SC as a daily drive?

[Ben]

So... predictably enough, I'm getting bored with my MG. Yes, the handling is fantastic but it's FWD which kind of kills the fun.

I'm hoping to be in a position in the next 2-3 months to be able to spend about 3-3.5k on a car. I want something exciting, fast and not FWD. At the moment I've wittled down my choices to:

Mk2 turbo *ducks*
Celica GT4 ST205
Mk1 SC.

Comfort and practicality I'm OK with, my previous Mk1 was my daily drive for 18 months and I had no problem with it at all. If I do get another Mk1 it'll have to be a supercharger though, as after owning a Supra turbo and the MG (which has 180bhp) the n/a isn't fast enough for me.

So... how is the SC as a daily drive in terms of reliability? I have very little experience of the 4agze engine - does bolting on the SC lead to common engine problems or is it just as solid as the 4age? Bearing in mind I'll be doing all the usual induction/pulley mods to see about 190ish bhp...

Your thoughts please

[autobody]

So... predictably enough, I'm getting bored with my MG. Yes, the handling is fantastic but it's FWD which kind of kills the fun.

I'm hoping to be in a position in the next 2-3 months to be able to spend about 3-3.5k on a car. I want something exciting, fast and not FWD. At the moment I've wittled down my choices to:

Mk2 turbo *ducks*
Celica GT4 ST205
Mk1 SC.

Comfort and practicality I'm OK with, my previous Mk1 was my daily drive for 18 months and I had no problem with it at all. If I do get another Mk1 it'll have to be a supercharger though, as after owning a Supra turbo and the MG (which has 180bhp) the n/a isn't fast enough for me.

So... how is the SC as a daily drive in terms of reliability? I have very little experience of the 4agze engine - does bolting on the SC lead to common engine problems or is it just as solid as the 4age? Bearing in mind I'll be doing all the usual induction/pulley mods to see about 190ish bhp...

Your thoughts please

my 1st mr2 was a sc. and i have owned both a sc and a na... both different cars altogether. but i would pick a sc any day...

reliability - same as the non sc car..

engine is solid...

in the 2-3 years since i had the sc all i done is replace the clutch and brake disk/pads and normal service

o and a few week a go the speedo drive went on me... but going to sort that out this weekend...

[Ben]

my 1st mr2 was a sc. and i have owned both a sc and a na... both different cars altogether. but i would pick a sc any day...

reliability - same as the non sc car..

engine is solid...

in the 2-3 years since i had the sc all i done is replace the clutch and brake disk/pads and normal service

o and a few week a go the speedo drive went on me... but going to sort that out this weekend...

Cool - so nothing more than a "normal" Mk1 then... that's what I was hoping

Cheers

[autobody]

forgot to say, you dont get good as good mpg with the larger pully on the sc,

[Ben]

Yeah that's not really an issue tbh, my Supra did about 18-20 mpg and my MG isn't much better

Oooh that's a thought - do they have to be run on V-power like the Mk2 turbos?

[pistol pete]

before i turned mine into the loon... i used it everyday without fault..

then after making it mental i used it everyday(much to the annoyance of the neigbours).. if i could afford furry back i would..
if i could afford another sc i would..
you will love one... over any of the others.. cos i know you.. and you like the "retro".. yeah teh other 2 will be faster.. but what will YOU have more fun in.. although would think a sc with big pulley would happily keep with a gt4
and i used to play with mk2 turbos before mine was modded..sure they were faster.. but not hugely

[Ben]

I better start saving then

[loudandproud205]

ive been toying with the idea of the sc as am really loving the retro vibe, or actually even better a 3sgte engined mk1

i do like the idea alot, but the price of the sc put me of a little when i can have a nice clean non rusty mk2

[pistol pete]

ive been toying with the idea of the sc as am really loving the retro vibe, or actually even better a 3sgte engined mk1

i do like the idea alot, but the price of the sc put me of a little when i can have a nice clean non rusty mk2

ahh but have you driven a mk1.. then you would understand.. i have had both... out the choice i would go for a sc..

[cartledge_uk]

You know there is a very nice tin top on ebay at the moment?

[ulysess1966]

These cars are all 20+ years old so you have to expect some problems, but parts are easy to come by and the biggest problem I've had was a knackered alternator and that was re-built for £65.

I've owned one NA and one SC MK1 and rust is not as much of a problem with the Japanese SC's. Mine has some sort of galvanealing on the inside of the panels that my UK car definitely didn't have, the metal on it was smooth (apart from the copious rust). If you get a good clean car, then put plenty of the clear Waxoyl ('syrup') into all the box sections, inside the sills and inside the wheel arches and the car should last forever.

Fuel economy is greatly improved by fitting a 'Mad Max' supercharger switch. I get 30+ MPG tootling around, the car still looks great and then when needed, flick the switch and bang, you've got 180+ BHP for a bit of fun.

Best car I've ever owned, more fun than a barrel of monkeys and you can still pin a passenger to their seat on takeoff like a 737 on a short runway

[tonigmr2]

What's your budget Ben?

MK3 roadster is also an excellent choice, and they're around the £3K bracket for the early ones...less rust and more reliability.

TBH I wouldn't choose a car the age of an SC as a daily driver.

[loudandproud205]

i havnt been fortunate enough to drive a mk1 yet, but as i age they look more attractive

its just i think the tubby is massivly over weight and the perfect combination would be a sc.

its the price of them that throws me thou

[Ben]

What's your budget Ben?

MK3 roadster is also an excellent choice, and they're around the £3K bracket for the early ones...less rust and more reliability.

TBH I wouldn't choose a car the age of an SC as a daily driver.

Budget will be about 3-4k with any luck. Yeah I did consider the Mk3 but to be honest I'm not all that keen on them and it's probably a little underpowered for me after the Supra and the ZS. My original Mk1 was my daily for 18 months and it was never an issue, plus I'm confidant that I know Mk1s well enough to spot a good one when I see it. More to the point, I'm in no hurry as my MG is showing no signs of dying (famous last words...) and I can hold onto it until I find a suitable car

i havnt been fortunate enough to drive a mk1 yet, but as i age they look more attractive

its just i think the tubby is massivly over weight and the perfect combination would be a sc.

its the price of them that throws me thou

You'll find them very different to the Mk2... much more go-cart like handling wise, which is why I'm so tempted to go back. Yes they're more expensive, but will also hold their value

[Ben]

You know there is a very nice tin top on ebay at the moment?

I had spotted it - there's also nice ones on PH and the Mk1 club but I don't have the money yet

[Lauren]

Reliability is no different from an NA.

Trouble is I just think MK1's are getting too old to be daily drivers thesedays.

For 3.5K options could be a skyline GTS, 3 series etc.

Actually as Toni says a MK3 is a much better option. Better handling too.

A stock SC would have a lower power to weight ratio than a MK3.

[JMR_AW11]

Reliability is no different from an NA.

Trouble is I just think MK1's are getting too old to be daily drivers thesedays.

For 3.5K options could be a skyline GTS, 3 series etc.

Actually as Toni says a MK3 is a much better option. Better handling too.

A stock SC would have a lower power to weight ratio than a MK3.

I agree. I drove my 1989 blue mk1 as a daily driver from approx 2002-2007 but it wasn't as reliable as hoped.

It was more reliable than the previous runabaout car (mk2 golf) but I still remember cramming my pushbike into the boot area (F/r wheel removed) on numerous trips to the garage for MOT repairs or other issues.

To be fair to the golf it had nearly gone round the clock twice.

However, the golf was a better runabout car because I could always get stuff to fit into it plus it was tireless to drive.

I think 'mk1 MR2 SC' 'daily driver' '£3.5k' 'reliability' doesn't add up in 2010 unless you manage to find a well maintained low mileage minter.

I'd imagine it will only be marginally better with a rev3 turbo unless you get an unmolested example.

I'd also check out a test drive in a GT4 ST205 as that is one car I wouldn't want to do a lot of miles in on a regular basis. I've been a passenger in one on a few 70 mile trips and the ride is very hard and it suffered from high tyre noise. But maybe I'm just going a bit soft...

My current runabout is a Focus 1.6 Zetec and it has been flawless for a year now (apart from a leaky hatch)

Therefore I'd recommend trying to get a newer car for the money even if it means sacrificing a bit of performance. However, I guess you will want something faster than a 1.6 Focus plus something rwd

[Ben]

Thanks JMR, I do see where you're coming from.

Ride and refinement have never really bothered me to be honest - my previous Mk1 was lowered 40mm, the Supra was so loud I was half deaf when I arrived anywhere, and my MG doesn't exactly ride smoothly even on standard suspension.

Really I just wanted to know whether the SC was vastly less reliable than a NA Mk1... and it seems the answer is no. I'm more than aware of the perils of running a 20-year-old car everyday as I've spent two years doing it, and if I wanted a more modern car I'd just keep my 52-plate MG - but even that has had clutch and a wierd engine-revving problem since I've owned it. Occasional unreliability isn't too much of an issue, I live within spittign distance from two people I work with so getting lifts is easy, plus Amie's Puma has proved to be uber-reliable and her dad has a spare Hyundai lying around which I can use if needs be.

I'm happy to wait to find a good example - at the end of the day I'm still 23 so I've got plenty of time to get a more modern car when circumstances require

Cheers for all your input though

[JMR_AW11]

Thanks JMR, I do see where you're coming from.

Ride and refinement have never really bothered me to be honest - my previous Mk1 was lowered 40mm, the Supra was so loud I was half deaf when I arrived anywhere, and my MG doesn't exactly ride smoothly even on standard suspension.

I'm happy to wait to find a good example - at the end of the day I'm still 23 so I've got plenty of time to get a more modern car when circumstances require

Cheers for all your input though

In that case I take it all back... I was still riding motorbikes when I was 23
so I can see why you want performance and aren't bothered about refinement etc

[Tiamat]

Reliability is no different from an NA.

Trouble is I just think MK1's are getting too old to be daily drivers thesedays.

For 3.5K options could be a skyline GTS, 3 series etc.

Actually as Toni says a MK3 is a much better option. Better handling too.

A stock SC would have a lower power to weight ratio than a MK3.

Mines a daily driver and I am easily covering 1000 miles a month, usually more and its only broken down once, when I blew the clutch with a racing start.

Personally I'd pick one over a MK3, mainly because the MK3 is underpowered in its standard form and there is a severe lack of storage, which causes a problem if you have to carry files, toolbox or even anything slightly larger than bag of crisps.

If it has to be an MR2 then I would look at a MK2 N/A. Don't get the rusting problems of a MK1, decent amount of power, especially with the budget you got you could get a few decent mods like exhaust, filters etc. Also you get proper storage room and decent fuel economy still.