They told me not to....

[Em Are Too]

But what are you going to do.

Here is how the story goes........

My grandmother recently gave me a 1990 Toyota Cressida. Good solid car. No problems. Cherry condition.

But being the 18 year old that I am, it was not as fast/cool/sporty as a car should be.....it was too......grandma-ish....


Anywho, I found a 1991 MR2 for $1800. Pretty good condition. I bought that and fell in love.

So now I have these two cars. One of them has to go.

The Cressida got the short end of the stick.

So as I am going to go home to get the Cressida to show it to an interested possible buyer, the Duece takes a dump on me.

I pull over to a McDonalds parking lot and let the smoke slowly drift away from the rear of my car.

I call my girlfriend and she brings the Cressida to the location and I call the buyer and tell him to meet me there.

He buys the good, solid, reliable Cressida and drives away as I stay there with my broken down MR2 and a small shred of pride left.

The bad news.....I went from two running cars to zero running cars.


The good news......I now have money to fix the MR2.

The whole time I could hear my parents voices..."you're gonna sell the cressida and keep this piece of junk?!?!"

But I am 18 and logic has yet to develop in my brain.

Anyway, I thought some of you die-hard MR Duece fans would appreciate this story...

Please respond back with any jabs, support, snide comments...anything you want to get off your mind....

[Piddy]

Similar thing happened to me. Except I didn't sell my 2nd car..... someone thought it would be fun to smash my window in, drag me out of it and drive away in my car. At the same time my MR2's clutch went out. I just so happened to be broke at the time. I bought another daily driver.... the MR2 sat dead for like a year.... and I never regretted keeping it. I ended up selling it later only to build another one.

MR2's are addicting.

[4DMR2t]

I am a firm believer in that an MR2 should only be purchased as a second car and only if you have a reliable daily driver.

Not to say that the MR2 isn't a reliable car, but the type of car (not too many people are buying these for their gas mileage), and of course the 1st and 2nd gens' age make it damn near impossible not expect at least some repair/maintenance needs.

I currently own my MR2 turbo along with an 05 corolla. The MR2 has been extremely good to me, but with the track/spirited driving I (and most other MR2 drivers) do, I am almost always replacing/repairing/upgrading something on the MR2. With all that, it's necessary to have a reliable 2nd car to commute to work/school while the 2 is down.

I don't think you'll hear too many MR2 owners telling you what a dumb move you made, cuz most of us have made some kind of mistake in our time, ourselves.

The fact is you made a decision and had an experience. Hopefully you learned something from it and can use the experience when making future decisions. What's done is done. Figure out the best move from here and go for it. Keep movin forward, don't look back and it'll turn out just fine.

Best of luck!

[moogleX]

I disagree with 4dmr2, ANY car needs maintenance, ANY car needs to be well taken care of, and if you mod responsibly and the right way, you can get quite a bit of perform ace out of an mr2 and retain excellent reliability.

gas mileage. normal dd stuff i can pull of quiet decent mileage, and freeway is good. i have been writing the mileage on my gas receipts, i want to make a chart to track my usage. post it up when i have a good 15-20 entries. no reason you cant get 25+, and in any car thats not bad, specially for a turbo pushing 200+ to the wheels.

as far as a mistake, having a car is making a choice. I want this car cuz it makes me happy when i drive. Nothing feels the same when driving, cornering, whatever. and nothing beats the feeling of boost. just use common sense to stay out of trouble with the law :p and you will have a great DD out of an mr2.

not having money, I was there, could not afford to finish the engine swap on my car due to losing my job. but when i did, it made me appreciate my mr2 all the more. prolly make me take better care of it as well. cuz i know what its like to be with out a car. but more importantly, without my 2 :p

so tip: if you want a DD mr2, making sure its in good running order is first, followed by supporting mods, then finally power mods. honestly, stock with a few upgrades, maybe a lil more boost should be plenty for anyone. good supporting mods and some money can go further while still retaining good reliability. but requires very diligent maintenance. after that your really pushing any four cylinder motor. sure BMW made a 1.5liter with 77lbs of boost making 1500ish hp. but it ran like what, 100 miles tops between EXPENSIVE rebuilds between races? lol.

EDIT: checked my spelling :p

[4DMR2t]

It's not that an MR2 "cant " be a good daily driver. I know a few people who do so, and have had relative success with it.

The thing is, if you keep an MR2 relatively stock, keep up on the maintenance, and keep it in overall good running condition, it will be very reliable and make a fine DD, N/A or turbo.

My point was this. What are the reasons anybody buys an MR2? Price? Fuel mileage? Comfort? storage space? Versatility? Reliability? Performance? Fun factor? Let's face it. All of us would say the last 2, and you could make an argument for the last 3 and possibly price.. But let's face it. When most people are looking for a good daily driver, these take a back seat to the first 6.

Ideally, I think we'd all like to be able to have a daily driver to compliment our MR2. But circumstances being what they are, not everybody can do that. Whether it be money, space or whatever. But because of these circumstances, we are forced to make choices and sacrifices. If you choose to get a reliable daily driver over an MR2, you may have to live with your boring reliable car for a while, but willprobably save a bit of dough. If you pick the MR2 as a daily, you must now sacrifice the risky modifications in order to keep your 2 reliable for your daily excursions. If not, you're running the risk of being without a car for a bit.

It's completely individual, as to what is more important. I was 19 when I got my first MR2, and decided it would be a good daily driver. And, for the most part, it was. With 82k, and basic bolt-on modifications, it did everything I asked it to. The problem that occurs, and I know other MR2 owners can attest to this, is that modification bug gets the best of you. You're eventually gonna want more power and more modifications, which means your 2 will be out of the game for an amount of time. (like a clutch)

I started tossing around the idea of getting another car. I especially hated putting so many miles on my 2 everyday. I debated it until the day my grandmother asked me for a ride to the doctor. When my 72 year old grandmother needed a crane to get out of my lowered 2, it embarassed me to the point that I knew it was time for a more "practical" car.

So, can the MR2 be a good daily driver? Of course, but maybe that's not what we should be asking. I think the real question here is..................Should it?

[MRQtwinturbo]

i think the majority of mr2 owners have a second car as a beater or daily driver......i DD mine all spring and summer but in fall and winter have always had a second...its almost a must with older cars....

[tero561]

i bought my mr2 (m r not) in jan for $400. the guy said it needed a clutch (it needed a slave cylinder) when i put it bak togather again. the engine blew from over heating. (bad water pump...i think) i had to by a daily driver and i wrecked that on april 23. =/ im wondering if my mr2 (*cough* m r not) is worth fixing. planning on putting a corolla gts motor in it. hearing ur replies makes me really wonder if i could use this as a daily driver/fun car

[Em Are Too]

Hey guys. I dont mean to interupt. The story was simply meant to be entertaining. I wasn't trying to start a debate over the realibility of the MR2. I just thought some of you gentleman could relate.

[MR2Jedi]

I agree when the ones who are saying to have another dependable car to drive besides the MR2. Like any aging car, they will need maintainance and will occassionally breakdown. So it's a good idea to have something else to get to work in and just get around-just in case.

[The Money Pit]

I guess there always has to be someone that's rude, sorry ... I have 3 Mk1's, they are habit forming ... so they are their own back-up ... but for real, I have a Ford Ranger ...

I'm old enough that when I had British sports cars, you always needed a good back-up car with a big trunk ... that was a fact ... nothing mechanical is perfect ... the only advantage a new car has, is when it breaks down, there are other options available: dealer loaner, rental ...

when something happens, anything, it doesn't have to be a catastrophe, I drive a different MR2 till something happens with it, then the 3rd one ... and so on ... all of my 2's get 500+ mile road trips, as I work SCCA races, and they are the perfect GT car for me ... I drive each one for several months a year, and all of them in a years time ... I try not to make Motor Vehicle and my insurance company too crazy ...

As stated, your choice was not a mistake, it was an option ... (way ta go!), some may agree (us) and some may disagree (your folks) ... and no one will have to die over this choice, so it's just not that important in the scheme of 'World Peace' ...

enjoy your 2 ... you're only young once, then you become accountable for all your actions ... and, by the way; great story ... Ken

[moogleX]

Originally Posted by The Money Pit

I guess there always has to be someone that's rude, sorry ...

rude cuz i have a difference of opinion? rofls, I still hold firm on MR2 being a practical DD, and people will always disagree. But atleast I can back my OPINION up with FACTS. and im not so big on myself that i cant sit back and say, well, i do see your side of the story and agree that a car such as this, is not practical in some situations. but in his case, which is many of our cases, we, or atleast "I" cant afford to have multiple cars.

lets look at these factors, if i want to be practical on gas, i can get 30ish if i drive real consrvitive, as one would with a DD, 30 is pimp in my opionion, even when having fun i never go below 26-7.
price, i got a 1991 mr2 for 2500. drove it for ywo years replacing an ignition coil. thats it for a car with 200k miles. my dads brand new ford with 17ish.. not 17,000, just 17. had the wireharness take a crap. it CAN happen in any car new or old. just MORE LIKLY in an older car. then dropped in the 3s for about 4500 bucks. now i have a 1991 turbo mr2, with all new parts basically and only 44k-ish miles. thats not bad for price, IMHO. though it is all cash up front, no easy loan lol.
comfort is also a matter of opinion, if your buying a cheap dd, its not gong to be any more comfortable than an mr2, maybe just quieter, so i concede this point. but keep in-mind, less your buying an expensive luxury car, all cheap cars are pretty hostile noise environments and could use a layer of sound deadener...or about 200 bucks and do it yourself
reliability? its a toyota, so if taken care of, and not trashed, this is self expainitory.
performance and fun factor noones is in disagreement, and versitiliy. i have a hard time on this one. most cars are purpose built. ie trucks are for hauling and off roading. you dont buy one to race around the track. can it be done? im sure, so im not sure what you ment on this one. IMHO, lol I use mine to get groceries, ive moved with it. Not big furniture ofcourse, but less you have a truck, no car can. ive never really had a problem cant i couldnt use my 2 for. but i may not be the average person, so again, this is just my LIMITED experiance of a 24yr old male.

Not arguing, not being mean or rude. I just have a different OPINION, and these are my reasons why i disagree.

If you can have another car for a DD i would deffinatly reccomend it. as stated newer cars are less likly to break down, carry more people, maybe you got a truck for versitility or whatever. but in MY situation, of being single, or atleast with someone but NO CHILDREN, lol no backseat, the mr2 ."CAN". be a reliable DD. since im pushing 215ish hp(rough estimate based on power primer) im happy till this CRW turbo is put though the paces, and plan to take the 2 off the road yet again. I want to pick up another car and work on the mr2. chage fuel rail other parts maybe turbo. line it with sound deadener etc etc

so should you have a second car? everyones situation is different will be my official responce :p

now, since this forum was about stories of mr2's. mine was leaking oil faster than i could put it back in the engine. drove it 30 miles to work and left it at the shop we used al lthe time. where it sat, for 10ish months. waiting on wireharness nightmares, axle replacement, timing issues and a fuel pump replacement, and me to have the money to pay the shop :p my 14-18 hours shop time swap took 7200-ish hours :p good thing i didnt have to pay for storage as we brought our wholesale cars in there all the time. i guess this also proves their point on having another car. luckily i had a whole warehouse full of DD to choose from everyday. even when i lost my job and had to walk to work, 6miles a day. I never lost hope, or hated my car for being in the shop. that was just two hours a day spent to reflect on my life :p BUT, since everything was finally done, I have run since with no issues.
side note on wholesaling cars, im no stranger to being broke down... lol

[4DMR2t]

This thread has taken a life of its own. Look what you started! Heh, j/k.

In all seriousness, it does come down to each individual's situation. It's all a matter of opinion in conjunction with each of our own experiences.

I have a career that requires me to be in any of the cities/towns in eastern new england on any given day. usually before the sun's up. If I'm ever a minute late for a start, I get replaced. And so, my career necessitates me having a reliable/cost-effective daily driver. Not only that, but I would hate racking up the mileage on what is supposed to be my "fun" car. Not to mention, it's a lot easier throwing my equipment in the trunk and back seat of my corolla than in the trunk and passenger seat of the 2. Although, it could help me sneak my way into the car pool lane. Heh!

I don't think anybody was trying to ruffle any feathers. This is a community for people with like interests (in this case MR2s) to help one another out, share experiences, and offer opinions on certain matters.

The fact that we disagree on some topics is what makes these forums great. I certainly don't think they'd be as interesting if every post was followed simply with.............."I agree"

Keep the stories comin! Besides, don't we all need somethin sneaky to do at work when we're supposed to be doin our jobs? Heh heh!

[varockr]

i definitly agree... this is why i joined tn... because everyone has their own opinion on their cars. i have a love/hate relationship with my 2 mostly because its hard to work on yet fun to drive and it has a tendency to get me in trouble (thank god for cruise control) i got mine for a trade (92 4runner 4wd+$500) and not even a month later wrecked it (high speeds into curbs while cornering have an adverse affect on mr2s, who knew?), then the next day my 91 4runner blows a motor and a transmission leaving me and my dad out of luck for transportation. eventually we got it sorted out and i got the mr2 fixed. its a good idea to have a second car just in case, but if you cant afford it, the mr2 is the way to go. if your small it is a very roomy car with 2 trunks, fun to drive, and it definitly draws attention (put something under the hood for storage and watch peoples reactions). it is worth the trouble though because it just looks so good when its all in order and when your crusin the backroads while its runnin nice it just feels good! also, does anyone know of titanium headers for an mr2? i want to know where the previous owner got them cause ive been asked by a few 2 owners about them (2's sound amazing with headers and either a high-flow or punched cat!, way deeper than rice but still a 4cyl)

[The Money Pit]

Originally Posted by moogleX

rude cuz i have a difference of opinion? rofls,

No, actually I was referring to me ...

Originally Posted by The Money Pit

I have 3 Mk1's

I guess what I really should have said is: I have 2 MR2's for back-ups, cuz I have 3 of them ... "that's rude!" ... sorry I wasn't more clear ... happens to old people ... so no one misunderstands that, I'm 60! ... Ken

[MR2Jedi]

Originally Posted by The Money Pit

No, actually I was referring to me ...
I guess what I really should have said is: I have 2 MR2's for back-ups, cuz I have 3 of them ... "that's rude!" ... sorry I wasn't more clear ... happens to old people ... so no one misunderstands that, I'm 60! ... Ken

Gald to see 1 more older than me!
Oh and welcome to TN..