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MR2 Turbo - a build thread.
So this will start as a history of me and MR2 cars
And then we'll move on to the 'build' in a few days.
So on September 21, 2001 I bought a 1993 Turbo MR2 from a local consignment dealer. It was a second owner car, first was a Marine stationed in Germany and it came with all the paperwork of his purchase and services while in Europe. Pretty cool.
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Here it is pretty stock - here it is with the first set of non-stock wheels, Motegi MR12 (thought it was neat that the name was similar to the car name lol, but I loved the design)
Im in the middle, black shorts and black tee
Here it is just after that picture, on the dyno.
Put down 160/160, stock (again, minus the 17" wheels). Stock crank hp/tq is 200/200
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Overtime I added other things - different radio (Pioneer), APEXi intake, APEXi blow-off valve, CRW downpipe and 3" exhaust, no cats.
Two more sets of wheels - Lexus IS300 wheels and Kosei K1
Bumped up psi from 7-8 to 15psi, fuel cut defender, turbo timer etc
Nothing wild, but it should have been closer to 200/200 at the wheels.
Had the car 9 years, sold it in 2010
When I sold it it looked much like this, but different wheels
![]()
I can look back and say that I liked the car for the time. For the time (time being my age as well as the 'tuner' scene of the era (mid 00s) it was a 'cool' car. Not my style now with the fiberglass front end (authentic BOMEX bumper, had to wait a month for it to be shipped from Japan), non-traditional paint scheme etc. But I loved that car.
I sold it because I wasnt driving it much due to my job and it was needing stuff, I just didnt have the money at the time to do it back right. I needed to pay for college, so that money went to pay for going back to school. For that reason, it was wise to sell.
That said, I miss it. I had SO many great times in that car. Took a bunch of road trips, dates, random drives with friends, pulls down the dragstrips (Farmington and Rockingham, mostly), or just a nice country backroad drive.
----------------------------------------
One day I was at Farmington and a guy approached, talked to me about my MR2, asked if I was interested in buying another. I was not. It was cheap - 200 bucks. An auto second gen, same color as mine but auto. Also, not turbo. And it had no transmission.
A year later me and a friend did buy that car, an for 20 bucks more the guy towed it to my friends house who had some spare garage space.
We parted that car out and paid our bills.
Me and my buddy worked for the same photography company and had gotten laid off, we needed cash so we sold those parts.
----------------------------------------
Back in October I started looking at cars again. I wanted to buy a second car, a 'fun' car. I wanted something you didnt see everyday. I wanted something RWD (or AWD would be ok), manual transmission, and something with character.
I kept thinking about E91 BMW 3-series wagons.
And MR2 turbos.
Hopped back onto MR2OC.com and lurked around a while. Made a post on a for sale thread here in NC and then got a random PM - a guy selling a turbo car.
We exchanged some emails and then it was down 80 miles or so to test drive.
The car has good bones, but some work to be done. Not a bad price for what it is and what needs to be done, so I said, "I'll take it...as soon as that title comes in"
We kept in touch the last few weeks and I got a text last night - title is in.
Now what really sucked about that text was that I left work a little early yesterday because I wasnt feeling well. So, of course, I get the 'go ahead' on the day when I feel like garbage, and then have 3 late nights in a row coming up.
This Saturday I'll go pick up my 2nd MR2 Turbo. Third MKII MR2, but second turbo model.
This time things will be different.
My tastes have changed.
I have a career which affords me SOME additional money that i can put into a project.
I have a lot of garage space and tools to devote to tinkering.
And, honestly, as Ive gotten older I appreciate tinkering on a car or motorcycle more. Appreciating garage time.
This wont be an exciting thread by any means. No crazy engine swaps planned, no basketball-sized turbos going on, nothing wild or exciting. But I am excited because it's MY 'build' thread.
Follow along, if you wish, as I get the car and start fixing things and upgrading and updating.
Im ready, hope you enjoy this journey with me too
So this will start as a history of me and MR2 cars
And then we'll move on to the 'build' in a few days.
So on September 21, 2001 I bought a 1993 Turbo MR2 from a local consignment dealer. It was a second owner car, first was a Marine stationed in Germany and it came with all the paperwork of his purchase and services while in Europe. Pretty cool.
Here it is pretty stock - here it is with the first set of non-stock wheels, Motegi MR12 (thought it was neat that the name was similar to the car name lol, but I loved the design)
Im in the middle, black shorts and black tee
Here it is just after that picture, on the dyno.
Put down 160/160, stock (again, minus the 17" wheels). Stock crank hp/tq is 200/200
Overtime I added other things - different radio (Pioneer), APEXi intake, APEXi blow-off valve, CRW downpipe and 3" exhaust, no cats.
Two more sets of wheels - Lexus IS300 wheels and Kosei K1
Bumped up psi from 7-8 to 15psi, fuel cut defender, turbo timer etc
Nothing wild, but it should have been closer to 200/200 at the wheels.
Had the car 9 years, sold it in 2010
When I sold it it looked much like this, but different wheels
I can look back and say that I liked the car for the time. For the time (time being my age as well as the 'tuner' scene of the era (mid 00s) it was a 'cool' car. Not my style now with the fiberglass front end (authentic BOMEX bumper, had to wait a month for it to be shipped from Japan), non-traditional paint scheme etc. But I loved that car.
I sold it because I wasnt driving it much due to my job and it was needing stuff, I just didnt have the money at the time to do it back right. I needed to pay for college, so that money went to pay for going back to school. For that reason, it was wise to sell.
That said, I miss it. I had SO many great times in that car. Took a bunch of road trips, dates, random drives with friends, pulls down the dragstrips (Farmington and Rockingham, mostly), or just a nice country backroad drive.
----------------------------------------
One day I was at Farmington and a guy approached, talked to me about my MR2, asked if I was interested in buying another. I was not. It was cheap - 200 bucks. An auto second gen, same color as mine but auto. Also, not turbo. And it had no transmission.
A year later me and a friend did buy that car, an for 20 bucks more the guy towed it to my friends house who had some spare garage space.
We parted that car out and paid our bills.
Me and my buddy worked for the same photography company and had gotten laid off, we needed cash so we sold those parts.
----------------------------------------
Back in October I started looking at cars again. I wanted to buy a second car, a 'fun' car. I wanted something you didnt see everyday. I wanted something RWD (or AWD would be ok), manual transmission, and something with character.
I kept thinking about E91 BMW 3-series wagons.
And MR2 turbos.
Hopped back onto MR2OC.com and lurked around a while. Made a post on a for sale thread here in NC and then got a random PM - a guy selling a turbo car.
We exchanged some emails and then it was down 80 miles or so to test drive.
The car has good bones, but some work to be done. Not a bad price for what it is and what needs to be done, so I said, "I'll take it...as soon as that title comes in"
We kept in touch the last few weeks and I got a text last night - title is in.
Now what really sucked about that text was that I left work a little early yesterday because I wasnt feeling well. So, of course, I get the 'go ahead' on the day when I feel like garbage, and then have 3 late nights in a row coming up.
This Saturday I'll go pick up my 2nd MR2 Turbo. Third MKII MR2, but second turbo model.
This time things will be different.
My tastes have changed.
I have a career which affords me SOME additional money that i can put into a project.
I have a lot of garage space and tools to devote to tinkering.
And, honestly, as Ive gotten older I appreciate tinkering on a car or motorcycle more. Appreciating garage time.
This wont be an exciting thread by any means. No crazy engine swaps planned, no basketball-sized turbos going on, nothing wild or exciting. But I am excited because it's MY 'build' thread.
Follow along, if you wish, as I get the car and start fixing things and upgrading and updating.
Im ready, hope you enjoy this journey with me too
