Im new and purchasing MR2

[haalaj]

Hi, Im new to the forum.

A little about me, Im 20, going to flight school, Ive had a 93 dodge stealth, and a honda 00 cbr 929rr which was stolen, I then bought a 98 civic ex and got that running high 14's. Needless to say that car has been stolen twice now and just recently stripped and I also moved to a new safer location.

I am now looking at mr2's. Ive always been fascinated with them at the track and been looking to purchase one.

I know this is probably on here how many times and I have searched but i would like some info if anyone would like to respond. Im looking at a 91 MR2 turbo, has 79k miles and garaged every winter, older driver and he says its in terrific condition. and hes asking $6,900.

I know its a very sound engine and made by toyota but I am curious what is everyones thoughts on how reliable the engine is. Ive taken a look at it and it looks great, seems to have somewhat lower miles. What can I expect to get out of this? and what about the price?

Heres a picture of the car:




Thanks in advance for the help, and I look forward to being part of this forum.

[chrwof8217]

Well this car is definitely in great shape and depedning on who you are, worth the money. It is very hard to find MR2's, expecially a 91-93 that is in great condition. The main concern I would check with this one is the turbo. The turbos tend to need to be rebuilt every 50k or so, so see if this one has ever been reconditioned. The rest fo the motor can run 200k or so. (with regular maintenance such as belts, pumps, etc.) Your engine code is 3sgte, one of the best engines toyota has produced. The stock internals are good for around 400 at the crank, soemtimes higher. Jeckyl$Hyde has a 440 hp at the wheels on stock internals. As for immediate power options, you can keep the stock system, up the boost pressure and get another 50hp with minimal upgrades. After that a turbo and fuel upgrade is needed. I won't go into detail but the setup you are investing in here is good. If you bought 91 N/A in that condition and did a turbo kit or turbo swap, it would come out to more than that easily. I say buy. For more information on possibilities with this car and engine, do a search for 3sgte on the net and this forum, there is TONS of info for this motor and a huge aftermarket. All I can say is: Welcome to MR2s buddy.

[andyb16]

That sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I know here in the midwest, MR2s aren't as prevalent as Cali or some other places, so prices are a little higher. Car looks real clean from the one picture, if it all seems sound, I'd jump on it. Good luck! These babies are a blast.

[dLo914]

slight -hi jack- new here as well. currently own a 74' Porsche 914. But this car has dealt me w/ quite a few problems. (i'll leave the details out) So what i plan to do soon is get the 914 running again, sell it while at the same time search for a 2nd gen n/a Mr2. From the money i'll receive from selling the 914 i'll use it toward an mr2. Ironically, the 2nd gen mr2 was the car i was originally gonna get, but once i got a ride in my buddies 914 i was hooked. And now one year later im back at where i started. So as far as prices go for 2nd gens what's the average range for a 91-93, manual, 100k+ miles, mr2 going for? are there any rust issues, water line issues, and oil leak issues? O and is there a classifieds section for mr2's being sold by forum members? Thanks in advance

[MR2Jedi]

wow, looks like it's in pristine condition... the stock 91 MR2 Turbo 3sgte engine is very robust. very reliable and can take quite a bit of abuse and still keep going. we have a premire member on this forum-Jekyland Hyde-who professionlly races his '91 with a stock block w/200000+ miles on it clocking low elevens w/22+psi boost. what does that tell you?

blue book trade-in value=$2450.00 retail value=$5310.00 private seller value=$3835.00

just baseline market values to help you with your decision. of course, they are worth more to a sport car enthusiast. especially when you consider the "bang for the buck factor".
I can't really think of any major issues to consider that are unique to ths car that you wouldn't consider when buying any used car. a test drive will tell much.

[MR2Jedi]

also, there are tons of after market parts for them. both stock, OEM and hi performance. it's alittle cramped in the engine bay, but then, most new cars are that way any way. decent mileage. easy to tune up and change oil. handles great. very cool looking. chick magnet...

[Piddy]

Originally Posted by dLo914

slight -hi jack- new here as well. currently own a 74' Porsche 914. But this car has dealt me w/ quite a few problems. (i'll leave the details out) So what i plan to do soon is get the 914 running again, sell it while at the same time search for a 2nd gen n/a Mr2. From the money i'll receive from selling the 914 i'll use it toward an mr2. Ironically, the 2nd gen mr2 was the car i was originally gonna get, but once i got a ride in my buddies 914 i was hooked. And now one year later im back at where i started. So as far as prices go for 2nd gens what's the average range for a 91-93, manual, 100k+ miles, mr2 going for? are there any rust issues, water line issues, and oil leak issues? O and is there a classifieds section for mr2's being sold by forum members? Thanks in advance

http://mr2oc.com/forumdisplay.php?f=122 is a great place to look for cars in Cali. Pretty much everyone knows eachother... there is a '91T for sale right now actually.

[dLo914]

Originally Posted by ishcoleobo

http://mr2oc.com/forumdisplay.php?f=122 is a great place to look for cars in Cali. Pretty much everyone knows eachother... there is a '91T for sale right now actually.

Thanks!

[Jgradi1]

...I was gonna post a new topic, but this one seems to be in line with my questions so...here it goes.

I'm looking at a '91 MR2 turbo. The car has 148,000 miles on it, with 15,000 on it since the engine and turbo were rebuilt. Are there any problem areas or things I should specifically look for when I go see this car?

[Zero turbo]

I bought mine 3 months ago with god's knows how many miles cuz speedometer is broken it stoped reading at 130,900 miles i dont khow when was the last time engine, pumps ,turbo etc... was rebuilt all i know i had to change all the engine seals and buy new rims and that is it it costed me 3,500 and i havent got a problem.they are great cars,very cool,fast, and reliable. for 6,900 bucks is a great deal and with 79k miles even better.And i hope you buy that car cuz it looks clean.But test drive it 1st you never know when the speedometer is broken(very common problem on these gens)

[mr2driver]

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t114197.html

[Gairloch]

Just a few pointers for things to look at:

1. What kind of shape is the body in, especially the rumble strips?

2. How good are the syncros? (known weak point)

3. Are there any visible oil leaks?

4. Does the car fart blue smoke on start up? (valve seals are infamous for leaking when cold)

5. Is there any odd behavior when turning that might indicate problems with the strut mounts?(infamous)

6. Are the strut replacements OEM or something else? Either way, make sure you test the drivability, mixxed suspension components = bad juju.

7. How does the car look underneath for rust?

8. Do both windows and door lock switches work? (Wiring harness in drivers door also infamous)

9. Does the brake master cylinder still feel strong under heavy braking? (Had to replace mine a month after I got the car)

10. When you take the car to get checked out make sure that they test the wheels for play which might indicate issues with ball joints or wheel bearings.

11. If it's a T-top what kind of shape are the seals in? Any leaking?


If you search here and at mr2oc.com you will find gobs and gobs and great greasy gobs of information on motor swaps.