Parts Bin Buddies: MR2 edition

"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12) 12/13/2015 at 17:31 • Filed to: PARTSBINBUDDIES

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I’ve been noticing lately that some Toyotas share bits with my MR2. This wasn’t the case so much with my 300ZX, being a much more expensive car you get a few more bespoke bits. This makes MR2 ownership a thrilling experience, day in day out.

MR2 interior. Not my MR2.

I think it’s always interesting the things that get shared (or don’t), and why. It actually makes me giddy with excitement when I notice these things. The sort of excitement that outsiders just don’t understand at all, even those who are into cars. The kind that distances you from everyone around you, because people who actually care about little decisions made during car design and production are a dime a dozen. Most just care about replacing parts with something upgraded or mad tyte , or simply don’t care at all (a valid opinion really). Except, of course, for the Porsche community who are completely the other direction: so far into the anal game, it makes me look like one of the norms.

Anyway, here are a couple I’ve noticed. Excuse the bad pics, Google is bad for finding pictures of indicator stalks on unremarkable 90s cars.

‘90s Land Cruiser: found on Google. same indicator/wiper stalks!

‘90s Corolla: noticed on my girlfriend’s parents’ car. Same stalks again! Same steering wheel as mine too. But it’s hard to get hung up on steering wheels, they change so often for so many reasons. Most notably airbags.

90s Hilux: noticed on a friend’s car. Same stalks AGAIN!

I have to say, I think this whole parts bin stuff is glorious. I think they should share more things. I’ve seen complaints about how every GM car made for the last billion years shared the same door handles - so what? I bet those door handles worked great, were cheap and easy to find parts/replacements for. There’s no sense reinventing the wheel every time you need to design something as meaningless as a doorhandle for a car. Paying extra for that design, and then paying again when it breaks because of some undiscovered design flaw, it doesn’t make sense.

Share more, if you would.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 17:40

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When the interior door release broke on my ‘89 pickup, one from the dealer was 45 dollars and the local yard had zero pickups that weren’t stripped to death. However, there was a lone ‘92 4Runner which has the same handles, lock mechanisms, etc. Two bucks!

bob and john > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 17:40

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here is the difference....
toyota make the part for their most expensive car, and uses it through out their lineup.

GM made the part for the cheapest car, and used it through out their lineup.

see the issue here?

daender > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 17:44

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NB2 Miata:

Interior door handle cups shared with the 626, Protege, MPV, and about every other 90s/00s Mazda except for the B-series trucks and the Millenia.

Steering wheels shared with the FD RX-7 and later Proteges

Parking brake handle assembly including the plastic cover dates back to the FC RX-7

Radio shared with just about every Mazda except for the trucks. It’s well-documented about what casette/minidisc/MP3 players will interchange between various head units. Hell, my casette player in my Miata came from a Protege!

To be honest, the 1.6L NA Miatas shared quite a few engine parts with the 323 and Escort.

PS9 > bob and john 12/13/2015 at 17:46

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I don’t know about that. The disintegrating door handles on my Corolla definitely didn’t go into a lexus of the same year. I think we have to accept that a cheap car is gonna have cheap low-quality parts in it somewhere, regardless of what nation it’s from.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 17:56

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My 4Runner has the same light stalk.

rockingthe2 > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 18:17

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Yup, MR2’s have parts from nearly every 90’s Toyota. Any switch blank will accept a switch from any other toyota (mid 90’s were all the same size), wiper motors, cruise stalks, transmissions, engines, door handles (Switching to lexus chrome handles is a cheap, easy, fun mod that looks really cool when done). There are a ton of options if you look, 98 camry wiper motors are an upgrade to regular MR2 ones, as are 2000-ish celica steering wheels. I have parts from a 1993 4Runner, 2013 4Runner, 2001 S2000, 1994 NSX, and probably more on my 1993 MR2. It’s crazy what can fit easily.

bob and john > PS9 12/13/2015 at 18:31

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an example. doesnt have to be door handles. stalks are the easy go-to piece.

Nauraushaun > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 12/13/2015 at 18:45

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My neighbour has one of those! Gunna do some a-grade stalking.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 18:47

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Mine’s a 1999 so if it’s newer, I don’t know.

Nauraushaun > daender 12/13/2015 at 18:47

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I think it’s pretty common for head units to be shared, like steering wheels. They seem to vary a lot amongst different years/markets of the same car, but each unit has found its way into other cars.

My 300ZX shared its unit with all kinds of stuff. Vans and things even.

Funny how some parts come from an older RX7. The 300ZX did that too - the wind deflectors were identical to the older Z31.

That’s awesome. It’s how it should be, alleviates the cost of building sports cars like the MX-5, makes the whole thing more viable. If it means we get more sports cars, parts bin all the things!

Nauraushaun > PS9 12/13/2015 at 18:48

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Cheaper cars getting low quality parts is fine, though ideally I think they should be less fancy parts that are still durable . Like plastic instead of leather/aluminum - sometimes plastic even lasts longer.

But if you have 3 different economy hatches each with bespoke door handles, is that really necessary?

Nauraushaun > bob and john 12/13/2015 at 18:49

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That is an issue. I like the parts bin stuff, if done correctly.

If you’re sharing shoddy parts amongst cars, the issue isn’t the sharing. There shouldn’t be shoddy parts.

Nauraushaun > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/13/2015 at 18:50

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Sweet! That’s exactly as it should be.

I did the same thing when I replaced my 300ZX’s head unit, from stock double-DIN to aftermarket single. The DIN pocket to fill the space was taken from an old Pulsar, $2 from the wreckers.

Nauraushaun > rockingthe2 12/13/2015 at 18:53

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That’s awesome. When you can really nut out which parts can be changed, you can make big wins. There’s a Nissan application that can tell you this stuff, hard to set up but works amazingly.

I heard the covers for the door-mounted tweeters can be replaced with ‘93+ ones that offer more room. That’s awesome too.

I did notice that the Corolla and MR2 pictured above have different hazard light switches, seemingly for no reason since the switch sits on its own. That bothers me.

rockingthe2 > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 19:01

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Yup, most any part from a 90-95 mr2 is basically interchangeable. I’ve got the 93 covers (having a 93) and just updated the tweeters inside with denso parts made for another application entirely, door handles from a 95 Lexus and a shift ring coming from a first gen Audi TT. It’s a hodgepodge of parts really, but it works well.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 19:29

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RIP Pulsar though :(

Nauraushaun > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 12/13/2015 at 21:59

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I’ll have a peek. Even if one of them is newer, there’s a good chance they’ll match either way. You’ve got the same stalks as my ‘90 MR2, that’s nearly a decade apart!

Nauraushaun > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/13/2015 at 21:59

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It lives on through my Z.

Nauraushaun > rockingthe2 12/13/2015 at 22:00

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A TT!? That’s fantastic. Good on you, sir.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Nauraushaun 12/13/2015 at 22:08

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But it was designed in 96 and didn’t have a refresh until 2002 or something like that. Still... 6 years though.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Nauraushaun 12/21/2015 at 22:11

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I bet the cruise control bit is the same as my 1992 Camry had.

Toyota used this same little knob up into 2010 or 12. heck for all I know they still use it.

Nauraushaun > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 12/22/2015 at 01:05

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:D

I wish I had cruise control. I’d kill for that little knob

Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car > Nauraushaun 12/22/2015 at 19:42

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Tell me more about the nissan thing. I’m constantly looking for odd nissan parts.

Nauraushaun > Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car 12/22/2015 at 20:21

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It’s called Nissan FAST. You’ll have to do some Googling, installation and usage is tricky. But it’s possible.

When I got my 300ZX I had it installed. I think I ended up manually searching some of the data files for information or something because the search was letting me down. It was a bit iffy, but it worked and you can always verify your findings on Google, once you’ve found them.

Here’s a guide from 2007 or something.

Like I said somewhere else in these comments, I think I used FAST to tell me that the 300ZX DIN pocket was identical to the Nissan Pulsar one, which I then retrieved from the wreckers.

Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car > Nauraushaun 12/22/2015 at 20:27

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Thank you!

Nauraushaun > Jake Huitt - Two Alfas And A Nissan, Not A Single Running Car 12/22/2015 at 20:29

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I hope it serves you well!