Yes, the half-cut had seen some salt water, but none made it into the engine or gearbox, although the both the idler pulleys (alt and a/c) were shocking. I had the starter and alternator checked by an auto-elec; the alternator was ok, but the starter needed some cleaning up. I think it's got wet in the container ?
I don't think I can re-use the ae111 driveshafts, as the cv joints are f'ed. Having said that, I'll see how it looks when the c52 is out of the mr2, and I have them side-by-side.
I'm trying to do as much as possible before taking the aw off the road, so the actual swap can be done fast. I can't do the gearbox mount or exhaust yet, but I have the engine wired up; all I need to do is the clutch/flywheel, and finish replacing the gearbox seals.
The problem with borrowing a mate's workshop is that I have to fit in around him; I can work on the drivetrain any time, but I can't have a dead mr2 on the floor for more than a few days.
Anyway, I hope to do the swap in 1-2 weeks time. Yippee!
Cost:
When it's all done, I might add up the costs (or maybe not
). It's the 6 speed box that makes it costly; you could get a blacktop on its own for a lot less, but then you need the sensors/ecu etc. I want a factory look and stock toyota ecu (for now).
I think I'm up to about $6-7k so far, with nothing much left to spend.
(Until the bodywork gets done).
My guess is that I will have spent about $15k (including the car itself) all up, but that includes new suspension, exhaust, 20v engine, 6-speed box, lsd, and minor bodywork.
A lot of money for a 22 year old car, but it will be unique, and I love driving it, even with the current 16v. Not quite an elise (about 200 kg too heavy, and 30 hp short), but still a fun toy.
As I may have mentioned earlier, I had custom springs wound for it, as I wanted to keep the ride height standard. I do a fair bit of country driving, including the occasional dirt road, and need the ground clearance.