hi all, after reading lots of posts i guess i wont get much more performance out of an NA REV2, it seems the best i can do is maybe a K+N type panel filter, a less restrictive exhaust, nudge the timing up a couple of degrees, and use super unleaded. now will i notice any improvement or is it just psychological because it 'sounds' quicker, and just save the money. as the car has less the 38k on it i would rather not throw away a good engine to go down the V6 or turbo route.
cheers for any thoughs........tom

I'd agree that there aren't any real performance gains on a NA. I wouldn't touch the timing under any circumstances and using premium unleaded is a total waste of money.

If performance is what you want I would recommend selling your car and buying a cheap Rev 3 turbo. There are plenty out there. The low mileage on your Rev2 must be worth quite a premium in price (assuming it's not a 3S-FE) and buyers would prefer to pay for that rather than any other mod.

hi cheers for your thoughts. i think you may be right, and i should just sell the NA and look for a turbo. am i right in thinking that a turbo will most likely be an import and not much in the way of a history with it?, my NA has everything with it from day one.....spare keys, all hand books, all service docs (toyota), and MOTs. so its easy to check its history, i'm a bit worried if i buy an import i will end up with a dog.
cheers....tom

All turbos are imports. They were never sold in the UK from new. Many have been in the UK for several years. Buy a Rev3+ model - there are plenty around.
They will all have been ragged around to some extent and unless you are fairly handy with the spanners yourself they will no doubt cost you more to run than an NA

One option would be to either look for a V6 conversion or buy a Turbo with a blown engine (therefore Cheap) and pay to have the V6 conversion yourself. A more reliable option to a turbo.

May i point you in this direction please?

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...howtopic=102925

And in particular, this pic..

Ive got service history from when the car was imported back in 06...

hi....its the 'from when' bit, not 'from new' that would worry me, but anyway its a nice car.
...tom

lol, if a fresh import has been running fine in this country for over 3 years with just regular services and wear n tear then it's safe to presume that the car is not a lemon.

I would never buy a car that was freshly imported because of the unknown factor. There are many ways to gage if a car is a lemon or if it's a good un.

Also you said an option to have a turbo lump transplanted, your worries about the history would still be there.

The trick is to buy a car from a mr2 forum member as you will have less chance to buy a duff motor.

hi fizz, have to agree the more paperwork the more chance of getting a good one, i would rather have an 'off the shelf' turbo than a transplant, and like yours with original speedo is a plus.
tom