Thanks MR2QIK I've wanted one of these airboxes since I saw it in the old forum under the rare as hens teeth type thread that was going on there. I was going to make my own but when it came up, I got on it asap. 
 
Totenkopf was nice enough to drop of the oil cooler today, now I can concentrate on getting some hoses/fittings for it and find a way to mount in the side where the NA fan is. The factory oil cooler has been ditched due to engine failure. 

Converted to shim-under buckets now, will no longer have use for the BC titanium retainers.

Just a small update, the block has been complete for about a week, just been trying to find time to do the head. I've converted it to shim-under buckets, I found a slightly damaged gen3 head for peanuts. 
I think the oil cooler is big enough not to run a fan on it. I'm worried the oil temp will be too low as its a massive oil cooler. I want the motor finished and in the car by this weekend, so keep an eye out :)

Have you got a thermostat in your oil lines?  It would be a wise addition.

The consensus seems to be that the oil temp needs to be above about 80 centigrade when the motor is warmed up.
If it doesn't take too long to reach that after cold startup you may be ok, otherwise you may need a thermo.
 
BTW, where you locate the oil temp sender can affect the gauge readings.
I now have mine mounted in a sandwich plate under the oil filter to measure the oil just before it enters the motor. I originally had it mounted in the sump but the gauge read 10 degrees cooler, probably because of cooling air across the sender.
 
 

so clearances all set now? so you think the uncleaned head with crap left in it cuased the scoring on the oil pump then led to seizing/failure?
 
11.2CR sounds like fun. only restriction i see if the factory inlet manifold and TB, how much they will restrict is anyone's guess. hopefully not too mch and well see a healthy 200hp or so.

Stock 55mm throttle body should be able to flow around 410 CFM or in the 275HP range.

far out this is officially the most hardcore NA build for the MR2 ever!!

Yes it had to be contamination in the head that caused all the problems. Big chain reaction. The shims are setup now, I gave myself a heart attack tonight at 1 am all of the shims were out of wack and all over the place like some of them were at zero clearance and others at 15 thousanths of an inch. It took me a couple of mins to realise I had put in all the buckets and shims in the wrong order from 1-8. so they were 8-1. 
 
Check out the difference between the factory airbox and the toms. Sorry for the crap photo.

 

Actually I think there was a minor miscalculation with the compression. I think its more like 11.5:1.