'92 MR2 N/A Problems

My friend has a '92 MR2(N/A 2.2 liter engine) that has an immacualte body, and looks clean all around.

He is asking me if I want to buy it, but it has a few problems, he would give me a good deal, but I want to know if these problems are terminal or not.

First, when you rev it up(in neutral), black smoke comes out the exhaust, and he also gets like 5 MPG, I immediately thought fuel system problems. What could this problem be.

Second, he let me drive it, and in 1st gear I ran it to approxlimately 6,000 RPMs, the engine felt pretty good but when it got there, it kind of choked and stumbled(not exactly like a Rev limiter or fuel cut), and that made me think it was running rich(due to the 5 MPG).

He's taken it to about 5 different places now who have all given him different opinions, ranging from merely bad fuel injectors, to "you need a new engine".

I would like any input I can get, since it would be cool to get the car and fix and have me a nice little MR!

Originally posted by DavidovSpeedWRC
He's taken it to about 5 different places now who have all given him different opinions, ranging from merely bad fuel injectors, to "you need a new engine".Have any of them actually done a compression test? It sounds like the problem definatly needs addressing, and I wouldn't want to buy a car unless I knew what that entailed....

I don't have any experience with that engine in particular, but I would agree with the compression test. Also perhaps map sensor (does the car have any other running problems?)

Ok, so a compression test, you can buy a little aparatus that you put in each spark plug chamber to test comp.

And I can get it at most automotive stores, correct?

Yup, pretty much.

Here's a how-to. It's from a DSM page, but it covers the basics well...
http://www.geocities.com/dsmgrrrl/FAQs/compression.htm