Hi Guys,
I am looking at buying a MR2 Mk2. Have already decided that a 1994+ is a safer option, But i'm still looking for tips and suggestions as to what to look for when buying. I'm only 20 so don't want a turbo or one that has been mod-ed just yet. might start to do that myself when i not so scared of the insurance company. actually one that has caught my eye is on carzone at: www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/MR2/2.0-GTi.../advert?channel=CARS
any thoughts on it?
any help would be awesome thanks!

Welcome to the club Rob, your the 200th Member!, I can tell you a few things to look out for but dont be put off as they are the usual problems,

Look to see the fog lights working, you have to take out the whole fog light to change a bulb but the original screws that toyota used seize and they can often have to be drilled out so if they arnt working make sur ethe dealer changes the bulbs for you,

The electric Aerial always seems to go after about 15 yrs, costs about € 40 for a new one.

If your getting a T-Bar ask if theres any leaks

Have a look under the engine for signs of oil

Just do your usual checks aswell, rust, tyres, make sure all electrics are working including radio, make sure you get a warranty,

Also do a check on Motorcheck.ie, I was going to buy a car and found out that it had financed owed on it!!

I'd recommend you look at as many MR2's as possible to see what you can get for your money, the more cars you look at and try out the more you'll notice differences in Steering, suspension etc etc Dont just buy the 1st one you go to see, Its a buyers market so take your time and get the best possble car you can for as little money as you can. long NCt is always great to have aswell.

I'm sure the lads will be able to give you alot more things to look & listen for when you start to view

I've been watching that black MR2 for a while also. The price has gone down and that looks like a good deal.
As the member above mentioned check for everything you possibly can, they might think you are annoying but that is for your own good. Because if later on you have problems you will be the one paying you know?
-T Tops you must always check
-Grab on the seats and shake them around to see if the rails are rusty and the seats are tightly fitted...I had that issue before.
-Make sure all the power windows work smoothly
-The headlights and fog lights should be checked
-Check if the keys open all the possible locks the car has, such as glove compartment, trunk, the boxes behind the seats and the t tops as well.
-Check the engine compression and for any possible oil leak.
-Drive around a quiet location with the radio off so you listen to the suspension and any unusual noises.

Hope this helps and welcome to the club. MR2s are a lot of fun!

If its near the 60k miles / 100k kms mark, try get one that already has the timing belt done. Labour charge on a timing belt cange will be relatively high.

stay away from english ones and most turbo non turbo on log book. (ie mine all plates and serial no.s match just thats way it was cleared went to cops bout it and said you have to go by the log book as its legal document)
check for oil very good advice, dont go cheap (usually bag of shit) bout mine cheap and now standing me 8500 and only hav 11 months. def worth bringin someone who knows mr2s with ya, but have to say even after spending all the money and gettin it back to normal I BLOODY LOVE IT!!

Yeah, what they said!

I was looking at that one back in November, but wanted a turbo. It was up over 3,500 euro, so its dropped a bit. I think its a UK car, as im sure only the UK spec had sunroofs, T-Bar is a Jap thing. Therefore, check like a mad bastard for rust. You may or may not know, but in the UK, they grit the roads with salt and anyone I know that ever bought a UK car, including me, and not just MR2's, BM's, Mercs, everything, we have all had rust problems. AND, they are not always obvious at first, but can grow. Rust is car cancer. Check around the arches and as much of underneath as possible. He is a dealer so wont mind you being really fussy and looking at everything. A punter would be pissed off in a few mins, but get the dealer to throw it up on his ramp or at least a trolley jack and have a good poke underneath. If you see rust. Pull up your socks and run. Keep looking. I looked at 6 in a week before I settled on mine. You will find the right car, you will know when you get that feeling in your stomach and you have a face like the joker, but hide the excitement. No matter how nice a car is, always look like you are not bothered. If you look eager, they wont move on the price. Point out every little thing thats wrong with the car, no matter how menial, and make out like you have to spend money to get it right, and because of all of this, you are only willing to pay X price and walk away. If its any way reasonable and he wants to sell, he wont let you walk without trying to do a deal.

Try to get as much history as possible. He should have the UK history. See when oil /filter, timing belt, plugs etc have all been done. If shes clean enough and everything works, offer him 2K and ask for a tank of juice. Dont be afraid to walk away, market is fucked and there are loads of cars out there at the moment. He has been selling that for ages and desperate to clear for a few quid. Haggle like a Turk.

If you really want someone with MR2 experience to go with you, someone here will, I will myself if time/location suits, no bother. Some little issues are not a problem, easy to fix and not to costly. You will get plenty of help/advice here.

Welcome aboard mr 200 and good luck with the insurance mortgage. Might be painful at 20.

That looks a tidy car, +1 on what the lads said.

Now for the long winded reply, in the length of time it took to type some of the lads may have already mentioned a lot of this stuff.

As the clocks are MPH I would think its a English import, therefore prone to rust problems, check:

Condition of drop links, the link bar between the ARB and the suspension strut, any knocking noises etc,
Leaking exhaust.
Rust on the underside of the doors.
Rust on the sills.
Rust on the jacking seam.
Bubbling on the paint work along the bottom of the car.

A lot of rust remarks I know but, I just don't like the idea of cars run for a long time in England. The SW20 is not prone to rust but the English ones I have seen are riddled with it.

Check for knocking on the suspension strut top mounts.

Check inside oil filler cap for any emulsion.

Check all fluid levels and quality.

Check for wear on the brake discs, i.e. if there is an excessive lip on the outside diameter of the disc. Get the garage to replace them.

Start the car from completely cold and listen for any knocking sounds in the engine, Also be on the listen for this when taking off at junctions at slow speed; high engine load moments.

Check exhaust, no blue smoke or black/brown smoke on start up or when revving or driving.

Take the car for a spin, watch the temp needle, once up to operating temperature turn on the heat full blast, if the gauge drops rapidly almost to the bottom then the heater core was probably not vented correctly. This could be due to frontal damage or a previously blown engine. The SW20 is very hard to bleed air out of and some people give up to the cars detriment.

Drive the car for a couple of miles then get out and with the back of your hand check the temperature of the rims in the centre, MR2's are fond of seizing brake callipers when they haven’t been used all the time. If any of the rims are hotter than other it will probably be this issue. Easy fix for the garage as well.

During the test drive, get the car above 4500 rpm and try gear changes 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 2nd, 3rd to fourth, fourth to third. As some gearbox oils can cause issues with the synchro's on Toyota g/boxes and people don't know about it when they change it.

When test driving the car and it is at proper temperature and it is safe to do so, drive the engine to the red line you should notice the following if you are watching for them.

At 4500 ACIS comes on, basically a shorter inlet tract to the inlet valve and thus upping the engine output.
At 5500 you may notice another increase up to the rev limit, of circa 7200rpm. These tests are purely to make sure the induction and fuelling are working ok. Be wary doing these tests as the car will be above the speed limit quicker than you think.

As a norm I would ask them to do the following work as part of the purchase.
Full service using Toyota parts.
New brake pads.
New brake fluid flushed thru the system.
Change the timing belt or open the cover to allow a mechanic you know to check the condition of the belt, should be change around 70k miles.
Change the gearbox oil.

Now that I have scared you out of buying a MR2, welcome to the club #200, looking forward to seeing what you purchase.

Thanks for all the help guys. I Think i plan on going to look at a few different cars this saturday. have a little rout planned out all over the country too look at a few. will certainly take all your advise with me. one more question tho, is there any limit to the mileage you would accept? like if i find a nice one that seems to run well but is 150k+ miles on the clock am i just buying a car that will constantly be in to see my mechanic?


by the way really impressed with the speed and quality of the responses you guys rock!

Plenty of experience with two's om this site indeed.

Post up the list of towns your going to look at them in and we will see if anybody wants to come look with you in each town. That would be a great intro to the club.

Have you driven one before or will your test drive be the first time and where are you based.

based in ennis co clare. thanks for the offer but I have my old man coming with me and plan meet a friend from meath who knows a thing or two! it'll be my first time driving one but dont worry i won't just get excited and buy the first one... i think

well im from shannon bud if ya need anything

You should take advantage you are in Ireland and look for a low mileage MR2. In the US the one I had had over 130k miles, which is quite common there. I ended up doing a Turbo swap the the new engine made it feel like a newer car...but look for a car with low mileage and the proper maintenance done. Good luck!

Any update on the purchase yet.

Yup bought the one i was looking at originally. mechanically it is very sweet. paintwork needs some love and the front bumber has a fairly serious mark where it is obvious the last owner hit a curb. spoiler has a bit of paint flaking, cant imagine what causes it. but will be a while before i buyin insurance so have time to get the little things working. inside is very nice. happy with my purchase. 2.1k not bad.
_KUNENA_BBCODE_HIDEIMG

images on the mr2dotie photobucket thing

Thats a nice motor welcome to the club

Very Nice, looks nice & original

Looks good, well may she wear.

Good stuff, another black 2, best of luck with it