Thanks for posting, however, MR stands for Midships Runabout. A convertible mid engined sports car with relative uniqueness (even fewer in Australia) and Toyota reliability attracted me to the Spyder. Oh, plus mine is RED. Things I don't like is passengers closing the door with the unframed window and getting in and out, can be difficult for us old blokes.
TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY 1986 AW11 MR2 1.FUN TO DRIVE! 2.Unique and rare car to find now days, turns a lot of heads. 3.Style - I love the boxy 80’s style, reminds me of Back To The Future! 4.Design - Sporty at a low cost. Not a lot of people own a mid-engine… 5.MPG - I had a Mustang 4.6L before this and filling up with premium now has never been cheaper. 6.Reliability - Reliable but a 30 year old car still requires a bit more maintaining and car knowledge. 7.Gearbox - Great stock and has a nice short shift to it! 8.Turning - This is the car’s strongest quality. Razor sharp turning. Easy to do what you want. 9.Size - Parking is insanely easy in the MR. Parallel parking is kinda fun when it’s a tight space. 10.IT’S A TOYOTA!!!
yo guy, i've had a spyder since 2011, whose engine was felled by the precats. bought an engine from a guy on spyderchat in 2015, i forget his name but he's awesome. he sourced me an engine and it's solid
Precat failure is due to poor running conditions or oil burning.00-02 had oil ring issues that lead to precat contamination/deterioration. 03-05 had redesigned oil rings eliminating the precat issues completely.The exhaust manifold remained the same.My 02 burns a quart every tank full of gas.No precats it's whole life and only the best synthetic oil.
I love your video post. I have been a long time MR2 Spyder owner. That car saved my life 2 times and my dad's life one time. It was totalled twice. I put a new engine and lots of other parts to it to make it run like new. I don't think I will ever get rid of it. The car has magic properties..it never fails to surprise you. I am so glad to see that you guys are enjoying it!
They are great cars and in warm weather I've had 38 miles per gallon out of mine. Good fun to drive and fairly easy to work on. In the UK, some people drop the 2ZZ Celica engine in.
Two best upgrades I did that were cheap were: Short shifter and shift cable bushings. Changed a lot on the shifting, instantly noticed a better driving experience. Then came the Turbo, and exhaust, and then lowered with Tein electronic coil overs.Enjoy, and watch those wet roads.
Dimly Lit Garage Honestly, I went with one I found on ebay for like $35 and same with bushings for the shifter cage and rear transmission linkage. That was 5 yes ago and I have had no problems. But I could not go back to stock that's for sure. I hated that tall shifter and now shifting feels so notchy. It's great!
I have a 2000 model, same color with a little over 200,000 miles- daily driver since I bought it new. Still goes like a champ and still enjoy driving it. P.S.- You guys work great together!
I bought one new in 2001 and it was a fun car. In 2002 I bought a new Honda S2000. I sold the MR2 and still have the S2000 out in my garage with 7,500 miles on it. Can’t beat the high revving 9000 rpm redline S2000 engine.
I just bought a japanese spec (02) MR2 off of a friend for £2.5k ($2.9 k roughly). immaculate condition and runs well as can be. 40k on the clock only. go kart handling, split diff, engine excels at 4k plus. a real dream
Get a front strut bar and 30mm lowering Springs (or even better coilovers). I Had both ( Springs and now Coilovers) and I was surprised how much more direct the handling got with that. But Front strut bar is essential in my opinion... an a turbo of course... ;)
Just bought a 2003 after researching sports cars for several years and I'm with you. Brilliant car! And I could have had a Vette, a Porsche- almost anything I wanted. By the way, I've studied the precat issue and don't believe there is one: it's illogical that exhaust grit is getting into the oil. That's not why they burn oil. So I'm keeping the exhaust stock until the engine goes, and then swap in something interesting. (And my Debra also loves it.) Here's another great thing about it: if I bang it up, no great shakes. But if it were a Porsche, kaching.
Looking forward to getting my 2005 model out of the garage in May for 6 months. It's a Toyota. Charge the battery starts first time. Take it for a service and and a test that it has passed every year and enjoy as long as we have a pleasant summer in the UK I can take the soft top down and the with the side windows up you can cruise at 90 or more with no buffeting in the cockpit on a long journey or just enjoy the cornering and being close to nature on winding country lanes. Being an environmentalist and a Green it is my guilty pleasure but my main drive an Ampera (Volt in US) and generating my own power and storage I think I am allowed this indulgence.
Buy a decent battery and it won't need charging. Like you said "It's a Toyota"! But you could always use a solar powered trickle charger just in case :-))
MR does not stand for midengine rearwheeldrive. The meaning of MR is litteraly stamped out on the plastic cover of the front trunk. MR2 means Midship Runabout 2-seater
The sw20 MR2 is becoming a bit more known, which is cool but a few years back, no one knew what in the world an MR2 was. The MR2 spyder seems like a cool small roadster, but is it worth getting?
Coming from a background with an sw20 in it, I can say that I love both generations a ton. The Spyder feels more playful and nimble and I think it is a great car in every way except storage.
What do you use to clean your engine with? The block has none of that calcification on it that I have, I want it nice and clean like that lol. Great vid as always
Oldskool4lyfe I think my Mr2's block and head look so clean because the car has low miles and hasn't been exposed to all the crud over the years. I know there are some aluminum polishing compounds that may work. Thanks!
To install it you just have to unthread the stock antenna and pick out the appropriate thread adapter that comes with the new antenna and screw it on. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQJA81I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So the Spyders have 3 catalytic converters. 2 smaller ones in the exhaust manifold and 1 further down in the exhaust. The 2 small ones in the manifold are known to break down over time, and because of the engines intake and exhaust valve duration, there is a small vacuum back into the engine. The deteriorating cats will get sucked into the engine and cause engine failure or other issues. What you can do is take the manifold off and punch out the 2 small cats out to prevent them from causing issues, assuming they haven't already caused any problems. Hopefully that helps, let me know if you need any more information.
Hi pal, I just bought one with 118K miles in UK, do you think the previous owner removed that or it's possible to be still there? At what mileage those Catalytic converters will start to break? Thanks!
Thanks for the video. Question... At how many miles does the pre-cat converter start breaking down? You said you bought yours with low miles... How is this in the rain/snow in stock form? Do you recommend winter tires? If I get this it would be my daily.
How tall are you? I am 6-1 and I look like a giant next to an MR2 however it intrigued me and I want one. Next time I see one I am going to try it out. However if you can outright tell me 6-1 will not work that would be nice. 220lbs solid muscle former marine; I am just big.
I'm 6'4 and most of my height is in my legs, I fit perfectly. I do have to have the seat as far back and low as possible but I fit well. Its a great and fun car so long as you don't regularly need much cargo space.
Thanks all for the responses. I took a 2000 with 60k on it for a ride; surprisingly I did fit and it was fun as hell to drive. However my woman took a picture of me in it and when I looked at it I instantly thought oh hell no. It is a woman's/small person car bottom line. I looked like a giant in it and it just screams $^#.
I've read the comments and seen that I've already been beaten to it but what I liked most about your car is your girlfriend, a little bit of work on the number of fingers required to = 8 and she would be perfect lol ... I wont comment on the attributes of the amazing MR-S as courtesy of my profile pic you might think that as a fellow MR-S owner (I've had mine for 14 years) that I could possibly be biased.
I love mine for the same reasons.check mine out if you will & see if you like what ive done to it so far.theres alot more to do still but so far im pretty happy with it 8-)
The thing I like most about your car is your passenger. She is stunning 😉 Also MR does not stand for what you say. Open up your boot/trunk and it has what it means written on the lid.
I love the driving experience/handling and that it's not an MX-5 Miata which are far too common.
From what I heard from the Donut channel, MR2 actually stands for “midship runabout 2-seater”
Thanks for posting, however, MR stands for Midships Runabout. A convertible mid engined sports car with relative uniqueness (even fewer in Australia) and Toyota reliability attracted me to the Spyder. Oh, plus mine is RED. Things I don't like is passengers closing the door with the unframed window and getting in and out, can be difficult for us old blokes.
Thank you for correcting him 👍 that's a big pet peeve of mine
Lots of the 90s era designed japanese cars have frameless windows. S chassis... Supras... Skylines... NSX..
MR2 stands for (MIDSHIP-ROUNDABOUT-2 SEATER)
Saulo Santos
Thats what i thought for the LONGEST TIME. Then they had to PRINT IT ON THE GodDamn caaaar 😂😂😂
*Mid-Ship Runabout
@@Redlegnav damn bro u correct me 3 years later 😂😂😂💀
@@saulosantos4293 🤣😂 I just got my MR2 so I'm checking out vids. Totally didn't even realize your comment was 3 years old!!🤣😂
@@Redlegnav yeah lol the MR2 Spyder is a build I want for the track. I want to swap (2ZZ GE) the motor and tranny and turbo it. It'll be fun.🚗💨
TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY 1986 AW11 MR2
1.FUN TO DRIVE!
2.Unique and rare car to find now days, turns a lot of heads.
3.Style - I love the boxy 80’s style, reminds me of Back To The Future!
4.Design - Sporty at a low cost. Not a lot of people own a mid-engine…
5.MPG - I had a Mustang 4.6L before this and filling up with premium now has never been cheaper.
6.Reliability - Reliable but a 30 year old car still requires a bit more maintaining and car knowledge.
7.Gearbox - Great stock and has a nice short shift to it!
8.Turning - This is the car’s strongest quality. Razor sharp turning. Easy to do what you want.
9.Size - Parking is insanely easy in the MR. Parallel parking is kinda fun when it’s a tight space.
10.IT’S A TOYOTA!!!
DeadGameTech Awesome to hear!
Had a 85 and 86, but the 89 SC was my fav. Now own a 03" I turboed. Great reliable cars. Just have to own a 2nd car to get the groceries etc. lol
Number 1 being the biggie, the car is simply a lot of fun and a pleasure to drive and the windier the road the greater the pleasure.
yo guy, i've had a spyder since 2011, whose engine was felled by the precats. bought an engine from a guy on spyderchat in 2015, i forget his name but he's awesome. he sourced me an engine and it's solid
Precat failure is due to poor running conditions or oil burning.00-02 had oil ring issues that lead to precat contamination/deterioration. 03-05 had redesigned oil rings eliminating the precat issues completely.The exhaust manifold remained the same.My 02 burns a quart every tank full of gas.No precats it's whole life and only the best synthetic oil.
I love your video post. I have been a long time MR2 Spyder owner. That car saved my life 2 times and my dad's life one time. It was totalled twice. I put a new engine and lots of other parts to it to make it run like new. I don't think I will ever get rid of it. The car has magic properties..it never fails to surprise you. I am so glad to see that you guys are enjoying it!
Thats amazing man! They're great cars forsure.
"Midship Runabout, 2 Seater" - you know... what it says on all the owners manuals, the brochure, the BADGE.. and various plastic pieces.
They are great cars and in warm weather I've had 38 miles per gallon out of mine. Good fun to drive and fairly easy to work on. In the UK, some people drop the 2ZZ Celica engine in.
Two best upgrades I did that were cheap were: Short shifter and shift cable bushings. Changed a lot on the shifting, instantly noticed a better driving experience. Then came the Turbo, and exhaust, and then lowered with Tein electronic coil overs.Enjoy, and watch those wet roads.
R W Awesome! What short shifter did you put in?
Dimly Lit Garage Honestly, I went with one I found on ebay for like $35 and same with bushings for the shifter cage and rear transmission linkage. That was 5 yes ago and I have had no problems. But I could not go back to stock that's for sure. I hated that tall shifter and now shifting feels so notchy. It's great!
R W I'll look into them thanks for the insight
I miss my “04 Yellow mr2 😥😥
I have a 2000 model, same color with a little over 200,000 miles- daily driver since I bought it new. Still goes like a champ and still enjoy driving it. P.S.- You guys work great together!
Mort13 Thats awesome that you've had it that long. Thanks!
Buying it soon. Cannot bloody wait!
I bought one new in 2001 and it was a fun car. In 2002 I bought a new Honda S2000. I sold the MR2 and still have the S2000 out in my garage with 7,500 miles on it. Can’t beat the high revving 9000 rpm redline S2000 engine.
I just bought a japanese spec (02) MR2 off of a friend for £2.5k ($2.9 k roughly). immaculate condition and runs well as can be. 40k on the clock only. go kart handling, split diff, engine excels at 4k plus. a real dream
Truly fun cars
What's a split diff?
Get a front strut bar and 30mm lowering Springs (or even better coilovers). I Had both ( Springs and now Coilovers) and I was surprised how much more direct the handling got with that. But Front strut bar is essential in my opinion... an a turbo of course... ;)
I would love to get coilovers one of these days and the strut bar may come sooner if it is that effective
Just bought a 2003 after researching sports cars for several years and I'm with you. Brilliant car! And I could have had a Vette, a Porsche- almost anything I wanted. By the way, I've studied the precat issue and don't believe there is one: it's illogical that exhaust grit is getting into the oil. That's not why they burn oil. So I'm keeping the exhaust stock until the engine goes, and then swap in something interesting. (And my Debra also loves it.)
Here's another great thing about it: if I bang it up, no great shakes. But if it were a Porsche, kaching.
I have a mk1 miata and I wanna turbo it. So i`m thinking about buying one of these as a daily driver while installing the turbo kit on the miata.
Great Video!
Do you think you can make a video about how do you utilize the space in your MR2? Thanks!
Yeah absolutely
Fun video. I love this model Toyota. Also, you seem like a very happy couple. Try and stay that way.
Thanks!
drop in a 3sgte! I still like sw20 better, each it's own, I do like why you're explanation of why you pick that year and model
A 3sgte would be a very cool swap! Maybe someday
great work
Thanks!
You should put the Supra engine in it! imagine how fast it would be
Please tell me this is a joke, there is no way a 2JZ would be able to fit AT ALL in this tiny car.
Dig the ride. Considering getting one here in Florida
Before 4:20 you have an air bubble in your coolant my friend! haha
Looking forward to getting my 2005 model out of the garage in May for 6 months. It's a Toyota. Charge the battery starts first time. Take it for a service and and a test that it has passed every year and enjoy as long as we have a pleasant summer in the UK I can take the soft top down and the with the side windows up you can cruise at 90 or more with no buffeting in the cockpit on a long journey or just enjoy the cornering and being close to nature on winding country lanes.
Being an environmentalist and a Green it is my guilty pleasure but my main drive an Ampera (Volt in US) and generating my own power and storage I think I am allowed this indulgence.
Buy a decent battery and it won't need charging. Like you said "It's a Toyota"! But you could always use a solar powered trickle charger just in case :-))
Ive always wanted one...didnt realize they were so cheap to buy too..NA miatas can still go for the same price now
MR does not stand for midengine rearwheeldrive. The meaning of MR is litteraly stamped out on the plastic cover of the front trunk. MR2 means Midship Runabout 2-seater
The sw20 MR2 is becoming a bit more known, which is cool but a few years back, no one knew what in the world an MR2 was. The MR2 spyder seems like a cool small roadster, but is it worth getting?
Coming from a background with an sw20 in it, I can say that I love both generations a ton. The Spyder feels more playful and nimble and I think it is a great car in every way except storage.
no one in your world knew what an mr2 was , in the rest of the world we all knew
Drive it and you 'll be conviced yourself.
How easy is it to fix this car? Does the fact that the engine is in the back make it more difficult to service?
The car is pretty simple to work on, but leaning over the rear end can get uncomfortable after a while.
What do you use to clean your engine with? The block has none of that calcification on it that I have, I want it nice and clean like that lol. Great vid as always
Oldskool4lyfe I think my Mr2's block and head look so clean because the car has low miles and hasn't been exposed to all the crud over the years. I know there are some aluminum polishing compounds that may work. Thanks!
Can you tell me where didi you find that antena? How to intall it...
To install it you just have to unthread the stock antenna and pick out the appropriate thread adapter that comes with the new antenna and screw it on.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQJA81I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
precadalitic converter removal ? can you tell me more? i am buying one with 78,000 miles thanks
So the Spyders have 3 catalytic converters. 2 smaller ones in the exhaust manifold and 1 further down in the exhaust. The 2 small ones in the manifold are known to break down over time, and because of the engines intake and exhaust valve duration, there is a small vacuum back into the engine. The deteriorating cats will get sucked into the engine and cause engine failure or other issues. What you can do is take the manifold off and punch out the 2 small cats out to prevent them from causing issues, assuming they haven't already caused any problems. Hopefully that helps, let me know if you need any more information.
Hey Thanks so much!!!!
Of Course!
Hi pal, I just bought one with 118K miles in UK, do you think the previous owner removed that or it's possible to be still there? At what mileage those Catalytic converters will start to break? Thanks!
bazarka1 Hopefully they've been removed I've heard they break down commonly around 100k plus but I'm sure it varies a lot.
Thanks for the video. Question...
At how many miles does the pre-cat converter start breaking down? You said you bought yours with low miles...
How is this in the rain/snow in stock form? Do you recommend winter tires? If I get this it would be my daily.
Why did you get this car over the 350z ??
I have an 05 and I love mines
How tall are you?
I am 6-1 and I look like a giant next to an MR2 however it intrigued me and I want one. Next time I see one I am going to try it out. However if you can outright tell me 6-1 will not work that would be nice. 220lbs solid muscle former marine; I am just big.
Im about 5'8", but a friend of mine is 6'3" and he fits decently. I would recommend checking it out for yourself just to be sure.
I'm 6'4 and most of my height is in my legs, I fit perfectly. I do have to have the seat as far back and low as possible but I fit well. Its a great and fun car so long as you don't regularly need much cargo space.
Thanks all for the responses. I took a 2000 with 60k on it for a ride; surprisingly I did fit and it was fun as hell to drive. However my woman took a picture of me in it and when I looked at it I instantly thought oh hell no. It is a woman's/small person car bottom line. I looked like a giant in it and it just screams $^#.
I'm 6 and I fit in the mk2 MR2 perfectly.
Great video
It is such a shame toyota dont make these great machines anymore
All the better for those who have one already!
Midship runabout 2 seater*
You guys are cute together
I've read the comments and seen that I've already been beaten to it but what I liked most about your car is your girlfriend, a little bit of work on the number of fingers required to = 8 and she would be perfect lol ... I wont comment on the attributes of the amazing MR-S as courtesy of my profile pic you might think that as a fellow MR-S owner (I've had mine for 14 years) that I could possibly be biased.
Hahahaha she was lost in the scene 😂
MIDSHIP RUNABOUT!
mr2 stands for midship runbout
2zz?
No, I wish
One day for sure
just dont ever K swap it, 2ZZ or 2AR swap
Don't fit a honda K20?why?,trying to limit his fun? Fit a 2zz and it becomes gutless at lower revs compared to standard
You mentioned gas mileage TWICE
I love mine for the same reasons.check mine out if you will & see if you like what ive done to it so far.theres alot more to do still but so far im pretty happy with it 8-)
The thing I like most about your car is your passenger. She is stunning 😉
Also MR does not stand for what you say. Open up your boot/trunk and it has what it means written on the lid.
It's an MRS not an MR2. But even still, they aren't my cup of tea. And I see a millions of these around... Video is cool though
Plus, MR2 actually stands for Midship Runabout 2 seater
It's the MR2 Spyder in some markets and MR-S in others.