Used Car of the Day: 1989 Toyota MR2

by Tim Healey

Published: April 24th, 2023

Some of you didn't like the Supra from last week. Well, you might not like this 1989 Toyota MR2 either.

I am going back to the well because the pickings are slim in our forum database today -- but also, the point of this feature isn't to feature the nicest cars. It's to feature the most interesting. And given when I grew up, I find cars like this one interesting -- even if they need help.

This MR2 Supercharged has 160,000 miles on it and it runs, though apparently, the floors have some serious rust issues. So, too, does the frame.

On the plus side, the master cylinder is new.

The owner suggests that buyers who aren't local to Manassas, Virginia bring a trailer. He or she wants $7,000 for the car but will also sell off parts.

Like with the Supra, this car is there for those who like a challenging project.

Click here to check it out.

[Images: Seller]

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Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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3 of 24 comments

The Oracle on Apr 24, 2023

What a turd. The future for this car involves an abandoned project build.

1 Reply
- Art Vandelay on Apr 25, 2023
  
  yep. Blocks under the wheels and HOA citations await the future owner.
  
  1
Theflyersfan on Apr 25, 2023

This car market is so far out of whack that it's going to have to take a major price correction for things to return to normal. Old and banged up does not make it a classic. A restored, running first or second-gen MR2...yes, that could justify the price. This is a heap of rusted and broken parts barely hanging on that should be salvaged and installed in a car that won't break apart when it hits the first pothole. Major frame rust means borrowed time. I like this generation MR2 a lot, but not $7000 love. Especially when a full restoration will be many times that.

3 Reply
- Art Vandelay on Apr 25, 2023
  
  I'm not even sure it is a good restoration candidate with the frame. You'd be miles ahead to start with a better example. These cars aren't rare enough to take this one on unless you have some sentimental attachment to this particular one. There are enough clean ones to skip rusty ones at this point in time.
  
  1

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