MR2 mk2 - potential problems & costs
Discussion
Hello,
As a replacement for my rusty Eunos I'm considering a mk2 MR2 (probably a 2l na TBar not a turbo), but I don't know much about their potential problems and costs.
Are parts easily available including replacement engines?
What normally goes wrong with this model?
Is rust a common issue, where does it appear and how best to check when viewing a car?
thanks
James
As a replacement for my rusty Eunos I'm considering a mk2 MR2 (probably a 2l na TBar not a turbo), but I don't know much about their potential problems and costs.
Are parts easily available including replacement engines?
What normally goes wrong with this model?
Is rust a common issue, where does it appear and how best to check when viewing a car?
thanks
James
Having owned a MX5 you will know about some of the things to look out for. Usually stuff really engine wise, when cambelt was done 60,000 or 5 years, strange noises etc.
I recommend you go for a turbo, forget the horror stories they are usually said by people coming from who drive front-wheel drive or not used to MR engine layout.
I've owned both a NA and turbo and the costs differences in running them are marginal. The turbo in normal driving the turbo is not on boost so using petrol like an NA.
As far as one to go for, go for import. Scares some people but they tend to be in better condition less rust and they have more goodies standard like A/C than UK examples. You can tell them by the square rear numberplate amongst other things.
Go for Rev3 onwards so "L" regon imports, "M" on UK cars. They have more power than previous revisions they are basically the facelift model.
I recommend you go for a turbo, forget the horror stories they are usually said by people coming from who drive front-wheel drive or not used to MR engine layout.
I've owned both a NA and turbo and the costs differences in running them are marginal. The turbo in normal driving the turbo is not on boost so using petrol like an NA.
As far as one to go for, go for import. Scares some people but they tend to be in better condition less rust and they have more goodies standard like A/C than UK examples. You can tell them by the square rear numberplate amongst other things.
Go for Rev3 onwards so "L" regon imports, "M" on UK cars. They have more power than previous revisions they are basically the facelift model.
I've been driving MR2s for the last 15 years. A rev1 and a rev 4.
Although I don't do high mileages or track days, I can say not a lot goes wrong.
I'd have to get down to a very pedantic level of things like the electric aeriel sticking on both cars or the clip that holds the bonnet strut snapping off.
They are very well built and very reliable. If they still made them I'd buy another.
Although I don't do high mileages or track days, I can say not a lot goes wrong.
I'd have to get down to a very pedantic level of things like the electric aeriel sticking on both cars or the clip that holds the bonnet strut snapping off.
They are very well built and very reliable. If they still made them I'd buy another.
Rust spots would be the usual for these sorts of cars: wheel arches, sills, bottom of the door.
With a T-bar, it may be best if you can view it immediately after some heavy rain, and then check the floor behind the seats, and near the front of the doors for dampness. That should pick up the usual interior leaks. The boot floor is another one.
With a T-bar, it may be best if you can view it immediately after some heavy rain, and then check the floor behind the seats, and near the front of the doors for dampness. That should pick up the usual interior leaks. The boot floor is another one.
Sounds OK, I love the way these MR2s look.
Re the turbo - do they come as a TBar? I'm not that interested in having a huge amount of power and I don't really want high insurance or repair costs etc.., I'd just much rather have the TBar roof and get the fresh air.
Do they usually have side skirts that need to be checked behind or are the sills easy to access and check for rust? Are there ways to check inside the sills, such as the plugs in the wheel wells on MX5s?
Assume that the worst happens and the engine blows, how available are replacement units? I'm used to MX5s so getting another engine is about £400 and there are loads of them.
Re the turbo - do they come as a TBar? I'm not that interested in having a huge amount of power and I don't really want high insurance or repair costs etc.., I'd just much rather have the TBar roof and get the fresh air.
Do they usually have side skirts that need to be checked behind or are the sills easy to access and check for rust? Are there ways to check inside the sills, such as the plugs in the wheel wells on MX5s?
Assume that the worst happens and the engine blows, how available are replacement units? I'm used to MX5s so getting another engine is about £400 and there are loads of them.
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 26th August 20:43
JimSuperSix said:
Sounds OK, I love the way these MR2s look.
Re the turbo - do they come as a TBar? I'm not that interested in having a huge amount of power and I don't really want high insurance or repair costs etc.., I'd just much rather have the TBar roof and get the fresh air.
Do they usually have side skirts that need to be checked behind or are the sills easy to access and check for rust? Are there ways to check inside the sills, such as the plugs in the wheel wells on MX5s?
Assume that the worst happens and the engine blows, how available are replacement units? I'm used to MX5s so getting another engine is about £400 and there are loads of them.
Yea turbo came as both tbar and hardtop. As far as sideshirts they didn't come standard its always wise to buy a car as standard as possible... Unless you buy a car from an ocd like me Re the turbo - do they come as a TBar? I'm not that interested in having a huge amount of power and I don't really want high insurance or repair costs etc.., I'd just much rather have the TBar roof and get the fresh air.
Do they usually have side skirts that need to be checked behind or are the sills easy to access and check for rust? Are there ways to check inside the sills, such as the plugs in the wheel wells on MX5s?
Assume that the worst happens and the engine blows, how available are replacement units? I'm used to MX5s so getting another engine is about £400 and there are loads of them.
Edited by JimSuperSix on Sunday 26th August 20:43
I would never really buy a car unless it was good in the first place. I'm of the mentality " buy cheap pay twice" That said the 3S GTE engine is very strong if looked after well Rev 3 onwards have metal headgasket standard.
I only let Pacific works a MR2 specialist touch my car, very near london so handy. Also Rogue motorsport nearer midlands. Pays to go to them
I see rust is very important to you, just check sills, underneath doors. That said doors can be replaced. Pull the carpet up in the boot
Edited by Midshipracer on Sunday 26th August 23:14
Rust really isn't that big an issue with the Mk2. My Turbo is 20 years old and is just starting to rust on the offside sill. Its been in the UK for 12 years, has covered 127,000 miles and is used in all weathers. Thankfully the SW20 doesn't have the same rust issues as the AW11.
Usual problems with the Mk2 NA or Turbo are;
Sticky brake callipers.
Failing alternators (due to water ingress into the engine bay)
Poor windscreen wiper action (fixed by fitting new wiper arms with fresh tension springs)
Persished rubber seals on T-Tops (several DiY solutions exist)
"Pipes from hell" coolant pipes bolted to the body of the car that tend to crack due to their rigidity.
As for Turbo vs NA;
The running costs aren't that different, the main issue would probably be the fact that if you have an import turbo running the standard map, you absolutely have to use super unleaded.
Insurance wise I pay £250 on a limited mileage policy on my Turbo.
Road fund licence is the same NA or Turbo.
The Turbo engine (3SGTE) is more complex than the most common NA (3SGE) (There was also the BEAMS and FE engines available in NA guise), but is still a very reliable unit. I've had very few engine issues. Those I have had have all been age related electrical problems or as a result of modifications.
My lightly breathed on Turbo manages 30mpg on the motorway/fast A-road and thats at a fair old lick! NA would be more like 35-40mpg
UKDM vs JDM Import
The obvious one is traceble, documented history.
JDM GT Turbos or G-Limited NAs were "fully loaded" for want of a better term.
Sunroof only available on UKDM.
UK cars exposed to gritted UK roads.
JDM specific parts are easily obtainable, taking 24-48hrs to order from Toyota main dealers.
JDM cars require speedo conversion, speed limiter removal (not entirely necessary) and UK radio convertor.
In general
A healthy, well looked after SW20 MR2 is a very satisfying car to own. The seating position is by some way the best I've ever experienced. The seats themselves are very comfortable making it a great GT car.
The steering is good with decent of feedback, its hydraulically assisted and rewards accuracy.
Every part I've ever needed in 7 years of ownership has been easy to get hold of, either from MR2 specialists or Toyota themselves, that said OE parts can be pretty expensive!
Due to their mid-engined layout and their age (rusty bolts/fixings)they can be fiddly to work on if you're a DiY'er.
Engine conversions are very popular amongst NA owners so always plenty of engines available and pretty much every possible engine configuration has at some point found its way into an SW20.
Tyre choice is very important in the SW20. Don't scrimp! You don't need to go to the premium end of the market, I use Falkens and find them to be up to the job, plenty of advice on the forums when it comes to tyre choice.
Rev2+ brakes (same on NA and Turbo) are very good in comparison to the over servo'ed items on many more modern cars.
The horror stories about the SW20s propensity for snap-oversteer are not entirely unfounded. Lifting off the power mid-corner is a big no-no in the SW20, and if you stamp on a Turbo's throttle pedal too early on the exit of a corner you can find yourself looking back the way you just came, however, most of the stories I've heard of such incidents have ultimately boiled down to poor tyres, not driving to the conditions, inexperience or general ham-fistedness.
Lastly, I'd just like to say, buy on condition, not age or mileage or even Revision. They're old cars now, even the last of the line Rev 5s are over a decade old. The Rev 2 addressed the handling and braking criticisms aimed at the Rev 1, the Rev 3 brought more power (158 - 174bhp NA, 221 - 241bhp Turbo). In the NA the power hike is negligeable, really makes no difference on the road or track. On the Turbo the 0-60 time dropped from 5.7sec to 5.2, but the difference is really only felt at the higher end of the rev range as the later C20b turbocharger holds boost better than the wheezy CT26 used on the Rev1/2. The Rev 3 Turbo is easier to tweak too, mainly thanks to the MAP Sensor taking the place of the air meter, the larger fuel injectors and the stronger headgasket.
All that said though, I'd take a mint Rev2 over an average Rev3+ any day
Anyway, hope that helps, get onto imoc.co.uk and get searching the knowlege base.
Good luck.
Usual problems with the Mk2 NA or Turbo are;
Sticky brake callipers.
Failing alternators (due to water ingress into the engine bay)
Poor windscreen wiper action (fixed by fitting new wiper arms with fresh tension springs)
Persished rubber seals on T-Tops (several DiY solutions exist)
"Pipes from hell" coolant pipes bolted to the body of the car that tend to crack due to their rigidity.
As for Turbo vs NA;
The running costs aren't that different, the main issue would probably be the fact that if you have an import turbo running the standard map, you absolutely have to use super unleaded.
Insurance wise I pay £250 on a limited mileage policy on my Turbo.
Road fund licence is the same NA or Turbo.
The Turbo engine (3SGTE) is more complex than the most common NA (3SGE) (There was also the BEAMS and FE engines available in NA guise), but is still a very reliable unit. I've had very few engine issues. Those I have had have all been age related electrical problems or as a result of modifications.
My lightly breathed on Turbo manages 30mpg on the motorway/fast A-road and thats at a fair old lick! NA would be more like 35-40mpg
UKDM vs JDM Import
The obvious one is traceble, documented history.
JDM GT Turbos or G-Limited NAs were "fully loaded" for want of a better term.
Sunroof only available on UKDM.
UK cars exposed to gritted UK roads.
JDM specific parts are easily obtainable, taking 24-48hrs to order from Toyota main dealers.
JDM cars require speedo conversion, speed limiter removal (not entirely necessary) and UK radio convertor.
In general
A healthy, well looked after SW20 MR2 is a very satisfying car to own. The seating position is by some way the best I've ever experienced. The seats themselves are very comfortable making it a great GT car.
The steering is good with decent of feedback, its hydraulically assisted and rewards accuracy.
Every part I've ever needed in 7 years of ownership has been easy to get hold of, either from MR2 specialists or Toyota themselves, that said OE parts can be pretty expensive!
Due to their mid-engined layout and their age (rusty bolts/fixings)they can be fiddly to work on if you're a DiY'er.
Engine conversions are very popular amongst NA owners so always plenty of engines available and pretty much every possible engine configuration has at some point found its way into an SW20.
Tyre choice is very important in the SW20. Don't scrimp! You don't need to go to the premium end of the market, I use Falkens and find them to be up to the job, plenty of advice on the forums when it comes to tyre choice.
Rev2+ brakes (same on NA and Turbo) are very good in comparison to the over servo'ed items on many more modern cars.
The horror stories about the SW20s propensity for snap-oversteer are not entirely unfounded. Lifting off the power mid-corner is a big no-no in the SW20, and if you stamp on a Turbo's throttle pedal too early on the exit of a corner you can find yourself looking back the way you just came, however, most of the stories I've heard of such incidents have ultimately boiled down to poor tyres, not driving to the conditions, inexperience or general ham-fistedness.
Lastly, I'd just like to say, buy on condition, not age or mileage or even Revision. They're old cars now, even the last of the line Rev 5s are over a decade old. The Rev 2 addressed the handling and braking criticisms aimed at the Rev 1, the Rev 3 brought more power (158 - 174bhp NA, 221 - 241bhp Turbo). In the NA the power hike is negligeable, really makes no difference on the road or track. On the Turbo the 0-60 time dropped from 5.7sec to 5.2, but the difference is really only felt at the higher end of the rev range as the later C20b turbocharger holds boost better than the wheezy CT26 used on the Rev1/2. The Rev 3 Turbo is easier to tweak too, mainly thanks to the MAP Sensor taking the place of the air meter, the larger fuel injectors and the stronger headgasket.
All that said though, I'd take a mint Rev2 over an average Rev3+ any day
Anyway, hope that helps, get onto imoc.co.uk and get searching the knowlege base.
Good luck.
Thanks very much guys, a lot of info there which will be very helpful!
There is a car near me that looks good in the photos (but don't they all) so I might go and have a look at it to get a clearer idea of what the vehicle is like up close, try to get a feel for how it's built and laid out etc..
I'll have a good read on imoc.co.uk also, thanks for that link Mike.
cheers
James
There is a car near me that looks good in the photos (but don't they all
) so I might go and have a look at it to get a clearer idea of what the vehicle is like up close, try to get a feel for how it's built and laid out etc..I'll have a good read on imoc.co.uk also, thanks for that link Mike.
cheers
James
gofasterrosssco said:
Yep, good summary from MikeyMike
Plus the one he didn't mention - N/A with V6 transplant . Right, as above.
Past 4 years or so I've had a Mk1 and Mk2 MX-5 so know those very well.
I recently bought a 99, Rev 5 UK car, 120k miles, very well cared for. Paid
exactly £2000,budget was +/- £500 depending on car. Sonic Shadow, Toyos
all round, Undersealed, Mongoose exhaust, Carbotech brakes, polybushed,
eibachs and dampers replaced etc etc.
I did initially want a Turbo. I went to see a lot. According to those 'in the
know' you wont get a minter but you should be able to get a usable one.
I disagree.
They were all wrecks. To a one - rusty (very, in some cases), oil leaks,
smoky, dubious mods, s
t suspension, crap aftermarket wheels, it was all in
all very dissapointing. Some of the less-borked ones were quite alarmingly
quick once wound up, but in the corners there only as quick as an n/a
anyway.
In my experience, if you want a 'nice' Turbo, your gonna have to be prepared
to pay, and your also going to have to wait a while, and be at the mercy of
other peoples mods/personal taste.
So I ended up looking at UK n/a cars. Again, lots of very very rusty cars.
These rust just like MX-5s do. Some of the sellers were only fooling
themselves with there 'its just a little bubbling' claims. Sills, wings,
underbonnet areas, undersides, drain points, all the seams and welded joints
underneath, some really grotty.
Other than that, just standard 2nd hand car stuff. Engines quite often a bit
leaky. Lots had very poor looking radiators. Faded paint on older cars, and
you probably wont find a Red one anymore thats in good nick unless its had
paint or been garaged/fastidiously kept.
However - I would very heartily reccomend one, if you can find one as I have
- enthusiast owned, loved and cherished car. Mine has had suspension
overhaul, has new Toyos all round in correct sizes,great brakes, spotless
inside, etc etc etc... Take pretty much no note of age or mileage, as its
almost irrelevant. If its been looked after it could be a 1999 or a 1991.
I really, really like it. I'm going to go as far as saying I think the handling is
'as' good as the MX-5 (and mine were good). It seems then, that the MR2 is
very intolerant of poor setup, poor tyres, hamfisted driving, and general wear
and tear. Mine feels secure, and stable, at decent speeds.
The N/A is fractionally quicker than an MX-5, particularly over 60 or 70.
However despite being bigger it still feels quick in the same way. 70 on the
m-way feels quick even.
It has fantastic traction, not sure if they all come with LSD's or not but mine
has and has excellent traction on poor surfaces and rough roads. There is a
much finer line between getting it right and wrong but when it hooks up it
feels grippy and planted.
Its markeDly less stable on wet roads/standing water though, again down to
that finer line between right and wrong than an MX-5. Its a more serious car
to drive fast, and IMO that makes it interesting and adds a dimension.
The engine however is much better IMO - its much smoother, much more
tuneful than the Mazda, and more willing to spin up and torquier down low,
even though its specific output is very similar, and the power/weight is about
the same.
It is a much, much nicer long distance car. As has been hinted at - the
driving position, and comfort is absolutely superb, this is in some ways what
I'm most impressed by. Interior is great, if old-fashioned, everything works
well, well designed, the drivers seat is superb (adjustable lumber, adjustable
height, adjustable side bolsters etc).
It would make an excellent road-trip car. I reckon theres nearly double the
luggage space of the Mazda all in. Its also good on fuel and I've been getting
40mpg on the motorway relatively easily.
Where the Mazda feels well built, but to a price, the Toyota simply feels
solid. Again - very impressed with how well bolted together it is.
They are 6 of one really, each has its own qualities. I havent missed the
softtop too much yet, and its nice having a chassis that feels connected at
both ends! Mine is a sunroof model and still feels nice and airy inside when
its warm.
Parts availability and running costs seem broadly similar so far, with the MR2 costing a touch more for tyres/consumables etc simply down to it being a bigger car. Slightly more for say clutch/timing belt, but I'll be doing them myself anyway if need arises, so no issue.
Insurance on my UK car has come out a touch less than an MX-5.
Similar to work on, same good quality Jap engineering, only really anything
at the top end of the engine is harder to get to, but still not bad (nothing like
an Exotic mid-engined car). Theres good space round the engine particularly on the N/A car, and on jacks you have access to the entire bottom half easily.
Tyres appear to cost a chunk more as theres very little available in the right
sizes anymore for the rear (a good sign of a commited owner would be correctly sized tyres!).
I seem to be gelling with it very well so far, next spring If I decide it needs more power (not sure it does really) then it would be ripe for a 3s-gte or V6 conversion.
Your welcome to look round mine if you happen to be nearby (Yorkshire).
Past 4 years or so I've had a Mk1 and Mk2 MX-5 so know those very well.
I recently bought a 99, Rev 5 UK car, 120k miles, very well cared for. Paid
exactly £2000,budget was +/- £500 depending on car. Sonic Shadow, Toyos
all round, Undersealed, Mongoose exhaust, Carbotech brakes, polybushed,
eibachs and dampers replaced etc etc.
I did initially want a Turbo. I went to see a lot. According to those 'in the
know' you wont get a minter but you should be able to get a usable one.
I disagree.
They were all wrecks. To a one - rusty (very, in some cases), oil leaks,
smoky, dubious mods, s
t suspension, crap aftermarket wheels, it was all in all very dissapointing. Some of the less-borked ones were quite alarmingly
quick once wound up, but in the corners there only as quick as an n/a
anyway.
In my experience, if you want a 'nice' Turbo, your gonna have to be prepared
to pay, and your also going to have to wait a while, and be at the mercy of
other peoples mods/personal taste.
So I ended up looking at UK n/a cars. Again, lots of very very rusty cars.
These rust just like MX-5s do. Some of the sellers were only fooling
themselves with there 'its just a little bubbling' claims. Sills, wings,
underbonnet areas, undersides, drain points, all the seams and welded joints
underneath, some really grotty.
Other than that, just standard 2nd hand car stuff. Engines quite often a bit
leaky. Lots had very poor looking radiators. Faded paint on older cars, and
you probably wont find a Red one anymore thats in good nick unless its had
paint or been garaged/fastidiously kept.
However - I would very heartily reccomend one, if you can find one as I have
- enthusiast owned, loved and cherished car. Mine has had suspension
overhaul, has new Toyos all round in correct sizes,great brakes, spotless
inside, etc etc etc... Take pretty much no note of age or mileage, as its
almost irrelevant. If its been looked after it could be a 1999 or a 1991.
I really, really like it. I'm going to go as far as saying I think the handling is
'as' good as the MX-5 (and mine were good). It seems then, that the MR2 is
very intolerant of poor setup, poor tyres, hamfisted driving, and general wear
and tear. Mine feels secure, and stable, at decent speeds.
The N/A is fractionally quicker than an MX-5, particularly over 60 or 70.
However despite being bigger it still feels quick in the same way. 70 on the
m-way feels quick even.
It has fantastic traction, not sure if they all come with LSD's or not but mine
has and has excellent traction on poor surfaces and rough roads. There is a
much finer line between getting it right and wrong but when it hooks up it
feels grippy and planted.
Its markeDly less stable on wet roads/standing water though, again down to
that finer line between right and wrong than an MX-5. Its a more serious car
to drive fast, and IMO that makes it interesting and adds a dimension.
The engine however is much better IMO - its much smoother, much more
tuneful than the Mazda, and more willing to spin up and torquier down low,
even though its specific output is very similar, and the power/weight is about
the same.
It is a much, much nicer long distance car. As has been hinted at - the
driving position, and comfort is absolutely superb, this is in some ways what
I'm most impressed by. Interior is great, if old-fashioned, everything works
well, well designed, the drivers seat is superb (adjustable lumber, adjustable
height, adjustable side bolsters etc).
It would make an excellent road-trip car. I reckon theres nearly double the
luggage space of the Mazda all in. Its also good on fuel and I've been getting
40mpg on the motorway relatively easily.
Where the Mazda feels well built, but to a price, the Toyota simply feels
solid. Again - very impressed with how well bolted together it is.
They are 6 of one really, each has its own qualities. I havent missed the
softtop too much yet, and its nice having a chassis that feels connected at
both ends! Mine is a sunroof model and still feels nice and airy inside when
its warm.
Parts availability and running costs seem broadly similar so far, with the MR2 costing a touch more for tyres/consumables etc simply down to it being a bigger car. Slightly more for say clutch/timing belt, but I'll be doing them myself anyway if need arises, so no issue.
Insurance on my UK car has come out a touch less than an MX-5.
Similar to work on, same good quality Jap engineering, only really anything
at the top end of the engine is harder to get to, but still not bad (nothing like
an Exotic mid-engined car). Theres good space round the engine particularly on the N/A car, and on jacks you have access to the entire bottom half easily.
Tyres appear to cost a chunk more as theres very little available in the right
sizes anymore for the rear (a good sign of a commited owner would be correctly sized tyres!).
I seem to be gelling with it very well so far, next spring If I decide it needs more power (not sure it does really) then it would be ripe for a 3s-gte or V6 conversion.
Your welcome to look round mine if you happen to be nearby (Yorkshire).
That's a very helpful post, thanks Snotrag. Lots of great info there to commit to memory. Glad to hear you find it as enjoyable to drive as an MX5.
I don't think I really want a turbo as I'm just not too bothered by going fast - I had a fast Seven replica and the fun of just accelerating hard soon wore off as you just get to the speed limit quicker and can't use the performance. I'm much more interested in how they feel to drive, whether they can put that same grin on my face as the MX5 manages to do. I think it has to be a t-bar though, I just love open-top motoring as it makes even going slowly hugely enjoyable.
There is a nice looking n/a t-bar blue car fairly near me, I think I'm going to go and have a look to get a feel for how they are up close. I'll be sure to check it for rust as my main concern as I'm not keen on another rusty vehicle in a year or so.
I don't think I really want a turbo as I'm just not too bothered by going fast - I had a fast Seven replica and the fun of just accelerating hard soon wore off as you just get to the speed limit quicker and can't use the performance. I'm much more interested in how they feel to drive, whether they can put that same grin on my face as the MX5 manages to do. I think it has to be a t-bar though, I just love open-top motoring as it makes even going slowly hugely enjoyable.
There is a nice looking n/a t-bar blue car fairly near me, I think I'm going to go and have a look to get a feel for how they are up close. I'll be sure to check it for rust as my main concern as I'm not keen on another rusty vehicle in a year or so.
Dependant if you can get someone with experience to look over it, this is very good value, and a rare car.. I used to have one, and the engine is sweeter, and the extra punch (slightly better torque spread and more top end) of the engine is worth it over the already good 'normal' 3S-GE..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150883466366?ssPageName=...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150883466366?ssPageName=...
gofasterrosssco said:
Dependant if you can get someone with experience to look over it, this is very good value, and a rare car.. I used to have one, and the engine is sweeter, and the extra punch (slightly better torque spread and more top end) of the engine is worth it over the already good 'normal' 3S-GE..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150883466366?ssPageName=...
.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150883466366?ssPageName=...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
The BEAMS engine is indeed rare. AFAIK it was only fitted to the Rev5 variant of the Mk2. Unless it has been resprayed in a non-standard colour, the car in your e-bay link is not purple. It's a very deep shade of blue (commonly known as Cosmos Blue) which is a standard Toyota colour for a Rev5. Can't remember the paint code and mine is currently away having some work done so I can't check the plate in the frunk.
Thanks for the input on this thread. Am also in the market for an MR2 and the info here has been very helpful. I apologise for the hijack below but I have a couple of further questions.
Maybe someone could enlighten me about the gearing of the turbos, more specifically what kind of RPM will it be sitting at doing 70ish? The reason I ask is I have a very boring 15 mile A road commute 2-3 days a week so need to know if it'll spend the cold mornings on or off boost when pootling along.
Is turbo shaft play as common as muck on these? Is there a giveaway when on the test-drive other than physically taking the piping off to have a look?
Are replacement bushes any worse than any other cars? I understand a car with 80-90k on the clock is going to have some pretty tired suspension so would be looking to replace bushes as a start.
Maybe someone could enlighten me about the gearing of the turbos, more specifically what kind of RPM will it be sitting at doing 70ish? The reason I ask is I have a very boring 15 mile A road commute 2-3 days a week so need to know if it'll spend the cold mornings on or off boost when pootling along.
Is turbo shaft play as common as muck on these? Is there a giveaway when on the test-drive other than physically taking the piping off to have a look?
Are replacement bushes any worse than any other cars? I understand a car with 80-90k on the clock is going to have some pretty tired suspension so would be looking to replace bushes as a start.
Red Devil said:
.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
The BEAMS engine is indeed rare. AFAIK it was only fitted to the Rev5 variant of the Mk2. Unless it has been resprayed in a non-standard colour, the car in your e-bay link is not purple. It's a very deep shade of blue (commonly known as Cosmos Blue) which is a standard Toyota colour for a Rev5. Can't remember the paint code and mine is currently away having some work done so I can't check the plate in the frunk.
Looks like Dark Purple Mica to me (thanks Gran Turismo!), which was also a standard colour on some of the later models.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
The BEAMS engine is indeed rare. AFAIK it was only fitted to the Rev5 variant of the Mk2. Unless it has been resprayed in a non-standard colour, the car in your e-bay link is not purple. It's a very deep shade of blue (commonly known as Cosmos Blue) which is a standard Toyota colour for a Rev5. Can't remember the paint code and mine is currently away having some work done so I can't check the plate in the frunk.
Midshipracer said:
I've owned both a NA and turbo and the costs differences in running them are marginal. The turbo in normal driving the turbo is not on boost so using petrol like an NA.
Err...you'll definitely be spinning the turbo up even in 'normal' driving. Even on the dual carriageway, a relatively short 5th gear means you'll often climb into turbo range on overtakes and such. I averaged about 23 mpg out of my MR2 Turbo at best!Things to go wrong? The aerial can stick, making an awful noise when you switch the car on. Mine had a rust spot on the bottom of the driver's door that spread very quickly indeed. Otherwise, generally quite tough. They seem quite tyre sensitive, so choose well when you're buying!
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