"Alex Zapata" (alexzapata)
07/13/2015 at 22:58 • Filed to: None
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"Alex Zapata" (alexzapata)
07/13/2015 at 22:58 • Filed to: None | 0
| 12 |
I’ve been looking at these things lately and I think I’m in big trouble.
Basically since last week a law has passed in my city that now allows this car to be a daily driver, since it is quite old now, law in Mexico City didn’t let it be driven everyday, but now the limitation will be emissions, if you come under the line, you can use it every day, and the 1ZZ I think will easlily pass.
I am going to go look at one as the picture, 2006 with 35k kms on it (too lazy to convert but, maybe around 20k miles?) bone stock and looks pretty much new, there is another black one with twice as many miles but it’s in my city and looks to be very well taken care of.
Obviously price is irrelevant because we are in different markets, these cars are about what a 2011/2012 softop Miata, but there is a reason behind it, these cars are really rare in Mexico, they only sold them for about 3 years, also as we know MR2s are less desirable to the general public than Miatas, so they never sold many at all and these cars are already showing appreciation so that’s why they are a bit expensive, but they are pretty much guaranteed to keep their value, if not appreciate further though if I bought one I doubt I’d sell it ever...
My question is, are they good cars? am I crazy for thinking about it?
jkm7680
> Alex Zapata
07/13/2015 at 23:01 |
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What.
Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna
> Alex Zapata
07/13/2015 at 23:03 |
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The CEO for a Biotech Company I worked for two summers ago DDs one of those. I assume that he loves it because there’s an MR2 in his parking spot instead of a 7-series or an S-Class.
AthomSfere
> Alex Zapata
07/13/2015 at 23:03 |
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Still a Toyota, reliable as they come!
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Alex Zapata
> AthomSfere
07/13/2015 at 23:16 |
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This is what I’m counting on, also I want something fun that brings back some enjoyment to my driving
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Alex Zapata
> jkm7680
07/13/2015 at 23:16 |
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wut..?
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AthomSfere
> Alex Zapata
07/13/2015 at 23:22 |
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I’d say this fits then!
beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard
> Alex Zapata
07/13/2015 at 23:28 |
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Great car. Id say better than a same age Miata.
The only downside is the luggage space is even less than a Miatas.
phenotyp
> Alex Zapata
07/13/2015 at 23:40 |
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Daily-ed mine for 8 1/2 years. Ask me anything.
(Love that car to death, in case you're wondering)
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Alex Zapata
> phenotyp
07/14/2015 at 12:07 |
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Basically I want something that will bring back some enjoyment to driving, I’ve become a bit jaded when it comes to cars so I’m looking for something with decent power that I can take on trips, but that really makes me happy with the drive.
Also I’m curious how easy they are to mod and parts availability, I know it’s gonna get expensive for me if I have to import from the US, but I’d rather have the option to do it even if it costs more.
Also, why this and not a Miata? be as objective AND as subjective as you can...
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phenotyp
> Alex Zapata
07/14/2015 at 13:43 |
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If you’re looking for a lot of power, this isn’t it (unless you do an engine swap, or forced induction, both fairly common). But it’s so light you don’t need it to have fun. It’s really the best-driving car short of a Porsche that I’ve ever driven. It’s just so damn good. The biggest thing I did with mine was full underbody bracing (search for MSMB), it completely transformed the car’s feel. No more twisting, no shake over bumps, tighter steering, and felt like it could handle twice the power easily. The facelift cars also got 16” rear wheels (pre-facelift were staggered-width 15s). Wheels and tires can have VERY big effects on these cars, it’s really easy to screw up. I kept the factory wheels on mine, but increased the tire width a little bit from the stock, since Yokohama wasn’t making them anymore.
Engine issues plagued the first two years (mine was a 2001, but I never had any problems with it other than a faulty evap return sensor that would throw the CEL), but they had those pretty well ironed out by the facelift (03-05). The vinyl tops have glass windows, which is great, but they tend to tear at the corners. I gave up repairing mine over and over and replaced it with a canvas top, which was way nicer, and a little quieter. Many of the MR2’s parts came straight from the Corrolla bin, so most things aren’t hard to find, or expensive. The engine lid release cables aren’t great, though, I had to get mine replaced, which was an expensive job becase it took so damn long. Be sure to check those and see if they feel stretchy. Other than that, all I ever had to do was change the oil.
They’re kind of annoying as an only car— there’s no room for anything larger than your standard backpack. Picking people up from the airport? forget it. Weekend trip with two people is about all you can manage to fit.
As for this vs Miata? For me there’s no question— I’m too tall for a Miata. The MR2 has about 9” more wheelbase, and you sit much further away from the windshield. Tons of headroom. And, personally, I’d always take a mid-engined car over a front-engined one. I also happen to think that they’re incredibly good-looking, though I don’t like the facelifted cars’ updates at all. If you can find a hardtop, even better.
If I’d had a garage, I’d have kept that car forever.
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Alex Zapata
> phenotyp
07/14/2015 at 19:36 |
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This is al very interesting and you pretty much have met what I had expected to hear in a best case scenario, the ones I’ve seen have the hard tops, I guess ours are facelifted because we only got the last three years of manufacturing and the ones I’m looking at are the latest ones, and that’s it so I don’t have much of a choice there, they got factory leather seats I think the rims are the same as the one in the pic (yours? either way it’s mother-effing gorgeous) I think I may love it, so we’ll see, I have access to other cars but it is important to me that it can do a weekend away, at most, though I’m crazy enough to do a big trip on a car like this.
Also something that I can use as a track day car, on smaller club tracks where power doesn’t matter as much as grip and I want something that entails all or some of the awesome 90s-ness of that era of japanese cars, and I think this is the newest available in my country
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phenotyp
> Alex Zapata
07/14/2015 at 20:29 |
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Yeah, hardtops are hard to find. There were a couple companies that made them, both in fiberglass and carbon fiber. The CF ones were stupid expensive, and very rare. Really, though, just replacing the vinyl top with a canvas one makes a huge difference (and you can do colors that Toyota didn’t offer, like I did). The first couple years the only option was leather seats, then in 2002 they offered a 5-spd SMG, then the 03+ cars got the option of a 6spd SMG.
The wheels were the same design, but the facelift cars got 16” rears.