What To Buy

August 2, 2005

Hi all,

My boss keeps nicking my yaris tsport but I have got him hooked now on wanting a MR2 MK 2.

If he goes and looks at some, what are the little niggly problems to look for?

Also,is there any problems if its an import.

Any tips or hints would be much appreciated.

Cheers,Biff :thumbsup:

August 2, 2005

Most issues are going to be down to personal preferences.

Some say imports harder to insure. However, all tubbies are imports, so if you want a turbo then you have no choice but to buy an import. There's an argument that imports often better condition anyway because they haven't had to put up with the UK weather all their lives. Imports usually don't have full Toyota service history though.

I drove a UK n/a and was very happy with the performance, but most on here would find that a bit on the slow side.

Next major decision is TBar or not. For me, a major factor was that I was missing my previous convertible so TBar was the only choice. Others avoid them like the plague 'cos they're heavier, flex slightly more, and some of them leak. IMHO TBars are great cars - it takes a bit longer to put on and take off than most convertible hoods, but you get to take the roof off, and when the roof is on you still get loads of light into the car, which you don't get with a regular convertible. I'm biased on this though.

If he does want a TBar then he should try to find one that doesn't leak. There are well publicised fixes for leaking roofs, though I've fortunately not had to try them myself.

There's a pretty good book on MR2s by Veloce . Its buying guide relates to Mk1s but some of the advice it offers will be relevant to the Mk2

Check the body panels

Check the clutch isn't slipping - replacement's a big job.

Check the exhaust

Check the cam belt has been replaced at appropriate times.

etc, etc,

Pay a premium for a good one rather than have to spend a fortune fixing up a knackered one.

It also says early cars becoming more valuable.

Boot space on the Mk2 is fantastic by the way. I used to have a Boxster and that was pretty good for space, but you can only get golf clubs in if you buy the Porsche golf bag at god knows how many hundreds of pounds. And I've always fancied the Mk3 MR2 which is a fantastic car apart from its limited boot space. But with the Mk2 I can get a full set of golf clubs, large golf bag and a fold up trolly in the rear boot - no problems at all.

Hope that helps.

Regards, Tony

August 2, 2005

So how much does your boss want to spend?

There are plenty knocking about on auto trader. But if he wants to import one then thats no trouble at all. You have just got to find a well recommended car importer to take on the job for you like i did.

If he wants a good one it's always good to shop about before buying one. And i can recommend a nice Caribbean blue mr2 turbo for sale. Fizz has got a lovely motor up for grabs :thumbsup:

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...opic=39225&st=0

jerry!!