Hey I just got a 89 mr2 sc last night its my first mr2 and also my first 4ag is there any basic helpful hints I should know ?

Hiya... welcome to club4AG

Just remember that your car is 25 years old, so don't beat on it too hard.

Check that the fluids are good (brake, clutch, oil and water). The water
should have a corrosion inhibitor added... if it is brown, drain and refill
with distilled water and corrosion inhibitor/anti-freeze. If the oil is black,
drain, fit a new filter and fill with any decent 10W40 oil.

Check that the brake pads have at least 4mm of friction material remaining
and that there is no sign of weeping/leaking at the calipers. Check that
the rubber hoses are not crusty and cracking on the outer cover. Make sure
that the e-brake will hold on an incline.

Check that all the lights are working and the headlights correctly adjusted.

Look for uneven tire wear/camber wear, and get a wheel alignment if the
car is pulling to one side or cutting out the tire tread on one edge.

That will get you started

Cheers... jondee86

PS: Of course, if this is not your first car, you will already know these things.
But it is always a good idea to check the basics whenever you pick up a car
and don't know its history.

Thanks for the info I just finished with a full oil change and putting new brakes on and also a new fuel filter and I have new plugs on order for tomorrow . So tomorrow I'll be doing a full alignment and new tires

Looks like you have the basics well covered

One of the other issues with older cars is that most have done big miles,
and as a result a lot of the moving parts will be worn. These may become
obvious once you start driving the car every day. For example...
- factory rubber suspension bushings may be soft and loose, causing the
car steering and handling to be vague, with rattles and clunks.
- shocks may be worn causing vibration and poor braking performance.
- steering rack or balljoints may be loose.
- synchros in the gearbox may be worn causing difficulty in changing gear
without graunching.
- engine maybe down on power due to low comprssion.

You have to identify and deal with any such mechanical problems. Fix
safety related issues first, and then move on to the performance items.

Club member yoshimitsuspeed is big into MR2's and has a lot of useful
information on his website http://www.matrixgarage.com/.

Cheers... jondee86

checked compression?
Post pictures, we all would like to see it...

I have noticed the worn shocks and bushings so I ordered new Kyb shocks and also a full Polly bushing kit and motor mounts I will post pic up later I'm in the middle of changing the color from dark red to a smoke gray and black

heres a few pics