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MR2 Spyder

I had a dark blue 2002 model for a year or so, loved it but it was my everyday car and was eventually obliged to switch back to to a more practical car. Great car though and bags of fun, mine only cost me about £1700 maybe 5 years ago in great nick, fsh and 80k on the clock. If I'd had a garage I'd have kept it as a second car. Sold it on to a police officer iirc, who also loved it.
Only issue I had was with the aforementioned hood on which the fabric was getting a bit stiff especially in cooler temps so you had to be careful raising and lowering it (I re-repaired a previous tiny hole with a bike puncture repair patch), but aside from that it was perfect and driving it always put a smile on my face.
 
stevec67 said:
Great little cars, I think the biggest disadvantage is that they have luggage space for a briefcase or some shopping, but not both.
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It's not that bad really. I have fitted luggage and don't have the spare in the frunk. I also have a rack if I need it.

They are great cars. It's a pity Toyota dropped them as they could have become so much more.

According to this book, Porsche asked Toyota to show them how to make reliable cars. That's probably why the Boxster and MR-2 have a lot of design in common.

Mine is now 18 years old. I had to replace the subframe this year and got a new hood, but otherwise it's been brilliant (touch wood).

You have to work to make it go, but it's fun when you do.

Stephen
 
A rack probably helps a good deal if you plan to take any kit. Without it, a weekend away with Mrs SC would be an impossibility, fitted luggage or no. It's one reason why I sold the MX5.
 
robs said:
@richardg - we need photos or it didn't happen!! ;)
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Here she is, booked in for a thousand quid repsray, the exterior shows a 20 year old car thast has never been garaged or cleaned properly, the interior shows a 2 year old car, supporting the 39,000 miles on the clock.

The hood also looks new as it spent most of its life with the hard top on, already sold separately, alas.
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stephen bennett said:
According to this book, Porsche asked Toyota to show them how to make reliable cars. That's probably why the Boxster and MR-2 have a lot of design in common.
Stephen
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I worked many years for the Swedish auto industry. In the 1990's they where more or less obsessed with emulating Japanese production standards and with good results. There where people visiting factories in Japan to check how they where doing things, coming home with lot's of ideas.
 
RJohan said:
I worked many years for the Swedish auto industry. In the 1990's they where more or less obsessed with emulating Japanese production standards and with good results. There where people visiting factories in Japan to check how they where doing things, coming home with lot's of ideas.
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Not just the 90's, and not just cars. The "Toyota Way" is still well used, and still gets good results in my industry (food). The only objection I have is the way that in the UK the Japanese terms are used as a jargon, as a means of demonstrating how clever you are. "Oh, we're going on a Genchi Gembutsu". A what? We're going to go and walk around that bit of the factory and have a good look at it. Oh, right. Listen. I'm not Japanese. Nor are you. This is not a Japanese company, we have no factories in Japan. Neither of us speaks Japanese. Nobody else here does. There is a perfectly adequate English phrase for "go and have a look", it is, funnily enough, "go and have a look". So if that's what we mean, let's call it "going to have a look" and not some Japanese words that nobody here understands.
 
stevec67 said:
Not just the 90's, and not just cars. The "Toyota Way" is still well used, and still gets good results in my industry (food). The only objection I have is the way that in the UK the Japanese terms are used as a jargon, as a means of demonstrating how clever you are. "Oh, we're going on a Genchi Gembutsu". A what? We're going to go and walk around that bit of the factory and have a good look at it. Oh, right. Listen. I'm not Japanese. Nor are you. This is not a Japanese company, we have no factories in Japan. Neither of us speaks Japanese. Nobody else here does. There is a perfectly adequate English phrase for "go and have a look", it is, funnily enough, "go and have a look". So if that's what we mean, let's call it "going to have a look" and not some Japanese words that nobody here understands.
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That's pretty funny. Having worked for a US company for most of my working life I have got a bit immunised to the corporate BS, it always amuses me after a new word appears in the lexicon, usually from the CEO, he got it from some consultant - usually Mckinsey - then once the CEO utters it it speads like a plague. My rule of thimb is the more clueless you are, the more jargon you use: It has served me well for 36 years here now.
 
RJohan said:
I worked many years for the Swedish auto industry. In the 1990's they where more or less obsessed with emulating Japanese production standards and with good results. There where people visiting factories in Japan to check how they where doing things, coming home with lot's of ideas.
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I loved my Saab's, my wife still complains that she can't get a new one. My first was a 1975 99 EMS, properly bult car with side impact and crumple zones way before Merc and like started.
 
cutting42 said:
I loved my Saab's, my wife still complains that she can't get a new one. My first was a 1975 99 EMS, properly bult car with side impact and crumple zones way before Merc and like started.
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I had the last of the pre-GM models, a 9000 Aero. Awesome car - huge turbo lag and torque steer. Fun.

Sadly all of the later models, 9-3 and 9-5 were s**t. Unlike the early cars which were built to last, they were built to a budget. The day I knew I had gone wrong buying the 9-3 was when I lifted the collar to put it into reverse and the whole gearknob came off. The last 9-5s looked really good and it looked like Saab had got its mojo back, only to go t*ts up.
 
Mk3 MR2’s are great and agree they are amazing value. Bought Mrs Tutu one a few years ago. Luggage is a bit compromised but there is space under the bonnet too.

I had a Saab 9000 Aero with significant modifications. A brute of a thing but very dated in terms of refinement, ride quality and handling.Gearbox rubbish and made of cheese too.
 
cutting42 said:
I loved my Saab's, my wife still complains that she can't get a new one. My first was a 1975 99 EMS, properly bult car with side impact and crumple zones way before Merc and like started.
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Actually, it was Volvo I worked for. Never had one, though, it became a bit of a principal not to have one ;) I've had three SAAB's, one original 900 and two 9000, one of them a Turbo, described already by Seeker_UK. Finished it of with an Opel 900, which wasn't a SAAB.

About production standards: From a reliable source I heard that in the SAAB's factory in Trollhättan the workers where NOT allowed to sit in the cars during the coffee breaks. They did anyway, preferably the ones with leather seats. Some even finished the break by pushing up what was left of the sandwiches under the upholstery! The ones made in Finland, btw, was much better assembled.
 
robs said:
Yes, the MGF (and others!) has a bit of a reputation for trouble, but touch wood, mine has been rock solid so far. Doesn't do many miles though, unfortunately.
This thing just pulled up on the drive opposite - proper luvverly...
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A little over budget though ..!
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Is it a real one or a kit?
 
Seeker_UK said:
I had the last of the pre-GM models, a 9000 Aero. Awesome car - huge turbo lag and torque steer. Fun.

Sadly all of the later models, 9-3 and 9-5 were s**t. Unlike the early cars which were built to last, they were built to a budget. The day I knew I had gone wrong buying the 9-3 was when I lifted the collar to put it into reverse and the whole gearknob came off. The last 9-5s looked really good and it looked like Saab had got its mojo back, only to go t*ts up.
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Those 9000 Aero's were great, I had 3 pre GM 900's ending with an APC 16v turbo. I then had a post GM 900 (fairly horrid) then a 9-3 which I did not have much problem with, it was a 9-3 Aero which with a few mods from Abbott was a great and fast car and still different enough to appeal but it could not really hide its Vectra underpinings. I nearly got an Abbott tweaked Viggen but chickened out and have always regretted it.
 
robs said:
Answered that a couple of posts below the pic - checked the plate and it's a Pilgrim Speedster kit. Still lovely!
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Good, if it were an original I'd decry it for being over-restored.

As a replica, it looks good enough to make me ask...
 
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