MR2 VW Bug Pics Page 1
Check out the Toyota MR2 3SGTE motor from the salvage yard. This motor has been rebuilt by ATS racing in Denton TX to run at or around 400HP.
I had to repair the rusted out lower rails of the VW bug body. I then coated the inside of the rails with Silver Bullet rust converter before recapping the rails.
I also had to repair a few holes and such in the VW Bug lower rails. I welded on small patches to cover the holes.
I filled the VW Bug lower rails with foam to minimise vibration because the bug body will bolt directly to the chassis along these rails plates.
After shaving off the faom and cleaning up the VW Bug rail edges, I tack welded the new rail bottom plates on. The long bolts in the plates are for marking holes in the plywood template.
Now that the plates are in position, I can set the VW Bug body down on some plywood to start the creation of the build jig/template.
After determining where the VW Bug rail mount holes are, I drilled out and attached the plywood to the bottom of the body using shorter bolts. I then traced around the outside of the body with a Sharpee marker. I cut the platform out after removing the plywood and then braced it and reattached it.
With the platform template attached to the lower VW Bug rails, I can set it down on some wooden blocks to adjust the ride height. I had to play around with the levels to try and get the car to sit correctly.
With the approximate ride height established, it is time to fit the VW Bug wheels and tires. As you can see the stance is fairly aggressive. This wheel placement will determine where the wheel boxes will sit. The wheels are the highest offset I could get for the Toyota MR2.
I have now removed the VW Bug body and replace the basket materials to define build areas.