MR2 V6 Project -

Dolph Starbeam

Yep well my current engine is on its way out so i have decided to upgrade and hopefully become the 1st MR2 V6 owner in Ireland, i have already purchased the engine for just €400 but am waiting on delivery, the engine is a 3vz-fe from a Toyota Camry, 3 ltr V6 Quadcam 24 valve, about 200bhp standard.

All that is needed to make it fit is 1 engine mount and a new modded flywheel, i am doing all the work myself with the help from a mate, neither of us have any experience but have both done heaps of research and after reading what guys in England and the US have done with no experience we think it is very possible, more can be seen here www.forums.twobrutal.com

Insurance i am not sure about as yet, i can get a quote on the Camry V6 but as yet haven't properly looked into it, i can get it insured as a kit car if anything else doesn't work but sadly tax on a 3ltr isn't cheap but i'll live with it...

I will try and keep you all posted as much as i can.

Cheers
Mark

Max_Damage

What gearbox will you be using? Will it be the auto 'box on the Camry (which I think was the only gearbox option for the V6 engine) or are you going to try and modify a manual one to fit the engine?

If I were you, I'd go for a manual 'box. Even if it is extra hassel trying to get it to fit, the driving experience will be worth it.

Dolph Starbeam

Max_Damage wrote: »

What gearbox will you be using? Will it be the auto 'box on the Camry (which I think was the only gearbox option for the V6 engine) or are you going to try and modify a manual one to fit the engine?

If I were you, I'd go for a manual 'box. Even if it is extra hassel trying to get it to fit, the driving experience will be worth it.

The v6 mountts up perfect with my manual box, all i need is a flywheel from a 2.2 Camry, $40 dollars for a used gaurinteed one, i just need that flywheel and then it just needs to be modded slightly, i just got a call from my courier to say the engine has just been picked up so i'm thrilled on that, only a few more pieces to gather up

JimmyCrackCorn!

As i said to you before best of luck. Fair dues to you for being different.

Dolph Starbeam

JimmyCrackCorn! wrote: »

As i said to you before best of luck. Fair dues to you for being different.

lol cheers mate, ye the turbo route was very tempting. But that is still a plan.... But nor for a mkII, i'm gonna buy a cheap mkI and put a tubby engine in that as a poject for the winter. A bit more work to get the tubby into the mkI but they are lethal little cars...

JimmyCrackCorn!

MOG7 wrote: »

lol cheers mate, ye the turbo route was very tempting. But that is still a plan.... But nor for a mkII, i'm gonna buy a cheap mkI and put a tubby engine in that as a poject for the winter. A bit more work to get the tubby into the mkI but they are lethal little cars...

Lots of pics please.

I'm sure the camary 2.2 can take a low boost turbo with tweaking if your trying to kill yourself.

Max_Damage

MOG7 wrote: »

The v6 mountts up perfect with my manual box, all i need is a flywheel from a 2.2 Camry, $40 dollars for a used gaurinteed one, i just need that flywheel and then it just needs to be modded slightly, i just got a call from my courier to say the engine has just been picked up so i'm thrilled on that, only a few more pieces to gather up

You could probably find a flywheel fairly cheap in a scrapyard.

Dolph Starbeam

Max_Damage wrote: »

You could probably find a flywheel fairly cheap in a scrapyard.

Ye no look so far though, i could go with a new lightweight Fidanza one either but $300 is a bit much... There isn't much to the swap thankfully, there is a few of these in England and the US of A but none in Ireland, though there is an Irish lad in London waiting on getting his done professionally and a few others here plan to have it done but i should be the 1st...

stecleary

sound very interesting best of luck wit it lad

cps_goodbuy

Good luck mate, I'll be really interested in how to turns out, been reading a lot about it myself and it'll be a fun project, I take it you are familiar with all the different club sites?

ramanujan

best of luck. sounds interesting

if i were you, id tax the vehicle next month, or declare it as a 3 litre now, as if you have to re reg it after july itll cost you 2 grand a year, as opposed to 1491. even if its not finished yet.

Dolph Starbeam

cps_goodbuy wrote: »

Good luck mate, I'll be really interested in how to turns out, been reading a lot about it myself and it'll be a fun project, I take it you are familiar with all the different club sites?

Well the main site ofr all the info i get is Twobrutal, mr2oc.co.uk is another, it does be busy so you always get an answer pretty quickly. I'm a rep for mr2oc so we've set up a few meets to, there a good laugh, there is nothing like a row of 10 mr2's tearing up the roads...

cps_goodbuy

Mr2 meets? In Ireland?? Ooo, I'm interested, where?

Dolph Starbeam

cps_goodbuy wrote: »

Mr2 meets? In Ireland?? Ooo, I'm interested, where?

Check www.mr2oc.co.uk -> Forums -> Meets & Event -> Northern & Souther Ireland.... There is no upcoming meets arranged yet but there should be a few... You'll see pics there of a couple of our last meets, hope to see you at one soon.
Mark

Dolph Starbeam

Or just this link to it http://mr2oc.co.uk/ForumsPro/viewforum/f=89.html

2 Espressi

Best of luck with this Mog, Performance Tuner Mag features a V6 MRS in this months edition, yours should be a real headturner once it's done! Any pics of your own project or is it early days yet?

Dolph Starbeam

No pics yet, new camera is being delivered next week. But not much to see other than a mr2 looking in a bad way lol, my engine is getting delivered to me today in work, kinda looking out the window like a child, i can't wait:D Ye the V6 MRS is pretty cool, i wasn't ever there biggest fan but with a v6 they'd be preetty cool...

SV

That's the best thing i've heard all day...

good luck with it!
jealous.

Dolph Starbeam

Some pics for all of ye

Engine


Flyywheel from the US of A(still needs to be modded slightly)


Interior


Exterior:o







:cool: Its getting there, engine is being dropped out next weekend when i get the lend of an engine crane, i'm just removing as much as i can to get it ready:D

E92

good luck OP with your car.

6 cylinders are way better than boring old 4 cylinders, as you'll find out when you put your foot down and give the engine plenty of revs:D!

JimmyCrackCorn!

Best of luck. Keep the pics coming.

Dolph Starbeam

Ye i know, i can't wait to hear the noise from that v6, i've only seen videos and they sounded good but they are supposed to do the v6 no justice at all... Loads of torque, all the way from 2k rpm to 7k:D

Ye mate i will keep the pics coming, i got the drive shafts off last night but didn't have time to get the subframe out, i'll do it after work tomorrow, then the engine will be ready to come out, which is happening on Saturday...:D

Blitzkrieger

Are you planning on modifying the engine further after the swap? 200bhp sounds like very little return. Why did you decide not to go for the 3S-GTE? It seems a better option to me - cheaper tax and maybe cheaper insurance (at least, if you buy an MR2 Turbo) plus more torque and bhp. You're likely to use more standard MR2 parts as well which could make it easier to service/repair.

Dolph Starbeam

Blitzkrieger wrote: »

Are you planning on modifying the engine further after the swap? 200bhp sounds like very little return. Why did you decide not to go for the 3S-GTE? It seems a better option to me - cheaper tax and maybe cheaper insurance (at least, if you buy an MR2 Turbo) plus more torque and bhp. You're likely to use more standard MR2 parts as well which could make it easier to service/repair.

Ye i did think about a tubby - A lot! but in the end i wasn't going to get much if i sold my n/a as the engine was knackered so i thought what the hell, i'll do the v6.

The engines reliability over the tubby which isn't really that strong an engine was a big factor, i cannot afford to be getting a reuild or a new turbo just now.

In the future i do hope to have the heads ported and polished and a turbo or supercharger fitted, or even to go totally mad i could do both and compound charge it:D

Blitzkrieger

Fair enough - knew their had to be a good reason.

On reliability though - I've been running a 3S-GTE for over four years now. Apart from an enexplained radiator leak I've had no problems.....touch wood....

E92

V6 engines sound a million billion times better than 4 cylinders, there's more to an engine than how fast it does 0-60 or how many bhp it has!

Not only that but they're smoother because they have 6 rather than 4 cylinders too.

Dolph Starbeam

Blitzkrieger wrote: »

Fair enough - knew their had to be a good reason.

On reliability though - I've been running a 3S-GTE for over four years now. Apart from an enexplained radiator leak I've had no problems.....touch wood....

Nice work, ii know what you mean, and i have heard of people owning numerous tubbys having no problems BUT with my price range, i would have really wanted a rev3+ and one that hasn't been ragged to death by some boy racer! And also i want the first, or at least the 1st that we know of v6 mr2, trying to beat a mate who had to put back his plans. You should join www.mr2oc.co.uk mate, a great bunch on there and we're slowly gettin more and more interest in the Irish section...

Ye the nosie from the v6 is amazing, i hope to just have a single exit from each bank but we'll have to see what money i have at that stage!:D

Blitzkrieger

E92 wrote: »

V6 engines sound a million billion times better than 4 cylinders, there's more to an engine than how fast it does 0-60 or how many bhp it has!

Well if you want to play top trumps ........ I prefer a big lazy V8 myself. Anything over the 7L mark with stainless steel exhaust will do.

I haven't heard many V12s IRL but many people swear by them....

Dolph Starbeam

Ye maybe if i won the lotto i could fit a v8 but not something as big as 7ltr. I'd settly with a iirc 2.4 ltr Hyabusa v8, same engine that is used in the Ariel Atom.

Or maybe a W16, BUT the thing is i didn't win the lotto so i'll have to settle with a 400 quid v6:D

E92

Blitzkrieger wrote: »

Well if you want to play top trumps ........ I prefer a big lazy V8 myself. Anything over the 7L mark with stainless steel exhaust will do.

I haven't heard many V12s IRL but many people swear by them....

Indeed V8s are a million times better sounding than a V6(or even a straight 6), I love listening to lazy V8s at really low revs....anyone see the Wheeler Dealers with the Corvette C4, now that has an extraordinary sounding V8 if ever there was one.

I usually hate American cars, but nobody makes V8 sound as good as the Amercians can though!

Oddly enough I find V10s to be a complete disappointment, they sound like diesels sometimes!

V12s are fantastic, but V8s are almost as good!

5 pot engines sound great too though!

Dolph Starbeam

E92 wrote: »

Indeed V8s are a million times better sounding than a V6(or even a straight 6), I love listening to lazy V8s at really low revs....anyone see the Wheeler Dealers with the Corvette C4, now that has an extraordinary sounding V8 if ever there was one.

I usually hate American cars, but nobody makes V8 sound as good as the Amercians can though!

Oddly enough I find V10s to be a complete disappointment, they sound like diesels sometimes!

V12s are fantastic, but V8s are almost as good!

5 pot engines sound great too though!

Is the Audi TT a 5 pot?

I'm suprised i never seen that Wheeler Dealers, sounds nice!