Can't believe it's approaching 3 months since my last update - apologies for the gap but work has been progressing, just lots of finishing off needed to certain areas that I wanted to sort before posting.
First off I cut the MR2 doors down - wow, I was told this was one of the hardest parts of the build but still hadn't managed my own expectations of how long this would take. I haven't posted any pictures of the doors themselves but if anyone wants to see where the cuts are just let me know and I'll add some pics. Trickiest part was in the B pillar area where I ended up cutting more metal than I expected and spent a lot of time digging out the resin/GRP in the pocket on the trailing edge of the MRS200 door skin itself. Retro200 told me this was an area that would need working on as Tribute hand mould this when the panels are laid. Some adjustment of the metalwork left around the old lock/handle area and the drivers door is pretty much spot on. I've fitted the Sierra door handle and linked this up to the MR2 door handle mechanism.
You will see from the picture that the bottom edge of the door has quite a gap so I have some UPVC cladding that I've cut a strip off that will be glassed to the bottom edge of the door and filled. I still need to build in some additional support in the door itself at the lower edge before bonding given the lower edge of the MR2 door has been cut away.
Repeat of the above on the passenger side as well which is back and fitted.
I then focused on the front bumper/bonnet. The bumper support bar was lowered c. 25mm as it sits to high as it comes with the kit. I still think it's sitting too high so plan to lower it another 10mm. Bumper has been fitted with support brackets in the wheel arch area as well, and appetures cut out, indicators and Hella 1000 lights fitted. Passenger side light is sitting a bit too high in the pictures here.
I decided to try and go for a more authentic look with the headlights and bought a pair of headlamp panels from the Evo RS200 kit. The light appetures in the bonnet panel were extended out to fit these and next job is to glass in threaded bars under the bonnet to mount the Golf MK2 light units (thanks Retro200 for this) and then bond in the headlamp panels. Once I've done this and lowered the bumper support bar I'll attach the bonnet hinges and locking bonnet pins.
I had a couple of weeks where there wasn't much chance to spend more than 30 - 40 mins on the car at a time so spent a bit of time dressing up the engine bay (Ford stickers and a Ford RS200 plate that nicely covers the Toyota emblem on the engine cover) and making an RS200 panel to cover the Midship Runabout panel in the frunk.
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Final area I'm still working on is the rear clam. All appetures have been cut out and I decided to leave some fibreglass around the edge which will be painted black (just mocked up in the picture below to get the gaps right). I've made a set of grills that will be fitted flush and are edged in thin rubber trim - you can see one trial fitted in the picture here. I also managed to source a decent set of original RS Cosworth 3 door rear lights with bulb holders and gaskets for £50 so bit the bullet and have fitted these rather than the smoked Sierra Saphire units. I still need to fill in the area around the number plate panel which has a gap now I'm using the original units and the main area of filling needed which is in the wing areas each side.
