My new Toy (1997 MR2)

[Synchromesh]

_MG_4166.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr

As those who followed my previous Readers' Cars thread will know, I sold my Volvo S60 T5 in late September as I was moving to the capital and thought I could live without a car. Turns out I was right, and for all the stick TfL gets, their infrastructure works efficiently enough for me. The thing was though, although I could cope without a car, I was missing having one. Those Sunday morning hoons, impromptu drives, escapes from The Smoke and mental escapes from day-to-day life we seek when it's just us, the car, and that empty B-road.

Released of any need for practicality, I wandered thought various online classifieds until I could find something that would be both fun and cheap to buy. Thoughts of E36 328is, Alfa GTV V6s and of course the obligatory MX5s were all considered, but the land of the rising sun had something better to offer me. Arguably in better condition for the money, and no doubt providing a better 'bang for your buck', the SW20 MR2 seemed too obvious to ignore.

So here's my new Toy. It's a 1997 model making it a 'Revision 4', which gives it some cosmetic alterations, a slightly more powerful engine, and more stable handling than the early cars. This one has the T-bar roof which incorporates two removable glass roof panels, and although I never thought I had any desire for such an arrangement, I've since warmed to the concept of open air motoring - there's a perverse satisfaction in having the roof off on a cold night, with the heater on full blast.

For a late nineties sports car it's not badly equipped, with electric windows, a beautifully retro Clarion CD player (with graphic equaliser, I hasted to add), and air conditioning, although at this time of the year it's hard to tell weather the latter actually works! Less satisfying is the indicator stalk positioned on the wrong side, so apologies to all those drivers I confused by turning on my wipers as I exited roundabouts. But for all my ambiguity of directional intention, I now find myself letting everyone out of junctions, if only because because the novelty of seeing those pop-up lights rise from the nose hasn't worn off yet. And that bit about it not having to be sensible, well, it's got a boot in the front as well as the back, so surely that makes it twice as practical as most things…

So what's it like to drive? In a word, fun. From the moment you open you door, the scene is set by the low slung and perfectly ergonomic driving position. A plethora of seat adjustment, down to how tightly the seat bolsters hug you, immediately put you at one with the car. The next thing you notice is the age of the car; in terms of the interface between car and driver it feels two generations behind the times, although for a car designed in the eighties that's not bad going. It's not a bad thing either; the brakes are easily modulated, and the steering perfectly weighted and reasonably informative, in ways today's PAS systems can't match.

A stab of the loud pedal reveals the acceleration from the Yamaha co-developed 3S-GE motor as somewhat underwhelming against the expectation set from its 'poor mans 355' exterior. In fact I'm sure it'd be put to shame by a modern oil-burning rep mobile, let alone today's hot hatches. After the T5, I'm wondering where the mid-range has disappeared to, but still haven't decided whether this is how it should feel, or if it's a question of perception, so I'll be putting it on a rolling road at some point to find out. But what it lacks in punch, it makes up for in its sharp throttle response and noise - with the engine inches from your left ear you're always aware of what it's doing. A brand new clutch and smooth direct gearbox (if not quite MX5 slick), mean gear changing is never a chore.

While I haven't yet had a chance for fully explore its handling, initial impressions are positive. It feels direct and eminently chuckable, without any of the nose heaviness I've become accustomed to in my FWD 'career'. And for a car with nigh-on 150k on the clock, the suspension doesn't feel knackered either, the ride firm yet paradoxically no less compliant the Volvo.

As per last time I'll being keeping a comprehensive record of my spend in the 'My Garage' area of my profile. Although the car's two owner provenance shines, there are a few jobs on my hit list. With no record of a cambelt change (there must have been at least one, but you can't be too careful), that'll be the first job, along with a thorough checkover of the vehicle by Luke at Pacific Works. At some point in the not too distant future it'll also need some new rubber on the back, and I'll combine this with getting the geo checked.

In all, I think I've picked up a good''un, but for little over shed money I could hardly fail to be pleased. The time has come for my first sports car, and I'm think we'll get on just fine.


_MG_4167.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4168.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4172.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4170.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4191.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4190.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4179.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4183.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4197.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


_MG_4212.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr

Edited by Synchromesh on Friday 22 February 18:20

[Synchromesh]

Another Fluffer said:

How much was the insurance? out of curiosity...

£730 (gulp) - for reference I'm 20 and have 3 years NCB.

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Baryonyx said:

I always thought they felt as though they were designed for a turbo. The N/A's are no slouches, but in trading off the pin sharp handling of the mk1 MR2, they needed a special powerplant to make up for it and the 3S-GTE is that engine.

In a way I thought I'd "done the power thing" very recently with the Volvo, and didn't want this aspect to dilute the search for a purer driver's car. Although something like the BEAMS engine would do wonders for this car, I not sure the response or delivery of a blown motor works in a sports car.

Baryonyx said:

Interesting comment about the gearshift though. My Turbo had a short shift kit on it, it was an incredible throw, once it was warmed through. Superior to the MX5's shift in terms of tactile enjoyment.

As I said, it's still a good shift, just not (motoring cliche warning) rifle bolt slick like the Mk1 MX5 I drove.

Edited by Synchromesh on Thursday 21st February 21:25

[Synchromesh]

Had to pop over to High Wycombe this morning so thought I'd go and see Luke at Pacific Works. He gave the car a thorough check over and test drove it, and thinks it's in good shape, so I'm pleased with that.

Managed to get the wheels off today too, and it's on 15x6J ET45s all round! I guess that means getting new wheels then, so I'll try and pick up an original set from ebay. I'm not that annoyed as it means I can keep my old ones (with some old tyres on) for track days.

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wackojacko said:

Nice, they don't really move until up and over 5,000rpm.

Very true, just takes a bit of getting used to after thumping mid-range of the T5.

raymanh said:

An enjoyable read James! Mid-engined, convertible, and rear drive: You couldn't have chosen a car any more different from your previous wheels. Looking forward to being a passenger in it sometime soon; and on that note I shall see you in Llandow in a couple of weeks for BUKC.

Glad you enjoyed reading it Raymond, and we'll take it for a spin next weekend, although being Wales the roof will probably have to stay on.

We're still waiting for the thread on your Alfa though - I expect it up before I see you.

ambuletz said:

Synchromesh you're terrible for only showing us 1 photo. That MR2 looks great, especially those polished alloy wheels.

Thanks, and I'll make sure I get some more pictures up very soon.

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JayT said:

I look forward to more pictures.

I really enjoy your writing style mate, so informative and easy to read. Well done - the MR2 is also quite popular with the Pistonheads crowd at the moment, so it must be a good car.

Enjoy!

Your wish has been granted, I've copied some more photos into the OP.

Glad you enjoy my words, hopefully I'll have more to add once I've got to know it.

They do seem popular on here at the moment don't they? I liked how it was SOTW just days after I got mine.

[Synchromesh]

I bought the car knowing it was missing the sunshades for the glass roof panels, and the cases for the panels too, but with the intention to pick these up from ebay. Just before clicking 'Buy it now", I thought I'd look though the old bills and see if I could find details of the previous owner, and if he had these bits lying around.

Amazingly, the previous owner not only told me about the 'secret compartment' where I could find the cases, but also said he'd just found the sunshades lying in his garage. On top this he found two spare keys (I bought it with only one set) and that I was welcome to come collect everything whenever I wanted.

He also has set of original wheels that he paid £50 a while ago, and said I could take them for the same price. A worthwhile phone call then, especially he'd had the car 7 years and was sad to see it go, was pleased it'd gone to a good home (little does he know) and was glad that I was keeping this journal that he could follow.

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As I mentioned before, the wheels supplied with the car were Toyota alloys of some description, but not the correct size. Well, they were the correct size for the front (15x6) but MR2s should have a staggered setup with 15x7s on the rear. Although the previous owner had offered me his set of original wheels for an insubstantial sum, I couldn't resist sniping a bargain on ebay, and chanced upon a set of standard wheels complete with a pair of almost new Falken ZE912s on the rear (worth £180 alone) and plenty of life on the fronts. Now all mine for the cost of £120.

After putting the new wheels on, today I headed to Wheels-in-Motion in Chesham to get the tracking sorted. Having heard many times that MR2s are very sensitive to their geo, I thought I better get it looked at before any serious hoonage or track work. Nothing was majorly out (I suppose this is good in that it shows it hasn't been bent) but there were some notable tweaks to be done so it was worth going.

I then popped back over to Pacific Works to get the rad looked at after being advised of its condition by the previous owner. Luke sorted me out with a new one and bled the cooling system to remove any Radweld that might be in it, before topping it back up with Toyota specification fluid. With the car on the ramps it was reassuring for Luke to give it the all clear bodywork-wise, and know that the car is also now mechanically sound and ready to be used in earnest.


IMG_0664 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr
Up on the ramps at WiM


IMG_0665 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr
Tony attacks a stubborn bolt with fire


IMG_0666 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr
Up on the ramps at Pacific Works


IMG_0667 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr
What was left of the old radiator!

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Mighty Flex said:

I was very jealous when you disappeared off for your drive today, soaking the welsh sunshine in through the open T-Bar...

I now need an MR2...

Good to meet you today and it was great day - wasn't expecting to pick up a medal at the end!

If you're around tomorrow I'll take you out it in. I know a good little route from the track.

And your Alfa looked great, just wish I got the chance to hear it too!

[Synchromesh]

danjama said:

Just curious about your experience with Pacific Works. Really want my car inspected, particularly the suspension/geo as my steering wheel is slightly misaligned. Were PW good/easy to deal with? I only ask as it's a bit of a drive for me to get there.

Luke at PW is great, and I chose to go to him based on the personal recommendations of some MR2 owning friends. I'll have no hesitation in using him again next time I need something doing.

For the geo I went to Wheels in Motion. Very easy to deal with and I'd recommend them too.

wackojacko said:

Next time you're around give me a PM I'm sure I can show you some of the Chilterns best roads.

Not sure whether that was aimed at me or Dan but it would be great to go for a blast round the Chilterns some day and talk MR2s. I'll be in touch next time I'm that way.

[Synchromesh]

It'd taken me a while to actually get round to trying a CD in the player but when I did I found it wasn't cooperating. Not only this but the LCD was suffering intermittent hissy fits, so coupled with the fact the whole unit looked a bit vulgar and garish (silver on a black dash anyone?) I though I'd treat the car to an upgrade. In line with me not spending much on buying the car itself a second hand unit seemed a good bet, and Chav Converters had just a the thing - an Apline CDE120RR up for £50. After haggling and bagging it for £37 I opened it to find the original Halfords receipt from April 2011 for £99.95. Bargain. The problem however, was in going from a double DIN to single DIN unit there was a gaping hole in the dash, but we rectified this with a DIN sized cubby pocket.

So it was time to call favours on a friend who knows his stuff when it comes to in-car audio and rip the dash apart. Out with the old and in with the new...


IMG_0678 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


IMG_0679 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


IMG_0682 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr

Much smarter I think, and with the cubby looks very in keeping with the dash, while also bringing the cockpit up to date slightly. The cubby is also very useful for stuffing a wallet and phone but I'll need to get something grippy to stick inside it and stop things flying out. The head unit itself though is a definite improvement in sound quality although it really shows up the flaws in the speakers now. Another improvement are the connections for both 3.5mm jack and USB inputs.

In other news I put another 500 miles on it over the weekend with a trip to Llandow for some karting. I visited the previous owner in Bournemouth en route to pick up the sun shades and spare keys, and he also found some touch up paint which I was dreading to have to source for myself - absolutely top bloke. He also offered me his standard MR2 wheels for £50 but their condition wasn't massively better than my ebay specials and as the garage is turning into a bit of a parts shop I had to decline.

While I was in the west country I did get a chance for a few good B-road hoons though, and I think it's when you're on these roads that this car really starts to come alive. The controls are so perfectly weighted and the balance of the car makes it shine. Keeping the motor spinning it sings and picks up decently above 5k. In this range the car feels like it has just the right amount of power - enough so that it'll punt along well, but that you can also use all of it and feel you're really giving it all that it's got, and that's very satisfying.

Who says sports cars aren't practical, in the back boot alone I fitted;
-a medium sized suitcase
-a rucksack
-a helmet bag
-some boots
-a coat
-a head unit box
-a head unit in a bag
...and there was still another 6 inches of free space at the top!

IMG_0681 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr

A flattering angle I think...

IMG_0684 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr

[Synchromesh]

rowey200 said:

Good work with the stereo Is the cubby above the head unit a Toyota part or something you fabricated yourself?

The cubby is a generic single DIN sized one that just pushes in, but we had to sand down the lip in the bottom edge to stop it fowling the head unit.

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So in my OP I mentioned my desire to get it dyno'd at some point, as it initially wasn't feeling as quick as I thought it would. Turns out, this was more a question of perception as I took the car to Surrey Rolling Road today, where it recorded a peak power of 154.7bhp - not bad considering its claimed factory output was 168bhp, and it will tomorrow roll over 150k miles. The technician told me most N/A MR2s record high 150s bhp, and I may be able so squeeze out a couple more ponies by having a look at the timing. For now though, I'm not at all disappointed.

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HughesR1 said:

I'de be chuffed if mine made that, gonna have to get it RR'd now

Think I saw this at Midlands Breakfast club, looked tidy!

I don't think you did, unless my car drove itself there! Yep, quite pleased that the motor is still performing. A testament to Japanese engineering, perhaps.

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Part of my desire to get a more focused yet less expensive car this time round was to have something that wouldn't feel sacrilegious to track. And today that's what I did, kicking off the season with a place I've been meaning to drive for a while. Actually I did have a day booked there last year but it was cancelled due to ice, but at a heady 8 degrees no such impositions stood in my way this time round. As my first time on track with the MR2, the evening proved a good chance to get to know it, and the greasy conditions were a blessing in disguise, allowing me easier access to it's playful side. I feel my tyre choice had a large part to play in how the car handled, el cheapos on the front and Falkens on the back was always going to spell understeer city but as this car is primarily for the road I have to no objections to this safe setup. On track though, this was no barrier to provoking the car into a bit of sideways action around Graham Hill bend each lap, while the breakaway was manageable even for someone as devoid of talent as myself. Up until the last lap where I thought I'd try a bit harder, cue one large tankslapper, a messy gather up and plenty of childish giggling.


MR2 at Brands 1 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


MR2 at Brands 2 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


MR2 at Brands 3 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


MR2 at Brands 4 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


MR2 at Brands 5 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


MR2 at Brands 6 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr


MR2 at Brands 7 by jlewisbarned, on Flickr

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Me being a bit silly:

Youtube - A greasy Brands Hatch - 09/04/13

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wackojacko said:

Brands suites an Mr2 really well.

I nearly wrote 'not quite up to wackojacko's usual standard of sideways hoorary'

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LukeSi said:

Have you per chance got a screw mount attached inbetween the two bits of the cubby box? And hopefully this time next week I'll have a bit of sideways footage.

I used the GoPro flat adhesive mount in the top cubby.

Looking forward

Booked Cadwell Park for the end of the month, and will also be doing the MSV introduction to drifting at Oulton.

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I don't think any F1 teams will be knocking at my door any time soon, but thought I'd share a video of one of my laps. Not my quickest, but the only one where I'm not yabbering away to my passenger

Youtube - A lap of Brands Hatch

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LukeSi said:

Here is the video I promised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNgm7yh1lZs

Good car control there Luke and glad to see you're treating the MR2 as your should! Is there only one car on track at a time at Curborough? How long do you have to wait between runs?