MR2 Turbo Restoration Barn find

[jonnyboymills]

We are getting there. All that is left to be painted is The rear inspection covers and the boot spoiler.
Today I went and picked up my Seats I also got matching door cards. All items are in really good condition, Im really pleased.
Im hopefully going to be getting the car home next week.......
Whilst I had the car on the ramp I fitted two new rear handbrake cables, so I now have a hand brake. Whilst I was tinkering with her in the entrance to the workshop the car was attracting admiration from a few customers that were milling around my Uncles car lot. She is already turning heads and she isn't even complete yet........
Result.

[jonnyboymills]

She is now back home with me. Still very much a work in progress.
Please excuse the old number plates, I needed to fit them back on in order to get her home on my Uncles Trade Plates. I will be fitting 2 nice new number plates soon.





My interior needs sorting out, re assembling. I cleaned up my new seats and treated the leather. The full leather seats will be going in Japscrap.



More work for me to do. hopefully she should be on the road LEGAL for the first time in just under 10 years, end of Feb 2017.
I have also taken Japscrap off the road and sat her under a Tarp and a car cover for the next few months.

more photos soon.
Thanks for looking.

[Goldy]

Wow looks great, nice work Jonny!

[jonnyboymills]

Thanks Goldy.

Its update Sunday............



Interior is coming along nicely. I cleaned and shined all the inside.


Next job..........







I took the car outside today to was the dust off her. I noticed that the T Tops are leaking in at the top of both driver and passenger door windows. How would I go about curing this? can I get replacement seals? any advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks for looking.

[thomp1983]

New seals is the best solution but there not cheap. Someone on imoc was selling a fairly new second hand set in one of the breaking threads

[byrney1984]

You can get new seals but they are not cheap. MR2BEN does them but I think they're £300 for the 2. Or you could try the numerous black mastic fixes. What I have done to mine was to remove the plastic trims to get at the locking points( the little holes that the T bar glass locks into) remove them then just put some spacers behind them. So when the Tbar is locked it gets pulled down a bit further against the seal.If that makes sense. Worked great for me and cleaning the seal and drains helps too.
https://mr2-ben.co.uk/products/42

[jonnyboymills]

Thanks. I will check the link out. The only problem with MR2 Ben is he charges like a wounded Rhino.
I seen a few people doing the fix that your suggesting, with the locking pins.

[byrney1984]

Thanks. I will check the link out. The only problem with MR2 Ben is he charges like a wounded Rhino.
I seen a few people doing the fix that your suggesting, with the locking pins.

Haha I know. He is only down the road from me but I never buy anything due to the price. Although he is restoring a genuine mk2 spyder. Think there was only 76 made. Nice to look at though

[Phaeton]

I thought there was a US seller which worked out cheaper than a UK supplier, but had a quick look & can't find anything

[jonnyboymills]

I replaced the guides and re hydrated the rubber seals with a pot of Vaseline. There is an improvement but it does still leak in slightly. Im absolutely certain it is the rubbers that are on the edges of the glass tops.............
in other news. I took her out for a spin around the block last week. I noticed that the matrix was blowing cold, never a good sign. either an air lock from when I fitted a new radiator or Head gasket has gone.
Today I spent a good half hour bleeding the system, I took her for a drive around the block, the matrix was once again blowing cold. i removed the coolant cap and an absolute mountain of excessive pressure was released.
This now makes complete sense to me as when I purchased the car the original radiator was leaking, this would have probably been the cause of the gasket failing and the car was parked up in storage some 9 years ago and never repaired.
I have trawled through the mountain of service history I have with the car and can not find anything relating to the car ever having the cylinder head gasket replaced in its life......
so thats where I'm up to so far.
Im now going to have to do a bit more over time to pay for this repair, plus I need to replace the timing belt, water pump and tensioners.
does anybody fancy giving me a loan???