Opinion on this supra?

[Figit090]

I have a 1986.5 n/a 5spd and I've wanted a turbo for years. Never driven a turbo, I've only ridden in a turbo silvia..that's the closest to boost I've been.
Right now I'm getting 20mpg, I'd like a little more, and I've heard a good turbo engine might get better economy out of boost (well I will be romping on it sometimes but...I'm hoping for better economy when I'm not). Most of all I need a reliable daily for my business, I'm a photographer.

I was thinking I'd like another 5spd turbo model, hopefully newer, but this car was in my mind but too far away, and an auto.
Well turns out it fell into my lap, in a way. It WAS a few hundred miles away and someone in my town traded for or bought it, and brought it back here. He said he pulled the e-brake with his wife in the care and she said sell it or get out....so it's for sale again not even a month from the original listing date! Red flag for me, but so far his story seems believable. The car looks like it could have been in storage for a while, originally being a car for someone's son, given up due to bad grades. Apparently before that it was in the hands of "an old lady." It looks clean in photos so we'll see.

SOO here's the specs I know of:

TEMS (not sure what shocks it has...it's obviously fairly low, and not stock? opinion on that would be great
Powder-coated parts on the engine (looks like that color-changing purpleish paint?)
Rebuilt 7mgte installed by capital toyota in 2002
New radiatior
New rack and pinion
New tires

He was asking $4k but I talked with him and said I wasn't looking for an automatic, and he said he would take $3k, so now i'm more interested.

I would appreciate any opinions on if this would be a good buy, providing it checks out and doesn't show sign of a BHG. I really want something I don't have to worry about the headgasket going though so should I stay away if the records can't show the original 52ft/lbs was used on the head? I am feeling perhaps I should wait and get a cheap, reliable daily until I can afford a newer supra with less miles on the chassis.

 

[ttankers]

Agree on waiting for a low mile supra and getting a cheap daily. Even my rebuilt 92 has turned me into a hypochondriac, worrying about it constantly. Also the whole "staying out of boost" thing doesn't really exist, don't let anyone fool you.

^Car looks clean though! Love the color, if you could get it for any cheaper it'd be worth another look.

 

[IJ.]

I preferred my Auto, it suited the type of car better than a manual.

 

[AbsoluteSpeed]

Personally I wouldn't DD a Supra without having a back up car. And I have a hard time believing it was owned by "a little old lay" when the car is lowered with purple powder coated parts.

If you do end up looking at this, take it in for a pre purchase inspection and pay extra to have a compression test.
It will give you a good idea on the condition of the engine and if they find anything wrong (even little stuff) you can use it to haggle the price down.

 

[Silver MK3]

I wouldn't really worry about a "newer" supra. At this point the youngest MK3 is almost 22 years old. They are all old cars now. The two tone brown is a fairly rare color that you don't see much of. The car looks pretty clean in the pictures.

I would definitely give it a very good inspection before you buy it though. Just like AbsoluteSpeed said I doubt it was an old lady driving the car since it is lowered and has purple parts. If it was driven by someones son and then not due to bad grades it may have been beat on by the kid. Just some stuff to think about.

If the car is in sound mechanical shape then I don't think $3k is a bad price.

 

[Figit090]

I will first start by thanking you all for the responses so far, and ask if there are any specific questions I should ask when I see the car?
Anything I should check that I might forget?

I will look for:
signs of interior being modified or replaced
signs of damage, or replaced panels
signs of blown headgasket
signs of burning oil

I will check if this gets more serious:
leakdown test
sparkplug check (steam cleaned plugs)
hopefully get a test kit for coolant to check for BHG in recent past (is this what I need? http://www.walmart.com/ip/20648096?...35283996&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=50561858796&veh=sem)

check alignment
check subframes and suspension for visible damage
figure out what shocks it's sitting on and if TEMS works
test climate control function
have someone look for smoke while driving, and under hard throttle.
Somehow check suspension bushings?? not sure how that goes, I'm guessing you either feel an issue or you don't?

That's all I have off the top of my head.

Agree on waiting for a low mile supra and getting a cheap daily. Even my rebuilt 92 has turned me into a hypochondriac, worrying about it constantly. Also the whole "staying out of boost" thing doesn't really exist, don't let anyone fool you.

^Car looks clean though! Love the color, if you could get it for any cheaper it'd be worth another look.

Thank you, I used to worry but my N/A has taken some SERIOUS abuse by previous owners and aside from the BHG...it's never had a catastrophic failure *knocks on wood* Things have let go and the alternator is going out, along with the AC dying...but it's made several 200+ mile trips with me going "oh shit...I have to do this...I hope to god I don't have to call a towtruck."

Anyway, what price do you feel would be fair? I see turbos so seldom that 3k seems cheap but I don't want to waste money if a fun road trip could be had while picking up a nicer supra that's somewhere else in state.

I preferred my Auto, it suited the type of car better than a manual.

Thanks, Ian. Good to know, I'm anxious to try one. I liked the idea of a blow off valve making fun noises, but I like the idea of an auto pulling through 4 gears without building boost for every change, too.

Personally I wouldn't DD a Supra without having a back up car. And I have a hard time believing it was owned by "a little old lay" when the car is lowered with purple powder coated parts.

If you do end up looking at this, take it in for a pre purchase inspection and pay extra to have a compression test.
It will give you a good idea on the condition of the engine and if they find anything wrong (even little stuff) you can use it to haggle the price down.

Good point, I assumed the second owner had the parts done up when the 'rebuilt engine' was put in by toyota in 2002, after sold by the 'old lady.' One can hope. I have a friend with an auto shop who said I can pay $90 for a full once-over including necessary compression tests and I'd have that hour full of their work and then time to myself with the car on the lift to look for issues. I've been under over in and around a dented up supra and I know what to look for this time. I probably won't miss body damage...

I've been DD'ing my N/A since around 2006 and I don't travel super far, the only change I'd see really is an auto transmission, which I hear is reliable, and the addition of more heat and boost. Even then my supra tends to warn me when it's not healthy.

I wouldn't really worry about a "newer" supra. At this point the youngest MK3 is almost 22 years old. They are all old cars now. The two tone brown is a fairly rare color that you don't see much of. The car looks pretty clean in the pictures.

I would definitely give it a very good inspection before you buy it though. Just like AbsoluteSpeed said I doubt it was an old lady driving the car since it is lowered and has purple parts. If it was driven by someones son and then not due to bad grades it may have been beat on by the kid. Just some stuff to think about.

If the car is in sound mechanical shape then I don't think $3k is a bad price.

Good point, but I drive the oldest of the mkIII's...1986.5. I've seen 1992's and the little changes they made over the years not only make it feel and look newer but 5 years can do a lot to a car. even at 5k miles a year we're talking 25k miles... I just was hoping for something where:

Engine is less tired
Turbo doesn't need a rebuild
headgasket has more chance of being intact
bushings in better shape
chassis less creaky
less time for previous owners to fuck up the interior

That being said, some 87's are immaculate and I just saw a 1988 import on facebook that was brought over, with it's door fabric still covered in the factory plastic protectors! Never know what you'll find.

I do agree though, the two-tone brown is one I've been fond of, on-and-off. Seeing one for sale in 200..7? on SM made me fall in love but seeing them stock in bad shape makes me cringe. Not a pretty car when dirty or left stock, in my opinion. I think it was "Ham's" mkiii that made me fall in love. sad fate I try not to think about.

I have golden gotti rims that would shine nicely on the two-tone I think. sadly one has a pretty bad dent on the inside, but I run them daily without any issue (on the verge of not being able to balance at the shop though).

 

[IJ.]

My Car was so much faster with the built Auto it was an amazing difference, total transformation.

 

[Silver MK3]

Sounds like you know what to look for already. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is rust. I'm not sure where you are at in the country so that may be more or less of a problem for you.

 

[MkIII FTW]

That's quite a good looking car. In truth a the age won't be much of a factor at this point. I drive an 87 turbo. At the age the car is now things will need to be changed. Just simply put. My car was brown metallic and to be honest it had to grow on me but its a color I grew to appreciate. That being said, if this car meets most of the requirements you are looking for then I'd say go for it. Like Silver Mk3 said be sure to look for rust depending on your part of country.

 

[Figit090]

I appreciate everyone's feedback on this. I was also considering this car, but it's distance and smog issues tip the scales of it being a possibility: http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?184539-87-Supra-Turbo-(NorCal)/page2
If I get there and don't like it, I loose time and money, and if I DO like it, it'll cost money just to get it up North where I live, and more money to fix it's smog issue.

Anyway I went to check out the two-tone tan car. As I pull up the car looks pretty, I think...wow...even better in person! Then it hits me...I start seeing faded paint (really looking for one with a good clear coat and hopefully original paint).

As I get out I look to the car and start seeing badly faded paint, and getting closer I notice trim is undone and/or loosing it's coating really badly. I walk to meet the guy and looking back at the car I now see a horribly paint-chipped front bumper with plastic showing through.

DAMN.

I get to the driver's door, and the window is half down and feels just as bad as my failing window system, and the interior smells (I can even smell it over the guy's horrible cigarette 2nd hand smoke). Then I see a towel and his dog starts looking at the back seat...
Yep...wanted to go for a ride, on that lovely towel....

Then I see a nice little dent on the rear quarter panel, and some rust, and I glance in the hatch and it's been trashed, dirty with pieces of something along with the trunk cover/shade. It was a mess...

I decided within 15 seconds it was NOT the car I wanted but humored the guy and at least looked at it and talked about it. He opened the hatch and pulled out a cane for holding the hood (naturally), and even the engine looked poor. Oil all down the block and it smelled of dirt and oil. My dad noticed some silicone on some wiring that was undoubtedly hacked and fixed and I noticed a lot more iffy points and the whole car screamed neglect. Passenger mirror was cracked badly, too. My dad noticed the radiator looked old, so my guess "new" radiator of course meant it was installed within the last 5 years...sometime.
I said my goodbyes and thanked him for his time, packed into the car and drove off.

I'll just keep looking! Sad to see what's happened to it over the years. It wasn't a total heap, but it was not taken care of, regardless of what "records" he might have had, I wouldn't trust it one bit.

 

[scottiedawg66]

Glad you stayed away, sounds like a pile. I called up to inquire about that same car a few weeks ago and didnt bother to check it out after a short phone conversation.

 

[Figit090]

Glad you stayed away, sounds like a pile. I called up to inquire about that same car a few weeks ago and didnt bother to check it out after a short phone conversation.

Were you calling the clearlake owner?

What made you back out, just curious what he/she said? Anyway, thanks. If you see a good one under 3k that's in good shape...let me know if you think of it. Looks like you have good taste by your sig.

 

[scottiedawg66]

Thanks!

I called the phone number in the craigslist posting. I asked about the paint, window trim, and interior. I was clear that i was looking for an excellent condition example.

 

[Figit090]

Thanks!

I called the phone number in the craigslist posting. I asked about the paint, window trim, and interior. I was clear that i was looking for an excellent condition example.

Ah, same here. My first supra and current daily, has been in a bad wreck (folds under rear seats that were pulled out, even) and I didn't know it until years after we bought it for my first car. I don't regret it but I know what to look for now and I want a peach.

Anyway, odd thing on the newer listing; it says "supra clean" "very nice supra".... two totally incorrect statements from my point of view. I figure they're used to worse, a hiyendueaa perhaps (couldn't bother to spell it right) hyundai? lol

 

[MkIII FTW]

Sorry to hear that the two tone car wasn't as expected. I called a guy today about 2 supra he had. One was a white package 90 targa top turbo and the other was a maroon 87 turbo both 5 speed. Sadly he sold the 90 just before I called but the 87 is still up for grabs.....I really wanted that white package though

 

[gtsfirefighter]

Get used to disappointments when looking for one of these. They're old and most have been through a dozen kid owners. If you need a reliable daily and still want a supra stick with an n/a. There's less to go wrong with them. On the hwy autos cruise at a little lower rpm so you will possibly get a little better mpg's. Good luck with the search. Plenty of n/a's to be found that are not completely ragged out and you can always turbo it later when you have the money and knowledge. Sucks that car let you down. I followed your Facebook thread on it. They always look better in the pictures.

 

[Silver MK3]

At least you were able to walk away from it without buying something you would regret. Just keep looking, you will find what you are looking for eventually.

 

[Figit090]

Get used to disappointments when looking for one of these. They're old and most have been through a dozen kid owners. If you need a reliable daily and still want a supra stick with an n/a. There's less to go wrong with them. On the hwy autos cruise at a little lower rpm so you will possibly get a little better mpg's. Good luck with the search. Plenty of n/a's to be found that are not completely ragged out and you can always turbo it later when you have the money and knowledge. Sucks that car let you down. I followed your Facebook thread on it. They always look better in the pictures.

Yeah I'm getting used to it now, lol. I might just go for a honda or something. I like the heft of the supra, feels safer than tin can economy cars, but I want better gas mileage and the insurance would probably drop on many other types of car. Airbags might be good, too.

At least you were able to walk away from it without buying something you would regret. Just keep looking, you will find what you are looking for eventually.

Indeed! Thanks