MR2 owners - How many have you owned?

[danjama]

OlberJ said:

Porsche Boxster/Cayman. It's all that you loved about Mr2s but times 10.

Too rich for me (apologies to all company directors looking in)

[BenWRXSEi]

danjama said:

I've been offered a Levin AE101 as a swap. After a test drive I have no doubt it's special for a NA FWD car. Easily competitive with CTR and ITR's of the era. But i'm not sure if I can handle going back to FWD. No more rear wheel fun? Hmmm

So apart from the 101, there's a strong want for a Nissan S14 of some kind. But these require a couple of months of hard saving or a few months of lazy saving.

What did you all buy after an MR2 turbo when you needed four seats? Any thoughts appreciated. I was considering other Non Jap cars such as MG ZS 180, Clio 172/182, BMW 328's, but i'd rather stay Jap if possible.

CardHore's AE101 by any chance? Looks nice, I have to say.

I've had a couple of cars on your list... I had an AE111 Trueno a few years ago. Basically the same as the AE101, I think the blacktop 20v had a tad more power than the silvertop but I doubt you'd notice the difference. It was a pretty fun car, actually, and the throttle-bodies sounded pretty awesome especially paired with the Fujitsubo exhaust I had on it.

I have to say, though, the MG ZS180 I had before it was a better car in almost every way. Massively under-rated, whoever managed to make a Rover 400 handle and stop like that deserves a medal. Plus the KV6 doesn't have the usual K-series HG worries and it's a peach of an engine to boot. Build quality is crap, mind you, I was constantly chasing rattles.

I also tried an RX8 231, two Supras (mk3 turbo and mk4 NA), an Impreza and a 5-series before buying my second MR2. Now I've got another Impreza, go figure!

[danjama]

BenWRXSEi said:

CardHore's AE101 by any chance? Looks nice, I have to say.

I've had a couple of cars on your list... I had an AE111 Trueno a few years ago. Basically the same as the AE101, I think the blacktop 20v had a tad more power than the silvertop but I doubt you'd notice the difference. It was a pretty fun car, actually, and the throttle-bodies sounded pretty awesome especially paired with the Fujitsubo exhaust I had on it.

I have to say, though, the MG ZS180 I had before it was a better car in almost every way. Massively under-rated, whoever managed to make a Rover 400 handle and stop like that deserves a medal. Plus the KV6 doesn't have the usual K-series HG worries and it's a peach of an engine to boot. Build quality is crap, mind you, I was constantly chasing rattles.

I also tried an RX8 231, two Supras (mk3 turbo and mk4 NA), an Impreza and a 5-series before buying my second MR2. Now I've got another Impreza, go figure!

It is Cardhores yes It's the only one i've ever seen on sale. I have to say if you fancy it yourself, it is a really good example with well chosen mods and tight as a ballerinas harris I'm still considering it but i'm worried I will lose out come time to sell. Plus it's almost too heavily modified for comfort and i'm planning some long trips this year. But he's a top guy, been really patient and helpful. I have a big want for the AE111 as well. Such great looking cars and hardly known among enthusiasts which I like.

So what are your thoughts on FWD and RWD for enjoyment? And how about Impreza vs MR2?

And thanks for the info RE the ZS180, that's exactly the sort of info I was after. I think i'll have to try and find one locally and take a look before I decide where to go next. They look an absolute bargain and you can get them with the belts done for £1500! Rattles don't bother me, the MR2 sounds like it's falling to bits when the exhaust is doing it's thing.

So much food for thought! Cheers

[BenWRXSEi]

danjama said:

It is Cardhores yes It's the only one i've ever seen on sale. I have to say if you fancy it yourself, it is a really good example with well chosen mods and tight as a ballerinas harris I'm still considering it but i'm worried I will lose out come time to sell. Plus it's almost too heavily modified for comfort and i'm planning some long trips this year. But he's a top guy, been really patient and helpful. I have a big want for the AE111 as well. Such great looking cars and hardly known among enthusiasts which I like.

So what are your thoughts on FWD and RWD for enjoyment? And how about Impreza vs MR2?

And thanks for the info RE the ZS180, that's exactly the sort of info I was after. I think i'll have to try and find one locally and take a look before I decide where to go next. They look an absolute bargain and you can get them with the belts done for £1500! Rattles don't bother me, the MR2 sounds like it's falling to bits when the exhaust is doing it's thing.

So much food for thought! Cheers

Thanks mate, it looks like a lovely car but it's not for me. I have enough toys already!

FWD/RWD is very much down to taste. I didn't really gel with my AE111 as it was the non-LSD equipped model and it could never really put the power down towards the top of the rev-range. The MG was actually pretty good, I had a lot of fun and it was very chuckable. Actually, if you do end up with an MG I'd very much recommend putting a decent air filter on it - the standard setup is hugely restrictive. I ended up with a big ITG filter in the NSF wing which made a massive difference. It's the only car I've ever driven where the addition of an 'induction kit' actually had a noticeable impact.

I'm not particularly averse to FWD but I'm not really a fan of hatchbacks, which limits my choice rather. At the moment I have both RWD (Westfield) and AWD, RWD is brilliant fun on track but for where I live (loads of muddy country lanes, none of which get gritted in the winter) having the sure-footed Subaru is lovely. A friend of mine had a tuned Focus ST running a bit more power, and he was constantly chasing problems trying to get it to put the power down!

Have you thought about something like an E46 330Ci?

[danjama]

Thanks again for the info. A ZS180 is sounding more and more up my street, and will allow me to scratch the 6 cylinder itch as well

E46's don't do it for me really, if I go for a BMW it will be a 2 door E36 of 2.5L or above.

But I would prefer to stay Jap if possible. I guess the S14/Skyline is pretty much Japans answer to BMW's, so it's really a matter of FWD or RWD for me.

I've only driven one FWD, my first car, a Fiesta Flame 1.4. I guess some part of my brain feels like a move to FWD is a step backwards. Illogical really considering the number of praised FWD's.

[snotrag]

ZS180 is almost Jap anyway - stay with me....

I sold my MR2 to make way for my current pair of a Turbo MX5 and a Honda Civic Aerodeck. Civic is MB6 shape - AKA the same as the Rover 400/45/MG ZS.

Its pretty tinny and coarse, but its a good car. mine has the stupid B18 VTEC engine which doesn't suit the roly-poly baggy estate suspension and estate body. Its quick though once wound up.

I WISH that either
- Honda had borrowed the V6 and put that in my car
- Rover had done a 45/ZS estate using the same shell.

Either of which would the perfect combo.

I've been in a few ZS and they are a bit stiffer and sportier and much prefer the peachy V6. In fact I'd be tempted for a Hatchback ZS180 for the practicality but with a nicer engine.

If you see them side by side the Honda and Rover/MG are basically the same car. with different exterior bolt on panels.

[danjama]

I think i've pretty much decided on a ZS 180

Just need my 2 to sell now. Wonder if a price drop will help it along.

So what should I look for on viewings? Any expensive noises or visuals? Hidden rust?

I think I will be going for a facelift model for the more muscular looks.

Edited by danjama on Monday 26th January 18:39

[BenWRXSEi]

danjama said:

I think i've pretty much decided on a ZS 180

Just need my 2 to sell now. Wonder if a price drop will help it along.

So what should I look for on viewings? Any expensive noises or visuals? Hidden rust?

I think I will be going for a facelift model for the more muscular looks.

Edited by danjama on Monday 26th January 18:39

There's a few bits to look out for, best bet is to sign up to www.themgzs.co.uk and have a poke around

[LasseV]

danjama said:

Oh no, this thread is on the front page of Jap Chat! Now how will I let my tubby go?

Not that it's sold yet...

Can anybody comment on where they went after a tubby? I've got so many ideas running around in my head. If I could i'd keep it but I really don't want to keep 2 cars, it will just suck up too much money...

I've been offered a Levin AE101 as a swap. After a test drive I have no doubt it's special for a NA FWD car. Easily competitive with CTR and ITR's of the era. But i'm not sure if I can handle going back to FWD. No more rear wheel fun? Hmmm

So apart from the 101, there's a strong want for a Nissan S14 of some kind. But these require a couple of months of hard saving or a few months of lazy saving.

What did you all buy after an MR2 turbo when you needed four seats? Any thoughts appreciated. I was considering other Non Jap cars such as MG ZS 180, Clio 172/182, BMW 328's, but i'd rather stay Jap if possible.

Edited by danjama on Saturday 24th January 22:28

Well, mkIV manual Supra is a great 2+2 sportscar/grand tourer, depends a little bit of models etc etc. Built like a tank and it is a great looking machine. Drives very well too. N/a is a quite fast vehicle and TT model offers genuinely super car level performance when modded. Not bad, eh?

[WhisperingWasp]

danjama said:

Oh no, this thread is on the front page of Jap Chat! Now how will I let my tubby go?

Not that it's sold yet...

Can anybody comment on where they went after a tubby? I've got so many ideas running around in my head. If I could i'd keep it but I really don't want to keep 2 cars, it will just suck up too much money...

I've been offered a Levin AE101 as a swap. After a test drive I have no doubt it's special for a NA FWD car. Easily competitive with CTR and ITR's of the era. But i'm not sure if I can handle going back to FWD. No more rear wheel fun? Hmmm

So apart from the 101, there's a strong want for a Nissan S14 of some kind. But these require a couple of months of hard saving or a few months of lazy saving.

What did you all buy after an MR2 turbo when you needed four seats? Any thoughts appreciated. I was considering other Non Jap cars such as MG ZS 180, Clio 172/182, BMW 328's, but i'd rather stay Jap if possible.

Edited by danjama on Saturday 24th January 22:28

I lost my turbo to an engine fire in the summer, was absolutely gutted. So I was in the same position as you (but not out of choice!).

Having owned a mk1 and three mk2s before I decided to go for a mk3. Might be worth considering if you like the Totota reliability - engine fires aside

If you have some squishy bags then I'd imagine it would be good for road trips too. It's what the previous owner to me bought it specifically for I understand (from imoc).

Incidentally, my old (favourite) one:

[Oh Danno]

I've only owned the one so far which was a MK2 Rev 1 G Limited T Bar with the half leather/alcantara interior which really complimented the paint scheme.

That was easily the most enjoyable car I've owned so far but it only lasted a year or so before it went to car heaven. It was going to cost a considerable amount more to fix all the faults and bodywork damage than to buy a much newer and cleaner example.

I'd love another one now though and I've got eBay keeping an eye on those coming up for sale!

[Red Devil]

danjama said:

What did you all buy after an MR2 turbo when you needed four seats? Any thoughts appreciated. I was considering other Non Jap cars such as MG ZS 180, Clio 172/182, BMW 328's, but i'd rather stay Jap if possible.

4 seats... Check.
Jap... Check.
Be that little bit less obvious?

[danjama]

Red Devil said:

4 seats... Check.
Jap... Check.
Be that little bit less obvious?

Hello mate. Was this yours? Looks a good'un. Did you miss RWD much?

I was sat alongside one the other day in traffic and they are gorgeous. On a par with DC2's if i'm honest.

[Red Devil]

danjama said:

Hello mate. Was this yours? Looks a good'un. Did you miss RWD much?

No it wasn't - I was merely throwing it into the ring as an alternative for you to consider.

danjama said:

I was sat alongside one the other day in traffic and they are gorgeous. On a par with DC2's if i'm honest.

Were you? Are you sure? I think you may have your wires crossed because had it been mine I would not have been missing RWD.
That car has drive to all 4 wheels.

4 seats was a necessity for me before I ever owned a MR2. SWMBO insisted on having something big enough to transport the family and all her shopping. She also demanded plenty of safety features so of course I bought a Volvo.

Just not one that was quite as the boys in Torslanda intended. A debadged and remapped V70R.
There were very few visual clues so the result was frequently a surprise for the unsuspecting. A proper sleeper.

I'm not planning on defecting from the MR2 scene anytime soon...

[danjama]

You're right RD - that's not what I thought it was! At a glance I saw an Accord Type R! In my defence not dissimilar:



That got me looking at ATR's and I can't believe the price of them! I'd sooner have a DC2 for the same money.

I have to say the Galant does have an appeal and always has They look so purposeful. I would have to have the rare twin turbo though in a manual. I'm going to look in to these more for ownership experiences, running costs etc. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.

ALSO to anybody interested, I test drove a beautiful facelift MG ZS180 last night and unfortunately it's not for me. The steering felt too manufactured and not enough punch in 3rd for the yob in me. It's a shame because the package is appealing and I really, really wanted to like it. It impressed me how light it felt for the size and weight, and the interior was nowhere near as bad as people suggest, actually quite nice, but overall, I'd say there's more fun cars to be had in FWD.

I wish I could just keep my MR2 and run another car with four seats, but it would have to be something crap and cheap to make it anywhere near possible :/ I may just look in to it so I can at least say I tried.

Edited by danjama on Wednesday 28th January 09:20

[Red Devil]

danjama said:

You're right RD - that's not what I thought it was! At a glance I saw an Accord Type R! In my defence not dissimilar:

danjama said:

I have to say the Galant does have an appeal and always has They look so purposeful. I would have to have the rare twin turbo though in a manual. I'm going to look in to these more for ownership experiences, running costs etc. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.

If you want more info try clubvr4.

Meanwhile maybe go have a look at this? - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/mitsubishi/g... - not too far away.
Don't knock the INVECS-II transmission either. It's quite a clever bit of kit for its time and market segment.

My take on the Galant is it's an Evo VI for grown-ups.
It's a better looking car imo and the great thing is that most people won't have a clue what it is.

danjama said:

I wish I could just keep my MR2 and run another car with four seats, but it would have to be something crap and cheap to make it anywhere near possible :/ I may just look in to it so I can at least say I tried.

Find something mundane and boring for the daily slog and keep your MR2 for weekends. You'll regret selling it. People always do and most of them come back after they have become tired of whatever itch they felt they needed to scratch at the time.

[BenWRXSEi]

Red Devil said:

danjama said:

I wish I could just keep my MR2 and run another car with four seats, but it would have to be something crap and cheap to make it anywhere near possible :/ I may just look in to it so I can at least say I tried.

Find something mundane and boring for the daily slog and keep your MR2 for weekends. You'll regret selling it. People always do and most of them come back after they have become tired of whatever itch they felt they needed to scratch at the time.

It's a fair point. Maybe try something completely different - I had a lovely wafty E39 5 Series SE asa daily while I had my last MR2, it was a joy to cruise around in every day and made the MR2 seem much more special. E39s can be had pretty cheap nowadays, especially in grandad SE spec.

Shame you didn't get on with the MG, although any NA V6 in this price bracket will feel underpowered compared to the 3SGTE;)

[Kateg28]

BenWRXSEi said:

Two for me. First was a UK Mk1:





...and then a Supercharged JDM Super Edition:

Very nice.
Hello Ben

[danjama]

BenWRXSEi said:

It's a fair point. Maybe try something completely different - I had a lovely wafty E39 5 Series SE asa daily while I had my last MR2, it was a joy to cruise around in every day and made the MR2 seem much more special. E39s can be had pretty cheap nowadays, especially in grandad SE spec.

Shame you didn't get on with the MG, although any NA V6 in this price bracket will feel underpowered compared to the 3SGTE;)

Very true. Although the 1050kg 160bhp Levin i test drove felt a lot quicker/livelier and better in general. But the two cars are of a different era so it's not really fair to compare them.

What's the cheapest way to insure two cars? Keep the mr2 on a classic policy and a second car on normal policy? Or maybe i could actually have two cars on a classic policy...food for thought. A call to my insurers is on the cards!

[BenWRXSEi]

Kateg28 said:

Very nice.
Hello Ben

Hello Kate! Good to see you floating around still. Are you JAE-ing this year?