"Chinny Raccoon" (chinnyraccoon)
12/08/2019 at 04:24 • Filed to: None
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"Chinny Raccoon" (chinnyraccoon)
12/08/2019 at 04:24 • Filed to: None | 5
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Today is not that day.
pip bip - choose Corrour
> Chinny Raccoon
12/08/2019 at 04:33 |
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Svend
> Chinny Raccoon
12/08/2019 at 04:55 |
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The weather has been all over the place lately.
Just make sure your lights are clean, licence plates are clean and windows are clean and you’ll be grand.
SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> Chinny Raccoon
12/08/2019 at 05:25 |
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Autocross every day!!!
Nothing
> Chinny Raccoon
12/08/2019 at 11:51 |
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How do you like it? I’ve contemplated all gens of MR2 for my next fun car.
djmt1
> Nothing
12/08/2019 at 12:19 |
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I got a MK3 and these are my thoughts after a year of ownership.
Be prepared to hear how low it is anytime anyone gets in or out of it.
The dipstick is less than useless which is a annoying since the 1ZZ properly drinks oils.
These cars have spectacularly shitty handbrake cables which stretch easily and are an expensive nightmare to change.
The LSD is brutally aggressive which makes cornering in slick conditions either annoying, fun, terrifying or all of the above.
Otherwise they’re an utter joy and absolutely devour corners both on or off road (the dirt on Chinny’s car is there for a reason). The lack of storage is overblown, no worse than an MX5.
Toyota build quality and reliability is so underrated, short of the heat death of the universe it will start in the morning.
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Chinny Raccoon
> Nothing
12/08/2019 at 15:53 |
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djmt1 got all the salient points. Mine has had all of the typical problems, it’s last careful owner was many, many years ago. I’ve had mine for two years now, I think (in youtube clickbait style) that it was the cheapest one in the country when I bought it.
They don’t rot like an MX5, but they are starting to get to the age where corrosion will be an issue. The major weakness is in the rear subframe, mine only had a small hole, so it was a fairly easy job to do. You can still get new units from Toyota (around £350 was the last price I saw). Just give it a good coat of paint inside and out and it will last a lot longer.
The hoods are starting to wear out on many cars now, mine really needed replacing about three years ago.
Other things I replaced shortly after buying were t he lower steering UJ (it wears over time- £65) & the power steering lines which rot out. Easy to do both, but the PAS fluid isn’t standard as it’s an electrohydraulic system. The Toyota stuff is stupidly expensive, but Total sells the same stuff for Citroens as LDS for a lot cheaper.
Getting the handbrake through the MOT has been a challenge both times I’ve done it. I’ve rebuilt both rear calipers, then replaced the cables twice as the ones I bought the first time around had let water in and were sticking. This involves dropping the fuel tank- you don’t actually need to disconnect the fuel lines/pump as there is just enough slack to get enough room.
Day to day, I never worry that it’s not going to start in the morning, but the oil consumption has been concerning. The much talked about precat failure isn’t the cause of the 1ZZ oil issues on engines still around today. Any engine ingesting cat material would have lunched itself years ago. The problem now is the oil return holes in the pistons were underspecced. There is a revised piston design, but this was only fitted on late cars. A rebuild with the revised pistons would also fix the issue. Some cars seem to have escaped the problem, probably down to zealous maintenance .
I’ve got a donor engine to rebuild, but it’s just stuck in the back of the workshop for now, and may never end up being put in. It’s not so bad for my short commute, but a long motorway trip or really driving like a bellend for extended periods make the consumption go from concerning to alarming. I’ll have to make up my mind on it’s future before the Easter oppomeet. I’m shopping around for a later facelift car as they got the six speed gearbox which would suit motorway cruising a bit better.
I recently replaced shocks/springs/bushes so it drives beautifully, and that’s really the best part about them. Just make sure there’s some decent tyres on it. When I bought it mine has very well worn, rock hard budget tyres. Sliding around at slow speeds was amusing, higher speeds less so.
Mines had a beating every day since I’ve owned it, the only thing that’s gone wrong directly from this was the plastic undertray being ripped off by some floodwater (and a soggy carpet from the same).
I’d contemplated buying a second car for the winter, but ended up not doing it as I knew that 99% of the time I’d prefer to be driving the the MR2 and the other car would just sit there.
I like how it’s unashamedly a car for people who like driving and can live with the compromises needed.
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Chinny Raccoon
> djmt1
12/08/2019 at 15:53 |
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This is all on road mud. I have a fun commute.