This is my MR2 Story
Hello, my name is Joe Shutte and I founded the Tri-State Mr2 Owners Club. How exactly did I get the fever for the Toyota MR2, well it goes back about 10 years. A good friend of mine had a 86 that I really liked, though I never really brought up the fact of how much I liked it. So in 1997 I was trying to replace my 1979 Cutlass with a pick up truck when I happened to be driving by a used car lot and noticed a dark blue MR2 there. I turned to my wife and said, we should check that car out, then I thought, what are the odds that it is an automatic. I couldn't drive a stick at the time so it had to be an automatic or keep looking. Well, it just so happens that it was an automatic, I drove it once and really wasn't all that impressed. Came back a few days later and realized I had the ECT button on normal rather than power. ECT = Electronically Controlled Transmission. Pushed the button on this test drive and realized this was the car for me. Though the power was not quite what I remembered from my friends car, it was still very quick. My friend that I keep talking about just so happens to be in the club and has two MR2's of his own.
Well the MR2 was great, then I found IMOC and could not believe the following the cars have. One thing led to another and I found myself on my way to my first MR2 rally. Took another friend with me who I sold on the MR2 a few months earlier. We were headed to the first DC rally. It was one of the best times I have ever had. We had 61 cars show up which was incredible enough in itself but the scenery on the drive was outstanding. We took 61 cars up through some mountains and was just tearing up the road. Looking back it was a bit dangerous the way we were driving but we did not have an incident and it was just incredible. As far as you could see in front of you and behind you, MR2's. Everywhere! God I love this car! On this particular rally I got my first upclose look at a MKII. That was all it took, I had to have one. Well in January 1998 I picked up my pristine, 93 MKII Turbo. I determined after the first rally that was held here that I should start up an official club. That was in 1998, we have grown to a point that I never thought I would see and have to say that everytime I get in either of my MR2's the 88SC or 93T, I realize why I love these cars so much.
Left out what happened to my 88 NA automatic. Well it was March of 2001 and I was on my way to work on the interstate where we were just creeping along when a guy slammed into the back of me totaling my first MR2. But she lives on cause I bought the car back from the insurance company and parted her out, and have been selling off parts for over 6 months now.
Well that is my story about how I became involved with the MR2 and this club. Let's here yours.
See My 3 cars here.