 To win the 2008 SPOKES of Austin "Golden Stromberg" Award for |
 Almost had a Darwin Award. |
 No Tarantula, but she's a terror in the shop |
 A little foreshadowing... |
 Gutted 87 T-top MR2 |
 DP Car v1.0: THE starting point 87 MR2 w/ Sherwood Toning |
 Hey, I might make money on this project!!! |
 Proof it ran... |
 Camber plates... ooohh pretty |
 If you know Eibach part #s you know my spring rates |
 Koni OTS Yellows |
 Race inserts for rear. |
 Parts supplied with Race inserts: excludes only gland nut. |
 Assembly - Parts laid out on box |
 Race inserts come with this black shim, and eliminates the need for a spacer. |
 Shim is just positioned right at bottom of internal threads |
 Fully Assembled: actually, this was shockingly easy. |
 Sport inserts. Comes with "shim" as part of housing cap (not pictured) |
 The gap between the top of the insert and the bottom of the threads |
 Measuring 1 - 5/16" |
 Measuring 2 - 5/16" |
 Front Strut assembled. |
 Front housing left, rear housing right |
 Front left, rear right... identical. |
 Bolt hole spacing front |
 Bolt hole spacing rear. |
 Here is where the problem starts... |
 The rear strut housing from base to top is ~13 7/8" |
 Close up measurement rear |
 The rear strut housing from the same point would be 11 3/4" |
 Close up measurement front |
 Comparison sake both up right (Front left, Rear right) |
 Close up of the difference... remember though this does not take into account the difference in the pick up location |
 measurement to pick up location... |
 The ACTUAL comparison as they sit. |
 Verifying not feasible. 1072 SPORT top, 8610 RACE bottom |
 Farther back picture: shaft on 1072SPORT is 1" longer, body is ~2.5" longer. |
 Close up of race shaft, can see that maximum shock travel is 5.5" (very faint) losing 3" of travel would be bad. |
 "The parts" |
 Spacer to fit Koni Sport into front housing with out cutting housing |
 Gland Nut + Spacer |
 Front shims stacked... |
 Assembled rear coilover sleeve |
 Rear Shim Top, |
 Bevelled shim-top |
 Tight fit = more prep |
 Rear Housings |
 Polished and welded on |
 All prepped, ready for install |
 Front strut prepping for install |
 Front strut... |
 Front camber plates from Ground Control |
 Current ride height set... |
 Rear strut/coilover. |
 And they nicely rigged the radiator to the car |
 DP v1.0 in progress |
 New steering wheel...and quick release |
 MR2 Trophy-truck?! |
 Control arm angle: coilover bottomed out.... |
 On the scales. |
 Debut Delayed.... (see caption) |
 Twos-R-Us toe link: no more constantly variable toe. |
 Already for the test run... |
 SPURT!! SSQQQQuuueeaaallll!!! 2007 campaign: OVER |
 Fast Forward 3 months: do-over |
 Parts Swapping |
 Swapped Front Suspension |
 Getting there |
 That header looks shiny and new |
 B-pipe interference problem |
 Up top: things look color coordinated now... |
 A race seat! |
 Everything looking good on this one |
 Paint is all dry now... |
 It's the little things |
 Progress? |
 New brake set up finalized |
 Rear Brakes with Stainless lines |
 The new car still moving around the shop... |
 Master Cylinder Brace |
 Bleeding the brakes |
 All the way down, on the ground |
 As installed. |
 The new Kirkey seat |
 Progress. |
 This above all else thrills me... |
 More progress |
 Woohoo more progress |
 HVAC Unit removed... |
 The interior |
 Another shot of the 'office' |
 As she sits... |
 And from the front... |
 The Repaired Front end... |
 Zip-tie Stitching the Front Lip Together |
 Trash Pile Growing Larger |
 OEM window seal |
 Installed |
 Carbon Fiber Sample!! |
 Problem Grounds... |
 Headlight covers |
 Updated picture from the front. |
 Almost Ready to go |
 SUCCESS! DP V 2.0 is ready to go |
 We have lift off!! |
 Houston Tour - 4th place! |
 PHASE II: Improvement. |
 Insulation removal |
 Bare metal on the firewall |
 Door bars |
 Prepping for paint. |
 Trim removal... |
 Rear quarter repair. |
 Bad welds, where? |
 Just making everything look good. |
 Paint preparation |
 Reworking the front end |
 New bumper fitting, |
 Stripping continued |
 Cockpit painted |
 In progress |
 Paint Prep. |
 Preparation continued |
 PAINT? Finally? |
 Trim prep! |
 Finished!! |
 Trim is done... car is not... |
 Tape removed... |
 I hate paint prep. |
 Hate. Prep. |
 Painting base coats |
 First clear coat |
 Without clear coat |
 Tape removed |
 Roof shine |
 You can read BMW in the reflection of the flag |
 Outside, with trim installed |
 From the front |
 Over cast skies |
 Sunny skies |
 Carbon Fiber Quarter Panel |
 KD Garage Trunk Lid |
 Trunk Lid Reflections |
 Race Seat Re-Install |
 Interior Shot |
 Fender Flares....hrrmmmm |
 DP V2.1 rolls out with new spats... |
 Time to race again. |
 High angle... |
 Finally! |
 Keizer wheels. |
 Thanks to Apex Vinyl and SOULSPEED!! |
 Nats East Course |
 Nats East Course Start Chute |
 Nats East Course 1st sweeper |
 Nats East Course 1st Sweeper |
 Nats East Course, 1st Right turn |
 Nats East Course |
 Nats East Coast |
 Post Nationals... |
 Thinning out the harness. |
 Quaife Rack.jpg |
 Back on jackstands. |
 9lb AL radiator to replace leaking ~14 OEM radiator. |
 Alternator not from Hell. |
 First coat of (re)paint down, Viper Red. Now two layers of Chevy Victory Red followed by a clear coat. |
 New exhaust floor mock-up. |
 TRD header flange removal |
 Mock up under the car |
 From the other direction |
 Hrrrrrrm we have some space to add longer tubes |
 Hrrrrmm we're going to have to check ground clearance... |
 Long wheel studs mounted to hubs... |
 Repainting Steelies |
 New lug nuts. |
 Little test fit |
 Other direction |
 Nationals tires headed for the steelies. |
 Polydyn Gold HS 1300 Coated header |
 Header coating will turn gold/yellow in time. |
 Mocking up a hanger |
 New Exhaust |
 Completed Exhaust |
 Smurf Car - Texas Tour '10 |
 First picture of the car lifting a wheel |
 New lower front brace |
 Modify! |
 TC Sportline Caster Rods |
 Class 10.9 hardware |
 Assembled/refreshed front suspension |
 Brace installed |
 Custom Trailer! |
 From the other side |
 Adjustable hitch! |
 Fits in a garage!!! |
 New Intake |
 Filter in the trunk... again |
 Stainless Clutchline |
 Long hours |
 Measurements for rear tie rod heims |
 Tubular tie-rods and bumpsteer pins installed |
 fromByanH |
 FromBryanHtoo.jpg |
 Back to work... |
 Surgery underway. |
 Trunk accessible exhaust |
 Trunk Floor (-8 lbs) |
 Old bumper mounts (-10 lbs) |
 CF rear spoiler |
 Projected spoiler support locations |
 ARP wheel stud |
 Verifying engagment |
 New wheel studs installed |
 13" Keizer / cantilever backspace |
 15x10 wheel / FA slick |
 Side by side comparo |
 Contact patch comparo |
 Test fit #1 |
 Test fit at current ride height |
 Clearance for wheel/strut |
 Clearance for bumpsteer pins |
 Plenty o' room for RCAs |
 Front measurements |
 Rear Measurements |
 Teardown... |
 Inspection |
 Lifters |
 Foreign object -WAIT WHAT! |
 Guide damage |
 Block inspection |
 Headgasket inspection. |
 Hurst Street Zombie Co. |
 HSZC MR2 area |
 SpinWerks |
 Hotwheels |
 Radiator replacement |
 Radiator replacement |
 New radiator |
 Radiator location testing |
 Comparing venting location feasibility |
 Front lip/splitter test fitting |
 Toysport front lip |
 Valve guide |
 Disassembled head |
 Empty head |
 Bumper holes plugged |
 Weighing rear strut (Not sharing data from "other" struts that were weighed, but Thanks to Jay and Kevin for stopping by this w |
 Weighing front strut |
 Front Bump Steer Pins - Hinson Super cars kit. |
 Fender contact 1 |
 Fender contact near the top of the tire |
 Venting hood |
 Aluminum screening |
 Spoiler side view |
 Bottom end pulleys and new water pump reassembled... |
 Redone rear taillights |
 Installed |
 A test |
 Bumper Trimming |
 Installed - 3" shorter bumper |
 Back to ground zero for the struts |
 More long hours in the shop... |
 Struts re-welded |
 Reassembled strut |
 Diamond w/ Hoosier vs Spinwerks w/ Avons |
 Width comparo Hoosier top, Avon bottom. |
 Ride height test front |
 Ride height test rear |
 On the "ground" |
 Longer view |
 Front control arm |
 Rear control arm |
 New radiator actually installed |
 New fan and aluminum angle bracket |
 Shortened/relocate radiator brackets |
 Gap |
 Weight reduction |
 Ride height |
 BECAUSE RACECAR |
 Minimal wheel gap |
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 Nats 2011 |
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 Hurst St. Zombie Co. |
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