Need advice / suggestions

[nwoods29379]

I recently became the proud owner of an 86.5 MKIII Supra... but...

The car had been parked and left sitting for atleast 13 years. According to previous owner there was a slight knock when it was parked, and the cat had been cut-off and stolen.
I pulled the engine, replaced the rod bearings, replaced all the gaskets, seals, and hardened hoses.
Now she purrs :icon_bigg (except for the fact there is basically no exhaust - theres the downpipe with a muffler clamped on the end of it.)
Now that it is running what else should I pay attention too or replace/remove before I start driving it regularly?
Also what mods are there that I can do on a tight budget?

 

[Enraged]

if it was sitting for that long, I would look at brakes (make sure rotors are true and within spec, maybe upgrade the pads and change/flush) and suspension (if the bushings, bearings etc are good, look at new springs and shocks), as well as tires (in case they have flat spots from sitting).

on a tight budget, watch the for sale section here and on supraforums, you can usually find good deals on suspension bits.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

Post your budget too. Check for rusts spot. Run through the harness under the hood. Check intercooler piping for dry rot. If you have any rotting away, I do have stock replacements that are in great shape.

Also, suspension parts are a good thing to check as well and use RockAuto, they have great prices in the suspension parts.

 

[planemos]

Change diff oilÉ god dam i hate french settings now i gotta fix the question mark button again!

 

[nwoods29379]

Post your budget too. Check for rusts spot. Run through the harness under the hood. Check intercooler piping for dry rot. If you have any rotting away, I do have stock replacements that are in great shape.

Also, suspension parts are a good thing to check as well and use RockAuto, they have great prices in the suspension parts.

Unfortunately, in 86.5 there was not a turbo model of the MKIII :cry: They released it in '87 model year I believe.

As for the suspension, once I know it is going to stay on the road, I plan on lowering the front around an inch and the rear probably 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch so thats when I will redo the suspension.
I plan on going through and verifying the vacuum line routes after work. Will probably replace them within the next couple of weeks, and hopefully even eliminate some if they are not needed.

As for rust... amazingly none... atleast now anyway. While waiting on room in the budget for an engine stand and hoist, I sanded down and primed the entire car.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Change all fluids. Watch for cooling system leaks. I'd be amazed if it didn't have at least a few. New plugs, rotor, cap. Start saving for decent tires and enjoy it as is.

 

[PROTOTYPE]

Change all fluids. Watch for cooling system leaks. I'd be amazed if it didn't have at least a few. New plugs, rotor, cap. Start saving for decent tires and enjoy it as is.

This.

I think what we are all getting at is basic maintenance items. I would deff do a fuel filter and check all the bushing, ball joints, etc... If it is in question replace it (within reason of course.)

 

[suprarx7nut]

Another thing to keep in mind as a new Supra owner: A stock, well maintained mk3 is much funner to drive than a slightly faster, less reliable, poorly running mk3. Spend more money on all the basics and save the mods for later. A stock NA in great shape is still a fun ride.

 

[te72]

Another thing to keep in mind as a new Supra owner: A stock, well maintained mk3 is much funner to drive than a slightly faster, less reliable, poorly running mk3. Spend more money on all the basics and save the mods for later. A stock NA in great shape is still a fun ride.

I wish more people understood this, we'd see more Mk3's on the road. This is actually WHY I refuse to change anything on my Mk2 until the 6m gives up the ghost.

Basically, any rubber and fluids, you're probably going to want to change out, just due to age more than use. I bought a beautifully clean 88 about 5 years ago, with a BHG and a blown up radiator (guess what happens when you mix -30° ambient temps and strictly water in the cooling system? Blown up radiator.) for the grand price of $1000. Replaced the cooling system (~$400 ish?), head gasket ($600 ish for the whole kit), timing belt (~$900 at the dealer, didn't know/have appropriate tools at the time), the tires ($600-800?), and drove it for 7 months without changing a thing. Put a couple hundred into the stereo bits (love my music...), and a couple hundred into a used Eibach suspension setup from my buddy's turbo car. Drove the thing for nearly 2 years without a hitch, and I'm pretty sure that car still runs to this day after being through another 3-4 owners since.

 

[nwoods29379]

I talked to my father since he gave me the car about 6 months after he got it. He had changed the oil in the rearend and replaced the brake booster & brake fluid then no longer had time to work on it. While the engine was out I also replace the clutch, pressure plate and bearing. I plan on replacing the rear calipers with some from an evo 8, but first I need to take care of the fronts. I have no clue what I should do for the front brakes. What is a good cost effective upgrade for the front brakes?

 

[IBoughtASupra]

A set of new pads and Slotted rotors will be enough for the GE.

 

[bioskyline]

id get the cat replaced, or a straigh pipe welded inplace so exaust works like stock again.

other that whats posted above, check the diff for fluid and then check the axle stubs on the side of the diff for leakage. a leaky diff will blow up eventually. also check the rubber on the CV boots aswell, make sure they are still flexable and not hockeypuck material. i would also locate every grease nipple you can find and give it some fresh grease aswell.

front brakes im unsure whats available for brake upgrades that use stock rims, as i dont know if you have stockers or what. but as your non turbo, OEM replacments would be good for the time being, as your not gonna need a brake upgrade untill you start modding it.

oh and a car wash and hope you enjoy the car!

 

[OneJArpus]

Start off with safety...

TIRES - Most likely dry rotted & bad - pickup new or used tires in good condition
Brakes - Check the rotors, pads, flush fluid, and calipers as they may be "sticking"
Transmission - Flush fluid, if auto flush fluid & new filter
Diff - Flush fluid
Check shocks after some miles to see if they leak, they can be "new" but from sitting the seals could of rotted & now allow fluid to pass them.
Inspect suspension, lube all joints, check for rust, drive her easy for a while.

 

[nwoods29379]

Well, so far I'm LOVING this car. It was definitely worth the work I have put in so far. Even the cruise control still works. I'm not to sure on the functionality of the stock alarm though. I think there is a bad key switch. I plan on trouble shooting it this weekend along with the non-functioning horn. Only other issue (which is no big deal) is that the dome lights don't work. All the other interior lights including the door lock cylinder lights work properly but the dome just won't turn on for any reason.

 

[te72]

Well, so far I'm LOVING this car. It was definitely worth the work I have put in so far. Even the cruise control still works. I'm not to sure on the functionality of the stock alarm though. I think there is a bad key switch. I plan on trouble shooting it this weekend along with the non-functioning horn. Only other issue (which is no big deal) is that the dome lights don't work. All the other interior lights including the door lock cylinder lights work properly but the dome just won't turn on for any reason.

Try locking/unlocking your car from the passenger door, see if that works better with the alarm. I know my 88 was that way, if you unlocked it from the driver side, you'd set off the alarm. I never bothered fixing it, seemed a good additional "security" method.

 

[nwoods29379]

Try locking/unlocking your car from the passenger door, see if that works better with the alarm. I know my 88 was that way, if you unlocked it from the driver side, you'd set off the alarm. I never bothered fixing it, seemed a good additional "security" method.

It seems as though the alarm is not activating when I lock the car, so I think one of the sensors is bad. I know there is one on each door which I plan on cleaning this weekend, but I do not know exactly where the others are to check them.

Those that said not to worry about mods right now are right. This car is a blast! Definitely going to be my daily driver, BUT now I want a targa to have as a project to mod, but that is going to be some time away.

I will also try to get a picture of it this weekend, if you don't mind flat black primer that is. I'm not worried about painting it until I know it is running right, even though I think it looks great the way it is.

 

[nwoods29379]

Ok, Finally got a picture... just ignore the background lol

 

[Jay C]

I know mine was sitting for several years and along with what others posted i also changed the fuel filter, fuel pump, and drained and cleaned the gas tank. However, that was just because i wanted to make sure that no bad gas or contaminents messed up my motor as i didn't know there condition.