The sappy bit you don't care about
About 7 years ago I found myself divorced, working a lame job and after the divorce was final, no car. I had 1500 bucks to my name to buy a car with that day because I needed to drive to my new job that started the next morning. The most reliable looking car I could find was this thing called a mk3 supra, it was made by toyota and looked pretty good so I got a ride and bought it. It was an 88 n/a auto burgundy car and it was my daily driver for the next three years. I was making more money and could have bought something else but I just fucking loved that car. I started reading up on them and found out about all the things I was missing like a turbo, targa top, and post 88 styling.
The next step
A year ago I bought my challenger and decided to finally do something with the supra. I saved up a few thousand dollars to start my build. On my way to the engine builders I found a mint condition 1990 turbo targa with perfect grey leather and all the options I had been missing out on. I never made it to the engine builders. 2000 dollars later I had the car I always really wanted.
The controversy
At this point I am making a lot more money and had spent a lot of time on forums and had the initial idea that I was going to show people what a 7M could do if built properly and without skimping on the budget. I also run a local car forum and we do a lot of weekend racing like everyone else. People were really pushing me on the 2JZ option because other than a couple of stockish mk4's and a swapped 240 there just aren't any 2J cars here. I weighed out the costs and for barely more than it would cost me to build the 7M bottom end I could just buy the 2J which already has a stout rotating assembly. So I bought it.
The build
It was time for the 7M to go. It was a tough decision because the car ran great.
These are not the wheels I'll be running, I just put them on there so I could put snow tires on the stock rims and run them on my 88 supra for winter.
Usually those wheels go on the 88
It was sad to see the 7M go, but then this showed up and everything was all better haha
Stripped off the twins first.
What a fucking contraption this thing is. Good riddance!!
I'm going to need a transmission too so I found a good R154 with a JZ bellhousing and flywheel.
The kitchen counter is as good a place as any to work on it.
I got it all torn down and in the vice and decided that since it was out I would take a shot at rebuilding it.
I ordered almost every single piece and part you can get for this thing, all the Marlin Crawler shit and I replaced 2nd and 3rd gear too because gears are cheap so fuck it, might as well.
Billet shift fork installed
Billet bearing retainer on. I had to grind down the top two bolts that came with it or the case wouldn't seal because it was hitting the reverse lock out post inside the case.
All done. That wasn't too bad.
Picked up a barely used ACT extreme 6 puck clutch. Hopefully it will at least hold together long enough to get this thing tuned.
Found a clutch and brake pedal at the local junk yard, new master and slave from DM. Getting those things in was seriously the hardest thing I've had to do on this build. What a bitch!!
Got the interior cleaned out and cleaned up. Ordered some nice new black carpet to go in.
Turned my attention back to the motor.
I have been stockpiling an entire livings room worth of swap parts. Anyone planning to get into this should do so only if you have a big budget.
I had originally planned to keep the entire motor stock, but what fun would that be?? I can't afford to build the bottom end this year, so I tackled the head this winter and will save rest for next winter.
Got it off and all stripped down.
Ordered some cams. Being that I will be on stock compression, I didn't want to go with big cams and a huge turbo because it would just be a shitty combo with a worthless power band. So if anyone wants to buy some 264 vvt-i cams this fall let me know because these will be replaced when the compression is over 9.5:1.
I went with a gates racing belt, GSC beehive springs, retainers and seals that will be good to 9200.
Got it back from the machine shop yesterday. As soon as my head studs show up I can get this bitch on and put the motor in the car for the first time.
Picked up a serious exhaust manifold, the flanges on this thing are ridiculous thick.
Doing a little test fitting
Test fitting the intake before it goes off for powder coating along with the valve covers.
That's it for now. Once the head studs and timing tensioner get here I will be able to get this all bolted up and ready for the harness.
I'd like to add that at the start of this project I had only a very basic knowledge of turbo setups and had never done any trans work or engine work of this level. I've gotten all my information from the forums and reading the TSRM. I'll never understand all the pointless threads I see from people, I've found every single bit of information I've needed to do this by searching and reading. Give it a shot, you'll be surprised what you can find.
UPDATE
I finally got everything I needed to get some more work done.
I was lazy for a few days but I managed to get out in the garage today and made some progress. Got the block all cleaned up and ready for a new head gasket.
Test fitting the gasket and head studs
Got the head all torqued down and the cams in and even got it timed!! All in all a good day.
Got the engine all buttoned up and test fitted the intake.
I had to get a little ghetto to remove the lower oil pan in order to get to all the bolts for the main pan. There is no place to pry it off and I couldn't even get an exacto blade between the pans much less a pry bar or screw driver. The best answer I could come up with was to use a bolt that is the same thread as the oil drain plug but much longer and wrap a chain around the leg of my engine hoist and bolt that chain to the drain fitting with the longer bolt and hoist that bitch up. It popped right off!
I managed to get the front sump oil pan off and cleaned up the block and got rear sump pan all cleaned up and got FIPG on it.
I got both pans all sealed up and bolted on. It would have been so much easier with the engine on a stand instead of a hoist but someone borrowed mine so I'm stuck doing it this way. I also got the auto trans, converter, and flywheel off and test fitted the 1J flywheel and clutch. Hopefully I can get the trans mounted up tomorrow.
Finally doing some test fitting, will definitely need to weld an elbow on the turbo but it fits really well in there.
Testing the radiator clearance with the fan and fan clutch installed.
I also dropped off the valve covers, intake, and center cover for powder coating and vinyl wrap. Hopefully I can get the intercooler and shit mounted up and start measuring for piping.
More updates soon!
About 7 years ago I found myself divorced, working a lame job and after the divorce was final, no car. I had 1500 bucks to my name to buy a car with that day because I needed to drive to my new job that started the next morning. The most reliable looking car I could find was this thing called a mk3 supra, it was made by toyota and looked pretty good so I got a ride and bought it. It was an 88 n/a auto burgundy car and it was my daily driver for the next three years. I was making more money and could have bought something else but I just fucking loved that car. I started reading up on them and found out about all the things I was missing like a turbo, targa top, and post 88 styling.
The next step
A year ago I bought my challenger and decided to finally do something with the supra. I saved up a few thousand dollars to start my build. On my way to the engine builders I found a mint condition 1990 turbo targa with perfect grey leather and all the options I had been missing out on. I never made it to the engine builders. 2000 dollars later I had the car I always really wanted.
The controversy
At this point I am making a lot more money and had spent a lot of time on forums and had the initial idea that I was going to show people what a 7M could do if built properly and without skimping on the budget. I also run a local car forum and we do a lot of weekend racing like everyone else. People were really pushing me on the 2JZ option because other than a couple of stockish mk4's and a swapped 240 there just aren't any 2J cars here. I weighed out the costs and for barely more than it would cost me to build the 7M bottom end I could just buy the 2J which already has a stout rotating assembly. So I bought it.
The build
It was time for the 7M to go. It was a tough decision because the car ran great.
These are not the wheels I'll be running, I just put them on there so I could put snow tires on the stock rims and run them on my 88 supra for winter.
Usually those wheels go on the 88
It was sad to see the 7M go, but then this showed up and everything was all better haha
Stripped off the twins first.
What a fucking contraption this thing is. Good riddance!!
I'm going to need a transmission too so I found a good R154 with a JZ bellhousing and flywheel.
The kitchen counter is as good a place as any to work on it.
I got it all torn down and in the vice and decided that since it was out I would take a shot at rebuilding it.
I ordered almost every single piece and part you can get for this thing, all the Marlin Crawler shit and I replaced 2nd and 3rd gear too because gears are cheap so fuck it, might as well.
Billet shift fork installed
Billet bearing retainer on. I had to grind down the top two bolts that came with it or the case wouldn't seal because it was hitting the reverse lock out post inside the case.
All done. That wasn't too bad.
Picked up a barely used ACT extreme 6 puck clutch. Hopefully it will at least hold together long enough to get this thing tuned.
Found a clutch and brake pedal at the local junk yard, new master and slave from DM. Getting those things in was seriously the hardest thing I've had to do on this build. What a bitch!!
Got the interior cleaned out and cleaned up. Ordered some nice new black carpet to go in.
Turned my attention back to the motor.
I have been stockpiling an entire livings room worth of swap parts. Anyone planning to get into this should do so only if you have a big budget.
I had originally planned to keep the entire motor stock, but what fun would that be?? I can't afford to build the bottom end this year, so I tackled the head this winter and will save rest for next winter.
Got it off and all stripped down.
Ordered some cams. Being that I will be on stock compression, I didn't want to go with big cams and a huge turbo because it would just be a shitty combo with a worthless power band. So if anyone wants to buy some 264 vvt-i cams this fall let me know because these will be replaced when the compression is over 9.5:1.
I went with a gates racing belt, GSC beehive springs, retainers and seals that will be good to 9200.
Got it back from the machine shop yesterday. As soon as my head studs show up I can get this bitch on and put the motor in the car for the first time.
Picked up a serious exhaust manifold, the flanges on this thing are ridiculous thick.
Doing a little test fitting
Test fitting the intake before it goes off for powder coating along with the valve covers.
That's it for now. Once the head studs and timing tensioner get here I will be able to get this all bolted up and ready for the harness.
I'd like to add that at the start of this project I had only a very basic knowledge of turbo setups and had never done any trans work or engine work of this level. I've gotten all my information from the forums and reading the TSRM. I'll never understand all the pointless threads I see from people, I've found every single bit of information I've needed to do this by searching and reading. Give it a shot, you'll be surprised what you can find.
UPDATE
I finally got everything I needed to get some more work done.
I was lazy for a few days but I managed to get out in the garage today and made some progress. Got the block all cleaned up and ready for a new head gasket.
Test fitting the gasket and head studs
Got the head all torqued down and the cams in and even got it timed!! All in all a good day.
Got the engine all buttoned up and test fitted the intake.
I had to get a little ghetto to remove the lower oil pan in order to get to all the bolts for the main pan. There is no place to pry it off and I couldn't even get an exacto blade between the pans much less a pry bar or screw driver. The best answer I could come up with was to use a bolt that is the same thread as the oil drain plug but much longer and wrap a chain around the leg of my engine hoist and bolt that chain to the drain fitting with the longer bolt and hoist that bitch up. It popped right off!
I managed to get the front sump oil pan off and cleaned up the block and got rear sump pan all cleaned up and got FIPG on it.
I got both pans all sealed up and bolted on. It would have been so much easier with the engine on a stand instead of a hoist but someone borrowed mine so I'm stuck doing it this way. I also got the auto trans, converter, and flywheel off and test fitted the 1J flywheel and clutch. Hopefully I can get the trans mounted up tomorrow.
Finally doing some test fitting, will definitely need to weld an elbow on the turbo but it fits really well in there.
Testing the radiator clearance with the fan and fan clutch installed.
I also dropped off the valve covers, intake, and center cover for powder coating and vinyl wrap. Hopefully I can get the intercooler and shit mounted up and start measuring for piping.
More updates soon!
Last edited:
You'd cringe if I show you my Excel with EVERYTHING I have bought for my car and I haven't done fuel/suspension/paint yet. :ugh:
