Toyota MR2 MkI? Good? Bad?

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PanGasket

PanGasket

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Anyone have any experience with the first generation Toyota MR2? What do you think of them as little daily drivers? My friend is looking at one because his gearbox ate itself and he needs another daily. I was just wondering if anyone on here had any experience with them. Don't flame me, I'm not a ricer!:hippy2:
 
I know people that have had toyotas run forever. I suggest taking a good look at the car and the typical test drive. Me being a young muscle car fan have seen plenty of friends kick the crap out of go karts like the MR2. Try to find out who the previous owners were. If they were young I wouldn't touch it. Also, I personally would lean away from the car if its a manual. Heard the clutches were weak but that might just be hear say as I have no personal experience. good luck. your wallet is probably going to love you if you get it.
 
DarTT said:
Anyone have any experience with the first generation Toyota MR2? What do you think of them as little daily drivers? My friend is looking at one because his gearbox ate itself and he needs another daily. I was just wondering if anyone on here had any experience with them. Don't flame me, I'm not a ricer!:hippy2:
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I've never had one but if there anything like a fiero he better carry a couple of fire extinguishers around with him.. I'd go with a honda or nissan if he just wants a beater, something cheap and easy to find parts for, I can't remember the last time I saw a MR2 on the road or in a junkyard...
 
Toyota MR2's are great little car's. My uncle bought the first generation and still has it. They came with lots of different engine options, NA, Turbo, and a Supercharged version. The MR2 is actually the car that my uncle started Auto Crossing. The second generation was even cooler of a car with twin turbo set up I believe. All in all a good little car.
 
Mister2s are in a whole different league that the Flearo.

A Fiero is where they take a Citation drivetrain, weld the steering arms to the cradle to make it a rear wheel drive, throw a crappy body on it and stick a Chevette front suspension on it.

MR2s are the typical Toyota...not the fastest car but they are built pretty well.

And the Turbo MR2 was like driving a fast go-cart with doors.
 
had one that i sold last october, car ran great and averaged 29mpg loved the hell out of it as a commuter but it rusted away around me. before he buys tell him to look it over really well... floors, in front and rear of back tires, and where all the suspension pieces bolt to the chassis in particular the front suspension pieces.

also prone to get air trapped in the cooling system, i found that jacking the *** end as high as it could go would allow it to bleed off otherwise you would have a major surge at idle.

if he buys it let me know as i still have some items floating around
 
wp23n said:
had one that i sold last october, car ran great and averaged 29mpg loved the hell out of it as a commuter but it rusted away around me. before he buys tell him to look it over really well... floors, in front and rear of back tires, and where all the suspension pieces bolt to the chassis in particular the front suspension pieces.

also prone to get air trapped in the cooling system, i found that jacking the *** end as high as it could go would allow it to bleed off otherwise you would have a major surge at idle.

if he buys it let me know as i still have some items floating around
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Thank you for the advice! Never woulda looked at the front suspension all that close. I know they have problems with the droplinks going bad which causes a clunking noise. I knew about the cooling system being really finicky and easy to mess up if you don't know not to put water and to bleed it when you replace coolant.

Thanks all for the opinions, please keep them coming. I have been doing a little research including about the waxstat.What has been posted here so far has been majorly helpful:happy7:
 
greenhornet said:
I've never had one but if there anything like a fiero he better carry a couple of fire extinguishers around with him.. I'd go with a honda or nissan if he just wants a beater, something cheap and easy to find parts for, I can't remember the last time I saw a MR2 on the road or in a junkyard...
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a pontiac compared to a toyota? thats a joke right? lol.. the pontiac isn't even in the same league as a toyota..

my brother had one around this year. man that was a great car. was like driving a go-kart. great mileage and maintenance free.


toyota_mr2.jpg
 
I figured the one he was talking about looked something like this.. Toyota builds some good cars, personally I don't like mid-engine cars..

toyota+mr2+mk1.jpg
 
greenhornet said:
I figured the one he was talking about looked something like this.. Toyota builds some good cars, personally I don't like mid-engine cars..

toyota+mr2+mk1.jpg
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Yep, its not the later MR2. Those are pretty cool, they are pretty reliable cars too. This one is a 1988 N/A 5 speed car. I went and looked at it today and it ran like a scalded dog, the guy who owns it is probably in his 70s and had a stroke recently. He spent a lot of time tinkering with it before he had a stroke and then he got it at a garage sale from some guy's wife that wanted it gone. He is sellin it now because he has 6 other cars and he isn't as fond of it as the others and he wants to get the other one he has to be a daily driver for her wife since she can't drive a manual.

Here's some pics from when I saw it. He definately takes good care of it. I always passed this car or had it pass me when I'd go down to Gainesville, I woulda never thought it was for sale. He drives it pretty much every weekend
206843_1997255333391_1303732671_2384744_2532973_n.jpg

208547_1997256813428_1303732671_2384749_4111385_n.jpg
 
wp23n said:
DAMN!!! that looks sweet.
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Indefinately. This guy definately takes really good care of it and he was pretty damn honest. He wants 3k for it, but imma see if I can fix the MR2 his wife wants to drive for him and get him to come down on price.:thumrigh:. My buddy really likes it and I can see why after goin to check it out for him. If my buddy doesn't get it, I'm kinda thinkin' about getting it as a daily to replace my 626.:glasses2: Just a thought tho for now:laughing:
 
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