Starlet SR

[samowizkid]

Hey all

not long joined this club so still all new to this sorry.

I'm saving up for a Starlet SR at the moment( it be my first car) Been driving my dads punto for a year now and want my own car lol! I been looking around at different cars for a wile and im still coming back to the SR, i really like the look of them and its not to bad on insurance. Saving up £2000, should get a good SR and a months insurance for that budget. Hoping to pick one up in July time if i can. I would just like some info on the SR's and the things I need to look out for. Im really hooked on the Starlets now and heard that they are nippy cars for a 1.3L.

I was looking at the sportif but none of them have a rev counter as the SR does so that's one thing i like about them, also love the speedline wheels I really like the TTE spoiler and back pipe although heard that you will have a job finding an SR with the TTE back pipe.

I heard that the gear box ratio is shorter to, is this true?

Sorry again if i post this in the wrong place.

Hopefully get to talk to you guys and hear what you think to your Starlets

Thanks in advance

Sam.

[morgey]

welcome along, good choice on the car i must say ;)

looks like youve looked into these a lil bit yes the tte backbox is very hard to comeby but remus make a similar one. the suspension is lowered 25mm on tte springs on slightly uprated shocks (i think)

i dont think they have shorter ratio's by the way

there is a few other models with rev counters but none with the looks of the SR's

tbh theres nothing outstandingly obvious i can think of that you need to look out for.

the engine if serviced regularly should last way past 100k

the gearbox's are probably the biggest issue, 2nd gear synco can ware out and become notchy when trying to shift into it hard or fast. problem being on a test drive its hard to give the car enough stick to find if its got this issue, but it in no way effects the day to day drive of the car and will most likely outlast the lenght of ownership

toyota got these cars pretty well rust protected aswel so if theres any signs of rust its prob best steer clear.

other than the obvious bits to look at when buying a car, i cant really think of much, but im sure some others will give you a few pointers!

enjoy your stay

[Billy SR]

if your in need of a remus back box i have one for sale! great little cars and i miss mine more by the day

[jimmymac101]

Welcome along mate I have a gls and that as a rev counter but as morgey said sr's have a look all of there own ;) I payed 2800 a year at the age of 19 on insurance as its pricey due to it being a fast car for a 1.3 speedlines arnt the easist wheels to come across but do look lush I have a set on mine

Good luck with the hunting, I'm sure your find a minter

James

Edited May 14, 2012 by jimmymac101

[RoryWebb432]

i know you can get an original tte backbox for the sr direct from toyota for £120. i know this because my dad works for toyota. this remus backbox for sale how much you looking for @billy sr?

[Amjad]

Welcome! Nice to see another local member!

[Billy SR]

i know you can get an original tte backbox for the sr direct from toyota for £120. i know this because my dad works for toyota. this remus backbox for sale how much you looking for @billy sr?

i was looking for around £80 delivered, it's currently welded on to n/a hangers, rather than sr tte hangers (the ones that make it sit below the exhaust) the tte is long gone from toyota's catalogues since tte went broke and they cleared lots of stock years back!

[samowizkid]

Thank you all for your feedback Yea i heard that they are lowered a bit so that's cool! Oh right didn't know the GLS had a rev counter but sooner go for the SR because of looks Rust was one of the reasons that put me off jap cars, My brother had a S13 and that was terrible but im chuffed that the starlets are harder to rust! Thanks for letting me know about the gearbox and 2nd gear i will keep that in mind! it must be a common thing with jap cars, my bro is getting the same thing with his Honda integra but a simple gearbox fluid change did the job. sorry for asking so many questions but do any of you know what the drive shafts are like, are they in good nick for the age of the car?

For the age of the car im very impressed on the comments i have seen so far, seems like its a good quality car to go for so my feelings of wanting a starlet has grown even more lol

Jimmy 2800 wow that's a lot!!! i have been doing some insurance quiets to see how much it be, and the lowest i got it is 1300, still expensive but im willing to pay that. im 20 and been driving my dads car just over a year now so i also got 1 years NCB, when i first past it was around 2500 to 3000, crazy!! I'm pleased on how much its changed in just a year. Oh right so the speedlines are hard to comeby to then?

Thanks all again for your comments and welcoming, starting to feel at home

[samowizkid]

Oh right i see so TTE will get les and less lightly to find then, i will look at though's remus when i get my SR, I really like buddy club backbox to mined but i will see when i get hold of my SR

[m11xky]

Welcome mate!

Jimmys GLS was my first car...would never look back!

...you'll love it when you get one...loadza stuff to do to it as well...some beautiful N/As on here!

Mike

[samowizkid]

quotes* sorry cant spell lol

[Billy SR]

in true honesty, don't worry about it being too standard, you'll soon get bored and go all out

[Ryan5793]

welcome bud, I had an SR for my 1st car and on my 2nd SR now and would probably still buy another haha

Also.. so thats why mine crunches into 2nd! lol

[samowizkid]

Yea I heard you can do a lot to them, I like the SR standed I do, will hardly do anything to it, the only thing I might do is change the indercaters from orange to see through and I would love a jap number plate but not got car yet so I will worry about that when I have it ;) douse any of you know a good site to find SR's for sale? I looked on autotrader and there is only 2 and they have been there for months, looked on gumtree and they are all in Ireland, there was a really nice one on eBay (sold now) black, only did 60,000miles and it had the tte backbox to, I was gutted I didn't have the money to get it, it was £1400 but never mind!

[jimmymac101]

It's my first car at the age of 19 with 0ncb and 1yr license this year, age 20 and 1ncb its just over 1000 I have 114000 on the clock and its fine need a new clutch but you would expect that for the mileage if you start with a standard car you can get it how you want it, make it your own

Keep an eye on here and eBay they pop up in good condition from time to time, it takes time took me 6months to find mine as I wanted an Sr but saw mine and just had to have it the tte backbox is just a backbox so its not a great lose if you don't get one you can pick up and cat back system for £250 ( better performance )

James

[morgey]

I garentee you will want to change the seats and door cards when u get one ;) haha

Good thing is if u want more power theres always the option of the turbo engine!

As for cars for sale Try the classifieds on here or toyotagtturbo.com

Then pistonheads is worth a look every so often, theyre quite a rare car the sr's less than 800 produced if I remember correctly, so deffinately worth taking your time on finding a good one ;)

[samowizkid]

Oh I forgot about pistonheads I will have a look at that

yea I was thinking on just getting a standed starlet but as I'm as I'm short on money I was just thinking on getting a SR becuase it's already got the wheels and it's lowered already, plus If I do want to sell the car I would get more money from one becuase of them being rare.

[samowizkid]

What's the terbo engines like then, are they reliable? Is it the glanza engine is it? Sorry still a novice to the starlets so apologise of the mount of questions lol

[dazzariley69]

im on my second glanza after a change of car a few years bk and totaly regretted it. i was always told that running safe boost with regular oil changes that the 4efte would be pretty much bullet proof. I've bin running td04 at 1.0 bar of boost on standard internals with regular servicing and I've not had a single problem so far and mine is a daily driver. either way your goin for the right car mate

[samowizkid]

Yea I will probably leave the terbos alone then, they would put my incerance up loads I reckon and I like the standerd engines, it's a VVTI engine isit it? So all the power is at the top then like a VETEC engine? I think I would like that more than turbo.

[morgey]

No its not unfortunately, but the 16v design does mean it likes to be rev'd a lil bit, but nothing like the honda vtec or toyota 4age 20v ;)

If you keep it a fair while its always worth considering the turbo engine, after youve built you no claims up a fair bit that is!

[LukeSR]

Welcome mate. Its double-cam so it grunts a bit more at around 5k ;)

[samowizkid]

Oh right i thought it had vvti, well 16v are always nice anyway, nice sound to them what's the handling like as a standard SR then, do they grip well? double cam...sweat!

[Billy SR]

to be fair with the dreadful sr springs they handle like a trolley

[LukeSR]

I've got Cobra shocks + Springs (40mm), front + rear braces and mine handles a dream!