Oil evaporated?

[urladyswidme]

First of all, Hi everyone. I'm glad to have joined this forum. It seems too filled with a lot of good and reasonable people. And the MR2 is definitely a nice hobby to have.

I know it seems absurd. I bought my neighbors MR2 that has been sitting on driveway. Its appears to be in decent condition and I always always thought about offering him some money for it. So last week we decided that I buy it for $1500. I was a little short on cash so I only gave $1000 with a $500 IOU next month.

Its got 97k miles but the odometer is not functioning. He tells me it really has low miles and I trust him. I've rarely seen him drive the thing the past two years.

Anyhow, I had to swap out the battery yesterday because it was dead. Then I checked the oil and it was empty! No wonder the damn thing ran a little rough. We drove test drove it for about 4 miles without oil so I hope it didn't ruin anything in there. I poured 3 qts of oil and its now running a lot smoother. I'll probably swap out the oil next weekend when I have more time. Now I'm thinking I'm risking $1500 on an engine that might come apart soon. I'm thinking to negotiate down to $1000. Any thought?

The brakes need to be replaced too. Can anyone recommend some good pads?

Thanks much,
JD

[Timon]

I'd say $1k isn't bad, but even if you have to pay $1500, it's still a decent deal if it's in good shape. As for the oil issue, I can't say for sure that it didn't cause any damage, but you have to remember it is Toyota quality - think 'miniature tank'. You'll probably be alright if its running good now, but if you want to be sure have a leak down test done on it. This will give more details on the engine components, and make sure everything is still sealing properly. Otherwise, I'd suggest a compression test.

As for brakes, you can't go wrong with Twos R Us, Twos R Us - Parts for Toyotas from Club MR2 . They have street pads and performance pads, depending on your budget.

[urladyswidme]

Thanks Timon. BTW, this MR2 is the same color as yours!

[yikes]

Tell him because of the oil issue, you will hold the 500 for 6 months, if the engine and everything else is okay, you will pay him then. You don't know how long he drove it without oil. If he is reasonable, and you are both honest, shouldn't be a problem.

[Jackstand Queen]

Yeah handing over a car with no oil in it, is just wrong. What a dirtbag! It almost amounts to sabotage.

[urladyswidme]

Honestly folks, I think he was surprised himself. He offered to give me back my $1000 but I told him to hang on to it for now. We agreed to take the car the mechanic to inspect it for leaks and maybe do a compression test. If there is a reasonable fix needed, we agreed to split the difference. I think its fair.

Anyhow, I gave her a quick wash today and she is looking a lot better. Aside from the age of the paint, she is in excellent condition. Her suspension is clunky so I might have to invest in that soon. She still pulls pretty good thought and her transmission doesn't slip or pop out of gear.

I should take some photos..

[Maticuno]

Definitely post some photos. Before you change the oil, ask him what type he was using. Some times putting synthetic oil in an engine this old that always ran with petroleum based oil before will cause leaks.

Gauge clusters are cheap on eBay, possibly cheaper than trying to fix the odometer:
MkI MR2 Gauge Cluster

[Timon]

^True, but it only causes leaks if something is wrong. Synthetic is still oil, it just fits into smaller areas that regular oil doesn't. If everything is up to par as it should be then it shouldn't leak. I personally run synthetic blend in my vehicle.

To the OP, I think that splitting the difference is the most fair way to do it. Glad you were able to work something out, in case there is something wrong with it you don't get hit so hard.

[suprarx7nut]

A good checklist to follow with ANY used car from ANY buyer:

Check oil level (Watch dipstick for flakes of metal (sparkling glitter). This can reveal bearing failure/rod knock)
Check coolant level
Check for liquid residue (leaks)

Hope your MR2 turns out to be fine. Just remember to keep an ample amount of any type of oil in there at all times. Motors (esp toyotas) will last a very long time if you simply keep them lubricated.

**Addition:

Oh, and you probably have an oil leak somewhere since it had no oil. Either that or the P.O. never bothered to fill the motor will oil in the first place.

[urladyswidme]

Took it to a local mechanic and there is a leak around the valve cover and also around the timing belt area. He said he will change the gaskets, seals and the timing belt for $450. Im mechanically inclined but not a lot of patience for long jobs. It this something I can do in two days?

There is also some leak around the rear axle on the driver side. Thats probably going to cost another couple hundred bucks. The cat is toast too so it failed CA emissions. Thats probably another $300 installed.

Im still holding on to $500 but the owner really wants to get $1500 for this MR2. I like it an all but I think I'll give it back to him if he wont give it up for $1000.

Any advice or opinions?

Thanks

[urladyswidme]

BTW here are some photos of the car.

[Jackstand Queen]

If the motor isn't blowing blue smoke, I'd pay $1500 for it in a New York minute.

If you have to pay $70 bucks an hour to get your MkI worked on, you should pass and give it back. This is a 20 year old fuel injected car that has suffered from chick ownership. You know how chicks do their cars, put gas in it, and then when it screws up just shrug their shoulders. Once you get it squared away, it should run smoothly for a while. But overcoming years of ownership by someone who just puts gas in a car and drives it. . . .that's gonna take some work.

When I buy a used car, I specifically avoid buying a car owned by a woman. I know this because I have two sisters who are space cadets when it comes to cars.

I rate patience right up there with skills, tools, and knowledge when it comes to auto repairs. Patience, to make the right diagnosis, to find for the right part, to wait for the part, to remove the old one, clean the mounting surfaces, wait for the sealant to set, etc. Patience is needed even to approach and climb the Learning Curve.

[Maticuno]

$450 sounds about right for camshaft seals, valve cover seals, and timing belt. Doing the camshaft seals yourself is quite a PITA, but do-able. If at all possible, make sure to get Toyota seals to put back in it. When I replaced my head gasket I used the crappy Vatozone camshaft seals the first time and they gave out in less than a week. A cat should cost no more than $150. What part of the smog test did you fail? If you let us know what the numbers were we might be able to do a little bit of OTC engine diagnostics for you.

[yikes]

By the way, the coolant reservoir cap MUST be replaced. It has caused the car to overheat because of low coolant in the system (it cannot suck coolant back into the system after cooling down). Coolant is what kills these cars. I am surprised that the idle doesn't bounce. Can you do the work in two days? Sure. But go back and read Jackstands post. A lot of knowledge and experience in that post.
Sit down with pen and paper, total everything that needs done now. Double that amount. That is what you will pay in the next 3 years. Is that something you can afford? This is a great car and a lot of fun to have and drive, figure that in also.

[Timon]

Originally Posted by yikes

Sit down with pen and paper, total everything that needs done now. Double that amount. That is what you will pay in the next 3 years. Is that something you can afford? This is a great car and a lot of fun to have and drive, figure that in also.

Everytime I do the math it comes out odd...

When I solve for fun, I get positive infinite.
When I solve for cost, I get negative infinite.

What's the problem here?

[urladyswidme]

Thanks for the feedback. You guys are great.

I don't mind investing time and money in this car because I think its a cool car to play around with. I had a BMW M Coupe a few years back and it was a b*tch when it comes to cost of maintenance. I figured this car would be both fun and cheaper to maintain--not to mention more reliable.

I already picked up the replacement cap plus hoses for the overflow tank for around $30. I've read up on flushing the coolant already and it sounds like its doable over a weekend. I can probably push the valve cover and axle leaks in the next two months.

Here is what I plan on doing:

1. Flush and replace coolant; also replace front brake pads.

2. Replace cat converter (isnt it a bolt on?)

Now the car should pass smog and be ready for registration and weekend driving.


3. Replace spark plugs, wires, and distributor cap

4. Fix oil leak around engine. Mechanic said the leak is around the timing belt area. Not 100% sure if its the valve cover gasket yet.

5. Fix axle leak on the driver side.

6. Redo entire suspension. Can anyone recommend a good package? I've been pricing some coilovers around $1k but they might be too stiff. I need something that is still bearable for my 60 mile (RT) daily commute. I plan on alternating the MR2 with my CL-S for my commute to work.

[yikes]

You haven't driven the car enough yet, or you would already know the answer. What is missing is PASSION. If you talk to anyone that is a past owner of our cars, each one will tell you that they wish they had not sold the car. Ask anyone that has had our cars for a lot of years, why they keep it, We just cannot picture driving anything else. We drive this car because we want to drive it, not because we can't afford something else.
Is it a perfect car,,,no. There is better tech today in cars. There are faster cars. There are cars that are way more cool. There are even vehicles that will carry home a 4x8 sheet of plywood. But there is no car that is more fun to drive.
Entering into a relationship with a mr2 means that you will learn to work on these cars, you will put up with being embarrassed when it fails to start, you will scratch your head wondering what is wrong with it or where it is in the parking lot, you will cuss when a shifter cable breaks or when taking out the tps the first time. But then you will take a corner a little faster than normal, you will listen to the purr at 3K or hear the sound past 6500 and you realize that you are smiling. That smile is what separates cars.

[Maticuno]

Originally Posted by urladyswidme

2. Replace cat converter (isnt it a bolt on?)

Now the car should pass smog and be ready for registration and weekend driving.


3. Replace spark plugs, wires, and distributor cap

If the exhaust system is stock then yes. The converter is bolt on. MR2 Bolt on Converters I'm not sure about the "Not legal in CA" part since these cars are not OBDII.
I would recommend replacing the plugs and such before you smog it next. That little bit of efficiency gained with new plugs can make a difference in your smog score.

[urladyswidme]

Yikes: Amen bro. Im already starting to feel that way about this car. Something about this car just makes me wanna tinker with it. Most other cars just get me scared...

Maticuno: Thanks for the tip about replacing the plugs and wires.

[urladyswidme]

Its official! The MR2 is mine for a whopping price tag of.... $1300. I walked him through the list of repairs and he agreed to cut the price a little--reasonable guy. Now the fun begins. I'll have to start my own AW11 blog now.