First Mr2

[number10]

Hi ive just joined your owners club im technically not a owner yet but will be in the very near future when the right car comes available. i basically will be driving shortly and have been pondering on what car to buy. i basically wanted something reliable, easy to work with and to give me practice on working on cars (as i am aspiring to become a mechanic and hopefully further up in the motorsport industry) , and cheap to insure. my dad had an idea of getting an mr2 mk1 as it has only 2 seats which the insurers love because theres no room for misbehaving friends. i also think it looks gorgeous standard (with only realy needing to change the rims) which is important to me as i go on through college and so on. i just wanted to know because i am unsure due to different types dependong on the year whether the mr2 mk1 has ABS and remote locking. also are there any magazines dedicated to it that are fairly easy to find in the shops (ive seen similar mags such as performanceford for ford's but nothing so far for toyotas) any help will be appreciated thanks

[cfc1]

There is a mag available... but not in the shops... have a look at www.mr2only.com

Can't help with the specs though.. but I'm sure a man (or a woman) who can will be along soon

[T600]

Welcome.

I'd not considered the insurance benefits of the MR2 only having two seats before; it figures I guess.

However, it's a mid-engined car that's very rewarding to drive, but can be a liability in the wrong hands. Unlike a FWD they're not very forgiving if you push them too far.

I wouldn't want to put you off, and don't actually know what group the Mk1 is. Just saying take it easy, especially in poor conditions where it's so very easy to lose the back end on these cars.

[JappyBeast]

just dont put your foot down on a wet corner or roundabout..!

Didnt know that the amount of seats made a difference, my dads Toyota Previa has cheap insurance and that is mid engined too, most high risk cars are only 2 seaters!

[Flat Pack]

None of them have ABS and only the later cars have central locking (even then its not remote). Expect you'll want an aftermarket alarm anyway which should sort out the remote locking :)

Mechanics are relatively simple, but the mid engined layout means access can be awkward!

[Boro Sera]

proper car though. I love them !

[The Tvis Kid]

I think they are group 12 or 13 insurance. Only mk1b (86 onwards) have central locking from the key as already said. They make great daily drivers or track cars . IMO i would get a t-bar, ok its not quite as rigid as the sunroof one but gives you so many more smiles per miles in the summer months. The engne is suprisingly easy to work on and pretty bullet proof its just rust you need to look out for. Also don't be putoff by one thats had bodywork done as long as the arches have been repaired properly they will last a longtime.

As a first car (i don't know your age) it will be quite expense to insure and RWD WILL catch you out at some point but saying that the cars handling and response is amazing for a 25yr old car and it gives you plenty of feed back through the wheel. I've never lost the back in the dry, my bottle always runs out before the grip and you just need to be sensible in the wet.

[Jimlad]

ABS... who needs ABS!! :)

Working on any mr2 can be a little tricky due to the space, or lack of, in the engine bay.

[JappyBeast]

My Mk2 doesnt even have ABS!.. thank god for power steering tho!

[Steve-O 2006]

and cheap to insure. my dad had an idea of getting an mr2 mk1 as it has only 2 seats which the insurers love because theres no room for misbehaving friends.

Insurance companies dont realy work that way, 2 seater cars are usually more to insure as they are classed as a sports car. Might be best checking the insurance first before buying one as when I was 19 hardly anywhere would insure me on a NA untill I was 20 and the ones that would wanted stupid amounts (£2,000+) then when I was 20 I got another quote for a NA and it went down to £1,100 area but then I decided I wanted a Turbo which most places wont insure me on untill 21 and again the ones that would wanted £2,000 - £5,000. So now Im waiting untill Im 21 where I can Insure a Turbo for £1,000 :D (FFS thats still alot of money when you think of it just being for insurance :o :o :P) . Oh but I was getting quotes for a Mk2 so the Mk1 might be different so best to check first.

Anyway, 3 months and 10 days to go untill I have my MR2!!!! :D Ive been a member on here since 9/07/2006 waiting for my MR2 :P :)

[number10]

Ok thanks for help my dad did a quote the other day as me as a named driver on his policy 3rd party fire and theft and found 1200 quid thru 3 or 4 different insurers so i don't what you make of that as my cousins 1.1 500 quids worth of corsa was 1500 under the same type of policy. might be worth noting for any other people in the same position as me.

[JappyBeast]

Go for it, I would have loved a Mk1 MR2 as my first car... classic project and its a good way to get used to mid engined RWD cars.

My first ever car was a classic 850cc Mini (Group 1)

[Steve-O 2006]

Ok thanks for help my dad did a quote the other day as me as a named driver on his policy 3rd party fire and theft and found 1200 quid thru 3 or 4 different insurers so i don't what you make of that as my cousins 1.1 500 quids worth of corsa was 1500 under the same type of policy. might be worth noting for any other people in the same position as me.

nice. I found that as well when getting insured on the Mercedes 190E I drive now, £1400 for a little 1.1s metro or £900 for a 1.8 Merc 190E, I went with the Merc :) (or when I was on my mums insurance when I just passed, £1,500 to insure a 1.1 Metro or £1,000 to insure the 2.7 TDi Ford Maverick we had) :D

When I was getting quotes it was on my own insurance so I could make my own no claims up.

Oh one more thing, try adding your Mum to the quote as well as that will knock a lot off the price. I saved about £500 - £600 for just adding my Mum as a named driver!!!! Could someone tell me how the hell they worked that one out!!! LOL :lol:

[System~G]

Sorry I've missed this thread...

I've not read all posts here, but sugest you get your butt over to www.mr2mk1club.com - there is no place offering a single source of info as contained on their site. The site is currently messy and difficult to navigate, but has been redesigned and will be launching soon. The MK1 Club also has a quarterly members magazine that goes out. MR2 Only is also good for bedtime reading (I contribute to both).

I wouldn't let the layout put you off being MR. My first car was a Corolla Sprinter (known in the UK as a AE86) which is now seen as an icon in the drift scene. I got used to RWD whilst still being a learner and have never felt comfortable in something FWD.

The MK1 MR2 never had ABS - it's not needed IMO. Just make sure the brakes are fully serviced and you use decent pads suitable for how you use the car. Also make sure you have fairly decent rubber on the wheels that won't provoke premature locking up or the back end to step out.

Insurance isn't a killer - I pay less than £160 fully comp on my track car with all mods declared and a total of 9 points between myself and partner - it's on a classic limited mile policy. Our Supercharger costs us a little more than £350 fully comp. The show car is currently on "laid-up cover which costs less than £80 a year - it only comes out in summer for shows.

But as a first car with no insurance history - expect to pay what youre mates will pay on a small hatch back.

Any other questions - give us a yell

[jai2766]

defo be careful with insurance, i paid £1800 when i was 17 fully comp on a 1.1 r100, each year it went down and down now im 22 im paying £450 fully comp for my rev3 turbo with all mods inc, btw use web search engines to get a price, then phone the best priced ones and play them off against each other i dropped mine by £100 on this car by doing that and got more included in the policy all within about 3 calls ;)

J