Discussion
I've browsed this forum and site for ages but only recently joined as I needed some help with tyres (Actually I think this car was advertised on pistonheads). So I thought I'd stick up some pics of my car with new shoes. I bought this around September last year as a second car, UK model, it was all original and had full history with only 75k on it. Interior is pristine. It since done about 5000 miles and had a variety of jobs done, new clutch, brakes, bearings, complete service and wiper arms resprayed.
The wheels were a mess though, original but obviously (badly) repainted at one time and were cracking and peeling so I changed them but didn't really want to have some stupidly over large set gaudy rimz nor did I really want to lose the star design. I've kept the originals as spares/winter tyres. At the time it also was due some new tyres so the two things went hand in hand really.
It still has some little jobs to do, I want to get some of the usual stone chips on the front looking as good as poss and the original toyota stereo has to go, I'm bored of it deciding whether or not I should listen to a cd. But anyway, a couple of photos of my 1995 MR2.
(excuse the terrible camera phone quality)
The wheels were a mess though, original but obviously (badly) repainted at one time and were cracking and peeling so I changed them but didn't really want to have some stupidly over large set gaudy rimz nor did I really want to lose the star design. I've kept the originals as spares/winter tyres. At the time it also was due some new tyres so the two things went hand in hand really.
It still has some little jobs to do, I want to get some of the usual stone chips on the front looking as good as poss and the original toyota stereo has to go, I'm bored of it deciding whether or not I should listen to a cd. But anyway, a couple of photos of my 1995 MR2.
(excuse the terrible camera phone quality)
Great cars for the money - I picked mine up a couple of years ago as a stop-gap. However, it has been such a joy to own & work on that I still have it 
Might not be the most fast and dynamic motor by todays standards, but it still feels like you are driving something a bit special - driving position, view out of the windscreen, engine noise behind you etc etc 
Might not be the most fast and dynamic motor by todays standards, but it still feels like you are driving something a bit special - driving position, view out of the windscreen, engine noise behind you etc etc 
Wackojacko saw your car on here, great looking thing. Lots of work went into it clearly.
MrBrightSi, thanks!
I got the clutch done for if I remember right £185. But the quotes I was getting were often well in excess of £275, one was actually almost £700
Made me think I was getting a bit of a too good to be true job done but no problems at all.
rowey2000, love yours wheels. And exactly! I only tend to use it at the weekends but its such a cheap kick of a car and if nothing else - pop up head lamps!
MrBrightSi, thanks!
I got the clutch done for if I remember right £185. But the quotes I was getting were often well in excess of £275, one was actually almost £700
Made me think I was getting a bit of a too good to be true job done but no problems at all.
rowey2000, love yours wheels. And exactly! I only tend to use it at the weekends but its such a cheap kick of a car and if nothing else - pop up head lamps!
Might as well join in with the pictures and post my MR2 Turbo!
I'll be booking it in a for a service with GTS Chris soon, I might ring up about that tomorrow. I saw a blue mk2 MR2 on the way to work today, on the Great North Road in Newcastle. It was coming the other way at some traffic lights, and we were both sat waiting for the lights to change. The other driver gave me a flash of the headlights so I waved back, nice to see a bit of community spirit around the old MR2. I've only ever seen one other white one in the flesh, though it's not a turbo model and looks a bit tired up close, still nice to see as even the NA models are rare.
I'll be booking it in a for a service with GTS Chris soon, I might ring up about that tomorrow. I saw a blue mk2 MR2 on the way to work today, on the Great North Road in Newcastle. It was coming the other way at some traffic lights, and we were both sat waiting for the lights to change. The other driver gave me a flash of the headlights so I waved back, nice to see a bit of community spirit around the old MR2. I've only ever seen one other white one in the flesh, though it's not a turbo model and looks a bit tired up close, still nice to see as even the NA models are rare.
What size are the Supra wheels? I was quite happy just to leave the white SSR's on my MR2 as I had been advised against going for bigger wheels that can compromise the handling (not that I would, I like small wheels with a decent bit of tyre on them). I might get them refinished in gold in the summer though.
Baryonyx said:
What size are the Supra wheels? I was quite happy just to leave the white SSR's on my MR2 as I had been advised against going for bigger wheels that can compromise the handling (not that I would, I like small wheels with a decent bit of tyre on them). I might get them refinished in gold in the summer though.
16", Staggered 8" wide up front / 9" on the rear. Currently running 215/45/16 & 245/45/16 tyres respectively. Wow, some more great looking MR2s.
Love the red one above.
I spent a good 4 and a bit hours cleaning mine today and trying to get some of the chips looking a little better. Even tried my hand at using clay with it, which really only seemed to help to highlight more scratches and chips
Particularly annoying was a little patch I found that I am 99.9% certain was from a gritter on the m6 yesterday. Looks awful though I'm probably the only one who really notices it.
Also, after driving around for half an hour with the sunroof out I really wish it was the roadster targa version
Love the red one above.
I spent a good 4 and a bit hours cleaning mine today and trying to get some of the chips looking a little better. Even tried my hand at using clay with it, which really only seemed to help to highlight more scratches and chips
Particularly annoying was a little patch I found that I am 99.9% certain was from a gritter on the m6 yesterday. Looks awful though I'm probably the only one who really notices it. Also, after driving around for half an hour with the sunroof out I really wish it was the roadster targa version
Wanted to put up a pic of the inside before but camera deleted it oddly...i didn't, it did.
One of the big reasons I bought this car as every other one I spotted had either giant rips and tears or been changed with ridiculous halfords pedals and bits and bobs. Please note starter button (i have a lighter if I need one, they generally cost about 70p from an off license) and Simon's cat air freshener though.
And today in snow.
One of the big reasons I bought this car as every other one I spotted had either giant rips and tears or been changed with ridiculous halfords pedals and bits and bobs. Please note starter button (i have a lighter if I need one, they generally cost about 70p from an off license) and Simon's cat air freshener though.
And today in snow.
Edited by noosh on Sunday 5th February 17:22
I've not had my MR2 Turbo out in the snow as there has only been a very light dusting of it round here. Mind you, I've got someone coming up next Sunday looking to buy it to use as a track car. It'll be getting it's final wash and polish from me in a few days time, and I'll remove the Alpine stereo for the Impreza I will eventually buy.
It's been great fun with this often overlooked (and seriously quick) sports car!
It's been great fun with this often overlooked (and seriously quick) sports car!
Baryonyx said:
Stuck it up for £2300, which is what I paid for it (and I put £350 of new tyres on it). Have someone coming to see it next sunday for an agreed price of a bit less than that. I'll be without a car for a couple of weeks until I can find the right Impreza.
Why you selling up so soon? How has it been to live with/ run while you've had it? Purchase prices are temptingly low, but MR2 OC threads seem to suggest they require a fair amount of care.Codswallop said:
Why you selling up so soon? How has it been to live with/ run while you've had it? Purchase prices are temptingly low, but MR2 OC threads seem to suggest they require a fair amount of care.
I'm a serial car swapper! I get one, spend some money on it and sell it on again! In all seriousness, the reason I'm selling it is to get an Impreza. I've got another years NCB now and the price of insurance for an Impreza has fallen dramatically with that. It's still a lot more to insure than an MR2 Turbo though, which is surprisingly easy on the wallet despite the the power they supply! My dad has had an Impreza for a few years now and I've always liked them, so it's about time I got one of my own.How has it been to run and live with? Very good. They are actually very comfortable cars to drive; the seats are very supportive and the cabin materials are good. Around town, you can gently breeze along shifting up before the turbo spools up for a relaxed drive. On the dual carriageways, 5th gear is usefully long and you can cruise below the turbo boost threshold or squeeze the throttle for some swift overtakes. The turbo is also quite progressive. It doesn't come out of nowhere and slap you in the face, and it's quite controllable with the throttle pedal. It's a world away from some turbo sports car that are a chore to drive in traffic. Down the quiet A and B roads you know well, it's great fun. It's a bit fast for truely twisty B roads, but once you've got it flowing it's very engaging and entertaining. I suspect it would make a great track car, though I've never tracked mine.
The boot is very large for the type of car, and the passenger seat is comfortable too with lots of adjustment and leg room so the wife has never complained about it. The engine is fairly noisy, but in an entertaining fashion with it being behind your head. The ride is fairly stiff and it'll chatter over crappy tarmac, but the chassis is well balanced. It doesn't understeer much, but tends to ride neutral until you've taken it too far and flicks into oversteer. It's a lot tighter than the MX5 that I started the year with, in that you can tidy up oversteer much quicker with a flick of the steering wheel. The PAS is also nicely judged too, giving the steering a pleasing weight at a lower speeds. However, it's sports car leanings might come as a bit of a shock to drive this car if you've never driven anything like it before. The clutch is heavy, the gearshift is short and heavy too. The brake pedal is built for modulation, so it won't stand the car on end with the slightest tap like most over-assisted cars these days, but once you get into it it proves a deft little pedal that responds to finesse. It's definitely better in the dry than in the wet; though it's no window-maker the mid-engined setup demands respect. Sometimes when I've been driving home from work at 2 or 3AM in the pouring rain the fact that the car is so demanding has grated a little, though driving back to work the next afternoon in the dry you're reminded of why you love the car, particularly when you come off a roundabout in 3rd gear and get a rush powering from 30mph to NSL!
As for mechanical worries? It certainly feels a lot more solid than the equivalent MX5! The engines are tough and many tune them towards 300bhp without issue. The rest of it is all fairly simple. There were a couple of cosmetic issues on mine like some worn trim and blown bulb on the dash that I was going to sort out over the course of the year, but I bought the car like that and it's only been looking at Imprezas again that has made my eye wander. Certainly, I consider the MR2 Turbo to be a great performance bargain. I doubt you can go faster for less, but aside from outright speed it's the cheapest way of getting some real sports car driving done. The MX5 is a great car, but the MR2 feels so much more 'Ayrton Senna', and you can constantly tell yourself you're the man as you drive about in a mid-engined, turbocharged sports car! I would have another MR2, I don't know if I would say the same about an MX5.
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