I think the car handles fine and feels good at the track as it is but I guess it's a case of not knowing what I'm missing. Should feel much better if I swap everything out I'm looking at about $500 for parts including shipping if I get the lot. Will need front sway bar reinforcement plates as well so add ~$100. I'll try and do as much as I can myself and hopefully keep the mechanics bill to a few hundred dollars.

rear swaybar bushes would be the hardest part though... friggin fiddly. I bought some of those ratchetting spanners to help me get the bolts out as i couldn't get my socket set into the exhaust and swaybar bolts.
 

Yeah, open end/ring ratcheting spanners FTW.
Some jobs are virtually impossible without them.
IMO they're probably the best tools you can buy for your MR2, and you only need 10, 12, and 14 mm.
When  buying them, go for the ones with a reverse lever, not the ones you have to turn over to go the other way.