Looking to buy an MR2 MK1!

[gggelo]

hey guys! i'm new to mr2 mk1 scene so please bear with me

i'm looking to buy the first gen of an mr2! but i need some help as to what i should look for and some general guidance..

what should my price range be like?

i'd really love to get a 1989 supercharged model but my mind's still open besides the difference in looks are there like huge differences between the models? like should i stray away from a specific year cause of electrical problems are common then? or if i wanted to upgrade certain parts for certain years are hard to come by / not worth the money in regards to performance gains?

what are some things i should be careful for?

like rust is common here and here but if it's under there that's an automatic do not buy. or struts are broken so car is cheap but to replace struts is the same as just buying a better car over all!

any noises that shouldn't worry me?

i watched this show that fixed up an mr2, they said that the alternator bearings usually gave out cause water drops down on em and ruins them, quick repair but frightening to some sellers/buyers?

thanks lots

[not12listen]

88 or 89 SuperCharged Mr2s go for a premium price, depending on condition of course. the engine bay is very cramped as well.

you saw Wheel Dealer. and yes, the alternator bearings can make some noise, if you live rainy area. and being that you're in canada, i'm guessing that they salt the roads during the winter.

with an SC setup, the alternator is on the opposite of the engine (intake vs exhaust), so that will probably NOT be a concern if you go SC.

with a canadian homed Mr2, i would expect to find some rust spots inside the wheel arches, and inspecting under the body would not hurt either.

87-89 Mr2s use the same rear suspension and have larger brakes than the 85-86. all Mr2s 85-89 use the same front suspension, but the 87-89 got a really neat air duct channel for the front brakes.

85-86 have the hand brake on the left side of the center tunnel, whereas the 87-89 have it on the right side of the center tunnel.

87-89 have a more aggressive front chin spoiler than the 85-86.

the 87-89 also USUALLY have the stronger/heavier 7-rib block denoting the upgraded internals (ie. floating versus press fit wrist pins and larger journals on both ends of the connecting rods) - the drawback of the 7-rib is that it revs up a bit slower than the earlier 3-rib versions. but, the 7-rib is stronger and can take more punishment overall.

uh... i'll post more when it comes to mind. this is all i got off the top of my head at the moment.

this is a photo of a 3-rib 4age.


this is a photo of a 7-rib 4age block.

[gggelo]

much thanks listen! it sounds as if the 85 and 86s are very similar to the later models, would all the exterior parts be the same? like 85 fender is the same as 88 fender?

guessing that since the alternators in a different place if I found a non supercharged version I can't just slap on a super charger. would the acceptability of new engines be the same throughout the whole mk1 line?

since I live on the west coast were not as snow burdened here compared to our eastern counterparts, it does rain quite a bit thoigh so the alternator tip may come in handy.

how much of a premium would I be looking at? There seems to be alot of 85-86 here but not too many 87-89 is the t roof that desirable? I can find them from 1000 to 5000 that's mint condition, I don't know how much I should be expecting to spend at what condition, a ballpark figure would be fantastic.

thanks again!

[not12listen]

exterior parts should all match up, except the front chin spoiler - that needs a bit of customizing to get it to fit properly.

t-tops leak - that's all there is to it. hardtops are the rarest of all, and more desirable for racing. sunroofs, in my experience, do not leak and are very handy!

the 4age engines between 85-89 mr2s are all interchangeable. trying to put a 4agze into an 85-86 is a task as the side engine mounts are located in a different position... unsure if the 87-89 NA side engine mounts are located for the SC setup or not, so i cannot really comment on those.

88 SC's in california go for $4000 US and above, due to rarity and the 89 SC's go to for because of the LED wing. of course, the price is purely based on being in really good condition with minimal rust, etc.

85-86 Mr2's in decent condition (ie. needs a bit of attention) can be had for $1500 US.

[gggelo]

much much thanks listen! I'm gonna start looking out for a super charged 88-89 now! but also start reading up on engine swaps if I can't find one, I seem to hear alot about silver and black tops? and 3gste? much research still has to be done with those, but thanks to you I can start looking without being too clueless! thanks again!

[not12listen]

the silver and black top 4age are 20v instead of 16v. they do rev higher than the factory 16v 7500rpm redline. they both produce more HP than the 16v setup - torque specs are about the same overall.

the 20v setup pulls more consistently because of the VVTi setup, but because of the VVTi its a big of wrestling with it, to get it installed into the AW11. the reason for this is that the VVTi gear assembly hits (or comes close to) the chassis inside the engine bay.

overall, the 4agze is a better and faster (ie. torque) setup than the 20v setup for easy power. the 20v is more noteworthy, because it was never offered in the US. i do know that the 20v setup provides you with a nice wiring nightmare to deal with.

but, in the long run, if you are looking for 200+ hp, the 3sgte is the best place to start. the MK1.5 swap is becoming more and more common place, and there are shops that can pre-wire the entire setup for a fee. i do believe that there are also near complete write-ups of the process of doing the MK1.5 swap.