What to Do with your New SW20-STICKY?

[Benckj]

Recently ran across a thread in the US forum which would help many of the new SW20 owners thier questions and plan of attack for the new toy. It is good reading and perhaps we could modify for the NZ enviroment and make a sticky. Prices and sites are in US terms so convert where you need to (1NZD= 0.70USD). Comments/ ?

Copied from: http://www.mr2.com/forums/na-5s-fe-3s-g ... r2-na.html
Runabout93 is the author.


I see this question a lot... So, I started to write this up months ago. And decided to post what I had so far... But, It's a work in-progress. Feel free to comment, add to the ideas, or correct me if I am wrong somewhere. I'll try to add/edit as I have time. But, figure this would be a good starting point for more relevant questions from new comers.

Anyway, here it goes... in order of importance:

Tune-Up:
- Do a tune-up. Don't pay for someone to do it. Do it yourself (DIY).
- Get quality Toyota cap & rotor, fuel filter, plug wires, and spark plugs.
- PCV valve - 93+ 5sfe's have a pcv valve.. might as well replace it if needed. If you have a 91-92 then you do not have a PCV valve (breather tube only), so skip this.
- Flush and fill all fluids (coolant, oil, transmission) use high quality synthetic fluids when possilbe. Do a search for recommendations.
- While you are at it, clean everything that is dirty... get some good engine de-greaser and go to town.

Most of this stuff can be done for $100-$200 depending on what you had to get. But, getting to know your car is the main benefit. Second benefit is know that you car is now up-to-date on all maintenance. Now you know when things need to be replaced. And lastly, depending on how well the car was maintained before you, a tune-up can drastically help with performance.

Misc. (Things to consider)
- Timing Belt, If you do not know when or if your timing belt was changed and your car has over 80k miles on it, then this might be needed. If the belt snaps you are dead in the water. NOTE: Change accessory belts at the same time. (belts are less than $50 dollars... labor for timing belt change at the garage can cost up to $500
- Battery (if and only if you're having issues)

Brakes:
Replace brake pads and inspect rotors. Toyota brake pads are okay... but, shop around for good quality pads. If there is any damage to your rotors then you might have other issues. Like calipers might be seized (rebuild or replace as needed). Replace rotors if needed. Then bleed the entire system and replace with high quality Synthetic fluid.
- Buy ss braded brake lines if you have the extra money. (TRD, Goodridge, STOPTECH, Earls, is usually good.)
- Aftermarket rotors (buy only high quality rotors from a respectable company). Drilled rotors buy you nothing but decreased structural integrity and looks. Slotted rotors stop faster but will wear down your pads faster too.
- Big brake kits - (usually unecessary and expensive) $1500-$2500+)
- 93+ turbo upgrade - After 1993 the turbo models received a larger brake system. This is a common modification for 91-95 NA and 91-92 turbo folks. Used parts can often be sourced from mr2's being parted out MK2 Parts for sale. New parts can be best found at our sponsor Lithia Toyota: MkII big brake conversion parts

Suspension and Handling:
Suspension is definitely high on the list... but you will find quickly that this is not cheap. And do not be cheap. It will ultimately make you enjoy your car more in the long run. You can search for hours, days, months for this.. I know, because that's how long I've been trying to decide.
- Alignment, it is a good idea to get this checked... MR2's go through tires fast. If your alignment is off, it wont be long before you have to get new tires too. Alignment should also be checked after any suspension upgrade or modification. NOTE FROM TOM: "mr2s DO HAVE adjustable camber!! if you have a 91 or 92, you also have adjustable caster! 93's have fixed caster, but camber is adjustable on ALL years!" Click here for more info! You can also purchase crash bolts for cheap to adjust camber: Click here for more info!
- Springs, struts, and coilovers: If you are replacing this... I dont see any reason to stay with OEM parts. OEM will offer very little in peformance and cost as much as high performance parts. Anyway, because we share the same simple MacPherson Strut suspension setup as the 3sgte, we have many options here. You can go to a full coilover suspension or strut and spring combo. The choice is usually determined by price and preference. But you have tons of choices, I've seen coilovers and springs made by TRD, Tein, Megan Racing, Buddy Club, Cusco, Tanabe, HKS, JIC, and many more. Springs allow the MR2 to typically drop from 1"-1.5" depending on the manufacturer/model. Some common dampers would be Koni, Tokico, KYB, and Billstein. Some struts come with dampening adjustments. Koni yellows, which offers ride adjustment (firm/soft), seems to be a favorite of many. The obvious benefit of coilovers is the flexibility to variably change suspension height and to choose different levels of dampening. Plus they allow some camber adjustability. However coilovers typically cost hundreds of dollars more. approx. range for any of these systems is ($600 - $2750)
- Ball Joints & Bushings - If these are bad then replace... no sense in doing an alignment or anything else while these are loose, torn, or warn out.
- Get a rear upper strut x-brace if you don't have one. This will stiffen up your rear chasis end looks cool too.
- You can also get a variety of aftermarket front/rear strut bars (TRD, Cusco, Tanabe, ebay knock-offs)
- I've heard the MR2 comes suprisingly stiff... so I wouldn't invest crazy amounts of money to increase stiffness unless you really feel a need to do so.
- Sway bars also stiffen things up by decreasing body roll. Do front and rear... increasing one and not the other can cause undesired effects with understeer. Available manufacturers: Suspension Technique, TRD, and Tanabe sway bars. ($150-$300)
- Lower braces - attach to the frame at usually 4 points. This increases rigidity. (Tanabe and Cusco)? ($100-$200??)
- 91-92 vs 93+ suspension changes: There is a really nice comment about this here... read this post from carcrazyguy for more info.
NOTE: Everyone has different opinions and preference on ride quality. Plus it depends on type of driving and what the car is going to be used for... so you have to use your best judgement based on past experience and the experience of others. Try to find someone who has similar taste and driving styles.

Some good things to do on a budget:
- buy an ebay intake and get a good cone filter (k&n, apexi, afe, etc.). (do a search in the 5sfe section) Clean your throttle body while you're at it. This won't give you crazy amount of power... But if you like the looks and sound then it is a good thing.
- replace vacuum hoses with silicon (you can get some color in your engine bay if you want)
- replace hoses with ss braded hose where applicable
- polish things up... (heat shields, intake manifold, valve color)
- Detail your car... cleaning your interior is a no brainer... nobody wants to see a filthy car, then clean and wax the exterior car. Use what works best for you.

Getting more power from your engine (5sfe):
- Seafoam the intake ONLY. do NOT pour in the oil. seafoam it up and get the carbon out of the combustion chamber (from TomsMR2)
- Crank your timing to 14 degrees. you can continue running 87 octane gas, it'll be fine. enjoy the free power, it does make a difference! (from TomsMR2)
- Cams. As best said by TomsMR2, "go straight to cams and skip everything thats not cams. buying flywheels and pullies and very expensive exhausts will get you very little power for a LOT of money and hard work. the car needs cams more than anything, and if you do it right it can be done under 300-350!"
- Header... do a search in the fs section here... someone is selling headers for cheap. $130 (most restrictive element of the 5sfe exhaust.. but, don't expect miracles) Plus all of them remove the cat... so you'll no longer be smog legal... unless you get a cat welded in.
- Exhaust... KO dual exhaust is nice and the megan racing dual exhaust (if you like the drift spec look) $500+ (this is mostly for looks and sound) EMSPowered now offers there nicely priced dual exhaust system for the 5sfe ($399.99): FS: 5sfe Exhaust for MR2 SW20 or EMSPowered Website
- Nitrous kit (You're on your own) But, good kits start around $500+
- Turbo... search on 5sfte (you'll waste all of your time doing research there) But, I have figured it's going to cost at least $2000 dollars to do it right.
- Lightened Flywheel ($250-$300)
- Unorthodox Underdrive pully ($150-$200)
- Clutch... Not needed unless you have to... or might as well if you are doing the flywheel. (go mild aftemarket... not a lot of need for a race clutch on a 5sfe) ($150+)

Wheels and Tires:
As far as the exterior appearance goes, Wheels and Tires are #1 in my book. It's all about taste and style. Your wheels can define the entire attitude of your car. Think this one through. It wont be cheap. But, worth it if done right.
- Rims... try to go lightweight. This will help the modest power of the 5sfe. The rest is up to you... sky is the limit (staggered, sizes, colors, and shapes)
- Buy the rubber that matches what you will be using the car for. If you're driving it everday, don't get racing slicks. Do research and comparison shopping.

Body:
Body can be completely tranformed using any combination of a dozen kits out there. I would save this for last... get to know your car and decide what's best for it. There are a lot of cheap replicas... make sure you buy from someone you trust or has a good reputation.
- 94+ Tail Light Mod, This is a favorite for the sw20/21 owners. It's getting expensive but if you like the looks of the tail lights... go do it. You'll need the sides and the center panels for reverse lights. These generally run $300+ unless you're lucky and find a pair on ebay going cheap.
- Clear side corner lenses... The amber lights on the side of your front bumber can be replaced with clear or smoked lenses. These are usually under $100 bucks shipped in the US on ebay.

PLEASE READ
Think about a specific topic to ask... don't just ask, "what do I do with my car." Nobody knows the answer to that. Start a thread if you have searched and still don't understand how something works or if you need to know what options to take. Be specific... Then lot of people here can help quicly... without trying to figure out what the question is.

All of the topics above have been discussed in other posts... always search before asking questions.

Dedicated MR2 Sites (Parts/Accessory sales and info)
- Twos R Us - Great info and products for all version of the MR2 (NATKO Exhaust, short shifter, bushings, brakes, suspension)
- MR2 Trader Board - Swap and sell your mr2 Paraphernalia. Check back frequently... new listings all of the time.

[Absolut2]

great find there..

problem is with mr2s is that the market in nz is quite limited with aftermarket parts, leave trds.
if you ever find one, it will burn a hole in your wallet.

US comes handy with mr2 parts which is a good thing for them, not for us.

gggrrr..

[Benckj]

We actually have a good supply of second hand parts here at reasonable prices. They pay a fortune for simple things like mud flaps and OEM equivelents. Can't beat the aftermarket stuff like struts, brakes and performance equipment though.

[Benckj]

If it wasn't for the high shipping costs I'd use eBay more often. It is also a bit of a mine filed with many items being Chinese knock-offs. Just comes down to knowing what you are buying and having some trust in the seller.

What do you think of the write-up at the start of this thread. Worthy of becoming a sticky?

[MoNk]

Reformat it and it will be readable. Italics are a bit WALLOFTEXT.
Bold the headings and normalise the rest.

[Cameron_B]

Basically you're suggestions when you get a car to replace just about everything on it.... Not neccessary

[iOnic]

You're obviously new to MR2's Fix it before it breaks or it'll take 5 other things with it

[Rabid]

I recommend that any SW that has done over 160k has the big end bearings changed, no one worries about these till she starts rattling and by then its all over rover.
This is based on tearing down a number of 3s engines.

[Tronic]

I recommend that any SW that has done over 160k has the big end bearings changed, no one worries about these till she starts rattling and by then its all over rover.
This is based on tearing down a number of 3s engines.

I would agree, but only for your "Typical MR2" and by that I mean typically piss poor maintained running shit oil with infrequent changes and forgetting to top it up so it suffers from oil starvation to boot. I will be gutted if mine doesn't see twice that milage. It has been impecibly maintained since 64,000km and fed the best oil always at the full mark, but time will tell.

[Benckj]

We all have our pet hates with car problems and will pick on the one which caught us out. I liked the article because it gave new owners something to think about before they splashed out on new wheels and head deck. While changing some suspension bushes or ball joints is not the most exciting mod it may be the most practicle. I posted the thread for a disscussion point on something we could assemble or add to and place as a stcicky so new owners have a good starting point.

[NOURF8]

I just got the best bargain in the world from trademe last week on $1 res in which I have just received today! is a brand spanking new set of Tein super street adjustable coilovers still boxed with all the goods for $250.

I honestly thought I was going to get ripped but instead walked away with a bargain!! The sweet deals on trademe!

[Benckj]

Wow, that's fantastic. Do you need to re-build before installing or are they in reasonable condition?

[NOURF8]

No they're in brand spanking new boxed condition no rebuild required and straight bolt up. Still very stoked on them even came with a bunch of Tein stickers and badges

[Benckj]

Good find. Wish I trolled TM more often as I would like to get a set of adjutables for my 98.

[Benckj]

Have made this thread a Sticky so it remains at the top of the section for reference. Good starting point for any new owners looking at what they should do with thier SW20.