body looks good, front bumper needs a little TLC. if it only smokes on startup that isn't too bad I don't think... what color is the smoke? is it blue or dark grey, or is it white? sounds like either the car is running a little rich, or that there is excess oil in the cylindars (from cylindar wear or something else).

are you planning on keeping that engine or doing a swap?

 

The smoke is white. What does the white smoke mean?

Planning on keeping the engine for now...

Would replace hoses and belts right away... Maybe some new plugs and wires. Make it reliable first, then intake and exhaust.

 

How much white smoke? Do you smell something similar to french toast? If so, it could be a bit of coolant seeping into combustion chamber., As the engine heats up, expansion seals it. Could also be exhaust condensation if it is cold and damp. looks pretty nice

 

hmm... it could be a very small coolant leak, meaning a small leak in the head gasket. if that's the case it can be fixed with something commonly known as "liquid glass." you have to completely flush the coolant system though, and then fill it with water and then pour this liquid into the water, and run the car. the longer you run the car for (i.e. a day, a week, etc.) the better the seal will be. it works by leaking a little of the liquid into the head gasket leak, and when exposed to heat and air it solidifies. after that you just plush the cooling system again and put antifreeze back in. of course, all of this information will be useless if that's not the case.

 

Not sure. I did a warm start, and it smoked a little... I haven't started it cold yet.

Tomorrow I'm going to have the dealer take it to my mechanic. If it doesn't have major problems, then I'll take it.

I'll let you guys know what I do... Thanks for your help/suggestions.

How much white smoke? Do you smell something similar to french toast? If so, it could be a bit of coolant seeping into combustion chamber., As the engine heats up, expansion seals it. Could also be exhaust condensation if it is cold and damp. looks pretty nice

 

It's typical for that engine with that many miles to smoke on start up , then stop after engine has reached running temperature do to worn valve seals.As the engine heats up, the seals expand and seal better. Doesn't sound serious for the short term, but the seals will continue to deteriorate and eventually have to be replaced.
You didn't post any pics of the interior. Whats that like?
$2800.00 is a good price regardless. But be aware if you plan on modding the car, performance parts are few for that engine.

 

not too bad... i paid 4900 for mine... w/ 90k miles... it didn't smoke.

smoke during start up could be valve seals or piston rings... nothing to serious... have your mechanic do a compression check and cylinder leak down. aslong as it passes both those test any problem from there you can consider small. test drive it... run it hard... try to make it over heat.

those three things i'd consider it a buy

 

yes

The knight fall and MR2 BAD are correct. With this many miles on the car Valve Seals are a given. They are a cheap fix, and always a smile on my face when I see a worried seller. Good for a talkdown on the price.Rings are also a possibility, but I would bet on Valve Seals. The price for the car seems a bit low. And it is possible that u either found a terrific deal, or there is something odd about this one. I myself would do as The Knight Fall suggested, and do those 3 tests. The clutch should be fine, and even though u smelled something, Clutch smells like burning tires. And smoke should be a rarity in a bad clutch. If u test drive it, and do the 3 tests that The Knight Fall suggested, : if the clutch is going, u might feel as if the car is faster than it should be due to slipping of the clutch, and Place the car in 5th gear doing 30 - 40 mph, and floor it. This will tell u if the clutch is on it's last leg. It will slip badly, and u will probably not be making it back to the dealer.
Good luck, and welcome aboard.:whatwhat: :whatwhat:

 

A real easy test also is a vacuum gauge. Hook it up to one of the manifold vacuum ports, which are easy to get to on that engine. It should have a steady needle that is between
18-22 inches of vacum (on the gauge face). A fluttering needle, low vacuum, drifting needle, etc. will tell about valves, piston rings, vacuum leaks, etc. There is a chart that comes with the gauge ( a must have for your tool box) and in most repair manuals.

If the clutch slips (revs high without increasing car speed) in high gear it is on it's way out. If it holds it is OK. Check the brake rotors for grooving (quick look through rims)- they should be smooth. You can bet the T-top has leaked and shows signs under the carpet and perhaps on the side panels inside. If any oil is on the exhaust manifold it will make a burning smell and smoke.

Car looks good for the price. It should be real reliable. It seems like it was owned by a daily driver, since there are no performance mods. This is probably good.

Good move to have your mechanic check it out. If it's a dealer they'll probably take $2,500. I'd be willing to walk out and call back next day with a compromise offer if they don't come down to $2,500. Good chance they'll call you back before you get out of the parking lot.

Good luck. Welcome to the MR2 world. You'll love the car.

 

Well...

I bought the MR2. It's quick, but most of all, it's fun! Not as fast as my 89 Toyota Supra Turbo, but it's a really FUN car.

My mechanic said, "buy the car. It's a good car." Brakes and tires were good, no leaks, etc... But I don't think he did a compression test.

It started right up this morning, and I didn't even see any white smoke.

What intake do you guys recommend for a 91 N/A? I've seen a few cheap intakes on Ebay... Although, I know what you are going to say about cheap Ebay parts...

Also, let me know of any common problems with this year, and I'll check em' out.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

 

Congrats, welcome to the mkII world. Also check out mr2oc and mr2board for more in depth info and all of your problematic needs. The search function will be your best friend.

An intake will not really yield a lot of power for an NA, nor will an aftermarket exhaust muffler. It is mostly for sound and looks. However, I would say a good majority of owners have an aftermarket intake unit. I have a weapon R dragon intake, it sounds amazing, but the filter is not as good as other filters. K&N cone filter and Apexi are the most popular. APEXI has the better filter. Stay clear of ebay systems, they are shotily made. For the money, an aftermarket header yields the most wrHP/$. Ebay sells ssautochrome, hotshot, and maybe anoter brand that just popped up. Again be careful, a lot of mkII owners have had fitment issues with these and have had to have flanges resurfaces, welds reinforced, etc.

Problems: like mr2bad said, leaky valve stems are very common. Bad 2nd and 3rd gear synchros making difficult shifts and eventually trans crappin out are common for 91/92's. Oil leaks from distributer, valve cover, main seals, etc. Leaky ttops weatherstripping, radio antenna mast breaking. Water pump goes out eventually, mine went out at 65k miles. Oil pumps have been known to fail. All in all it's a pretty reliable car to say the least. The first thing you should do is replace the ignition wires, plugs, cap and rotor. Followed by taking a look at the suspenmsion components like struts, bearings, control arms, etc.

 

As vtsuckah said, K&N or Apexi filters(cone) are great! As far as the intake tube? Thats all it is - a tube. Just put on the filter. You won't really get any HP gains, but you will get better throttle response. But if you couple the less restrictive intake with a header you could see a a few more horses. But before you make ANY modifications, make sure the car,engine is in good shape. vt's suggestion for new ignition parts, wires, etc. is a good one.
Welcome to the MR2 world.

 

word yo welcome...

i got the HKS super duper mega flow intake... its soooooooooo cool... its sucks.... air....

 

..hey fellas.. just wonderin around... ive seen some mr2 with all the glass so super clear.. how do they do that??

 

Invisible Glass is a great product. Walmart has it in the auto section.


Opening the intake air flow (volume) without also opening the exhaust flow will burn up the catalytic converter and can cause you to fail emmissions if that applies in your state.

 

Invisible Glass is a great product. Walmart has it in the auto section.


Opening the intake air flow (volume) without also opening the exhaust flow will burn up the catalytic converter and can cause you to fail emmissions if that applies in your state.

yea... i used that and for the windsheild i use... its windex.... but a degreaser/cleaner version of windex... the label is yellow.... works like a pimp hand. but clean w/ microfiber towels... paper towels and most other things leave lil white fuzzies.

 

Opening the intake air flow (volume) without also opening the exhaust flow will burn up the catalytic converter and can cause you to fail emmissions if that applies in your state.

and what gave you that crazy idea?? where's the proof?

 

Congrats...I would've slapped you if you didn't buy it. Wow, its rare to see fog lights on a NA model. Good find.

 

Thanks...

Well. This is day 2, and it's still running well.

I'll probably put in new plugs/plug wires/hoses first. Mods later...

How much does a valve job run for this car? I still smell the burning smell, but I don't see any oil drips under the car.

Congrats...I would've slapped you if you didn't buy it. Wow, its rare to see fog lights on a NA model. Good find.

 

and what gave you that crazy idea?? where's the proof?

Never heard of that either. A mild mod like changing to a less restrictive air filter will not damage the cat.

 

Thanks...

Well. This is day 2, and it's still running well.

I'll probably put in new plugs/plug wires/hoses first. Mods later...

How much does a valve job run for this car? I still smell the burning smell, but I don't see any oil drips under the car.

What does it smell like? Does it smell kinda sweet ? Like coolant?

 

It's worth checking out the info. My 93 failed emissions although it's in great shape. The only mod it had when I bought it was the intake filter/tube. It should have passed with flying colors. The tech said "You probably already know this, but when ... it burns up the cat." He said he sees it all the time and that it is common knowledge with inspection techs. I watched the emissons readings and know they were high. He had no incentive to say it because there were no dollars to be made. That doesn't mean he was right, but that was my professional info source.

 

I have CAI on both my 2's. 5yrs on the Spyder and 3 yrs on the Turbo.. Cats are still fine. (Though I gutted the cat from the turbo last summer.) I don't know how "professional smog inspectors are. Don't they work for the state?

 

I've had my cai on for over 3 years now without a problem. My 91na only has 75k miles on it. Cat converters eventually go bad by themselves, even without having modifications. I think that guy was just feeding u a line.

 

As vtsuckah said, K&N or Apexi filters(cone) are great! As far as the intake tube? Thats all it is - a tube. Just put on the filter. You won't really get any HP gains, but you will get better throttle response. But if you couple the less restrictive intake with a header you could see a a few more horses. But before you make ANY modifications, make sure the car,engine is in good shape. vt's suggestion for new ignition parts, wires, etc. is a good one.
Welcome to the MR2 world.

actually a few modifications like intake and exhaust will actually be benefitial to an old engine, as long as it isn't pushed ( which is likely not the case). basically the engine has to do less work, so it will last you longer. you can't really go wrong with an intake if you don't get a short ram with an exposed filter.