Import Cars featured - Custom 1991 Toyota MR2 Tuner Car

Somewhere there’s a Toyota Supra missing its taillights.
This is just the glove compartment—wait until you see the cupholders.

The shy Blitz turbo can be difficult to coax out of hiding.
Tony Law really likes his HKS.
Don’t mess with the law…Tony Law, that is.

The MR-2’s not-turbo engine was ditched for a sexier J-spec 3SGTE.

So, is it a non-turbo or isn't it? Magnifying-glass wielding fans of the second-generation, mid-engine, rear-drive MR-2 will immediately spot the flat vents over the engine compartment-a sure sign of a normally aspirated powerplant. But looks, in this case, are definitely deceiving, because what used to be Tony Law's '91 Toyota MR-2's source of power, a 5SFE non-turbo engine, has since been swapped with a Japanese '93 3SGTE turbo motor.

As you might imagine, making such a transition isn't necessarily a walk in the park, unless it's a walk in the park at midnight in a really bad part of town. But when you're as big a Toyota fan as Tony is, these things don't concern you. As he puts it, "Toyotas rule. I like the MR-2, and I like keeping everything in the Toyota family. I try to stay faithful to one car, one brand. That's why I got mostly HKS stuff. I try to keep everything as consistent as I can, because I don't like to mix and match, I like to keep everything very simple and clean."

Tony bought his MR-2, used, in 1994. As he explains, "I didn't get a chance to buy a new car like a lot of kids do. I had to work for everything on my own, taking up odd jobs. I had to settle on a used non-turbo because I couldn't afford the insurance for a turbo. I got it knowing that eventually I'd get it to a level where I wanted it to be."

But Tony took his time before getting around to the engine work. First came a modified Aeroware body kit, VIS fender flares, and 17-inch Volk Racing CV Pro wheels. Next came the interior, which got treated to a fat helping of leather. Tony says, "My car had beauty, but no brains. What's the point of having a car that looks fast, but can't back it up?"

And that's where the 3SGTE engine, complete with a Japanese ECU, enters the picture. The whole thing became a reality with the help of Toysport in Gardena, California. But transplanting the Japanese motor took a bit of work and involved a fairly significant overhaul. The first order of business was to reinforce the bottom end, which would be handling significantly greater amounts of power. To this end, Carillo connecting rods and Toysport forged pistons were installed. Tony then switched in a TRD Kevlar clutch and upgraded axles to replace their weaker counterparts.

After that came even more upgrades, the most important being a Blitz K3T turbo and a boatload of HKS products, including an intercooler and a Super Sequential blow-off valve, not to mention an EVC IV boost controller and a turbo timer. Dig around a bit more, and you'll come across an HKS Vein Pressure Converter, an in-tank fuel pump, and a Kaaz limited slip.

So, having brought his MR-2 up to Super Street speed, Tony would recommend that every owner of a non-turbo MR-2 do the same, since it's an inexpensive, hassle-free procedure, and if he could he'd do it all over again, right? Wrong.

"Don't get a non-turbo, just save up and buy the turbo. It'll save you a lot of headaches. If you're gonna start building [a turbo], you better buy yourself a bottle of Advil." Spoken like a man who knows what he's talking about.