JJG2005

Well, I originally was in love with MR2s and wanted one at any cost. I then realized that SC300s came in 5spd, and were easy to boost, and decided that was the best car for me. (EVERYTHING I want in a car) I then became obsessed with Lexus, bought another, and couldn't be happier.

However, I kind of still want an MR2 to play around with as a toy. What do you guys think of MR2s? I was going to get like a mint condition low mile MR2 turbo for like $10k, but now that I'm building the turbo SC I really don't think I need to spend that much. I'm considering buying a CHEAP MR2 non-turbo that needs some work , and making it my project car. It's white, and I would like to do some body work and custom paint... the interior is blue and I would like to convert it to black leather and do a custom interior... and finally I would like to drop a JDM turbo engine in the car. I figure if I want to have something to mess around with and have some fun, an MR2 would definately be the car since it has so many options as far as styling, building, etc. That and I think I can get the white non-turbo for around $1000

xioix

a white non-turbo for 1k is pretty cheap

flipside909

I've always loved the AW11 (85-89 4AGE/GZE) and SW20 (MR2's 90-05 5S-FE & 3S-GTE) Not a big fan of the ZZW version. It's a fun chassis to work with and obviously mod. It's hard to find a non-modded SW20 3S-GTE nowadays.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

Since I'm a big mid engine fan I really like the MR2. I aways wanted one before but ended up going a slightly different route. The MR2 was my 2nd choice though and I almost bought one

JsN

One of my old school favorties I'd say go for it

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Thumbs up on the Mister2 Great little car

Danimal

Don't forget about the MK1 MR2, I've driven a supercharged and they are an absolute blast. Pretty darn light, and from what I've seen, they hold up pretty well in crashes too. There is a good amount of aftermarket available for the 4ag(z)e from the AE86. The online community/message board (at mr2oc.com at least, which covers all MR2s) are really pretty mature, especially for a message board.

mmarshall

Again....like so many of my other recommendations...depends on what you want from a car. A friend of mine had a 1994 MR2 Turbo he loved....I had some experience with it. The Mister 2 is a blast on winding roads. Its rear weight bias tends to give it a lot more oversteer than front-engine cars, without as bad a tendency of some rear-engine cars like older Porsches to swap ends, but in any rear engine car without stability control you still don't want to enter a corner too fast and suddenly let up on the gas...that is just asking for trouble. The MR2 is a little skittish on a straight road for my tastes. While not really unstable, the rear-weight bias tends to not put a lot of weight on the 2 front wheels for stability, so my experience is that they tend to wander a little bit left and right and you have to keep twitching the wheel to stay in the center of your lane.....but this is minor, and not like the old Beetles that went all over the road. A little bit of toe-in on the alignment can also help this.

MR2's, like most Toyotas, are generally reliable. The engine tends to be noisy because it is right behind your back without a lot of sound insulation. There is not a whole lot of trunk space but it is better than some other small sports cars...you have a small trunk up front where the hood is on front-engine cars. The interior, like most small 2-seaters, is somewhat cramped for large people....( check this out before buying ) with a very low steering wheel that doesn't go up much, and reaching back to get at the snap-open vertical glovebox between the two seats can be awkward. The gauges and controls are well-done, like most Toyotas of that vintage.

Seize

They're bad-@ss cars!!! A few of my friends used to have some slightly modded ones. Another one of my friends has one which he claims is pushin' like 500hp...I don't really doubt him but he's never put it on a dyno or ran it on the quarter mile so I really can't be too sure about the #'s.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

They are one of the most underrated cars out there. Too bad they're discontinued.

Goldark

The 2nd gen MR2 was a fluke due to the heavy weight / lack of handling (when compared to the first gen and gen III).

Right now you can purchase a cheap gen III with a blown or high milage engine for under 10k add a 2ZZ + 6 speed (swap will run you 2-3k) and you'll have a dupe of the Elise (but a bit more heavy). You can also add a HASS turbo kit and easily get over 200 rwhp (which in a 2300 lbs is a LOT of fun).

Before thinking about purchasing the gen II - look at www.spyderchat.com and check out some of the cars on there.

With a hard top and a 2zz / turbo - these cars are a great project / fun car.

jhenty

i have a 2000 mr2 and I absolutely love it, nothing can compare to a mid engine rwd, its just a blast to drive. However the second gen mr2 is my favorite. It is simply a gorgeous car with timeless styling. Hurry up and get one of the remaining turbos in good shape while you still can. With any mr2 you wont be dissapointed.

toy4two

I think its one of the best 2 seaters ever made. Get one you won't regret it!

I've had 2, a Turbo and an NA. I like the 2nd gen personally.

Try to get a 1993+ for the bettery tranny.

Or get a 91 that someone swapped a Jspec 3rd gen into, 245hp. There are tons of swapped ones in So Cal for around 10k.

JJG2005

Thanks for the posts guys, I'm going to try to get it for about 1200... I'll let everyone know how it turns out. Yeah I was looking at some nice 93+ turbo models... I was ready to pay $9000 + shipping for a BEAUTIFUL custom painted mr2 with upgraded turbos, etc etc... but he sold it before I could pick it up. I then almost bought an orignal completely stock 91 MR2 with 30k miles for like 9500, but I let it pass.

This one has 108k miles and its stick... I'm not sure exactly what I want to do with it. If I keep it a turbo swap would definately be in the near future, along with a paintjob. I might just drive it for a few months and sell it for $3000 or so... or I may keep it for a year and give it to my little cousin when he turns 16

HKSC300

I've always loved the SW20 MR2 as well. Timeless design, great power potential, and if driven right, great handling. You just have to drive it differently through a corner than you would a RWD, FWD or 4WD car. Trust in the rear traction and floor the baby. Great acceleration out of corners.

My friend had a 93 (revised suspension) N/A hardtop (rare), no power options (rarer), sold it for 3 grand. I thought long and hard about getting a second car then