page 1-YOU ARE HERE!
page 2-The Swap Process
page 3-Stock Pics
page 4-Me and frends cars
page 5-Other V6 MR2's

"Toyota's MR2 (which stands for mid-engine, rear-drive 2-seater) is a modern interpretation of the classic mid-engine sports car. With its proportional hood and tail, relatively long wheel base (96.5 inch) and smart styling, the MR2 is an extraordinary two-seater with unique flavor and superb handling."

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF DOING THIS SWAP PLEASE TALK TO ME FIRST. IT SEEMS THAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH EVERY PROBLEM POSSIBLE AND HAVE WORKED OUT THE KINKS. IF YOU NEED TIPS, HINTS, OR ADVISE I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP JUST SHOOT ME A E-MAIL AT devdev0717@yahoo.com. I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP YOU AVOID ALL THE HEADACHES I WENT THROUGH


A Quick Rundown...


-Hot Import Nights Chicago 2006 1st place Hottest Engineered Vehicle

-April MR2 Owners Club MR2 of the Month

-Cover car and 4 page feature in MR2 Only magazine

-Modified Mag December 2006 single page feature

-MR2 Only issue 2 Cover Headline Car

-MR2 Only 2007 Calender Car

-Best of BCMR2 & MR2OC 2008 Calender Car




My MR2only Magazine Feature

www.mr2only.com

Retro Racer

Mixing classic retro car with modern power plans has always been a favourite approach for the car nut, the latest rigorous modern safety regulations mean car designers can't get away with anything like the concepts they used to dream up.

Feature written by Martin Weaver

Photos by Andy Farkus

The answer then is simple, get yourself a classic 80's ride with bags of charisma and then install a powerful, modern engine, what more could you want?

Devon Perlenfein from Columbus, Ohio has taken this very route with his 87 MK1, the results are spectacular and I doubt you will see another like it anywhere on the Planet.

The Tale Begins

The tale begins back in 2003, Devon is looking for a new car and his attention is mostly focused on Rx7's Supra's and even old Porsche's. Unexpectedly he came across an 87 MR2, struggling to remember what one of these even looked like he went for a closer inspection, telling us "When pulling into the guys work parking lot I had no ideal what I was looking for, but when I saw it I was shocked. There sat and 80's Toyota rust bucket that in which I somehow saw potential". The rest is history, the car was bought for the princely sum of $950 and Devon left smiling with the keys tot the MK1.

Tragedy

Just 2 days later however tragedy struck, the pair were involved in a 3 car pile up which caused some heavy damage to the front end. Dismayed at first, this caused Devon to realize the car definitely needed some TLC and he quickly sourced a replacement front end from a local junkyard – the bug was starting to bite!

The next part of the story is where things started to get interesting, Devon tells, "I was quickly falling in love with the handling and performance of the car, but I wanted more. After many attempts to make the 4AG faster I lost all interest in 4 cylinder engines and quickly realized that the only way to get the horsepower and torque I wanted was to go with a larger engine, a V6 maybe"

With an unfortunate run in with the law in March 04 meaning Devon became license-less for 90 days, he dived head first into the project "working part time I was saving as much money as possible. I had finally saved up $1100 to purchase an engine with, I found a 1mz-fe from a 1998 Camry in a local junkyard", he recalls. Next came a 98 Camry 5 speed Manual transmission from Missouri unavoidably required a clutch and flywheel from Toyota at a cost of no less than $500.

It's April 2005 and the ral work began on the conversion, deciding the lump needed to go in from the top of the now empty bay, Devon and his mate Bob started the trial fit and any cutting away of bodywork required. During this pre-asembly the duo came to the conclusion that the engine required all but on of its mounts to be fabricated from scratch.

A lot of ¼ inch steel plate shaping later and the eninge was in; sitting on a spanking set of polyurethane bushings kindly donated by a local company, the Rudolph Brothers.

The Challenge

Now came the challenging and fiddly components that complete the transplant, a custom reversed gear selector setup was designed by the increasingly talented Bob and a TRD quickshift selector was installed into the cabin. Mosier engineering n Indiana machined a custom set of drive shafts which in conjunction with a one off half-shaft setup completed the transmission. The very last remaining parts required to get the engine up and running were now assembled, a custom exhaust with Magnaflow silencers and an uprated fuel pump and lines were the last of many headaches.

Keeping this beast on the road, Devon has wisely improved the suspension setup with Tokio Illumina 5 way adjustable struts with custom coilovers. The brakes have also received similar attention as Devon explains, "With all that power I nedd to be able to stop this thing! That is why the front caliper brackets were modified, with a relocated top stud and re-tapped threads that now accept 1988 Toyota Cellica All-Track 2 pot calipers". Fed by stainless lines and grabbing Powerslot front and rear rotors with ceramic pads the system is more than up to the challenge those 6 cylinders present.

Stopping power

The brakes currently hide behind beautiful 16-inch Voxx MG wheels wrapped in classic Hoosier 205/45/ZR rated slicks. The rims complement the now fully repainted body really well, and with the Hann Designs body kit installed the car looks absolutely spotless. The pint is the stock Toyota Super Red II with a custom flattener agent added to give the car a matte look with is something you just don't see, it looks great and unusually has no lacquer!

Inside the car features TRD racing seats and '85 MR2 door panels. The '98 Camry gauges with a digital odometer further modernize the dashboard, covered in reverse glow gauges the interior really lights up at night. The center console has a '91 MR2 rear emblem embedded below the stereo with another red light illuminating it at night. With an OBD-2 link under the dash the interior is complete.

A matter of days before Devon was to show the completed car for the first time, disaster struck. His dad somehow managed to reverse into the freshly painted car, cracking the bumper and chipping the finish in many places. With no time to fix the car he decided to go for it anyway, making the 6 hour drive to Chicago for the Hot Import Nights show. To his total surprise the car took first place earning the title "Hottest engineered vehicle", a description that suits the whole build perfectly and was a well earned pat on the back for Devon.

Quite literally on our day of going to press Devon forwarded us these new photos of his striking repainted bumper. With custom aluminum canards and front lip to improve aerodynamics, you have to agree it gives the car a more aggressive look.

Future Plans

Future plans for the car include getting a MegaSquirt stand alone EMS and an entire aluminum undercarriage.

NOS

Despite a current quarter mile best time of 13.62 @ 101 MPH with a 50hp shot of nitrous, amazingly Devon is planning on going for yet another engine, "I plan to swap it again this winter with a 3.3L VVTI engine from Toyota's newer Camry. I am hoping to build the engine to approximately 350 N/A horsepower", he reveals.

So there you have it, a comprehensive lesson in old school meets new tech- Stunning!

Full Spec

Under the Hatch
3.0 Liter V6 24 valve 4 Cam (1MZ-FE - 1998 Toyota Camry)
Custom motor mounts
Custom polyurethane bushings
Custom wiring harness
Custom cold air intake
Custom headers
Custom full exhaust w/ Magnaflow mufflers
Additional Cooling fan under deck lid
Fuel Pump from a 1990 Camaro
Mallory Adj. fuel pressure regulator
Greddy oil catch can
1000 amp battery
Zex Nitrous Kit 100hp shot

Drivetrain
E153 5 speed manual Camry tranny
Custom CV shafts Mosier Engineering
Custom shifter linkage setup
Perma-Cool tranny cooler
Solid Brass shifter cable bushings
TRD short throw shifter

Stiff Stuff
Tokico Illumina 5 way adj. struts
Custom Coilovers (224 front 500 rear)
Prothane bushing kit

Stoppers
Powerslot front rotors
Custom fitted 2-pot front calipers
Poterfield R4S pads
Stainless steal brake lines
New stock rear brakes
Custom brake ducts

Rollers
16 x 7 Voxx MG's
205/45/ZR16 Hoosiers

Outside
Hann Designs kit
Custom Matte Super Red II paint
Custom Aluminum front lip
Custom aluminum canards
Shaved antenna

Inside
TRD seats
G-force 5 point racing harnesses
Auto Power Industries Roll Cage
GT Grant steering wheel
85 MR2 door panels
Custom gauge cluster w/ Camry gauges
Reverse glow gauge faces
Digital Odometer
TRD shift knob
Momo shift boot

ICE
Panasonic head unit

Thanks
Thanks to Bob for all the help with the build of the car. Thanks to the few friends that knew this car had potential when I bought it and thanks to all of the haters that thought this car would never see a magazine cover!