Aerial help

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

Hoping for some advice. I've just picked up my mr2 - so excited. It's a 2002 silver one, red interior - believe it's the facelift model as it has 6 gears. Great little car, except the previous owner had accidentally snapped off the aerial when he was washing it.

So I need to replace it... I'm not worried about an electric one - happy with a little 'stubby one' - seen a few photos of some and they look quite good. Can anyone help with what's best to get - and a rough guide on how to fit it. I was looking at little screw in 'bee sting' ones from halfords. Or some forums I've read are saying something about wiring an aerials in underneath the wheel arch or something... I wouldn't be able to do that but will bribe the boyfriend to help!

So what's best to get if anyone has already done this - how to fit. All advice much appreciated.  s:) s:)  

Thanks!!!!!!

Ps - please pray with me for a sunny day so I can get the top down soon!

[onion86]

Hi Abby, welcome to the club.

Have a read of this, should answer your questions  l viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34541 l

There's info on stubby aerials in there, but they don't get great reception. If you're going to be listening to the radio a lot I would try to get a fully working stock one from a breaker which should be cheap. Hopefully the mechanicals bits inside what's left of yours are still working then it should be easy enough to replace.

[AckersMR2]

If you've got 6 gears then safe bet it's a facelift (unless the previous owner switched the box?) other quick tell tale signs, front fog lights, holes in your headrests, projector headlights with chrome surrounds, body coloured side air intakes and round rear indicators and reverse lights in the rear clusters  s;) s;)

As for the aerial, do you listen to the radio at all? I don't think those bee sting things are great for reception? Have a go with the search button and see what comes up, some wire the useless passenger window disable switch up to the aerial to stop it rising when listening to CDs/mp3 (helps make the car look less like a radio controlled toy  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  )
Heres a link to a guide to dismantling the stock aerial
http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=30031

Other than that, hit the search button or browse over the stickies and how to guides at the top of the sections, most things are covered there  s;) s;)

[Anonymous]

Yeh I've got body coloured side intakes so pretty sure it is. The thing that confused me was it said the facelift version were 03 onwards - the car was registered in Dec 02 - so probably one of the first ones of the facelift. It's still on autotrader  - link below.

Yeh I had already seen the post with all those pictures and it scared the life out of me tbh. Knowing me I'd get it all apart - put it back together and end up with spare parts still on the ground that I wouldn't remember where they came from!! Hence the boyfriend will have to do it!  s;) s;)

I do use the radio a lot - but I didn't like the look of the big massive stock one that I saw on some photos on google. So really I was wondering - is there a decent quality slightly smaller manual one - that fits nicely if you were to fully remove the stock aerial. Has anyone done this and had success and could recommend a make and model.

ps - I get the hint about searching the forums  s:) s:)

 m http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p m

[AckersMR2]

Yep that's a facelift, I think they were introduced in late 02 but I guess being the time of year and type if car not many were sold until march 03 so thats why there aren't many around. Nice looking car there though sounds like you've done alright it certainly ticks all the right boxes with service history etc  s:) s:)
Sorry about the search hints it's just some can be a bit brash about asking common questions without searching first. I can't find the thread but there was a recent topic about those stick on windscreen type aerials that someone mounted out of sight, you could try searching for that  s;) s;)

[onion86]

Whilst you're doing your search you might want to read up on 'ears' too as from the autotrader photo you have them  s;) s;)

As Ackers said, a lot of facelifts are around on a 52 plate as they were late 02.

Here is the thread on the interior aerials  l viewtopic.php?f=31&t=38516 l

[Steve Green]

To repeat what has already been said, http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=30031 is the process to follow.
Even if you are going to swap the antenna for a Bee Sting or a Stubby, you will still have to get the old one out and it whould seem silly to me to get rid of an otherwise functioning antenna when http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-MR2-MR-2-Electric-Aerial-Mast-Antenna-Antennen-/400308186104?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5d343a2bf8 (Part No needs checking to be sure) will sort the problem.

[Anonymous]

Cool - ok I'll take it from there and give it a go. Thanks for all the advice.

I did just have a near heart attack. Went to show off my car to one of my colleagues, pulled back the hood and there's loads of water collected on the drivers side behind the storage areas (not in the cabin but down the side of the hood). I nearly cried. Searching on here - now realise it's meant to do that and the drains need clearing. big phew!!!!

[Steve Green]

Ahh the power of the search engine.

If you are at all unsure of fixings etc when you take out the antenna, take lots of photos as you go along.