Opinions on MR2

[Tcoat]

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.

[Leonardo]

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.

[strat61caster]

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

[Atropine]

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

[Kestrel]

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

[Sideways&Smiling]

Originally Posted by rosol16

I assume since its rear engine is suppose to handle well? Ofc not like the Twins but for a 90s car

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.

[joe strummer]

Originally Posted by rosol16

I assume since its rear engine

It's a mid-engine car.

[jawn]

Originally Posted by Sideways&Smiling

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.

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.

[rosol16]

Originally Posted by Sideways&Smiling

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.

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

[Sideways&Smiling]

Originally Posted by rosol16

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? ) feeling cars, because they find them more exciting to push. lol

[Mr.ac]

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.

[PMok]

Originally Posted by rosol16

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 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.

[hmong337]

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.

[hmong337]

Originally Posted by go_a_way1

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

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.