Facime's Mk2 build

[Facime]

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73319&page=25

CURRENT STATUS: GREEN, Car runs fantastic, feels good and has NO major issues left to tackle.
Total spent on the car as of 9/1/08 - $1810


The story is that when I moved back to Oregon after a fiasco in Houston, I was driving a cheap Jeep Cherokee that I used to move. I sold that one after damaging the frame and the one I got in replacement was nearly perfect...AND boring as hell. I didnt enjoy driving it. It was just transportation without any passion.

Well I decided to sell it and get another supra but this time wanted to go back to mk2's. Ive always wanted another one since I sold the one I had when I was first married. After finding a buyer for my Jeep I did some searching and ended up buying an '85 Super Deep Red (SDR) automatic sunroof car with 186k miles. It was by far the best of the cars I looked at in my measly budget of $1500 and even though I knew right off it had some issues that needed resolving I could see the potential in it. I paid $1300 cash for it.

When I got her she had a nasty rattle from what the owner said was ONE broken bolt on the flex plate (turned out 5 of the 7 bolts were broken off). It had no power because the trans would shift right off idle (TPS ended up being wired wrong), and the wiring in the car, while all there and working, looked like a 10yo did it with a pocket knife, wire nuts and electrical tape.

It had already recieved a JDM replacement and the brakes and suspension felt fantastic so I knew I had the makings of a solid car. This thread is meant to be a documentation of the process of restoration on the car more than a "build", so here it is!

UPDATED for new viewers
This thread started as a "help me find a car" post and rest follows:
Purchased a car on pg5
Pics - pg7
problems start getting fixed - pg8
better pics - pg10
auto > 5spd swap - pg12/13
new pics from Mary's Peak run - pg16
Polishing - pg21
Interior work - pg22/23/24
Motor detail - pg25
leather work - pg28

 

[Yellow 13]

They're cheap. Buy them all.

 

[savannahashlee]

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/702826249.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/car/701541214.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/695362082.html

 

[Facime]

Savannah, I saw those ads and they just sounded a bit hammered to me. The Vancouver one is kinda new and I havent talked to the seller yet though. It woujld be nice to not have to go all the way to Seattle area this time for a car

The last one being a mk3 without a top end...just say NO. I wont do another mk3.

 

[ForcedTorque]

Pete, I love the blue one that you stated was your favorite MKII color. It's everybody's fav because it is the best MKII color. Offer $1400, and explain you have a $1500 budget, and need to use $100 for gas to get it home. Even firm people can be a little flexible when a hard offer is made, and they should certainly understand the gas issue.

That car has a little to be scared of tho. His list of replaced parts is lacking the head gasket , and all others point towards a possible need for one. Don't worry about mileage, as we always rebuild them anyway. That motor is very familiar to you, and a lot less involved. Also, you want it as a DD, so an auto shouldn't be that much of a problem. The auto is almost as fun in those cars, and you could swap it easily when it becomes a toy.

 

[Tanya]

Sucks your budget is so low, http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/car/700270477.html <<this car looks damn HOT :love:


But be patient, the PacNW has a great selection of mk2s for sale. Don't jump into an apex seal blowing RX7 until you've given some more time into the mk2 search. What you can't find today, you may find next week...

 

[Facime]

Yeah Tanya, two weeks ago I had my jeep sold but chickened out and held onto it because at the time there was NOTHING available. Now just two weeks later there are several cars in the price range that look drivable. Im not in a HUGE hurry but I am replacing my DD here so I cant take forever to find one.

What really sucks is only a year ago my budget for my DD would have been 3 times that. Stupid TX debaucle :3d_frown:

I called on the Blue one and its a BHG waiting to happen but oddly that doesnt scare me too much. Im planing a motor swap eventually and Im pretty easy on cars these days. The only drawback is the automatic :nono: When I bought Lucy I settled and got the automatic because I was in a hurry to boost, lol. If I get a mk2 with an automatic it is going to get a swap for sure, only a matter of time.

 

[Tanya]

Hell yes. 5 speed swaps FTW. I suffered with my automatic for a few months, and when it wasn't slipping, it wasn't too bad really. But I love my 5 spd, except for in traffic :x

 

[Facime]

I got some better quality pics on the second one (blue/blue), and the car overall looks to be in very serviceable condition. Has the typical minor rust in the hatch area and the cloth is faded but not overly worn. It maintains its position at second on my list. Oh and the asking price on it is $1500.

edit: here are a couple of the pics...does this color count as homoblue? Im thinking no, lol.

 

[ForcedTorque]

Are you kidding?????? That car looks damn nice for $1500, as long as the head gasket is not already blown. But remember Lucy? Didn't she break down on the way home? I'd do a compression test before handing over any cash. That car is beautiful inside and out, and the bay is also very nice.

What is first on the list, the 83? It seems nice as well, but I like this one!

 

[Tanya]

That blue is not "homo blue", although the mk2s had two different versions of homo blue in 82 and in 84, ha!

Looks very nice. And automatic cars don't get flogged nearly as badly as 5 speed cars, so you may have to swap in the 5 spd yourself down the road, but it's worth it. The 4.10 rear end will probably hold up good for many more miles (or until the car gets boosted)

 

[Facime]

Im thinking if it hasnt blown in 200+k miles its not going anytime soon. Head gasket replacent on the 5M isnt that hard to do either. remember, the ultimate goal is a 1JZ swap down the road.

 

[suprahero]

Not even close to homoblue. I have my old 83 supra sitting in a field close by me. It doesn't belong to me any more, but I could probably get things off of it if you needed them. That goes for you too Tanya. It was a five speed car, and I don't know what they're intending on doing with it, but it's been sitting in this field for a few years now.

 

[Facime]

hmm pedals? lines? I mean I would doa new clutch/hydraulics etc, but the "hard parts" might end up being helpful. I was planning on hitting Tanya up for parts resources as well :naughty:

Edit: my budget just went up to $2k

 

[Tanya]

Get me some pics, you lazy hillbilly!

Oh, and get the Weez some pics too ;p

 

[suprahero]

I'll talk to the new owner and find out his plans for the car. I don't think he has any since i'ts been sitting for a few years. He has an '84 that he's been working on for three years sitting in his garage. It's ready to run, but he keeps having electrical problems with the fuel pump.

 

[Facime]

3rd and 4th on the list moved up to 1 and 2. Im waiting one some deent photos of specific areas I had concerns over. Looks like right now Im either going to be driving a red automatic...AGAIN...or a black 5spd. The red one is in better shape but is also $500 more.

 

[Tanya]

Black 5 spd > red auto x eleventybillion

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

I can include some time with Tanya for a fee.

 

[Facime]

Black 5 spd > red auto x eleventybillion

you are biased!

I wonder how much restoration I can buy for $1000 though (about the difference between the black one as it sits and the red one after the 5spd swap). The other nice thing about the black one is the guy is motivated and is actually willing to come to me with the car, driving it down from Seattle. That tells me he trusts the car and its roadworthy too. Final good thing about that is even though I would feel like a total dick, I could turn around and say I dont want the car if its a total pile of shit, and Im out nothing but time.

If I buy the red one, I have the money for a 5spd swap right now so long as I can find the parts at a reasonable price. It doesnt need body and paint like the black one either, something I hate doing. After 5spd swap I would be left without much fun money to put into the car though.


JAV, maybe we could get you and Tanya to come to Corvallis and set up a booth "Meet a PIMP black guy", you know the people here havent seen that!