Should i get an 85 MR2?
 

Last night i was browsing Craigslist for shiggles when i saw this! It's an 85 MR2 with 60 grand on the clock! I know i've been trying to save up for an FR-S but so far I'm hooked!

http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/3344167432.html

I just got back from looking at her after work. Sadly it got darker than i expected so i wasn't able to get a real good look but from what i saw in person with a flashlight and the pictures it looks really good. Apparently they bought it from the original owner about a year ago who apparently used it as a show car.

I came here for advice. You think it's sane of me to buy a 28 year old car when i don't really need another one right now and I've been waiting for enough money to get an FR-S? Do you think it's good for the price? It's hard to look up anything more concrete about it's value since it's way out of Edmunds or KBB's year range and these kinds of older car's values are rather more unique. I think it's a rather good price but i wanted to see what you guys thought.

And if anyone could potentially do a VIN check for me if any of you have any unused checks I'd be most grateful.

JT2AW15C7F0024034

I don't have an idea about the price. If I were interested it seems to be that it's in the ball park. Personally I wouldn't be interested in buying it. I can't help but think of any car that old as a money pit. Especially if it meant giving up on my FR-S.

The price is right, and this is probably the best car for $2,650 on the market (as long as it has the 4A-GE or GZE motor instead of the 3A-LU motor). It's certainly one that will put a smile on your face, run for quite some time, and retain its value. Is it an FR-S? No, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a driver's car, because it is!

Regarding your questions:
1. It is a very sane buy.
2. It's the most fair price you will probably ever come across.

I'm pretty sure it's the 4A-GE. I looked in the engine bay and in what light i had it looked exactly like it (I'd be pretty ashamed if it was the single cam 1.5). I've seen enough pictures in various certain manga to know exactly what it looks like (i can say it's one of the few engines i know by sight other than the FR-S's and my Civic's). I only wish it was the GZE but i would think the N/A version might be a little more reliable (and he'd be asking much more than 2,650). Of course if the engine really does only have 60,000 miles (which it seems to look like it does by all accounts) that the body would be my main concern. It's got a little oranging down below (a little bit on the front fascia) and one rust spot by the antenna where the metal meets glass but other than that looks super stellar for it's age. I'm gonna do another full more complete inspection tomorrow with more light and later a test drive.

They told me it recently had a clutch issue and it was immediately replaced which also bodes well (meaning i won't have to worry about replacing a worn clutch). The tires aren't brand new but they still have a little tread on them (probably about as much as my civic which is fine).

Does anyone out there know of anything else specifically to look out for in the first gen MRs that might be good to know?

And i think i might be a little crazy for buying a second car when i'm trying to save my money while i'm finishing up the last few classes for my degree. Part of me says i'm nuts, but the other bit, the car nut just doesn't seem to care. I was like this about 6 months ago with a mint looking mazdaspeed miata up for sale but that was sadly way out of my price range even when i was set in that new found car fever. I love and hate craigslist.

insane, but fun go carts! love them!
mmm, $1400 stock $1900 well worked.

I might try to jibe him down a hundred but from what i can read he already seems rather reluctant to sell it (i know i would if I'd just bought it a year ago and had to give it up) so i don't know how much lower he would realistically go and i do think all things considered it's within reasonable range (even if his lauded 'i could be selling this for 5 grand' bit is pushing it).

I also want to say it feels really weird to be seriously considering buying a car that is older than i am.

Fantastic cars. I used to have an 86 model (pun intended).

One thing to look out for is the gearbox on the na model. Mine became difficult to change into second, and would not hold fifth hear. Not likely to be an issue on one with such low mileage though. Mine had over 300,000 k's.

Other than that, the gear stripped out on the driver's side power window - $20 fix.

Try and bargain with the seller as much as possible, and don't be afraid to walk away if you don't feel comfortable with the price. Long story short, if the seller wants to sell, he/she will sell.

I wouldn't worry too much about the age. The powerplant in that little sucker will still beat strong.

I saw that one today as well, its in really good condition. Be a good project car, hell you don't even need to do anything to it except clean it. Ive never driven one, hell i have yet to see one on the streets yet. I'd bounce on it as soon as possible if i was you.

Good luck!

This was a common problem with these cars. Some people used to try to squeeze a large mcdonalds drink in the shift boot to keep the car in 5th :bonk:

I've loved MR2's as long as I can remember so I'm gonna say yes! go for it! I had an SW20 and only limited experience with the AW11 but from my best bet, I'm willing to say the AW11 is even more fun. It's much more of a go kart.

All mr2's in america came with the 4age or the 4agze. the 1.5L 3aU was only available in japan on the earlier models.

also as another poster mentioned, watch out for 5th gear popout, as I believe the C52 transmission didn't come with the 85 or earlier models. It's a common problem and can be fixed easily if you know how to do trans work or at least pull one.

I've got a 1991 t-Top Turbo. I love the Mister. I considered picking up a gen1 to auto cross. Those little bitches are like gocarts. All I need is a supra now to complete my Toyota sports car collection!

Thanks guys! Hopefully i won't find any sour patches tomorrow. I also read the the trans on the 84-86 models had that 5th gear issue. We'll see how it is in the test drive.

Edit: one thing i didn't notice from the pictures is that the shifter boot is missing, which is something I'd have to replace, although that shouldn't be too hard to do.

Damn, this is super clean...

I want it...

Check out my buddy's 85.


https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...48937103_n.jpg

Wow I can see why you're tempted. One thing to consider is that he says it's not registered. I would want to try to make sure registering it won't be a problem to avoid surprises later.

Thats probably as pricey as they come... stock. 27 years will add up regardless of milage.

Id rather a clean swap candidate.

I have to agree with the folks above that said the price is right. If I could find one locally for about that amount, with that many miles, and as clean as this one appears, I'd be at the bank right now. A little early holiday gift, even if it is the wrong color.

Read the concerns above, all legit and good advice, particularly the fact it isn't registered. Also, if it has the original alternator and its been stored outside it could need a new one. The hood vents let water run down in them causing corrosion and quite a racket when it runs. A lot of folks mistake it for a problem with the engine itself.

If you love the way the '86 drives, you will love this MR2 more.

(Oh, and bummer it doesn't have the whale tail, I'd have to find one for it!)

I believe from what I've seen sadly the only ones that came with the fin were the SC versions.

I just got back a little while ago from looking at it again today. As far as the registration is concerned, it IS registered (till 3/14) and was inspected last month (it's got a tag expiring Oct 13). I talked with the wife and she said the reason why it didn't have plates on it right now is because they had a problem with their insurance company. Something about them trying to find cheaper insurance with someone else and the company dropping them without telling them their policy was up and they had this big issue with the DMV because of it.

I haven't seen any of the records yet but i asked for documentation and she assured me her husband kept everything which bodes well.

Everything looks pretty good. The only things that looked bad on the body were two rust spots they had previously mentioned (one on the very top corner next to the antenna up against the rubber bit next to the windshield and the other on the front drivers side of the bottom front fascia). There was also a little bit of what looked like browning on that same lower front fascia bit across it as well. I didn't see anything major with the underside. The roof cloth is worn and has a few holes in it and the shifter boot is again completely cut out. I'm sure the shifter boot wouldn't be too bad but has anyone redone roof apolstery? It's only cosmetic but that still might be a good thing to replace as a project if it's not too intensive.

I didn't get it up to fifth gear (i did a short 5 minute test drive because it dosen't have plates). I made a bit of a fool of myself stalling at the stop sign right next to their driveway. I haven't driven a manual since i first started learning like 4-5 years ago and even then only driven 3 or 4 times. I only stalled every time i stopped... (i blame the inclines!) It was a bit tricky getting into first for some reason but i seem to remember that it was also tricky the time i "learned manual" as well... The steering is also something to get used to since it felt a lot heavier once i got out of that mushy "center" bit. Much of my fears about not being able to drive it home though are assuaged, just as long as i go back roads and avoid lots of stop lights. I think i will definitely love driving it once i have attuned myself to the pedal feel and the shifter.

The only real red flag i saw was the metal rim lining of the sunroof looking rather rusted. Does anyone know if this is a major concern regarding a potential sign of leakage or just normal weather wear? I've never had a sunroof so i don't know anything about them or whether that tends to happen. I'm going to bring it up with the husband when he gets back from his work trip on Saturday.

The engine purred wonderfully to my ears as far as engines go. I noticed some other noise that didn't sound like the engine. I'm not even sure what it might be. I think it was kind of clicky. I'm not too sure. I only noticed it because i was tentatively listening for any bad engine sounds. Could that be the alternator (they've got leaves just everywhere on it)? It might just be nothing. Again, something i will further inspect and inquire about on Saturday.

I do wish it was red or that wonderful blue they come in but it's still perfectly fine with me. The fact that most of it looks near mint especially in white just blows me away. The color just seems to emphasize that fact more than some other dark color. It really feels like i took a time machine back to when i was a kid when my dad drove a Mazda 626 growing up (i used to get the greatest kick over the fact that it had electric seatbelts). It's still worn but you can't really fault it for that and i just about died when i turned on the headlights...

My "first 100" '85 MR2 (the original Olivia) had the fin. No SCs in '85. In '85 all the fins were black, in 86 they were body colored.

From the description that sure sounds like it could be the bearings in the alternator. You should be able to isolate it under the hood I would think, but it's been a while since I looked at one.

When I bought my red one, my boss's boss about two weeks later bought the blue one. He was based 3 states away and showed up all proud of it at our branch office, and parked it right next to mine. He was a little distraught to find out a punk kid he'd just hired a few months before had the same car! I think he had planned to claim it was much more than the $12K car it was.

Sounds like as long as you are willing to live with the minor problems you found you got a keeper, but I'm a huge MR2 romantic so probably not the best person to judge, particularly when it isn't my money!

I talked with a co worker today about the car and he told me he knew a guy who owns MR2's and works as a salesman at the local Toyota dealership. I stopped by after work and talked with him about it and he said to go for it. I'm not sure why i did since I've pretty much convinced myself I'm buying it no matter what but at least i know someone local now to talk to if i need anything.

I'm not sure how I'm going to sleep tonight. I have that antsy feeling like I'm 12 again and it's Christmas eve. Hopefully everything goes well and I'll find a way to get it home tomorrow (my accursed roommate is out of town and my two friends i've asked are busy >.<) and i can start working on cleaning it and preparing it for winter.

Best of luck with it!

I get the urge every once in a while to search the ads for one, I'm always surprised how many decent looking ones are still around. I guess I'll have to pull the trigger one of these days, but not sure MomHawk would be too happy with me coming home with another 2 seater this year.

Hmm, my youngest son gets his license after the first of the year. I'm sure he's been good enough to deserve a solid used car. Might as well be something I'd like to drive....

Well, looky here, here's one that's even the right color not too far from me...

http://nwga.craigslist.org/cto/3336674031.html

I'm stepping away from the computer now...

hahaha!! CL, it's one helluva drug. It can get really addicting, and get you into so much trouble.

Well it has been an interesting last couple of days. I went to see the MR2 on Saturday with the intent of buying it in full that day but it was already "bought" by someone else. Apparently some lady had already been looking at it before me. They gave her the title that morning and are waiting on her to get a loan together (why they did it in that order is beyond me...). So i went home with my buddy who i had dragged with me to drive both cars back and had a good faux cry on his shoulder.

All is not lost however because i said screw it after i had recovered and decided to take a look at two local miatas i was also eyeing and i ended up putting a deposit down on a 94 NA instead.

I paid $6700 which sounds like a lot for a 94 with 76k (7000 asking sounded like a lot to me too) but she is absolutely showroom mint. I've never seen a car this old as clean as this one outside of a car show. It's that good. The only noticeable blemish is a mark on the nose where it looks like the paint chipped and someone touched it up but really dosen't detract from the rest of the car. It's almost hard to look at because the paint is so vibrant. I got it from an older guy who used to be a bently/jag dealer and now finds and sells high quality miatas in his retirement. He was a really nice guy and is taking care of all the paperwork just like a real dealer. I plan on getting my funds collected in about a week or so and drive off with it.

Soooo i went into this thinking I'd buy an MR2 and actually ended up buying a miata which was my dream car anyway before the GT-86, aaand now I'm broke. At least I'll be enjoying myself come spring time, because i personally think she is worth every penny and everything i won't be able to buy for a while.

http://rochester.craigslist.org/ctd/3384024881.html

Ooohh, this looks like it has the popular package, so it must have a Torsen LSD as well!

Looks awesome! I'm glad you found such a clean NA.

lucky to get 5-6k from that.. lol

even 20v swapped cars dont fetch that much..

I have a 87mr2.. only issue is finding decent aftermarket parts for it..

so true, the 4ag is very reliable. i had one in my '85 corolla gts and it took whatever i handed at it. the rebuilt 20v 4ag in there now is even better.

thats a pretty cool little ride. as far as i know, there are only two cars worth postponing the frs for. one is the miata and the other is the mr2 (aw11 or spyder). the aw11 is kinda heavy for what it is but there is always a 20v and that is imo the only way to have itbs ata cost effective price

Yeah he mentioned it came with the better Torsen LSD which I'm happy with, and being a 94 it has the 1.8 which does feel fast (hey! it's fast to me! I'm used to driving automatic shit boxes that go no where when you stomp on the accelerator!). It is so much fun and the gear changes... Now i haven't been around manuals for very long or driven too many cars but... Good god it feels so smooth. It just goes *snick snick*, it's wonderful. When i commented on it when i first started playing around with the shifter before i started moving he says "it'll feel better when the trans fluid warms up". "It gets better!?". Am i just used to shit shifters? Probably.

The only two things i would ever change about the car are actually ironic. First one being the power windows (i just like cranking my window down or some reason) and the upgraded head unit you can see in the picture. When i first saw the new radio in the pictures i was like "sweet! i won't have to change the head unit out OR use the cassette adapter to hook up my little Sansa player i use for my car!".
I get in it and see it has no place for the jack... "oh yeah, i upgraded the sterio so you can listen to your CDs" ... But i don't wanna listion to CDs! CURSE YOU INVASIVE AND OBSOLETE TECHNOLOGY! I might just buy one of those cheap AM/FM/MP3 receiver head units deliberately just to spite it (or ask him if he still has the old unit). Take that you stupid CDs!!

And i know i paid more than i should have for the age and mileage... And the logical side of my brain is still screaming at me that i could have just gone with one of the other less clean miatas i was looking at and in the long run would probably be more cost effective because I'm not paying a premium for how mint it is. But i did it anyway, and that part of my brain still doesn't know why. I'm hoping it will quiet down when i start really driving her. Anyone else think i paid too much? I know it really doesn't matter now and it's all about how much I value the car and not someone else but i get paranoid about these things.

Having gotten my 2000 MY car 2.5 months ago for a bit over 5k, and discovering some of the minor issues it has (dying O2 sensors, synchros not so smooth, some weird sounds from the engine), yea I think you paid a little much for a car that's 6 years older than mine! But you know, an old shitbox Corolla with the exact same powertrain as my car with a different final drive can be had for much much cheaper, so what am I even saying...

I guess this car buying business is really an emotional one, not a rational one :bellyroll: Cheers.

I would have bought a cheaper one, but a pristine low mileage NA Miata is getting to be a collectors car, because the rest have been beat to shit. I think your price was fair, but I would have opted for an older, crappier one for sub-$4k.

That's like the Rebel flag of Japan.

Nah I don't think you paid too much :) Car is gorgeous, you fell in love, you spontaneously decided for once to be a little indulgent - that can be good for the soul, as long as you're not so broke you can't pay the rent. Enjoy this car and don't let other peoples' uptightness take that away from you :burnrubber:(EDIT: I did *not* mean the people in this thread <3. The other replies were posted while I was typing lol.)


Regarding the head unit, I've used those cassette adapters before and never had much luck with them. The ones I've had have been plastic through and through which is fine except that they heat up and the gear wheels melt, so they tend to be short lived. I finally got an AM/FM transmitter (you plug the Sansa into it and it transmits your songs to your car's radio). It works great in the Hyundai but it's too bulky for the BMW's and it sticks out so much from the cigarette lighter that it interferes with the shifter. I tried 12V extension cords but they still have a huge plug and it's the same story. Probably it'll be the same in the Miata :( So your choices pretty much are burn a lot of cd's, go retro like you said with the original unit or another older one, or get a modern one with an aux. jack.

A buddy of mine uses of of those radio adapters. They seem fine and definitely feel a lot more solid than the cassette adapter i used to use while driving around in my mom's old Voyager when i first started out. I just always thought they were a little too expensive for an adapter and would have rather bought a new shiny head unit at that price but then you don't have to monkey with removing the dash bezel/rewiring or anything.

Well, that didn't end up the way I thought it would! I was gonna tell you not to pay so much for that MR2, but then you went and spent way more on the Miata. Well, I hope you can at least break even when it's time to sell the Miata and get the FR-S. Both cars are great fun! I saw a supercharged '91 Miata with 40k miles for $4,000 locally but I really don't fit in Miatas; I barely fit in the MR2!

I woulda sold you my MR2 for $6,000! I've got about 3x as much into it, sadly :(

Yeah the convenience is why I got it. Plus until I realized how bulky it is, I thought I'd be able to use it in all my cars. It wasn't expensive, though; around $30 IIRC.

Noooo! Back out now while you still can!

Just kidding, those things happen, and it would definitely not have been my choice but all that matters in the end is you are happy with your decision, and you enjoy your new ride. It certainly looks like a fine specimen of the species.

Why, not my choice? Well, I don't get the whole attraction to the Miata in general. I know I am also in a minority there. But to me it looks like a bathtub on wheels, and I just was not that enthralled by the two or three I've driven. But, hey, that's why they make different kinds of cars, right?

:happy0180:

I'm not really sure why i like them either, and other than the miata and the S2k i despise convertibles (I'd actually like them both a bit more if they ever did come in hard top, and with that logic you can also probably guess what the first thing i'm going to buy for my miata is when i get the money for it...). Ironically they are both two of my favorite cars (along with the FD RX-7 and Elise). I love small light weight cars with little to no frills. It's why the FR-S still has a special place in my heart.

And I can see where your coming from about the bathtub thing. I actually prefer the looks of the NBs all things equal. I do love pop up headlights though and when NAs are slightly lowered (like half an inch, not fucking slammed! i hate that look!) they clean up nice in my eyes. My dream car would be an NB with pop up headlights! It'd be like a mini FD!

I can probably sell it for pretty close to what i bought it for here with the right timing and audience. Never having seen salt up here counts for a lot and there are quite a lot of older well to do people here in the finger lakes which is why i kinda believed the guy when he said he could have probably sold it for 7500 in the spring (not that i would have ever been crazy enough to pay that kind of cash for it but i'm not that kind of demographic) so if i keep it as clean as it is now it should keep a good portion of it's value at the very least. I honestly don't know how long i will keep it so who knows. I might just keep it for a long time and by the time I'm looking for another car the FR-S will be fairly long in the tooth.

At the very least i know i'm getting quite the service out of this. I talked with him on the phone today to tell him i got my insurance info ready to send to him and he said he'd wash and wax it one more time for me before i took it and wrapped it up for the winter.