How shite are T-bar MR 2s? OK, I mean this one

[Guest Breadvan72]

Asking £1795.

Fun?  World of Torment?

 

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C699415#

[skattrd]

Fun, very slidely, rot like buggery ... Must have good rear tyres or uncontrollable in the wet.

[Guest Breadvan72]

NB: Rochdale.  Is that an actual place?

[taxi paul]

Yes Rochdale exists. Last time I looked it was flooded.

[dollywobbler]

Did anyone mention that they can rust a bit?

[Bobthebeard]

Needed a new steering lock and insurance would not repair??

Stolen?

[stripped fred]

They are excellent cars mechanically but do rust although they vary a lot. They are a lot of fun. You need one that's been well looked after not with 14 owners who have skimped on servicing/repairs. Mine might be available if i can bring myself to sell it in the spring and it's a good one. Had it 11+ years. Also, the t-bars can leak too and it's not always easy to fix.

[omegod]

I had the tin top version,Was a great car till I poked the rear inner arches with my finger and it went straight through  

[Guest Breadvan72]

Needed a new steering lock and insurance would not repair??

Stolen?

 

 

Bonus!

[Jim Bell]

Dust pan and brush.

[Urko]

My mate had one back in the day. Lots of fun at the time, especially as he was old skool and refused to give it the thrashing it really needed (I didn't when I drove it). Everything comes alive about 4k revs like 16v na engines did then (16v was pretty radical then - for 4 cylinders before some smartarse starts).

 

His got stolen and stripped for parts. He bought another but it was never as good.

[cort1977]

Got to say that is the only car I have ever seen in Texas that was seriously rusty.   There seems to be a theme to the responses on this thread...

[Keymaster]

Ace cars. I loved mine. Proper fun to drive and pretty much bombroof, capable of huge milage. Surprisingly practical too.

 

Saying that, it's impossible not to agree with all of the above. Beware galloping rot and crap tyres. I've never been more terrified of a car than driving one of these fitted with some aging P6000's!

 

Other weak points are alternators (I had three in five years) due to its location under a vent, and brakes are a bit crap.

[overrun]

My avatar is the inside of a front chassis leg from one.

[Station]

They rust in random places but always the sills and then the front floors. The metal but behind the windscreen on top rusts.

My one is rear arches and sills.

The one before that was sills, floors and boot corners.

Tbh they're easy repair body wise, unless they're completely corroded. Mechanically they are perfect, nothing has gone wrong on mine in four years.

[overrun]

I say get a clean, tin top mk2 Turbo.

They're a better steer (mk1 driving position is offset, I don't get the hype) and tons more fun.

[Jazoli]

I say get a clean, tin top mk2 Turbo.

They're a better steer (mk1 driving position is offset, I don't get the hype) and tons more fun.

 

Try finding one for £2k these days, I remember when they were cheap, not any more it seems

[overrun]

Try finding one for £2k these days, I remember when they were cheap, not any more it seems

They are about, in rev 1 and 2 guise.

You even see Rev 3's for itro £3K on occasion.

 

Hopefully not too many for much longer, though.

 

Cos I think wanna sell my rust-free Rev 2 this year.

[D Spares & Tyres]

I miss mine.

 

Easiest clutch change I ever did

 

4500 rpm is when the engine note changes but still not quick though, I remember racing a 306 td and the Peugeot was quicker

 

Very good on fuel, mine was doing 40 mpg on a long trip if you took it steady

 

I loved that car, it was very early red one without the girly bodykit

 

Crashed it......

[Jim Bell]

 

Cos I think wanna sell my rust-free Rev 2 this year.

 

 

Breadvan72 buy this and become young, fast and dangerous.

[Ghosty]

NB: Rochdale.  Is that an actual place?

 

Rochdale?

 

Careful, someone might remove the gearbox.

[Tamworthbay]

It's not so much that they rust, most cars of the age do, it's now much they rust and worst of all how difficult it can be to sort. The sills disappear whilst hidden from view and reconstructing them is a nightmare compared to most cars. BUT get a good one and they are awesome.

[overrun]

http://s974.photobucket.com/user/l14mnp/media/Mobile%20Uploads/5-1_zpsrarbptb3.jpg.html?w=480&h=480&fit=clip Fucking img tags

 

About a week later...

 

 

A lot will remember the thread.

 

 

If you do buy one, buy carefully.

At least a mk1a has no skirts to rot the sills and lower quarters out - but it also has a different front bumper reinforcer and you can no longer source them, and it will be rotten.

 

Consider the lack of crash protection in that instance!

[J-T]

As everyone has said they rot everywhere but especially back of the sills, rear arches, rear valances in the corners, A posts, B posts, basically everywhere that matters. Engines are pretty bombproof and rev for fun (occasional HGF), as others have said they're not that quick now (although they should leave a 306TD for dead - I've had both). Gearboxes pop out of 5th gear when you come off the gas if they've been abused. Rear calipers are crap, if the handbrake doesn't work, it will need them, brakes feel wooden and generally pretty crap if you're used to modern stuff, they drive like shit if the suspension bushes are worn or the alignment is off (they were fully adjustable IIRC). T bars pretty much always leak. £1750 seems a bit salty to me, although I'm not that up on their values now, but they certainly never used to make much, £2000 would buy a low miles minter when I had mine.

 

I loved mine though and I found the driving position spot on (I'm 6"2).

[KruJoe]

Careful, someone might remove the gearbox.

 

Aye, because Crochdale, this happened:

 

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/17915-well-thats-a-bit-random-somebody-stole-half-my-car-ebay-nob-content/page-1

 

Legendary.

[purplebargeken]

Buy an MGF instead.

[stripped fred]

All this talk of rust while it can't be denied shouldn't put you off. Find a good example and keep on top of it and you've got an interesting car that feels great fun to drive. Mine has a koni suspension kit so it all feels right which helps the enjoyment. Mechanically they are very good. Mine has never needed any major work other than regular servicing and a radiator and alternator. Starts first time even after being laid up for 6 months. As for not being that fast they don't hang about and i woukd say are similar performance to a mk2 golf gti. They are very nimble though and corner really well. Yes, mine does have good tyres but I've never had the rear step out unexpectantly apart from once on a track. Their natural tendency is to understeer. The engine sounds great with an aftermarket exhaust. Driving position is fine for me and i like the low slung position. Quite a bit of luggage space too. Took mine to le mans for a week no problem.

[explosive-cabbage]

Forget about rust.

 

The fact your buying it from Rochdale is the clincher.

 

Just don't.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Tempted, but I will bin it for now.  Really I should sell one or two cars, not buy another one.    Saying this probably means that I will now go and buy three within the next month.  

[KruJoe]

I can't believe nobody has suggested an X1/9 instead. How about an X1/9 instead?