Fixable Mr2?

[zieg]

I found a really nice 91 MR2 turbo that was involved in a crash. The car runs fine, the owner said he had it going over 110 and it went straight as an arrow. He did have to climb in the passenger side to drive it though. I looked at it a little bit and it seemed like the door was just bent in, and the panel behind the door was also bent. If the frame isn't bent, how much would a new door cost? I'm looking to get the dents hammered out, a new door, and to have the car repainted because it's only got 64,000 miles. I might be taking it for a drive this saturday. Would it be worth fixing as long as none of the steering was damaged? It looks beautiful from the other side, of course, and MR2's are very hard to come by in northern Illinois.
Thanks

[JekylandHyde]

Photos would be a big help.

[zieg]

I'll try and get some on saturday. But as long as the frame on the top of the door and the bottom isn't bent, would that be very expensive?

[JekylandHyde]

Is this a t-top car?

You make it sound like only the door is damaged, but referenced getting the "dents hammered out."
Where are those dents?
What did he hit and how hard?
Why would someone drive a wrecked car 100 mph?

Sorry, I have a lot of questions.

I can't imagine anyone is going to be able to tell you over the Internet (especially without images) if the car is fixable.

If all you need is a door, you should be able to get one for $200-$300 ... but you will probably need the interior piece and they go for some good bucks as well.

[zieg]

Car has a sunroof. The dents are in the front left corner and rear left corner. The story with the car is that he got t-boned by a SUV, which damaged the door. The car spun and hit a parked car, which dented the front left, and then the rear left hit a fire hydrant.

I wasn't even considering trying to fix the car, but when I went to look at the owner's other MR2, he told me the man who built his house (who stayed there while he built it) took it out and drove it. Don't ask me why he did, but he did. I thought the steering components were ruined. I figured I'd try and find out how much it would cost to get it fixed. My dad's friend could tell me if it can be fixed (and paint it if it could be), I just want to know how much doors and such cost.

If it can't be fixed, are MR2's with bad engines easy to find? Just for the body?

[MR2turbo93]

NA MR2's are cheap with a lot of miles but people are usually buying them for turbo swaps so i'd say no

[litljenarey]

It sounds like your letting emotions buy a car for you...Don't think with your heart and step back and use your head.
If you buy this it will have to sit for at least a year while you wait for body work, possibly frame work, paint, ect. If a shop tells you a time frame, double it and then ask yourself if you can afford to not drive this car for at least a year.
A decent paint job should cost anywhere from $1500-$4000. If the frame is bent it's close to $5000 to have it straightened. Body panels of any kind are usually a few hundred dollars apiece if you install them yourself. If any of the restoration has to be professionally done add another grand. Is this car worth that much to you, because you would never be able to sell it for what you spent on it.
Have you seen the car run? Have you driven it? What is the compression like? Does it leak any fluids? This person has driven it hard and had an accident in it, and it's not worth it to him to fix it. He has another MR2, so he must love the cars....why would he want to sell it if it's a easy fix? What else could have been damaged while he was driving it?
You're the only one who car say if this particular car is worth it to you to restore. But personnally, I'd take all that money and buy a nice one out of town. If you don't have the money or time to go out of state for one then you don't have the money or time to fix this one either.

[zieg]

Well this whole thread was just to get some price estimates, and now the SOB said he put a new battery in and started it and it ran so well he's going to keep it and try to fix it. But in response to all your questions, it was really going to be a learning experience, and for fun. I already have a car to drive, so not being able to drive it was a non-issue for me. And after thinking about, it's not a very practical thing to learn on, being mid-engined and hard to find parts for. Maybe I can find an older Celica to fix instead.
Thanks for all your replies.

[litljenarey]

YEAH! I love projects!!!

If you're looking to learn body work, I really can't help you, I find body work really difficult.
If you want a project car that will be a good learning experience and fairly inexpensive...buy a car with a blown head gasket. Especially and honda or toyota, because thier pretty easy to get into.
Shops charge a fortune to do it, because it's kinda tedious. So, people sell them dirt cheap. It only costs about $300 to do it right (ie, replacing all the head bolts and stuff) and it's really a great way to learn all the internals on the engine. Then you have a kickass car...
the best part is you just doubled the value of it, so it doesn't feel so bad adding more to it because you know the car is still worth more than you've spent on it.

Just my My first car blew a headgasket and I couldn't afford to have it fixed, so I attempted to do it myself. I didn't know how to change my oil at that point. It took me three monthes to do the job...and now I'm the only girl I know that does motor swaps in my spare time.

Good luck,
Jen

[clawhammer]

Don't worry. You'll find another MR2, probably. That sounds like an expensive fix