I have decided to keep my mr2 spyder. Sorry those of you that we're pining for it (looks at Ben). Anyway, now what. It has springs and shocks done (tiens and gr2s), decent exhaust, and re11s.
Where to next? I hate the seats for one. Their leather and I feel a bit loose in them. Where can I find a dent replacement seat or seats without spending a fortune? Need to not look boy racerish.
I need more power! But how?
One thing I would like is a chassis brace. Anyone have one of those? Is it noticeable?
What would you do with a 2001 mr2?
pimpm3
Reader
11/18/12 11:01 p.m.
Are the similar vintage Celica seats any nicer, that might be a place to start. An exhaust frees up some weight behind the engine, not sure about power gains but less weight at the heavy end of the car is a good thing by itself.
lnlds
New Reader
11/18/12 11:05 p.m.
2zz? turbo? both? 
Or I guess you can look into mild cams and a header. I know the header gives decent gains in the 1zz celica, i'm not sure if there are any differences in the mr2. You could always look into purchasing a ported header or porting it yourself if you're looking for cheap gains.
Is this a new(er) MRS?
If so, I want one JUST to do a 2zz engine swap.
As should you.
That is all.
In reply to pimpm3:
I already have an exhaust. It is a nice magnaflow unit, looks like. I think the celica seats may be a bit wider but I doubt they provide any better support.
I loved the seats my MR2 had. Honestly have looked for one to attach to an office chair base.
In reply to lnlds:
2zz is fairly easy to install but I would have over 3k in the motor swap by the end. I feel that a v6 could happen cheaper with better power.
A turbo could happen for cheaper if I don't use a kit. These motors seem to take boost ok, not great, but ok.
The stock manifold is a decent looking unit. It has had its precats gutted (required to keep the motor from grenading) so I don't think an aftermarket header would be much better.
In reply to Grtechguy:
Leather or cloth? The cloth seats are much better, IMHO. The leather is more durable but I just find them unsupportive.
In reply to daytonaer:
Yes, it is. 2zz would cost over half what I payed for the car just for parts. A little steep.
singleslammer wrote:
In reply to Grtechguy:
Leather or cloth? The cloth seats are much better, IMHO. The leather is more durable but I just find them unsupportive.
Mine were the powered blue cloth from 87. touch the button and they wrapped around you.
In reply to Grtechguy:
COMPLETELY different. My car is a 2001. It has bone basic seats with no where near as much bolster support as the seats in your 87. Those seats were great (friend had an 88)
At minimal, intake and exhaust manifolds.
Jordan, they do make a TON of chassis braces for the car - including some pretty substantial ones that tie together the suspension from the bottom.
Apparently a CHE/PPE header with one of their pre-cat delete downpipes makes a good 5-10HP, sounds like sex, and allows you to bypass that problematic second O2 - while staying emissions "legal" (no CEL anyways).
These are the two best 3G MR2 performance part sites I found while I was seeing what you could get:
http://www.monkeywrenchracing.com/
http://twosrus.com/catalog/
Im thinking bigger. Do we have any Fiero guys here? I like the idea/price point of the GM 60 degree motors. I can pick up one of those LX5s (?) for not much, make well over 200 hp, transmissions are pretty cheap, although not plentiful. There is a solid crowd for these motors with a developing aftermarket. Smaller/probably lighter than a 1mz, better stock power with better aftermarket, EASY electronics (Thanks GM).
What say the Hive Mind?
In reply to SlickDizzy:
This is the one that I see recommended all around.
http://www.corkyandcompany.net/index.php
singleslammer wrote:
In reply to SlickDizzy:
This is the one that I see recommended all around.
http://www.corkyandcompany.net/index.php
Dayum, that's some serious bracing! TBH the idea of a GM V6 (LX9 I think is what you're thinking of) behind a third gen MR2 makes me gag a little bit, but hey, it's your car! My Google-fu also says the 1ZZ is roughly 220lbs and the 60* V6 is about 360, so a bit heavier actually.
In reply to SlickDizzy:
I meant the weight difference between a 1mz (toyota 3.0l v6) and the LX9. Why the gagin'? I know it has pushrods, but it shares a lot of tech and parts with the almighty LSX which is the engine swap answer around here, isn't it. They rev up pretty well with a little work and did I mention they are cheap. What would recommend in the engine swap category. The 2zz doesn't interest me too much.
The bracing will likely make a HUGE difference.
What about supercharging the 1ZZ? Toyota/GM made a factory kit for that (supercharging the Vibe) so it seems like it would work well since theirs tend to maintain the factory warranty. I've thought about doing that instead of a 2zz swap in the '01 MR2 I have.
dculberson wrote:
What about supercharging the 1ZZ? Toyota/GM made a factory kit for that (supercharging the Vibe) so it seems like it would work well since theirs tend to maintain the factory warranty. I've thought about doing that instead of a 2zz swap in the '01 MR2 I have.
Are we sure the supercharger was available for the 1ZZ? I thought it was just the 2zz.
In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:
Ditto. Plus those factory chargers are worth a mint on other motors (5vz and 1mz come to mind) and at least one of the previously mentioned is very undersized. Is an M90 too big for 1.8L?
Yes, there was a supercharger kit for the 1zz available through TRD. It fit the Matrix, Vibe, and Corolla. I'm not sure what it would take to put it in an MR2 but I assume it would be similar.
I hadn't planned on actually buying the TRD kit but figured if there was a factory kit available that a DIY supercharger would not strain the engine too bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Racing_Development#TRD_supercharged_engine_list_.28model_year.29
It's hard to find "official" sources since they've been out of production for a while. If you google "TRD 1zz supercharger" you'll find a few kits for sale and lots of forum chatter about it.
In reply to dculberson:
Found some pictures and know why I have never seen it before. It will run straight into the firewall. Oh well.
In reply to singleslammer:
I was never in love with the 2ZZ in my Elise. I was looking at spyders for a while. My thinking was a home brew turbo kit on the 1ZZ would be the way to go. I really liked the old sport compact car project MR-S. Last time I checked XS was selling what manifolds they had left on evilbay for ~$350.
Nice call!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-1ZZ-2ZZ-1zzfe-2zzge-Celica-MR2-Spyder-Turbo-Exhaust-Manifolds-T3-Flange-/370690486547?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item564edff113&vxp=mtr
