Not yet an owner

[ub80]

As we are asked to post or risk getting the newly created account deleted: Hello!

I do not yet own a MR2 Mk1 - but am looking at the moment. So if you want to make me a great offer feel free to do so! What I would like to know is: What are your opinions on the T-Bars? The idea seems nice to me, but not sure if I end up with loads of problems (leaking, worse handling) in exchange for taking it off these two sunny days we get here.

[kevin..in]

well i'm on my 3rd MK1over the past 8 years, 2 coupe sunroof models then finally got a T bar, I never drive with the roof panels fitted unless its raining, (sunrooves can also be completely removed and stored in the "frunk"),my one does not leak and it lives outside, not noticed any difference in handling, probably take a track day to show up any major body flex but as a road car there isn't anything between the variants

[Kateg28]

I agree with Kevin. I have owned 2 t-bars and now on a tin top. The t-bars do tend to have a problem with leaks but we know lots of ways to treat this so do not let this stop you. Some people say there is a difference in handling but not sure how much. I personally would sacrifice a small amount of the brilliant handling (if this is noticeable) for the fun of a t bar but that is personal choice.
Would you take the panels out regularly?
Good luck with the search and post your possibles up here as greater authorities than me will be happy to help. Get the buying guides and ask any questions!
You are not too far from me and there is at least one other member in Cambridge.
Get yourself along to a meet as well and you can see our cars.

[charged]

I've had countless Mk1s but I remember by t bars well, they all leaked and flexed. I'd rather have a leak free sunroof on tin top personally. I didn't get much enjoyment out of having the t bars out either, when you're doing 130MPH the wind noise is almost insufferable!

[kevin..in]

Perhaps my 30 years with motorbikes means i don't mind the outdoors! For hard driving/track day use go for a tin top every time, if you see me driving mine with the roof on & its not raining you have my permition to shoot me

[ub80]

Thanks for your input. I guess I will just see what I can get in good condition for a good price. I think I would prefer a T-Bar but if I will find a real good Mk1 without the T-Bar I may still take that.

[Kateg28]

Ollie,

How often do you get the chance to do 130mph?

If you do want the car for track days then a tin tip is the way forward. If you want it for road use, 130mph is only an option abroad or on track days and I bet there are more opportunities to enjoy a topless day in the sun than there is to enjoy high speeds.

However it still comes down to personal choice, I prefer a t-bar (although I own a tin top which becomes a little oven in the Summer!)

[superwhite90]

I've always wanted a T-Bar but from seeing people having to rebuild their headlining and the expense and time it costs its put me off. Nice for the summer though, but I've had two sunroof '2s now and never had an issue.

The sunroof is totally removable don't forget! Can store it in the frunk or if you have a strut brace, behind the passenger or driver seat!

[jimi]

if you see me driving mine with the roof on & its not raining you have my permission to shoot me
A man after my own heart :D My T-bars spend 98% of their lives in bags behind my seats.


I've always wanted a T-Bar but from seeing people having to rebuild their headlining and the expense and time it costs its put me off.
Your depriving yourself for nothing, sure some people have T-bar problems, but IMHO the majority don't. It's always the same, you only hear about the problems, not the good times :D

[kevin..in]

Thanks for your input. I guess I will just see what I can get in good condition for a good price. I think I would prefer a T-Bar but if I will find a real good Mk1 without the T-Bar I may still take that.
makes good sense to buy the best MK1 you can find, T bar, sunroof or tin top they are all great cars in good condition, you haven't stated what budget you have to play with, or what type of use you want from it i.e. sunny sunday drives, daily driver, track day etc. not that there is any great cost difference between the 3 variants, condition is the key factor, but if you have you're heart set on roofless driving you will always wish you'd gone T bar

[ub80]

Will be a daily driver - which does only mean around 20 miles on a normal day and probably a few more miles on these sunny sundays. At the moment I am in contact with different people who are selling their MR2s so I might have one fairly soon.

[kevin..in]

Will be a daily driver - which does only mean around 20 miles on a normal day and probably a few more miles on these sunny sundays. At the moment I am in contact with different people who are selling their MR2s so I might have one fairly soon.

post up your potential buys here for some advice before you comit

[ub80]

An other question: I tried to become a online club member to get access to all the technical information too - but that shop-thingi does not seem to work correctly. As soon as I try to check out I got some error with an "Invalid Redirect URL". Anyone an idea who to contact regarding the shop?

[kevin..in]

have a world with oldpetrolhead Richard Brett about membership or tommundy about website issues

[Kateg28]

Tommundy is your man, try and pm him. If no luck, let us know and we shall ask him. It is likely he will read these messages though as he is very active on here.

As for the variant, Kevin is right (again!), I have never noticed a price differential based on the variant but the condition is key. Buy the best condition you can afford or target the ones with flaws that you can fix (e.g. if you have access to paint spraying facilities then you might want to concentrate on getting a good bodywork one as you can fix tatty paintwork etc). Having said that, if the open roof driving aspect attracts you think about whether you would regret not getting one. They are meant to be less stiffer than a sunroof but I cannot comment as I have a not driven a sunroof n/a to compare.

For the record, I personally wish my SC was T-Bar but the rarity of the tin top would mean most people would disagree with me. I am still keeping this SC. And fixing the Aircon.

And why am I agreeing with everything Kevin says, I don't even think we have met in the real world?

[kevin..in]

As for the variant, Kevin is right (again!),

And why am I agreeing with everything Kevin says, I don't even think we have met in the real world?
Oh I just love posts like this, might have to add it to my sig!
Kate if your car were a T bar it would just about represent my perfect MK1, as it is its pretty damn close
for me a tin top as a regular road car would be too enclosed, but a decent tin top as opposed to a rotten T bar and I'd go for the tin top, condition is king!
as for being noisey at 130MPH with the roof off I may or may not be able to confirm that a MK1 with the roof on is a noisey place to be at a steady 130+MPH

[CecilWard]

@ub80 - I've had the invalid redirect URL thing occasionally. And the odd permissions error type of message "you are forbidden to look at this xxx" on occasion too. Just weirdness, I don't believe it's anything personal.

[ub80]

Thanks - I will try to get that sorted out.

However - I have an other quick question: Is the interior always the same colour? I mean obviously seats and doorcards may vary. But what about the rest? I would guess all the plastics are black?

[Master-B]

Thanks - I will try to get that sorted out.

However - I have an other quick question: Is the interior always the same colour? I mean obviously seats and doorcards may vary. But what about the rest? I would guess all the plastics are black?

Nope, in the UK they came with black or blue interior plastics...

[ub80]

Thank you very much. So it wasn't just looking like that on the picture I saw. Good to know so I don't waste time and fuel to go and inspect the car.

[kevin..in]

well the US also got beige and burgundy, in the UK its black or blue, blue is quite unpopular so values can be lower, i've had 2 blue interior ones and I like them but it seems thats just because I'm odd!
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/02/mr2redinterior7-1.jpg

[EppingMk1SC]

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/02/6788708030_222ee680bc_z-1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/widnes_road/6788708030/)
DSC_3525 12 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/widnes_road/6788708030/) by Widnes Road (http://www.flickr.com/people/widnes_road/), on Flickr

I wasn't too sure about the blue interior, but on a dark mica blue car it can look pretty decent imho. not sure about those mats though, I really need to get round to replacing them with something more tasteful ;)

[ub80]

The car I was looking at is white and has blue fabric seats/doorcards. Those could be easily replaced for black leather - however it would look odd in combination with the blue plastics I think. So the search goes on. Luckily I am in no rush as I have a working car. Would just be nice to get a nice car for the summer sorted before the summer.

[Master-B]

well the us also got beige and burgundy, in the uk its black or blue, blue is quite unpopular so values can be lower, i've had 2 blue interior ones and i like them but it seems thats just because i'm odd!
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/02/mr2redinterior7-1.jpg

my eyes!!!!!!!

edit: is that a kitchen knife handle being used as a gearstick. America in the 80s = the land that taste forgot

[Kateg28]

I have seen pictures of that red interior on a mica red car (in the US). I think I got off lightly as mine is the sober black. What about JDM cars, did they get the red?

[kevin..in]

What about JDM cars, did they get the red?
only ever seen the burgundy and beige on LHD US spec cars, have to search my picture files for a beige one

as for the blue interiors IIRC they only appeared in crossover cars and were dropped when full 1b came in in late '87, the exception to this was the light blue metalic cars (often called helios) which kept a blue interior option right up until end of production in '89, i believe the cloth of the light blue metalic car's is a different pattern to the other blue interiors, and quite different to my sad MK1 anorak!

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/02/beigeinterior-1.jpg

[kevin..in]

I have seen pictures of that red interior on a mica red car (in the US). I think I got off lightly as mine is the sober black. What about JDM cars, did they get the red?

that one was in a white car!!!!!!!!!

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/02/mr2redinterior-1.jpg

[Kateg28]

It is better on a white car than on a red car. In the same way that being stabbed in the forearm is better than being stabbed in the eye.

It was just toooooo much on a mica red car as the leather colour is scarily similar to the paintwork and far too much

[kevin..in]

In the same way that being stabbed in the forearm is better than being stabbed in the eye.

remind me to stay away from East Herts

[ub80]

How mean! Now I want a white one with pink interior and a "Hello Kitty"-sticker on the bonnet! ;)

Well - not really. That is the car I was looking at and it looks like blue plastics: http://www.atouchofclassics.co.uk/car-listings.html?task=detail&id=94 (and not in bad condition overall)

Around £1000 would also be the kind of money I would be willing to spend. The car should be in solid condition means I must be able to use it without risking it breaking down or falling apart every 100 yards. I don't expect it to be perfect - but it is shocking how some people classify the car they are selling as "in excellent condition". I think the best was "some minor rust on the arches" where you could see holes on the pictures.

[kevin..in]

OK well first i'll say a seller who takes pics of a car for sale (worse still a business) and can't even bother to clean it, is probably best avoided, interior is blue under the 20 + years of grime
front passenger side wing has either been replaced or had paint
aerial is knackered
why are the rear lower corners black? because they are probably rotten
£1K from a trader is probably £400 car and £600 profit
no real info given pics don't tell you much

[ub80]

Well - still have not had any luck with finding a Mk1 for me.

However - now know a bit more in detail what I want: T-Bar, black interior (plastics), leather seats (don't have to be in the car as they can be easily replaced) and of course decent condition. Colour-preference in the following order: Red -> Mica Red -> Two tone -> Silver -> White -> Black -> Mica Blue -> Helios Blue

[kevin..in]

OK well a mica pearl red T bar especially one with leather interior will be parked over near the unicorn pen! probably with all the black T bar cars too
mica pearl red in RHD was japan only and as the japs don't really do leather interior for their domestic market it'll be a very lucky chap who drops on that particular car, & with a 1K budget nooooooooooooooo way
and if you find a genuine black T bar let me know I've looked for years, super rare in RHD
your other colour options are all achievable
have you actually tried a leather interior car?, it was always my prefered option untill i got one, drive it quickly and you slide all over the place, i'm considering replacing the seats with cloth ones! i even specced half leather in my new BM for this very reason

[ub80]

That is more like a list of "me like" and I am aware that some of these colours are very unlikely to find. I also would be quite happy with a "normal" red one or a white one. ;)

I have leather seats in the other car I drive regularly. I think I would like leather in the MR2 - but I also like the two-colour cloth seats. The seats I find really ugly are the blue velour ones. However - the seats are not the main-criteria as they could be replaced later.

[kevin..in]

yes you're right swapping seats is a 30 min job, the 2 colour ones are from a mk1A also mk3 roadster seats are a doable swap too, good luck with the search

[reject.ed]

If you happen across one with blue velour interior, let me know you can have my a1 condition leather. The more retro the better. Though after seeing the red interior set, i might set my american friend on finding me some. That is fantastic.

[Kateg28]

Mica red? Did someone mention mica red? I saw one about 5 mins ago when putting the bins out. And when I get the battery ordered it will be out and about. Only ever seen one other which belonged to Ollie at the time.

I see standard red is top of your list and mica blue near the bottom. I would have those the other way round and I find it fascinating how different colours appeal to different people.

[ub80]

Well - I just picked up my "new" car. It is white and has a sunroof. Was thinking about the T-Bars and came to the conclusion that I would probably be too lazy to take them off very often and thus might not be worth the extra hassle. Going to give it a good clean once the fog is gone and then take it for a nice little ride. First comment from the Ms.: "Why did they put the glove box at the back of the car?"

[brawr]

as for the blue interiors IIRC they only appeared in crossover cars and were dropped when full 1b came in in late '87, the exception to this was the light blue metalic cars (often called helios) which kept a blue interior option right up until end of production in '89

Nope, my '89 Mica Blue has a blue interior, as have a few other post '87 Micas I've seen.
Glad you found one ub80!

[kevin..in]

Nope, my '89 Mica Blue has a blue interior, as have a few other post '87 Micas I've seen.
Glad you found one ub80!

any chance of pics of your car including engine bay?

[brawr]

Plenty of images and a video of the engine bay in my project thread here (http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=readersrides&thread=42164)

Some relevant ones:
engine bay video (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v609/Silat/?action=view&current=SL741597.mp4)
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2010/03/DSC00062-1.jpg
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/03/DSC00061-1.jpg
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/03/DSC00057-1.jpg
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2012/03/SL741596-1.jpg
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2011/04/P1000423-1.jpg