Haloruler64's 2000 MR2 Spyder build thread

Onto fixing some of the issues!

First is a safty issue. The tires were all cracked and even bulged at the sidewall, which made the steering wheel wobble quite a bit on the freeway.



New tires for these wheels would have been around $400-450, which is pricey. But the wheels... while I liked them, they were 17x7.5" and weighed 25 pounds each according to the official spec sheet. They felt heavier, I could barely lift them. Somehow, I found a set of nearly new 15x6.5" Konig Maxxim wheels with nearly new tires in the proper size, exactly what it came with from the factory on the rear wheels. I knocked the price down to $550 and was VERY happy. Acceleration was significantly better, as they weigh 12.8 pounds each.





Then I tackled the yellow headlights. Took to them with Turtle Wax headlight cleaner and sealant. Didn't expect much, as I tried polishing other headlights with worse compounds to no avail, but holy crap does it work! They're not quite as clear as in the photo, and they still have a lot of interior cracking, but the difference is amazing. And it lasts more than a month without yellowing significantly!

Before:



After:



I also stuck in some PIAA Plasma GT-X halogen bulbs for the extra brightness and whiteness. If I'll be driving 8 hours a day, I need good light output and not having bulbs burn out constantly thanks to the always on DRLs (I'm looking at you, Silverstars).





Then I went onto changing the O2 sensors. One was dead and throwing a check engine light, so I replaced all three with Denso branded sensors. While doing so, I noticed one of my pre-cats beginning to deteriorate. This may be common for the Spyder, but it's dangerous if not fixed. So I bought an eBay header to remove the pre-cats entirely.



Got the new manifold in without much trouble. Not an easy job if you don't have swivel sockets.



First it turned golden.



Then it turned a beautiful neochrome.



And lastly, a rainbow pastel hue that became hazy. I also attached the braces to the back a few days after the job.



Of course, since it's from eBay, it had to have an issue. The advertised heat shield mounting points were there, but didn't line up. And one O2 sensor was in a slightly different position. My hood got uncomfortably (read: burning) hot, so I got to modding the heat shields.

Cut a bigger O2 sensor hole, when my mandrel broke (yeah, I know I was using the wrong wheel, I switched to metal cutting wheels after getting a new mandrel).



Drilled new holes in the lower heat shield to match up with the lower mounting points and cut enough room to attach speed clips to the original mounting holes, so I can bolt the upper heat shield to the lower one to prevent rattling.



Job done! I only used one speed clip, the other interfered with the header mounting bracket.

gold94corolla said:

It's about time! I guess it took 2 people telling you to make this thread before you finally would lol

Click to expand...

It's true, it's true. Hopefully the MR2 section appreciates the MK3

I promised myself I wouldn't modify the MR2, as it's my work beater. Yeah... that didn't go well. Immediately bought a K&N air filter for the stock air box. It made a big difference in my Corolla, so I wanted it for the MR2.



TRD license plate frames to replace the ugly ones advertising a dealer I've never heard of



A custom made armrest. I LOVE this thing.



Blue lug nuts. I was using my father's spares, so I needed a set for myself. Also needed some locks. Went for Muteki since I had a set on the Corolla and loved it, but in blue.





Knockoff TRD shift knob. The only one I found with legit internal threads, which was VERY important to me. The aftermarket shift knob I had on there from the previous owner constantly got loose and was just terrible.



It didn't fit, not enough shaft exposed (heh). I took off the center console, took off the retaining clip (thank god it was removable), and put a zip tie lower down to hold the boot in place.





What a difference in shifting! I love it, even if it is a knockoff. Can't beat $25 though!

Then I got my Speed Source shifter base and cable bushings.



Here's what I had to say the day I did it:

"First I installed the shifter cable bushings. Easy install, removing the old ones from the cables was a bit tough but installing the new ones was a piece of cake.



I didn't much bend the cotter pins, but the way I did means they have no chance of escaping. VERY hard to bend all the way in there.

I took it for a drive right after. I had very mixed feelings immediately. On one hand, it's a GLORIOUS feeling. The way you have to push on it only to get it moving, then it just CLICKS into place, is amazing. Very much like an FR-S shifter. It feels sharper and more precise, and actually made me shift smoother.

Unfortunately, it had the adverse side effect of making it harder to shift. It requires more force to actually get it moving, which I wouldn't normally mind, but since it's a work car I'd be driving 8 hours a day, I was unsure whether it would be worth keeping.

I drove to Home Depot and picked up a small tub of faucet grease. Got home and began on the shifter base bushings. Took everything apart, installed the new metal bushings (also super easy install) and cleaned and greased the ball of the shifter. Just a thin coat, which really helped get rid of the small amount of roughness in movement.

Took it for another test drive. Without the slop of the giant rubber base bushings, moving the shifter was easier. Not as easy as stock, but still easier and much more manageable for long periods of time. I was in a drive through line that wrapped around the block, having to shift the entire time, and it was totally fine.

The shifter base bushings changed the behavior even more! The clicking into place was accompanied by an actual CLICK. No more slop, no more squishy feeling hitting the end of travel. Just a satisfying click. It feels so accurate, so precise, so MECHANICAL and unassisted. Once you push hard enough to get it to start moving, it practically throws itself into place.

Overall, I'm VERY happy with this mod. It really makes it feel so great. However, it does add a little bit of force necessary to shift and I'm not completely fond of that for a work car. Even for a daily driver it's an AMAZING mod I couldn't recommend more, but for me, it could be a little better. But logically, how could solid shifter cable bushings make it HARDER to shift? Wouldn't they just reduce the slop but still require around the same force to push the switch on the transmission? Here's the issue: the rubber bushings are designed with spherical rotation in mind. They have an inner and outer section, and the inner section can rotate with the switch while the outer section and stay in one position with the cable. These new copper bushings do not have this ability. The lack of rotation is what makes shifting harder.

Solution? Spherical bearings. They're solid, but have an inner part that can rotate. Pressing the bearings into the shifter cables won't be easy, but after that, a few washers and a cotter pin and that should make shifting absolutely perfect. I'm waiting on a friend who has some in the mail to tell me how he likes them, then I'll order a set for myself."

Now I'm just in love with it, and don't mind the extra effort. Wonderful mod, though I look forward to ordering some spherical bearings.

I got an LED panel in the mail today. Modified the wiring to be extra short, tucked it all in, bent some metal on the dome light to get it enough surface area to stick, and put a clear Mitsubishi cargo lens over it.

And to finish this thread off until I have something new to post, some random shots of the car in chronological order.













Bonus dog