Well, in the month since I've had the MR2, I've actually managed to run a full tank of gas through it. That's not saying much, but between the weather, a new paint job, and leaky street tires, it's the best I could manage.So, here's what's transpired during that time...
New paint job from Maaco; $320, and the local guys were really cool. They'll be freshening up the rally car, if Lael ever finishes the cage.
New battery; the old one died in the cold while at the paint shop. Strangely, it was a Group 24 battery, which is not the correct one for a 91 NA Coupe. According to Autozone's parts book, a 91 should take a Group 35 battery, and their cheapo value battery turned the scales 8lbs lighter than the old Group 24 that was in it. :)
New street tires; the "snow" tires that were on it leaked terribly, enough that I wasn't very comfortable driving it to work. It now has a fresh set of BFG Traction T/A. Not the best street tires, but a good compromise.
On the Interstate, it's loud as f**k, turning 4100 rpms at 80 mph. It's short little legs might be good for acceleration, but truly crappy for high-speed cruising. It idles too high, which I'll have to dig into once it warms up. There's a weak synchro and a crunch going into 3rd if I shift hard, and the alignment makes the car squirm at high speeds. Rear toe-out is great for low-speed rotation on an autocross, but requires a fair bit of concentration when you're trying to stay in your lane at 80 while fighting a 40 mph cross wind. Also, the headlights are crappy the same way that all pre-90s car headlights are. The side mirrors won't retain their adjustment, and the door window belt trim is in terrible shape.
In short, I love it :) None of the issues described above are things that cannot be fixed. I have a Hella H4 headlight conversion on order, and a case of Redline tranny fluid in the garage. If that doesn't reduce the crunch, I'll just have the spare tranny put in when 3rd finally implodes. I have new door belt trim pieces, and the mirrors have to come off for that, so maybe I can fix the sloppiness in them.
As for the noise, a new stereo and speakers with an iPod adapter will probably make that less of an issue :)
