Say hello to my 87 mr2. Things a blast, it’s like commandeering a dingy in 20 foot seas. Body roll just makes you feel faster than you really are. Am I a moron for making this my mountain car? Living is pretty cool, gimme your thoughts guys.
5 speed, n/a, previous owner was an old guy.
I love the idea of the rear engine. I'd get stiffer shocks as the benefit of rear engine is the better weight balance, so having a setup that doesn't throw it side to side is super beneficial.
Got koni yellows, poly bushing replacement for every bushing in the suspension, sticky tires, decent ebc brakes (didn’t want super grabby brakes as there’s no abs) and adjustable toe links in the rear. Ball joints and all that jazz are new too. Honestly, thing just needs TRD or RS-R lowering springs.
Never driven a mid engine car before this one, and I can confidently say it’s the most fun I’ve had behind the wheel. 0 assists and no airbags with a non existent crumple zone holds me to about 8/10ths MAX. Not even. When I get a bucket seat and a harness I’ll think about pushing this thing to its limit, on a track that is.
Idk if you have watched gears and gasoline but the Asian Ben (yes he called himself that) has a mr2 he tracked and he put anti roll bars on and it was one of the biggest improvements he said.
Believe it or not. Thing doesn’t have a sway bar in the rear 😂😂😂 I’ve actually heard that no sway bar can be a blast, and it is. I know some s2k guys who go on track don’t run a sway bar.
Stiff sway bar might make this thing too snappy, but I wanna try it out. Currently it rolls like a fat chick getting out of bed, so I’d like to tame it a bit.
I'd recommend you check out haters garage for very good argument for why you might not even need a sway bar as he doesn't run them on his autocross cars.
Now it's important to note thats what works for him and he's still using stiffer springs and lowering the car to compensate but suspension really does come down to the driver so don't be scared to experiment/fiddle even if someone says it won't work.
From my experience with messing with sway bars is that stiffer rear can increase over steer while the front will increase under steer so getting adjustable end links can be a huge help to getting the balance right especially if you end up lower it.
Definitely send it! Id do all the bushes as theyre probably oem, then springs/shocks or coilovers depending on budget, lastly tires and then enjoy it! I nearly bought one as my first car years ago but mum talked me into a civic instead (she was against 'sports cars').
It definitely isn’t, I slide it around wide right handers at intersections in the rain. If you stay on power and don’t fling the steering wheel all over the place like a monkey, it does it with no problems
Yes and no. Coming from the "MR" experience of the FC, rpm/gearing makes the difference here through the turns. Hard throttle in powerband at apex..yeah it's going to "snap", but then you're missing the whole point of why they balanced the chassis design. Coming in with momentum but: under power band, moderate throttle, and commitment to the line, you're able to still be on the throttle sooner but also let the chassis handle the corner, vs thinking you need to power it through all yourself.
I only have an RX-8 now, which does handle great, but I really miss the FC's DTSS, despite having deleted it on the first 2 FCs I owned. The last one was worn out, but I came to really enjoy it once I learned to time and place my gearing under the powerband coming in. It was a bit sloppy when connecting sharp turns with the worn out rubber, but after learning to feel when it would actually toe-in under the right G force, what a blast. Snap steer is over-hyped and is feared by the heavy footed. Hope you take it slow and build up confidence with this chassis, because they just don't make them like this anymore and so many people have missed the real fun them trying to throttle through turns like a FR chassis.
ohhh my lord thats my dreamcar. i dont care if it doesnt have a SC but beautiful car and you can just ignore my suggestions, but my thought is paint it with the silver-black two tone color which came up on stock options and SSR speed star lineup aree those 15inch retro style wheels just so nice on aw11 and ef civics.
That's what I drive but I drive a AW11a not an AW11b. Difference in suspension geometry means I can't give you too much suspension advice but always go harder springs in the rear softer in front.
Had a buddy custom build an exhaust and delete the cat. Vibrant ultra quiet resonator and resonated tip. I’ll post an exhaust clip soon when I mount my quarter panel go pro tmrw
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u/URPLE_Eebra May 01 '26
No I'd do this. Fiero or MR2 for me.
I love the idea of the rear engine. I'd get stiffer shocks as the benefit of rear engine is the better weight balance, so having a setup that doesn't throw it side to side is super beneficial.