91 Supra, Should I purchase?

[poweredbygoya]

:1zhelp: Hello guys, I need some Help or Advice. I'm about to purchase a 91 turbo MK3 w/ 134k, but what concerns me is I hear something from the motor. I've done some searching and it sounds like rod knock or cam sticking but I could be wrong, It doesn't really make the sound in idle but when I rev it up I notice the sound. Also turbo wise, it only picks up after I'm going 50mph, it stays at -4 the rest of the time, That is not normal I assume it's supposed to be functional at every gear. The person is asking 2500, Is it worth it? Interior was redone and in mint condition, body wise it is immaculate as well. Everything works, AC, PS, power windows/locks/seats cd player. I appreciate the help, I've always wanted to buy a Supra for quite some time, and I gotta give me 86 a break. Thanks again -Dan

 

[AaronsSupraMKIII]

I would say it is worth it even if it is Rod Knock, if it is in good shape. The 91's and 92's are worth alot more than the earlier models because they made so few of them. Get some pics of it up! :naughty:

 

[poweredbygoya]

I will be test driving it again, on Monday I will snap some photos and upload them. The suspension seems nice, the owner said he replaced the front shock/struts. Thanks again

 

[RTA Supra]

Where in Florida are you?

 

[poweredbygoya]

Panama City, Tyndall AFB. This place is not what I expected from Florida, it's like southern Alabama, lol. The owner told me the turbo is supposed to spool up only when your gunning it, but I only see the gauge moving on 5th gear already at around 50mph. Turbo working? Thanks

 

[87mgte]

the turbo won't "pick up" unless you put the pedal down. if you slowly get on it, it'll only start boosting when you're at 1/2 throttle or so, so it's probably normal. for me it's normal but my turbo's old and probably spools a little late. you just haven't gotten a chance to rod on it yet.:icon_bigg i'd buy the car, rebuild the bottom end, and have myself a great 89+ mkiii with semi-low mileage.

 

[BorHor]

Sounds okay. You need to be in the right RPM for the boost to pick up. Other wise it will be in vac with is -

 

[poweredbygoya]

Thanks for the help, I will post pics on Monday. As for the turbo, I test drove it andI smashed down on the accelerator, and it would just lay at -4 it would move a tad but not even up to the 0 mark.

 

[BorHor]

But how high up were you up in the RPM's.

 

[87mgte]

Thanks for the help, I will post pics on Monday. As for the turbo, I test drove it andI smashed down on the accelerator, and it would just lay at -4 it would move a tad but not even up to the 0 mark.

in what gear? if it was 1st it probably didn't do much cause there's not much load on the engine unless you're goin uphill. try it in 3rd, pull to 5.5k. you should see a change on the boost gauge at 2.5-3k rpms.

 

[poweredbygoya]

I do not recall what RPM's I was getting. But again I'll try it out tommorow, and post what I get. I'll try what you posted 87mgte, Also there is a orange light on the dash looks like a radiator, the owner said He doesn't know what it is. It doesn't look like it's low on coolant, or overheating. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[87mgte]

I do not recall what RPM's I was getting. But again I'll try it out tommorow, and post what I get. I'll try what you posted 87mgte, Also there is a orange light on the dash looks like a radiator, the owner said He doesn't know what it is. It doesn't look like it's low on coolant, or overheating. Thanks for the help guys.

is it over on the far left side of the cluster? kinda looks more like a trash can to me but we might not be talkin about the same thing. i don't know what it is either... mine's almost always on too. but like i said, get on the highway [or in town if you're extreme], and pull to 5.5-6k in 3rd and you should notice somethin hopefully.

 

[LordLo]

Poor Supra. :cry:

Ask him how much he is willing to lower the price, I honestly wouldn't pay more than $1,500 for it. IMO, you see a lot of clean shells for sale these days. If it does have initial rod knock, the knocking usually occurs around 3k rpms; as it gets worse it starts knocking all the time.

I'd look for another supra if I were you. Knocking, bird cage lighting up, and possibly a boost leak are all signs of a poorly maintained supra. :nono:

Also, the bird cage/trash can looking thing means that your coolant overflow is low on coolant; or simply just malfunctioning.

 

[87mgte]

Poor Supra. :cry:

Ask him how much he is willing to lower the price, I honestly wouldn't pay more than $1,500 for it. IMO, you see a lot of clean shells for sale these days. If it does have initial rod knock, the knocking usually occurs around 3k rpms; as it gets worse it starts knocking all the time.

I'd look for another supra if I were you. Knocking, bird cage lighting up, and possibly a boost leak are all signs of a poorly maintained supra. :nono:

Also, the bird cage/trash can looking thing means that your coolant overflow is low on coolant; or simply just malfunctioning.

thanks for the info. there's always coolant in there after i drive for a while but i guess i've never really checked while it's cold.

 

[2543arvin]

Poor Supra. :cry:

Ask him how much he is willing to lower the price, I honestly wouldn't pay more than $1,500 for it. IMO, you see a lot of clean shells for sale these days. If it does have initial rod knock, the knocking usually occurs around 3k rpms; as it gets worse it starts knocking all the time.

I'd look for another supra if I were you. Knocking, bird cage lighting up, and possibly a boost leak are all signs of a poorly maintained supra. :nono:

Also, the bird cage/trash can looking thing means that your coolant overflow is low on coolant; or simply just malfunctioning.

This guy knows what hes talking about! I was beginning to second-guess myself, when I was reading all these posts, because no matter if it is a 91, I still wouldnt pay 2500 for it with those problems(possible rod knock, possible boost leak, coolant leaking). Unless the OP is clueless and isnt providing accurate information, then I wouldnt pay anymore than 1500 for this car. Because with a rebuild, you're gonna be spending another 2500 if done properly with a MHG and machine work.

Just my .02 I guess.

 

[Skam9685]

I had the chance at a 91 for 2,000 bucks and didn't jump on it. It needed some body work and engine work......I now regret it for the rarity of them.

I ended up buying my 87 for 1,800 and have had it for 6 months now without even driving. I'm still deciding on what to do.

I say do it and just get the engine rebuilt. As long as the body and interior is in decent shape then you will have a good car.

 

[suprafanatic]

haha.. i bought a mint condition 87, with 70k miles on it for $5,800 also had new 17in sport rims with low profile tires. targa, turbo, 5 speed.. love it.. find one in good condition man.... even good condition ones take some work. the point is there so old things WILL need replaced. but with rod knock, possible bad turbo, or lots of vac. leaks.. and who knows what else.. i wouldnt buy it. thats alot of work and down time for the car.. unless your looking for a project.

 

[poweredbygoya]

Monday morning I'm going to take some pictures, and get some video/audio of the motor. I appreciate the help from everyone, the reason I may purchase this one anyway is, its in my local area. It's hard to find any nice older imports in my area. I already have 2 other cars, so I wouldn't mind it being a project and doing a 1JZ swap :naughty: thanks

 

[AaronsSupraMKIII]

Vac Leaks are an easy fix, birdcage is common..the sensor is bad if there is coolant in there.., Shim the wastegate if you want it to spool easier, and last but not least....You cant compare a 86 to 90 shell to a running 91..even running bad. The cars are hard to come by, and will be worth hangin on too. Buy it and restore it to its glory! You gotta figure....if they produced 36,XXX Supras in 86 compared to 3,300 Supras in 91, thats a huge freakin difference in the rarity of the car. And outta the 3,300 or so made in 91...how many are still running, and not wrapped around a telephone pole. So that car deserves to be brought back to life. :biglaugh:
Its just a shot in the dark, but I figure there are only around 2,000 to 2,500 91's left on the planet, since they are sports cars, and people tend to drive sports cars fast, and people tend to wreck and blow shit up....:sarcasm:
Its a diamond in the rough....

 

[Skam9685]

Get a 91 or 92 and keep it original because of its rarity. Then get an 86.5-90 to mod up.

That's what I'm trying to do.