Drive to Wales on Saturday ?

[Evo4Jon]

Anyone fancy a drive to Wales this Saturday 29th June 2019 ? (other cars welcome as well as MR2's of course)

I am based in Warrington so going to Ruthin Via M56

Plan would be to meet on M56 and all drive to Ruthin for a spot of brunch at Chatwins - they do pulled pork, carvery meat and pies, Tea, Coffee etc

Then over to Criccieth via B4501 and then back via the B5105... through pine forests - great roads !

If you want to come post here, we can arrange to meet on the way.

Looks like 2 mk1's so far.

Jonathan

[Evo4Jon]

Well it's Friday Night, so I guess thats a NO then LOL !

[tommundy]

Would have loved to, but my car is in need of an MOT and I've got other stuff on. :(

Perfect driving weather, so hope you still get out! :)

[Evo4Jon]

I went... had fun. The roads were fantastic and my car performed the best it ever had since my latest realignments using string.

My mate in his S2000 was very impressed with the mk1, and loved the sound and character of the 4age. It handled superbly when conditions were right. We abidedby the speed limits, but they were mostly 60mph, which is plenty fast enough.

Just wish there was more of a community spirit with these cars.

MR2 mk1's are an amazing drivers car once they are sorted and setup right, but it would appear that many owners either have problems with their cars not running right or handling, so the magic is lost.

I guess I tried to arrange the trip rather last minute too.
The problem with arranging things in advance though, is that the british weather is unpredictable and probably many owners can't arrange things last minute due to other commitments.

Anyway, if anyone would like to come on another run out, then post here.

If i get no response, then I will probably not bother asking again

[Sweetpea]

Glad you had a nice day even though the turnout wasn't what it could have been.
I'd come. I'm just in totally the wrong place.

I'm not big on the social side I'm afraid. Grumpy old git! That said I've been waiting to get the car in a fit state to do the Kent run and now it might just about get round the run seems to have disappeared! I'm tempted to do what you did and send a last minute invite and go for a trundle anyway. If people want to come that's cool. Won't be until later in the year though. Too busy at the moment!


I have to admit, 30 years of hard work has totally trashed mine. I bought it as a scrap car so it shouldn't have been a surprise. But it was! I couldn't believe just how much was wrong with it. I'm still surprised it was running well enough to blow the head gasket in the first place. It must have been a horrific car to be in just before it died. It's going to take some serious work and a fair bit of cash to get it even close to how it was when it was new. I'm starting to get an impression of what it could be though. I can imagine how a fair few owners are having a mediocre experience.

James

[Evo4Jon]

Yep, you nailed it! I think they become quite dreadful, quite fast and the idea of belting around the countryside in a Car with the handling of a jet ski and sounding like its about to blow up must be rather horrendous. Mine was crap when I got it. Its bloody brilliant now, but took 3 years of obsessive work so get it like it is now. To be honest, would love to help others make their cars run and handle better, but it can take more commitment than many people can afford to give.

They like the idea of owning an MR2, but get underwhelmed when it feels old and wobbly and cant bear to sell it. Then the car gets rusty and it all becomes too much to deal with.

So the story ends and they say: I had an MR2 once, it was OK.... Then I sold / scrapped it.

[Martin42006]

Having driven mine for a good few years on all the old blown shocks i didnt feel like it was bad untill i rebuilt and polybushed everything, the difference was night and day with the handling.
It became a real joy to drive and felt brilliant on the back roads, they have great handling once setup and with a happy revvy engine they are a excellent car to take on a b-road blast.

So many people seem to run on the belief that if it passed the MOT then nothing needs changing. people also like to run odd tyres and change one suspension component when it fails rather than doing at mimumum an axle pair. Its easy to understand how some of these cars can become bad to drive.

I would have loved to go on the drive as im fairly local over in the dales but already had other plans to be up at Beadnell on saturday.
Its difficult to get people to go on a drive when the club is so quiet, the few members that are active arnt particularly close to each other.

[Evo4Jon]

Yes I'm with you on all points.

I poly bushed mine and fitted KYB shocks / left the stock springs and ARB's alone though. They are totally adjustable with Caster / Camber and toe ! How many cars get this level of adjustment today ?? SO many hot hatches only have front toe !

MR2's are either crap or Brilliant ! The last 20% spent tweaking and refining gives the biggest gains and not many people know what to do, so they fit Ling Long tyres or a mix of scary Chinese cheap tyres (my cars had them when I got it) and the bushes are shot, alignment all out of wack...

My car had been for an alignment to about 4 places (taken by previous owners) and it came to me with 12mm total rear toe and about 5mm front toe. +ve camber all round ???? I think they were just trying to make it more stable, but the reality was worn bushes, badly assembled front struts and leaky rear dampers. It used to rev horribly and it felt like I was flogging a tired old thing that was ready for retirement. once the rusty fuel tank was gone and the fuel system cleaned, its become a fast nippy little Ninja !

I had such a blast on Saturday that I am off on another run on Weds to drive the Llanberis pass. I have other cars I could use, but the MR2 is such fun at 30 and 40mph round the twisties... Its like you can be a hooligan without being a hooligan, the engine noise makes you think fast, but then when you actually look at your speedo, you realize that you are within the law and you are having fun too.

In My Mitsubishi, the "fairground lights" only turn on when you hit 80mph ! its happiest round a track... not really that fun on the road because I am always on the brakes so as to be responsible and not lose my license.

The MR2, once sorted, is such a great A / B road machine. I drove them when they were new and I didn't appreciate how truly amazing they were until I have had the time to really play with mine - now its all sorted.

Maybe one day, people will realise just what an amazing little car they are, but I reckon it will be too late as they will have rotted away !

[Sweetpea]

I was chatting with the bloke that dropped off my IS250 (before we replaced it) after a service.
"The MR2 will be quicker than the IS then?"
"No chance! The MR2 has 30 year old suspension rubbers and dampers. It's handling is terrible."

He'd imagined the MR2 as it was when it was new and compared it with cars of the day. That's the route to disappointment. He'd also seen the IS as a luxury barge and forgotten that it was (quite literally) frighteningly quick round a corner. People don't perceive things as the are.

But, being fair to the little Toyota, any 80s car is going to have the same problems and will be equally horrible until it's fixed. It's just a question of how good it could be. The MR2 has further to fall in that respect.
I think myself lucky. A mate has an MGB. His engine is out of breath and he's changed up long before mine has opened the TVIS.
Not that mine ever opens the TVIS. It's broken. :-:

[Evo4Jon]

A mate has an MGB. His engine is out of breath and he's changed up long before mine has opened the TVIS.
Not that mine ever opens the TVIS. It's broken. :-:

Hahahahahahahahaha.... :) :) :)

[Sillyhatday]

Good little read. I feel that new bushes will bring mine back to 100% also.


if it passed the MOT then nothing needs changing. people also like to run odd tyres and change one suspension component when it fails rather than doing at mimumum an axle pair. Its easy to understand how some of these cars can become bad to drive.

In terms of a car at its best the MOT means nothing doesn't it. It's worthless once you drive out the garage, anything can happen to it. I always replace in pairs. When cars are so cheap though they are run by people on a small budget too. So sometimes you can't fault people for it. A sports cars though, you can't hide the cost cutting in its drive.

I would like to join more days out,but with work and band commitments I struggle to find time. Most are too far away for me too. I recently drove to Belgium in my Honda, it's a more comfortable car and 8+ hours I'd had enough. Some days out would be that much driving for me without the bit in the middle. Wales such as, would be 3 hours each way at least

[Evo4Jon]

If you want to do a trip round Yorkshire Dales, I would be up for it ! I drove the ButterTubs pass about 6 months ago and it was lovely scenery around there! :)

I don't fault people for having a low budget, but they are often so short sighted! With a bit of research and time spent online you can buy a decent tyre for a budget price and the total cost is probably only £30 more (max) than getting Ling Long tyres from your local tyre shop. With no ABS and a rather poor encap safety rating, the MR2 owner who fits crap tyres is missing out on cracking handling and a safe drive. He is also putting his life in danger if he needs to brake suddenly - especially in the wet. I found this out because my car was fitted with Event tyres on the front and SteadyWay tyres on the rear. I had to brake in the wet all of a sudden and the wheels just locked up and I nearly ran into the back of a 1 series BMW. I had to pump the brake like crazy to regain control!

[Sillyhatday]

Yeah sometime in the future we can meet up in the Peaks. I'm pretty booked up right now. The MR2 tyres are cheap as. Mine ar top quality tyres and were about £35 each

[Vistalite]

What are these top tyres you guys are peddling anyway? We all need recommendations please?!

I was looking at Bridgestones but they are nowhere near £35.

[Evo4Jon]

I am running Avon ZV7 195/50 R15 V (82) (on the front) which are £35.80 each from Black Circles on the rear Toyo CF2 which are £33.80 @ MyTyres.co.uk

Both these tyres are Great in the wet and the dry. I can lock them up in the dry if I stamp on the brakes like a madman, but if I lessen the pedal pressure, they grip again quickly. Because the MR doesn't have ABS, I think its V important to get a tyre which is grippy in the wet and of a soft compound. I would prefer to have to buy new tyres due to wear than have hardly worn tyres on a smashed up motor or worse !

when you get one of these cars handling great and the engine running sweet, you tend to "enjoy" the handling and performance much more than you would a triumph Herald :)

[Martin42006]

When mine was on the road i had Dunlop bluresponse, they are brilliant in wet and dry as they had really soft compound. think they were 40-50 each fitted, been a while since i had to buy them, they lasted 10-15k miles too so didnt have to change them very often.
I would be up for a dales or peaks run. I will have a look and see if i can find a nice few routes through the dales inc. buttertubs pass and see if we can find a time that suits as many people as possible.
On the FB drivers club group there is someone organising a bit of a yorkshire run for the 10th august, there hasnt been a set route posted just a general idea of where its going through dont thing its going up into the dales though. I will post details if anyones interested.

[Evo4Jon]

Hey Martin can you post a link to it ?

This pic is from when i went around Wales with Bill and Mike:
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2019/07/wales-1.jpg

[Martin42006]

If any of you are daft enough to use twatbook the link is here. https://www.facebook.com/events/667161400424211/?ti=as

If not then here is a rough outline of the route
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2019/07/6f29fd711b358ef64e627dd8163cd220-1.jpg
If anyone is interested I can keep you updated with the details.

[Evo4Jon]

I know I'm in good company when its referred to as twatbook lol :)

I would probably take part in a northern run that was less easterly as getting to and from that event would 3.5 to 4 hrs for me.

For me. Yorkshire Dales would be ideal starting from M6, or Forest of Bowland, or Halifax and going up

[Sillyhatday]

Faceballs ain't for me either. That's a pretty local run for me. I'll check my calender. I'm still up for meeting Jon half way at some point too.

[Evo4Jon]

I think the best runs out are those that have great places to stop and eat lunch or have coffee or icecream. The driving is great fun, but if you know you're gonna get tasty food, pulled pork, pies, steak n chips or breakfast bap and then later followed by coffee and cake, its even better!