No Scoobies, Evo’s, GTO’s or FTO’s... MR2’s only...

Issue 11August 2008

£3.75

ULTIMATE STREET MACHINEMatt Conger’s 13 year labour of love creating the ultimate

335rwhp MR2 Turbo

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

16 MR2 Only Magazine www.mr2only.com

ULTIMATESTREET MACHINE

Many of us would be MR2 owners set off to create that perfect

look but stumble and give up at the first hurdle, or simply lose interest and move on. I came across this treasure of an MR2 while talent spotting on the US MR2OC.COM forum and soon discovered that chasing perfection has taken owner Matt 13 years.

Matt’s obsession with motor modifying started with his father and Matt explains “for as long as my memory has existed, he has been maintaining and modifying cars himself. My brother Rob and I were always hanging around the garage, glad to help out by fetching tools, asking loads of questions to feed our curiosity of how things worked. Over the years the exposure of “tinkering” with our dad gave us the skills and confidence to work on our own cars. Matt owned a few basic commuter cars, nothing special worth mentioning until the MR2 came along. “However there is a pattern in my family with cars, when we finally buy our dream cars - we keep them” says Matt. “My dad has owned a 1937 Plymouth pickup truck for 31years, my brother Rob has a built 1968 Dodge Dart for 15years and I’ve had my MR2 for 13years. Matt first saw the Mk2 MR2 in person at the 1990 Chicago auto show; a 19 year old student at the time. Matt has the moment captured on video tape; “a red 1991 MR2 Turbo, spinning on its raised platform with me pointing at it saying “I want that car”. Something about its sleek Ferrari look, compact design, turbocharged performance mixed in with Toyota’s reliability that really appealed to me. I wanted it but being a broke student, I couldn’t afford it. Honestly, I couldn’t really afford it when I bought my MR2 years later; the bank wouldn’t give me a full loan to cover it so I had to borrow $2K from a friend!!

Ahhh….I remember that day well, in March of 1995, I found the “perfect” MR2 at my local Toyota dealership; a 1991 MR2 Turbo with loads of options, a lease return with only 16K miles - barely broken in!! The salesmen let me take the car out for the afternoon; I was hooked, got multiple loans that evening and bought the car the next day.

MR2 Only Magazine www.mr2only.com 17

ULTIMATESTREET MACHINE

Matt Conger’s GReddy TD06SH-20G

powered Toyota MR2 Turbo, a 13 year love

affair - a journey of devotion to create a

tarmac ripping 335rwhp a balance of

looks, handling and performance

the ultimate street machine...

18 MR2 Only Magazine

Matt’s first mod was just a few weeks after buying the car, it was an expensive bra (hey – it was the mid 90s, bras were cool!) that looked good but was a pain to install with all the metal tabs to secure it and eventually, it had a completely adverse effect and rubbed the paint off of the nose of the car. The car was kept 100% stock until 1999 when a GReddy SP exhaust made the rear of the MR2 look a little more purposeful and the rest is history, mods haven’t stopped since. Matt explains “My MR2 has outlasted every non-family relationship I’ve ever had…..women have NOT understood the amount of devotion I have for my MR2. Since the Mk2 was only imported to the states for 5 years, it is rare that you see many on the road and I get a lot of satisfaction that I own something rare that is modified to my own personal taste. I do drive the car, though with our Chicago winters, not all year round. I enjoy “spirited” driving, the occasionally quarter mile track (though it’s been a few years) and just last month I participated in my first track lap day event at Autobahn Raceway. I have to admit, I learned more about my MR2s capabilities and my own driving style that day than I ever expected – I will be doing that again. Matt’s goal has always been to enjoy the car and improve the power/handling as time and money allowed. As the years went by, “I spent a bit more on the mods with the logic of when something wears out, no point in replacing it with OEM parts when I could go aftermarket” explains Matt. I put it to Matt that surely there must have been one or two problems throughout his 13 year love affair between man and machine...Humm…..a few problems come to mind:

• Performance downpipe – for the OEM CT26 turbo, the fitment and quality was terrible. When I contacted the supplier, they took no ownership of the issue and wouldn’t replace the downpipe. Many hours were spent fixing it so it could be installed.

• When installing the JDM Gen3 LSD transmission, I couldn’t get the axle seals to hold correctly, the driver’s side seal popped out twice over a couple of weeks, dumping fluid everywhere and leaving me stranded. Turns out that the local Toyota dealer simply ordered the wrong seals.

• AEM EMS – just after I switched to EMS, when hitting the occasional larger bump, the car would hesitate and sometimes die. It was an annoyance but I was too busy enjoying the car to troubleshoot it until weeks later the car died and would not restart during my morning commute. I had it towed to my tuner, Vince Fiore of Sound Performance Racing. It took Vince all of 5 minutes to diagnose that the main motherboard in the EMS was loose causing a bad connection – a common problem with some AEM boxes. He popped open the EMS, secured the motherboard with zip ties and she fired right up - I haven’t

had a problem since. • A general “lessons learned” that you shouldn’t purchase parts from the cheapest vendor simply because of their low price. I’ve had a few vendors go out of business without supplying me the products I ordered. Thanks go to:

Major love, respect, thanks and praise goes out to my brother Rob – without all of his help, advice (no matter if I

wanted it or not), the use of his shop and tools (practically giving me my own service bay), his

connections and A LOT of his time, my MR2 wouldn’t be in the great condition it is in

today. Most importantly, my wife for

tolerating my devotion to my MR2 The MR2 Owners Club Message Board www.mr2oc.com for supplying a great board that is packed with information, tips and tricks on MR2s. And for the future...Honestly, I’m quite satisfied with the current state of my MR2 – I have a good balance of looks, handling and performance. My

MR2 is a lot of fun on the street but I have to admit, power is

addictive so I’m tempted to install some cams/gears/springs for an

extra 30-50hp. To stay current with my mods, please view www.pktrkt.com.

I participated in my 1st track lap day event at Autobahn

Raceway. I have to admit, I learned more about my

MR2’s capabilities & my own driving style that day than I

ever expected – I will be doing that again.”

MR2 Only Magazine www.mr2only.com 19

20 MR2 Only Magazine www.mr2only.com

POWER RATING:2007• 93 Octane, 3rd gear, Mustang Dyno:• Current Mods• 10psi Wastegate = 256 RWHP & 211 RWTQ PIC• 18psi Low Boost = 290 RWHP & 257 RWTQ PIC• 21psi High Boost = 335 RWHP & ??? RWTQ (bad

RPM pickup, TQ didn’t register) PIC

2004• 93 Octane, 4th gear, Dynojet:• Current Mods Without Fuel, IM & EMS• 10psi Wastegate = 197 RWHP & 168 RWTQ • 16psi High Boost = 283 RWHP & 244 RWTQ PIC

2001• 93 Octane, 4th gear, Dynojet:• CT26, TEP DP, RMS Intake, MBC, ATS TB, GReddy IC

& SP Exhaust

• 15psi MBC Setting = 183 RWHP & 214 RWTQ PIC

Stock• 11 psi = 150-160 RWHP

INTAKE / TURBO / EXHAUST:• Gizmo Thermal Phenolic Intake Manifold Gasket -

4MM Thick• GReddy TDO6SH-20G Turbo W/CJ Motorsports Stage

2 External Wastegate Modification PIC PIC1 PIC2 PIC3

• GReddy Oil Catch Can 15 MM• HKS Super Sequential Blow-Off Valve Kit• Kbox Engineering Gen3 Throttle Body Gasket• KORacing 3in Air Intake Pipe W/Filter• NGK6097 Spark Plugs• Phoenix Power SPL (aka Garage Fuki) Departure II

85MM Pro Racing Exhaust PIC PIC1 PIC2 PIC3• Ross Machine Racing Generation 2 Intake Manifold

w/Generation 3 Center Mount Throttle Body & Spacer PIC PIC1 PIC2

• Shem’s Garage Polished EGR Block-off Plates• Speed Source GReddy TD06 Turbo Replacement Oil

Drain Pipe• Tial 35MM Wastegate W/CJ Motorsports Stainless

Steel Dump Tube• Toyota Generation 3 Throttle Body (Gen3 60MM VS

Gen2 55MM)• Twos-R-Us Valve Cover Allen Key Bolts• Twos-R-Us Aluminum GReddy IC Shroud

FUEL:• Aeromotive 13109 Fuel Pressure Regulator PIC• Delphi 84 lb/hr (871 cc/min) Low Impedence Injectors

So what makes a 335rwhp Street Machine? this 2 page list...

MR2 Only Magazine www.mr2only.com 21

• Walbro 255LPH High Pressure Intank Fuel Pump• Wolfkatz MR2 Basic Fuel Fitting Kit & Mounting

Plate for Aeromotive 13109 FPR• Wolkfatz Fuel System: Top Feed Fuel Rail

COOLING• Castrol Syntec 5W-30 Full Synthetic Engine Oil

(The ONLY Oil I’ve Used Since ‘95)• Ceramic Coated: Heat Shields, Manifold, TD06

(DP, Adaptor & Exhaust Housing), IC pipes, Valve Cover, Brackets, Exhaust (B-pipe & Center Y-pipe)

• GReddy Intercooler (192 x 250 x 119mm) PIC• KORacing Mirror Polished Engine Lid Fan

Shroud W/Dual Spal 11in Pusher Fans (Controlled By 2nd Fog Light Switch)

• KORacing Gas Charged Engine Prop Rod• Spal 7.5in Puller Fan Mounted On IC

(Controlled By 2nd Fog Light Switch)• Toyota Racing Developent 21.3psi (1.5kg)

Radiator Cap• Toyota Racing Development Oil Cap• Turbo Hoses: GReddy Intercooler Hose

Upgrade Kit & Throttle Body Transition Hose in Red

• Twos-R-Us Aluminum GReddy Intercooler Shroud

SUSPENSION:• Cusco OS Rear Strut Bar• H&R Lowering Springs• High & Tight Motorsports Sway Bar End Links Set• KYB AGX 5-Way Adjustable Struts• Suspension Techniques Anti Sway Bar Set• Toyota Crash Bolts (Corrected Rear Camber)• Toyota Pillow Ball Mounts & Strut Boot/Bump Kit

(2nd set)• Toyota Racing Development 14 Piece Suspension

Bushing Set• Toyota Racing Development 4 Piece Engine Mount

Set

DRIVETRAIN:• Clutch Masters FX300 Carbon/Kevlar Stage 3

Clutch• Redline 75W/90NS

Full Synthetic Transmission Fluid (Good) Changed To Redline MT90 (Great)

• Speed Source Transmission Bushings & Cable• Toyota Generation 3 Viscous LSD Transmission

(35K on trans in ‘02)• Toyota Racing Development Short Shift Kit PIC

WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES:• Bedell Racing SW20 Master Cylinder Brace NEW• Wagner Cross Drilled & Slotted Brake Rotors NEW• Earl’s Hyperfirm Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit

NEW• Porterfield RF-S Carbon Kevlar Brake Pads - Full

Set NEW• SSR SP1 3 Piece Wheels in Black: 17x7 +37 NR

Face & 17X9 +37 SL Face PIC• SSR Carbon Fiber Center Caps• Valvoline Synpower Synthetic Brake Fluid NEW• Yokohama AVS ES100 Tires: 215/40/17 Front &

245/40/17 Rear

ELECTRONICS:• AEM Engine Management System (EMS) PIC• Tuned by Vince “Talent” Fiore of Sound

Performance Racing• AEM UEGO Wideband Controller Air Fuel Ratio

Gauge• Autometer Dual Pillar Gauge Pod• Autometer Sport Comp 2 1/16in: 30psi

Boost/30psi Vacuum, Oil, Volt & Water Temperature Gauge

• Custom 3 Gauge Center Din Panel• GM Sensors: 3bar MAP & IAT• GReddy Profec B-Spec Electronic Boost Controller• Scremin Engineering EMS Mounting Bracket• Toyota Fog Light Switch (Controls IC & Engine Lid

Fans)

SOUND SYSTEM:• Alpine CDA7863 In-dash CD Player• Shawn M Enclosures W/JL Audio 8W3-D6

Subwoofers• MTX Thunder 280 Amplifier• Phoenix Gold SS212 Speaker Cable• Street Wires PowerStream 8G, 30amp Power

Cable

EXTERIOR:• GReddy Body Kit: Front Lip, Side & Rear Skirts PIC• Kbox Engineering: 97+ Rear Spoiler Pads• Kbox Engineering: Ecentric T-top Shaft Guides• Paint: OEM Factory Respray of Crimson Red w/

Clear Coat, Monochrome Scheme• Shaved: Front License Plate, Side View Mirrors &

Emblems• Toyota Generation 3 Antenna Assembly• Toyota Generation 3 Complete Tail Light Assembly• Toyota Generation 4 Clear Lamp & Cover Assembly

= Clear Corner Lenses

• Toyota Generation 4 Solid Front Trim Molding• Toyota Generation 4 Rear Amber Corner Lenses• Toyota Generation 5 3-way Adjustable Rear Wing• Toyota Generation 5 Trunk Lid• Toyota Rear 1/25 Window Glass, Rear Louvers &

Window Moulding Assemblies• Welded: 6 Holes On Rear Quarter Panels From

Generation 2 Wing

INTERIOR:• Classic Soft Trim Custom Leather Interior Upgrade

Package W/2-tone: Seats, Head Rests & Door Panels - All Red Leather Is Perforated PIC PIC1

• Momo: Anatomic Shift Knob and Shift Boot• Toyota Leather Steering Wheel Replaced Under

Manufacture Recall For FREE!!• Toyota Generation 5 Door Sills & Stainless Steel

Inserts NEW• Toyota Generation 5 Trunk Mat

NEW MODS WAITING TO BE INSTALLED:

• Eddy’s LHD Fiberglass 52MM Triple Gauge A-Pillar Pod, Black

• Speed Source Shifter Base Bushing Kit - Toyota

OLD MODS UNINSTALLED & SOLD:• ATS Throttle Body Inlet Pipe• GReddy SP Exhaust• HKS Fuel Cut Defenser• Konig Monsoon Wheels: 17X7 Front & 17X8 Rear

+40 Offset• Rebel Motor Sports Ram Air Intake• Spal 7.5in Pusher Fan Mounted On Engine Lid

(Controlled By Stock Engine Lid Thermostat)• SSR Plastic Center Caps• Top End Performance Custom Down Pipe W/3Wire

O2 Sensor, replaced w/Bosch 4Wire 02 Sensor• Toyota Generation 3 Complete Front Lip Spoiler• Toyota Generation 5 Speed Flaps• Toyota Generation 2 CT26 Turbo, DP, IM & IC• Twos-R-US MBC

So what makes a 335rwhp Street Machine? this 2 page list...