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Mk I Toyota MR2

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Baz

Baz

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Opinions sought..... Thanks in advance.

Some may know I've been autocrossing my Midget, but all I've really succeeded in doing, is making an old car older, very quickly.

I came across a Mk I MR2 tonight, has a blown motor, but solid everywhere else. I perked an interest because it has the 4A-GE motor in which is desireable for spridgets....anyway, I digress, does anyone have any thoughts on what this car, in stock form, would be like as an autocrosser?
This way I can spare the Midget the indignity of trying to keep up with S2000's and keep my motorsports fix alive!

Any thoughts, good or bad, and past owner notes are absolutely welcome.....
 
It's a good car for autocross and there's plenty of Corollas (or GEO Prizms) out there that can donate a motor to it.

The first generation Mister 2s are light and simple and the mid-engine makes them great for cone racing. I'm not so crazy about them as road cars or even wheel-to-wheel racing, but they are good autocross cars (thanks to all that "low polar moment of inertia" business).

A lot of them are rust buckets (I declined a free, running one last year because it was too rusty), but if it is solid, I'd say take it.

The really cool ones have the rare, supercharger with the electro-clutch....but the normal version would be good too.
 
Thanks Nial, not a Supercharged sadly, pretty standard 1.6 DOHC. I'll go look at it tomorrow and see if it's even worth it to do anything, on or off road with it.
This too will be a freebie.
The physics is something I'll have to get used to on the course but it still has to be better than FWD.
If I like it, I will let the BGT go and strip this thing.
 
I agree with Nial. Older MR2 are great handling little buggies.
one of the biggest headaches you'll ever have with it will be bleeding the cooling system. That little process is a nightmare.
Other than that, they're pretty straight forward.
While the supercharger and electro-clutch are cool (and by the way, never offered togeather), they're added cost and complexity to a low budget racer. Personally I never liked the electric clutch cars. that's just weird to me.
the sequential 5 and 6 speed transmissions (electro clutch)were offered in 2002-03 only
but look for a 91-95 MR2 with an "E153" transaxle, as it'll be equipped with a viscous style limited slip diff.
Have fun!
 
The only one I've ever driven was on a road course, and while it was slow, it did rotate through the turns nicely.
In that respect it reminded me of a Fiero.
Jeff
 
Back when they were current, we had an autocross session coming up and my “regular” car wasn’t ready for it. As it turned out the local Budget had MR2’s for rent. Best two-day investment I’ve ever made.

It was a blast in the cones. Turned in pretty decent times too. It was particularly gratifying that my little renta-racer was consistently “quicker” than the guy with the big-block repliCobra.


PC.
 
The steering feels "twitchy" when compared to my LBC's and it doesn't like to be lugged. I am always urging the wife to keep the revs up and not go into third while driving at 25mph. OK to work on. Not as easy as LBC's, it took me two weeks to replace the fuel pump last month on the wife's mk1 mr2. My problem is that everything is crammed so close together that I am always giving it a blood sacrifice whenever I do anything to it.
 
I drove one with a "silver top" 20 valve 4AGE swapped - 170hp or so. What a great combination. The engines are imported cheap from Japan and a reasonably easy swap.
 
Thanks for all the comments....
It's junk.
Closer inspection revealed the skeletal remains of several unknown quadrapedal rodents in various locations....driver and passenger seat, radiator hose, gas tank. The gas tank. I don't even want to pretend that I can describe the stench that came from that.
Freebie or not, that endeavour is over.
However....
I am encouraged by positive posts about them here and elsewhere, and I do think that one may be in my future. Just not that one.
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