DEFEND YOU RIDE: Jonathan In Manayunk
"This has been my dream car since I was a kid."
- The Ride
- The Driver: Jonathan
- Vehicle in Question: Super White 1988 Toyota MR2 Supercharged
- Spotted at: Cresson Street in Manayunk, PA 19127
- Odometer: 175,000+
- Nickname: Mister Two
THE DEFENSE
Q: Hi Jonathan. Great car! How do you feel when you're driving it?
A: I think it's a love/hate relationship. It's hard to enjoy the daily commute with the amount of people on the road nowadays, but when I'm out on the open road, it's one of my favorite feelings.
Q: How did you get your car?
A: I found my car on Craigslist after years of searching and looking at many other examples that weren't in the condition I was looking for. This one was sent to me by a good friend and I immediately knew it was the one. The car was mine in less than a week. At this point, it's been mine for nearly three years.
Q: Who did you buy the car from?
A: I bought my car from a private seller in Media, Pennsylvania. He was the second owner. He was an older gentleman that loved restoring cars as a hobby. At the time, he was restoring an old Alfa Romeo and had decided to let the MR2 go so he could concentrate on that project.
Q: How do you feel about the Toyota MR2?
A: The first generation MR2 was always what I considered my "attainable dream car" and finding a clean factory-supercharged model was nothing but a dream come true, considering there were less than 2,000 sold in the U.S.
Q: What is your car's main use?
A: I got Mister Two mostly for recreational purposes. I typically drive it on the weekends, either for just cruising around when the weather is nice or going to events in the area. I do also occasionally use it to commute to work from Norristown to Malvern, but because it has classic tags, I am limited to how much I can drive it.
Q: What's the farthest place you've taken this car?
A: The farthest I have driven the car is from Philly to Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. There was a drift event and car show that I went to spectate with some friends. The drive was an hour and a half, mostly on the highway. It was also my first time out of state with the car. I went with friends cruising alongside me on the highway and I had my wife, Miko, riding in the car with me.
Q: Do you have any rules in your car?
A: There are no real rules in the car. I just remind people that it's an old car so I just ask to be careful since she is my baby!
Photos and interview by Michaelangelo Ilagan
View previous Defend Your Ride features as well as other great stories for people who love cars at CBSPhilly.com/Autos.
