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When is the Mk1 going to become collectible?

10K views 93 replies 37 participants last post by  Minty AW11SC 
#1 ·
After seeing a Mk1 being redone on Wheeler Dealers (British buy/fix/resell show) I started to wonder how soon our Mk1s will start to take on the status of collectible?

I'm seeing less and less of the "how do I keep my rusting hulk running?" threads and more of practical rehabs being done. I know mine has been in the garage for a couple of years (motorcycle accident, but doing much better now) and I'm looking forward to restoring it to the point it will be worth something to someone 10 years from now.

I saw where Overhaulin' did a Lotus a while back and I'm seeing where some of the older (C5 or C6?) Corvettes only had a bit over 200 HP, so when will the rest of the world catch on that these are very interesting cars?

We had a car show downtown recently that had an 89 Porsche and numerous other Euro cars. I hope to have mine in there next year.
 
#52 ·
I enjoy seeing all these older comments regarding MR2 prices. I've always said that opinion's are like assholes, everybody has one, and there's definitely never a shortage of them when it comes to cars and MR2's.

Will all the so called MR2 experts, the pundit's that have egg on there faces on this thread, please stand up and be counted...... ?:D


Minty AW11SC
 
#53 ·
Hey Minty, glad to see an older face on here still.

I'll be the first to admit I was a little off with my comment, but not by far.

Out of 82 ended auctions on BaT since 2017 for the MK1 MR2, 37 have sold under 10k and 38 have sold 10-20k. Few go above this number.

Still far from the numbers of more popular similar year cars like the MK3 Camaro with over 130 sales, most above the 20k mark and many 30k+.

Or the MK3 Supra, 97 sold listings, most 30k or more.

The MK1 MR2 is more collectible than it was, but they'll never have that large cult following, or price tags, like the other guys.

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#54 ·
The little MR2 will never be a "High end" collector car, it was always a "cult" car. I hear it all the time, "Wow, an MR2! That's a cool car!" but when I was selling off my collection the pickups went faster and for more. The MR2 was not received well from the git. It was "too small" "Too uncomfortable" "underpowered" "weird" for many people. It came into a worlrd where big interiors and torquey engines ruled. Besides the fact that '80s economy was not that great so little 2 seaters weren't feasable for a family and the people that could afford to have a "toy" car could afford an Italian toy.

Even today our beloved little 2s are seen as cheap little nothings that only low income people would buy. Our little cars just don't stroke egos like a Camaro or Supra does. A 1.6 liter engine isn't exciting in the least. I like to use the "penis size" analogy when people put down the MR2, y'know, You must be compensating for something needing to drive that expensive Corvette, I drive an MR2.

That's ok! More for ME!

All that said above also explains why it's so hard to find good parts for restos. I can find more parts available for Pintos and Vegas than I can for an MR2.
 
#56 ·
As enthusiasts I don't mind MR2s remaining cheep. Makes it easier to buy. Imagine if the soared out of control like MK4 Supras, NSXs or even S2000s. I left the country for work in 2015 and came back in 2017. Just in that time I couldn't believe how much '90s Japanese sports cars skyrocketed in price. Yes, the AW11 also shot up quite a bit during that time.
 
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#58 ·
MK1s sold for more than $8k. NADA shows 1985 models original MSRP was $10,999.00. I think my '85 total price was just over $13k. I bought it in '90 but the po had the original sticker for it. At my local dealer a loaded '89 SC sold for $24k
 
#62 ·
Very cool! Might be a good project if they have the title. Then you can play the "Ok let's just list what ISN'T broke" game on the MKI restoration. Seems everyday, due to sitting so long, I'm finding something that went bad or needs rebuilt!! (Pic below is where the 2nd MKI I'm working on, spent 7+ years...lol)
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#65 ·
The only one's that I have seen locally for sale are turds, with high mileage and questionable histories/backgrounds.

I have noticed that used dealer's on both sides of the border are now importing JDM RHD MR2's from Japan, and selling them for big money online.

Unless you're willing to peel the onion and spend some $$$$, it's difficult to buy an MR2 these days.


AW11SC
 
#68 ·
Disintegrating? These cars are holding up a lot better than the '70s USDM cars. Like I said, a Vega, and not a Cosworth Vega either, will fetch a better price than an MR2. I do miss mine though. No power, no weight, no reliability, bad gearing and a suspension system that had no business on the road made a car that teaches people to drive right. I do entertain the thought of getting one to upgrade, but, naw, too many cars already.
 
#71 ·
Wrong again.

I don't know about US car's, but Canada has Federal Laws protecting consumer's against rust car's which were passed in the early 1980's.

All manufacturer's in Canada have to sell all brand new vehicles with a factory warranty / guarantee against rust for 10 years.

And Toyota always had thicker sheet metal than all US domestic brands, starting from the early 1980's onwards. Not only that, Toyota always used a better quality of sheet metal .

Get your facts straight.


Minty AW11SC
 
#76 ·
^ That is new to me and frankly, a bit shocking if true. Thanks for the update. This could explain the thousands of rotted out AW11s for owners, even those that took care of them.

Would have never thought Toyota would stoop to that. But in hindsight, whenever anyone pins 'economy' on anything, they might tend to overdo it - and an MK1 was always billed as an economy sports car back in the day.
 
#79 ·
...Would have never thought Toyota would stoop to that...
Well, as I said, at 30 years you have to admit that you got your money's worth from the car. They may have figured that economy steel in the frame would exceed the lifespan of the car, and normally they would have been right. It is only sad because we like these cars and wish that they would last forever.

With the two '86 cars gone, I decided that I was done with the MK1 model. There were no more parts, and every repair became a crisis. With the spyder, I actually don't miss them. It is a major step up in both speed and handling. The power to mass ratio is comparable to the SC. The number that surprised me is that the spyder has the longest wheelbase of the MR2 series, even though it has the shortest overall length. That, along with the 3cm tire stagger, is probably what makes for the handling improvement. I don't mean to steal this thread or denigrate the MK1. I am just recounting my own journey.
 
#78 ·
Japanese Automotive Steel Maker Caught Lying About the Strength of Its Parts
All of the major Japanese automakers, in addition to GM and Ford, may be affected.



Earlier this week controversy arose from Japan as steel supplier, Kobe Steel, was caught "falsifying data about the strength and durability of some aluminum and copper products," reports Bloomberg. Not surprisingly, this has reportedly affected a large portion of automakers hailing from Japan as well as a couple of domestic brands that happen to use Kobe as a supplier.

Among Kobe Steel's client list are Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mazda, GM, and Ford. In other words, a majority of the cars roaming the streets today. Toyota states that misrepresented Kobe products have been used in car hoods, doors, and "peripheral areas."

"We are rapidly working to identify which vehicle models might be subject to this situation and what components were used. We recognize that this breach of compliance principles on the part of a supplier is a grave issue," said Toyota spokesman, Takashi Ogawa.

Meanwhile, Honda says that falsified metals have been used in its doors and hoods as well. Mazda has confirmed its use of Kobe aluminum but didn't specify where. Outside of the automotive industry, bogus Kobe products were reportedly found in planes, trains, and potentially a space rocket.

Dating back over a hundred years, Kobe Steel is Japan's third-largest steelmaker. According to a company spokesperson, the misrepresentation of quality figures was found to be systematic, present in all four of the company's plants, and started occurring as early as 10 years ago.

The exact impact of the steelmaker's indiscretions are still unclear, but Japanese securities analysts predict possible recalls, not unlike the faulty airbag situation with Takata. Takata filed for bankruptcy in June.


SOURCE: Japanese Automotive Steel Maker Caught Lying About the Strength of Its Parts


This article was published in October, 2017.



Minty AW11SC
 
#80 · (Edited)
When I drove the MR-S, it was light-years better in refinement than the MK1 which is what it kept getting compared to. One of the best handling cars I've ever driven. I was about to get one when I started hearing stories of transmission woes and held off. Then what clinched the "No" side was the abysmal storage space, maybe a toothbrush is about it. It's a good 3rd car, I think - but not a daily as I planned it to be.

Agreed that getting 30 years out of a car that might have been made with shoddy steelwork is pretty good. But my SW20 is going on 32 and no rust.
 
#88 · (Edited)
So government this & government that means nothing to me - I go by experience, not government specs nor Toyota fanboys
Opinions when it comes to cars are like nose boogers, everybody has one, especially some of the clowns on this forum. I like to stick to the facts. Where I came from, mod's on forums are usually the ones considered to be fanboys. I'm just an MR2 owner with 37 years of driving experience with them, and I'm still learning.

One thing is obvious when going back to 2013 on this thread. Most of the so called MR2 pundits, some of them mods, are full of ********.

I live in Alberta which is considered a rust province for cars, where roads are salted in the winter. British Columbia drivers call Alberta cars rust buckets. Plenty of them are. I use to drive my 85 N/A, and my '88 SC in the winter. Never had any problems with rust....... o_O

It's amazing how simple it is to defeat rust by rinsing your car at the car wash, especially underneath on a regular basis. Using a hi quality carnauba wax like Zymol - the real stuff not the fugazi retail store garbage - also does wonders.

During that era, I owned a '86 Chevy K10 L/B 4x4 diesel. Guess what.... ? It was an unreliable rust bucket, and I got rid of it. Go figure. Generalizing, you never see very many cars on the roads up here that are more than 20 years old, maybe 25, because they have rusted away and broken down. The one's you do see are usually Japanese imports, mostly Toyota and Honda.

On the other hand, eastern cars from Ontario and Quebec are notorious for rust, with pitting everywhere on anything that was exposed and vulnerable. They're called "Easter Bunnies" in the car trade and usually wholesale for less money because of this.

Different municipalities and regions use different brands of salt on their roads. This might explain some of the anomalies we're debating here. I know that over the last decade where I live, the city has started using artificial salt on the roads, and it's way more corrosive.

I had my SC at the dealership last Thursday. A small gaggle of keener's gathered around my car, and between the four of us we must have had over 50 years of insider Toyota experience/acumen. We discussed rust on older Toyota's and why my SC didn't have any.

A Toyota pick up truck of the same vintage we all agreed would never have survived the test of time, and you rarely see them on the road up here anymore because they were big time rust buckets.

There was nothing 80s economy construction about '80s vintage Toyotas. They are known for being some of the most reliable well built eras Toyota had. The AW11s were actually overbuilt for what they were. If the Italians or Lotus would have built it back then it most likely would have been under 2000lbs. Everything about AWs were overbuilt for what they were. Even their crash rating was very good for their class.
All true. If any other European manufacturer had made the MR2 back in the day, the
automotive press would have freaked out over how good it was. Yes, for its time, it really was that good, and it really was over built.


Minty AW11SC
 
#89 ·
Opinions when it comes to cars are like nose boogers, everybody has one. I like to stick to the facts...
Yup, very true. Rust are facts, no opinions needed there.

...Different municipalities and regions use different brands of salt on their roads. This might explain some of the anomalies we're debating here. I know that over the last decade where I live, the city has started using artificial salt on the roads, and it's way more corrosive...
Agreed, but it never affected my SW20. I wish Toyota overbuilt their body panels in the AW11 to match the rest of the car. It reminds me of the CRX, only that Honda was much worse for rust. That car was bullet proof, but the body disintigrated around it.
 
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