Just got the check from insurance on the total. 19,985.

There's an S2k for sale here from a fellow member for $15,800. Same color and model year as the R.I.P.'d S2k, and located fairly close. The rest of the money, after taxes, would go towards finishing off the initial loan for my first Berlina. (S was wrecked by family member, long story and already posted)

I would be able to mod it as money came in from work, since it would be payed off leaving only insurance.


Or I could grab an SW20 MR2. My first car was an N/A 91, and I still miss it. Easily on par with the S2000 on looks imo. A friend has a rolling chassis for sale for 2 grand (something wrong with the engine) in fairly good shape. I could easily do a 3rd gen swap, and get some nice suspension mods / improve the interior a little bit (S2000 interior is on a whole different level, and I would miss it) and have a very clean, quick MR2, and still have some money left over.

Bah, who am I kidding? I would probably still spend the rest on the car

I'm very undecided however. The S2k would be much cleaner out of the box and I would not have to deal with the problems of a high mileage swapped car. The paint would be far better. Convertible top. I love boost, but I could easily spend some money down the road for a boosted S. I love the interior. 9000rpm is exhilarating. The stock body is dead sexy, whereas the MR2 needs a few mods such as jdm tails before it can really compete.

On the other hand, MR > FMR. The stock diff on an MR2 is much stronger than that of an S2000. It's cheaper, in terms of making power, initial purchase, and insurance. They are much rarer. It has a good combination of go fast and handling. It has the nostalgia factor for me. I would be able to learn much more from resurrecting a dead car than occasionally bolting on something new for the S2k. I love boost, and the engine I would be swapping in would come that way from the factory, and is very reliable (board member had a 200k mile 3SGTE pushing 400rwhp and had next to no problems. more of an even point with the S2k, which is also very reliable)

I still have time before the check comes in. I'll be crossposting from the MR2 boards if I get a particularly amusing post, as there are a few members on there that hate on the S2000 as seen in an earlier thread. S2ki, help me decide. Link pictures. Owners of both, describe your experiences. Hell, link exhaust clips - this vid really makes me itch for a turbo S2000 depsite the costs. I love that sound.

 

Get the s2k and get boost down the road or, get the s2k and get the mr2 as a project car

 

my first car was a white '91 n/a MR2

and I LOVED THAT THING.
i was so sad the day we sold it.
someday i hope to get an MR2 again because it's just an experience i totally miss.

not bashing the S2K at all, i love it.

i just want to plug in that you are in a situation that i hope to never be in. haha
if it was me though... i'd probably (just slightly) lean towards getting the MR2.
it sounds like you have the money to make it awesome.
it's pretty much the nostalgia factor for me too. ;p

 

Can't do both - going to be one or the other. It's also going to be my daily through college.

 

Guess what color my N/A was?

e:

 

I wish i could help you on this one, i have a 91 n/a with 185k miles on it that just won't die.it is my daily driver. on the other hand i currently own 2 2000's. an 04 berlina and most recently an 05 silverstone. i don't mind driving any of them,they are all fun to drive. i tend to take the s2000 for having the full top down effect.
i guess by owning 2 s2000's I kind of tipped my hat to which car i like better.
you will enjoy either choice.....good luck

 

I can say that there are many times that I miss my MR-2 ('91 - NA).

The cabin is huge when compaired to the S2000.

If you have the manual rack, the stearing feel and feedback is about the best there is...

Very good brakes, the best ever tested by Car and Driver up to that point.

They are getting harder to find. Total production for '91 was about 9,000 cars. That trickeled down year by year to about 600 for the last model year. Some say they were actually no car produced the last year, just left overs from '94

This car truly had snap oversteer so I would stay away from the '91 - '92s. Or you could update with the later rear subframe if you can find one.

It was updated in March 1992, as an early '93 model. Suspension revisions were intended to reduce rear-end breakaway in hard cornering. Changes included reduced ride height, higher-rate springs and shock absorbers, stiffer bushings, and longer rear toe-control arms.
The stronger diff is from the turbo and if memory is not fadeing, also come with a limited slip, skip the na...

However, that beeing said, it has no top down option...

 

I am biased in that I have owned 7 mr2's, currently have an 89 and owned a mint 93T back in the day, but go with the MR2!

I love the S2k and plan to keep it, but the MR2 handles better. It is just even more fun to drive than the Honda. It also is more comfortable to daily drive (assuming you don't get much snow) with more space, and if you spend some $ on modifying a turbo MK2 it will be incredibly fast, and still be reliable.

I will be adding a MK2T to my collection next!

 

I also had an MR2. The only thing the S has over the MR2 is the flop top.

I loved that car and miss it.

 

Life is tough when you have to make this kind of decision while you're still in college.

Either way you get a sweet ride.