Creating more luggage space in an MR2 Mk3

[genie]

My latest hair-brained scheme is: to take a Mark3 Toyota MR2 and modify it the following way:

1) Remove the spare tyre, plastic cladding in the boot, power steering and anything else that can be removed, and making a new boot out of metal, wood or plastic to fit into this space. I figure that it is such a light car, it can manage without power steering.

2) Removing the convertible top and glove boxes and, in the space thus made available, make a second boot out of metal, wood or plastic. One can use the hardtop on a daily basis and drive without any roof on days when one is sure that it will not rain.

Does any of you know whether the above is feasible, how much space one can make available, and whether anybody has done this? Can one fit any suitcase or travelling bag in the front or in the space reclaimed from the folding roof? My big idea is to be able to use an MR2 not only as a sports car but also as a touring car.

Although I have seen and driven a Mk3 MR2, I have never seen what these cars look like without all the plastic. I have never had the courage to ask a dealer or owner whether I can take an MR2 apart to see what it looks like "in the metal".

George

[Andy Champ]

3) Buy a Mk2
4) Get divorced, put luggage in passenger seat.

I think Toyota made a mistake with the Mk3 - even the MX5, it's chief rival, has a boot. Still, they probably know better than me!

Andy

[Ekona]

Impressive ideas, I'll give you that.

Regarding the front plastics, you can remove them easily enough, but don't forget if you remove too much the car will have a huge tendancy to under-steer.

If you're going to remove the soft-top, then I think you should cut and alter the firewall to allow you to fit a supercharger. You'd then have the world's first supercharged Mk3!

If you want to know how the car will handle with no powersteering, all you have to do is (whilst the engine is running and you're doing low speed) turn the ignition off an then back on again quickly. This turns off the power-steering pump until you stop the engine and start it back up again.

[sadako]

If you want to know how the car will handle with no powersteering, all you have to do is (whilst the engine is running and you're doing low speed) turn the ignition off an then back on again quickly. This turns off the power-steering pump until you stop the engine and start it back up again.

This will actually make the car handle like the car has power steering but the power steering pump is off. This makes turning the wheel harder than a blind lesban's nips in a fishmarket. It took all of my strength to turn the wheel on my old car when running with a dead wheel whilst being taken to the garage

[Goldy]

Why go to all that trouble to make some extra luggage space

Mr2's aint really known for their baggage holding capacity buy something with a bigger boot such as a smart car and keep the mr2 for weekends

[JohnnyC]

I think Toyota made a mistake with the Mk3 - even the MX5, it's chief rival, has a boot.

Agreed. It's a huge mistake.

This makes turning the wheel harder than a blind lesban's nips in a fishmarket.

=D>

[spgreen]

I think Toyota made a mistake with the Mk3 - even the MX5, it's chief rival, has a boot. Still, they probably know better than me!

Andy

they do.
I went to Le Mans 2 up in my mk3, there was 'enough' room, i wont say that there was loads but there was enough. So although it doesnt have a boot it has 'sufficient' luggage space

[JohnnyC]

I think Toyota made a mistake with the Mk3 - even the MX5, it's chief rival, has a boot. Still, they probably know better than me!

Andy

they do.
I went to Le Mans 2 up in my mk3, there was 'enough' room, i wont say that there was loads but there was enough. So although it doesnt have a boot it has 'sufficient' luggage space

Luggage for 4 shown below (pity only 2 people fit in the car )...



A typical shopping load by the wife done in the mk2 (sometimes I wish I had a mk3 )...


Stick all that luggage in your mk3 and smoke it

Mind you, nothing beats the transit-van-like properties of the Toyota Celica, I moved house with one of those!!!! (a few trips though )

[Goldy]

Mind you, nothing beats the transit-van-like properties of the Toyota Celica, I moved house with one of those!!!! (a few trips though )

I moved house in my mk2 hehe

[spgreen]

I am not disputing that the mk2 has more luggage space

what i am saying tho is that the mk3 has enough luggage space for 2 people, yes a bit more wouldnt go amiss but if i needed a car with a lot of lugguge space id buy a different car, toyota have never marketed it as a family car (you cant even put a child seat in it because you cant turn off the airbag)

What Toyota did market it as was a fun, affordable sports car and IMHO it does that very well

[JMR_AW11]

I think the MR2 mistakes started way back in 1986. They brought in the awful T bar version which added weight to an already heavy car and then ruined the handling on the later mk1 cars. Such a shame.

The biggest mistake of all was to attach the MR2 name to the obese mk2.
The MR2 name should have died with the mk1.

The mk2 is a very different car as I'm sure most will agree!

At least they tried to get it right with the mk3 with its lighter weight. It's a shame they look so slabby and the lack of storage space is a big mistake.
I would like to have a drive in one though (never even considered driving the mk2 and probably never will) The mk3 looks best in dark blue metallic IMO, as it seems to hide the slabby lines.

If someone did bring out a 'storage kit' for the mk3 it would probably make quite a few mk3 owners happy.

Here's a list of the things I have managed to get home in my mk1 (but not all at once! Also, the passenger seat sometimes needs removing)

A new rotary lawnmower (still in its box!)
4 (8 foot long) fence posts stuck out of the sunroof
A new portable airconditioner unit (huge!)
A 19" frame mountain bike can fit in the boot if you remove the wheels
Various chairs and items of furniture
A whole suite of large and VERY heavy RF test equipment (spectrum analyser, signal generators and an oscilloscope + laptop)

The problems really start when you have more than one passenger to accommodate....

[JohnnyC]

Here's a list of the things I have managed to get home in my mk1 (but not all at once! Also, the passenger seat sometimes needs removing)

A new rotary lawnmower (still in its box!)
4 (8 foot long) fence posts stuck out of the sunroof
A new portable airconditioner unit (huge!)
A 19" frame mountain bike can fit in the boot if you remove the wheels
Various chairs and items of furniture
A whole suite of large and VERY heavy RF test equipment (spectrum analyser, signal generators and an oscilloscope + laptop)

You're not Mr Bean by any chance?

[JMR_AW11]

You're not Mr Bean by any chance?

No, but your picture of him has given me a few ideas for more storage space.

Hmmm... come to think of it, that jacket Mr Bean is wearing looks kind of snazzy too. I wonder where he got it from...

[genie]

3) Buy a Mk2
4) Get divorced, put luggage in passenger seat.

I think Toyota made a mistake with the Mk3 - even the MX5, it's chief rival, has a boot. Still, they probably know better than me!

Andy

5) Buy a Mazda MX-5 Miata.
6) Get a trailer for luggage.

On no. 6, another hair brained idea of mine was to take the rear end of an MR2, the part behind the doors, remove the propulsion system, put a floor and walls and use it as a luggage trailer.

Anyway, I think that people like us would know better than Toyota. After all, we are the customers and potential customers.

[genie]

Thanks to all who replied to my thread. I was surprised that there was so much interest in this subject.

One of the reasons why I am interested in hauling luggage in an MR2 Mk3 is to be able to take it to mountainous or hilly areas, like in central and southern Europe, and really be able to take advantage of its handling and roadholding to the utmost. It is more fun than driving such a car in a flat land, or one with little but straight roads.

I would like to be able to use an MR2 as a touring car. I do not have the space to park, nor can I easily afford two cars. Besides, the amount of driving which I do does not justify two car ownership.

George

[genie]

The biggest mistake of all was to attach the MR2 name to the obese mk2.
The MR2 name should have died with the mk1.

The mk2 is a very different car as I'm sure most will agree!

If someone did bring out a 'storage kit' for the mk3 it would probably make quite a few mk3 owners happy.

In my opinion the name MR2 is not inspired. Such cars deserve a better name. Nor is the name RAV4 (RecreAtional Vehicle 4-wheel drive) very attractive either. Perhaps they should have given the MR2 Mk1 and Mk3 one name and the Mk2 a different one.

I fully agree that a 'storage kit' for the Mk3 would make many an owner happy.

[Andy Champ]

Hmmm... if a Mk2 will hold luggage for 4, but 2 people, and a Mk3 will hold 2 people and not much luggage...

For me though, the killer with the Mk3 was that I didn't fit. Nor in the new Celica. And yet I fitted nicey in both the old models. Aren't people supposed to be getting taller?

[genie]

For me though, the killer with the Mk3 was that I didn't fit. Nor in the new Celica. And yet I fitted nicey in both the old models. Aren't people supposed to be getting taller?

Andy, I take it that you are more than 6 feet tall. Is that correct? I am 5' 11" tall and I fit very comfortably in an MR2 Mk3 with the top down. I have not tried it with the top up, though.

[aaronjb]

Andy, I take it that you are more than 6 feet tall. Is that correct? I am 5' 11" tall and I fit very comfortably in an MR2 Mk3 with the top down. I have not tried it with the top up, though.

5'9" and the size of a small house and I fit OK..

There is a guy on the ROC forums who is over 6' though, and with his body size & seat position ended up having to remove the drivers door handle to fit properly..

[GeoffC320]

Hey...you could always do like the guy on 'Worlds Most Amazing Videos' tonight. Police arrived at a car with smoke coming from under the bonnet. They eventually got the lid open and the engine bay was stuffed chock-full of camping gear and stuff!!

Yep, airbed, 5litre bottle of oil, Calor gas cylinder .

You know it makes sense...