NPCP: I have a bad idea, but it's not bad enough for me to pass on, so talk me out of it
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So there is this Sub-contractor that we use that runs a business out of an old gas station. I went to visit them today and see this MR2 over in the parking lot. I peep inside and it's a manual.
So as I'm pulling out the drive, I call him back and ask him about it. It has a new engine, but the wiring harness is all boogered up and it doesnt run. It has been sitting a few years and they are open to offers.
Now, I have been keeping my ear to the ground for a good, light, track car I can strip and make my own. I dont mind something that's been sitting, currently not working, or a bit of a project. I DO mind rust, poor chassis design, and automatic transmissions.
Is this a good idea? What would be NP or CP price assuming the motor turns over? I know we have one or two MR owners here. Are parts easy (enough) to come by?
F22 M235i, 987 Cayman, Outback XT, Ram 1500
Past: Tacoma, Boxster, Outback -
@UpCreekwithShitPaddle
I'll approach this a bit differently. If you knew the car needed to be completely required and had a major engine repair needed, what is the maximum price you would pay? -
@UpCreekwithShitPaddle paging @Nauraushaun, @way2blu and it looks like you've got just-a-scratch on the line already!
2006 R55 AMG
2021 701 Enduro
2013 Hayabusa
1995 Miata -
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@AestheticsInMotion hello
i am useless with these questions, despite being a long time MR2 owner. pricing is beyond me since i don't shop around and i'm in a different market with a different currency
i think OEM parts and replacements are getting harder - i even had my mechanic tell me it was hard to find tyres in the right size for the stock wheels. but if you go aftermarket, which you will, there should be plenty of options.
but when it comes down to it, i don't buy parts. mine is stock as you like.these cars are very rewarding to drive at the edge. i don't find mine has the aggressive snap-oversteer properties you might expect, and mine's an earlier car with an even gnarlier reputation than the later SW20s. i regularly hang the tail out in the wet, it's not a huge deal. but it will teach you a lot more about handling than your average front-engined car, and they have so little understeer it's just a joy. the nose dives in wherever you want it to.
i think the t-top cars are probably a bit less stiff than the slicktops, but the t-bar helps and i don't find stiffness to be a problem.'90 Toyota MR2 (NA, t-top)
Targa top enthusiast
Tag me in your 300ZX posts -
@just-a-scratch I know my number. But I wanted to see what everyone else had to say.
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@Nauraushaun Good intel. I've heard the very rewarding comment before. But until today, the only thing I knew about MR2's were that, mid-engine'd, and can be had in a manual transmission.
F22 M235i, 987 Cayman, Outback XT, Ram 1500
Past: Tacoma, Boxster, Outback -
Any other pictures?
If it has a raised engine lid it's a turbo, if it's flat it's N/A. There are vendors that do wiring harnesses for these for swaps that I'm sure could sort out fixing a broken harness.
Factory turbo that needs a lil wiring and low miles? I'd go $5kFactory N/A, high miles, won't start, needs everything but no rust? I'd be looking at a kilodollar if it has good tires.
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@UpCreekwithShitPaddle If it's a track car, likely you can run it on a stand along ECU. Assuming you don't need ABS and airbags? Seems like an MR2 that is a mess should be pretty cheap like less than $1,000.
And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?"
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@theturbomrt Hell yea. This is what I needed.
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@Highlander Yeah that is what I was thinking too. No I would not need airbags or ABS. So yeah that should simplify a lot.
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@UpCreekwithShitPaddle In all likelihood, it doesn't even have ABS, and one airbag
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@theturbomrt I didn't take pictures since I didnt know where they were at. But now I know they've gotten the shits of it and are willing to part with it, I may get more serious about it.
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What I can see is that it's a '91 or '92 with the black belt line and three piece spoiler. Someone has "upgraded" the factory 14" wheels to 15's... bad news there's no tires left for those either.
Things to look for are normal rust on the rockers, and inside the B pillars once/if you own it. There's foam in there that absorbs water and rusts from the inside out.If it's going to be a track toy there is a significant "k swap the world" effort over at toyonda
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The rust on the truck behind it is playing tricks on me.
"there's rust"
no
"I see rust"
no it's over there
"i swear to god I see rust where is it"
over there it's fine -
@UpCreekwithShitPaddle these are excellent! It looks like this one has a bigger wheel size than the stock 14" wheels, so it shouldn't be tough to find tires at all. I just got 15s on mine and had a multitude of options.
A couple of considerations:
- find out if the new engine included fresh motor mount bushings (or just fresh mounts in general!) as part of the replacement. MR2s have lots of straight-line grip due to the rear weight bias, so motor mounts get worn out fast.
- chassis bracing is going to be your best friend if you want to do track-y stuff in a car like this. Lots of options exist on the market.
- check all the plastic parts, like the wiper fluid reservoir, coolant overflow tank, etc. since it's very old.
When I got mine a few years ago, the shocks were busted so I got a set of BC Racing coilovers for it. There are lots of suspension options on the market, and even a high-end rally setup if you ever go that route.
Barring any severe damage or other weird issues, I say DO IT!
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@theturbomrt said in NPCP: I have a bad idea, but it's not bad enough for me to pass on, so talk me out of it:
@UpCreekwithShitPaddle In all likelihood, it doesn't even have ABS, and one airbag
curious as to why you say that. mine is JDM, but it does have ABS and does not have an airbag.
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@UpCreekwithShitPaddle said in NPCP: I have a bad idea, but it's not bad enough for me to pass on, so talk me out of it:
@Nauraushaun Good intel. I've heard the very rewarding comment before. But until today, the only thing I knew about MR2's were that, mid-engine'd, and can be had in a manual transmission.
well in that case, to be clear. the MR2s, particularly those built pre-1992, are known for very tricky handling at the limit and snap oversteer. they made changes to address these concerns which made the cars less agile, but many people say the concerns are ill-founded.
just treat it with a bit of respect until you learn what it's about, and it won't kill you. but that's true of any car. mustangs don't do snap oversteer, but they're obviously just as dangerous if you're careless.
'90 Toyota MR2 (NA, t-top)
Targa top enthusiast
Tag me in your 300ZX posts -
@Nauraushaun said in NPCP: I have a bad idea, but it's not bad enough for me to pass on, so talk me out of it:
@theturbomrt said in NPCP: I have a bad idea, but it's not bad enough for me to pass on, so talk me out of it:
@UpCreekwithShitPaddle In all likelihood, it doesn't even have ABS, and one airbag
curious as to why you say that. mine is JDM, but it does have ABS and does not have an airbag.
I have a USDM '91 Turbo and it does not have ABS and has only the drivers airbag. Passenger added in '94. ABS was an option
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@theturbomrt nice. i can't comment on USDM cars
not just because mine isn't USDM, but because i don't live in the USDM. -
@Nauraushaun Fat rear tires significantly help with this tendency to oversteer. the early ones actually have more "racecar" handling, the later ones were kinda neutered to go toe-in under all circumstances to help out. Wilheim has a great write up on it from the technical side
https://wilhelmraceworks.com/blog/suspension-analysisBiggest takeaway though:
It is a source of endless debate whether the early or later suspension is better for performance purposes, but in my experience a car that is easier to drive and more confidence inspiring will be faster for almost anyone. I have certainly found this to be the case for me. -
@UpCreekwithShitPaddle don't think just do it
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@UpCreekwithShitPaddle
Like others have said, the MR2 is a very fun car to drive. Light, agile, rear wheel drive, in that order make it good. I haven't driven the 2nd generation, so I can't comment on its tendencies at the limit, but it should be more practical than the 3rd generation. -
@Nauraushaun said in NPCP: I have a bad idea, but it's not bad enough for me to pass on, so talk me out of it:
mustangs don't do snap oversteer, but they're obviously just as dangerous if you're careless
they thirst for the blood of pedestrians
