Bought a new toy...ota

[CrankyOldMan]

After giving the Yaris shaken baby syndrome at the last rallyX event, I decided I needed a dedicated off road vehicle. Enter the draggin! It's a '86 MR2, 4A-GE, NA. Mid-rear madness I tell you, MADNESS!

The motor and body are in pretty rough shape, but it looks like it's going to be a hell of a lot of fun. I've got some serious crackhead plans for either a 3VZ-FE V6 or 1NZ-FE swap once it blows up.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by CrankyOldMan

After giving the Yaris shaken baby syndrome at the last rallyX event, I decided I needed a dedicated off road vehicle. Enter the draggin! It's a '86 MR2, 4A-GE, NA. Mid-rear madness I tell you, MADNESS!

The motor and body are in pretty rough shape, but it looks like it's going to be a hell of a lot of fun. I've got some serious crackhead plans for either a 3VZ-FE V6 or 1NZ-FE swap once it blows up.

For part of a year in the 80s, I got a great deal re renting two rooms in a house. The owner had passed away and left the house (and mortgage ) to his son. The son also lived there. The son got a small death benefit from his dad's union (IIRC), and with part of the money the son bought a brand new red 86 MR2.....loked just like yours probably did new. Man, riding around in and driving that car sure was fun. We lived less than a mile from the ocean . Have fun !

[CrankyOldMan]

She's old, dirty, tired, and smokes like a leaf pile. I had hoped to take her out racing this weekend, but there's something really wrong with the motor now. Nonstop blue smokescreen when driving. =/

[KTS]

Oh man I would love to get my hands on one of these

[yarisugi]

Definitely a fun car to drive. Get that engine rebuilt and it should last you a long time.
It's a bit cramped but it was a car I owned and loved.

[invader166]

My brother in law has an '85. He let me drive it once and man was it awesome!

IMO, if you were to put a 1NZ in it, it would be the perfect car. All the reliability of a Yaris, in a sports car package. Throw on a SC and you could really see some good 1/4 mile times. Also, fuel economy would be pretty high up there too!

[Lux]

You will be hard-pressed to pop a Toyota A engine, even in a harshly driven AW11. They are superb engines. Your oil consumption could be traced to the valve oil seals, given its age, which is a common issue on vintage Toyota engines, regardless of whether they were driven often or stored. Check cylinder compression to verify piston ring and cylinder head gasket integrity.

If you want to swap the engine, the Toyota ZZ engines are more common for W10 generation MR2. More specifically, the 1ZZ and a 5- or 6-speed gearbox with fit with some custom work to the passenger side engine mount and bell housing. The 2ZZ engine will produce absurd power for the W10 chassis.

Later production models have upgraded brakes and revised rear control arm geometry for more predictable, less sensitive handling. Double-check your weather seals around the windows and moon roof; they may have begun hardening and leaking water.

[CrankyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Lux

You will be hard-pressed to pop a Toyota A engine, even in a harshly driven AW11. They are superb engines. Your oil consumption could be traced to the valve oil seals, given its age, which is a common issue on vintage Toyota engines, regardless of whether they were driven often or stored. Check cylinder compression to verify piston ring and cylinder head gasket integrity.

That's on the to-do list, possibly this weekend. I haven't done an engine rebuild yet, but I'm not afraid to dive in (BGB in hand, of course).

If you want to swap the engine, the Toyota ZZ engines are more common for W10 generation MR2. More specifically, the 1ZZ and a 5- or 6-speed gearbox with fit with some custom work to the passenger side engine mount and bell housing. The 2ZZ engine will produce absurd power for the W10 chassis.

I've been eyeballing the 3VZ-FE swap--lots of low end torque, good for AutoX or RallyX. Similar modifications to put that one in.

Later production models have upgraded brakes and revised rear control arm geometry for more predictable, less sensitive handling. Double-check your weather seals around the windows and moon roof; they may have begun hardening and leaking water.

It's been out in the weather for almost a month now, with no signs of leaking. I'm not sure about the suspension, since it's been a project car for the last few owners, and I don't know the full extent of what's been done to it.

Thanks for the tips!

[KTS]

Never drove one but always loved the look of them.