Lack of discussion (even for winter)

[oasis]

Excellent read. Thanks for posting that.

Detonation
http://www.contactmagazine.com/Issue54/ ... asics.html

[dh4ever]

I agree that it's detonation. But what is the cause? Under boost she runs at 10:1 AFR. Normal driving she was bouncing between 14-15:1 like it is suposed to. I read somewhere that it might have to advanced of timing causing the problem (blown ring land under the intake valve, like mine) at one point she was also misfiring due to over fueling. At that time it went below 10:1 (lowest my AEM wideband reads )

[2-yota]

... still here ... still reading posts ... MR2's been driven as few times as my postings though.

Once upon a time, there were days I'd think "MR2" non stop every day. It was my life. It would be the last thing in my head before I'd fall asleep at night. Gone are those days giving way to new priorities, interests, and hobbies. Count me as one head for contributing to the decline.

There's my first post of the year. That's more than the number of times I've started the MR2.

[tedv]

Good post , well written, thruthful and funny. ( U should post more )
I think we can all relate, times change along with life priorities.

Off topic but somewhat related, my older brother who has not had a nice car, since he was single just bought a 72 TR6 has it all apart. its going to be nice when all done. ( His first car was a 69 Triumph GTG then a number of years later a TR6 ) he is bugging me to buy one. They are kind of cool but I doubt as much fun as a MK1 in the corners and mine has AC
Am looking forward to having it back on the road, fun times coming....

[Fab4MR2]

The early TR6 and the earlier GT were fun cars to drive and own, and as long as you were a half decent mechanic whatever work they needed could be afforded. But they and other early British Leyland autos are definitely not on scale with an MR2 when it comes to sheer driveability or reliability. I owned 3 MGB roadsters, and loved them all, but cannot ever see going back to one as certain parts of their drivetrain just won't hold up under anything more than general mild street use, plus their Lucas electronics suck, lol.

That being said, they still have a great fan base, and deservedly so. Plus, you can just about build any of those late '60's to late '70's British Leyland cars from scratch due to all the parts suppliers currently available. I only wish the MR2's had half the support that those cars do.

I seriously thought bout restoring an early '70's MGB not that long ago, but fortunately came to my senses, and stayed with the MKI. Not as stylish a car, though I do love them, but their dependability far exceeds that of any of those early British roadsters. If not for that I'd be driving a British convertible right now, with the wind whipping what's left of my hair.

[tedv]

Wow you did have some cool British cars , they are kind of special. My first car was a baby blue 66 Austin 1100 and my plan was to get an MGB GT.It never happened , instead got a 1973 Capri.( I did not trust the reliability of the british cars as you mentioned above.) It's nice step back into memory lane but when reality comes back, as you I much prefer my Mk1.
Thanks
Ted

[Fab4MR2]

They were fun cars, and actually did have some pluses, otherwise I wouldn't have owned 3 of them, lol. Loved the convertible part, at least for awhile when I was younger.

Pluses:
Converting one to the latter zip-down back window option was really nice. Really gave the car an open feeling without actually having to take the top down all the time.
Engine bay was huge for the size of the engine, so working on it was not bad, especially compared to any of the MR2's, lol.
Car was not that technical to work on either, and the workshop books at the time had tons of info on them. Much better than anything the MR2 community has ever had.
Rear shocks could be converted to adjustable Koni's, which was really nice.
The electronic overdrive could be configured to work on all forward gears, which was a really cool discovery, especially when you wanted inbetween gears on mountain roads.
The quarter panels were all exceptionally deep, so speaker installs were a cinch.
The car was about as perfectly balanced as any I have driven (they even used dual 6-volt batteries in series, spread evenly apart, in the bench behind the seats to help out).
They also handled exceptionally well in the snow with good tires, something that scares the hell out of me with the MKI, lol.
The dual side draft SU carrbs also worked exceptionally well at high altitude, as their design actually allowed them to self-adjust to thin air, etc. Really gave me an edge over pre-fuel injection cars for quite awhile.
They also had a ton of leg room, and decent headroom. All of my tall friends could ride in them with ease.

The bad:
Lucas electronics were notoriously bad, and constantly needed replacing (switches, relays, etc.). That's why the English drink warm beer, lol (lucas refrigerators).
Having to adjust or change points was a bit of a drag at times. For you kids that's what these cars had before electronic ignitions, lol. Google it.
You had to pull the engine to take out the transmission.
You had to really keep up maintenance on the rear convertible window to keep it from aging prematurely, and clouding up.
Car was just a bit colder than average because of the convertible. Ski trips were fun, but chilly.
Front shocks were only available in the oem arm-lever type.
Hardly any aftermarket options available at the time. Now you can get damn near anything for them.
Transmissions and rear axles were not the strongest.

But still a fun car, lol. Used to race them at San Diego stadium events all the time and did fairly well. Good times.

[tedv]

Is good to remember the good old car days , nice summary. ( Those British cars were a liitle quirky , My austin was positive ground ,was a little tricky hooking up the 8 track player )

Would have been fun to race your MG for sure.
Now is time your MK1 to build memories....

[Fab4MR2]

Ha, ha, the positive ground cars, so glad I never fell in love with one that had that as it would have been havoc to my early stereo system building, when separates first became available.

Yes, the MKI will definitely provide many happy memories, especially as my early '85 was the only new car I have ever owned. Certainly not the fastest cars by any stretch these days, but definitely a looker when kept up, and always a great driving car, especially if you know how to set them up and drive them properly. And if properly rebuilt/maintained they are very much worry free. Sure, you read plenty of horror stories, but those are mostly caused by very poor prior ownership maintenance. These cars were built solidly, and one of the very first to be considered still valuable well after 100k miles.

[Cameron]

Once upon a time, there were days I'd think "MR2" non stop every day. It was my life. It would be the last thing in my head before I'd fall asleep at night. Gone are those days giving way to new priorities, interests, and hobbies. Count me as one head for contributing to the decline.

Well said, I'd have to put myself in that same boat.

[RePete]

I would think the right thing for you two to do is sell your deuces to dudes who will use & appreciate them. I don't see the point of parking them and letting them age even faster from non-use (unless of course you intend to keep them as collector cars for years to come ).

[Goopi]

I would think the right thing for you two to do is sell your deuces to dudes who will use & appreciate them. I don't see the point of parking them and letting them age even faster from non-use (unless of course you intend to keep them as collector cars for years to come ).

That's the problem, there aren't many people left who appreciate them. You can keep the MR2 in mint condition like several members from this board do and prevent it from being hacked by a new owner, but if you don't drive it then what's the point of the MR2..? There are some who do admire the MR2, but just watch when they start skipping normal maintenance just in order to pay off for the upgrades they're throwing at it.

I take care of my car very well, but I''m guilty of doing this too. I've spent a lot of time and money into ensuring my MR2 only receives OEM like quality or greater parts. I even spend hours of time learning how to service/upgrade my own vehicle just to ensure it's taken care of the best it can be (occasionally I visit people from this board with great reputation). Though there are a few important tasks I have ignored since my owner ship such as flushing out the clutch fluid.
I have even upgraded my car when there were other problems that should've been fixed first.

My question has always been...does this make me one of those punks who doesn't maintain a MR2 or is my workmanship sufficient?

[RePete]

I don't know how you can even think of putting yourself in the same class as those others, a punk you ain't and your car proves it.

A punk:

- 'upgrades' their deuce w/ junk parts before it's even been sufficiently tuned
- considers a cheap Made in Taiwan part a 'steal' and laughs in confusion at those buying OEM while proudly using words like 'stealership'
- doesn't drive their car but spends most of their time working on it, only to sell it at a loss after asking too much for over a year
- slides the back end into a barrier ending the life of a beautiful car in a classic 'drop-throttle over-steer' single car accident, the biggest punk!
- sells the car as a 'project car' when they've given up or lost interest after sufficiently mauling it
- regrets selling their 'project car' when their buyer posts a pick of their former car after they've restored it to near mint shape a year later (they still monitor the old board 'cuz they miss the smart old gang)
- posts a flurry of activity in a short time on the local boards, attends one or two meets professing their loyalty, then sells their deuce never to be heard from again (except to post their new ride or show it off at the next meet)

So there!

[Cameron]

I would think the right thing for you two to do is sell your deuces to dudes who will use & appreciate them. I don't see the point of parking them and letting them age even faster from non-use (unless of course you intend to keep them as collector cars for years to come ).

I would have to disagree with you. A lack of online posts or changes in life priorities doesn't mean a lack of appreciation for a car or the need to sell it.

I think the use vs non-use opens another can of worms. I think one could argue that point either way within reason.

[sprinterkb]

I would think the right thing for you two to do is sell your deuces to dudes who will use & appreciate them. I don't see the point of parking them and letting them age even faster from non-use (unless of course you intend to keep them as collector cars for years to come ).

I would have to disagree with you. A lack of online posts or changes in life priorities doesn't mean a lack of appreciation for a car or the need to sell it.

I think the use vs non-use opens another can of worms. I think one could argue that point either way within reason.

Cam, I totally agree with you, having owned 2 different cars, I used them a lot in the summer
Long drives to Vegas or California (Toyotafest).Not a daily driver.
Parked all winter, with maintenence done during the downtime.

Consider myself a collector, who drives his cars, no garage queens, but usually score well at car shows, like 2nd Mk2 at last years Tfest.
My Mk1 was usually a show winner (best mk1 at SW2003 in Vegas)