That engine sound at highway speed just means you need to drown it out with some banging 80's rock music

Now we know who Mr. Regular's first crush was.

-has small displacement 4age right behind head -refuses to rev it

Toyota Mr2 + Mr Regular = Mr too Regular! I'll show myself out...

It's a 4AGE, it lives for revs. Change the oil on time with *good* oil of the correct spec and it'll last a long time.

Mr. Regular explaining his erection for five minuets and fifty five seconds. And me thoroughly listening and enjoying every second.

Hey Mr. Reg. Just FYI, that 4age engine can be HAMMERED upon all the way up to redline EVERY TIME without so much as a hiccup. They're very rev happy, and very happy to be abused. Take advantage of this.

be gentle with the ashtray lid. they break off easily and are getting harder to source replacements. Rear tyres MUST be kept in good condition on these.Good wheel alignments will also help with keeping it safe. one of the other changes in the mk1b should be the addition of a small rear sway bar.

I've got one of these and a whole channel based around it. Love it to bits. Thank you regularcars for popularizing the aw11!

Nice car mate, your going to have a lot of fun . Your wasting the vid showing the car on the highway. Mk1 really are not at home on the highway. Get her around some twisty short run bends in 2nd gear with 5000-7500 on the tach and the TVIS working and then we will see and hear the 4AGE at its best. Trust me i owned one for 11 years. :-)

Shimmy: The MR2 is prone to rust. That was an understatement. The rust hides in the car very well. Also, the bushings in the front tend to get shredded. I'm willing to bet it's the bushings. The MR2 front end is also delicate. Hit a pothole and the car won't be the same.

I love how proud of the car you are in this video. You know every little detail already and it makes you so happy.

This channel has sparked my interest in imports from Asia from the 80s and 90s and I have two word for you, Thank you.

Congrats dude!!!

So happy for you man

Thank you for shedding some light on a few things that I noticed with my '86 MR2 Blacktop swap. I owned it for a year and wondered about that center console on the mk1b. I also agree about the drone, I had no fifth gear, highway cruising was 4500rpm, and I had no muffler because the recipes owner's were like racecar. Also, that paint is blinding whenever I stepped outside the front door. I'm glad that it was my first car and I miss the sound of those 8k rpm. I kinda want another now thanks to you.

Hello Mr. Regular guy, just wanted to say congratulations on your new wheels, maybe this is like your delorean in a way, maybe we all need a delorean of some type in our lives, but whatever car it may be, it will forever be within our hearts for eternity.

hey mr regular they still make enkei 92s in 4 lug if you wanted to get new ones

you sound so damn happy! enjoy your little slice of the 80's!

Awesome choice. I see these all the time where I live and if there's one in a parking lot, I ALWAYS go look at it. I love these cars I hope to one day get my hands on one.

That's a helluva nice MR2 you've got there, Mr. Regular. Enjoy it!

I love the little stalk thing for the headlight controls. They absolutely knew people were just gonna smack that for the hell of it.

It'ssoo cool you live for 80's and 90's cars! Awesome dude!

If you have the time and money, a Logitech steering wheel set and Forza are a great, risk-free introduction to performance driving. It isn't perfect, but it's useful for learning the muscle memory involved with heel-toe downshifts, pedal control and steering corrections. It translates quite well to a real car. The AW11 is an absolute widow-maker in Forza when letting off the throttle mid-corner. On a separate note, give all the interior plastics a coating of Aerospace 303. That will keep them pristine for much longer.

Amazing car Mr. Regular! Congrats on owning such a beauty!! :)

Awesome car man!! But if I may add: "3100 rpm" is very relaxed for the 4A-GE engine. TVIS doesn't even engage before 4200 rpm, that is when it starts to make music. Me, I don't shift until the sweet sounds of 6000+ rpm. But I drive my '89 MR2 on the German Autobahn and 100 mph (160 km/h) is "cruising" for me :-) Best regards and keep making those great videos.

Love mr2s. My cousin had the second gen, and it really did feel like a go cart to sit in.

yes thank you for buying and apprrciating this car

I had a 2nd gen MR2 when I was 18 and loved it, it's the reason I'm into cars today

Also congrats on getting one of your dream cars man!

I saw a little white MR2 AW11 today, and had a moment of "HEY, THAT'S Mr. R's NEW CAR!", but man it wasn't nearly as well preserved as Wendy. We know you'll treasure this machine.

My 1989 shimmies too. I'm still on very old, dry rotted, hard tires. I'm 6'1" and I keep my seat 3 notches forward of all the way back. Steering wheel all the way up. I fit so comfortably. I definitely can't shift fast in my MR2. Especially first to second. You definitely have a distinct pause while the synchros line up. Fun fact for anyone who doesn't know, the Mk1a had the handbrake on the left and the ashtray on the right. They switched it for the Mk1b. Have fun with that car. I know I do with mine. If you ever want to talk MR2's, shoot me a message. I work on them every day.

The blank button is also used in the US on the super charged models for the low octane gas selection. Then button was for selecting when you ran 87 octane so that ECU could adjust accordingly.

my late aw11 loved to go exactly 80 on the freeway, that engine just settled in and felt happy... the previous owner had used it for sport, yet had painted it with a roller.

I'm 6'1 and I daily my aw11 but it's very comfy. Just looking forward to the vids. I just did my first track day in my aw11 last weekend and it was a blast.

You deserve it Mr regular!

I've had mine for 8 years now and I love it :)

The only reason I have not given up at the university is this car. Awesome car Mr. Regular.

i have had 2 first gen. mr2s loved them both. now i want the first gen supercharged mr2

You need to do a Regular Car Review: Track Day Bro Edition with that car

The feeling you described is how I felt when I bought my first sports car (s2000) recently. Just very happy

hi mate. i had a 88 twin cam corrolla in Australia when i was a youngster and trust me the 4AGE loves to be revved so get into it

@Mr Regular, I have an '85 MkI-a AW11 MR2, which has the correct LHD positioned E-Brake if you're looking to convert, find a local MkI-a. It also has the under seat subwoofer if you find one that works if interested. Also the MkI-a can be had with an automatic climate control whereas I think the later models you adjust the strength instead. There's things like factory immobilizer security and such which I'm not sure if you are interested or not in, and an equalizer head unit if you can find it. But the AC and center console can be switched if you want the more convenient versions, just know a few bits with the AC/heat systems have to be swapped along from behind the dash for the auto system to work. Just thought maybe you'd be interested in the info hope you get to read this.

I love that steering wheel with the blue and the stitching.

The steering wheel shake is either tie rods, or a plastic bushing in the steering rack. Its very cheap and easy to rebuild. Diy writeups are available. Could also be the wheels but most mr2s need that plastic bushing replaced.

Some ideas on the concerns/quirks you mentioned, in order: 1. Dynamat is your friend. 2. Might have a bent inner wheel lip; that's quite a lot of shake if it's moving your wristwatch. Either that or rotor warpage? 3. Economy A/C probably cuts the compressor off after 25-35% throttle. 4. Maybe you have a bad shift bushing or should grease the linkages? I was wondering how long it would take you to break down and buy one of these. A fine choice, one that so many pass over too often.

"Welcome to the inside of Wendy." Lol

Dont worry about engine droning, you'll get used to it pretty quickly, especially if music's playing. Gotta love Wendy, she's a beauty!

Mr Regular anything bigger than the 54.1mm hub wheels WILL make any tire balancing seem like shit. These small hubs are very picky as for the kind of wheels you can fit on an AW. Get some OEM triangles or teardrops and see how it completely changes the experience. It won't look as "period-correct-aftermarket" as you have it now, but it'll eliminate the vibration. Or find some other 54.1mm inner hub wheel to fix that. In case you're thinking of it already, hub-centric rings are not that effective. For the shifter, replace the bushing where the shifter pivots and feel how it completely changes the experience, or, if balling, find the TRD shifter, which I already fitted to mine and is SUCH a treat to go through the gears quickly... but it's mostly down to a fresh bushing. The cruising buzzy noise shouldn't be as much if the engine's healthy and well maintained (try a thin oil... I use 0w40 from MOTUL and works great for dailying and track abuse, and now it makes the engine hum instead of buzzing as it used to). Or if you want to go a bit crazier to fix that humming on the freeway, get a taller final gear, or do as I did: retrofit a ZW30 early (zenki) C56 5 speed (you'll need a very hard to find pair of axles, though), which is an updated version of the C52 you have, with shorter 3rd and 4th gear (making a closer 1-4 and a cruising 5th), paired with its taller final, which makes cruising at 70 at 3k a breeze... and if you get the non-USDM box, it'll have a torsen LSD! I wouldn't recommend the 6 speed of the later ZWs due to their higher price, heavier weight, harder-to-make-it-work linkage for the shifter, and ultimately to just having to go through more gears more of the time... five for this engine is fine, really. Anyway, if you need any help, lmk!

Man, I'm 6'4" and have seriously the EXACT same car as a project, though not in as good of condition yet lol. Same color and wheels too. I fit similarly, I'm actually surprised how good it feels in the cockpit, like how everything is UP, like the gear lever being so near the steering wheel. Also, the morning after I bought mine, a buddy of mine and I trailered it down to Shenandoah Valley Speedway here in Virginia for a drift day. it was seriously a blast to hoon on the track. The car itself was a little nervous in the handling department, liftoff oversteer is definitely a thing. Took my first run to play around and feel out the car as well as sight in the course, then linked the whole thing next run (minus the bank turn and a short straight). I love this car, even stock. I like it almost as much stock as the built AE86 I had owned before it lol. So far I've replaced all of the suspension and steering components with brand new OEM spec parts, rebuilt the engine and transmission, and completely replaced the cooling system. Can't wait to drive it again, been a long project! :)

I'm happy you got your dream car.

I love 80's toyotas. my first car was a '85 Celica GTS. i miss it so much

I'm 6 foot and I've had a 300lb friend in the passenger seat and he was surprised it was so open feeling inside for such a small car. It's kind of odd it doesn't get much attention mine looks exactly the same as yours but quite a lot more old and abused. Bad clear coat, everything inside is cracked, its missing the rear visor and the left back trim piece. Mine still gets ton of attention and regularly have people trying to buy it from me. It's my second car which I've had for a few years and I haven't really gotten to do anything to it yet except get it running well enough to get it registered. It needs full suspension refresh, steering bushings and a new engine. My main car will be completed sometime next year and I'm excited to start on the AW11.

I've lived with this era of Toyota for a little while(the Corolla this is mechanically based on). Econ A/C keeps you cool on a warm day with almost no change to fuel consumption, full A/C saps power AND fuel, but keeps you cold on a hot day

btw mr. r you should look into changing the shifter bushing, that things 30 years old so a fresh bushing will probably make the shifts feel alot less clunky.i think that might be why hondas are so nice to shift is because they use good bushings.

It's like you knew we were gonna search for Drive By after your vid lol

just autox it if you want to preserve but still feel the handling.

I just love the oldschool blue Toyota's interiors, reminds me of my Ae102 corolla

Such a good choice!

Hondas have good shifters because they use a solid bar as a linkage not cables, it's a pretty cool design concept actually.

Come to one of AZPs track events at the NYST! Every month for the next 3 months and you get on board instruction from professionals. I'll be at one July 14th for my first time ever on track. Only go as fast as you feel comfortable.

Why the name "Wendy"?

The low AC setting is probably for those low dew-point/ high humidity mornings when everything just feels wet. Less for cooling, more for drying out. My Scion Xb is 3,000 rpm's @ 60 mph. So I feel your pain.

I miss my old AW11 MR2 .. Great Car.

Mr. Reg if you want to remove noise, use dynamat and dont run "run-flat" tires. Coming to you straight from the garage filled with brake clean, paint, and soder smoke in 102 degree heat at 1 am.

Mr Reg, you won't like this, but my Mark 3 Jetta was named Wendy. Great car.

wow that interior is mint

This probably won't be seen but, the reason for the shimmy, even with the alignment and all, is caused by over torquing of the lug nuts. If you have this problem still, then take off and use a torque wrench to retighten each lug nut to 76 ft/lbs.

do you intend on making changes? Id say save your steering wheel and shift knob condition by going with aftermarket parts and stowing the oem ones to keep them in their current condition.

The best White shade is the " Blanc nacré " - KWE From Peugeot

Backroad pov video like with the falcon pls. This car is made for backroads, not tracks or highways! Don't go to a track with it. It would ruin the car.

RC, if it came as an opportunity, would you do a review on the Nissan Micra k11? Would be amazing, thanks!

You must be all legs. I fit just perfectly fine in my 88 AW11 and I’m 6 ‘3 & 195 lbs. The a-dubs have of the best driving positions of any car at any price. I agree with the super white paint. One of the best colors you can have the MR2 in.

Mr. Regular you need a camera with a very high dynamic range to get that white to show it's true color in photos.

I just got a perfect red 2005 corvette. So far 2 people saw the MR2 sitting my driveway and said 'oh cool, an MR2.' and didn't mention the corvette.

Oh that would turn my head, reminds me of the X-1/9 i learned to drive in and had in school. Just great. Only this will rust a lot slower.

Careful when flipping the headlights switch on /off! Be gentle with it, it has tendency to break from the center where it grabs to the stud. Those switches are hard to find.

What you are talking about in 3:30 is what most the world had to deal with the first 2 genrations of the Mazda Miata/MX5.

Any plans on changing the shifter? don't get wrong, I love everything about the MR2 except the shifter.

Economy A/C mode might be to decrease stress on the engine or save gas while still being able to use the A/C.

love it!

you'd fit in a kei car. max is 6 foot, any taller you need a quick disconnect and a smaller wheel.

Mr. Regular, are you going to have Bruce Henn go through the mechanicals on Wendy?

One thing I like about the AW11 is the interior and dash look very 80s futuristic, somewhat space age compared to the generic 1990s sw20 interior which isn't that special (I'm a SW20 owner). I always wondered how the aw11 handles, one day I will own one!

My 87 300zx z31 has he economy button also.. as for my car I choose the temp and it works it's best to get to that temp. Economy mode won't turn on the AC at all. May be different for Toyota

great looking car im glad you got what you wanted and it wasn't a mainstream New sports car but even if it was good for you

man i really want one of these

My SW20 cruises around 4500 rpm at 80mph on the freeway, so I understand your pain. If someone else is with me, I tend to lose my voice talking over the drone. On the plus side I still get 32ish mpg freeway with the AC on. On the downside, I'm heavy footed on side streets and the best I get is 17. :/

You should add Ann after maker overdrive gear along with sound dedening

my experence with MK 1 MR2s has them shaking a little from 45ish-65ish. go faster then that and it smooths out.

what did you think of that 3m paint defender I was really considering using it on a brand new paint job

Interestingly, my 1989 300ZX Z32 has the "eco" mode for aircon as well... don't see that mode in modern cars

Nice whip

My friend used to have one of these and she really knew how to fling it around corners.. (up until she rolled it)

The MK1a has the parking brake on the left side. Surprised you didn't like the shifter, I thought it felt great when I had mine. And you can't have a 4A-GE and not rev it out lol

To be fair, 55 mph was the max speed in the US on all highways from early 1974 until late 1995. It's not surprising that so many cars from this era rev annoyingly high at 65-70+.mph.

Super White varies but it's not as bright as Chev cavalier. Almost a milky white. There's a super white II also. You can forget about touching it up with plain white krylon.

Wendy just needs some Dynamat or Brown Bread noise dampener...do the wheel wells also..Great find BTW

So happy Mr. Regular has an 88 MR2. I actually have one myself so really cool! Great taste in cars *EDIT: In the netherlands highways with the MR2 is even worse as the normal speed limit is 80mph and that is around 4400rpm XD So loud it's crazy!

Dude, you aren’t gonna hurt that motor revving it. i owned an 87 for 6 years. Toyota designed it to rev freely. I’d run it to the 7500 rpm redline quite often. I think he damn thing ran better when i did that . It’s power doesn’t even really kick in till around 4500 rpm when the TVIS butterflies open . i wish i’d have never sold mine. I’m not so sure about the button, been too many years, but I want to say that was a button for ECT on auto trans. If not, it had that somewhere. I just don’t remember, and mine was a five speed anyway. Who the hell buys this car in an auto..Uggh