Since October 2014, Gareth has owned this impeccably well-kept 1999 Toyota MR2 GT T-Bar Revision 5. It already had a naturally aspirated 3SGE engine (producing around 170bhp) when he purchased it, and this just made modifying the car all that much easier!

You may be looking and admiring the beautiful colour it reflects? Well, this is because the paint is called ‘Sonic Shadow’ and the car has a silver body, with a black roof and mirrors. We think the car looks fantastic. You can just imagine the sun beaming off the car as it goes around a track on a sunny day.

The Modifications…

Like many car enthusiasts, Gareth couldn’t resist adding some modifications to his Toyota MR2. Here’s an overview of the modification work that has taken place on the car since he’s owned it…

Wheels

• Super Advan SA3 2 piece, 17*7.5-inch ET31 front, 17*8-inch ET31 rear, white pearl faces, and polished lips.
• Gareth also owns a set of SA3 2 piece in 16*7 and 16*8 ET32 with ‘gunmetal gray’ faces and a silver lip.

Suspension

• BC BR coil overs 4KG F / 6KG R.
• TRD front ARB, Turbo spec rear ARB.
• Cusco strut braces.

Brakes

• Braided HEL lines.
• Uprated brake pads.

Engine and Drivetrain:

• Gen3 3SGTE 2.0L Turbo conversion.
• BRD 3-inch downpipe.
• Mongoose exhaust (photos show a Fujitsubo Legalis R exhaust).
• Upgraded side mount intercooler and charge piping.
• Greddy Profec OLED boost controller.
• Blitz SUS Intake.
• E153 LSD transmission and driveshafts.

“The engine made 234bhp at the wheels in the donor car, which is around 270bhp at the flywheel. That was without the downpipe upgrade and side mount intercooler upgrade.”

Exterior

• The exterior is mostly standard, other than the smoked front indicators and sidelights.

Interior / ICE

• OMP Corsica 350mm black leather and red stitching wheel.
• Pioneer AV270BT head unit.
• Rainbow iPaul 4.300 amplifier.
• Hertz ESK165.5 6.5inch components.
• Focal P25 subwoofer.

Future modification plans…

• Polybush and refurbish the suspension.
• Recaro SR seats (Confetti, because they were an optional extra back in the day).
• Purchase a set of lighter wheels and track oriented tyres (Advan RG’s, perhaps).
• TRD rear ARB.

Q&A with Gareth

Gareth kindly took some time to talk with us about his car and what shows he attends with it. As anyone who has modified a car will know, it’s crucial that you trust the people performing the work on your car. That’s why we’ve also asked Gareth what garages he’s used to perform work on his car and how he feels about insuring his car with us, here at Safely Insured.

Here’s what Gareth had to say…

Do you use garages to perform the work on your car?

“Actually, I did the engine conversion myself (with lots of help from some amazing friends)! Pretty much everything has been done by me, with the help of friends.

However, I would like to say thanks to the following companies: TCB Parts, Hurley Race Engineering, and Steven Eagell, Toyota Romford, for supplying the parts. I’d also like to thank Luke at Drift Limits for taking some time on the phone to help me figure out the wiring changes required for the engine conversion.”

What is your absolute favourite thing about owning a Toyota MR2?

“I just really enjoy the way it drives, nothing else even comes close to it for the money. The combination of the excellent driving position (sitting low down in an already low car) and the feedback you get from the controls (which you just don’t get on more modern stuff) is just incredible. All of the engine intake / turbo / exhaust noises just behind your head makes even the most boring journey a little less boring. So, I guess you could say I just love the car in general.”

How many shows / events do you attend, with your Toyota MR2?

“I’ve been to a lot of shows over the years, including: Japfest, Japshow, JAE, German vs Jap, Japanese Auto Matsuri, Bromley Pageant, and I’ve even organised a few MR2 events as well. We’ve got a great community within the Toyota MR2 crowd because everyone has similar interests and are all respectful of each other.”

What’s your favourite car of all time and why?

“That’s a tough one. There’s loads of potential candidates, but I think I’ll have to pick the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. I’ve only ever seen two in my life, and in my opinion, they are the most beautiful cars ever made. I doubt the car will ever be topped in that regard.”

Please describe your experience with Safely Insured…

“When sorting out my insurance, the chap I spoke to on the phone at Safely Insured was really enthusiastic about the car and seemed to know a fair bit about MR2’s specifically. It was great to talk to someone who was interested in cars because we share the same passion. The price was competitive for a modified specific policy, as it was with other brokers as well. Overall, I would recommend Safely Insured to a friend.”

Insurance for a Toyota MR2 GT T-Bar Revision 5

Gareth’s modified Toyota MR2 is insured via our Modified Car Insurance scheme. Our modified car insurance schemes cater for a variety of modifications. A modification is classified as anything that has been altered from factory standard, this can be: stickers or new alloys, to engine swaps and project cars. We can offer cover such as ‘Like-for-Like’ modifications cover or ‘Agreed Valuations’ cover.

For further information, just visit our Modified Car Insurance page on our website.

We regularly get asked questions about Modified Car Insurance. We get asked everything from ‘what classes as a modification?’ to ‘what’s the acceptance criteria?’ and so on. As a result, we thought it would be a good idea to answer a lot of these questions in one place, so we wrote an article: “The most frequently asked questions about Modified Car Insurance“. Check it out! If you have a question that needs answering, you may just find the answer in that article. If you still can’t find the answer, you can get in contact with us by calling 03303331251.

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