i always wanted one :)

[snoball]

sorry for not posting in here first before responding elsewhere.

i'm donna and i'm a long time admirer of the MKI to the point where i still have the original magazine poster of the MKI on my wall - i got that picture in 1984 and my dad framed it for me and every house i've ever lived in has had a wall graced with that framed poster :)

i was about 7 or 8 when i first saw one and said "one day i'm gunna have one of them" well roll on nearly 30 years and i've just put a deposit down on a 1986 MKI which is absolutely stunning from top to bottom with only 81 and a half thousand miles on it :) right royal result :) and she passed her mot with NO advisories (i couldn't believe it)

i've had a MKII TURBO GT TBAR and MKII GT TBAR n/a and 2 scooby impreza turbo wagons and yet when i test drove this MKI it was like why didn't i do this sooner - i've not stopped smiling yet and the grip is F1 standard i thought i'd pushed it going into a corner and it just held and both me and the dealer were sat there totally stunned, i can't wait till i go and pick her up cos coming home is gunna be a 25 mile blast/laugh a minute down the country lanes between wigan and warrington gunna be so much fun. who needs big cars with license losing speeds when you can have mega amounts of fun in a small car at the speed limit :)

am gunna do some minor mods :- blitz induction kit, iridium plugs, magnecor leads, cobra exhaust, maybe give her a paintjob (she's got a white top half and a grey bottom half) and some new rims and boots (she's got the originals on) and am gunna change the drivers seat for my favourite omp bucket and maybe put my 6 point harness in there too - but not sure part of my dilemna is that i got a dog and the seats are immaculate black cloth with a white stripe running down the middle --- white stripes and dogs just do not mix lol :)

if you're looking for new parts like drop links and stuff try www.fensport.co.uk

looking forward to seeing the other MKI's :) didn't know that there were MK1a/MK1b as well as turbo and supercharged versions - just adding more fun to the mix :)

[muckyman]

Hi Donna, congrats on the car! My first was a white over silver also and I loved it.
Shame you're so far away from me as I would have offered to swap my black seats with your two tone versions :-(
Any pics of your car to share?
Michael

[PeteP]

If I hadn't already finally got the car that I always wanted since I was 17 (1986ish) then your description would've convinced me. Wonderful introduction.

It's interesting to hear from somebody who is already well used to cars with exceptional handling, and it supports my belief (actually more like disbelief) that the MK1 has ridiculous levels of grip. Mine has a couple of things that need sorting to make it handle as it should, but I can't believe it still has more grip available. Mine is on original teardrop wheels and fairly standard tyres and I can't imagine giving up the look of those wheels just for a lower profile tyre. It simply doesn't need it.

Aren't they fantastic machines - even at 25 years old! :D:D:D

[cabbydave]

Well done with the car there are some nice roads near Warrington. I would keep the car the same colour as theres not many around that colour. They started changing a few bits on the mk1 in 86 like side skirts and different front spoiler and bumper. The mk1a interior is much nicer than the later ones any help you need theres loads of us in the North West. I go up to warrington now and again to see someone who breaks mk3's so any bits or advise shout up

[snoball]

thankyou all for the warm welcome :)

seats might end up my living room yet lol :)

dog needs his space and am scared of getting them dirty lol :)

pete you just need to take your car down the twisty bitz and i can guarantee you'll get scared long before your car thinks about letting go :)

cabbydave :) i'll definitely keep you in mind :)

michael i'll take me cam with me tomorrow when i go to see her :) so if i can get windows 7 to play ball then you'll see the pics tomorrow :)

[snoball]

here goes :)

i've just come back from the dealer in question and after having a better look at her here's what the dealers done --- after he found out she was one of the last MKIa's registered he changed the induction kit for a proper airbox, gave her a new clutch sorted out the heater matrix, swapped the radiator, changed the wheels for original ones cos it had some awful ones on it

she does need a coat of paint but am gunna keep the colours though cos it suits her.
other thing i never knew was that the sunroof --- yup she's not a tbar sorry about that --- is detachable :) so basically it's a slightly different version of a tbar :)

here's the web addy for the pics cos i forgot my digicam :-
www.wigansportsandprestige.co.uk/toyota-mr2-mr2-1.6-uk-car-low-miles-t-amp-t-in-lancashire-2730226

[AW11mike]

hi Donna,you have a great looking car there:) you cant beat two tone! mike.

[snoball]

hi mike :)

thankyou :)

[Master-B]

Hiya, welcome to the forum, I'm pretty certain I recognise that car as one Gary (mk1dal) won a show trophy or two with a few years back, so you have picked up a goodun :-D

[snoball]

thankyou kgb603 :)

when i saw her first time i said she looked like a show car so thanks for the intel :) i saw from the mot's that she's only done about 4000 miles in three years so she must have been dry stored and just brought out to show off a bit lol :)

can you tell me anymore about her history ????? cos am very interested to know where she's been and what she's done and stuff :)

[Master-B]

can you tell me anymore about her history ????? cos am very interested to know where she's been and what she's done and stuff :)

Sorry unfortunately dont know much more than that, I think its one of Garys old ones - but he had it & sold it before I joined up so I only recognise it from a few old photos on this thread http://www.mr2mk1club.com/showthread.php?4779-Tatton-Park-Aug-22nd-23rd-(Camping)/page4 - Im sure he will be along shortly with any info he has got on it

Hopefully we will get to see you at one of the meets or shows this year, you are in the best region, there is always something MR2 going on

Kris

[snoball]

thankyou kris for the picture evidence :)

she's looking stunning there :)

[cabbydave]

Nice car its got the m1a front bumper and lower lip I'm sure you will love it.

[snoball]

had 2 "test" drives and it's seriously sweeeet :)

all the paperwork from the dvla says that it's a MK1a so gotta go with what it says and also all the original parts are there - it's just had a clutch change and the guy that changed it said that he thought the one he took out was the original one :) i had a good look in the engine bay and it's spotless :)

the only thing that's "wrong" is cosmetic a few minor rust spots and a bit of blistering to the paintwork but hell she's 27yrs old and i know that am only 10yrs older than her and am no oil painting lol :) so a new coat of paint gunna keep it two tone but prolly go with white over black cos the black'll match the seats and carpets and i'll put some white rims on her for contrast :)

[PeteP]

That's a seriously nice looking car! I'm not at all :sick: with envy.

I'm not a big fan of the sunroof or two-tone (don't hold that against me) but I'd happily compromise on those for such a tidy example.

[snoball]

she is a real beauty :) and to think i found it whilst hunting for a MKIII soft top lol :) MK1's were never in my original gameplan idea was to take a MK3 and mod it to hell then i found "dorothy" and now it's like well i gotta keep it sort of standard cos she's a very classy lady :) plus i've always loved the classic lines but it was actually that first test drive that sold her to me and now that's it - she'll prolly be the only car i'll ever own from now on in lol :)

am glad you think her worthy of such high praise now but just wait until after i give her some new clothes and new pair of shoes :)

[mk1 dal]

it looks like my old car is in good hands again , the mileage is 100% correct and that would have been its first clutch . the 2 tone colour is original so personally i wouldn't go the black over white paint job ,besides white over gun metal are quite rare now . welcome to the club and hope to see you at some of the events , pics of the car when i sold it 4 years ago .

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2011/03/Picture257-1.jpg (http://s557.photobucket.com/user/mk1dal/media/Picture257.jpg.html)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2011/03/Picture245-1.jpg (http://s557.photobucket.com/user/mk1dal/media/Picture245.jpg.html)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2011/03/Picture243-1.jpg (http://s557.photobucket.com/user/mk1dal/media/Picture243.jpg.html)

gary

[coverco]

Gary, why fit a Jimi bracket and not connect it up?

[snoball]

Hi gary :)

so it was you that put that shocking max power induction kit on her ????? :)

the guy that i'm getting her from has thrown it out and put an original mk1a airbox back in there :) also who put the cc+ rims on her ????? they look like they're straight off a 1990's MX5........ again the guy that i'm getting her off has sourced a set of original mk1a rims that he's gunna put on her for me in place of the cc+ ones :)

the engine bay is still as clean as it was in your pics :)

on the milage the mot's say that she's not done more than 4,000 miles in the last 4 years so whoever got her from you either got scared or just wanted to sit staring at in the shed lol :)

the seat, the carpets, the plastics - everything about says that it's not been anywhere really and certainly not for any period of time either :) till now..........

other point she'll be well looked after might not look the same when i've finished but hell i won't be letting her start rusting at any point. the paintwork has got some small blisters in it and some of the fastners have created rust spots so they're gunna have to go........... :)

thankyou for the pictures - it'll help a lot when comes to the respray and it's gunna have to be a full body bare metal one which is why i'm thinking of changing the colour scheme slightly........

[PeteP]

You're getting rid of the induction kit? :confused: The wheels, I can understand; I'm not a big fan of the three point MK1a wheels but I dislike modern alloys even more. If you're not looking to put fancy boots on, then original wheels make total sense. If she was with me though, she'd be getting pepperpots - and damn originality!

That engine bay looks gorgeous and is tempting me to get the cleaning box out.

[snoball]

pete :)

the induction kit was horrible and she's worth more in her original state but don't worry though cos i got plans for a k&n unit to go in there :)

as for the wheels the spare wheel is a totally original one so when he said he'd got a set of the original wheels i asked him to swap them over so they're all the same :) they'll also be coming off in favour of a setof rota drift series ones :):)

as for the engine bay lol :) it's mint but to get yours like this i'm suspecting you'd have to drop the motor and then get the squeegy out :)

remember pete - SHE's JUST A GLORIFIED GO KART :):):)

[snoball]

i want one of Woody's haslbeck bodykits for her too :) that kit is just sooooo sweet :)

[PeteP]

That kit is nice - and I hate body kits.

As long as you're getting some sort of induction kit. I assumed you meant that you didn't like them full stop. It seemed odd coming from somebody who's been used to Scoobydoos. ;-)

[snoball]

induction kits, iridium plugs, magnecor ht leads, and a suitably rustic sounding back box are all compulsary items for any of my cars lol :)

the kit that was in just looked manky as hell plus it means that if i ever come to sell her then the original parts are there for the new owner which means i can ask more for her :):):)

[Rinzler]

Hiya snoball!, sorry for the late welcome, but welcome aboard! such a nice car you got there!. I've only just caught a few pics there of that Haslbeck bodykit and have to agree it's some piece of kit!.:thumbup:

[snoball]

i have to agree rinzler - it is seriously sweeeeet isn't it :):)

[Rinzler]

Totally!. Have to say the two tone paint is always a favourite. So what's the master plan for yours then?, sorry if I missed any comments in previous posts as to what all you have in store for the car. Think the kit fairly gives the MR2 an aggressive look, something Mad Max would drool over!.

[snoball]

ok rinzler here's what's planned short version :) i hate the two tone paint job as it is...........

polybushes, BC br coilovers, whiteline anti roll bars and drop links
see the thread "am gunna get" - for the rims
gloss black full bare metal paintjob
haslbeck body kit
kelsport roll cage
omp carbon bucket seat, omp 6 point harness
omp gp steering wheel and omp boss
magnecor leads, iridium plugs, k&n induction kit, mongoose exhaust system, fidanza alloy cam wheels/crank wheel/water pump wheel and race belts, cat cams stage 2 cams, full strip and rebuild motor (kitchen floor job for me) clear cam pulley/crank pulley cover, race spec gel battery, shot blast motor.

in a nutshell it's a huge job - project budget 10/12k ...............:o

[mk1 dal]

hi .sounds a interesting project ,if it was me though i dump the 4age has to get any decent power it costs a fortune and reliability takes a dive , better alternatives are the t sport vvti 190 bhp , turbo 2l 240 bhp and the v6 either the 3l or the 3.5l paul is now supplying , and with the right set up and engine the mk1 turns in to a 911 killer and very scary fast

[snoball]

gary :) like your thinking :)

i sort of like the feel and the way the little 4AGE pulls am not after serious bhp increases just doing some minor mods to it - to make it mine, i know sounds a bit mad but at the moment to me it feels as though it still belongs to someone else. the cam pulleys and stuff are going to be colour matched to the ht leads cos they're 8mm blue ones so the pulleys had to be blue as well and the rocker covers are going to be black with the lettering done in pink to match the rims am also debating putting a colour matched pink stripe down the centre of her but not sure yet.

time frame - with the way work is at the mo it's gunna take a while to get her the way i want her to be :(

plus she's my daily driver so every mod has to be done a day at a time on my days off :(

[PeteP]

You have a vision, that's for sure.

[snoball]

when i see summat and get thinking and have access to the parts required it just becomes a question of time - doesn't it always lol :)

my MKII turbo was an absolute peach which is why i'm a bit reluctant to take the motor out and put summat else in -- i worked with the turbo motor last time and found it's boundaries and got reliability with it.

different people like different things and for me what i drive has to be able to go down the twisty bits a lot better than the straight bits :) straight roads are boring cos there's nothing to do apart from keep your boot planted and truth be told anyone can do that - set your car up right for the twisty bits which naturally are more involving and she'll reward you with the ride of your life :)

my first scooby turbo wagon got turned into a rally car and she was amazing not cos she produced 335bhp but cos she went round corners like she was on rails - totally flattered my abilities :) i'd far rather have my car be able to make serious inroads on the twisty bits than on the straights only to lose the advantage again in the twisty bits :)

i've not planned much for the interior - the dash is staying, the carpet is staying and most of the rest is staying the seats are going cos i love my bucket far too much :) and my dog needs his space - he's not exactly small, see avatar lol :)

[julianw]

Oof! That sounds like a lot of things to accomplish in day by day work on a daily drive! Loving this thread. Welcome to the forum Donna. Very glad that one of Gary's has come back to the fold. Looking forward very much to seeing your car before,during and/or after its transformation. Hopefully at a show or two. Good luck with Dorothy.
Julian

[snoball]

hi julian :)

am sort of reckoning that it'll be somewhere near finished in january although she'll look like a "normal" mk1 all the way through :)

anyone looking at my go kart up until she gets painted won't know that anything has been done - which is the way that i want it, same car just a few changes until the final reveal - it'll also mean that i know i'm not gunna have any problems with her :) the motor bits bill is around £1500 including a remap :(

most of it is just ordering the parts then finding a gap in my local workshops schedule to get them to help to get the parts put on :)

longest bit is gunna be when i'm forced to take my holidays to get Dorothy a new set of clothes cos am gunna do the swaps and mods to the motor at the same time :) so when it comes to me going back to work she'll just be a different colour with a touch more go :)

so the suspension and brakes will get done first cos they're the easiest bits and i know that between me and the garage we can square those away pretty quickly :)

MOT's up at the end of the month along with the tax disc so am gunna start stripping the bits out that i'm not gunna need for the end result at that time :)

it is exciting - i'm finding this project more exciting than when i did either of the mk2's or the scooby turbo wagons :)

someone said that there's a rolling road dyno that i can put her on in warrington but i've not found it :(

apparently it's on the industrial estate near B&Q off the back of junction 9 --- anyone know anything about this cos i'd like to do before and after dyno runs to see what the improvments are like :)

[Rinzler]

Now that's a project!. Magnecor leads are awesome, I got that for mine and they are amazing!. Whiteline anti-roll bars front and rear are the ticket, have them in mine also. I opted for stainless steel droplinks on mine, the ticket!. I put in a full polybushes kit from EP Racing!. Will actuallly have to sit and list everything I got for mine. I totally dig what you mean in keeping the original engine in the car, I opted just to give it a full rebuild and put new parts in, havent really messed with it, the car runs a K&N Air filter system and a janspeed exhaust.

Your list of what you plan to do is pretty impressive. I wish you the very best of luck with the car, hope it turns out exactly the way you planned!.

[snoball]

rinzler thankyou :)

most of what's going on right now is collecting parts loads of money (got to earn more now - nooooooo) being spent and plenty of parts to show for it just gotta use the workshop services near here cos they've got the ramp that i need as where i keep "dorothy" she's sitting too low for me to get anything under her to jack her up :(

i like to try and keep my cars like "sleepers" for as long as possible and just put all the bodykit stuff on when it comes time for paint -

to me it just makes more sense to do things in batches like - suspension system - brakes - motor (might not do a full rebuild) additions - body and paint - interior stuff lol :)

[Rinzler]

Dorothy sounds like will be an amazing car when she's ready to roll. Great to see another one saved! and love the name you've given the car, have to give the car a name!.

Building up your parts first is def a good idea, thats what I did when I got mine, I spent the first 6-7 months of ownership building up a parts list of what I wanted and what the car needed most. Once I got nearly everything I needed, I tried to cover as much as possible but during the first stage of restoration a couple of things I didnt think of popped up but was still able to get. Luckily 90% of what I bought before begining the restoration stage had saved time in the long run as my mechanic wasnt waiting on parts, he had everything he needed bar a few parts I had to get so I was pretty pleased with myself in covering best I could considering Im not mechanically minded.

Everyone has their own way, I decided to pre-plan best I could in having as much bought as possible, just recently had to get a new rear bumper support bar, sadly couldnt find a new front one, but luckily I had a spare one from my 88 mr2 so I can use that for my 89 thats being restored at the minute.

Keep us posted on Dorothy's progress!.

[snoball]

thankyou rinzler :)

am lucky in that "dorothy" is in very very good shape so it's just a matter of building up the parts store and then fitting them :)

still gunna be late december or january before she's ready to take to the road in her new clothes cos of the costs involved in some of the things like the paint - reckoning it'll cost about £21/2k (am gunna need all the overtime i can get lol :) )

i'll try and post pictures of the things that i do as and when i do them :)

[Rinzler]

Can totally relate to that, I'm doing loads of overtime to go towards the car!. Just ordered some new repair panels. The car is totally worth it, the end result is what makes it all worth while!. Hope all goes according to plan for Dorothy's restoration!.

[snoball]

it's going like clockwork at the mo cos i got a bonus last week so she's getting bc coilovers at the end of the month and then i gotta find the time to take her in and get them fitted :)

other than tht i've not done anything other than add about 1000 miles to her :) i work all over the shop so she's racking up the mileage :)

other thing that i've got my eyes on is a 3litre twin turbo supra............that's a different story.............. :)

[AW11mike]

BC's are a great choice! The best upgrade i did on my MR2!:)

[snoball]

both of the MK2's i've had got dressed in bc's and for the money they're superb :) that's why i'm getting them for dorothy :)

might get the Tein S lowering springs to go with them but i think that with the bodykit that i'm gunna get it might bottom out and i might not be able to get a jack under it for changing wheels and stuff...............decisions, decisions..............

things that i've already got for her

super pro polybush kit £160 delivered
whiteline anti roll bars and drop links front and rear £400 the pair delivered

and i've more or less chosen the rims and boots :)

also ordered the new braided brake lines from hel and a clutch line from hel :)

[AW11mike]

You cant use standard drop links with the BC's on the front,they supply som for the front with the kit! :)

[snoball]

whiteline inclde their own front and rear drop links and bushes with their anti roll bars - sorry for not saying this hence the price tag............my bad :(

can't remember if bc put their links in cos last time i just used the bc struts, springs and mounts with whiteline arb and drop links :) underneath them and trd strut braces on top - total overkill really - but she'll handle with the best of them when i've finished which is what i'm after :)

not going for mega bhp just a seriously sweet ride that'll leave most things for dead in the twisty bits :)

she's also gunna need respraying if i change her socks and shoes :) cos pink doesn't go with white and silver :(

[Rinzler]

The Super Pro Full Polybush kit from EP Racing is a sound investment, I bought a set for mine, brilliant job, well worth the money, I also have the Whiteline front and rear anti-roll bars, I have stainless steel droplinks for mine though.

Yep thats where all my over-time goes on the car!. Can totally relate having to clock up massive amounts of over time just to get the parts you want!. Dorothy sounds like she'll be a mean machine when she's ready to roll.

Braided brakelines also a sound investment.

What colour you thinking of changing her to?.

[alpha13]

hi donna... your story is almost the exact same as mine... first seen one at the age of 7/8 fell in love and wanted one since then and finally got mine a few years ago..also like you got very very very lucky with mine too and similar mileage but in km/h...came from japan,and like yourself no regrets and plenty of enjoyment too :D :D :D
the car looks great so it does...and the seat look ubber comfortable.... as for the dog!!! just keep the car for you... i dont let my one into bumblebee... she has the whole back seat of the every day car instead LOL :) :)
best wishes and lots of happy fun time with your mk1 donna :)

[snoball]

colour change to possibly --- gloss jet black with the rota alecia polished and pink rims / candy purple gitter with rota torque white rims or possibly candy lettuce leaf green with team dynamics race 1.2 black rims :):):)

i bought the number plate S--REK a long time ago hence the reason for the green paint being included.

this won't be happening this side of xmas cos the spraybooth that i want to use is fully booked till january :( still it's gunna cost an absolute wedge so it'll just give me more time to put more money away and work harder than i am now just so i can make sure i can have what i want :)


problem alpha13 - dorothy is my ONLY car :)

am looking at a JDM Starlet Glanza Turbo V or a Supra 3.0L Twin Turbo so i can keep dorothy for special occassions :)

i gotta admit that i do miss the sound of the turbo spinning up and the dump valve doing it's stuff and then the backfire on the over run........... :):)

those were the days of cheap petrol when we drove all day and all night scaring the hell out the people using the tunnels on the A55 ****whistles quietly**** - some sounds are just too adictive lol :):):)

[PeteP]

You are such a boy (girl) racer, snoball.

When you first started rolling off the list of modifications & upgrades I was thinking "poor little Two", but as the gaps are filled in and I start to get a mental (and wow, is it ever mental) picture of the finished car, it makes sense. It's gonna be a real head turner and crowd pleaser at the shows. I really hope I get a chance to see it in the flesh once it's done.

Poor little Jolly is going to feel awfully Plain Jane next to her. I may have to buy her new shoes to make her feel better.

[snoball]

the shows are just that - they're for a limited but knowledgable audience :)

what i do is drive the wheels off my cars on roads in hot spot places where loads of ordinary people will get to see what i've done :)

and using places like prestatyn beach carpark in summer - now that's an experience for those with a modded car :) - talk about an audience :) then there are the tunnels :):) all the way from conwy to Llanfairfechan :):):)

just hoping i can get dorothy to sing at 45mph - tough ask for a N/A motor :):)

but yeah am hoping she'll be a proper headturner (one creating accidents) lol :):) ****whistles even more subtly**** like my last scooby wagon was :)

pete --- have you not considered getting jolly a new dress to go with the new shoes ????? i mean you've more or less sorted out her new underwear lol :)