Oh..... What filler did you use? so we can all avoid it :tape2:

Oh dear, not good. I am sure that you will sort it in not time at all, i have just started another build so i can egg each other on to get them completed.

Any idea what could have caused it Dave? Not enough hardener maybe?

I'm finding little bubbles appearing under the paint in a couple of places where i'd missed the air gaps under the gelcoat. Got a big one on the drivers side under the side intake. Bit annoying but luckily my paint is really easy to blend back in. Just a note to try your damndest to find them all before you send it for paint.

If anything, excess hardener sometimes causes shrinkage

I can't work out if you've made a dirty joke or not

not intentionally!

All jokes aside and thanks for comments/replies but I think the excess use of hardner is probably to blame here on my part. For those who’ve tried to fill the area around the lights on the MRS200 kit when using MK1 lights, there is quite some gap to fill.

I built this up using UPOL GRP resin filler which has pretty much remained solid. I then filled the top layer of this with Big Boy (!!) Easy sanding filler. I reckon it’s this that I first left too thick a layer first off to fill and then second used too much hardner in it when applying.

Anyway not too difficult a job to sort and on the list of 6/7 minor jobs left now to get done before MOT.

Thanks Nick for the pointers on the gel coat - I think I’m a long way away from actual paint yet :-)

You need to get a move on mate as the car we started on Thursday will have the panels done by Monday :dance: and then it can go for paint

Panels are the easy part Wozzy :-) It’s all the fiddly finishing bits to get it looking good and the engineering along the way to get stuff to work day to day like the fuel flap release.

Anyway I don’t think projects like this are ever really finished and that’s 90% of the fun of it for me - I will probably keep tinkering with it still once it’s on the road before I commit to spending £3k on a proper paint job with stripes !

Attachment 6312




Froxfield, on the A4 between Hungerford & Marlborough

www.pelicaninn.co.uk

We are welcome and booked from 11am with lunch at around 12.30pm

There are two spacious car parks, where we can have a drink and talk Tribute Cars.

Afterwards you / we can drive round a bit of Hampshire to the

Silk Mill at Whitchurch

for tea, overlooking the river Test, last orders 3.30pm.

www.whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk

If you are interested the Pelican Inn also has a room or two overnight on the Friday and or Saturday. We are staying there Friday night.

Please let me know if you will attend or at least think about it.

REPLY to Kidge on his site

OR The Owners site

OR PM me

OR email kidge.elder@btinternet.com

Finally managed to carve out some time to get through the snagging list of jobs to do to get the MRS200 ready for it’s MOT.

When I fitted the coilovers all round earlier in the year, I managed to shear the bolts holding the ABS wire to the coilovers on both sides, that’s despite me cleaning the threads out. So first on the list was to drill the bolts out and sort them out. Whilst I had the front wheels off I rubbed the calipers down and gave them a nice coat of red enamel. At some point the previous owner of the MR2 Roadster had fitted those nasty fake Brembo plastic covers so there was a load of black high temp silicon adhesive to scrape off. Same had to be done with both rear calipers.

https://i.ibb.co/KF21qf2/AB572-B4-E-...35-BCA3-BF.jpg

Whilst I had the rear wheels off I decided to make a start on the arch liners. I had planned to form these from thin UPVC sheets, but then decided I would try to rework/repurpose the old MR2 Roadster arch liners. I thought they would sit too low in the arch relative to the MRS200 bodywork, but now I’ve lowered the car by over 50mm it was possible to reuse these with minimal cutting and making some new mounting points.

https://i.ibb.co/Y0rf3Tn/8-B4-EB01-D...5904676907.jpg

They seem to work OK and will do for getting the car through the MOT and then I’ll see how they hold up on the road.

https://i.ibb.co/R9s1bFp/4-E5-A8-EC8...EF9-BE08-F.jpg

I also tidied up the join on the passenger side between the rear clam and the sill which had never really lined up closely so that’s now sorted.

Tomorrow’s jobs are to sort out the mount for the petrol flap release mechanism now I’ve got the wheel arch liners back in, and to refit the MR2 under engine ‘nappies’ as it’s not clear if they will be picked up as missing when it comes to the MOT.

Nice work Dave
where did you get the suspension from? can i have some side view pics of it lowered please

Thanks Wozzy. I replaced all the suspension and springs with BC Racing BR series coilovers. As they come out of the box they lowered the car by approx 40mm. I decided that still didn’t look low enough so I took it down a further 25-30mm so it’s approx 70mm lowered all round. I got them from KAM Racing and spec’d them with 4/6 spring ratings.

I tried to also adjust the stance a little for looks and to try to replicate the original RS200 but didn’t want to play around too much with this and adversely affect the MR2 handling.

Here’s a couple of side on pics taken a few months ago - I’ve been fettling the bodywork since, particularly the join on the passenger side where the clam meets the rear of the sill.

https://i.ibb.co/ZN48wJT/CE407-DAA-D...CC34824152.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/60RRvrg/6-C04907-C-...232560-C03.jpg

It was relatively easy to fit the coilovers and I managed to do this on my own in a couple of afternoons. As the car still isn’t MOT’d I’ve been limited to a few short runs on a private road - it has certainly stiffened everything up!

https://i.ibb.co/myf7PdT/0-AB53-FC9-...0-BB2534-A.jpg

Managed to get another couple of hours working on the car yesterday. Apart from sorting out the filling around the rear lights everything is done on the back end now.

Passenger side arch liner is in, and as I said on the post earlier in the week, I tidied up the join between the clam and the sill on this side. Petrol flap release mechanism working, although I think I might need to pad out the hinge metal where it pushes against the inside of the clam as it’s not exactly “springing” open when you press the release from inside the car. But still it opens and works :-)

https://i.ibb.co/MSWqmzT/2728779-D-2...6-B96416-A.jpg

Also sorted out the underside of the engine and removed the trays/nappies at the rear end as pretty sure these won’t get picked up for the MOT.

https://i.ibb.co/8jPbxv8/36-CA1-ED1-...CA97-D1-C5.jpg

As you can see from this pic I will be avoiding all traffic calming/speed bumps now it’s lowered as there isn’t a lot of space under the back of the car.

I think I will also fit a small stainless/ally piece just above where the exhaust pipes exit the clam to protect the fibreglass, and rivet this in - well sort of adds to the rally car look! Oh and the mud flaps are ordered so they should be fitted next week.

Really looking good Dave. If I had the cash, I'd definitely have gone for coilovers. It gives that little extra drop that you just can't get with springs alone.

Thanks Nick - I might still come to regret the 70mm drop when I end up ripping various parts of the underside of the engine off :-)

Sounds like a good excuse for a k20 or V6 engine swap :)

As it’s going to be a while until I get the MRS200 painted, I decided ahead of the MOT that I would make and fit the rest of the grilles in the front bumper and the ear scoops of the clam.

https://i.ibb.co/yPfZwfn/66508150-B2...A8-E563090.jpg

I used the same approach as I used for the grilles made for the rear clam, placing a thin rubber strip around the edge of the grille itself. As there isn’t so much of a lip around the vents in the front bumper I’ve bonded the grilles in from the front, and done the same with those for the ear scoops, bonding them in from the rear.

https://i.ibb.co/sw0t67J/5-F65-C318-...4879-DA982.jpg

I’ve still got some of the flash lines to remove which I’ll do once I’ve sorted out the filler around the rear lights which has cracked - you can see them here in the area around the ear scoops.

https://i.ibb.co/gdtX1vd/1-D21-E500-...3-FF720-D7.jpg

car is looking great Dave, cheers for the info. The mesh makes all the difference once fitted doesn't it.
Mine is almost ready for paint now, i have done the same window thing as on my first one

Thanks Wozzy. Yes I saw the pics of your latest car on Facebook - the moulds certainly look to have improved as you can see in the shut lines.

On the window set up I’ve reinforced the upper part of my door skins where the metal surround is and done this with fibreglass so the angle on the window and frame is tighter to the door shut/windscreen pillar. Thanks to Nostromo for the hints and tips on this area. This and the door stop I’ve fitted to the MR2 hardtop to provide a rest for and cushion to the upper corner of the frame when closing has made a big difference.