RE: SOTW: Mk2 Toyota MR2

RE: SOTW: Mk2 Toyota MR2

Author
Discussion

RemarkLima

2,380 posts

213 months

Friday 29th June 2012
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splitpin said:
carinaman said:
Riggers typed:

'Go for a slightly later version and you won't get the unruly handling, either. Toyota brought out a 'Revision 2' in 1992 with revised suspension geometry.'

What's the difference? Geometry implies more than just shocks and springs?
Memory fades, but I seem to recollect that Lotus had a hand with sorting it out, such as (as above) the rear tyre being a wider profile than the fronts etc.
I think that legend was more around the Mk1 which had full toe and camber adjustable, and castor at the front - I think the MkII had a lot of adjustment available as well, just not quite as much as the Mk1 (stand to be corrected tho).

My Mk1 just had the standard geo with .5 deg extra of neg camber on the front, made it lovely and balanced, just lift and it'd start to nicely come round and feather the throttle out of the corner. The Mk2 never had quite the same balance but was still a great car, and excellent to learn about vehicle dynamics in smile

anonymous-user

55 months

Friday 29th June 2012
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SonicShadow said:
St John Smythe said:
I'm surprised it's reached that mileage. The one I had was the most unreliable car I've ever owned and I've had cars that you expect to be unreliable!
You had a lemon - most NA MR2's are pretty solid.
Maybe. But even when it was running right it wasn't great. It's way down on my list of favourites out of the cars I've owned.

markbmw

119 posts

185 months

Friday 29th June 2012
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It still surprises me when I see how many people get hung up on mileage. As mentioned earlier, once a car is past 50k and/or 5yrs old, condition is all.
2 of the best cars I've owned; an E30 325i with 165k and an E28 535i which although showed about 120k I later learnt had passed 250k 2yrs before I bought it! The original owner of the E28 had run it genuinely 'regardless of cost'.
In terms of the SOTW feature, mileage means little if not nothing, and in fact a high one suggests at least it might be honest!

KM666

1,757 posts

184 months

Friday 29th June 2012
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DreadedDev said:
Not sure if this is against PH rules, but I've got a Rev 3 MK2 MR2 (94) with only ~90000 miles on the clock (although being an import it is in KM's on the clock). With full electric folding mirrors, air con etc, refurbed 17" wheels with Toyo Proxies on them and a K&N induction kit. needs a new wheel bearing for it's MOT and your away. I would sell it for £550 (was going to ask £600) at the moment as I really need the cash for another project!!! drop me a message on here or e-mail me at i_moores at thewellknownverywarmMSeMail (hotmail) dot com
Thats a creul joke if you're not selling!
Whens the MOT due?

And to think I was planning on buying a boring 106 with bad paint for a tad less tomorrow. (as a project)

Hmmm, I need a think....


Edited by KM666 on Friday 29th June 23:51

blearyeyedboy

6,323 posts

180 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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Riggers said:
The geek in me isn't strong enough to say for sure whether or not this is a UK car (especially without a satisfactory shot of the rear of the car) - though it seems likely - while the advert is painfully short on detail.
You see, the lack of a photo makes me more suspicious that a Jap car is an import. Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh to this example, but where there are photos of a Jap car from 25 angles apart from the rear plate it's a bit suspect. This is especially the case for Nissan 350Z's or Mazda MX5's.

It's a bit like "Service History" instead of "Full Service History", or when they don't even bother to list a mileage. Sometimes what people leave out of an advert is as illuminating as what they put in.

SonicShadow

2,452 posts

155 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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blearyeyedboy said:
You see, the lack of a photo makes me more suspicious that a Jap car is an import. Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh to this example, but where there are photos of a Jap car from 25 angles apart from the rear plate it's a bit suspect. This is especially the case for Nissan 350Z's or Mazda MX5's.
The lack of toblerones (yellow side markers) on the front wings suggests a UK model.

blearyeyedboy

6,323 posts

180 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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SonicShadow said:
The lack of toblerones (yellow side markers) on the front wings suggests a UK model.
Ooh, good spot!

I meant in general principles... but as you've very correctly pointed out, it's not a foolproof way of assessing ads.

snowdude2910

754 posts

165 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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I've got one of these on the drive to tie my pennies up in, think I might finally have to get around to fixing it after reading this seeing as it only needs a cambelt. As for the rocker cover gasket if you don't have one already I'd invest in an impact driver to save yourself alot of hassle.

MadDog1962

892 posts

163 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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I always fancied one of these, preferably without a T-top or sunroof. I still think it's a great looking car (better than the Mk 1). Only think that I really don't like so much is the slightly low-rent look of the interior. I'd limit any mods to a stainless exhaust and mild suspension fettling. Pretty much everything else would probably best be kept original. :-)

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

256 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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carinaman said:
Riggers typed:

'Go for a slightly later version and you won't get the unruly handling, either. Toyota brought out a 'Revision 2' in 1992 with revised suspension geometry.'

What's the difference? Geometry implies more than just shocks and springs?
Apart from spring and damper settings and the move to 15" wheels I think the toe links were made longer on the rear to provide less toe change.

carinaman

21,335 posts

173 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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Thank you Mr2Mike, Wikipedia mentions longer toe links.

Gary C

12,517 posts

180 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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Mr2Mike said:
Apart from spring and damper settings and the move to 15" wheels I think the toe links were made longer on the rear to provide less toe change.
Did'nt they also use the 'super strut' suspension on the rev 2 which was available at launch but not fitted to the rev one. Seemed to remember lots of discussion about it (but that might have been about the celica)

ANyway, the 3SGE engine is one of the most solid engines I have ever had (actually had the 3SGTE). Toyota's from this era were some of the best mechanically made cars ever.

Had a couple with monster miles and they kept running amazingly (minor things like air con seizing, an oil leak and a weak radiator cap)

Paul O

2,723 posts

184 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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I used to own one of these. It was the car i had always wanted and it didn't disappoint - I loved it!

It was a 1997 model, but broadly the same car. I keep scanning the classifieds to see of comes back up for sale - if it does I'll probably buy it back smile

wilbobilbo

7 posts

162 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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Awesome. But I did better...
350 quid for mine with 6 months tax and test. 150k miles (massive history file) drove it to the south of France and back. Didn't miss a beat. Thanks very much.

405dogvan

5,328 posts

266 months

Sunday 1st July 2012
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MadDog1962 said:
I always fancied one of these, preferably without a T-top or sunroof.
Anyone who isn't 'short' might prefer a T-Bar because removing the interior pads gives the headroom you need!!

Shorties can stick to the other models ofc smile

Hellbound

2,500 posts

177 months

Sunday 1st July 2012
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I hate this website sometimes. Only hours earlier I'd decided that my next car would be a 3 series coupe of some description, and now I'm looking at MR2's. Pah.

thewheelman

2,194 posts

174 months

Sunday 1st July 2012
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Hellbound said:
I hate this website sometimes. Only hours earlier I'd decided that my next car would be a 3 series coupe of some description, and now I'm looking at MR2's. Pah.
......... all that at 4am!?

Gee Whizz

77 posts

241 months

Sunday 1st July 2012
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Ah this brings back the memories. Possibly the best car that I ever owned and I still regret selling it...



Steel mist grey was known to "fade" on the plastics hence the mismatch of colour on the advertised car.

6potdave

2,316 posts

214 months

Sunday 1st July 2012
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I've ran one for almost 2 years as a daily and it's given me no problems. Fun to drive, handling is good and predictable and it attracts more attention than I had expected.

To be fair mine is a much better example than this and will be up for sale soon with a full MOT so if you want one buy mine smile

mistergixer

103 posts

153 months

Sunday 1st July 2012
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I really miss mine, especially as I recently stumbled upon it on eBay (albeit for a ridiculously inflated price).

Good fun down back roads, a great GT car for longer runs, and it coped extremely well in snow.