1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo--one adult owner since 1996--LOCAL PICKUP ONLY

1991 Toyota MR2 Description

I bought this car in L.A. in ‘96 with 80,000 miles on it. It got me to the east coast in ‘99. I’ve
never driven anything that feels as glued to the road as this. I’m sure there are other mid
engine cars that impart the same feeling, but nothing in this price range. When I would go to a
restaurant in L.A., the parking attendants would always park the MR2 in the front with the
Porsches and Ferraris; they could see from the name badge it was a Toyota, but weren’t sure
what exactly it was.
I am saving up to buy recording equipment—music being another passion of mine—and
something has to fund that project, so I am going to have to part with my old friend and let
someone else enjoy it.
This is a great project car. It starts right up and runs well. You can take care of a couple of
pressing matters and gradually work on the other stuff over time. According to Road & Track
Magazine, Toyota imported about 20,000 MR2s from ‘91-‘96 and only 1/3 of them were
turbocharged—that’s under 7000. Here is a chance to own a super-rare original classic.
The Good: The body is in good shape. The car starts up and runs well. It has no
modifications; everything's stock. The steering is tight and precise—no jiggle or play in the
steering wheel. The brakes stop surely with no pulling to either side (4-wheel disks with ABS).
The Bad: The light to check the air bag is on which means the bag will probably need to be
replaced. There is a small amount of rust at the bottom of the driver’s side door. This door is
stuck shut, but I have a replacement latch for it (bought on eBay).
The rest is stuff that you may choose to ignore or work on over time: The air conditioning
system and sound system need work; the upholstery is worn; the wipers stop in mid cycle
when you turn them off; the t-top leaks slightly in rain on the driver’s side; there is a very slow
leak from the head gasket—an inexpensive part that is a big deal to get to, so I’ve just ignored
it for the past who-knows-how-long; and recently, I’ve had to add steering fluid.
As I’ve said, this is a project car. If it were flawless, the price would be 15K higher. It looks
good, starts up and runs. And that’s a great place to begin.