Diaries of the Noob Mechanic: Fuzzydunlop's '85 MR2

[JCH13]

Oh, the FIRST thing I'd do is get the battery secured for real... bailing wire is just ghetto.

 

[fbrdphreak]

If there's a harbor freight near you, they just sent out a massive coupon circular with lots of useful little things for the garage on sale for cheap. I'm going to stock up shortly!

 

[Aikouka]

I got a bit curious and looked for MR2s in my area (I've never been able to find a good one), and I think someone may have put down the wrong price or is flat out lying:

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/ctd/2278167992.html

 

[MaxFusion16]

definite scam, they'll come up with a sob story and wants you to paypal the money.

op, how much did you pay?

mr2s are getting really cheap, sub 2k for non-turbo

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

I got a bit curious and looked for MR2s in my area (I've never been able to find a good one), and I think someone may have put down the wrong price or is flat out lying:
http://huntsville.craigslist.org/ctd/2278167992.html

I’m guessing that he missed a zero on the end of that.



Went and picked up the MR2 today. Got home in one piece. Excellent shapes its in. No over heating, no oil burn, slight coolant leak, but I think that was due to overfill. Got ‘er up to 85 on the highway but started to feel a little loose and wobbly, therefore I backed it down to 70 where it was comfortable (and not so loud). I think the suspension needs work/replacement.

First impression: holy shit! the 0-60 on this car is awesome! I didn’t think that with only 100 horse that I could keep the car in a powerturn in second gear! I mean wow, I was not even done making a turn and going 40mph already. The amount of power that was available between 10mph and 40mph was totally unexpected. I started driving like I stole it! Took as many turns as I could, stopped at as many stop signs/lights as I could. Had a few gawkers too, yelling "let 'er rip" to me. I let my brother take a spin and it changed his mind about how 'gay' the car was (he wanted me to buy a 1985 Monte Carlo - I was considering it, but the MR2 won).
Consensus: Car is Fun!
I have never owned a car like this, have never have had a friend own one. so its a new experience for me.

I let a couple of guys from my local NAPA (sort of friends of mine) look at it and they were all like "good buy, she's in good shape. And could easily be sold for more than you bough it." So I’m happy. They said before I start tearing things apart I should just fix the things I don’t like about the car. That would pretty much be cosmetics: mostly interior - which is rather shitty and not all that much fun to do.

I only bought one day transit insurance to get it to my garage, but I think I’m going to go buy a week of insurance tomorrow and just drive the snot out of it. It was WAY to hard to park it tonight.

Oh, the FIRST thing I'd do is get the battery secured for real... bailing wire is just ghetto.

Yup, that’s def an issue. Will look into it tomorrow.
Good eye, btw.

op, how much did you pay?
mr2s are getting really cheap, sub 2k for non-turbo

I paid 2800. It has never been in an accident, nearly all original, 109k miles, brand new tires and brakes (supposedly on the brakes - they work but I’m hearing some scraping), starts and runs like a pro.
NAPA guys both agreed it was a good buy and could be sold for around 3700-3800 if I wanted to. But I don’t. I want it. Its mine.
I actually don’t think that the car can depreciate any further than it has. The nostalgia will probably never wear away for it. As long as I don’t total it.

If there's a harbor freight near you, they just sent out a massive coupon circular with lots of useful little things for the garage on sale for cheap. I'm going to stock up shortly!

I don’t have a harbor freight near buy. Disappoint. Closest thing to it is Princess Auto. Again disappoint. I’m in Canada. And again disappoint.

 

[Aikouka]

I paid 2800. It has never been in an accident, nearly all original, 109k miles, brand new tires and brakes (supposedly on the brakes - they work but I’m hearing some scraping), starts and runs like a pro.
NAPA guys both agreed it was a good buy and could be sold for around 3700-3800 if I wanted to. But I don’t. I want it. Its mine.
I actually don’t think that the car can depreciate any further than it has. The nostalgia will probably never wear away for it. As long as I don’t total it.

2.8k for a non-turbo? That just seems crazy to me.... I mean, the MR2 is a great car and I'd love to have one, but that's also a first generation ... I'd much rather get a second generation. But jeez... those would probably cost even more .

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

2.8k for a non-turbo? That just seems crazy to me.... I mean, the MR2 is a great car and I'd love to have one, but that's also a first generation ... I'd much rather get a second generation. But jeez... those would probably cost even more .

most second gens in my area run for 6-8k. Most of them are Right hand drive too, which I really wasnt in to.
You really have to factor in the overall condition of the car, not just the make/model. Having never been in a reported accident is just... well... good. I think.
There was another MR2 in the area I was looking at. It was an automatic going for 2600. The problem with that one (besides being automatic) is that it was totalled back in early 90's and is now considered a "salvage" car. And up here that makes it impossible to sell across borders. Nobody that has seen this car has told me that I was taken, yet.

 

[jlee]

The price seems a bit high, but if you're happy with it, that's what matters

And yes, they're a dream to drive.

I got a bit curious and looked for MR2s in my area (I've never been able to find a good one), and I think someone may have put down the wrong price or is flat out lying:

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/ctd/2278167992.html

Scam.

 

[exdeath]

Pics of the 20v swap :awe:

 

[Howard]

correct me if Im wrong.
After using anti-sieze you want to torque 30% less than what is recommended? This is because the anti-sieze causes less friction between the threads, so that you could over torque and more easily strip them?
Is this correct?


EDIT: ^^ DOH! JCH already answered ^^ forgot to refresh page before replying.

Depends on where you use the anti-seize. Unless the preload isn't crucial, take care to only use it on the threads and not the mating faces. I suppose this is more evident in lug nuts, but most of the friction is on the conical seat/lug interface. Leave that dry, and drop the torque by 10% if the threads are very lightly lubed.

Some interesting reading: http://www.arp-bolts.com/pages/arpultratorque.shtml

 

[JCH13]

Welcome to the world of light Japanese sports cars :biggrin:

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

got bored at work so i printed out the service manual.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Yesterday I didn’t get to start working on the MR2 till about 10:30p.m but I still got a lot accomplished.
Spent a few hours tearing down the majority of the interior including the dash assembly. It is SO friggen dirty in there. I probably should have been wearing a mask. My chest actually hurts a little today - a thorough cleaning is in order later this afternoon.
Thanks to Jlees factory manual, that he posted earlier, I was able to follow the step by step guide which made things easy as pie (or cake if you prefer, but beware, the cake is a lie). Also, it showed me where I have missing bolts/nuts/screws. Need to find a few replacements.
For now I have the dash display ‘securely’ attached with zip-ties as I scrub down all the paneling. Looks quite ghetto. Actually I like the look. Might keep it like this for a while.

My garage wall is lined with parts: need to make some shelves or put up wall hooks.

As someone had suggested I bought a few boxes of zip-lock bags and am labelling every bag with a description of where I got the pieces and where I can find instructions in the manual.

For now I am also researching interior automotive restoration. It would be kind cool to learn how to upholster and redo the whole interior, but that’s a whole other profession (and looks very difficult to do properly)… might be fun though. Anyone have experience with this?

I also replaced the spark plugs today, which was much needed judging by the shape of the previous ones … missing photo here… The whole compartment between the cams was full of junk and grime - spent half an our cleaning the area before I could even think of pulling the plugs out.

Also today I found a major downer. I’ve got leaks. Looks like engine coolant AND oil dripping from two separate places. Yikes! It appears to only be dripping right after I have parked the car and it is warm. The levels on both have dropped considerably, so I filled each to the recommended levels.

Also I don’t have a photo but (I’m pretty sure this is bad)- while idling the car will spit little black specks of liquid from the muffler. I’m assuming the worst and guessing that it is oil… that would mean what? A bad seal around the pistons?? Can I get away with just filling it up when it gets low and keep driving it for a couple weeks - or is that a bad idea?
Lemon?

 

[NutBucket]

I wouldn't call it a lemon; more like broken in

 

[skull]

I would check your pcv valve and pcv filter if its separate from the main air filter(most aren't). If the crankcase can't vent I think it can force oil through the rings.

It will be fine if the piston rings get bad enough you will know it and you will be ready for your first engine rebuild. If it is the rings you will need to rebuild anyway. I don't think you can do much damage letting it go someone else will know better than me.

 

[jme5343]

Also I don’t have a photo but (I’m pretty sure this is bad)- while idling the car will spit little black specks of liquid from the muffler. I’m assuming the worst and guessing that it is oil… that would mean what? A bad seal around the pistons?? Can I get away with just filling it up when it gets low and keep driving it for a couple weeks - or is that a bad idea?
Lemon?

I would guess that it's carbon rather than oil. Go back tomorrow (or now if you're close to the garage) and touch the specks. Oil will still be slippery and reduce friction when you rub it between your fingers. Carbon will be dry and smear on the concrete. The chances of oil making it all the way in black droplets to the end of your exhaust are relatively slim. It's most likely to just do it on startup and then stop. In my experience anyway.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

So more bad new.

Took the car around to a few local body shops to see what they could tell me about rusty floor boards... Yup, I have rust, can see straight to the ground on the passenger side.
One guy told me I am SOL on fixing it unless I can find another MR2 that isnt rusted out so that I can steal the floorboard out, but good luck with that. yeeesh.
Im suprised that it isnt something can be fixed with a good scub down and a few select welds. Im going to talk to a friend who is a welder and see if he could possibly fix it. Im sceptical.
Its not as easy finding replacement floorboards as it is the quarter panels on these cars.

 

[T2urtle]

^ strip the interior and have someone cut off the whole floor board and weld in a new one.

People do that all the time here in chicago, with old datsuns and AE86's

This part is hidden under carpet and sound dampening material it doesn't need to match/be prefect or anything. Just needs to be solid.

4AGE is a simple and solid motor. I just would of went with a SW20, 5sfe is just about as solid. Either way it should be a good learning experience but sadly your already looking for help and not trying to do things on your own...

 

[Eli]

Yesh. Honestly... you need to find a better board to post on. You're going to go insane waiting for solid replies here.

Don't start looking for problems because of the water coming out of your exhaust. That's normal. Proper combustion creates water vapor. It condenses in the exhaust system, and then gets sputtered out. Start watching other cars' tail pipes while you're driving. Surprised you haven't noticed this already, honestly. lol

I really admire you for diving in head first. I should take your example with some things I've been wanting to learn, like PIC programming.

My only warning is not to bite off more than you can chew. That doesn't mean that you can't or won't finish chewing, but when you have five different things going on at once.. it gets harder to manage, and easier to break/lose things.

I don't think there's anything wrong with asking for help. You're looking a perhaps thousands of hours of learning and then doing if he tried to do every single thing himself. If he doesn't have any desire to learn how to weld for example, then there is no point in him waiting until he can replace the floor pan himself.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Yesh. Honestly... you need to find a better board to post on. You're going to go insane waiting for solid replies here.

Don't start looking for problems because of the water coming out of your exhaust. That's normal. Proper combustion creates water vapor. It condenses in the exhaust system, and then gets sputtered out. Start watching other cars' tail pipes while you're driving. Surprised you haven't noticed this already, honestly. lol

oh ive noticed water comeing out a many of times, just not black specks hitting the ground!

I really admire you for diving in head first. I should take your example with some things I've been wanting to learn, like PIC programming.

My only warning is not to bite off more than you can chew. That doesn't mean that you can't or won't finish chewing, but when you have five different things going on at once.. it gets harder to manage, and easier to break/lose things.

I appreaciate the compliment. I figure the learning is 20% study / 80% practice. (this is why they call it Practicing Medicine, hehe!)

I don't think there's anything wrong with asking for help. You're looking a perhaps thousands of hours of learning and then doing if he tried to do every single thing himself. If he doesn't have any desire to learn how to weld for example, then there is no point in him waiting until he can replace the floor pan himself.

That and asking an experts advice gives me ideas that I have never thought of. I have a friend who welds for a living, i may give him a shout and see if he is able to fix the floorboards, OR even teach me some basic welding skilz.

Today I bought some heavy duty shampoo for the carpet, seats and door panels. Ill post pictures as soon as PHOTOBUCKET stops shitting the bed. What I once thought was a grey and black cloth interior, turned out to be a light blue and dark blue interior! hahaha.

PHOTOBUCKET is back up, heres the nasty

heres the clean

heres the key

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

Unless you're aiming to restore the car to factory, I don't see why you can't just weld in some thick-enough sheet metal and coat it with POR-15. Someone may be able to enlighten me on this, and maybe you want aluminum to lighten the car.

Otherwise, one thing I would pass on about learning to work on cars is to pick one problem and fix it, then move on to another. You often learn how to perform multiple repairs in fixing one issue. I know how to remove my front suspension from having to replace a CV axle, for example.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Unless you're aiming to restore the car to factory, I don't see why you can't just weld in some thick-enough sheet metal and coat it with POR-15. Someone may be able to enlighten me on this, and maybe you want aluminum to lighten the car.

Otherwise, one thing I would pass on about learning to work on cars is to pick one problem and fix it, then move on to another. You often learn how to perform multiple repairs in fixing one issue. I know how to remove my front suspension from having to replace a CV axle, for example.

yes. I've been doing some research (youtube, random googles) about how to fix this. Looks like the few solutions are
A) complete swap of the floorboard - probably never happen because Ill never find one in good enough condition, and aftermarket parts are nil.

B) Fiberglass kit repair - temporary and very micky mouse IMO - i might have this car for a while - i want to do it right.

3) I get someone to repair the visible holes by doing as you suggested, POR-15 it, and pretend I never saw it.

D) I learn how to weld and fix the ah heck myself (Im actually really curious about this option. I often watched my dad weld when I was young. I begged him for years to teach me how to do it... he never did. He has an arc welder at his place, but after watching some YOUTUBE i think I would need a TIG or MIG welder to do this kind of work. This way I can spend as much time as I need to get it fixed and not have to worry about taking up someone elses time. Maybe ill just drop the dough and get a TIG welding set up, and take a course somewhere - would be handy to know how to do it for any future project I may have.


I have to talk to a few friends and get theit opinion's, see if any are willing to help for a couple cases of beer.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

ya. Im getting a Lincoln Electric Weld Pak 125 HD Wire Feed Welder. 399 at my local store... just gonna go for it. jump in, do it, if i screw it up, someone else can fix it.


Ill post pics of the mayhem when i start next week. for now, its just getting this beast clean and stripped down as much as possible.
Im renting a carpet shampoo vacuum machine on friday. Hopefuly get this smoke smell out once and for all.

 

[Aikouka]

I have to say... when you get into a project, you take out all the stops .

Although, out of curiosity... what is your end goal when you're done tinkering with the machine?

 

[JCH13]

Good call on the MIG, using TIG to weld in a floor pan would simply be painful. Good luck!