Going to check out my soon to be new MR2!

DaNky · 04-17-2006, 07:30 PM

I'm heading over to Ontario tomorrow to check out an AW11. From what the place says(it's a used car lot) the body is in perfect shape, paint is perfect, interior is perfect. 100,000miles on it. 5spd trans, sunroof, black/black, 1986.

I was wondering what kind of things I should look out for when checking the car out. I know rust is a common problem with the first gens. I really want to buy this car, so any help in making the right choices will be much appreciated. I have a picture of my potential car in the INtroduction thread. I'm also going to be bringing one of my friends along who is in the final stages of becoming a pro mechanic, so hopefully he will help somewhat.

Thanks for the help everyone!

phoenix_iii · 04-17-2006, 09:30 PM

My 86 (89k on it) was perfect except water had collected on/behind the rear mud flaps and started body rot. Inspect there well, Previous Owner didn't even see it, but it went back a couple inches...

DaNky · 04-17-2006, 09:48 PM

Thanks for the help!

Mister2.2 · 04-17-2006, 10:13 PM

Behind the rear wheels on the quarter panel is a common spot for rust, so definitely look there.

seven_mgte · 04-18-2006, 10:56 AM

be wary of any car from ontario. at that age there is a 99.9% chance it will be rusty.

DaNky · 04-18-2006, 11:07 PM

Just checked it out this afternoon. I found a tiny bit of rust behind the mudflaps, which looked pretty minor; like I could sand it down and spray it with something to stop it from spreading. I test drove it, and it rode like a dream. The gears were smooth, it stayed in place in 5th gear(which I heard was a problem with early year MR2's). I really enjoyed it.

There were a few small interior problems, the lights wouldn't fold back into the car, the windshield sprayers wouldn't spray, the a/c was warm, the right window was a little wierd going up and down, and a few other small details. So I talked the guy into fixing everything for me out the door for $3600, but I decided to take it home for $2800 without him touching it, cause I could probably get everything fixed better, for cheaper. I'm going to be picking it up tomorrow!

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Thanks for the help guys!

DaNky · 04-19-2006, 07:59 AM

Hey, I got home tonight and decided to see exactly how good of a price I got for the '86...So I Blue Book it and it says I should be paying no more than $1645 for a mint condition MR2....I printed the page out and I'm driving back over there tomorrow so see what he's going to do about it.

I'm just soo close already and I want to just buy it an get it over with. I fell in love during the test drive. I'm going to enjoy my MR2.

PHOENIX · 04-19-2006, 08:13 AM

i dont trust those blue books. A mint mint condition mk1 will sell for 8k. post some pics of it.

Sounds like you are getting a decent deal. i would have tried to take it home for a little less but im a dealin kinda guy.

phoenix_iii · 04-19-2006, 10:00 AM

If you are patient you definitely could find a better deal. You will have to pay for import taxes or whatever, + inspection, + does he have the last emissions output (cat could be bad, who knows).

Ebay, Autotrader, and Mr2 forums (mr2oc and this one) post great cars at great prices all the time. Picked up an 88k with everything working (good suspension, tires, etc... rotors need to be turned or replaced but drivable) with a blown head gasket for 1k (and I could have talked him down to 900 like I did his wife on the phone), but he threw in some OEM extras.

The price you are paying for an out of country car is high, and that's if that's Canadian Dollars...

I fell the same way you did for my first CRX, but it needed a lot of rust repair, and my friend fortunately talked me out of it... for $1600 you could do better, closer. However, if saving $300 or so bucks isn't worth it to you, get it! You'll have it and can fix what's wrong with it... 100k is a decently low mileage for the price point. Local guy in Phila was charging 1675 for an MR2 with loose pedals, *shot* suspension (with new struts), and bad muffler, and really warped rotors.

DaNky · 04-20-2006, 12:09 AM

The guy wouldn't lower the price anymore than $2900, and I only had $2000 on me. I'm going to keep looking around to find a better deal. I might even drive back in about a week to see if he's gotten desperate. I really wanted to not have to worry about fixing the cosmetics of the car, and just get to work with everything else I want(performance). Hopefully I'll find something better soon, cause I don't like my car anymore. Heh.

ZMR2 · 04-20-2006, 12:17 AM

Ya keep looking, your kind of in a situation , in canada, and probably not so many mr2s up there even so. Idk how much work it would be to go from us to canda..

Blue book doesnt really work for mr2's they show mk2's for excellent condition for 3,600$ when they sell for 10k or so

DaNky · 04-20-2006, 12:48 AM

Huh? I don't live in Canada. Ontario is also a city in Southern California, near Riverside.

Mister2.2 · 04-20-2006, 01:22 AM

Most people would assume that you are in Canada if you say Ontario.

DaNky · 04-20-2006, 05:15 AM

Heh, it never even crossed my mind.

Gairloch · 04-20-2006, 05:22 AM

Can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Canuck on this board.

I can't imagine that you wouldn't have a ton of options with a little patience in SoCal. Hold out for a sweet deal.

DaNky · 04-20-2006, 04:19 PM

That's what I'm hoping for.

GaToy · 04-21-2006, 06:27 PM

Another place to pay attention to is the floor board. The passenger side of my '85 was gone. I could set there and just push a screwdriver right through it. You being in Cali. though you should be able to find a decent MR2 for cheap. Have you looked in the for sale forum on the other board?

~C.C.~

DaNky · 04-25-2006, 03:07 PM

IN mr2trader? Or just in the sale thread of this forum?

04-17-2006, 07:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Going to check out my soon to be new MR2! I'm heading over to Ontario tomorrow to check out an AW11. From what the place says(it's a used car lot) the body is in perfect shape, paint is perfect, interior is perfect. 100,000miles on it. 5spd trans, sunroof, black/black, 1986. I was wondering what kind of things I should look out for when checking the car out. I know rust is a common problem with the first gens. I really want to buy this car, so any help in making the right choices will be much appreciated. I have a picture of my potential car in the INtroduction thread. I'm also going to be bringing one of my friends along who is in the final stages of becoming a pro mechanic, so hopefully he will help somewhat. Thanks for the help everyone!

04-17-2006, 10:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mister2.2 Cheese it! Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,561 Thanks: 121 Thanked 115 Times in 99 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	Behind the rear wheels on the quarter panel is a common spot for rust, so definitely look there. __________________ --Josh MR2Trader.com Free to Buy and Sell your MR2 Parts!

04-18-2006, 11:07 PM	#6 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Just checked it out this afternoon. I found a tiny bit of rust behind the mudflaps, which looked pretty minor; like I could sand it down and spray it with something to stop it from spreading. I test drove it, and it rode like a dream. The gears were smooth, it stayed in place in 5th gear(which I heard was a problem with early year MR2's). I really enjoyed it. There were a few small interior problems, the lights wouldn't fold back into the car, the windshield sprayers wouldn't spray, the a/c was warm, the right window was a little wierd going up and down, and a few other small details. So I talked the guy into fixing everything for me out the door for $3600, but I decided to take it home for $2800 without him touching it, cause I could probably get everything fixed better, for cheaper. I'm going to be picking it up tomorrow! Questions? Comments? Concerns? Thanks for the help guys! Last edited by DaNky; 04-19-2006 at 12:15 AM..

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04-17-2006, 09:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
phoenix_iii n00b! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Phila, north NJ Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	My 86 (89k on it) was perfect except water had collected on/behind the rear mud flaps and started body rot. Inspect there well, Previous Owner didn't even see it, but it went back a couple inches...

04-17-2006, 09:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Thanks for the help!

04-18-2006, 10:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
seven_mgte Cage Fighter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Coquitlam, BC.ca Posts: 327 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	be wary of any car from ontario. at that age there is a 99.9% chance it will be rusty.

04-19-2006, 07:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Hey, I got home tonight and decided to see exactly how good of a price I got for the '86...So I Blue Book it and it says I should be paying no more than $1645 for a mint condition MR2....I printed the page out and I'm driving back over there tomorrow so see what he's going to do about it. I'm just soo close already and I want to just buy it an get it over with. I fell in love during the test drive. I'm going to enjoy my MR2.

04-19-2006, 08:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
PHOENIX Beams Owners Group Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: On Hiatus....... Posts: 9,266 Thanks: 92 Thanked 292 Times in 224 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (49/100% )	i dont trust those blue books. A mint mint condition mk1 will sell for 8k. post some pics of it. Sounds like you are getting a decent deal. i would have tried to take it home for a little less but im a dealin kinda guy.

04-19-2006, 10:00 AM	#9 (permalink)
phoenix_iii n00b! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Phila, north NJ Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	If you are patient you definitely could find a better deal. You will have to pay for import taxes or whatever, + inspection, + does he have the last emissions output (cat could be bad, who knows). Ebay, Autotrader, and Mr2 forums (mr2oc and this one) post great cars at great prices all the time. Picked up an 88k with everything working (good suspension, tires, etc... rotors need to be turned or replaced but drivable) with a blown head gasket for 1k (and I could have talked him down to 900 like I did his wife on the phone), but he threw in some OEM extras. The price you are paying for an out of country car is high, and that's if that's Canadian Dollars... I fell the same way you did for my first CRX, but it needed a lot of rust repair, and my friend fortunately talked me out of it... for $1600 you could do better, closer. However, if saving $300 or so bucks isn't worth it to you, get it! You'll have it and can fix what's wrong with it... 100k is a decently low mileage for the price point. Local guy in Phila was charging 1675 for an MR2 with loose pedals, shot suspension (with new struts), and bad muffler, and really warped rotors.

04-20-2006, 12:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	The guy wouldn't lower the price anymore than $2900, and I only had $2000 on me. I'm going to keep looking around to find a better deal. I might even drive back in about a week to see if he's gotten desperate. I really wanted to not have to worry about fixing the cosmetics of the car, and just get to work with everything else I want(performance). Hopefully I'll find something better soon, cause I don't like my car anymore. Heh.

04-20-2006, 12:17 AM	#11 (permalink)
ZMR2 Haterizing the people Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Omaha Posts: 1,303 Thanks: 3 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (5/100% )	Ya keep looking, your kind of in a situation , in canada, and probably not so many mr2s up there even so. Idk how much work it would be to go from us to canda.. Blue book doesnt really work for mr2's they show mk2's for excellent condition for 3,600$ when they sell for 10k or so

04-20-2006, 12:48 AM	#12 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Huh? I don't live in Canada. Ontario is also a city in Southern California, near Riverside.

04-20-2006, 01:22 AM	#13 (permalink)
Mister2.2 Cheese it! Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,561 Thanks: 121 Thanked 115 Times in 99 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	Most people would assume that you are in Canada if you say Ontario.

04-20-2006, 05:15 AM	#14 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Heh, it never even crossed my mind.

04-20-2006, 05:22 AM	#15 (permalink)
Gairloch Dreaming of apexes Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 5,313 Thanks: 139 Thanked 296 Times in 264 Posts Blog Entries: 4 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	Can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Canuck on this board. I can't imagine that you wouldn't have a ton of options with a little patience in SoCal. Hold out for a sweet deal.

04-20-2006, 04:19 PM	#16 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	That's what I'm hoping for.

04-21-2006, 06:27 PM	#17 (permalink)
GaToy '86 Sunroof Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Fort Valley, Ga Posts: 55 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Another place to pay attention to is the floor board. The passenger side of my '85 was gone. I could set there and just push a screwdriver right through it. You being in Cali. though you should be able to find a decent MR2 for cheap. Have you looked in the for sale forum on the other board? ~C.C.~

04-25-2006, 03:07 PM	#18 (permalink)
DaNky No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	IN mr2trader? Or just in the sale thread of this forum?