(AW11)(Click on picture to see more pictures of the car)
I
list this car last because technically it isn't my car anymore. My uncle
was able to get me a AW11 for free from some guy who wanted to get rid of it.
This car has had quite a history. Apparently it was stolen 3 times and
stripped. When I got it, it barely ran, it had no seats, no gauge cluster,
no AFM, no radio, no roof, pretty much nothing. I managed to get the car
running enough to hobble it over to my house, it had a blown/cracked piston and
crushed rod bearing. I restored the MR2 from several MR2s I found at
various pick n pulls. I swapped the engine out for a red top AE92 engine I
got at attarco motors in Berkely. The engine is isn't a hicomp but it got
190 PSI per cylinder which is better than any other 4AGE I've ever tested.
I AutoX'd it once and it was a blast at Golden Gate Fields, it would oversteer
something it doesn't normally doesn't I even got it to drift until it stopped
sideways. After having built and driven this car I want another one for
myself in the future. Unfortunately I don't want this car because its
automatic, but I'm amazed how fast and nimble this car is stock. After I
was done fixing it I handed it over to my sister who we got it for in the first
place, I can't say its mine cuz my parents paid for all the parts I got for it.
She painted it a gay raspberry color, so now I don't want anything to do with
it. Rest in peace MR2, me and this car had memories together sad to see it go.
1986 Toyota Supercharged
(AW11)
(Click on picture to see more pictures of the car)
This ones not really my car either but I drive it when my Eclipse and 280Z are down. I found it on Craigslist and showed it to my dad and he bought it so he could drive to work. Had 160k miles on it but still ran fine. Another thing cool about this car is that this is nearly the same car featured in the manga Over Rev! down the color. The main character Ryouko Shino drives a Midnight Blue Supercharged AW11. Unlike the previous AW11 this one is a manual but unfortunately this car has T Tops so its much heavier than the other MR2. Though it has more power because of the supercharger its handling is sluggish and dialed for understeer even though it comes with a rear sway bar stock. Its got crap loads more torque but gone is the all motor roar of the NA MR2 replaced with a growling/buzzing supercharger sound. The tranny really needed an oil change because it was hard to get into all gears so I changed it, it shifts great but the 3rd gear syncro is on its way out. Came with 6 spoke Enkei rims also. I also did a compression test on it and it got a 180 psi across all cylinders, I don't understand why the compression is so high on this engine if it should have a been a lower compression engine for boost O_o, maybe my gauge is broken. Interesting how you look at the specs my eclipse has just about the same power a supercharged AW11, I guess there really is no replacement for discplacement. My dad also installed a Mallory Hyfire ignition system, which is like the equivalent of a MSD 6 ignition. In 2006 the car started developing a seaping headgasket leak. Its a common problem with 4ages with high mileage. The water was leaking out of a water jacket on the 4th cylinder. I started the job when I got back from AT late June and finished the headgasket change. Reason why I didn't want my parents to pay a mechanic to do the work was that they wanted 1000 to do the headgasket and 1600 to get the head rebuilt. I thought that was too much money but now I know why hehe. It took me almost a month to finish the job because of various things. One was that the gasket set I ordered from Paradise Racing got lost in the mail. Then the head took a long time get back from the headshop. Also all the extra trips to the auto store to get missing gaskets took a while. Taking the MR2 apart wasn't so bad the hardest part was the supercharger, it has to come off in a specific order like a puzzle =P. Everything else wasn't so bad, the exhuast manifold and timing belt were surprisingly easy to install. The supercharger head torque specs were a tall order for my arms but I got it done. Another thing that took a long time was cleaning the engine up it was filthy lots of carbon on the piston tops, plugged EGR passages, filthy intake manifolds, twisted EGR banjo bolts, etc... After that was done I discovered a torn inner cv boot when I was working under the car. OMG the CV joints of those axles are really hard to put together I had to pay 50 bux for someone to assemble it for me because the SC MR2 has these beefier axles and joints. Not a fun experience. I spent a total of 1000 dollars to change the headgasket and CV boots the right way including the the valve job. I'd say we got our money's worth, plus the satisfaction I get that I did the work myself and I did it right. After a couple weeks the car started dripping coolant and the CV boot ripped, it was a piece of crap universal boot that was too wide. Anyway I found out that Toyota does indeed sell the right boot but you have to buy it in a kit the inner and outer, so when I do the other side I'll just get the whole kit, its ok it'll last 100+ miles anyway. As for the coolant leak I put a bad clamp in, apparently it wasn't clamping it tight no matter how tight I made it and it would just leak.
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