DangerZone9K

im trying to get some info/feedback on some concerns and questions that came up when test driving a 93 mr2 turbo. i appreicate anyone that could chime in that knows about these cars or the issues below.


1. i noticed the airbag LED was on the entire time. does this mean the airbag will not be able to deploy or is it just sensor related? should i be concerned?

2. the owner of the car has a aftermarket sound system and the retractable power antenna does not go up or down. is this due to the aftermarket headunit or do other members have similar issues. on a side note, he did have the radio turned on but was a little bit distorted and he said the antenna is also built into the front windsheild - is this true?

3. i test drove a couple of mr2s and noticed that the clutch squeaks when it is pressed; this car in particular has a very short clutch in length. its different from another mr2 i drove. should i be concerned about this? does this mean it could an aftermarket clutch or is a sign thats its worn out?

4. this cas has aftermarket pedals and they seem very close together. when pressing the brake the gas pedal was also in the way. i can obviously buy another set of pedals but in a stock mr2 i noticed the pedals were closely spaced. is this the case in all mr2s?

thanks for your help and i look forward to your replies!!

TheDonEffect

1) airbag light could just be a faulty sensor, and yes can impair the functionality of the airbags.
2) as I recall the atennas were known to fail, but with older cars the reception always sucked anyway.
3) could just need some lubing, my civic did the same thing after 20K.
4) and yeah, those pedals are ridiclously close together when coming from an S2000, and off center too so it took some getting used to.

Main thing to look for is oil leaks, and ur not just looking for if it leaks, because it probably will depending on mileage, but how bad it leaks. And then the usual stuff, leaks in the ttops, rust in the ttop area is common, etc.

DangerZone9K

Thanks for your help Don.

Here's the MR2!

vader1

CLutch squeak is very common. Some spray litihum grease works wonders.


Common problems to look for

Oil leaks. They are prone to them. Not major ones but lots of little ones. From the distributor o ring, oil cooler, cam seals,valve cover gasket etc. Replacing valve cover screws with good bolts helps.

Leak in the exhaust manifold gasket. You may hear a metalic ticking sound on the driver side near the intake/airbox. Very common.

Hose from Hell. Replacing this could be the worst weekend of your life. $5 part, + back surgery and anger management. No way to tell its condition, but ask the owner if it has ever been replaced.

I also had to replace an antenna, the gears are plastic and go out. If you turn on the stereo and you here the antenna motor run but no movement, its the plastic gears and you need to replace the antenna. If you here nothing it might be hooked up wrong. Extend, clean and lubricate regularly!!!!!! Otherwise they can gunk up and strip the gears easy.

I also had to replace a headlight motor.

My favorite car ever, I miss mine. But parts are expensive new and disappearing from production.

TheDonEffect

Looks good, but with all cars that age be ready for many trips to toyota/salvage yard/ebay/forum/kragen.
Overall, great cars, buddy of mine absolutely loves his.

Duckdude

Some quality responses here. Also, check in with the good folks at mr2oc.com--they'll be able to help you out, too. But it always surprises me how many STOOK owners are current or former MR2 owners.

Loved my red MR2 T that I bought new in 1993. But I decided 283k miles later it was time for something different and newer....so I sold it and bought a red '95 MR2 NA a few months ago.

ps - clutch squeeks and broken retractable antennae are pretty common (and, yes, you do have an antenna in your windshield--that's your am antenna)

EVAN&MONICA

MR2s are way cool

CG

Excellent responses above!

For parts ect. try Twos R Us or just call David Hawkins on the number on the website. David has had a bunch of 2's including more than one 93 turbo. One of which he bought new.

fusionchickenleg

damn awesome responses i have nothing else to add lol.

if your mr2turbo is in good running order you will enjoy it. a lot. i still love and miss mine. just be cautious of the tail coming around, it can happen very quickly if you're not fully paying attention

DangerZone9K

Thanks for the replies everyone! I have an appointment tomorrow at Toyota that's going to check the mr2 from top to bottom. Hopefully the results are good so I can buy the car. Plus the car runs great and has 83k miles.