Salt is a killer.
Salt is a killer. Any time I travel south, I’m amazed when I see pristine, 30-year-old cars being used as daily transportation. Up here in the Great White North [ Don’t you live in Ohio? —Mark ], most everything built prior to Y2K has been perforated horrendously.
Considering this, I laugh anytime a distant friend asks me to check out a local car. Invariably, the car in question is more air than metal, and what remains is held loosely together by the sheer adhesion of the paint, duct tape, chewing gum and dreams.
I checked one such MR2 near my house a couple weeks ago. The Craigslist photos showed a pretty clean car, with nice, lightweight alloys for a rather low price. What I saw when I arrived, however, was horrifying. After I left, the seller texted me links to online supply houses that offered cheap patch panels, which was both reassuring and depressing.
I’d never driven a MR2 before, let alone any mid-engined car. This lightweight runabout was unbelievably fun to drive, even considering the overwhelmingly loud exhaust (rusted, natch) a few inches from my ears. Unboosted power steering, responsive throttle, and instant turn-in made my brief drive memorable. It also allowed me, for a fleeting instant, to consider this heap for myself.
This Texas carlooks to have no such worries. Pristine red paint and the all-too-rare supercharged option make it nearly irresistible. I’d want to replace the driver’s seat upholstery, since there’s no other reason to put a $20 seat cover on an otherwise $10,500 car, and I’m guessing the steering wheel vinyl has rotted beneath the leather wrap, but this is a perfect time capsule.
I’m sure clean early MR2s will be a target for collectors at some point soon. It’s a far cry from the new Alfa 4C, but the Toyota looks to be a great alternative for enthusiasts on a budget.