Having wanted the Wilhelm Raceworks suspension kit since before owning this MR2, I wasted no time getting to work on installing it. I decided to do the front kit first, as I would quickly run out of daylight and I didn't want my car to be out of action. The install went smoothly, probably due to the countless times I had read the instruction manual online in anticipation! The only slight snag came when I undid the ball joint, and my arms were too stiff to bend out of the way for the front RCAs. I guess that's reassuring that the poly bushings are doing their job! The whole thing took less than 2 hours, with the second side taking me only 30 minutes, it's quite a straightforward process when it comes down to it. I loaded up the suspension and torqued everything to spec, then dropped the car back on the ground. I was greeted with a monstrous amount of toe-out, which seems logical when comparing the suspension geometry setups in my mind. I performed a quick newly-learned home alignment with some angle iron and measuring tapes, as I don't want to shell out for an alignment until the full kit is installed. Driving straight and pointing straight, I can't wait to get out on the weekend and see what difference even just the front kit has made. Also arriving this week was my new racing seat, a genuine Bride Zeta II (check out that old logo!). After contacting the seller for months (he was unwilling to ship or separate from the S chassis rails), I was finally able to get it driven down from Lismore. Thanks sis!The S chassis FG rail has already been sold to a friend, so that's a bonus! The bolsters are nice and deep, and the seat is just tight enough for my very small frame, around a 31 inch waist. Strangely I am also 6' tall, so having the low mounted seat should alleviate the bumping of my helmet on the t-top glass I experienced last track day.
All things considered, the seat was in very good condition, despite the typical late 90s blue tinge thanks to mother nature. There was one medium sized tear in the right bolster, a small tear on the rear fabric, and after doing a bit of digging I found some perished/knotted foam. These were all fairly quick fixes for a very novice upholsterer as myself, though to prevent these coming back I think I will purchase some side bolster protectors.
My Bride FG rail is on its way from Japan, and hopefully will arrive before I hit the track next, which is booked in for the 19th of October! I just want to get more and more seat time to progress, but couldn't resist a few track-focused mods in the meantime.
I will update when I have installed the rear suspension kit, my current hold up is not knowing whether to try to press the spherical bearings while they're on the car, or fully commit and take the knuckles off for hydraulic pressing. I guess time will tell!