The Smoking Tire: V6 MR2
 

I used to own an MR2 and am part of the BCMR2 Club. Went down to Long Beach, CA with BCMR2 members for Toyotafest and while we were down there, Matt Farah drove a fellow member's V6 swapped MR2.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkfVnkFzeZk[/ame]

Nice I always wanted to see him do a review on an mr2. I was thinking of getting him to do a review on my mk1.5 but unfortunately its no longer possible since I have a brz now

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Right on! Saw the owner of that car post on the mr2 forum with Matt Farah. Was waiting for it to be reviewed. The car should be pretty awesome with the 2gr.

I've been in it a few times actually (as a passenger) and that thing hauls ass!

Wow.

I LIKE that swap!

I used to have a 92 myself, non-turbo and all stock. I miss the motor, but damn that little car handled weird. :-/

Damn that exhaust sounds really good.

I drove a 2GR-fe swapped Spyder last fall in Savannah. Two hundred pounds lighter than a second gen and it was sneaky fast. Redline is like 6800 RPM and I felt like such a klutz because my 2ZZ does not get into the powerband until above 6000 RPM. I kept hitting the rev limiter and thinking damn this thing don't go. Then I look down going into a 60 MPH corner and I am in triple digits. It held and motored right through pulling hard on the way out. I gained a lot of respect for this swap that day.

I still like the 3SGTE :)

God I want one. SW20s are sexy, and the thought of having Camry reliability gives me a chub. I'm too big though. I have to set my mid-engine sights a little bit higher.

Just to rub it in some I'll post another pic of mine ;)


http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/MR2/IMG_8600.jpg

Found a '91 turbo online for about $13k CAD...
Seriously considering it, but concerned about the turbo motor (I'm not super handy with the tools).
How reliable is that 3S-GTE?

Probably one of the most reliable engines I have come to know. I would not hesitate to drive mine to Mexico and back. Like with all things, it's all in how they were maintained. Mine is deadnuts reliable. But it's hit or miss these days as this is a 25 year old sports car. I have no doubts mine will go for another 25 years. The 2gr is nice and all but I prefer the 3sgte. Especially gen3 94+ jdm spec as they are tons more improved over 90-93 gen2 variants.

The iron block helps make it pretty bullet proof. Sure you CAN blow them up, but it's going to be caused by running too much boost and not enough fuel (often over time due to a failing fuel pump, clogged injectors, etc). If you are going to push the boost levels you simply have to keep an eye on the AFR.


Not that I listen to my own advice since I have my failsafe wideband sitting in the box, but I rarely drive the car.


General maintenance is pretty easy also. Oil changes, dist cap/rotor/plugs/wires/etc are no different than anything else. The hose from hell, hose from hell on earth and timing belts are not as fun. I'll replace every hose on mine (and TB) when I pull the motor.


FWIW, mine has about 225K chassis miles but about 75K on this motor and I flew to Oregon and drive it back to Florida without any concern (and no issues except for the car trying to kill me due to a cruise control issue [shitty wiring and failing cluster]).


It is a 20-24 year old car now though so don't expect it to be a 2015 Honda Civic either. Most of the issues with my car were caused by the poor work during the swap. I will have to pull the motor eventually and fix wiring and other minor issues but I can't blame the car for that.


Make sure you like the example you drive - if not just walk away. There are PLENTY of 91-92s and even 93s. 94/95 is harder to find and go for more money. Personally I prefer the 93-95 cars as mine is just a weekend toy, if I were using it for tracking, autocrossing, etc I'd go 91-92.

What V6 does he have swapped in?

I think they said the engine from a rav 4, could be mistaken.

2GR I believe.

Yup, 2GR-FE off a 2009 Toyota RAV4. There's also another local V6 here in Vancouver with a 1MZ/3MZ hybrid.

You bitch. Why don't you just post another picture of your E36 while you're at it? :slap:


If you're ever in NY, shoot me a PM. We'll go for beer.

On that note, I really wish people would stop using AZ and MZ engines for swaps. Or even worse, 3S-GTE swaps into newer cars. Toyota's once a decade engine refreshes are a huge difference. The 1MZ is less efficient than the 2GR at any power output despite having lower displacement. It is objectively a worse engine by every single measure.

Also, if it were me, I'd do some small mods to the 2GR before throwing it in, since why not. Raise compression ratio a little, maybe regrind the cams, grab a Lotus Evora ECU with the higher rev limit, etc. The 2GR is capable of great things.