1987 Toyota MR2 T-Top review from North America

Replaced clutch after the first week driving about 400 miles ownership. (slipping when bought)

Electrical nightmares. Ended up working around it with toggle switches.

Radio was hardly functional. Replaced it with an old cheap Radio Shack radio for the time being.

Muffler hanger broke off, but a new muffler was cheap enough.

Windshield leaked. I put a piece of tape over the seal to fix until I get a chance to fix it permanently.

I never saw an 87 MR2 before mine. I was talking to someone who was a good friend at the time. I told him I wanted t-tops, RWD, and a manual trans. He said he just picked up an MR2, which had all of the things I wanted. I bought the car and had to replace the clutch. It was no big problem; I ended up doing it in a weekend in my driveway.

The engine bay can be hard to work on because it is so small, but there is room. Everything has to be done from underneath, which can make your shoulders sore, but when you are driving the car it is worth it.

I cannot see the car and not smile. It is the ultimate driving machine. The mid engine design makes handling amazing compared to my previous vehicles.

I put a lot of time and money into the car, making it better to my personal driving style. I put a short shifter on it and some other small mods.

The stock 4age is enough to get you going, but I want a little bit more power. I bought a 4age silvertop, which puts out 160hp compared to the stock 4age redtop, which puts out a whopping 110hp. I bought the car because my engine had an intermittent knock, which went away when I tightened an EGR bolt down.

No torque. I originally had an El Camino. Switching from torque to an engine that has no torque was weird, but having a very high red-line makes up for it.

The car has never let me down. The clutch and wiring were just a small bump along the road. I have made many long trips and the car holds up fine, and it keeps up with many newer cars.