Hi, newbie looking for advice

[etae30]

Hello, i'm normally a big BMW fan, particularly e30s, but I've always liked Toyotas, too. When I turned 16 my dad bought me my first car for $300, a '87 Celica GTS that I never appreciated and mostly just hated the problems it had :withstupi. Now that I know more about cars I regret not being interested in fixing it up, and I've virtually never seen another one for sale. :icon_frow

I've always liked the MKIII Supra so I've been doing a little research and looking around to try and buy one because i'm afraid the values might spike. It seems like this forum is pretty active so hopefully i'm in the right spot. I like the earlier styling a bit more, but it seems the '89+ is the one to get because of things like interior updates and stronger suspension? I also only want a hard top, and the "widebody" version. I don't care if it's slow or plain looking; I mainly just want something solid and reliable to drive for a while if my other cars are down, which they frequently are - I don't even care if it's an automatic. With basic maintenance, are these cars reliable? Do I need to pay careful attention to corrosion/chassis problems?

So, let's say I find a non-turbo, automatic Supra and I want to modify it. Is it pretty simple to swap in a manual drive train? I've done it to one of my e30s with no issue, so i'm hoping it's the same with Supras. Swapping engines into e30s (though I have no personal experience with it) is also a relatively bolt in job, along with changing out rear differentials, full interiors, brakes, etc. No matter what i start with, I eventually want to build something with a manual transmission, LSD rear end, decent suspension, and a solid engine (stock or swapped) that would be a fun all around car. Any advice on how to approach these cars will be much appreciated as I start my search for something that isn't rusted out. Thanks!

 

[Silver MK3]

Welcome! The suspension differences aren't really that large. The 89+ sit half an inch lower and 91+ have thicker sway bars. I've got a set of ST sway bars and low mileage 91 springs waiting to go into my 87 someday. You will only be able to get the "Widebody" version here in the US, we never got the narrow body that some other markets saw.

Are these cars reliable? Yes, if everything is kept up with and in good shape. Also, keep in mind that they are 30 years old at this point, things are breaking and wearing out on them. It is still a Toyota at heart though. I used to daily drive mine, but I'm glad I have another car to daily drive and just drive the Supra when I want to, not because I have to.

Manual swaps are pretty common around here, not terribly difficult, but it is easier to just start with a manual car. If you get an N/A car with the sport package it already has an LSD and 4.30 gears. All the turbos have an LSD but either 3.70 or 3.90 gears(can't remember the exact values, but I think I'm close).

If you can find a car with a straight body, no rust, good paint and good interior I would buy that and spend the extra cash rather than buying one that's rusted out, tattered on the inside and needing a bunch of work, unless you planning on going fully custom with this car. It will be cheaper upfront, but much more expensive in the long run.

You are right about the value of them going up recently too, we've discussed that a few times here recently. Good luck with your search!

 

[akito]

Hey, welcome! SilverMk3 pretty much had covered everything but i'll chime in too. There are minor (bias) improvements between the pre 89s and post 89s. It's all personal preferences. Most of the differences are aesthetic and some structure changes to the car but mostly they're all the same. I've had all from 86.5-91 and for some reason the 90-92 supras are just in much better shape and things are just better ( totally not being bias here ).

For starter I'd find one with the HG already replaced since as you already know they're prone to pop. Finding one with clean exterior/ interior means it was taken care of for a good start. Swapping a manual into an auto is super easy. Same goes for NA --> turbo. I'd start with a good platform and go from there. Like SilverMk3 stated, these are cars getting to the 30 year old mark soon so things are old and worn out.

Good luck with your search. Love the 91 e30s

 

[Silver MK3]

Forgot to mention the HG, but I'm sure if he did any research he heard about it. The 90-92 are probably in better shape because they are the rarer years and command a higher price because of that.