1989 Toyota MR2 T-bar
Discussion
Hello there,
I had overlooked placing my car on here since joining, but better late than never.
Bought on Ebay about a year ago for a couple of hundred this poor thing was collected from the field in which it was rusting into the ground, which it was in very close proximity to thanks to having 4 punctured tyres. The leather interior was entirely ripped and rotten, the arches rusting to nothing, the exhaust hanging off and the only documentation available was what I could get from the DVLA, namely the criteria upon which it failed its last MOT the focus of which was largely the amount of welding it needed to make it safe. That said, it had the ingredients my younger self would deem necessary for a sports car, namely it was red, had pop-up headlights, two seats, an engine at the back, rear wheel drive and finally a roof that came off. So, in for a penny, etc.
It sat in the parking area under my flat for a good 6 months until I had time to get my act together and off it went to a local car restorer who kept it for a month following my instructions to get it looking good and back on the road, so I could actually drive what I had bought.
New exhaust
Replacement leather interior
God know what welded at all 4 corners
Wheels refurbished
New handbrake cable
All 4 arches welded/attended to
4 new tyres
Partial respray
Machine compound polish
Several other points attended to which I cannot recall at the moment
A great job was done on it, and Christmas saw it pass its MOT and return to the road, at which point I drove my first ever 2 seat sports car, let alone one that I owned. I love the look of it, being a child of the 70's and 80's, almost as much as I love the sound of it when it gets above 5000 rpm towards the red line. I'll not go on about how it handles - it's simply great fun. People seem to like it as it is, at heart, a friendly-looking thing, and it raises a smile on others faces most days. Finally got the roof off last weekend as I ragged it around the coastal roads of Kent with countless 80's tunes blasting on the new stereo I had just wired in.
It will need a second trip back to the doctor again this year, to get the sills done, so I have peace of mind that it is as strong underneath as it deserves to be. It will get new discs and pads, and the timing belt changed. The dealer sticker on the timing belt case currently suggests it was changed in 1999, 90,000 miles ago - I am off the opinion it has been done since, but I have no proof of that so it is entirely necessary. I will also be getting the newer leather seats refurbished in the next couple of weeks to remove any cracks in the leather so it feels pretty new inside.
The above work will be done before I drive it over to my first Le Mans and thereafter past Lake Como to Monza for the F1 in September. The car never fails to make any run of the mill journey something of an occasion, and it makes me feel special, something I hope you all get from your own cars. My first track day is coming soon I think, so perhaps I will see a few of you on the tarmac - you will certainly have me on the straights but I will try my best to keep up in the corners.
Thanks for looking.
Pauly
I had overlooked placing my car on here since joining, but better late than never.
Bought on Ebay about a year ago for a couple of hundred this poor thing was collected from the field in which it was rusting into the ground, which it was in very close proximity to thanks to having 4 punctured tyres. The leather interior was entirely ripped and rotten, the arches rusting to nothing, the exhaust hanging off and the only documentation available was what I could get from the DVLA, namely the criteria upon which it failed its last MOT the focus of which was largely the amount of welding it needed to make it safe. That said, it had the ingredients my younger self would deem necessary for a sports car, namely it was red, had pop-up headlights, two seats, an engine at the back, rear wheel drive and finally a roof that came off. So, in for a penny, etc.
It sat in the parking area under my flat for a good 6 months until I had time to get my act together and off it went to a local car restorer who kept it for a month following my instructions to get it looking good and back on the road, so I could actually drive what I had bought.
New exhaust
Replacement leather interior
God know what welded at all 4 corners
Wheels refurbished
New handbrake cable
All 4 arches welded/attended to
4 new tyres
Partial respray
Machine compound polish
Several other points attended to which I cannot recall at the moment
A great job was done on it, and Christmas saw it pass its MOT and return to the road, at which point I drove my first ever 2 seat sports car, let alone one that I owned. I love the look of it, being a child of the 70's and 80's, almost as much as I love the sound of it when it gets above 5000 rpm towards the red line. I'll not go on about how it handles - it's simply great fun. People seem to like it as it is, at heart, a friendly-looking thing, and it raises a smile on others faces most days. Finally got the roof off last weekend as I ragged it around the coastal roads of Kent with countless 80's tunes blasting on the new stereo I had just wired in.
It will need a second trip back to the doctor again this year, to get the sills done, so I have peace of mind that it is as strong underneath as it deserves to be. It will get new discs and pads, and the timing belt changed. The dealer sticker on the timing belt case currently suggests it was changed in 1999, 90,000 miles ago - I am off the opinion it has been done since, but I have no proof of that so it is entirely necessary. I will also be getting the newer leather seats refurbished in the next couple of weeks to remove any cracks in the leather so it feels pretty new inside.
The above work will be done before I drive it over to my first Le Mans and thereafter past Lake Como to Monza for the F1 in September. The car never fails to make any run of the mill journey something of an occasion, and it makes me feel special, something I hope you all get from your own cars. My first track day is coming soon I think, so perhaps I will see a few of you on the tarmac - you will certainly have me on the straights but I will try my best to keep up in the corners.
Thanks for looking.
Pauly
paulmaurice99 said:
Fantastic story, very well done that man! Nice to see it rescued, I was surprised at what a relatively short list that was - Toyota engineering I guess (MR2 mk3 owner talking here!). Like the sound of your summer too...
Thank you all. I like the dark blue MR2's but I agree this colour suits it best to my eyes. When inside I can pretend I am in an NSX or 328 etc, etc.Regards the quality of design, despite it having been sat for god knows how long, after a new battery and a turn of the key it started up straight away apparently. Propensity for rust aside it seems very well engineered.
I will aim to keep it in the manner in which it has now become accustomed.
Highlight was this weekend over in Boston where I sat at a zebra crossing. A young boy in a pushchair caught sight of me, sat bolt upright and started pointing and babbling to his parents about the 'red car'. A quick flash of the popup headlights only served to blow his mind...and isn't that what these toys should all be about?
Great cars. Yours looks really nice given its history. AFAIK the engines on these cars are non interference - so if the timing belt does break there will be no engine damage. To be honest the belts aren't too difficult to change - took me an afternoon on mine.
Nice to see another one being cherished and I like how you have kept it original.
Here's mine:
Nice to see another one being cherished and I like how you have kept it original.
Here's mine:
Edited by caravelle190 on Monday 24th February 22:02
Liquid Tuna said:
Brilliant! Do you have any before pics, when it looked in a bit of a state?
I don't any longer. Memories best left in the past!Caravelle - you are right about the engines. If the timing belt does snap the valves ought not to become intimate with the pistons, although I would rather avoid that. Won't be long until it is sorted.
I like the red mud flaps you have and might have to invest at some point.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff