1985 AW11 MR2 buyers guide

I'm looking at an 1985 MR2 this weekend and was wondering if their is anything I should check that is a "problem" on these cars. It apparently had some engine maintenance done in the recent history, and needs a wheelbearing. I haven't looked at it yet, but was wanting to know the problem areas.

Thanks,

Daniel

Rust and leaks. It'll be easy to tell if the motor is running well or not. Should be almost sewing machine smooth, and rev very freely.

I think the only re-occuring problem i've seen is rust. And they do rust. Badly.

Another annoying (because it's time-consuming/expensive to fix) problem is that they occasionally break the speedo cable. You can probably guess from the layout why that's annoying to fix...

Oh, and they can have problems with jumping out of 5th gear.

Some magazine or other actually did a buyer's guide on the AW11 a few years ago....dammit, I can't recall the name of the rag, though. Lawnboy Powersports? Grass-fed Motor-head? Meh. Think it was in 2004/2005.

Cliffs notes: Great car, but watch for clunks in the front end/steering and rust in the wheel arches. And hope you never have to do a fuel pump.

A short list from my short term ownership

Engine mounts break.
The window winder parts (Delrin parts were available from MR2ownersclub.com)
Manual transmission problems due to soft bushings.
Rust everywhere.

The epicenter of all things MR2 is the MR2 owners club www.mr2oc.com
You will have to register to get in but it is well worth it.

So if it has little rust (unlikely as it's a wisconsin car but I can hope) and runs/drives ok It's sounding like there really isn't much to worry about. I'm familiar with the headaches of working on mid engined cars (I've owned 4 fieros in my days and done most everything to them). I was hoping there wasn't any of those, This issue is fatal type things with these cars and it's sounding like there isn't. I'll just look it over like any 25 year old car.

Thanks for the info so far, and I'll let you guys know what I find when I go look at it.

Daniel

You WILL need a fuel pump at some point, and it's really not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It's WAAAAY easier with the tank empty than if there's gas in it.

There's few dealbreaker issues that won't be obvious (rust, rod coming through side of block, etc.). They show pretty honestly.

jg

I second the mr2oc.com research - you will find many answers there.

Also, the mr2wiki page isn't bad for general info. Here's the Buyer's Guide - What to look for

Dammit... the king of AW11s aka Roy is trekking through NZ right now and not on email too regularly. Otherwise I'd have him post here, he's owned a few AW11s over the years and we dismantled one right down to the bare tub a few years back. (Some of you may know Roy, he helped Bill Strong do the Northstar swap in '03.)

One of the point Roy always harped on:

Look at the rear fender arches very very very closely. They should have tiny dimples on there, if they don't then the rears have been fixed and are waiting to fall apart. The cars are notorious for rusting in that area and the only way to tell if its unmolested is to see if you can see the little dimples.

Early cars also had different sway bars. According to Roy changes from 86 to 87 were to accommodate the S/C drivetrain. The rear sheet metal didn't change but the entire rear suspension including the mounting points to the chassis changed. Maybe the hub bearing diameter stayed the same so the S/C axle fits.

imho, they are actually pretty stout little cars for their age. They're still 20+ years old though. Rust can be an issue, but doesn't necessarily affect every example, especially in the southern states. Most of the problems crop up from poor maintenance. Fortunately & unfortunately they're dirt cheap - which means dirt cheap owners. They're aren't any design-flaws that lead to disaster, but there are common weak links and services that often get ignored or are simply done incorrectly.

Here are a couple of things I'm not sure are included in that link above:

Coolant Flush - usually burped incorrectly. If you find a good example do this soon after purchase. Because the radiator in the front and the engine's in the back the process is much more involved than your common front engine car.

Suspension Bushings, Ball Joints, and Tie Rods - these are usually ignored by previous owners and are essential to getting predictable handling and high speed stability. Unless the suspension is rusty (my 86 wasn't) the ball joints and tie rod ends aren't too bad, but the bushings are a PITA unless you have a shop press. Some people burn out the old ones, but it's messy.

Front Motor Mount Tear - like someone mentioned, the front motor mount is a weak point, especially when power levels are above stock or poly inserts/mounts are used. A little reinforcing is all that is necessary and is good insurance. That said, I replaced mine with Rockauto replacement mounts (oem style rubber) and have had no problems in 4 years without any reinforcing (knock on wood).

Oil Cooler Lines - can leak after this amount of time and have caused fires in more than a couple of mk1s. Check and replace after purchase. Unless there's obvious leaks I wouldn't worry about doing it immediately, just eventually.

Rust - this info is everywhere, but my short list items are rear wheel wells, check underneath bottom padding in frunk and trunk.

There are a ton of other little replacement items like the "eyebrows" below the flip-ups and plastic interior pieces, but they're not deal-breakers on purchase imho.

Like autoxrs mentioned, there are differences between the early version 85-86 and the later 87-89, sometimes referred to as the mk1a and mk1b. I'm not going to act like I know every difference, but the big ones are different bumpers, taillights, interior details, wiring harnesses(?), and the big one that isn't swappable is rear suspension design (lower a-arms, mounts, knuckles, hubs(?) They all came with front sway bars, but only the 85, some of the 86, and the 89SC had rear sway bars and the mounting tabs on the strut casing. Twosrus.com sells retrofitting mounting tabs though.

In reply to Matt B:

I've got an '87 and I love it. It's a great autox toy, and becoming more of a track beater as we speak.

Stuff to look out for:
-Wannabe go fast goodies bc. its more likely to be beaten on.

-Rust in front of the rear wheels, and the rear wheel arches. Replacement panels are available from Twosrus.com . Mine needs the two pieces under the side skirt replaced.
-Frunk floor rust -5th gear may pop out (accelerate 'hard' in 5th and then let off) -Head gaskets are known to go around 120k and up. Mine blew at 140k at a track day. -usual maintenance stuff, like timing belt and water pump can be expensive if you have to pay someone to do it for you. As such, its a good talking point when negotiating a price.

The '85 is distinguished by a few things.

First, they have a rear sway bar. (Early '86 cars actually have tabs for the rear bar on the struts, but Toyota just used up what they had so there is no hard, fast rule as to when they stopped.) If you are staying in a stock class, this is good to have. Check to make sure it is there and that if it has been upgraded, it was done right. Does it squeak like a mouse? Is it adjustable? Good quality hardware used? Not a deal breaker, but you may have to do some maintenance if it was a poor DIY job and a K-Mart special bar.

Second, the emergency brake is on the left side of the center console. Later cars had it on the right, and some owners update their car. Make sure that if it was swapped, everything works right. Replacing an entire parking brake assembly can be a pita.

Third, they were sunroof cars, no T-Tops. I like this better because it is removable and easily stored in the "frunk". (front trunk) Obviously, check for decent rubber seals and that the drainage holes are clear. Water poured into the channel should drain out from the little black grills at the base of the c-pillars. Again, not a deal breaker because a new seal is available and the drains can be cleared, but check for water damage inside.

Fourth, the cooling air intake on the passenger side has two large openings with small horizontal slats. Later cars had more of a "scoop" appearance with larger horizontal slats. If you car has been swapped to the later design, you got a free upgrade. Enjoy.

Finally, rust is a problem. Front fenders simply unbolt, but are getting scarce to replace. Rust at the rear wheel arches means cutting and welding in some patches...which are available. In front of the rear wheels, there are small rubber triangles with a metal backing that really trap water and debris. These can rust out, but can be removed easily enough. If the sheet metal underneath is shot, then more welding and patching. The floors where your feet go will also rust, so look under the carpeting. There is a structural rib that runs front to back across the center of each floor. Look under the car and make sure it is still there. Cheap floor repairs will often leave this item out and just use a piece of flat sheet metal. The steel support piece inside the front and rear bumper is also rusted out. (I guarantee it) If anything is loose or drooping, you will have to replace this sooner than later. (Rock Auto has them)

MISC: Check for the rear wing. It was not an option until '86. If yours has one added, check for rust around the mounting holes.

The black plastic pieces that run down the top edge of the trailing edges of the roof are hard to find. If yours are missing, get used to that look.

The fuel pump can go and is a pita to replace, but you can have mine of you need one. I pulled it and found out that the ground wire had popped off. So, check the wires first from inside the car before you go to the trouble of dropping the tank!

The engine is pretty darn reliable...if it has oil in it. (Apparently, this is one of those fussy Japanese engines that won't rev to redline at an autocross with zero oil in it without spinning a bearing. Jeez!) But complete short blocks are available, and the head gasket isn't too bad to replace, I did mine twice! (Again, a fussy engine that insists that you put the gasket in correctly. Jeez!) So barring gross user error, the engine is pretty stout.

Like any car of this age, expect to upgrade to poly bushings throughout, new shocks, new belts and hoses.

Brotus7 wrote: I've got an '87 and I love it. It's a great autox toy, and becoming more of a track beater as we speak.

There's alotta love in the room. I can feel it.

Mine has also been a great autox toy and daily driver for the past 4 years with very few hiccups. Yes, everything in the suspension needed replacing, and anything else rubber for that matter, but you have to figure that going into almost any car from the 80's. I haven't had the pleasure of taking mine to a road course yet, but a Road Atlanta HPDE on the list for this summer.

aussiesmg wrote: A short list from my short term ownership Engine mounts break. The window winder parts (Delrin parts were available from MR2ownersclub.com) Manual transmission problems due to soft bushings. Rust everywhere.

I've owned a BUNCH of MR2s and never experienced anything from your list but the rust, nor are they typical in my experience.

Blown HG is common with this age and mileage. Inner steering rack bushings cause clunking in the wheel over bumps. Hard on rear balljoints. O-ring on the distributor shaft causes oil leaks. C-pillar trim and rear visor are usually broken. Driver side window controls for power windows are usually shot. (water from rain or windshield washer leaks directly onto them.)

Really, they are very stout cars.