1994 Toyota MR2 Turbo w/JDM 3rd Gen Swap E153 LSD 6-Point Cage RARE CLEAN
1994 Toyota MR2 Turbo 3rd Gen 3S-GTE E153 LSD Description
You'll just have to trust that I had a really interesting totally off the subject 3 paragraph intro to this auction description written but not saved and then my 8 year old alienware laptop decided to lock up while trying to get work done in the background. Soo there is no way I am retyping all of that and instead take this as a sign that it wasn't meant to be on this auction, this 4th and final auction of the year for me. This is the 4th and last vehicle of my collection that i'm selling off, I saved this one for last because I was hoping something else would come along preventing me from having to sell it. Instead of something worth money coming into my life I started watching this HBO series called vinyl that nobody talks about. If you followed my previous auctions i'm sure you got to enjoy the stores, the laughs, the disagreements with my opinions. This car is so pure i'll just cut straight to the chase.
What you have here is a legit 1994 USA 17-digit vin Toyota MR2 which is about seventeen times as rare as every year before it and only slightly less rare than the final year of 1995. Take that and combine it with a clean carfax record and the entire front & rear subframes full of goodies from a 1994 JDM 3rd gen 3SGTE MR2 Turbo. This is a full hybrid 1994 Toyota MR2 Turbo that was done right with one of the first 3rd gen half clips that were ever imported into the states back in 2003. The half cut came from Jarco which at the time was the only place you got these swaps from, they are based out of Atlanta GA and no longer are in the JDM swap game. Oddly enough at the same exact time so many years ago this guy was swapping this MR2 I was finishing up the 1st running 1JZ MK3 supra swap in NC with you guessed it, a half cut from Jarco! How crazy is that, even though this car was in california then I managed to own it now, a car that has a full half clip swap just like my 1st 1JZ supra from the same place that I probably saw in the warehouse is still running like a champ and now sitting in my driveway. Small world isn't it. Infact I recently carfaxed my old supra and it is also still being driven on the original 1JZ, you'll never find half cut swaps that were as high of a quality as the Jarco swaps, they hand selected only the finest examples and had literally no competition in the US market. What does that say to you when this guy lived in California which is much closer to Japan but he bought it from Atlanta GA which is totally land locked. BUT WAIT there is more! (insert shamwow guy here) it also has a $4000 professionally made custom roll cage beautifully welded (not BS bolt in stuff) and integrated to the chassis very cleanly clearanced into the stock 94 door trim panels with adjustable Corbeau race seats. The car has never been wrecked it is totally straight, no rust, not raced (yet), basically it is just a very clean daily driver at this point. And I love it. I'm kind of hoping no one wants to buy it but I have to do the responsible thing. So here are all the details, read it a few times and if you think I missed anything let me know I'll answer any questions. I have a folder full of every single receipt spanning over a decade which documents everything done to this car prior to me owning it.
Mechanical: First off the car was originally a non-turbo clean 1994 super red - black interior T-Top chassis, everyone cries about how T-Tops are not as stiff as hard tops. So to fix that this car has a full on legit professionally made 6-point SCCA regulated roll cage with door bars which was in no way cheap complete with padding etc... So the swap was done by the previous owner who owned the car for 11 years in California. He bought a full JDM 94' Gen3 MR2 Turbo Half Clip in 2003 from Jarco which at the time was the only legitamate and as far as I know the first company to start importing JDM half cuts. Jarco was first to the scene so the early years of Jarco half cuts netted the highest quality most original swaps and they were also the first mass reseller of JDM Half Cuts which were later on banned. Meaning this wasnt just the engine and harness, he paid $4000 not including shipping to get the entire swap w/front subframe and 77k miles and swapped the entire thing into this car. Meaning it has ZERO WIRING that was done, he simply unbolted the entire wiring harness fuse box etc from the JDM 1994 Turbo MR2 and bolted it all into this car. Every single thing works like stock, the car acts and feels exactly like a JDM 1994 Turbo MR2. That means yes it has the E153 LSD triple synchro transmission, the upgraded clutch, the 3rd Gen 3S-GTE (do your research if you dont know how much better this is than the crap we got in the US), and both complete Front and Rear 94 Turbo subframes. Which means this car has the factory upgraded 1994 Turbo Bilstein Struts, springs, brakes, everything. The only non-toyota parts are the custom intake w/K&N filter, earl ss braided brake lines, smoked turn signals, PWR aluminum radiator to handle the turbo engine, racing thermostat, and a KO Racing exhaust w/downpipe. It is still quiet, sounds fantastic with the intake right behind your head through the left scoop. The car drives exactly like a 77k mile JDM 1994 Turbo MR2 and it is in an even rarer 1994 US chassis. Has no mechanical issues whatsoever, needs nothing. The tires aren't the newest and could probably be replaced if you wanted but they have plenty of tread and drive fine. No pops, squeaks, grinds, knocks, leaks, smoke, nothing. Car recently received a full tune-up by yours truly and needs nothing to drive wherever you want to drive it. The alignment is good, the brakes are good, transmission is good, clutch is great, engine is strong, etc... The only thing mechanical I would change if I was going to keep it is probably put a stock thermostat back in it, it has a racing thermostat and doesn't really need that because the PWR radiator does just fine.. It never overheats and has very strong oil pressure. Transmission slides into every gear with firm confirmation and zero fuss, clutch engages right in the middle, no check engine light or any other warning light, fires right up every time. What else is there to say?
Exterior: Exterior wise the car shines, literally. It is the factory OEM 3E5 Toyota Super Red which was only available on the 93'+ MR2's, and personally I think it looks a lot better than the earlier crimson red cars. The car has no wrecks on its carfax and it shows, all the panels line up like they should and there is zero structural rust anywhere. It has a few dings here and there but you are going to have to really try to find them, could easily be PDR'd out for little cash. All the original 94'-95' body pieces are there minus the fog lights which were removed. Windows have been tinted at some point and the car looks amazing from a distance or up close. I am terrible at waxing cars so I would recommend that but other than that it needs absolutely nothing exterior wise that I would do if I was keeping it.
Interior: And yes it has black interior not the stupid blue, with the legit full 94'-95' specific items. My favorite are the door panel cards which are unique to these years and remind me of my Celica GT or mom's RAV4, it was a unique black/blue/red/gray pattern only Toyota has ever used. All of the controls work, all the lights work. Heat and air all works, the A/C components are all there just needs to be charged up from what I can tell to blow cold. The drivers power door lock motor is tired but both power windows and mirrors work great! All the gauges and everything work, the gauge pod has an autometer boost and EGT gauge, only the boost is hooked up. Just need to fix the left power lock, and you have a perfect car. The rest of the interior is mint, has the factory floor mats etc... The seats are in very good shape and slide back and forth, do not recline but seriously how could you recline them anyways. The cage was VERY professionally installed with very tasteful cutouts on the door panels. It has foam in all the right places and perfect condition simpson 5-point racing harnesses. It feels like a race car, it feels the way a MR2 should. The cage doesn't get in your way and the car has plenty of leg/head room, I am 6'6" and I fit just fine. But the seats are a bit tight if you are wide, tall is not a problem. They are meant for athletic people as all race car drivers are thin. If you need more room i'd recommend selling the seats and just throwing some stock ones in.
Overall if you've ever wanted a MR2, I would buy this MR2. I am more than happy keeping it as it turns out it is a link to the first swapped car I ever built/owned which I had no idea about when I bought it. But I have to think about people other than myself, so thanks for looking/reading and good luck bidding.
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