[P1tBull]

There are a couple of MR2s and Celicas in the classifieds right now. Would any of them make sense ( ok, sensibility isn't the word to describe this) ?
Rather would buying any of them bankrupt me in terms of maintenance?

They are all imported so what should I look for in terms of paperwork?
I want to use this as a weekend drive and maybe commute to work in it sometimes.
Also, I would like to register in KA, they are all over 15 years old so Road tax is not going to be insane.

Your thoughts please?

[thumpingheart]

Wow. Now that's not a purchase decision you get a chance to be part of everyday! I don't really know too much about these cars especially in the paperwork, maintenance department and how much they'll cost to get on the road and run, but I never the less will pitch in my points of views.

The amount you'll have to spend on these cars to get them on the road will really depend on how they have been taken care of by their previous owners. I have really low hopes of they being in really good condition due to lack of knowledge and expertise from both owner and service station side. Expect to pay atleast 1 to 2 lakh extra to get them roadworthy and may be more to get registered in KA. Check out specialist websites and threads of other BHPians where they have bought imported cars to check out exact documents you need to prove the car is legal.

First try and check out all cars that you short list and make sure they're not gone cases. Then try and find specialist service stations that specialize in the Celica or MR2 (which ever you select). If you do not find any suitable service station at a manageable distance from your residence/city, then just stay away. Even the smallest problems or simple maintenance work will give you a massive headache. Get the cars you select evaluated from the service station and then take a decision.

Another most important thing is how big your bank balance is. It may sound crude from my side, but its an important point. If you're a very big enthusiast but not very rich, with family responsibilities and big loans, frankly it will cause a lot of heartache to see large sums of money going even for seemingly small things, and I really expect that to happen. If you really don't mind spending very large amounts every few months, then you can take the plunge.

As far as the cars are concerned, whichever is in the best condition should ideally be your pick. Because having a more reliable and stress free car is more important than a weekend car that doesn't start or has major problems every time you fancy a drive. Personally I'd go for the MR2 anyday. A mid-engined rear wheel drive car will always more pleasurable to drive than a front wheel drive Celica(as I expect the ones in India will be).

Best of luck with your decision. It will be awesome to have a BHPian buying a modern classic sports car which will be lovingly brought back to the road and have awesome experiences in. I would love to be part of the experience as a spectator. Cheers.

[mura]

Well kept MR2's are hard to find, if you do find one it will need some work done.
IMHO only the Turbo is worth buying. NA models with automatic transmissions are very average to drive and you get bored of them quickly.
I have a MR2 turbo now for around a year and parts are easily bought online and plenty of active enthusiast forums to help you.
They are quite reliable once you get the basics right.
I have mine rebuilt with a CT20B turbo and it is a hoot to drive.
I bought the car for around 7l and spent 2.5l rebuilding it.

[P1tBull]

I know this is crazy. My wife flat out said NO

@thumpingheart , you are damn right about the bank balance. I am not crazy rich but this is money I will be spending after all the loans/emis/insurances/schoolfees/savings are paid out, and this is will be my 3rd car (Baleno+Xylo).

A budget of 10 lakhs sounds possible. Its going to be self funded and the cash is slowly getting accumulated.

This car in particular caught my fancy :
http://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy-...a/Celica.html/

The only reason I am not flat out making an offer is because I know nothing about Celicas at all and the seat covers look terrible. Don't know how well the rest of the car would be maintained if the seats are so bad.

[1100D]

Celica vs MR2, would be the MR2, given its engine-drive layout. Celica's (apart from the early examples) are not too special.

[vikramvicky1984]

I would suggest you to stay away from Celicas/MR2s and Miatas.
I have myself tried to source one for myself in the past and have only seen over-priced horrible examples. I tried quite a lot and gave up.

These were the only sort of sports cars available for cheap (relatively) in the 90's and have been thoroughly thrashed and abused by multiple owners. Paper work will rarely be clean.

Most examples one will come across will have been cosmetically done up for sale.

Be very careful while evaluating them.
One has to be really lucky to get a clean example.

Look elsewhere, 10 lakhs is a very good budget to buy a fun third car. ( w123 coupe, maybe a r129)

[RIC.BURNS]

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