When I bought my 2002 MCS it had relativerly low mileage but was showing the signs of 17 years on the road. All of the bushings were shot, and the front shocks were sloppy. The strut towers were deformed as well. I have since replaced everything, using poly bushes and a strut tower plate, new struts and hubs. New tires (17") as well.

I also had the car aligned professionally, all now in spec.

While it's a wonderful car to drive, when pushed hard into corners, the body still rolls more than I thought it would, and the front feels like it wants to understeer into the woods (it hasn't, but it feels like it might). Obviously it's a tight little car, but I was hoping for 'go kart' handling.

I have just placed an order for an adjustable 20mm Whiteline rear sway bar, does anyone think this will help give me a flatter and more positive cornering experience? It wasn't terribly expensive, so I suppose if the experiment fails I won't be out a lot. I've seen a few videos explaining how rear sway bars affect the front end handling.

 

100% You won't believe the difference. The new KONI Special Active struts will help a lot too.

 

Hi Moose!
The struts will need to be replaced, if you want it to handle like new again. The back strut is important, the stock one is 19mm. I think a bit larger than 20 mm may have been a better option. You can also get adjustable sway bar rods to get what you are looking for, but most of the good ones are spendy and need to be the ball joint type as opposed to the Heim joint type, witch will drive you crazy!