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Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana

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Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Tuesday, June 02, 2020 6:36 AM (permalink)
+2 (2)
@Lumix, in order to get around the HEL brake line mounting issue, I recently purchased a set of Goodridge braided brake lines. These were not that much more expensive than the HEL lines, and even after a bit of wait to get them shipped from the UK, they seemed to be much better value.
While braided lines are fairly similar across the board, if you're looking for a truly bolt-on solution these should do the trick, as they have the mounting bracket built into the rear fittings.
Yet to install them on the car, but will give an update with how easy it all (hopefully) goes together!
#46
Lumix
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, June 03, 2020 9:57 AM (permalink)
+3 (3)
Those Goodridge braided brake lines kit look really good. The rear mounting bracket should eliminate the need to fabricate anything up. Def keep us updated with how the install goes and if you hit any issues.
 
Well done with the restoration of the BBS rims. Transformation is incredible! Killer photos in your last post.
 
Loving this view.
Adrifto
 

#47
Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, August 05, 2020 1:08 AM (permalink)
+2 (2)
Another big update for the yellow MR2!
This story begins with parts. Oh so many parts.
I had been accumulating a growing pile of parts for some time now, whether it be things I needed more time to install, or parts that were waiting on other parts to arrive. But with a deadline in sight (more on that later) it began time to dive in.
Four boxes taking up room, where shall we start.
 
The first box I briefly touched on in a previous update, and included my Goodridge stainless steel braided brake lines. I went with the Goodridge over the typical HEL units as it appeared to not need any extra mounting fabrication. For only a few bucks more, shipping the Goodridge lines in from the UK seemed like a no-brainer. To go along with these was two fresh bottles of Motul RBF600 which I had bought off a mate at a very good price.
 
Pleasantly, the car barely fought me at all as we did lines and fluid on the MR2 and the 180sx in the background at the same time. The brakes were bled until it had a nice firm pedal and no air in the fluid, and we had only used around 1.5 bottles.
Installation of the lines couldn't have been simpler, the rear brackets made things completely bolt-on, and it's nice to remove some more 30 year old rubber components for a bit more confidence.
 
Behind door (box) number 2 was a full polyurethane bushing kit for the front and rear arms. I had bought this almost a full year before installing and kept putting it off for a variety of reasons. I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to best remove the old bushings, and I didn't want the car to be potentially out of action for a long time if I hit a wall.
 
I bit the bullet early one Saturday morning though and got to wrenching. The arms came off with ease and looked to be in great condition, no corrosion or bending to be seen. I bought a 2 jaw puller, aiming to push/pull the bushing out of its home with the help of the through-bolt. The 2 jaw puller lasted about half a bearing before all the bolts holding it together stripped. I managed to get a refund and bought a 3 jaw puller from Repco instead, hoping at least if it broke that I'd have a quicker and easier time getting a replacement.
 
The 3 jaw puller was extremely sturdy and had no trouble with all of the bushings back and front, except for one extremely stuck one on the rear right arms. The arms were cleaned up, mating surfaces prepared, and the new polyurethane bushings and metal inserts were pressed into place.
 
The arms were reinstalled and the car dropped down onto blocks, allowing me to torque the arms and bushings into the car under a typical loading setup.
(apologies for the photos, the underside of an MR2 isn't the easiest place to frame a shot)
The new bushings were a night and day difference to how the car drove. Body roll was greatly reduced and the car just felt more planted overall. There was not a huge difference in body vibrations or harsh ride, though the ride wasn't exactly presidential to start with.
#48

Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, August 05, 2020 1:20 AM (permalink)
+1 (1)
Box 3 came courtesy of Amayama, and was a job that I'd been meaning to do for a while. My valve cover gasket had decided to voluntarily oil-cool my 2nd and 3rd cylinder spark plugs. While this may well be technology of the future, I do prefer when my oil stays inside the engine block.
 
After sourcing replacement gaskets, as well as a last minute addition of a throttle body gasket - I was quite shocked at how much had to come off to access all the cover bolts - I was ready to undertake the job. While quite an easy job on most cars, the cramped nature of the MR2 engine bay made it a bit more interesting than usual.
 
Am I the only one who is oddly satisfied by piles on piles of OEM Toyota replacement parts?
 
The bay as it stands, ready for a freshen up.
New gasket on, the engine was looking quite healthy under the valve cover, a pleasant surprise indeed.
Couldn't resist hitting it with some wrinkle black, and there was no better time for it right?
The cover got reinstalled with some PrimeDriven cap head bolts and replacement washers, as well as dabs of Permatex's 'The Right Stuff' in place of FIPG.
Looking not too bad if I say so myself, but not too over the top as well.
 
Box 4 contained my GFB G-Force III electronic boost controller, which I picked up after my Omori dash gauge unfortunately crapped out. I'm still trying to diagnose the issue but it looks like something internal to the gauge itself has blown or shorted out. The controller went on with no worries, unfortunately I don't have any good pictures of it.
 
Another small addition was capitalising on the biannual MyPlates promotion. I was finally able to get some 'international' style plates that fit within my JDM bumper cutout, and figured I'd change up the content for kicks too. A bit of a nod to my half-Malay heritage.
 
Fabbed up some custom brackets for the front plate, but they're not going anywhere now.
post edited by Adrifto - Wednesday, August 05, 2020 1:33 AM
#49
Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, August 05, 2020 1:31 AM (permalink)
+3 (3)
Now with all this work done, what was the deadline I was aiming for? It was something I had been preparing for and anticipating ever since buying this car almost three years ago. On the 1st of August I got together with a bunch of mates at a local 7/11 around 4:30 AM, and we started the long drive down to Wakefield Park.
 
I have many track-obsessed friends and I have been dying to get out there with them for the longest time, and thanks to a Circuit Club event we were all able to make one of the first grouped track days since restrictions started to lift.
 
I had the best time out on track, and it was by far the most rewarding and enjoyable thing I had done with the car to date. It felt extremely planted around the entire circuit, and not once did I feel like I was running out of tyres or brakes, which means I can keep going back and improving on my own driving skill without any worries.
 
I started the day very easy, barely attacking corners or braking hard, just trying to get a feel for things without running out of skill. I ended the day with a PB time of 1:16.5, though I know where there are seconds to be lost next time I'm out there. Times aside, the car didn't let me down once, and it took an absolute beating. Very proud of how it performed and I had a blast doing so. Here are some pictures taken on the day by TCL media.
 
Also out there representing the community was Adrian (who most of you know I assume), in his much much faster 2gr doppleganger, as well as a savage sounding SW20 which I am trying to find more information on. If anyone knows anything about his setup, I'm all ears!
With no damage to my car, and no mechanical failures, I did a post-track check the next day. The tyres showed good signs of heat throughout, though it definitely looks like I can run lower pressures next time. I was bleeding out the hot air back down to 30 psi between sessions, though it might be better to go down to 25 next time I'm out there.
 
Despite my brake pads making it look like there was a poor attempt at spray painting my wheels, the pads still have plenty of meat left in them, at least a couple more outings combined with everyday driving I'd say.
And that concludes this huge update. Thanks to all of you who have provided help as I figure out different bits and pieces, and I look forward to what's coming next. 
#50
Gr3nAd13R
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, August 05, 2020 2:04 AM (permalink)
0
Adrifto
@Lumix, in order to get around the HEL brake line mounting issue, I recently purchased a set of Goodridge braided brake lines. These were not that much more expensive than the HEL lines, and even after a bit of wait to get them shipped from the UK, they seemed to be much better value.
While braided lines are fairly similar across the board, if you're looking for a truly bolt-on solution these should do the trick, as they have the mounting bracket built into the rear fittings.
Yet to install them on the car, but will give an update with how easy it all (hopefully) goes together!




Ive been looking at getting some lines - did you order from here? https://www.goodridge.co.uk/
#51

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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, August 05, 2020 2:31 AM (permalink)
#52
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, August 05, 2020 12:16 AM (permalink)
+1 (1)
Killer update!
 
I'm glad to hear the brake line install went smoothly and didn't have any issues. Rear lines bolting up to the factory locations is the icing on the cake.
 
Engine bay looks clean and steathly! Good job on the bushes. That will probably be my next refresh.
 
It's a nice feeling ticking off all those upgrades. It all adds up and gives you more confidence on the track. Congrats on reaching your track day deadline! TCL media captured some great shots.
#53
Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, August 05, 2020 10:48 PM (permalink)
0
Lumix
Killer update!
 
I'm glad to hear the brake line install went smoothly and didn't have any issues. Rear lines bolting up to the factory locations is the icing on the cake.
 
Engine bay looks clean and steathly! Good job on the bushes. That will probably be my next refresh.
 
It's a nice feeling ticking off all those upgrades. It all adds up and gives you more confidence on the track. Congrats on reaching your track day deadline! TCL media captured some great shots.




Thanks Lumix! It really was rewarding to feel confident in pretty much all of the handling aspects of the car, made the day go a lot smoother. 
 
The bushings are absolutely a quality upgrade, especially if still running the original factory ones. Do you think you'll go up to polybush or do a rubber bushing replacement?
#54
PocketRadzys
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Saturday, August 15, 2020 0:58 PM (permalink)
+1 (1)
Such a nice looking bay, well done.
#55
Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Wednesday, September 02, 2020 1:20 AM (permalink)
+1 (1)
Coming soon to a Yellow MR2 near you...
#56
Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Friday, September 04, 2020 0:08 PM (permalink)
+1 (1)
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!
 
#57
Gr3nAd13R
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Friday, September 04, 2020 0:26 PM (permalink)
+1 (1)
This is exciting!
Interested to know how the whole Wilhelm kit goes.
 
FYI you have probably already purchased the seat rails but Import Monster is an AU Bride disty - I bought my Bride RO rails from them and it was pretty quick to have organised.
#58
Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Friday, September 04, 2020 0:32 PM (permalink)
+1 (1)
Gr3nAd13R
This is exciting!
Interested to know how the whole Wilhelm kit goes.
 
FYI you have probably already purchased the seat rails but Import Monster is an AU Bride disty - I bought my Bride RO rails from them and it was pretty quick to have organised.




Ah good looking out! I have already purchased the rail from RHDJapan however, I had some store credit to use up so it made the most sense. Hopefully it arrives before I'm back at the track!
#59
Adrifto
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Re: Adrifto's 1990 Gen3 Banana Friday, September 18, 2020 0:03 PM (permalink)
+2 (2)
On an unexpected Sunday afternoon delivery, the Bride FG rails arrived at my house. I wasted no time installing them, and then wasted a lot of time sitting in the seat fine-tuning the position and making choo choo noises.
The Bride build quality continued to impress me, with the rails installing and performing without a hitch. I currently have the seat set up on the middle height mounts front and back, which gives a lower-than-stock driving position while still being able to see the road.
I added some bride tuning pads with the foam removed as a makeshift side protector, I think I may throw the foam back in when I hit the track for extra snugness.
 
 
After the first test drive I was grinning ear to ear, the seat completely changes how it feels to drive this car. It is a nice snug yet comfortable fit, and I definitely feel more planted and connected while driving. I am yet to experience any moments of extreme discomfort, but I am sure they're on their way.
 
Recently I have noticed a bit of shifter play which I was trying to diagnose, seeing as I bought the car with spherical shifter linkage bearings already installed. I had a poke around yesterday and discovered both bearings were extremely loose within the linkage ends, resulting in a fair amount of play at the transmission. Luckily I had a brand new PrimeDriven bearing kit and a RacerX bearing spacer kit on hand (I may have accidentally bought these in the past without remembering the car already had bearings).
I threw both of these on, along with a brand new square shifter bushing, and the difference was quite noticeable. There seems to be a lot less uncertainty with the longitudinal(?) shifter linkage, for instance going from 3-4 and 1-2. A worthwhile upgrade and I am glad I had the parts on hand.
#60
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