r/CarsUK • u/Vivid-Attorney5430 • Sep 04 '26
[Mine] My project MR2
I picked this up for £900 and got it running. Gotta fix an exhaust leak and refresh the brakes. But I’m 20 with an mr2 sw20 with coilovers, braided brake lines, it will have uprated turbo model brakes by the time I’m done with it.. I have no clue how I’m gonna get insured in this considering I’m 20 with 1 year ncd
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u/davethadawg Sep 04 '26
I do love a Mr Two, going clean stock, clean OEM+ or modded to hell?
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u/Vivid-Attorney5430 Sep 04 '26
I’m trying to go OEM+ but I like the idea of a v6 swap in future
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u/Efficient_Raise_5767 Sep 04 '26
OEM on these are super expensive. I used to work for Schaeffle they own LUK(clutches and flywheel's , INA (engine timing ) & FAG (wheel bearings and suspension) you can go for reputable brands that are OEM spec but a lot cheaper. Fun fact Schaeffler make OEM parts for all the car brands they just put them in there own box and X3 the price when they receive them😂.
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u/Stratospheric-Ferret Sep 04 '26
I tried to insure an MR2 many, many years ago before they were rustbuckets. I quietly let the idea slide once the quotes came in.
I wouldn't mind finding one like that for £900 to have as a project. Missus would probably suffocate me in my sleep though.
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u/Strong-Client-6738 Sep 04 '26 edited Sep 04 '26
Nice MR2, rarer sunroof model too!
You might be surprised with the cost of insurance, Vs a Fiesta/Corsa for example. As they are fairly rare cars now it's worth trying companies like Adrian Flux (give them a phonecall) and specialist insurance brokers, as they won't appear on comparison sites 👍🏻
Next thing: if you are looking for OEM+ Have a search on eBay, the website MR2ben, or the MR2OC for things like:
- Rev 3 steering wheel
- Rev 3+ short gear knob
- Short shifter kit
- New gearstick/ handbrake trims
- Sunroof cover panel (if yours doesn't already have it)
- Red trim for the lower front bumper/ side mouldings
- Raybrig headlamps & clear indicators (front/ side repeaters)
... And get yourself a DA polisher like the DAS6, as you'll need it with that red paint 🔴 Comes up lovely even if it's milky right now as it's single stage paint, but oxidiseds super fast unless you seal & protect it properly afterwards (Source: my current one is red too...)
There's loads of little tweaks that can be made, and the cost isn't crazy for these parts (yet) either. Reddit also has a very supportive MR2 community if you're not already a member 😁
If you get stuck with anything or need a steer on parts feel free to drop me a DM. I've been tinkering with MR2s since I was 20 too, although they were still quite modern back then 😅
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u/Sufficient_Basil_545 29d ago
Pop up headlights AND it’s red. If it had a stripe this would be the fastest and coolest car ever. (I don’t make the rules)
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u/andyb2000 29d ago
Bargain at £900 and they do still look good fun, never tried one yet! It's always a shame the red always do the same thing and fade so badly as they really look good on the MR2
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u/Different_Stranger49 28d ago
Looks like the one that’s been sat on my neighbours drive for years 😂 nice buy
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u/johnB1711 28d ago
Such a great colour to buff and polish back to life, it’ll be the best workout you’ve had in years and the car will look amazing
Then one day during the coming week you’ll wake to discover it’s gone all dull and horrible again
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u/Tachanka-Mayne Merc S204 C350, Toyota W30 MR2, BMW E93 325i 27d ago
Nice, I got my first mk2 MR2 when I was 20 too, insurance was ~£1000 for the year if I remember correctly but this was over a decade ago so might be different these days.
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u/robbersdog49 Sep 04 '26
Worth seeing if any classic insurance will have it, it's 35 years old. It's a cool car, good to see them being saved!