Anyone had a second gen mr2

[stevepeanut]

I'm trying to get my head round what car to get for the gathering. 3 main ones I'm thinking of are, e36 BMW, xj40 Jaguar and 2nd gen MR2. I've had jags and my lass has an e36 so I know a fair bit about those. But I know little about the mr2. I'd love another celica like the one in my picture, but they are getting rarer and are slowly going up in price. Whereas the mr2, there's loads under £1000. So it's within my budget to get an early 90s one.

Anyone had one, what are they like to live with? Only thing I know is they have the solid 3s-ge engine that was in my celica.

[Ryannn]

Of all the ones I've seen, rust is the biggest factor. My mate had one with no rear arches, was great to drive but it didn't last long!

[loudandproud205]

Save your money and get a turbo 3s-gte model.

Polish it don't drive it in any adverse weather enjoy a huge profit in a few years. I bought a Rev 1 a few years ago and boy was it fast out the box I paid a grand for it but a crash later due to adverse weather I bent the wing, door and 3/4 panel broke the bumper and impact bar. Easy fixes as there well engineered.

Read up on all the different revisions of it as they changed a lot, the brake upgrade from the Rev 2 onwards is a must on any Rev 1

They really have snappy handling and a bit bouncy. I changed the lowering springs for coil overs on mine and fitted the later gearbox with LSD fitted which changed it again.

I'd have another tomorrow but would have to be a turbo but it would still be a Rev 1 even though they say the Rev 3 is the one to go for.

[stevepeanut]

I would love the turbo model. Always wanted the celica gt4 turbo too. Unfortunately there's no chance of me getting a turbo mr2 this year as funds are low while I'm on a 12 month training course for my new job. To get a car for the gathering, I'll have a grand at the most.

[loudandproud205]

There about at that money early Rev1 Turbo get one that needs a bit of work. Watch out for the sills but the Turbos are all imports and did fair a bit better.

The engine is very solid so shouldn't pose any trouble gearbox is the same.

Find a red one that the paints faded and looks bad and you could well bag a bargain. I mean mine was taxed and tested for a year.

No one really wants MR2s currently so prices are about as low as there going to get and should be set to appreciate in value.

[OUTRUN]

I own a rev 2 Turbo.
You cannot go faster for less cash, IMO.

I have never fully gelled with the car, but they do have 'something' about them, that is great fun.
Plus, they keep you on your toes as they are always waiting to pounce and kill you!



That's mine, just to show that they don't come factory fitted with fibregash skirts etc.

[carledo]

I have just got one back to my yard, the property of my future son in law. It is a 95 2.0GTi-16 targa in red and green from having spent the last 2 years parked under a tree. Having put a battery on it however, it fired up immediately and ran smoothly and sweetly and I was able to drive it onto my towing dolly for the recovery and off at the other end. The brakes work up to a point and there are no obvious gaping holes in the body though I have to say I didn't look that hard whilst trying to recover it in Saturdays downpour! Since my daughter has just given birth to twin boys, the car is a bit surplus and the only reason I got involved was because the storage was being lost and it was that or weigh it in! As is and where is (south east Shropshire, near Kidderminster) we were thinking that £300 is about fair. If you are interested, I will take some pics tomorrow and post them on here. Obviously it would need to be recovered somehow not involving driving it away! One further proviso is that the V5 has gone missing during recent shenanigins with moving and WHY, but a full receipt will be given.

Steve

[OUTRUN]

I had a '97 GTi (sunroof car) for parts, in the summer. It had patched rear sills and crusty rear arches, but no other rot.
99% of them don't rot anywhere else (front wings may go on UK cars), they are very resilient, when compared to S-Body stuff etc of the same age.

The sill rot comes from the inside, out, Once it is visible on the outers, then the inners are toast.
Pull the seat belt cover trims panels off, and get your hand down in the inner box section. If it is kippered in there - probably due to the factory sponge still being present - then move along, IMO.

Tin top cars are obviously the best at resisting sill rot. Sunroof and T-Bar cars drain into the sills, so chances are they are going to be in a bit of a state.

The rear quarter windows can also occasionally let water in. This affects all variants.

As said above, the mechanicals are rock solid on both turbo and n/a.
Power steering relay can stick, there are other things too, but not many.

[westycapri]

I had a rev 1 na for about a year. Was a brilliant car was a lot of fun round the bends. I liked that it had manual steering leather interior and pop up headlights. apparently rev2 onwards they made a bit safer handling (read less fun). Bought it for 800 ans sold it for 800. The leaking t bars were a bit annoying but definitely would recommend. If you can't stretch to a turbo I found the na pretty spritely and still great fun. Mine was a UK model with no rust on it. I managed to get some new wheels for it for really cheap with tyres. Alternator went after I waited a bit to long to sort a leaking rocker cover. Otherwise a reliable car and I put about 20k miles on it

[loudandproud205]

Feb 7, 2016 22:28:15 GMT OUTRUN said:

I own a rev 2 Turbo.
You cannot go faster for less cash, IMO.

I have never fully gelled with the car, but they do have 'something' about them, that is great fun.
Plus, they keep you on your toes as they are always waiting to pounce and kill you!

I found this to you couldn't go faster on four wheels but never really gelled fantastic car and very exciting I just never had that click with mine. But I wound the boost up and it was making just over 290bhp and it weighed just over a ton as I removed anything that didn't start, steer or stop the car. It was still better than most French cars I owned with there interior in.

[stevepeanut]

Feb 7, 2016 22:53:11 GMT carledo said:

I have just got one back to my yard, the property of my future son in law. It is a 95 2.0GTi-16 targa in red and green from having spent the last 2 years parked under a tree. Having put a battery on it however, it fired up immediately and ran smoothly and sweetly and I was able to drive it onto my towing dolly for the recovery and off at the other end. The brakes work up to a point and there are no obvious gaping holes in the body though I have to say I didn't look that hard whilst trying to recover it in Saturdays downpour! Since my daughter has just given birth to twin boys, the car is a bit surplus and the only reason I got involved was because the storage was being lost and it was that or weigh it in! As is and where is (south east Shropshire, near Kidderminster) we were thinking that £300 is about fair. If you are interested, I will take some pics tomorrow and post them on here. Obviously it would need to be recovered somehow not involving driving it away! One further proviso is that the V5 has gone missing during recent shenanigins with moving and WHY, but a full receipt will be given.

Steve

That's sounds decent for the money but it's realistically going to be summer when I get something. If you'd been local I would have taken a punt on it, but you are a good 3 hours from me and by the time I pay for it to be transported it'll probably cost me double.

[carledo]

Thanks for the reply, it's just as well you don't want it, cos I sold it today! A guy came in on spec, heard it run, asked how much, didn't haggle and drove it away (local-ish) greenslime and all! Found myself thinking i'd undervalued it (as you do!)

Steve

With the proceeds, I have bought a mint, 1 owner, 88 Peugeot 205 GRD 5 door from a local elderly widow. It too has not been used for some 18 months but not nearly as green as the MR2 was. £120 and I drove it away!

[stevepeanut]

It sounded a good car for the money, no wonder it went quickly.