Toyota MR2 Mk II Radiator Grill

Some owners of the Toyota MR2 Mk II have had problems with stones damaging the radiator.  The problem is that the radiator and the aperture that allows air to flow through to it are both very low to the ground.  The aperture is protected against very large stones by a  lateral bar and 5 vertical supports, but it's still possible for a stone slightly larger than a golf ball to get through the aperture and puncture the radiator.

Many owners have resolved this potential problem by fitting a mesh grill to the back of the spoiler aperture.  This modification details the procedure I used to fit a suitable grill to a Mk II Rev 3 MR2.

Modification Procedure

You need to carry out this procedure when the car is cold as you have to reach behind the radiator.  

You should also ensure that the radiator fan cannot come on while the trim above the radiator is disconnected.  You'll be working at the front of the rad and the fan is on the rear, but you don't want anyone accidentally getting their fingers in the fan if it comes on.  We simply made sure that nobody had access to the inside of the vehicle during the process, and the ignition was off etc, though you may want to remove the battery to be absolutely sure.

Remove the 10 trim clips fitted to the supports.  Note that these are not the same - the ones shown in the picture below are from the top row - the clips at the rear of these that grip the back of the support are in the centre.  The lower trims have a smaller clip at the top and bottom.  The very right hand clip on the top row (near the tow eye) is also slightly different to the others on the top row.

Remove the trim covering the Radiator.  This is secured by two screw clips - remove screws then prise out the clips. You also need to lift the rubber seal at the front of the bonnet and disconnect the bonnet release mechanism spring.  Then flex the trim and taking care not to scratch the front bumper twist the trim through 90 degrees so that it can be removed past the bonnet release mechanism.

This picture shows the gap between the front of the bodywork and the radiator.  You need to slide the mesh down here, and also get your hand in to cable tie the mesh to the supports.  You probably need to remove at least one of the Radiator top mounts to get the mesh in without bending it.  I removed both top mounts and found that I then had slightly more space to reach in behind the mesh when doing up the cable ties.

After removing the trim, I also discovered that the top of the radiator had some surface rust so took the opportunity to clean this up and apply radiator paint to prevent further corrosion.

I used black plastic mesh in order to avoid changing the car's appearance any more than necessary.  This and other meshes are available from stores such as Halfords in sheets 30cm by 90cm.  As the piece I used for this mod was 15cm x 73cm you can just about do two cars with one 30 cm x 90 cm sheet if you're careful.  Before cutting the mesh, cut a piece of cardboard to the approximate size and check that it fits properly, then use that as a template.  You'll also need to cut a small notch in the template and mesh to clear the tow loop at the right hand side of the grill (as you look at the car from the front).
 

The picture above shows the cable ties used to attach the mesh.  Fitting these is very difficult, though after you've done one or two it gets easier.  I found the best way was to feed the head of the cable tie through then hold it behind the grill so that you can feed the tongue through the head.  Then I used a pair of pliers to reach into the gap in front of the radiator to pull the cable tie tight.  Reaching in with your hand to hold the head while you do the top ones isn't too difficult but the lower ones are much more difficult.  I had to use the pliers to reach these properly.  Even in daylight it's quite difficult to see what you're doing when fitting the ties so using a torch to illuminate the area helps.

When fitting the ties you need to have them very close to the supports.  If you're not careful and fit them so they don't fit the supports snugly then the mesh will distort and you'll also find that the support trim clips don't fit back on properly.  Fit the ties so that they go through adjacent holes in the mesh. 

Also note the position of the clips on the back of the support trims.  As mentioned above these are different on the upper and lower supports.  You need to fit the ties so that they don't interfere with these - the one on the very left of the above picture (near the fog light) is wrong, whereas the one to the right is OK.  The one on the very left won't allow the trim to be re-fitted; On the top row the ties need to be either at the top or the bottom of the support. on the bottom row the ties can be at the middle of the support if you position them carefully.  I fitted the ties on the top row so that they were alternately at the top of the support and the bottom of the support.  I also fitted ties to every support in each row to ensure that the trim didn't distort when the vehicle is moving at speed.

Once the mesh is securely tied, refit the radiator supports, valance support trims and the trim above the radiator.  The most tricky part for me was re-attaching the bonnet release mechanism spring; be careful not to drop this through the aperture while you're refitting it as if you do you'll have a job retrieving it; I found that holding the spring with a screwdriver while fitting it helped.  You should wear protective goggles when fitting the spring to avoid it hitting you in the eye if it suddenly becomes disconnected during the process.

The above picture shows the results of the completed project.  The mesh used in this case hardly changes the appearance of the car at all; from a distance the mesh is invisible, but close up it does look better than the exposed radiator.

Variations

There's an aluminium strip running beneath the top edge of the aperture; you can only see this if you're looking at the car from below the height of the number plate, but perfectionists will probably want to paint this black before fitting the mesh.

Post modification Precautions

I'm keeping a close eye on the temperature gauge since this mod.  I believe the mesh used has sufficiently large holes to ensure adequate air flow to the radiator, but only time will tell.  I would have preferred to use a larger mesh had one been available.

Disclaimer

MR2s.Co.Uk, Information Ideas Ltd and the author of this article accept no liability for any damage or injury caused by anyone following this modification procedure.  Please ensure that you know what you are doing and are competent to carry out this procedure.  Take all appropriate safety precautions to ensure that your work is safe.  Also ensure that the modification detailed here is appropriate for your vehicle.

Wanted - More Modifications

Please send us details and pictures of modifications and enhancements that you have carried out on your MR2.  We'll post them here for the benefit of other owners, and will acknowledge you as the author if you wish.  Contact us at Mods@mr2s.co.uk

Details of popular modifications, audio enhancements, and pictures of different alloy wheels would be particularly welcome.  Thanks.