I keep going back in time! Finally found a mkiii--meet crimson tide

suprarx7nut

YotaMD.com author
Nov 10, 2006
3,811
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Arizona
www.supramania.com
Awesome stuff, Ken. Well written and well documented. Looking forward to all that's ahead!

You're setting the build-thread bar a little higher - not many super clean mk3 builds going on anymore it seems. Maybe this is the start of a resurgence! It's really neat to see so much care go into a build like this. You'll be inspiration to me in my new build that's just beginning.

Keep the good stuff coming!
 

ibcrazee

tested
Jan 27, 2010
28
0
1
south of I-10
first class Ken. stance looks awesome. congrats on a plan well executed in the time allotted. as it's been said, truly inspirational for what you have accomplished, from this beauty to Bella and Blackie and Eau Rouge and the hardtop. i do have a question tho, how does Helvidio feel the paint correction will last? the super red on my 89 has had the same look you started with, which i think is a little more than oxidation going on. i can correct it with multiple steps and hours of polishing. but it eventually reappears and my car stays out of the sun and weather when not driven.
 

Aku

And The Boost Goes On
Feb 24, 2010
36
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Irvine, CA
As I mentioned on Supra Forums, it's great to see you with another A70 Ken. I think that information pre-dates a lot of the younger guys getting involved in the Supra community though lol. Hearing my Old Man's stories of how the first was built makes me excited to see how this car will evolve over time.
 

KenHenderson

New Member
Oct 31, 2015
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SoCali
suprarx7nut;2081623 said:
Awesome stuff, Ken. Well written and well documented. Looking forward to all that's ahead!

You're setting the build-thread bar a little higher - not many super clean mk3 builds going on anymore it seems. Maybe this is the start of a resurgence! It's really neat to see so much care go into a build like this. You'll be inspiration to me in my new build that's just beginning.

Keep the good stuff coming!

suprarx7nut,

Thank you for the kind words. Much appreciated. I'm a real fan of all things Supra and every generation of the car. If my car, and this build, serves as inspiration to you and others, that will be fantastic, IMO. A "resurgence" of the third-generation cars would be fantastic for the MKIII community in particular and the Supra community in general.

ibcrazee;2081636 said:
first class Ken. stance looks awesome. congrats on a plan well executed in the time allotted. as it's been said, truly inspirational for what you have accomplished, from this beauty to Bella and Blackie and Eau Rouge and the hardtop. i do have a question tho, how does Helvidio feel the paint correction will last? the super red on my 89 has had the same look you started with, which i think is a little more than oxidation going on. i can correct it with multiple steps and hours of polishing. but it eventually reappears and my car stays out of the sun and weather when not driven.

ibcrazee,

Many thanks for the kind words. As I have said many times, these cars are a labor of love. As things currently stand, my car shows no sign of returning to its former paint condition. Honestly, I cannot answer your question intelligently, but I will be seeing Helvidio on Tuesday and will ask him directly about this and report back. My best guess is that you may have a bit more than oxidation going on, but I am, by no means, a paint care expert. As said, this is my first experience dealing with oxidation, and I am sincerely hoping the results of Helvidio's work will be permanent, indeed.


Ken.
 

KenHenderson

New Member
Oct 31, 2015
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Aku;2081654 said:
As I mentioned on Supra Forums, it's great to see you with another A70 Ken. I think that information pre-dates a lot of the younger guys getting involved in the Supra community though lol. Hearing my Old Man's stories of how the first was built makes me excited to see how this car will evolve over time.

Lol, that car had Corky Bell's (CarTech) 7M-GTE single turbo set-up way back in 1990 (along with 550s, various HKS goodies, Trust exhaust, etc.). I don't envision a similar approach with this car, but I will, at some point, wind up installing my HKS VPC/Apexi S-AFC/Fields Harness along with 550s and a MKIV fuel pump. Looking for long-term reliability rather than big power. Have Blackie and Eau Rouge for that. Really looking forward to seeing you and your dad next week.

Ken.
 

KenHenderson

New Member
Oct 31, 2015
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SoCali
I posted the following Chronology of Events on SF after getting several PMs about how we accomplished as much as we did in the time available to us. It helped immensely that I am retired, but there were still challenges to overcome, as there always are in projects like this. The Chronology starts with my PM to Patrick Nail in response to his for sale post:

CRIMSON TIDE
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

1. May 4, 2016: Sent PM, expressing interest in vehicle. Seller responded a day later on May 5, 2016

2. May 6, 2016: Sent my Pre-Purchase Due Diligence Questionnaire to Patrick (approximately 65 questions). Patrick responded quickly, fully and completely and V.3 of his response totaled seven (7) pages that became Exhibit “1” to the Bill of Sale

3. May 15, 2016, the first of what turned out to be 115 very large HD pics over several days was received. Another 38 pics and 11 videos were sent via phone throughout the due diligence period, culminating in a short vid Patrick sent to me when the car was loaded onto the transporter.

4. May 15, 2016: Subsequent to the receipt of many HD photographs, I sent Patrick an email containing 20 additional questions and observations as a result of his responses to my questionnaire and my review of the pics received.

5. May 16, 2016: DRAFT Bill of Sale and Exhibit “A” transmitted via email to Patrick.

6. June 3, 2016: First compression/leak down test (Ugh, not good!). Patrick bowled over by the results, but I was fairly certain the problem was with the gauge utilized and took heart, nonetheless, in the consistency of the poor numbers and the recent 300 whp dyno at 9 psi. We decided to go back to Hux Racing where all previous work had been done on the car.

7. June 9, 2016: Second compression/leak down test conducted by Eric Hux of Hux Racing and victory was ours: #1 171 psi; #2 170 psi; #3 172 psi; #4 171 psi; #5 172 psi; and, #6 173 psi.

8. June 9, 2016: Partially refundable deposit sent via USPS to Patrick

9. June 14, 2016: Amended Bill of Sale sent to Patrick for review and approval.

10. June 22, 2016: Approved Sales Order with Exotic Car Transport for transporting vehicle from Alabama to Cali.

11. June 28, 2016: Flew to Birmingham Alabama to personally inspect the car and to make the deal if all went well. Made the deal.

12. June 29, 2016: Flew back home to California.

13. July 1, 2016: Sales order with Exotic Car Transport revised to add in cost of transporting OEM wheels.

14. July 1, 2016: Car picked up in Chelsea, AL by Exotic Car Transport.

15. July 5, 2016: Car arrived at my home at 3:00 p.m.

16. July 9, 2016: First ding removal session occurred.

17. July 9, 2016: Car successfully passed smog.

18. July 11, 2016: Car officially registered

19. July 12-13, 2016: Two days and 21 total hours of paint correction

20. July 19, 2016: 12-hours of additional paint correction

21. July 20, 2016: Took car to friend who is a Toyota ASE mechanic (25-years) to install hatch bump stops, align JDM JZA70 lip spoiler, install new driver’s wiper blade, diagnose and fix suspension rattle, diagnose and fix cruise control (not done) and conduct overall vehicle inspection

22. July 20, 2016: Ordered Arizona Performance front and rear BBK (Aero 6-piston/14.2-inch; FLSI 4-piston/12.88-inch)

23. July 26, 2016: First of many to come wash and waxes by yours truly (100+ degree heat)

24. July 27, 2016: Conducted second ding removal session (remaining dings almost imperceptible but became visible after completion of paint correction and wax work)

25. July 27, 2016: Removed 5Zigen wheels for refinishing; mounted 25-year old sawblades on 25-year old Goodyear Gatorbacks with 2900-miles on them (no driving)

26. July 27, 2016: Took delivery of Tein Street Flex JZA70/MA70 coilovers
27. July 29, 2016: Ordered new Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires
28. August 1, 2016: Sent wheels out for refinishing
29. August 13, 2016: Received refinished wheels mounted on new Michelin Pilot Super Sports
30. August 16, 2016: Installed refinished wheels/new tires on car
31. August 21, 2016: Took delivery of Arizona Performance BBK
32. August 26, 2016: Delivered car to Kaizen Motorsports for installation of coilover suspension and BBK
33. August 28, 2016: Picked up HKS VPC, Apexi SAFC and related parts from Nick Stonawski
34. September 7, 2016: Picked up car from Kaizen Motorsports after installation of new OEM ball joints, new coilover suspension and new Arizona Performance BBK
35. September 12, 2016: Had car aligned, corner balanced and tweaked ride height at Chewerks, owned by Robert Choo, former editor-in-chief of Turbo magazine
36. September 14, 2016: Conducted third round of ding removal
37. Replaced bad driver’s front side marker bulb; replaced the functioning passenger’s bulb at the same time
 

JDMMA70

Active Member
Dec 4, 2006
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I'm liking what I see. As many have said already there aren't many clean MK3 builds out there. This is a nice one to see. I think most MK3 owners who really appreciate the car what it is and was want to eventually reach the end goal of a clean car. The road for us has been tough as many of the parts have long since been discontinued so keeping and maintaining a clean MK3 will become a difficult task as time progresses.

Clean car keep it up.
 

Old Radar

Member
Oct 20, 2014
96
1
6
San Antonio
KenHenderson;2081610 said:
Now, all I have to do is detail her before SIV.

Ken.

...And people call me anal about my Supra!! If you're going to detail her again after all that, I have to bow to a true master!:bowdown:

Congratulations on your find and all the restoration--now I have to get out the touch-up paint and do some corrections of my own!
 

KenHenderson

New Member
Oct 31, 2015
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SoCali
Guys, I copied and pasted this post from Supraforums:

KenHenderson;13113681 said:
So, I just put exactly 600-miles on Crimson Tide, driving her to, around and from Las Vegas for SIV2016. She drove like a champ, including a 63-mile Scenic Drive that went up a mountain to almost 9,000 feet elevation. Dear friend that he is, I let Wreckless drive up the mountain, with me in the passenger's seat. I can tell you that, if you have a suspect cooling system in your car, the drive up that mountain will certainly reveal all its weaknesses before God and country. As such, I am very pleased the uprated cooling system Patrick Nail installed, including the very important OEM under tray, worked like a charm. Wreckless was grinning from ear to ear, talking about flying up the mountain, with a/c blasting and the temp gauge absolutely stationary the whole time.

If I could be equally as happy with the above results in another area, it's too report how pleased I am with how the car's brakes, suspension, alignment and corner balancing work as one. The ride quality of the new-generation Tein Street Flex is perfect for me. Buttoned down, controlled, yet compliant and forgiving at the same time, and the brakes keep getting better with use. I could not be more pleased with how this aspect of the build turned out, with every subsystem working seamlessly together, rather than one detracting from the efforts of another. Can't forget the Michelin PSSs either. An altogether great combo for me.

As the show 'n shine awards are being given out, I could have sworn the MKIII awards were all said and done. I was about 40 yards or so from the tail end of the group engrossed in a conversation with David Peterson, the owner of the old Joe Galante wide body Supra. Seeing the car in person for the first time was an almost surreal experience in itself. All of sudden Brian Beezley (beezupra) comes up and, virtually, grabs me by the collar and proceeds to tell me I've been missing in action. Unbeknownst to me, Crimson Tide had taken first place in what Miguel said was a very close vote for Best MKIII.

Now, there was some serious MKIII competition, including last year's winner, and the depth of the competition seems to be deeper every year. While I am very pleased with the car, and how it works for me, I never assume others will see it in the same light as I do. As a consequence, I am almost always totally surprised when these things happen at a SILV/SIV event where competition is always keenest compared to other Toyota/Supra-centric events. I know this sounds odd, and I can't explain it other than what's noted above, but from the very first SILV event in 1997, where I won the dyno competition with 405 whp, my missing in action/disappearing act has been a recurring theme and more than a little embarrassing at the time. It happened with Keith Hart and SILV in 1997 (I was on the way home with my wife when Keith called and told me I had won the event) and in 2006, at ToyotaFest in 2010, at SIV in 2012 (also on the way home when Miguel called to tell me I had won Best MKIV) and, once again, at SIV in 2016.

I've told you all that to say this. I learned a long time ago to come to these events for the love, camaraderie, renewal of our Supra souls and all that other good stuff. That's what does it for me, so it's never been about winning awards. It's the Supra Movement and Total Experience we've all come to love and deeply appreciate. That said, especially in the circumstances I've detailed above, when you do win an award, it is absolutely like frosting on a cake. Winning the Best MKIII award capped off a perfect weekend for me and Crimson Tide. The more I drove, the better everything became. Plus, last night, I had dinner with Craig Bush (so pleased and surprised to see him), Steve T. Wreckless, Arnout and his chief second and Captain, Wreckless' New Mexico buddy and fellow traveler. All in all, it was a fantastic end to all the festivities and, if I could, I'd do it all over again, starting tomorrow.

Ken.
 

suprahero

naughty by nature
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Aug 26, 2005
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Congrats on the win Ken. I'd love to see some pictures of all of the cars but my account at Supraforums was messed up a few months back when they started deleting accounts or making you get a new name. I can't remember what happened but either way, my account is messed up over there.
 

KenHenderson

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Oct 31, 2015
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JDMMA70

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Dec 4, 2006
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Man the Touring Medallion looks a lot cleaner than the in your face Super Hyper. Looks great, would love to see this thing in person.
 

KenHenderson

New Member
Oct 31, 2015
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SoCali
JDMMA70;2082169 said:
Man the Touring Medallion looks a lot cleaner than the in your face Super Hyper. Looks great, would love to see this thing in person.

Yeah, I polished it up before SIV and it turned out real nice. The car also has a Tanabe downpipe and Tanabe high-flow cat.

supranaut;2082181 said:
Nice JZA lip!

As you know, these are quite rare. This one, thanks to Patrick Nail, is in very good shape for its age....just like the car.

dmp316;2082193 said:
wow absolutely a beautiful MK3.

Many thanks for your kind words.

suprafreak123;2082217 said:
Nice finding! What are your plans?

I'm pretty much done with the car. I've done wheels, tires, brakes, suspension and serious paint correction. I do, however, plan on installing the VPC/SAFC/Fields Harness 550 cc upgrade, along with the MKIV Supra fuel pump. I also have a C's Short Shifter coming, along with a VPC MKIII 550 cc EPROM. Then, it will be all about get in and drive, the best type of enthusiast activity.


Ken.
 

JDMMA70

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Dec 4, 2006
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Looks great, my OCD is kicking in haha I do believe your vacuum lines are backwards on the BVSV on the T-Stat Cover