pollymay, im off to go inspect an MR2 tomorrow night and if it's in good shape I have every intention of buying it.
Any particular things I should l look out for! Specific to MR2's I mean.
michael.benn,
Mar 29, 4:14am
pollymay, I'm off to go inspect an MR2 tomorrow night and if it's in good shape I have every intention of buying it.
Any particular things I should l look out for! Specific to MR2's I mean.
It's a '91 SW20 non turbo. Hard top (not t-top)
pollymay,
Mar 29, 4:32am
Balljoints that are rooted. Swaying tail from bad bushes, knocking on startup from non genuine filters (if it has a fram then slap the owner), tyre wear (once again suspension not being upkept), if you turn the steering wheel does the inner rack end bushing clunk, badly repaired accident damage in the rear, if it has a repair and it has been done very well/you can't tell/very minor then I wouldn't worry too badly as lots of them have had minor bumps so long as it hasn't straight out bent the frame they are pretty tough.
Check the power steering comes on as it should, the relays have a habit of crapping out, cycling the key 20 times in succession is a temp fix. Undersized brakes and seized callipers, leaky shocks. Syncros are often worn out on second gear so might need some redline MT-90 fluid to help out. It's nice if they have papers for the fuel filter etc being done, plugs, leads, dizzy normally need doing. Lots of little maintenance and suspension related things but it adds up. By the time I'm done I can drop $500 in fixing the rotors and odd little jobs, only takes 10 $50 items to get there. A well kept one will just save doing that.
You will find the bootlid normally sticks up on the driver side from the spring distorting it over 20 years. Healight covers and bumpers are usually misaligned. They are fun and a very solid car once they are up to scratch, they are built tough. I've given my dirt track car HELL for years and it just keeps taking it every meeting.
michael.benn,
Mar 29, 5:40am
You're a legend man :)
Over the mid semester break I'm heading back to Puke to stay/catch up with my dad for a bit . if I end up buying it it would be great if we could meet up and you can give it a look over or something :P
I can bring beer! (can't drink it though, stupid under 20 rule).
michael.benn,
Aug 31, 4:35am
How did you find the mid engine/rear wheel drive combo!
bubbles52,
Aug 31, 4:35am
i had one for 3 years, loved it, never had any problems except for a leaky targa roof which is very common in those
gadgit3,
Aug 31, 4:38am
Had one a few years back. Almost always had the pants thrashed off them If the srevice history is advrage then theres a good chance it could throw a leg out of bed Radiators get neglected Very tail happy if your not used to the mid mounted engine in the wet Cambelt and water pump will set ya back $800-1000 depending on how good the guy is that you chose to do the job. Watch second gear syncro.
michael.benn,
Aug 31, 4:40am
Auction states just had cambelt and water pump done :P
Thanks mate :)
gadgit3,
Aug 31, 4:46am
I enjoyed driving mine had a heap of fun in it. and it never missed a beat. What I have listed there is my experience from the MR2's that come into the workshop. Have a good look at the tyres also. The LSD boxed models had wider rims on the rear but most owner that put after market wheels on just fit the same size all round. the difference is noticable on the road. I had 195 tyres on the front and 235 on the rear.
arren1,
Aug 31, 4:48am
I had one and got radiator issues, ended up $3500 rebuild. but hey it was a great car
foxdonut,
Aug 31, 4:49am
Good cars back in the day.
Getting pretty tired now though.
michael.benn,
Aug 31, 5:35am
How would it be as a daily runabout!
vtecintegra,
Aug 31, 5:39am
Kid of annoying, you sit low and visibility is poor so they're a pain in the arse to park. Not a great deal of storage space either.
In saying that they can be a blast to drive, but as above you don't want to cheap out on tyres (and the one shown close up on that auction looks like an off-brand)
gadgit3,
Aug 31, 5:41am
As a manual it wont be to bad round town . My wife used mine as a daily for a year I think she was gutted when I sold it and gave her a Corolla lol
foxdonut,
Aug 31, 5:57am
What is your definition of a "daily runabout"
You're going to get examples now with poked gearboxes and transmissions.
Re day to day driving, if you just use it like a commuter car you won't notice any difference in the layout.
The pre 95 cars also had sloppy rear sways and running gear so if you're going to drive it like a retard it pays to spend proper money on tread. Like the AW11 its easy to drive the SW20 in a "spirited" manner, its also very easy to overstep the line and hard to recover.
Really though, save your money and buy a 98 + Gen 3 turbo. Anything else is just going to be an old car with no boot. Or get an AW11. They're down on power but a sorted AW11 is a really cool car to drive.
Also - make sure you can physically fit into the car as well - if you have big feet you'll find yourself stepping on the brake and throttle together fairly regularly.
Some cars also get a real bad "buffeting" effect in the cabin at low revs.
male_timaru,
Aug 31, 6:03am
Slow and not very nice handling - that was what i got from the one i drove before i bought my fx gt - was tossing up between the two - mr2 wasn't very practical for me either and used a LOT more fuel than the fx gt
michael.benn,
Aug 31, 6:04am
I normally drive in a . er. spirited manner :) Are you saying it can be quite dangerous at times! Is this due to the MR layout!
So far I've got - fun fun car, can be hard to work on, hardish to park, needs good tyres as hydroplanes easy (needs good grip), and a whole lot of other very useful info.
For the record guys, I'm 6'4". so not sure how this'll pan out. I fit into an NA MX5. just. It had a slightly smaller aftermarket steering wheel :P
gadgit3,
Aug 31, 6:11am
I'm 6'2 and size 11 foot I had no issue in the SW20, the AW11 was alot shorter in the foot well and norrow but I found the foot well ample in the SW20. personal preff I guess. When My wife was driving she had our son, his wheel chair and managed the weekly groceries as well as fitted her hand bag in it lol
As for handling in the dry you have to be pushing it hard to get it to let go. But the wet you need to keep it in the back of your mind if you step out theres a good chance your not getting it back.
michael.benn,
Aug 31, 6:25am
So a bit like the MX5 in the wet then!
foxdonut,
Aug 31, 6:28am
The real trick is conditioning yourself to not lift off the throttle at the first signs of slippage at the back, although, its usually lift off that causes the slide in the first place.
The reality is - it needs good tires. Its unlikely that you'll put the car in a slide if you take a 50 corner at 60. Its not a razor, its still just a road car built to the limits of the average driver - unless you're a total spastic or your wheels are poked the car isn't a TVR Sport 350 lookinig to kill you at every opportunity - its still just a Toyota, built for a consumer market.
michael.benn,
Aug 31, 6:34am
God you guys are helpful sometimes :)
Yeah, that makes sense (the top bit) because if you lift off your foot acceleration stops driving the back but car is still moving and wheels at front are still steering so would make sense for back to start floating out. Wait, did I explain that right! I think I did. Haha, too late for me.
enigma,
Aug 31, 6:34am
Love mine to bits - the best toy I ever owned. Makes me feel alive every time I drive it. Even with T-top leaking it's still the best I ever had. Oh, and I drove it like you'd never believe - raced it, flew it, any type of weather conditions and to the limit - loved every second of it too.
pollymay,
Aug 31, 6:36am
6'4" is pushing it, they are not huge cars. However you can always go to another set of lower seats.
Funny, I've never quite grasped the whole tail happy hard to handle thing cause they handle reasonably predictably just "different". They do blow things up now a days but really they are celica with 5 reverse gears so no shortage of bits. I've never found working on them particularly hard and mine has a quadcam V6 up its ass touching both firewalls, can still do anything pretty easily.
That one is a hardtop, won't leak. If you are used to cruisers then you might find it revs high and is kinda "buzzy" in the cabin. One other thing that upsets the balance a bit is unstaggered rims, not the tyres but the rims themselves on the mk2.
foxdonut,
Aug 31, 6:37am
On the face of it, any SW20 is a better car than a ZZW30 or that shitty Rover MG thing with the K series motor who's name I forget.
Coin flip with the MX5 of the same vintage, depending on what you're looking for in a car.
Really urge you to get an MR2 that isn''t yellow or non turbo though.
enigma,
Aug 31, 6:45am
Agreed about handling side. Once you are used to the way it drives - you will find that it handles very well indeed. But that very difference means I hate driving anything else now, haha. It sits low and you feel the road, but that's the fun part of it.
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