MR2 Roadster

I bought a 25-year-old youngtimer at a good price with the idea that it just needed some bodywork to look decent. The car was wrapped, sanded and had a few issues, but the engine ran regularly and the clutch and brakes seemed fine — a good basis to start from.

That was the plan. But just before the final stages, I realized this car had been assembled by someone inexperienced. Everything — outside the engine — was wrong, bolts and clips were missing and the way it was mounted made you want to cry. I still can't figure out how the previous owner drove the car to our home like that — the brakes were unreliable and the engine had barely half a liter of oil. It caused some worry.

It was a surprise to see the car had 3 colors and the storage compartments packed with leftover MR2 Roadster parts. It confirmed my suspicion that this was a hobbyist's project car or maybe build with leftovers.

The good: The great thing about this car is that everything is built to be demounted and remounted. All panels are removable and bolt-mounted, and everything is accessible — ideal for someone like me starting out. The chassis itself had little rust after 25 years, just a few surface spots. And plenty of new and used parts are still available, so no worries there.

Then engine was replaced with a 2003 model only used about 100.000 km and comes with a manual 6-speed gearbox. Toyota uses timingchains instead of belts, thats also positive.

As a beginner, I had no idea where to start, so my vision was a five-year plan: get the car running and road-legal for a proper inspection, confirm a solid base, then sort out the chassis, and finally tackle the interior. But my impatience led me to make detours — every time I spotted a defect or imperfection, I couldn't help but fix it right away. Note to self: a to-do list is a much better approach. Still, we got there! :)

Tip: Set your limits — you can sink an unlimited amount of money into a car restoration (professional repaint for a whole car is 8000 euro). Know your boundary and determine what's good enough.