MR2 Owners Club

Hi all,

I'm very new here so I'm sorry if I'm going about this the wrong way.

I'm 18, a apprentice mechanic and for a while now I've been fascinated with a local mr2 sw20 turbo (i can add pictures if needed) that has been sat on a patch of grass, SORN for the last 2-3 years and have been thinking about trying to purchase it and restore it as I love these cars and would love to put it back on the road, maybe with a few tasteful upgrades here and there.

My question is, is there any advice you can give/anything I should know before going into this?

Any and all help is appreciated.
Have a wonderful day

As ever RUST. Mechanically the cars are pretty robust, but they do rust badly and need a lot of money or skill to repair.

^^^^^^^
THIS
These will give you some idea what to look out for
https://mr2oc.co.uk/know-your-2/mk2/mk2 ... ywork.html
and
https://mr2oc.co.uk/know-your-2/mk2/mk2 ... -list.html

if its sorn its got something wrong with it .rust is the least of your problems

rgb wrote: ↑20/04/24 21:27 if its sorn its got something wrong with it .rust is the least of your problems

not necessarily, these cars are often 2nd cars and could be off road for numerous reasons

i would start by checking the mot history

If it’s sat on grass for years it’s 99% likely to be really REALLY rusty. Soil & grass in shade hold the damp and cars don’t react well to that. I’ve seen a few (well, read about them and seen one in person) that were beyond saving for all but the most capable of professionals.

jeff wrote: ↑21/04/24 9:22

rgb wrote: ↑20/04/24 21:27 if its sorn its got something wrong with it .rust is the least of your problems

not necessarily, these cars are often 2nd cars and could be off road for numerous reasons

i would start by checking the mot history

My 2 is a 2nd car for me, I sorn it for 6 months of the year at £362 a year road tax!!!! I do it monthly now as you can turn it on & off

Best advice is take along an mr2 mk2 owner who knows what to look for. The only thing you can't spot if it's a non runner is potential engine bay issues like leaks, axial play in the turbo.

Rust appears in the sills, if the outer sill is bad then welding is needed for inner sill.

They are not bullet proof mechanically if not serviced

Wilkie Senior wrote: ↑08/05/24 11:05

jeff wrote: ↑21/04/24 9:22

rgb wrote: ↑20/04/24 21:27 if its sorn its got something wrong with it .rust is the least of your problems

not necessarily, these cars are often 2nd cars and could be off road for numerous reasons

i would start by checking the mot history

My 2 is a 2nd car for me, I sorn it for 6 months of the year at £362 a year road tax!!!! I do it monthly now as you can turn it on & off

Yup, mine has been SORN over winter. It was running just fine, but I have a younger car which doesn’t mind road salt so much.