1984 Toyota MR2 review from Australia and New Zealand
"Works out in your favor in the long run"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Drove the car extremely nicely for 3 weeks, gave it a bit one night to look up and see steam gushing out of the engine at the cause of a blown a head gasket.
Previous owners had a new engine installed 16 months ago and managed to warp the block and head of the replacement motor aswell. Apparently filling the radiator and engine with a "stop leak" mixture worked long enough for me to buy the car.
Took it to my mechanic who wanted the high-end of $4000 to fix (complete recondition) or $500 to hear "its not worth fixing".
Getting a new motor installed this weekend (20v variety instead).
Words of wisdom - Replace ALL the radiator pipes when installing a new engine.
General comments?
I have owned a Supercharged 89 MR2 before and managed to write it off.
I never once got stranded on the side of the road, only once in my driveway (due to someone undoing my sump bolt).
No oil leaks from the SC, hopefully this older less mileage car won't for a long time either.
Seats are excellent for spirited driving, not so great for long journeys (but after an excel, no-one can complain)
Recommended reviews
  | A true MR sports car for the masses |
| 1984 - MR2 G Spec 1.6L-16V 1.6L-16v-EFI-DOHC Simply it's fast, sporty and eco-friendly 80's sports car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6L MPFI Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 3/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 131000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 132500 kilometres |
| Previous car | Hyundai Excel |
| Date of Entry | 11th April, 2003 |