Anyone here owned/driven a 2nd or 3rd gen MR2?

A better question would be, have you ever autocrossed a second or third gen MR2? The reason I ask is I would like to put Toyota electronic power steering into my car. I would just put the Honda stuff on but the pump occupies the same space that a downpipe would when i decide to turbo my car (I've decided. My cashflow hasnt.).

Can the electric power steering pump keep up to rowing of the steering wheel?

I plan on using the third gen pump which includes the reservior and control unit attached. With this it will pull 15A under 12mph and 5A moving, my only worry is I believe I've heard others say that you feel as if your fighting the pump when going through a slalom. If this is the case I may just end up using the 2nd gen pump without the control unit.

Thanks!!

I run an E Stock MR2 locally, but I don't have PS. Having said that, the guys with "serious" MR2s do run PS. So I think the answer is certainly yes.

To be honest, I do have PS. It's just not on the car. One of many, many projects yet to be done.

Well if the serious guys arent having issues I doubt I will... Is yours a second or third gen?

Mine is a MkII- '91.

There's a guy who sometimes races in our region who always did really well at Nationals in his '93. He had power steering. Another guy had one for one season and also did well at Nationals with PS. So I'd say it'll work fine. Now, I do know a kid who has a '91 and he says his can't keep up. So I think it has to be in good order.

I'm thinking maybe those who say it cant keep up may be using the third gen that slows it down when moving above 12mph. I dont know about MK1's though.

cxhb wrote: I'm thinking maybe those who say it cant keep up may be using the third gen that slows it down when moving above 12mph. I dont know about MK1's though.

No MK1's came with power assist. Manual only for us :P

All manual with the option if a quaife 2.7 rack...

I used to autocross my MR2 Turbo back in the day, a '91 model, and it couldn't keep up..easy, hard...easy, hard...easy, hard...not very linear. On the street you never noticed it though. I think they were improved as time went by though, so a later version might be better.

By contrast, I had a NA 2nd gen with manual steering and it was better in every respect.

The manual rack is VERY, VERY slow. You'll get crossed up in slaloms. I'd go with the power rack for that reason alone every time.

SpeedTheory wrote: The manual rack is VERY, VERY slow. You'll get crossed up in slaloms. I'd go with the power rack for that reason alone every time.

QFT

Like I said, I don't have any first hand experience, so take it for what it's worth. There was that blue Street Mod turbo that ran really well a couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure he using power steering with the quick pinion from 2s R Us. I saw a few posts on the MR2 board about that car.

I wonder if racerdave600 is onto the answer. Maybe the '93 worked better.

I would like to stay away from the second gen pump and use the third gen because it has the controller and reservior attached.

Its looking like my combo will end up being an Si rack and pinion with a third gen pump/controller. I would like to use the better Integra rack but then I would have to swap subframes so that's out.

No, I had a '93 Hardtop. Rack was slower than hell. Codrove a '91 a few weeks ago and it felt identical.