen2s.

Oh and for the record "snap oversteer" (with traction) is a myth. i dont know many people, if any who have experienced it.
Ive only ever had a fright while the rear wheels were def not gripping the road if you get my drift (pun not intended lol)

[pureadrenalin]

Soooo not a cheap hobby. Its a disease.

It depends what kind of track day stuff you are wanting to do.
If you are just wanting to do open track days, there are so many neat cars to have a blat in. Everything from the good old MR2 to the MX5.
But I can say this. The lighter the car, the more fun. I know some of the whales are pretty cool too, but light weight rocks.

If you are looking at doing more serious track stuff, you are going to want a cage. Its heaps cheaper to buy a car where someone else has done the hard work, but you don’t get to customize it how you want. The full monty safety stuff is not cheap.

PS. I wouldn’t swap my turbo MR2 track day for a NA in a million years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS3wRSVuLvg

[strx7]

Yeah, I had actually thought about a MX5, but I just know the amount of crap my mates would give me for owning one, I don't think I would live that one down lol.

How tall are you, cause that has a bearing on weather you actually FIT in an MX5. but yes they are another thing to consider.

[touge rolla]

go the MR2.
If you go for an NA get a gen3 as although still fun the Gen2 3SGE is a bit gutless.
I say get a turbo though, the imo gen2 3SGTE makes just the right amount of power to learn to drive an MR2 with and is easily increased once you get the hang of it. And nothing beats the sound of a turbo spooling just centimeters behind your head.
Spend the change on wider rims and tyres plus shocks and springs.

[d1 mule]

im 6"1' and fit fine.

the car i drove (regularly)was a 1600 manual and had aftermarket suspension, extractors, exhaust and filter and was UBER fun such a wee screamer, think of it as a slightly newer and better in every way ae86.

and with a kit and wheels look pretty cool imo

if i was after a track car for the money id def seroiusly consider a mx5.

drive both and see what you prefer tho.

[Leon]

MX5's being an open top do require roll protection to do anything other than clubsport basic.

Also, it is going to depend how much of your height is in your body, or in your legs. I'm longer in the body apparently, because I'm just under six foot, and both of my two MX5's were a bitch, because my head was against the roof constantly. Marginal head clearance + hardtop = serious head pain

[RomanV]

When ANYTHING breaks with an MR2, it's pretty much... your days over, put it on the trailer.

Why do you say that? Can you give an example of something that would be an easy "in the pits" fix on a front engined car that would stop an SW20?

Okay so perhaps most tasks arent make or break, but just.... an easy 10 minute job vs a frustrating and awkward hour long slog.

But when my MR2 clutch blew up in the first 15 mins of the day... MR2 = not a chance. FR = I'd damn well give it a go, getting the gearbox off.

I can get the gearbox on or off with basic tools like a jack and jack stand, as opposed to an engine hoist, trolley, things I'm not likely to be able to take to a trackday.

I think this sums up my feelings on the matter.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/6902/cbako2.jpg

Dont get me wrong... I love SW20s, I wish I still had mine to run around in instead of parting it out.
But wanting to never work on one ever again wins out.

[Alex B]

Anyone would think you was talking about a twin turbo fairlady.

[d1 mule]

^^ lol iv only worked on 1 SW20 and all we did was oil and filter and fark me what a bloody mission took over an hour to get it off lol

so tight, hot exhaust right there, akward position = stupid, never again lol

[Alex B]

They really arnt all that bad with the right tools/you arnt a tool your self.

[pc]

Don't forget to factor in the cost of a seat and harness, if you're flopping all over the cabin it's really hard to drive round corners.

[fivebob]

But when my MR2 clutch blew up in the first 15 mins of the day... MR2 = not a chance. FR = I'd damn well give it a go, getting the gearbox off.

If you blow a clutch at a track day you're stuffed anyway, unless you carry a spare clutch plate, pressure plate, and machined flywheel.

I can get the gearbox on or off with basic tools like a jack and jack stand, as opposed to an engine hoist, trolley, things I'm not likely to be able to take to a trackday.

FWIW I have never needed any of the things you mention to change an SW20 clutch, and while it might take a bit longer than an FR car it's sure a hell of a lot easier than doing one on a GT4 or Caldina 4wd, now that's a mission.

[RomanV]

Haha I'm not doubting that! But I dont plan on owning or working on either of those either, simply based on that fact.

Out of interest, what's your method for clutch change for SW20?

I couldnt see any way that was much easier than pulling the whole lot out the bottom. I know that some people like to drop just motor or just gbox, but seemed even more awkward that way to me.

It's not too bigger a mish to get another clutch plate and pressure plate from down the road, would it make much of a difference if a flywheel was machined or not?

I've never put in a clutch without machining the flywheel, just curious as to whether it'd slip to buggery, or whether it's just good practice to do so.

(as in, whether it would be worth trying in order to salvage 1/2 a day at the track, or not)

[fivebob]

Out of interest, what's your method for clutch change for SW20?

I couldnt see any way that was much easier than pulling the whole lot out the bottom. I know that some people like to drop just motor or just gbox, but seemed even more awkward that way to me.

• Unbolt the shocks
• pull the axles
• disconnect the exhaust
• drop the cross member
• leave one of the gearbox/motor bolts in place
• remove the front mount,
• leave the cylinderhead mount attached
• disconnect the intake from the turbo
• put jack under the rear of the motor
• undo the top gearbox mount and lower the gearbox
• remove last bolt and seperate the motor and gearbox.
• Assembly is just the reverse of the above.

Only tricky bit is bench pressing the gearbox back in place, but once you've done it a few times it only take about 30 secs to get it in place.

It's not too bigger a mish to get another clutch plate and pressure plate from down the road, would it make much of a difference if a flywheel was machined or not?

I've never put in a clutch without machining the flywheel, just curious as to whether it'd slip to buggery, or whether it's just good practice to do so.

Somewhere I have a photo of an SW20 clutch that had the linings ripped off it less that 20kms after it was installed, because the flywheel was not resurfaced and the clutch plate picked up on the high spots. All because the dealer that did the warranty work was too cheap to machine the flywheel

[kim0663]

then again, 3S's seem to be relatively fragile engines, and not exactly the cheapest either.

Fragile? hmm never heard of that, although i've heard 3sgte's DIEING from neglected owners running the engine dry of oil and stuffing bearings etc, BHG etc

suspension set up is better than the gen1s and gen2s

Only Gen1 mr2s have different suspension setup, rides higher, has adjustable castor arms in front, rear ccontrol arms are shorter.

Gen2 mr2s all the way to Gen5 share same suspension, and larger brakes 275mm fronts and 281 mm rears. They have non-adjustable front castor arms and have thicker/much longer control arms in the rear that stops the rear wheels from angling outwards (into toe out position) during hard cornering. This helps prevent in-experienced drivers with the snap over problem but in return, car is more prone on understeer without good weight shifting

So they have pros and cons.

Id buy a Gen3 n/a . They go so much better than gen2 3sge and they benefit from larger brakes, lower car, and easier to drive / also more comty than any gen1 mr2. You could pickup a very nice example for the price range you are looking at.

To get the car track ready, i'd get excellent rubbers on some light 15" wheels, some mintex 1166 pads, maybe new rotors depending on condition, find a set of second hand bilstien shocks off a mr2 GT, and buy a set of TRD springs.

A fullout service is obviously going to happen before any of above start

[Leon]

That almost sounds like somebody who is used to mid engined vehicles ought to buy a Gen 1, then put Gen 2 onwards brakes in it.

[Dell'Orto]

Pretty much!

[pureadrenalin]

LOL @ twin turbo fairlady.
The only reliability issues I’ve had with mine are things that we’ve changed.

My advice is to buy the cheapest platform that you are happy with the performance of.
That way, if you prang it, it’s a little over the cost of a new shell to get back to where you were. Most of the time, you don’t damage too many of the parts list that you’ve add to the car.

I was as quick as a friend in the local car club in my MR2 turbo vs his 350Z (till he turboed it). He went through a fence on a hill climb and missed a power pole by about a meter. Crapped himself. The one comment I remember him saying is that he wishes he chose a cheaper platform to turn into a race car because if he crashes it, that’s it, he can’t afford to replace it. Whereas it would cost me a couple of grand for another MR2 shell.

[fivebob]

That almost sounds like somebody who is used to mid engined vehicles ought to buy a Gen 1, then put Gen 2 onwards brakes in it.

I'd say it's compulsory if you want to stop after a few laps.

Stock series 1 SW20 brakes will suffer bad brake fade, and send out a large smoke trail on the road, let alone on the track