Funny I just saw a MR2 last week for the first time in a long time. Also it was running and with no rust. It must have has something up with the suspension as one corner was sagging.
They all rotted out here in Ohio and most also needed more engine work than they were worth. Rare sight today.
But Fieros are still pretty common here in NE Ohio. I have seen many new top me of late in pretty good shape along with the normal beat up ones.
There is a red '88 MR2 near me. I see him occasionally. The car seems to have been garaged. It looks OK when parked, but sounds like a dying chainsaw. There is something wrong with the suspension. The right rear wheel gets air when hitting a bump, and the body of the car yaws to the right. Then the car bounces several times.
Most of the MR2s around here have fallen victim to cancer, but were long since abused. I'm not sure if poor quality or hard driving did in the drive train, but they come up for sale as ”good body, good interior, blown engine, unknown transmission, 10xK miles”. Many of them are already on their 3rd or 4th engine. There are 7 or 8 nearby with frozen transmissions. It could be the linkage, or rust, but with the engine, transmission, and body all shot, and the interior not far behind, who cares?
I was thinking of buying a new MR2 in the early 90s. Went into the dealership so I could take one for a test drive. They told me that if I wanted to test drive one I have to buy one first. Never gone near a Toyota dealership since.
I was thinking of buying a new MR2 in the early 90s. Went into the dealership so I could take one for a test drive. They told me that if I wanted to test drive one I have to buy one first. Never gone near a Toyota dealership since.
In the US of A, apparently this is what people want. Even laws must apparently be passed before we can find out what is in them.
He mentions the Fiero as power steering right at the start that first video.
Re sales. While sales in the US might have been higher, the MR2 was sold world wide. We used to have a mk1 in the UK and that thing could motor. It was though smaller than the Fiero. I was a lot slimmer back then than I am now and I only just fit in the MR2 while I can still get in the Fiero, even if it is a, shall we say, cozy, fit LOL
------------------ Anything I might say is probably worth what you paid for it, so treat it accordingly!
Comparing the 1st gen MR2 to the Fiero, one thing comes to mind. Last ability.
Every Fiero anyone will ever see has no rust (on the panels.) Why? Because of the material used.
Every MR2 and I mean EVERY MR2 I see has rust on the panels. The Fiero will live on and on, but the MR2 will eventually rust out.
The second gens however are very nice. I was on my way to work in the morning waiting for the light to turn. And a 2nd gen pulled up next to me. I was excited cause I thought it was a Fiero until I saw the side. Me and him of course raced, and he must have put in too much throttle cause he ended up over steering, than SNAP. He had the snap over steer and almost took me out. The 2nd gen looks nice, and they are fun. But they can be dangerous if you can't control the snap.
The Fiero has this issue as well, but you can make it very mild with the right equipment.
------------------ Every fiero has a story, It's our job to keep that story alive.
Originally posted by zzzhuh: Right. I mentioned that the panels aren't going to rust. The frame however as everyone knows will.
This makes Fieros difficult for people to determine condition. You have to check all the culprit locations for rust, rather than the body, as many people are wont to do.
The Fiero looked fast, but GM prevented it from being the car it appeared to be. The MR2 was actually in a different market, therefore, despite the similarities; it had no corporate strangulation. Of course, what other cars did Toyota have to worry about? Their disposable sedans still sold just fine. The supra was just an interlude (and those obviously also rusted away). Despite the corporate politics at GM, at least there is some thought that goes into their vehicles, rather than just mechanically pushing them off the line and out the door.
I think the mimdset of the owners, in general, is also different. MR2s are disposable. They're toyotas, after all. The owners are concerned with appearances, speed, flash, glitter, boost, and fun. They don't seems to care about longevity or substance. Fiero owners, on the other hand, are cheapskates. They don't want anything to happen to their car, and will do what it takes to keep it on the road, no matter how badly it looks. As I'm typing this, I'm also remembering all the Fieros that were just parked--often while still running--and left in a barn, field, or whatever. Just ask yourself, how often is an MR2 stripped down and restored? I've asked someof the owners the same question, and they thought about it, then said the MR2 wasn't worth it. Even when I asked what they'd do, they didn't care; they'd get another car, and didn't care if they couldn't get another MR2.
I've observed the disposable nature of cars. My neighbors have mostly vehicles from the 90s or older, but there are a few with newer vehicles. The older vehicles are mostly driveable, and rarely go to the shop. Repairs cost little. The newer cars are replaced every year or two--usually after the owners get stranded. The older vehicles are Ford Explorers, Ford Rangers, Chevrolet Cavaliers, Buick Skylarks, Chevrolet Silverados, Chevrolet Ventures, some Cadillacs, a Buick Century, a Chevrolet Suburban, a Chevrolet Impala, a Dodge Dakota, and a Ford Tempo. The newer vehicles are Toyota Crammies, Honda Accords, Hyundai Elantras, Hyindai Sonatas, and Toy Piouses. To be fair, there is a Jeep Cherokee with a blown engine, and a Mitsubishi SUV that hasn't run in the last 6 years. I've spoken with some of the neighbors about this, and their attitude was that they bought their vehicles new, and would drive them until the vehicle stranded them. They further stated that no new car would last as long as their current vehicle. I had to laugh, because some of these vehicles weren't known for reliability.
[This message has been edited by tshark (edited 11-28-2015).]
Never gone near a Toyota dealership since.
It's a turboed '91...
