Author Topic: BinaryStar Intro  (Read 1963 times)

lp670mike

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Re: BinaryStar Intro
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2015, 08:42:03 AM »
No problem,

A few more things to consider.  The most plentiful years you will find are the 91-93.
94-95 were very low numbers imported to the US.  This is directly reflected in the price if you see one for sale.  They are usually very low miles and very good condition and upwards of 10,000 dollars.  Also I would not rule out the 91 and 92 models on account of the suspension issues. It is only a matter of a few parts to convert the suspension to 93 style. Also if you end up doing the stretch and sticking with the mr2 drivetrain you may look at buying a complete rear jdm clip. For about 3500-4000 shipped you will get the whole back half of a 94 and up low miles turbo mr2 from japan. Which will include complete harness suspension, the works.  Power will be about 245HP stock with modest bolt-ons you can easily put down 300+ to the wheels.  For my build I just bought an MR2 shell without engine or transmission.  I plan to put an 04 Passat v6 supercharged 5spd in it.  Which is already a longitudinal engine layout. 
My advice to you would be, really think about what you want to build, make a plan and do your best to stick to it.  I picked up my rolling chassis for 600 bucks. Also remember just look for minimal rust the rest of the body gets thrown out, so it doesn't have to be a gem. They don't have terrible rust issues but check the rockers if it has rust that's where it will be.
Not sure where you are located but there is a guy in Maryland that always has rolling chassis and part outs on craigslist. I have been into MR2's for years so if you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask.

BinaryStar

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Re: BinaryStar Intro
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2015, 01:27:28 AM »
Thanks for the warm welcome!

@lp670mike
Thank-you for the excellent resource! I have refined my donor car search to the 93-95's. If anyone is interested in the specifics, here's a quote I found on mr2oc.com;

Quote from: Dan Barnes, Enthusiast Buying Guide: Toyota MR2 (1991-1995)
Under hard cornering, the rear wheels would toe out, causing difficult-to-control oversteer. Because of this, the rear suspension's lateral links were lengthened by 98mm and the rear trailing arms' attachment points were raised 3mm in 1993. This corrected the toe out, and reduced squat under acceleration and dive under braking. The modifications are compatible for retro-fitting, and the required changes are well documented on the Web.


Related note: I discovered how great RSS feeds a couple months ago, and have been using them to routinely check for newly posted used vehicles on craigslist, kijiji, etc. Does anyone else use RSS feeds in their daily routine? It sure beats manually looking through different craigslist and kijiji searches again and again.
If there's any interest, I could post a simple guide on how fellow users could set up their own personal RSS feeds, focusing mainly on used vehicle searches.

lp670mike

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Re: BinaryStar Intro
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2015, 05:56:54 AM »
Welcome

You want a 91 thru 95.  They come in manual and electronic power steering. 
The power steering is nice because you can upgrade to quick ratio.
Also 91 and 92 models have different suspension geometry and are prone to snap over steer.  No sure how this will be affected with a stretched wheel base. This problem was corrected on the 93 and up mr2. Goodluck check out mr2oc.com there is a wealth of info there.

AdrianBurton

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Re: BinaryStar Intro
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2015, 03:36:40 PM »
Welcome

Ask plenty of questions

Wookie77

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Re: BinaryStar Intro
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2015, 11:24:10 AM »
Welcome TJ!

Im new here too. Looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship... LOL  ::thumbup

-Gabe

BigPines

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Re: BinaryStar Intro
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2015, 12:25:26 AM »
Welcome TJ. The MR2 is a great donor. Any year seems like it would be good but I'm sure others know the specifics you would be interested in. I'm looking forward to seeing your build.
If I don't have time to do it right, when will I have time to do it over?

BinaryStar

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BinaryStar Intro
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2015, 11:41:21 PM »
Hello all,

My name is TJ and I'm in Greater Vancouver, Canada. I've been following some excellent build threads on this forum, and I thought I'd sign up and get vocal before starting my own build!

I'm interested in starting an Aventador build. I've been doing some research, and the MR2 is looking like a great donor car to start with. Especially since it has features such as power steering, which the Fiero natively lacks. I'd like some opinions on the best age-range for MR2 donors!

I'm looking forward to building, sharing and making some friends along the way!!

TJ,  ::beers