2003 Toyota MR2

Convertible

1.8L

5 Speed Manual

JTDFR320730059209

Clear

Gasoline

2003 TOYOTA MR2 Spyder ConvertibleCode 8R2 "Paradise Blue Metallic"with "oak" top & leather interior option ONLY 43,000 miles !!! 5-speed Manual Real Cherry Wood (NOT Photo-Plastic!!) Veneer Interior Purchased as Toyota Certified Pre-Owned @ 29,000 milesin January 2008! Engine Specs: Engine Family: Toyota 1ZZ-FE 1.8 Liter / 100 CID Inline 4 cylinder Gasoline 138 HP @ 6400RPM 125 lb ft of torque @ 4400 RPM Drivetrain: Rear Wheel Drive Transverse Mid-Engine / Transaxle 5-speed Manual Floor-shift Safety: Driver and Passenger Airbags wt Passenger keyed ON/OFF 4- wheel vented ABS power-disc brakes Daytime Running Lights Motion-initiated automatic door lock/unlock High Mounted Stoplamp Projector Low-beam Headlamps Integrated Factory Driving Lamps Comfort & Convenience: Air Conditioning Power Mirrors Power Locks Power Windows wt Driver express-down Adjustable Leather-wrap Steering Wheel Leather Bucket Seats Genuine Cherry Wood Veneer Dash & Door Trim Variable Speed Intermittent Wipers Glass Convertible-top Rear Window wt Defroster 4-Speaker AM-FM CD/Cassette Maplight Dash-controlled Pneumatic Driver Lumbar Support "MR2 Spyder" Floormats Power Antenna Toyota Security System Wheels: Front: P185/55ZR15 TOYO T1R Rear: P225/45ZR16 TOYO T1R OE Factory 5-Spoke Alloy Wheels Security Locking Lugnuts Owner's Story: Purchased in January 2008 ... with an odometer reading of 29,124 miles at a cost of over $21,000.00 at a Virginia Toyota dealer as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle with a 7 year / 100,000 mile warranty (which expired in December 2010). We bought an Electric Green Mica / Oak Leather with Birdseye Veneer 2001 MR2 Spyder for my wife in December 2007, at a local used-car dealer. Within a month of occasionally "borrowing" her Spyder, I too fell in love with it and decided I wanted one for myself. Since I felt she already had the most desirable color combination, I specifically chose the 8R2 (Paradise Blue Metallic) and tan top / leather combo that first became available in 2003. I found certified pre-owned one in January 2008 at a Toyota dealer 4 hours away and bought it. So, from January 2008 till now, we had matching "his & her's" MR2 Spyders! Sometime after the beginning of 2012, my wife began raising the topic of the need to reestablish a more "practical" mode of transport that would allow her to include the growing number of grandchildren. This led to the purchase of the 2008 Scion wagon which pretty much suplanted the Spyder as her daily driver. Also, my wife wound up working a 4PM - Midnight shift daily from her office here at home, which has further reduced her opportunities to make use of her Spyder. **As a consequence, we decided to sell her 2001 Spyder and listed & sold it right here on eBay at the end of April. So, and then there was ONE... ** The era of "His & Hers" matching MR2's has come to an end! I still enjoy driving this fantastically fun & agile little roadster as much as ever... The peppy Toyota GT engine and and 5-speed short-throw shift, together with rear-wheel-drive and a 40/60 front-rear weight ratio that is second only to the Porsche Boxster's (50/50) make it about as much open-air fun as you can have with four wheels! Sitting on Toyo's Proxes T1R ultra high performance tires, as made famous by Hollywood's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift", it hugs the turns and bites the asphalt for nimble turns and quick take-off's! The manual top lowers with a couple of quick releases in mere seconds with no electronics or hydraulics to malfunction and raises almost instantly with a quick over-the-shoulder tug - in-case of an unexpected downpour. However, while my wife used her car daily from Dec 2007 through Sept 2012, my Spyder was babied and kept covered out of the elements for that occasional "pleasure drive" or trip. While her car accrued 43,000 additional miles (50,000 @12/07 - 93,000@ 04/13) , mine only added 14,000 miles (29,000 @ 01/08 - 43,000 @ 06/13) in the same period! In June 2009, my wife and I took this 2003 Spyder on a rountrip roadtrip to Northern Montana. That accounts for 4,200 of the only 14,000 miles added to the odometer since purchased in Jan 2008! In a better economy, I would prefer to keep this fantastic little car. I love everything about it and since it is paid for... to quote (Bilbo Baggins) "... why shouldn't I keep it? ... Now it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's MINE... My Precious!" All it takes is a drive with the sun shining, the top down, and the wind in your hair and you'd easily understand why I am reluctant to part with it... Unfortunately, I am self-employed and for me this economy has not been kind. I have been forced to reassess my priorities and what I can afford to have money tied up in. Since my opportunities to share drives with my wife have been even more limited by her new work schedule and even before that, I've only had occasions to drive it about 2,000 miles a year (plus that one-time 4,200 mile roadtrip)... ... makes it difficult to justify keeping the Spyder when I should be applying those resources elsewhere. So, I am offering the car for Sale.Make no mistake however, I am not selling out of desparation...(financial or otherwise) so...if you are looking for an "eBay" bargain at a lowball give-away price....(FINE PRINT: ... Uh ... Keep Looking. This car is not going to sell to a low bid! :-) ) Vehicle Condition /Specifics: Engine / Drivetrain Is the original unmolested / unmodified 43,000 mile original that was still under Toyota manufacturer's warranty until Dec 2010 ... So, it is in outstanding condition, as expected from a well maintained car with only 43,000 original miles. Since new, I have personally maintained it with Mobil1 Synthetic and eventually Royal Purple as well as Toyota and K&N filters. It purrs smoothly, starts easily, and accelerates as a 1.8L 1ZZ-FE Toyota engine should. There is no oil-burning / blue smoke, excessive oil consumption, or notable under-car leaking. As a Toyota Certified Pre-Owned Car, This Toyota had to meet strict qualifications to be acceptable and was put through a rigorous 160-point quality assurance inspection. Wear-and-tear items as well as the serpentine belt were replaced. CEL (Check Engine Light) has illuminated twice while i have owned the car. Once in June 2009 during the Montana roadtrip , 2,100 miles from home, and then again just this past April 2013. The 1ZZ-FE engine has THREE HEATED O2 SENSORS. Both times it was the just heater-circuit in one of the three sensors. The first time it was the "downstream" and the second was the right-bank "upstream" sensor. The actual sensor was still functional, but the heater which allows the O2 sensor to function more efficiently EVEN BEFORE the engine has reached operating temperature had burned out. This is so that it achieves its classification as a U.L.E.V (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) rather than just a L.E.V. ... or so you could cold-start the Spyder and drive it IMMEDIATELY into a CA emmision station and pass with flying colors. In other words... more of a nuiscance than a problem actually and what it means is that as a result of the C.E.L... 2 of 3 O2 sensors have been replaced wt OEM exact-replacement original equipment Denso Sensors before 50K miles! (And before somebody asks why I have not replaced the remaining left-bank "upstream" sensor, they cost about $85 - $125 a peice and a heater failure is indicated by a CEL and DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT SAFE AND EFFICIENT FUNCTION.) The CEL is not currently illuminated. As explained, the aforementioned causes were corrected and the light cycles off after ignition, as it should. Brakes / Tires At this mileage, new brakes are still a bit premature. They were included in a yearly State of Virginia mandated Safety inspection which was just performed and passed in mid-May 2013. The tires are a Mid-2009 upgrade with very little wear / mileage on them. (Look at the photos.) These are ultra-high performance TOYO T1R Z-rated tires and were featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Too Fast Too Furious: Tokyo Drift (best seen on the restored Mustang). The improvement to ride and road-handling I experienced after installing these on my '03 Spyder made it a no-brainer as an upgrade over the Bridgestone's that were on this car from the time of purchase. The car has the original factory alloy wheels. These may have some small surface blemishes but have no serious road-rash, warping, or other damage. Convertible Top If you examine the photos, you will see that that the top is in outstanding condition. The car was sparingly driven and stored in the center of a 3-car carport under a car-cover. The only imperfection in the top is one that is common to this color top on the Spyder and, according to the manager at my body shop, others as well. A number of small dark "freckles" seem to have appeared on part of the driver's side. No one seems to have an answer as to what these are and nothing will completely remove them. My car was parked where it did not get wet, so it is only in a small area, not very noticeable unless you are making a direct examination at close range and only in one area. My wife's was often parked out in the open and exposed to weather. It was so badly peppered with these spots that the only remedy was to recoat HER CAR with SEM flexible color coating and a satin clear topcoat in 2012. I could not be sure if the SEM "Oak" was an exact factory-color match and we selected the slightly lighter than original "Palomino" rather than risking "Saddle" or "Camel" being even further off-color. It matches the interior wood trim nicely and my wife actually prefers it over the original color. If you look at the pictures, I think you will agree that it is not sufficient to require my measure applied to my wife's car at this time. Still, in the interest of full-disclosure, I am pointing it out. The top has been thoroughly cleaned to "toothbrush" standards and treated. It seals tightly with no wind noise and NO LEAKS. No rips, tears, strains, or defects (except the "freckles" mentioned above...) Interior Has been well cared-for and kept cleaned. The leather seats have been regularly conditioned with leather treatment and only show minimal age on the edge panels. There are no deep cracks or tears in the seats. The OE carpets and MR2 Spyder-logo floormats look practically new and do not have any rub-through or bare spots, stains, fading, or discoloration. The drain ports for the convertible top were cleared and thoroughly flushed after an owner website suggested that these could become blocked and allow water to collect. The dash and doors feature a urethane-coated real-wood cherry wood veneer trim (NOT photo-finish simulated imitation junk) installed immediately after I purchased it in 2008. No known defects - everything in new or close-to-new condition. Ashtray has never been used. NON-SMOKER car - smells of leather and car-care products! Paint / Bodywork The Code 8R2 Paradise Blue Metallic paint work is deep and shiny. Just look at the photos! There are only three blemishes in the entire paintwork that I am aware of... All three are on the hood. I have circled them in close-up 720p HD photos. From 5 feet away, and almost any angle, they are virtually invisible. In direct sunlight standing directly over the hood, there are tow pencil-tip sized gravel-impact marks in the paint-surface and one 1/2" pencil-lead width mark / scratch in the surface (not through the finish to the primer). These could easily be touched-up by owner or a professional. I have not because I only just discovered them while detailing the car for the eBay pictures and I don't want to attempt to conceal the only imperfections on an otherwise pristine-looking 43,000 mile car. During the Summer of 2009, in an attempt to avoid a collision with a car that pulled out in front of me without warning, I clipped a mailbox in middle of the right fender. An insurance-company recommended body-shop replaced the fender and refreshed the paintwork. A complete body and suspension inspection was performed as well as a full 4-wheel alignment. The bodywork is exceptional quality. The finish was perfectly blended and invisible and without this disclosure or a vehicle-history report, it would not be apparent. All the body panels are perfectly color-matched and aligned. No rust or untreated collision-damage. Track / Alignment is perfect - no odd handling behavior or pull. Current tires were installed by the same shop and show no uneven / unusual wear since. Amenities All the creature comforts, from automatically-activated door lock/unlock, power-windows, power antenna, AM-FM-CD-Cassette, power lumbar-support etc., all function as-new. The heater is so powerful that it keeps occupants toasty warm on cold days even with the top down and the A/C is blowing frosty cold - as I just ran it even today! Everything works / functions as it should. Nothing "if-fy" or unreliable. As reliable as you would expect from a Japanese-built Toyota car! Don't miss this chance - You won't regret owning this beauty! CONTACT ME THROUGH EBAY MESSAGING WITH ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING! ********************************************* Please Read all of the Following Before Bidding. Bidding on this vehicle constitutes a purchase contract, which includes all of the following terms: CONTACTING ME: As I stated, I own a small business. As such I work wierd hours and am almost never available directly by phone. My wife works from 4PM to Midnight M-F! So, please email me for any questions through the eBay Messaging System or at Handyman1962@msn.com and I will try to respond within 24 hours. Please understand, I am not a professional car collector or seller. I have purchased and restored cars over the years for mine and my family's personal use and enjoyment. My business is not cars and unfortunately I still need to conduct my actual livelihood during the course of this sale. This will limit, to some degree, how much, how quickly, and how extensively, I will be able to respond to a buyer's schedule in answering presale requests for inspections, or post-sale collection of the car. Thank you for understanding. TERMS OF SALE: Upon purchase by winning bid or Buy It Now, the purchaser must remit the first USD$ 1,000.00 of the purchase price via PayPal within 3 business days. No Exceptions! The winning bidder should also contact me by email to make arrangements to pay the balance of the purchase price in cash and in person within 7 days (unless alternate arrangements are agreed to in writing per email by both parties). Arrangements to collect the car will need to allow for me to be physically available at the time of pickup to personally exchange the signed vehicle Title and a Bill of Sale. Payment will only be accepted in valid U.S. CASH CURRENCY BEFORE THE TITLE WILL BE SIGNED AND THE CAR IS RELEASED INTO THE BUYERS CUSTODY. If you wish to avoid carrying cash, please be prepared to retrieve your funds through a local bank. Due to the increasing occurence of counterfeit registered and certified bank checks, I will not accept any other form of payment except US Dollar Currency. Payment may be made through PayPal, BUT CONTACT ME FIRST - THIS IS A CONDITIONAL ARRANGEMENT ONLY with specific details and limitations and requires some additional writtent agreements FIRST! Once the date and time are arranged, I will meet the buyer with the car in the parking lot of my bank (OR ANOTHER LOCAL BANK OF YOUR CHOSING AS AGREED PRIOR) and exchange the Title and Bill of Sale inside the bank during normal business hours for the added security of all parties. As I stated earlier, I am not a professional auto restorer, broker, or retailer. The Buyer will have to make their own arrangements to take delivery of the car. I cannot assist in arranging for shipping or transportation. The Buyer will have to take personal delivery or send an authorized recipient with a letter of authorization, together with payment according to the terms outlined above, specififcally naming the matching identity of the person collecting the car for the buyer. Please be prepared to complete your payment and collect your car in-person within the 7 days as outlined above unless alternate arrangements are agreed to BEFORE PURCHASE. Storing your purchase on my property for additional weeks or "holding" the car on deposit with the payment of the first $1,000.00 is not acceptable. Contact me via eBay Messaging or email if you have special requests or needs BEFORE you buy. PLEASE NOTE: THE CURRENT VIRGINIA ANTIQUE REGISTRATION & PLATES ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE AND WILL BE REMOVED UPON SALE. THERE IS NO WARRANTY PROVIDED. THIS VEHICLE IS 10 YRS OLD. ANY COMPONENT THAT WAS FUNCTIONING PRIOR TO OR AT THE TIME OF SALE MAY CEASE TO FUNCTION OR MALFUNCTION AT ANY TIME DUE TO AGE OR CONDITIONS BEYOND THE SELLER'S CONTROL. I HAVE TRIED TO BE MORE THOROUGH IN MY DESCRIPTION & DISCLOSURE THAN MOST SELLERS OF USED CARS, I DO NOT INTEND TO OMIT ANY IMPORTANT DETAILS. WHILE I BELIEVE THE CAR TO BE IN EXC+ CONDITION, IT IS STILL A 10 YR OLD 'USED CAR' AND I AM NOT CLAIMING IT TO BE A 'NEW CAR' - AS SUCH I AM ALSO NOT ASKING THE $27,000 IT COST WHEN IT WAS. SO, THE DESCRIPTION "SOLD AS-IS -- NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED" APPLIES TO THIS SALE. WHILE I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN THIS VEHICLE'S ABILITY TO SAFELY AND SUCESSFULLY BE DRIVEN AFTER PURCHASE TO ANY LOCATION, I CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RISKS THAT THE BUYER MIGHT ENCOUNTER , WHILE DRIVING, RATHER THAN SHIPPING / TRANSPORTING IT TO ITS FINAL LOCATION. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. AN ON-SITE PRE-INSPECTION MAY BE CONDUCTED BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENT, ONLY BEFORE MAKING THE WINNING BID! ALSO: IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON MAKING A PRE-BUY INSPECTION, THERE WILL BE PASSENGER TEST-DRIVES ONLY- NO POTENTIAL BUYER DRIVER TEST DRIVES WILL BE PERMITTED. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I CANNOT AFFORD TO RISK AN "OOPSIE AND WALK-AWAY" BY AN UNOBLIGATED TEST-DRIVER. (SEE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0RC181UbYE IF YOU NEED FURTHER CLARIFICATION. ) ONCE A BIDDER WINS THE AUCTION, THERE IS NO CANCELATION OF THE SALE UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS GROSSLY MISREPRESENTED OR UNAVAILABLE FOR SALE DUE TO AN UNFORSEEN CATASTROPHY TO THE VEHICLE. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU BID, PLEASE UNDERSTAND YOU ARE BIDDING TO BUY, NOT TO COME FOR A TEST DRIVE, KICK THE TIRES, RE-NEGOTIATE THE PRICE ON-SITE. THE REQUIRED $1,000.00 IS NOT A "DEPOSIT" TO HOLD THE CAR FOR FINAL APPROVAL, IT IS THE INITIAL PARTIAL PAYMENT THAT VERIFIES A SALE WHICH STILL REQUIRES A BALANCE DUE TO BE A COMPLETED TRANSACTION. On Jun-05-13 at 07:22:53 PDT, seller added the following information: Feel Free to compare this 2003 Spyder with these other National listings of similar mileage: (click this link) http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?sourceContext=&newSearchFromOverviewPage=true&cgLocale=en&embedType=NONE&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=c3583&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity2=c3583&uncached=false&showInactive=false&newCarsOnly=false&useInventoryService=false&name=entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity&includeAllModelsOption=false&carsWithRegressionOnly=false&groupByPopularity=true&ign-makerId-entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=m7&yearDropdownHeading=All+Years&trimDropdownHeading=Select+Trim&groupByPopularity=true&ign-modelId-entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d302&includeUnknownTrimOption=false&carsWithRegressionOnly=false&ign-carId-entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=c3583&ign-car2Id-entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=c3583&zip=23061&distance=NATIONWIDE&filtersModified=true&modelChanged=false&searchChanged=true&sortType=MILEAGE&sortDirection=ASC