Restore vs. customize: 90s content

My 97 Range Rover Cameron Concepts is one of 3 in the US, that I do not believe should ever be modified beyond what is necessary to keep it running.

The 97 Range Rover Vitesse had 250 red and 250 yellow HSE models in 1997.

Of these 50 were built by Cameron Concepts, it is believed 47 went to the Middle East.

The guy behind the Cameron Concepts conversion (like Saleen for Mustangs) ended up committing suicide making the car even more rare.

Of the 3 mine is believed to be the only yellow one.

A more commonly available car should be simply the owners choice.

This makes me want a mr2 turbo

It's a hard call to make isn't it? Especially when the tire options aren't that great. I've spent plenty of time over the last year looking for some good period correct mesh wheels for my 84 VW GTI and I was close to pulling the trigger on some 13's until I realized that A) Nobody sold a performance tire for it, and B) If I wasn't crazy about the intertube sized aspect ratio tires I'd have try and find some really terrible cheap low profiles that are really hard to find to begin with.

Having the will power to keep the car bone stock is really difficult too. I bought my GTI last spring BONE STOCK with only 75k miles on it and while I've thought about keeping it 100% stock there's also a reason why I bought the car, to have FUN driving it! If I didn't improve upon it the way I wanted to and autocross it, etc I feel like I'd be depriving myself of the reason why I bought the car. There is something to be said for seeing one this original though. The first time a friend of mine saw the car he came up to me later in the show and said "I had to go back and look it over a second time because I've never seen one this original!" That put a smile on my face.

Wow, MR2 hardtop.

David S. Wallens wrote: Wow, MR2 hardtop.

I looked long and traveled far to find it, too.

Another problem here is not just wheel diameter - Dunlop make the Star Spec in a 14 inch size - but the real problem is size. I don't know of any decent performance street tire that's made in the original sizes for the 2nd gen MR2 in either 14 inch or 15 inch stock staggered sizes, so if you want modern rubber (and not just for racing), you're forced to go to at least 16 inch wheels. This is a problem for other cars, too, I had a heck of a time deciding what to get for my '94 C4 Corvette to try to stay "stock" for NCCC autocrosses (finally settled on Toyo R1Rs). If I had backdated to earlier C4 sizes (no stagger), I'd be bumped up a division. Fortunately my Mk. 1 MR2 works well with no f/r size stagger, so I can do OK with modern tires there.

Will wrote: There's no good rubber out there in 14" anymore,

Azeni RT 615Ks? Direzza ZIIs?

As long as you have the stock wheels in the garage keep the 15's. In the long term a stock car with correct and matching parts will always be worth more. Late 80's early 90's cars are already starting to be come collectable, whitness 3.2 G50 911's and Fox Mustangs to start with. So many Mister two's were bastardized that a clean one will be worth it down the line. But wheels and tires, or even springs can be swapped out in no time. I like 15"'s on cars of that age, I think 80's and early 09's cars with 17's and above just look wrong.

As long as you have the stock wheels in the garage keep the 15's. In the long term a stock car with correct and matching parts will always be worth more. Late 80's early 90's cars are already starting to be come collectable, whitness 3.2 G50 911's and Fox Mustangs to start with. So many Mister two's were bastardized that a clean one will be worth it down the line. But wheels and tires, or even springs can be swapped out in no time. I like 15"'s on cars of that age, I think 80's and early 09's cars with 17's and above just look wrong.

93EXCivic wrote:

Will wrote: There's no good rubber out there in 14" anymore,

Azeni RT 615Ks? Direzza ZIIs?

Perhaps I should have said no good rubber in the right size. As a poster above said, a big part of the problem is finding the right width and diameter. The Dunlops are too narrow and an inch too short. The Falkens would be good for the front, but narrower and shorter than stock for the rear. Since this thing is geared pretty high, a shorter tire isn't going to help.

But that Falken is the best option I've seen in 14.

In reply to Will:

I didn't know the MR2 is staggered. I would probably go to 16" wheels cause the 15s don't seem all that much better then 14" tire selection.