New and not yet bought one...

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I've just joined and wanted to say hi.  I'm currently trying to read as much as I can here so that when I go and look at a car I'll be better armed. Have a limited budget of around £3000 and will hopefully be getting a hard-topped '2', but will all depend on what I can find, where and for how much.  My Dad bought an brand new Mk1 when they were just out and has had his current 2005 Roadster from new as well so I thought I'd make it a family tradition, albeit he lives in Tucson and I'm in the damp UK!!!

Anyway, will see what I can find and post when I get anywhere.  I'm pretty impatient to get my hands on one now that I've decided.

[mrzwei]

Hi, lots of good buy's on here in the for sale section but you need to check out the market price situation generally so do some research via the usual media to get a 'stake in the ground'.
Private sellers will probably expect more than the going market rate but if you buy on here you will probably get a more honest deal and if the seller is a time served member then you can search the history of that seller.
Good luck, it's a great little motor   s:D s:D

[K T M Rider]

Naturally you want to avoid an oval bored car, which is easier said than done on a limited budget.

My own car has all the signs of oval bore syndrome (500 miles per litre oil consumption). As I only sought out this excellent forum after purchase I was blissfully ignorant when I bought the car, putting blind faith in the Toyota badge. Thing is though, I don't regret my purchase for a moment  - these cars offer a fantastically satisfying ownership experience and I actually consider that in  4000 miles I've already had more than two grand's worth of fun out of the car, although obviously I'm hoping the motor is good for a few thousand more miles yet.

Ironically on my very limited budget, I reckon if I had read up on this forum first it would have put me off buying altogether. In summary I suppose I am saying that even if you get an oil drinker (then from my experience) you still won't regret your purchase, just be sure to fish out the precats straightaway (I waited 800 miles, but there was thankfully no signs of degradation) and if you cannot fully satisfy yourself of the engine's health prior to purchase, it is maybe better to buy closer to the two grand mark than three, to leave something in the kitty in case a recon motor is needed in the near future.

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys, one quick question though, and this shows that's it's early days for me, what is oval bore and how do I spot it?

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the club  

OVAL BORE   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[s12vea]

Welcome to the club   s:) s:)

[K T M Rider]

what is oval bore and how do I spot it?

Erm, well the following method would work:

1) remove cylinder head from engine
2) rotate crankshaft so that piston No. 1 is at Bottom Dead Centre
3)place suitable bore micrometer inside cylinder and take several measurements
4) refer to a suitable spec. e.g.

 m http://www.hillmanimages.com/912/912_dwg_2.html m

5) repeat for cylinders 2, 3 & 4.

back in the real world of car purchasing, it's not so clear cut, unless you can get a very extended (several hundred mile) road test in order to monitor oil usage.

[Anonymous]

Have seen a few on eBay, thinking a hard top is a good option as I have no garage at the moment.  Are they easy enough to remove and put back on or is it a bit of a chore?

[2003bluecat]

Have seen a few on eBay, thinking a hard top is a good option as I have no garage at the moment.  Are they easy enough to remove and put back on or is it a bit of a chore?

Really easy, just undo the 4 catches, open the doors or wind down the windows and lift it off. It is a lot easier if there are 2 of you though, but it is possible with one person if you're feeling strong.

Welcome to the club   s:P s:P

[Anonymous]

Thank you 2003bluecat, seems everyone is very friendly here, II like that... plan on hanging around a bit now!

[Don of Croy]

Welcome to the club!

It's also worth thinking about where you store the hard top when not on the car - it's a big piece of bodywork that will sit up against a wall etc. but looks vulnerable if left on the lawn all weekend (leaves an unsightly patch on the grass also!).

[kentsmudger]

Hi, and welcome - Be choosy and get the best car you can find - You will want to keep it!

Your name and avatar are intriguing too...

[Anonymous]

For the time being I'm garageless, so will intend on keeping the hardtop on.  By summer though we should have moved, (housing market allowing) and hopefully will have a garage  s:D s:D  

...if not it will store in my workshop/studio...hence my Avatar and name...

if you're interested...

http://www.dominicberry.co.uk

Anyway, how to spot a good one?  I'm learning about the pre-cats and oval bore now, wish I could afford a 03+ facelift, but I might be lookign more towards the £2000-£3000 mark so that's not going to happen.  If anyone knows of a potential car, ideally nearish the South-West, let me know.  Cash should be ready within the next two-three weeks if not sooner I'm hoping.

[Anonymous]

Seeing lots of cars out there, many seem to have around 90k miles on them, is this something I should overly worry about?  I drive a diesel at the moment with 150K+ on it and it doesn't concern me, but I know some people think petrol cars will last less time on higher mileages...

[roger]

Welcome Dom.

I suppose mileage will really depend on what you expect to do and how long you're going to keep it. Certainly mileages of 100 - 150K are not unknown, but there could well be risks involved.

MR2s are often weekend cars, so I would wait for a lower mileage.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, so this one is  best avoided?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280627898691

[creamykiwi]

hey, welcome to the madhouse  s:) s:)  everyone's very friendly, and this place and its members is a goldmine of information & help  s:) s:)

however, passing on the much appreciated tip Mark gave me when i bought mine... buy one without a hardtop and run it without it for a year... see how you feel after that and buy one then if you still feel you'd like one during winter  s:) s:)  (mine lives outside with its soft top, even through all the mental snow we had this winter & last!) nothing brings a smile to your face quicker than a quick top down blast on an unexpected sunny winter day   s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen:

[2003bluecat]

hey, welcome to the madhouse  s:) s:)  everyone's very friendly, and this place and its members is a goldmine of information & help  s:) s:)

however, passing on the much appreciated tip Mark gave me when i bought mine... buy one without a hardtop and run it without it for a year... see how you feel after that and buy one then if you still feel you'd like one during winter  s:) s:)  (mine lives outside with its soft top, even through all the mental snow we had this winter & last!) nothing brings a smile to your face quicker than a quick top down blast on an unexpected sunny winter day   s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen:

That's a very good point, there were quite a few occasions this winter when I had to look on with envy at those with their tops down as I drove to work with the hardtop on.

That car in the above link looks very cheap, but could be worth a look. Has 12 months MOT and some history according to the dealer website.

[Anonymous]

Welcome Dom, Ive only been here a short time myself having got my first MR2 last year. Took me along time to realise I had the oval piston problem as I do very little mileage in this car, but a now fixing by fitting a low mileage engine from a crashed car. I would echo KTMs post above though, love the car.
There were no warning signs, missfiring at high revs, lack of power or smoke from the exhaust. Just high oil consumption.
On the hardtop question, I have both hard and soft tops. The soft top on the roadie is by far the best design and fit of any convirtable I have owned, and Ive had a few. Elsewhere here youll learn that you cant just buy a hardtop and fit it on any roadster. A fitting kit costing almost as much as the hardtop is essential.  Make sure you get both if youre going that way.
If youre looking for bits to improve or repair your car, there are plenty on here, just put a post on the wanted board and youll get lots of help and advice. Also loads on well known auction sites. Be sure you search for MR2 mk3 as well as MR2 Roadster.
Also elswhere is an excellent parts list on pdf which is well worth downloading for part numbers and to see how things go together.
Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Thanks again for the warm welcome.  Creamykiwi, I'm interested to know the reason for not getting a hardtop from the outset?  I guess my motivation is that I currently don't have a garage and it will be my only car, so definitely and all-weather car.  Also, with the hardtop am I likely to get a slightly better deal on insurance?

 sdick dick sdick 2ski, thanks for the welcome and advice.  I'm worried about the oval piston thing, but I guess it's just something you can't know until you drive it for a while. Again, my thoughts were that getting a car that came with a hardtop would give me everything I needed at the start...incl the right kit?

[Treboeth]

nothing brings a smile to your face quicker than a quick top down blast on an unexpected sunny winter day   s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen:

Apparently Carla does this often and has been known to cause quite a stir around Essex  s:crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: s:crazyeyes:

[Anonymous]

I think most would agree, you dont need a hard top. In fact they have more disadvantages, storage, cost, inflexibility (cant whip yr top off when you get the urge), than advantages;  looks.... and thats about it. Insurance wont change.

[Anonymous]

Looks, rigidity, security, quieter and warmer in winter, resale value.

Also, if some scrote slashes your soft top then your car cannot be used in inclement weather until it has been replaced or repaired. However if you have a hard top.................

Lot more advantages to having a hard top than just looks.

[Anonymous]

I would rather have a hardtop and not need it than need it and not have it.  s:D s:D

[michaelasaunders]

Hi,
Welcome to the club.
Unfortunately, I am planning to sell my 2 as I need to cut back on my costs this year.
 I originally was looking at selling closer to summer, but if there is some one on the club looking for a car, then maybe there is a quick sale that can be done?
I have a blue 2001 103k with hard top, AC and leather just MOT`d. The downside is I do have a cylinder that is slightly out of spec, and I use oil at about 500 to 600 miles per litre. The oil usage has not got worse over the last year, in fact its got a little better when I changed to a thicker oil. Also I dont have any power loss problems.

So with this in mind, I am thinking of selling for approx £2500 with the hard top.

I suspect, any car you buy that is not a 2003 and above, could have or develop oval bore symptons and be in a condition worse then mine. So at least you know what you are buying here.

Let me know if you are interested and I can provide more info.

Mike