Opinions on MR2
 

I recently found a really good condition 91 MR2 for sale NA the 2.2l motor. I have always loved the early 90s Japanese cars. This one is for a good price just want some insight on what to expect from this car? I really don't know much about it other then it looks good and flip up headlights are the best thing since sliced bread. I assume since its rear engine is suppose to handle well? Ofc not like the Twins but for a 90s car

http://www.mr2.com/forums/attachment...3&d=1392174884

They are just a pain to work on and not reliable according to my friend that owns one. He still hasn't taken me for a ride cuz his always brakes down. however this is the only experience I have with them so I honestly have no idea

Did you inspect the car (professionally or by yourself if you have the equipment/know-how)?


I say this because most mr2's are now either beat to shit (left like that), beat to shit (and camouflaged...aka bundo and cheap paint job), salvages/rebuilts. The rare pristine example are rare as hell and are normally price accordingly (aka expensive) since there are so few left unmolested/not beat on.


Just my 2 cents. Also a guy here said the same thing a few weeks/months ago but upon further mechanical inspection he realised that it wasn't pristine at all but basically all patched up to look good (it probably would've shit the bed within the next month or two)

Well I love working on cars so more to do on the weekend. Is his the turbo by chance? I have a feeling the turbo ones are far less reliable

If you can find a pristine one the 2nd generation isn't all that bad, finding one in decent shape is the hard part, getting it for a decent price almost impossibru

No his is NA haha. Its a pile of poo though

This one is actually pretty decent. Here is the link if Im not suppose to have this on here let me know. Ive talked him down to 2500. It needs paint and the interior is meh but I've driven it really hard I might add and it didn't seem to mind. Who needs AC anyways. Ill probably try my hand at vinyl wrapping it
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/5432281728.html

I don't know enough about them to give you an opinion but if I was you I would spend the $2500 on some FRS upgrades

@PMok and @finch1750 got any input? I know you both owned MR2's

Seriously dude it might drive ok and seem decent but before you do decide to buy it tell the guy you want to have it inspected (as in bring it in a mechanic shop and get it up on the lift (and have the mechanic do a xxx point inspection), also pull a carfax to find out the history of the vehicle. The rest is really up to you, I mean you're the one buying it

Im leaving the BRZ mainly stock for now. I have it financed but im 8 months ahead pretty much any extra money goes towards monthly payments. Just want a car I can tinker with and not worry about being in a huge hole if I mess it up

Doesn't look too bad (needs some work) but the pictures are far and you can't really see certain things in the pics. Definitely not one of the worst ones I've seen although I also can't see the underside, etc.


I mean if you want to tinker then an mr2 will fill that need lol

I have a spyder. Always wanted an SW20 as it was the first tuner car I had contact with. My cousin had a 91 NA that we swapped a turbo motor in to. Was fun to learn on for sure.

But P did have an SW20 I think as well

The NA cars can be made to be very entertaining with a 1MZ or 3VZ swap. Ideally, you'd want the LSD from the turbo car, but even without the LSD it's very fun. If I recall correctly, you only need to change one motor mount to get it to fit. All of the reliability of a Camry, in a mid-engined, relatively lightweight package.

I know nothing about those cars but I do know about cars! That honestly looks like a real life unmolested 100% bare stock car in very good shape for it's age. Original stock rims, what looks like probably original paint, interior looks stock (and like every other 91 car ever built) and the engine and strut posts don't look touched. Being a southern car I would not think that rust would be a huge issue so that can come out of the mix.
Like others have said go over it very close but my opinion (based purely on some pics and a paragraph) would be go for it if that is what you want. It looks like the real deal to me.

I almost bought one, but then bought an ap1 S2000. They are fun little cars. It's a toyota that is harder to work on because of where the engine is. I don't have first hand experience, but have read that the steering can be "twitchy" at high speed. I think they look amazing.

25 year old car with 160k miles, doesn't matter if it's a Toyota or a Lotus, it's going to need attention.

If it really only needed those 2 things to be fixed and sell it as a "great running car with no problems" and they were as easy as he claims, he'd fucking fix them and sell the car for >$5k. I'd estimate that you could easily dump $5k into that car to bring it up to reliable, fun, strong running condition and you'd STILL have things that are broken that you just don't want to spend $50 and an afternoon fixing it. And then you'll have a car that you've dumped >$7k into that you'll struggle to sell for ~$5-6k when you run out of time, space, and money in your life.

If you go in with the right mindset it'll be one of the best things you've ever done, if you're expecting a few afternoons of work per year and hours of fun or turning any sort of profit at all you'll be in for a disappointment.

Everything else has been said a million times and will become evident if you put in the research time or take the plunge, but imo understanding the realistic impacts on the rest of your life will be more important to figuring out whether it's really worth your time vs. "oil changes are annoying" and "make sure you bleed the coolant properly" and "invest in xxx bushings, they go bad pretty quick"

good luck

The BEAMS V6 is a great engine for this if you have the time, patience and skill and money to do so.

I had a 1st gen that I loved to death but got screwed over on the title transfer. This doesn't really have anything to do with this thread...but damn I love Mister Twos

Just wanted to point out that this is flawed thinking. Go drive a 90s NSX, FD RX7, S2000 (sort of, was released at the end of 99), etc. and tell me they aren't better handling cars than the Twins. The Twins MIGHT have "better" handling than the MR2 (which gen?), but it's because of the specific design, and not because of them being from different time periods, and the Twins certainly won't have the same mid-engine responsiveness.

It's a mid-engine car.

Yeah, my buddy's V6 MR2 on Koni struts was one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. Surprisingly easy to drive quickly.

I actually almost bought an rx7(fd) and an s2k before the twin but I found that I liked the way the brz handled or maybe the way it felt more than either of those. I felt more confident being aggressive with brz granted this might be due to that fact that you can push through the corner more without too much worry about breaking both tires loose

Confidence and handling competency/potential are two different things in my opinion. The FR-S has a longer wheelbase and is more front-biased, so it's going to feel more stable and easier to correct, but it won't be as responsive or change directions as quickly... and the suspension design itself (struts vs double wishbones) is more compromised.

It's a valid point though. Feeling confident/safe is also important. Some people really want that. Some people like more responsive and edgy (or even dangerous? :D) feeling cars, because they find them more exciting to push. lol

Well..... Here's my two cents,

Just the fact that it has a pos air filter and no AC, forget about it. It's been fucked.
If you want an NA find one that is bone stock and unmolested. If you feel like your 86 needs more power, then do not get the NA MR2.

Working on it is really not that bad. Just have to bend over a bit more. That's if you do your own work.

As for handling, newbies will 100% hit the snap understeer. Once you get used to it, it drives like its on rails. As the same as my BRZ

If your just going to buy it and swap out the engine, just get a turbo model. Then go from there. V6 swaps are a joke and a money pit. 90% of all the V6 are non running and if they are the owner sells them cause of the headache. V6 are plagued with oil starvation issues.
If you want more power with less money and time go gen3/gen4 turbo rear clips. Swaps can be done and rolling in a weekend.

Other than that if you are perfectly fine with NA power, and it's good and healthy engine they will last well into 300k miles.

Mine last 275k till I did my gen 3 turbo swap, then it went to my bro's mr2 till he got rear ended. All while getting 30 mpg. It was bone stock with a kn drop in filter, iridium plugs, and synthetic oil, only running 91 piss water gas. But........... You have to be on top of its maintenance, it's not a 100% worry free. Like any old car you have to throw money at it to keep it running.

I owned a '92 SW20 Turbo, also in Crimson Red. CR is notorious for fading or oxidizing and you can see in the engine bay photo that it looks like some of the paint and/or clear coat has bubbled and peeled.

The SW20 is actually the "worst" handling of the 3 MR2 generations, the ranking being 1) ZZW30 (2000-2005); 2) AW11 (1985-1989); 3) SW20 (1990-1995; sales outside of US continued till '99). On the other hand, the SW20 (in turbo form) had the most power and the other 2 generations' biggest criticism is their lack of power. It's still a fun car to drive but the 1991-1992 models are more prone to the snap-oversteer issue; 93+ models they revised the rear suspension to make it less twitchy. Sounds familiar to the suspension modifications they've done to the 2014+ FRS?

The 2.2L NA motor is pretty solid, albeit uninspiring in terms of power. Given that it weighs about the same as a FRS/BRZ but only makes ~150 hp, you can do the math. If you just want a cool looking car that's fun to drive but are not power-hungry then NA is fine; the NA models are less likely to be molested/abused by "tuners" compared to the turbo models.

There are a number of interesting swaps possible, everything from run-of-the-mill 3SGTE turbo swaps to V6 2GR swaps to K-series Honda swaps. The latest fad has been to bring over a Toyota Caldina 3SGTE ("4th gen") JDM motor which made about 260hp from the factory. I see them on eBay and online going for $600-1400. Not sure about the legality of such a swap, though a typical smog inspector might not be able to tell the difference between an original 3SGTE and the last generation of it.

If you really want to learn more about MR2s be sure to check out MR2OC.com and join their forum... sadly it's a shadow of its former self (to be expected with any out-of-production car) but still a lot of useful info and some knowledgable members there.

Also tagging @Veloist who owns one of the cleanest MR2 NA's I've seen around, to get his input on the ownership experience.

Smiles per dollar, the sw20 is probably the best thing you can get. The timeless styling of the car with its mid-engine Ferrari-like profile commands a powerful road presence out on the roadway. For the money, I just can't think of a better car.

My current white sw20 actually started life as a non-turbo 2.2L. I drove it NA for a solid 5 years before doing a gen3 3sgte swap. But before that I had a 93 turbo for two years. Simply put, the NA version is bombproof. No joke. That engine is a 5sfe out of 90‘s Camry's and we all know those cars go forever. The NA version reminds me a lot of my FRS. Good handling, forgiving, and under powered. The turbo versions are also very reliable as long as you're on top of maintenance. It's a Toyota after all - a 90's a Toyota!

I do believe the sw20 to be a great handling car. Becareful though, this is the type of car that you can easily wreck in an instant which is another reason why they are rare. Its characteristics is prone to snap oversteer if pushed slightly too hard and once that happens, only God will be able to save you. I've owned my current car for 11 years now and will still admit that the car still scares me till this day. Only a well seasoned professional will be able to push this car close to 10/10ths if they are brave enough. This car not only test how much skill you have, but mostly, how big of balls you have. I firmly believe it is still one of best bang for handling cars our there, but how big are your balls to fully take advantage of its capabilities will only tell. The turbo version is certainly not something anybody can drive fast like the frs.

So a non-turbo car is actually a very good beginners car. I regret never getting serious into tracking when my sw20 was NA. I would've learned magnatudes more about the handling characteristics since it was underpowered and way more forgiving. Now that my car is gen3 turbo (and currently doing a turbo upgrade too) there's not a chance I will ever learn the car fully and have the firm understanding on how it truly handles- which is why it's more or less turned into a street car now. So in a way, the NA sw20 is actually the better car to start off with if you're really serious about learning how to drive acurately.

Shoot... I can go one days about how awesome the sw20 is but I will save that.

The key is finding a clean shell. If whatever you're looking at is clean (NA or Turbo), get it! I will still pick a clean NA over a ragged out Turbo chassis. Power you can add later. A beat chassis is a beat chassis. These are a 25 year old sports cars so understand that. Find the cleanest shell you can find. That's the best advice I can give.

...in many ways, I still like my sw20 more than my FRS.

Sw20 is one of the most reliable cars I have come to know. Your friend is a fool or bought some shitbox that has been played with for the last 25 years.

:popcorn:

what the fuck is a beams v6?

Huh, all these years I thought the Beams was a V6.

I have had 3 AW-11's so I use to visit the MR2 forums a ton. The Beams and V6 section are on top of each other for the SW20. http://www.mr2.com/forums/forum.php


I am wrong about Beams being a V6. I just always read that particular engine was good for 200 HP and almost 200 ft/lbs torque. I just always assumed it was a V6 (like out of a JDM Camry or some other Sedan). I read a lot of write ups (never that closely because I had AW-11s) and most people with the Beams seemed really happy with them.

I was always a 4AGE or 4AGZE guy myself, so SW20 were never my expertise.

I found an old post on the other forum with pics of my old car...I lost all my old pics when my computer died and I sadly sold that car (big regret in life there...loved that car)
http://www.mr2.com/forums/threads/85...ht=#post926569

I have just read a lot of threads where someone gets the Turbo and then would complain about all kinds of things related to that swap. A lot of people seemed happy with their Beams engine.

But yeah, you are correct, it does not appear there is a Beams V6.

EDIT: read what you wrote, how hard was your engine swap? I use to live in Tacoma, WA and a lotta people had failed swaps up there in Seattle. I won't name names, but you probably remember all those popping up for sale on the MR2 Forums "runs strong, needs new loom and a tune...almost complete...just don't have time atm because (insert life reason here)"

I guess seeing all those made me shy away from considering buying a swapped Turbo MR2 that didn't start life as a Turbo MR2. But I have looked at your MR2 write ups/pics on the other site a long time and have admired it.

my first car was a sw21 2nd gen 3s swap. i loved it so much until i hooned too much and blew the valve seals. Sold the car to a friend because i had no time to work on it and i purchased an 86 for hooning duties. My friend now has a 3rd gen 3s in it running 12.87 on shitty tires lol. Went for a ride in it last summer and regretted ever selling the deuce:(

yeah the beams is a 3sge with Yamaha designed head, fucking great engines, came stock in the rs200 (Europe racing is300) just a bit anemic for a 3000lbs lexus lol

Thanks @PMok. I got my 1991 N/A MR2 from an older man who was in his 60's. It was a 3-owner car and it was bone stock and had low miles (85k) . I picked it up in April 2014 and currently it has 90k miles, so I have about 5,000 miles of experience with the N/A MR2.

In those 5,000 miles I had the front passenger wheel bearing replaced and spent about $1k in parts and labor to get it to pass smog. Some of the future jobs I'm anticipating are the 90k-mile tune-up to change the timing belt, coolant hoses, and replacement of valve stem seals. That would probably be about another $1.5k in parts and labor. A not so needed job but much appreciated one would be to change the shocks for a better ride because it's not the best.

Even a clean, bone stock example will need some work & attention done to it. The nice thing is that the engine is supposedly very reliable as it is shared with the Camry.

Driving the car was fantastic when I alternated between the MR2, a Corolla, and a Prius. The lack of power was very evident going up a steep hill or if you were below 3500 RPM in any gear. The transmission is really smooth too but mileage could play a role in that.

When I got my BRZ in September '15 I kept comparing the it to the MR2 and naturally I preferred the BRZ in almost every aspect, most likely because of the new car feel but I noticed a difference in the handling almost instantly. This was probably due to the fact that I had really cheap tires on my MR2 because they were the only ones I could find that would fit an outdated 14-inch wheel.

If I had to describe each car in one word it would be as simple as "old" for the MR2 and "new" for the BRZ. I can't even take the MR2 for a spirited drive because I can't feel any thrill with the tires, and the old stock suspension creates more than enough body roll that it spoils the experience and road communication in the turns.

The MR2 has a lot of potential which is why you will hardly see a bone stock one. The great thing is there will always be someone who will appreciate the car not just for what it is but also how well maintained it is.

My MR2 is slightly on the market, and I have low offers at $5,000 and high offers at $7000. Most of my local offers are $6000-$6500. So why haven't I sold it yet? Part of me doesn't want to deal with the out of area buyers. I also don't have a lot of time to show and sell the car.

But I think the number one reason why I haven't sold the car yet is because I don't want to. Like I said, I know the car has a lot of potential despite it's flaws, and that's something I'm willing to address, but I'm not totally committed. It's also a car I waited a long time for. I searched 2 years for a car like this and I didn't find it on Craigslist or the internet, my dad met him at a gas station and asked him if it was for sale.

So that's my ownership experience with my MR2. If you want to see my craigslist ad it's right here: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/5423219599.html

I had a Gen1 1985 low number (on first shipment) MR2 and loved it...and still miss it do this day. I drove it from 3 miles on the odometer to a little shy of 200,000 miles and was the only person to ever drive it until I sold it. Haven't driven one in almost 25 years but if I close my eyes, I can still picture it.

Never drove a Gen2 although I admire them for their more timeless form and the improvements made.

Interesting that a lot of the items listed on here for "things to watch out for" are primarily maintenance items (timing belts, worn parts, etc) that I just consider part of owning any car. That said, I have rarely gotten rid of a car before it hits the 200,000 mile mark so I'm used to doing long term maintenance items. Stuff wears out over time.

I have started half-heartedly looking for a MK1 MR2. If I found one that was relatively unmolested I might just buy it.

this is actually a great point. I owned both SW20 and ZZW30 MR2s and the handling on an MR2 is great but can be unforgiving at the limit. For that reason, I've always felt more comfortable driving the BRZ/86 aggressively compared to the MR2. The MR2 may actually have the higher cornering limit, but it's scary at the limit and so you hold back a little bit. The 86 you can push to the limit and beyond, and still feel in control.

BEAMS also lived in the sw20 engine bay for 97-98.

I'm not sure anyone else would agree with me on this, but I kind of view the FA20 motor as the modern day BEAMS... at least in terms of displacement, cylinder count, and hp rating they are same... 4 cyl 2.0L making ~200hp. Now the BEAMS made more torque I believe, but it didn't have to meet the same emissions restrictions back then, that the FA20 has to today. Add the fact that the SW20 MR2 weighs about the same as a modern day BRZ... the similarities, and the reasons why someone would want to drive/own both, are kind of remarkable.

Going from NA to turbo is very straight forward. There's a few wires you will have to move around but nothing serious at all. Be sure to grab a set of turbo shifter cables, rear turbo hubs, and figure which route you want to go with doing the speedometer to work (mech or elec). It's been coverd many times over on the MR2 forums.

Like with any modded car, stay away from the hackjob cars. Sadly, most NA to turbo conversions are hackjobs.

sooooo toyota, you axed the TC, what about bringing back a homeage to the MR2, without the styling of the MR-S.