£256 MR2 Roadster 'gamble'
Discussion
With a road trip up to the highlands due in May and nothing suitable to take up and inspiration from the PH Readers Rides forum. I started to look for a 'roadster'.
A bit of previous on me; having come close to an S1 Elise in late 2018 but bottling it and regretting it since, and a previous owner of a MX5 NA close to a decade ago small soft top motoring appeals to me - and the OH, a couple of TT's and Mini convertible prior to parenthood left us with an itch to scratch. My daily is an Alfa GT JTD- and it's a very honest motor, does everything I need doesn't owe me much, if anything at all! I've got a 1275GT which, arguably could have been a candidate to take on the trip but with a 45 DCOE and a final drive not at all suited to motorway miles I had an excuse!
MR2's appealed to me, mainly due to the well documented 2ZZ option to consider and generally they seemed to be cheap, plentiful and Japanese..
I found a non-runner advert on ebay- and figured if it was dead then a 2ZZ could just be first on the list - however, a relatively clean MOT history showing only a few hundred miles covered over the last 3 years and it being a non runner since a jump start was attempted made me think it was worth a cheeky bid...
|https://thumbsnap.com/PH3bup7u[/url]
Boom.
Arranged it to be delivered for another £128 and it arrived in the dark and wet. On first impression it was straight, a bit grubby but the leather was in good nick even though the roof will need replacing at some point, the wheels were a bit scruffy and a headlight will need a bit of attention to clear up. Oh, and there was nothing on the key, at all.
|https://thumbsnap.com/whOYrQKX[/url][url]
First on the list was to check the master fuse (including cameo from the Mini!)....
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Hello! Battery placed on charge overnight, trip to the autofactors in the morning and £3.20 spent... I went home after work the following day and....
It lives!!
£259.20 (plus delivery) and I have a working, MOT'd MR2!
I then set a rule; Nothing I buy for the car can individually cost more than the purchase price.. seems like a good way to keep it honest..
Next on the list; service, tyres, a once over and open top motoring!
A bit of previous on me; having come close to an S1 Elise in late 2018 but bottling it and regretting it since, and a previous owner of a MX5 NA close to a decade ago small soft top motoring appeals to me - and the OH, a couple of TT's and Mini convertible prior to parenthood left us with an itch to scratch. My daily is an Alfa GT JTD- and it's a very honest motor, does everything I need doesn't owe me much, if anything at all! I've got a 1275GT which, arguably could have been a candidate to take on the trip but with a 45 DCOE and a final drive not at all suited to motorway miles I had an excuse!
MR2's appealed to me, mainly due to the well documented 2ZZ option to consider and generally they seemed to be cheap, plentiful and Japanese..
I found a non-runner advert on ebay- and figured if it was dead then a 2ZZ could just be first on the list - however, a relatively clean MOT history showing only a few hundred miles covered over the last 3 years and it being a non runner since a jump start was attempted made me think it was worth a cheeky bid...
|https://thumbsnap.com/PH3bup7u[/url]Boom.
Arranged it to be delivered for another £128 and it arrived in the dark and wet. On first impression it was straight, a bit grubby but the leather was in good nick even though the roof will need replacing at some point, the wheels were a bit scruffy and a headlight will need a bit of attention to clear up. Oh, and there was nothing on the key, at all.
|https://thumbsnap.com/whOYrQKX[/url][url]First on the list was to check the master fuse (including cameo from the Mini!)....
[url]Hello! Battery placed on charge overnight, trip to the autofactors in the morning and £3.20 spent... I went home after work the following day and....
It lives!!
£259.20 (plus delivery) and I have a working, MOT'd MR2!
I then set a rule; Nothing I buy for the car can individually cost more than the purchase price.. seems like a good way to keep it honest..
Next on the list; service, tyres, a once over and open top motoring!
stargazer30 said:
Please break your rule on the tyres especially this time of year. Mr2s are unforgiving on cheap tyres in the cold.
I'm struggling to find 1) consistent reviews, 2) relevant reviews on a particular tyre for the car and 3) The same tyre in both sizes.. e.g Michelin PS3 don't do a 205 or 210 R15, only a 195. I'd be more than happy with a set of these having run them on my Clio Trophy but tyre stagger seems to be a hot topic on MR2 forums, so a 'square' set up is out of the question and would result in me heading straight into the first ditch I see... What are thoughts on this?Any advice appreciated! I know how sensitive particular cars can be to tyre choice so want to get it right first time!
What a find! Great work!
If you haven’t already, come on over to our forum at Mr2roc.org as it’s the best (imo) online community for Roadster owners. Lots of experience on problems, mods, 2zz swap etc. We also have annual events so you can come and show off your absolute bargain of a find!
If you haven’t already, come on over to our forum at Mr2roc.org as it’s the best (imo) online community for Roadster owners. Lots of experience on problems, mods, 2zz swap etc. We also have annual events so you can come and show off your absolute bargain of a find!
Wow so cheap!!
As an owner myself I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, hope it works out well for you!
When you get acquainted with it better list out all it's faults (if any) then we can start fixing them
I'd say keep an eye on the oil consumption first and foremost and check to see if the pre-cats are still in place, unless your 2ZZ swap is in the very near future, in that case just let the engine die :P
And yes, lots of information on the mr2roc forum they were very helpful for me.
As an owner myself I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, hope it works out well for you!
When you get acquainted with it better list out all it's faults (if any) then we can start fixing them
I'd say keep an eye on the oil consumption first and foremost and check to see if the pre-cats are still in place, unless your 2ZZ swap is in the very near future, in that case just let the engine die :P
And yes, lots of information on the mr2roc forum they were very helpful for me.
Dirknights said:
I'm struggling to find 1) consistent reviews, 2) relevant reviews on a particular tyre for the car and 3) The same tyre in both sizes.. e.g Michelin PS3 don't do a 205 or 210 R15, only a 195. I'd be more than happy with a set of these having run them on my Clio Trophy but tyre stagger seems to be a hot topic on MR2 forums, so a 'square' set up is out of the question and would result in me heading straight into the first ditch I see... What are thoughts on this?
Any advice appreciated! I know how sensitive particular cars can be to tyre choice so want to get it right first time!
Do you have the handbook? That will surely state what tyres are recommended for the car by Toyota? Manufacturers spend a LOT of time and money ensuring they have the right tyre for the car for best driveability, balance, fuel economy etc. Yes, they are a compromise, but unless you're only spending time on a track etc, then your own driving is also a compromise. Where possible I run my cars on the original tyres. Only real exceptions are my mid-90's BMWs that came with metric wheels and tyres originally...Any advice appreciated! I know how sensitive particular cars can be to tyre choice so want to get it right first time!
Jonny-Jimbo said:
Do you have the handbook? That will surely state what tyres are recommended for the car by Toyota? Manufacturers spend a LOT of time and money ensuring they have the right tyre for the car for best driveability, balance, fuel economy etc. Yes, they are a compromise, but unless you're only spending time on a track etc, then your own driving is also a compromise.
Yes I do, can't find the OE tyres for sale though so am looking for alternatives in the correct sizes.. There are options out there but as you say, there is always a compromise!
5harp3y said:
Always feel a tinge of sadness for the previous owners when something so simple needs to be done
Yes, there was a little bit of guilt I will be honest - but it wasn't a little old lady, and sold via a no-reserve auction from a trader so I just imagined Mike Brewers face every time he looks to camera after selling a car to someone and the guilt was gone! 
E36Dan said:
195/50 front and 205/50 rear is a common choice, that's what the championship cars run. I wouldn't go for the square setup, I had a 205/225 stagger on my track roadster and could have done with less tyre on the front if anything.
Lots of choice at these sizes looking on Mytyres.Is this on standard wheels?
Are the original sizes 205 & 210?
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