Ghost's SW20 MR2

[GreenGhost74]

This looks like a great place to showcase cars and keep it updated, so here goes:

1993 Toyota MR2 NA Hardtop in Super White (currently bone stock)

I had to wait years to find a good stock 1993 hardtop specifically, but it has been worth it. The previous owner kept it super clean and unusually well maintained, and no real reliability issues have struck while I've had it -- it's just been typical vehicle upkeep so far. It's also an absolute blast to drive. The NA 5SFE motor in mine isn't exactly... "neck-snapping" in a straight line, but straight roads aren't why I bought this car anyway

That said, I am lucky enough to live next to one of the biggest MR2 specialty shops out there, so perhaps I'll look into an engine swap somewhere down the road. I'd like to prioritize a few other things first though, so we'll see what happens. I'll probably update this topic in the future with more pictures. In the meantime, I'm still quite happy with the car as it is. Toyota really created something special with the SW20.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[JrDarknes]

Cleeeeaaaan, I saw one last Saturday just like this in mint condition. Your leather seats seem to be in good condition too. What are you trying to do to the car first?

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

This looks like a great place to showcase cars and keep it updated, so here goes:

1993 Toyota MR2 NA Hardtop in Super White (currently bone stock)

I had to wait years to find a good stock 1993 hardtop specifically, but it has been worth it. The previous owner kept it super clean and unusually well maintained, and no real reliability issues have struck while I've had it -- it's just been typical vehicle upkeep so far. It's also an absolute blast to drive. The NA 5SFE motor in mine isn't exactly... "neck-snapping" in a straight line, but straight roads aren't why I bought this car anyway

That said, I am lucky enough to live next to one of the biggest MR2 specialty shops out there, so perhaps I'll look into an engine swap somewhere down the road. I'd like to prioritize a few other things first though, so we'll see what happens. I'll probably update this topic in the future with more pictures. In the meantime, I'm still quite happy with the car as it is; Toyota really created something special with the SW20.

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to the mid-engine club. Come for that induction noise right next to your head, stay for the lift off oversteer.

 

[KookiBirb]

That is indeed beautiful my dude and to top it off with your photography as well. Camera specs?

It's always great to see an unmolested sw20 that has not been half ****ed with for that facelift look on the bumpers, tail lights and side moldings.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Cleeeeaaaan, I saw one last Saturday just like this in mint condition. Your leather seats seem to be in good condition too. What are you trying to do to the car first?

Thanks! Unfortunately those are just seat covers over the original fabric upholstered seats, however the seats are in good condition save for one small spot on the driver's side showing a hint of wear. I just got covers right off the bat to keep them protected 👍

I don't have any crazy plans for the car; I quite like a clean and simple SW20. At the moment, I'm thinking about replacing/upgrading a lot of the old oem suspension components (bushings included!), and the rare oem tire sizes are already proving to be a pain, so perhaps I'll upgrade the wheels if I can find a good set of slightly larger forged rims. Better brakes may be in order, too. Maybe I'll repaint the body in a different factory Toyota color, but I know that isn't going to be cheap if I want the job done right. And then of course there's the potential for an engine swap some time, and I'm not really dead set on any particular engine.

 

[GreenGhost74]

That is indeed beautiful my dude and to top it off with your photography as well. Camera specs?

It's always great to see an unmolested sw20 that has not been half ****ed with for that facelift look on the bumpers, tail lights and side moldings.

Thank you, I'm using a Canon Rebel T2i with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens. Cheated a little and used photoshop to add a tiny bit more blur in the background to get more of a full frame look, but the background was plenty out of focus already. Shots were taken close to golden hour to get some attractive lighting.

And yeah, I really don't want to mess with the body on this car. If anything, I want to touch up some of the small scuffs & chips.

 

[KookiBirb]

Hell yeah my dude, pre-facelift pride haha!

Can't say I know too much about photography (yet), that is damn good for an old Canon camera.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Hell yeah my dude, pre-facelift pride haha!

Can't say I know too much about photography (yet), that is damn good for an old Canon camera.

I appreciate that. I forgot to mention that I also used a cheap ND Filter on the lens in order to shoot at f/1.8 aperture in the bright sunlight. It's a small thing, but it makes a difference 👍

 

[GDII]

Beautiful SW20 you got there. I'm keen to follow your engine swap and what gets done but I assume it will all be done at the shop?

 

[GreenGhost74]

Beautiful SW20 you got there. I'm keen to follow your engine swap and what gets done but I assume it will all be done at the shop?

Thank you! Anything I probably can’t do will be done in the shop, yes. An engine swap would likely fall into that category, especially since I live next to ATS Racing anyway, where they specialize in this. I’m still not set on any particular engine choice, either.

I forgot to mention before though, I did actually have to replace one thing right after I got the car. There was a strange, occasional lurching acceleration problem that the previous owner somehow hadn’t found the source of. Weirdly, it didn’t even happen to me at all until after I’d purchased the car on my fifth time driving it.

It was quickly pinned down as an ECM issue, though. I found a refurbished unit online and put it in myself, and that cured everything. No idea why the P/O never tried that despite all the effort and money they’d put into maintaining the car. I was given all the maintenance records, and this has not been a neglected vehicle by any stretch.

Also, you have a fantastic SW20 as well — I saw your topic and I love what you’ve done with it. Your wheel choice and ride height also just top it all off for a perfect look. Very nice to see.

 

[GDII]

Bad capacitors in the ECM is assume?

ATS will see you right. Don't bother with a GEN2 3SGTE as they are old tech unless SMOG testing is an issue. GEN3, 4 or 5 3SGTE is a much better choice or a V6 in the form of the 2GR.

Good to see you've found a decent condition car but even so being old they do tend to have issues. How many miles on it?

Thanks, I've really enjoyed doing all the changes to my one.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Bad capacitors in the ECM is assume?

ATS will see you right. Don't bother with a GEN2 3SGTE as they are old tech unless SMOG testing is an issue. GEN3, 4 or 5 3SGTE is a much better choice or a V6 in the form of the 2GR.

Good to see you've found a decent condition car but even so being old they do tend to have issues. How many miles on it?

Thanks, I've really enjoyed doing all the changes to my one.

I don’t know for sure if it was the capacitors, but I wouldn’t be surprised based on the symptoms.

And thanks for the engine tips — I honestly didn’t particularly want a ‘93 Turbo as much as an NA, for fear of troubles with the GEN2 3SGTE. For a potential swap, I’ve also thought about the BEAMS 3SGE, but I’ve not yet looked into how good of an idea that would actually be.

183,000 miles, so not low. However, the car has had a lot of repairs and maintenance in recent years from the previous owner to address some things that tend to be trouble around the 200,000 mile mark. If you’d believe it, I calculated from all the records that they spent over $10,000 USD on the car in the last few years of owning it. The car has had everything from a tranny rebuild and new clutch kit to new motor mounts, new belts, a variety of new gaskets, repairs for carbon buildup, a lot of new sensors, a recent tune up and more.. and that’s just off the top of my head, the list goes on. It’s nuts.

Despite all this, I didn’t get the impression that the P/O was particularly mechanically savvy; they just really loved the car. They had recently retired, and told me they just didn’t need multiple cars anymore, so they were finally letting the MR2 go. They clearly didn’t know what the ECM issue was, and I suspect that was also a factor that pushed them into just selling the car. I doubt they knew it was such a simple repair. My local mechanic was the one who pointed me in the direction of changing the ECM; He was very surprised by the amount of new (and relatively new) parts in the car.

All of that aside, I’m still expecting to bump into problems with a 25 year old vehicle. But I’ll just take them as they come. It’s running like a dream for now...

 

[GDII]

Sounds like the car is too nice to modify.

The BEAMS would be nice but for the same price you could probably do a 2GR and have a nicer car to drive.
You'd need to get an E153 or something else to suit as the S54 won't last long on the 2GR but will be fine for a BEAMS.

I've tossed around a few ideas of going GEN3 3SGE or 3SGTE but I'm pretty set on the GEN4 3SGTE as in stock form you can get 150% more power just by bolting it in. Sounds far more simple than it actually is but if you've got some spare cash then ATS will do it for you and you don't have to worry about it. I'll have to DIY my swap as we don't have specialists here doing these all the time. I like the DIY route anyway, that way I know what has been done and fault finding is easier.

They are really fun cars to drive even with less power although I have not driven a 5SFE one as all ours are JDM 3SGE or 3SGTE which had 25-45hp more than the similar models you guys got.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Sounds like the car is too nice to modify.

The BEAMS would be nice but for the same price you could probably do a 2GR and have a nicer car to drive.
You'd need to get an E153 or something else to suit as the S54 won't last long on the 2GR but will be fine for a BEAMS.

I've tossed around a few ideas of going GEN3 3SGE or 3SGTE but I'm pretty set on the GEN4 3SGTE as in stock form you can get 150% more power just by bolting it in. Sounds far more simple than it actually is but if you've got some spare cash then ATS will do it for you and you don't have to worry about it. I'll have to DIY my swap as we don't have specialists here doing these all the time. I like the DIY route anyway, that way I know what has been done and fault finding is easier.

They are really fun cars to drive even with less power although I have not driven a 5SFE one as all ours are JDM 3SGE or 3SGTE which had 25-45hp more than the similar models you guys got.

Ha, you're telling me! I almost don't want to do any mods that couldn't be undone, but at the same time, I'm not really planning on selling it some day... not unless I have to. It is such a nice example of a stock '93 at the moment, though. And yeah, I've heard that the S54 is just enough to reasonably handle the BEAMS, and I'm kind of wanting to stick to an I4 engine. If I did replace the tranny, it'd likely be for a higher power 3SGTE.

And I was actually wondering if you were planning on swapping too, based on your interest in the subject. I'm in no big rush to mess with my car (for aforementioned reasons), so perhaps you'll get to a swap first. The DIY route sounds great, which is why I changed the ECM myself, but replacing the engine is beyond me at the moment. I do intend to keep learning though, as I'd really prefer to do everything myself when I can. I wish you luck with that GEN4 swap, I'll definitely be keeping up with any further postings on your topic

Also I agree, the SW20 is just remarkably fun; even with whatever remains of this 5SFE's original 135 hp. More power would be a welcome addition at some point, but the chassis alone is already dripping with plenty of personality.

 

[Punknoodle]

Very nice and tidy mate, love it.

 

[eiriksmil]

Almost like time stood still and we were back in the mid 90s.. So cool..! Too clean to swap IMO

 

[GreenGhost74]

No real updates yet, but today I grabbed a couple shots of the MR2 with a telephoto lens.

Gotta love that golden hour lighting 👍

 

[GreenGhost74]

Here's a fun psuedo-action shot. Just a dynamic camera angle with some Photoshop motion blur. Recently had to replace the car's clutch pedal pad as well -- the original one just split apart.

 

[Danoff]

The NA Gen II MR2 (which I just bought as well) and the Turbo Gen II MR2 are each special cars in their own individual right - offering unique takes on the same thrill. Don't run away from the low power that the NA has to offer. I find that when I'm behind the wheel I actually like that it's slow. You can really drive that car on the street without getting thrown in jail. It's an important part of what makes it special.

Out of curiosity (because I'm still trying to find stock tires), what tires are you running (I'm interested in size as well)?

 

[GreenGhost74]

The NA Gen II MR2 (which I just bought as well) and the Turbo Gen II MR2 are each special cars in their own individual right - offering unique takes on the same thrill. Don't run away from the low power that the NA has to offer. I find that when I'm behind the wheel I actually like that it's slow. You can really drive that car on the street without getting thrown in jail. It's an important part of what makes it special.

Out of curiosity (because I'm still trying to find stock tires), what tires are you running (I'm interested in size as well)?

I greatly enjoy the NA on the street for those very reasons. I don't know that I'll be won over by it forever, but we'll see.

I'm currently running mismatched tires in stock sizes. 195/55R15 Road Hugger GT fronts, 225/50R15 Kumho Ecsta AST rears. They aren't terribly impressive; I've found it very possible to break traction in the rear, and it shouldn't be quite that easy with so little power, but it is also kind of fun that way. Not my preference for performance and safety though, so at some point though I'm going to either upgrade just the tires (if possible?) or upgrade the wheels too for more tire selection. And if it comes to that, I'll be keeping the stock wheels rather than selling them. It's also worth noting that the Kumho tires were on the car at the time of purchase, and while they do have some fair tread life remaining, I have never driven on them when new.

 

[Danoff]

I greatly enjoy the NA on the street for those very reasons. I don't know that I'll be won over by it forever, but we'll see.

I'm currently running mismatched tires in stock sizes. 195/55R15 Road Hugger GT fronts, 225/50R15 Kumho Ecsta AST rears. They aren't terribly impressive; I've found it very possible to break traction in the rear, and it shouldn't be quite that easy with so little power, but it is also kind of fun that way. Not my preference for performance and safety though, so at some point though I'm going to either upgrade just the tires (if possible?) or upgrade the wheels too for more tire selection. And if it comes to that, I'll be keeping the stock wheels rather than selling them. It's also worth noting that the Kumho tires were on the car at the time of purchase, and while they do have some fair tread life remaining, I have never driven on them when new.

Thanks for that, here's my tire discussion:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/help-me-plan-my-car-life.129881/page-10#post-12487368

 

[GDII]

That 15" tyre life. Makes things difficult.

 

[GreenGhost74]

New wheels! After a lot of shopping around, I settled on a set of Motegi Traklites.

The rims are double staggered 17x8 fronts and 18x9 rears. They're not heavy for the sizes either, thanks to the flow-form design resulting in an essentially forged barrel. Slight drag on acceleration (as expected), but I'm immediately noticing a lot more grip from the extra width on all four corners. I just installed these, so I'll probably update with more thoughts soon. I'm really pleased with the appearance, but I do think it would look a bit better if the car were a hint lower. I'll probably be looking at some performance suspension options next (and new bushings!). Thanks for taking a look!

 

[GDII]

Looks tough man!!

Plenty of extra tread there with 255/30R18 rears. Probably need a lip roll on the rear if you go lower or you'll get some mad rub looking at the photos.
New bushes will make driver inputs more responsive. Don't forget to regrease them sometimes. One of mine is starting to squeak again even though I have greased it twice. None of my other ones are making obvious noises. Just one of them.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Looks tough man!!

Plenty of extra tread there with 255/30R18 rears. Probably need a lip roll on the rear if you go lower or you'll get some mad rub looking at the photos.
New bushes will make driver inputs more responsive. Don't forget to regrease them sometimes. One of mine is starting to squeak again even though I have greased it twice. None of my other ones are making obvious noises. Just one of them.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm planning to get the rear fenders rolled at least 45-50 degrees ASAP. Ideally tomorrow if this great shop near me says they can do it in the morning. I had a place further away offering to do it, but they haven't gotten back to me about setting up a time. I'm already expecting those rears to rub occasionally at the current height, and I don't want that unrolled lip digging into the tread when it does.

And thanks for the greasing tip. It really needs some good bushings, and I'm thinking of upgrading the shocks and springs at the same time. Going to wait until I can afford Koni shocks if I go that route, though. I could go a bit further and invest in some good coilovers instead, but I'd need spacers up front for that. +40 clears just well enough right now, as you suggested 👍

 

[JrDarknes]

oooohhhhhh nice man. Double Stagger is the way to go. Wheels definetly suit the car. Looks so mean. I know alot of Mr2 owners prefer lowering springs over coilovers. My friend has BC coils and they ride pretty well and I definetly say they're worth it, but lowering springs are really good as well. He had to roll his rears too.

 

[GDII]

Thanks! Yeah, I'm planning to get the rear fenders rolled at least 45-50 degrees ASAP. Ideally tomorrow if this great shop near me says they can do it in the morning. I had a place further away offering to do it, but they haven't gotten back to me about setting up a time. I'm already expecting those rears to rub occasionally at the current height, and I don't want that unrolled lip digging into the tread when it does.

And thanks for the greasing tip. It really needs some good bushings, and I'm thinking of upgrading the shocks and springs at the same time. Going to wait until I can afford Koni shocks if I go that route, though. I could go a bit further and invest in some good coilovers instead, but I'd need spacers up front for that. +40 clears just well enough right now, as you suggested 👍

Just make sure to clean up behind there first before you fold them up and do regular cleaning afterwards too. And heat gun to stop the paint cracking.

TwosRus have the Prothane set for really cheap. The come with swaybar bushes too so measure your bars before ordering. They also have both front suspension bushes for 91-92 and 93+ USDM or 89-91 and 92+ JDM.

 

[GreenGhost74]

oooohhhhhh nice man. Double Stagger is the way to go. Wheels definetly suit the car. Looks so mean. I know alot of Mr2 owners prefer lowering springs over coilovers. My friend has BC coils and they ride pretty well and I definetly say they're worth it, but lowering springs are really good as well. He had to roll his rears too.

Thanks man, I was on the fence about double staggering, but ended up deciding I’d like it on my car. Plus, the offsets and widths available on the Traklites for 17/18 (vs 17/17) were more appealing to me. And thank you, I agree the wheels suit the car really well. I think SWs look great when the wheels have a lip (like these or GDII’s Advans), so long as they’re pretty flush. And I’m also a sucker for five spoke designs.

As for springs, I do generally hear most owners are happy with the common spring choices when paired with Koni yellow struts, so I’m looking that direction. I also hear some of the more aggressively low springs mess with the suspension geometry enough to really need a correction kit. None of those things are off the table for me though, so we’ll see.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Just make sure to clean up behind there first before you fold them up and do regular cleaning afterwards too. And heat gun to stop the paint cracking.

TwosRus have the Prothane set for really cheap. The come with swaybar bushes too so measure your bars before ordering. They also have both front suspension bushes for 91-92 and 93+ USDM or 89-91 and 92+ JDM.

Ah, I suppose dirt collects a lot worse in a rolled fender? That’s another good tip, thank you.

I’ve noted TwosRUs has the prothane kit wayy cheaper than other places. My sway bars are both 19mm, so I can get the whole kit there for $95 USD. I could also consider adding whiteline sway bars, but those need reinforcement work. I saw your recent troubles with sway bars sorry you had to deal with that.

 

[GDII]

Yeah not a bad price. I paid $85 USD but didn't get the swaybar bushes as I had Whiteline coming already.

Yeah you need to strengthen the swaybar mounting points on the chassis or they could crack. I know your car has a revised construction but not sure if that helped. I designed and got a set of 30 plate kits made by my brother for the NZ guys and we found that the guys with the 92+ JDM cars needed to mod the plates a bit to get them to fit. You have a stud where the early cars have bolts.

The latest issue I had was manufacturing defect but out of warranty so I can't get a new one free. Toyota did offer me a new one for cheap which was really good of them but I didn't take the offer due to having another set. I'll just fix it and make it better.