john_p_b
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 11:15 AM |
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toyota mr2 - your thoughts please
got the chance of a toyota mk2 mr2 t-bar g-limited at what seems to be a reasonable price but want a 2nd opinion really and some input from anyone in
the know with these cars.....
it's a 1991 import. half leather, alloys, exhaust you could live in, the usual jap bling really....90 something thousand miles on the clock.
now the catch is it's knocking like a bitch from the bottom end but doesn't sound like a normal bottom end knock if that makes any sense?
however there is a decent spare engine included in the sale so would just mean me spending a day fitting the engine and we're off.
the bloke wants around £500 for it...apparently the spare engine cost £400 quid then he lost the will to carry on with it. it's not a minter and
i wouldn't expect it for that money but am i stepping on a minefield here or could i be on to something? i'm almost tempted to have it as
a winter project then knock it back out start of next summer and maybe make a few quid in the process? failing that then i'd maybe have a
shuffle around with the cars i have now and replace one of them (without a doubt the laguna!)
your thoughts and opinions very welcome.
[Edited on 5/7/08 by john_p_b]
built a car, built a home, had a family. lost the family, lost the home, still got the car.
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afj
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 11:25 AM |
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sounds cheap ish as long as the spare engine is good. track day it
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Danozeman
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 11:28 AM |
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Is the engine an import engine?? ISTR there are slight differences?
For 500 quite its probably worth that in parts if the bodyworks reasonable.
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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UncleFista
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 11:50 AM |
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Try sending Zilspeed a U2U, I "think" he was in a similar position as you a short while ago, a knackered MR2 engine that needed replacing.
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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nludkin
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 11:52 AM |
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Does the non-turbo also have the heater / radiator in the front?
A common problem that I know exists on the turbo's is that the cooling pipes running under the car start to corrode and the coolant leaks,
causing the head gasket to go quickly if the water leak is not spotted. It's a costly repair if you buy the shaped pipes from toyota, but an
easy repair if you pop to B and Q.
Failing that fairly well known issue with them they are pretty much bulletproof.
I think it is well worth a punt for the money, but if it does have the cooling pipes running under the car (Check them thoroughly!). Also, being an
import car main dealers are reluctant to touch them. So, you had either be prepared to do alot of the work yourself or get a decent independant garage
on the job.
Fensport (www.fensport.co.uk) have a lot of import parts, etc to help with any repairs.
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Peteff
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 01:00 PM |
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My friend's daughter knocked the bottom end out of two import MR2 engines.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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martyn_16v
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 03:28 PM |
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Great cars to live with, I miss mine every time I have to spend an hour removing a rusty bolt, it was mint.
Engine change is likely to take a bit longer than a day, access is a bit tight. They're normally very reliable though, only problems are usually
related to ancillaries and pretty easy to fix.
If I was offered it I'd do it without a seconds thought 
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locogeoff
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 03:52 PM |
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at that price you should get your moneys worth.
An alternative to the 2.0l 4 pot is the 3.0l V6 out of the camry.
There are two problems with water hoses on the Mr2 Mk2 there is the hose from hell that only applies to the turbo models, and the pipe from hell on
all models, since you are taking the engine out that would be the time to fix this as it's a walk n the park, impossible with the engine in, I
would recommend replacing the pipes with toyota parts as the design has changed to rubber mount the offending bracket to the pipe, alternatively you
could effect a repair but only with the understanding that if it fails you will probably have to take the engine out to properly fix it.
I buy most of my bits from Toyota and pay a slight premium, I've put other parts on mine and ended up replacing them with genuine components,
others would call be foolish.
I use my 92 G-Ltd as a daily driver and it's not let us down in 7 years which is not bad for a 16 ear old car, the car is used, 3-5K rpm on most
journeys, but looked after.
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tom_loughlin
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 06:22 PM |
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they are cracking cars, i have had 3 - 2 n/a's and currently have a tubby - they are great little cars.
The earlier rev1's are supposed to be the hardest work of the lot, the suspension/brakes/chassis and engines were uprated for the later
revisions.
90k for the engine seems very low mileage to be dead...it sounds to me as though it would have been seriously neglected at some point, because even
the tubby engines are bullet proof.
if you are looking for a project at about that cost, then i reckon it wouldn't be a bad idea - especialy with a new engine (assuming the other
lump is ok)
but just for the sake of it, i would think hard, as i know what i'l like at hoarding cars.
anyway, if you go for it, make sure you join the owners club - theres a lot of chavving about on it, but generally a knowledgable bunch.
All the best
Tom
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RazMan
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 07:27 PM |
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Just a thought - for a little more money you could get a mint Toyota Soarer which, if you squint a bit, looks a little like a pumped up MR2. Bags of
fun with twin turbos - and VERY cheap.
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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