Sam goes project-dodging in search of fun
2000 Toyota MR2
Owned by Sam Dawson (sam.dawson@bauermedia.co.uk) Time owned One month Miles this month 138 Costs this month £1350 Previously Sold Chevrolet Camaro at auction
After an in-depth chat with the owner of a superb MR2 MKIII at the NEC Classic Motor Show, I went off in search of one, armed with vital bits of buying knowledge. Key points? Hood replacement costs a fortune. The chassis crossmember can harbour hidden rust. And moderately high, service-backed mileage is better than something that’s barely been used, because it means that the pre-catalyser is far less likely to disintegrate, sending metal shards into the inlet valves.
I also wanted an early MKIII, with the more satisfying, more robust five-speed gearbox, lack of intrusive traction control and more timeless styling. A bit of internet searching – with reference to the DVLA’S invaluable Mot-checker service, turned up two identically-priced examples, both with fewer than 90,000 miles and for sale at dealerships less than an hour’s drive away.
They couldn’t have been more different. Arriving to see the first, being sold by a dealer specialising in more expensive classic sports cars and screaming ‘trade-in’, I was instantly suspicious of the way its roof was down on a cold, drizzly day. Erecting it revealed fist-sized holes in it above the B-posts. Suddenly, the salesman switched from describing the car as mint to claiming it was a project, and dropped £400 off before I’d even made him an offer. I left and set off to see the other example.
This one sat among family hatchbacks on a more down-to-earth used-car pitch in Bedfordshire, and once the exhaust had coughed out a bit of condensation, it was soon revealed to be much better. Crisp engine snort, watertight hood, solid rear crossmember and enough of a service history from two long-term owners – a decade apiece – to convince me it was good enough. I handed over the money.
It’s not as stiff as an Elise, but you can feel the influences of engineer Tadashi Nakagawa’s own Ferrari 328 GTS and the car’s genesis not in Japan, but Italian design house CECOMP, in the way it drives. Future plans will include a de-pre-catted exhaust and better tyres, but for the time being, I’m just enjoying a fun classic I can use. Now when will it stop raining?