Hey guys, I finally decided to make a build thread! I don't update super often, but I do what I can. All of the information are copied from another site, so timeline wording (such as "today", "tomorrow", etc) won't line up 
I didn't take pictures most of the way, it's not something I often think about... but am trying to change it
Anyways!
I purchased my car in the fall of 2008. 1988 Toyota Supra. Non-turbo (7M-GE) and automatic. Sport package! Targa top, gray leather interior with suncracked and torn seats. 229,000 on the body. Engine has unknown miles, but presumably the same.
When I got it home:
I drove it around with no real issues.
I drove it down to Champaign, IL (home of University of Illinois- Champaign/Urbana campus). This is about 4 hours from my home, one way. I went down there for a bowling tournament. 3 days later, after a 4 hour drive home, I went to a local speed shop. The shop is called Speedquest, and they specialize in Hondas, but they were having a dyno day. I decided to dyno my car, with 235k on the clock.
Here are the results:
A few months later, I took it to an event out at the Rockford Speedway in Rockford, Illinois.
It was a drift event. I almost wrecked the car. The first turn I tossed it sideways at about 60mph. Out of the turn, I transitioned to the left, but could get it transitioned immediately afterward back to the right. I almost hit a wall. Damn near shit my pants.
Pic from that day:
Suspension needs work...
---------- Post added at 06:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------
Fast forward a couple of months.
I was being stupid one day after school. I decided to drift out of the parking lot. The engine was completely cold. It had 239,000 miles on it.
So immediately after this, the car went in the garage for tear down, and my turbo manual conversion.
This is what was going in:
R154...
and the 7M-GTE
I replaced the headgasket with an OEM composite, newest revision, and ARP head studs torqued to 75 ft/lbs.
The engine has 130k miles on it, all factory maintained and stock boost. The transmission has about 80k miles on it.
---------- Post added at 06:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------
The swap sat at a stand-still for a while. It was winter, my garage is unheated, I was trying to fix a mouse problem that I had in my car. One cold winter's night, I got the engine and transmission in, with the help of a couple of buddies.
And finally in!
I didn't do much to the car for about another 2 months, waiting for it to get warmer out.
After that, I installed the harness, and finished up the engine.
I had to tear it all apart again, due to my harness being fubar'd. The tach, oil pressure, and water temp gauges didn't work. My headlights would not illluminate.
I have a harness coming in in a few days, and will have to do some repinning to get the harness to work with the sensors.
Hopefully it'll be done within the next week.
I also torn down my old engine. I'll get pictures up of what I did to cylinder 3 and 4 rod bearings...
---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:48 PM ----------
The panel on the car in the last picture, the one with the emblem on it... I painted that myself
I was proud. The car originally had the headlight sprayers, which I didn't enjoy the look of. Plus, they no longer worked. I bought a non-squirter panel off of a burgandy 87.
It's not professional by any means, but it looks good for what I did with sand paper (wet and dry sanding), rattle can primer, paint, and clear. Haha
---------- Post added at 06:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 PM ----------
Haven't really posted my plans for my engine/suspension/drivetrain/safety yet. So here it is:
I currently have a spare, good condition cylinder head that I'm going to be having worked over. I'm searching for a lower mileage 7M-GTE block.
- Full port and polish
- 1mm oversize valves
- Supertech dual valve springs/retainers
- 5 angle valve job (or radius'd if I can find a place to do it)
- BC 264 or 272 (advertised duration) cams.
BC 264 = 220* duration @ .050" lift and 8.53mm lift
BC 272 = 226* duration @ .050" lift and 8.68mm lift
The block will have:
- Eagle or Pauter rods (big price difference)
- JE pistons .050" overbore, bringing compression from 8.4:1 up to 8.8:1 (going from information on JE's site)
- "Clevite" bearings
- ARP Main studs
- ARP Head studs
- MHG
Camshaft size will be dictated by the size of turbo I go with.
Suspension I currently have Bilstein adjustable height shocks with unknown (presumably stock) springs.
I'll be getting Stance coilovers with spring rates of 14kg front/12kg rear. (unless I need higher)
I'll be getting Energy Suspension front and rear control arm bushing set, along with RonnieK yellow polyurethane front and rear subframe bushings, and red steering bushings. The red bushings have a shore hardness of 90, the yellows are a little bit less than that.
I'll be getting a Toyota reman'd power steering rack (if available), installing steering rack spacers.
Rear suspension I'll be getting the SS SupraSport traction arms (if still available when I look at purchasing them) with poly bushings.
Considering buying either Beech Performance Motorsports adjustable camber and toe rods if they come out with poly bushings instead of Heim joints. Only bad thing about these is that adjustment has to be made off of the car.
Or I could get the Battle Version camber and toe arms, which also use heim joints, but are adjustable on the car. I'm going to contact Alex at BV to see if I could possibly get the arms with poly heim joints instead of solid.
Sway bars, front and rear, will be Whiteline 3-way adjustables.
LSD with be Cusco MZ.
Safety will include Sparco or Recaro seats, 5pt harnesses. Possibly a cage.
I'd like to find a spare R154 transmission down the line and send it in to Marlin Crawler for their "2wd race R154", but that costs about $2000 minus shipping. Not the type of disposable income I have currently or soon...
---------- Post added at 06:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:52 PM ----------
Edited my suspension setup.
Also would like to add aero.
On The Beat front bumper, modified to the pre-89 look (courtesy of RazoE):
Sideskirts will either be On The Beat, as shown in the above picture, or Abflug replicas (courtesy of Shine Auto).
Rear add-ons will either be Abflug replicas from Shine, or Hiro rear lip. I'm leaning toward the Hiro.
I have 89+ tails that I need to buff out, and CF Hiro taillights covers. Will look like this:
Spoiler will be a GT Wing, will be searching for something as close to the one on the S2 Supra-Style Supra as possible. I may settle for an APR
Also will be getting a fiberglass rear sunshade. Both can be seen here:
Better shot of the sunshade:
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:54 PM ----------
So I decided to finally go out and take pictures of my old rod bearings...
All 6 Rods
Cylinder 3 Rod Bearing, Lower, front
Cylinder 3 Rod, Upper, back
Cylinder 3 Rod, Upper... notice how the ends are chewed up
Cylinder 3 Rod journal
Cylinder 4 Rod, front
Cylinder 4 Rod, back
Cylinder 4 Rod Journal... notice the blueing around the oil hole?
Cylinder 5 Rod
Oil Pan
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:55 PM ----------
(Post from June 13)
Haven't updated this in a while.
I was ready to start the car, but ran into electrical issues.
I have no spark and no tach signal, therefore my ignitor is faulty. I had no oil pressure, pretty sure I had a faulty oil pressure sender. I tested the wiring and gauge, and both checked out. I replaced the sender (pain in the ass) and am now seeing 1-2psi.
My water temp sensor may not be working, however as with the oil pressure gauge, the gauge and wiring are fine. All grounds are fine.
Bizarre issue too, is with the headlights not illuminating. I believe I may have messed something up when I removed them...
Now that I think of it, I think I posted all of this earlier on in the thread... haha
Anyways.
Picked up my Lotek gauge pod today.
Wetsanded and buffed my 89+ taillights, just need to polish em up to the sheen they were at previously. Or close to it hah
---------- Post added at 06:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:55 PM ----------
Retro Spec's Hiro tail light covers mocked up
---------- Post added at 06:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:56 PM ----------
(Post from June 27)
Got the 89-92 tail lights installed today. That's my update...
As for my no oil pressure issue. Well, I hooked up a mechanical oil pressure gauge, and cranked... and got absolute 0 psi.
So I need lift the engine, drop the subframe, drop the oil pan, pull the oil pump, and do an inspection and replacement of key parts.
Sounds fun, but I'm gonna be SOOOO pissed doing it
---------- Post added at 06:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------
(Post from July 29, 2010)
So on Tuesday I bought a 20 gallon air compressor to accompany my impact gun (rated at 400 ft/lbs.... I need more power!)
I started working on the front subframe of the car. So far I have the driver side completely ready to be dropped (shock absorber removed, UCA separated from subframe (which was a bitch), disconnected sway link from bar, acquired 2-3" of slack in brake line). I have part of the passenger side done, but still need to get it to that same point.
I have the passenger side motor mounting nut removed, and must do the same to the driver side. I need to remove the transmission mount bolts (to body).
Need to drain the oil from the pan and remove the two transmission support brackets, as well as the lower inspection cover (large black one).
After that I will attach my hoist and raise my engine a bit and drop my subframe a good 2-3 inches to give enough clearance to remove the oil pan and oil pump. Then I can do my inspections of the bottom end and to why I am not building oil pressure. I hope I don't have to replace the bearings :/
---------- Post added at 06:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------
I apologize for what seems like a very cluttered first post. The way that the new layout doesn't space it out... or at least that's what I've seen...
Anyways, I'll update as I make progress
I didn't take pictures most of the way, it's not something I often think about... but am trying to change it
Anyways!
I purchased my car in the fall of 2008. 1988 Toyota Supra. Non-turbo (7M-GE) and automatic. Sport package! Targa top, gray leather interior with suncracked and torn seats. 229,000 on the body. Engine has unknown miles, but presumably the same.
When I got it home:
I drove it around with no real issues.
I drove it down to Champaign, IL (home of University of Illinois- Champaign/Urbana campus). This is about 4 hours from my home, one way. I went down there for a bowling tournament. 3 days later, after a 4 hour drive home, I went to a local speed shop. The shop is called Speedquest, and they specialize in Hondas, but they were having a dyno day. I decided to dyno my car, with 235k on the clock.
Here are the results:
A few months later, I took it to an event out at the Rockford Speedway in Rockford, Illinois.
It was a drift event. I almost wrecked the car. The first turn I tossed it sideways at about 60mph. Out of the turn, I transitioned to the left, but could get it transitioned immediately afterward back to the right. I almost hit a wall. Damn near shit my pants.
Pic from that day:
Suspension needs work...
---------- Post added at 06:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------
Fast forward a couple of months.
I was being stupid one day after school. I decided to drift out of the parking lot. The engine was completely cold. It had 239,000 miles on it.
So immediately after this, the car went in the garage for tear down, and my turbo manual conversion.
This is what was going in:
R154...
and the 7M-GTE
I replaced the headgasket with an OEM composite, newest revision, and ARP head studs torqued to 75 ft/lbs.
The engine has 130k miles on it, all factory maintained and stock boost. The transmission has about 80k miles on it.
---------- Post added at 06:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------
The swap sat at a stand-still for a while. It was winter, my garage is unheated, I was trying to fix a mouse problem that I had in my car. One cold winter's night, I got the engine and transmission in, with the help of a couple of buddies.
And finally in!
I didn't do much to the car for about another 2 months, waiting for it to get warmer out.
After that, I installed the harness, and finished up the engine.
I had to tear it all apart again, due to my harness being fubar'd. The tach, oil pressure, and water temp gauges didn't work. My headlights would not illluminate.
I have a harness coming in in a few days, and will have to do some repinning to get the harness to work with the sensors.
Hopefully it'll be done within the next week.
I also torn down my old engine. I'll get pictures up of what I did to cylinder 3 and 4 rod bearings...
---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:48 PM ----------
The panel on the car in the last picture, the one with the emblem on it... I painted that myself
I was proud. The car originally had the headlight sprayers, which I didn't enjoy the look of. Plus, they no longer worked. I bought a non-squirter panel off of a burgandy 87.
It's not professional by any means, but it looks good for what I did with sand paper (wet and dry sanding), rattle can primer, paint, and clear. Haha
---------- Post added at 06:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 PM ----------
Haven't really posted my plans for my engine/suspension/drivetrain/safety yet. So here it is:
I currently have a spare, good condition cylinder head that I'm going to be having worked over. I'm searching for a lower mileage 7M-GTE block.
- Full port and polish
- 1mm oversize valves
- Supertech dual valve springs/retainers
- 5 angle valve job (or radius'd if I can find a place to do it)
- BC 264 or 272 (advertised duration) cams.
BC 264 = 220* duration @ .050" lift and 8.53mm lift
BC 272 = 226* duration @ .050" lift and 8.68mm lift
The block will have:
- Eagle or Pauter rods (big price difference)
- JE pistons .050" overbore, bringing compression from 8.4:1 up to 8.8:1 (going from information on JE's site)
- "Clevite" bearings
- ARP Main studs
- ARP Head studs
- MHG
Camshaft size will be dictated by the size of turbo I go with.
Suspension I currently have Bilstein adjustable height shocks with unknown (presumably stock) springs.
I'll be getting Stance coilovers with spring rates of 14kg front/12kg rear. (unless I need higher)
I'll be getting Energy Suspension front and rear control arm bushing set, along with RonnieK yellow polyurethane front and rear subframe bushings, and red steering bushings. The red bushings have a shore hardness of 90, the yellows are a little bit less than that.
I'll be getting a Toyota reman'd power steering rack (if available), installing steering rack spacers.
Rear suspension I'll be getting the SS SupraSport traction arms (if still available when I look at purchasing them) with poly bushings.
Considering buying either Beech Performance Motorsports adjustable camber and toe rods if they come out with poly bushings instead of Heim joints. Only bad thing about these is that adjustment has to be made off of the car.
Or I could get the Battle Version camber and toe arms, which also use heim joints, but are adjustable on the car. I'm going to contact Alex at BV to see if I could possibly get the arms with poly heim joints instead of solid.
Sway bars, front and rear, will be Whiteline 3-way adjustables.
LSD with be Cusco MZ.
Safety will include Sparco or Recaro seats, 5pt harnesses. Possibly a cage.
I'd like to find a spare R154 transmission down the line and send it in to Marlin Crawler for their "2wd race R154", but that costs about $2000 minus shipping. Not the type of disposable income I have currently or soon...
---------- Post added at 06:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:52 PM ----------
Edited my suspension setup.
Also would like to add aero.
On The Beat front bumper, modified to the pre-89 look (courtesy of RazoE):
Sideskirts will either be On The Beat, as shown in the above picture, or Abflug replicas (courtesy of Shine Auto).
Rear add-ons will either be Abflug replicas from Shine, or Hiro rear lip. I'm leaning toward the Hiro.
I have 89+ tails that I need to buff out, and CF Hiro taillights covers. Will look like this:
Spoiler will be a GT Wing, will be searching for something as close to the one on the S2 Supra-Style Supra as possible. I may settle for an APR
Also will be getting a fiberglass rear sunshade. Both can be seen here:
Better shot of the sunshade:
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:54 PM ----------
So I decided to finally go out and take pictures of my old rod bearings...
All 6 Rods
Cylinder 3 Rod Bearing, Lower, front
Cylinder 3 Rod, Upper, back
Cylinder 3 Rod, Upper... notice how the ends are chewed up
Cylinder 3 Rod journal
Cylinder 4 Rod, front
Cylinder 4 Rod, back
Cylinder 4 Rod Journal... notice the blueing around the oil hole?
Cylinder 5 Rod
Oil Pan
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:55 PM ----------
(Post from June 13)
Haven't updated this in a while.
I was ready to start the car, but ran into electrical issues.
I have no spark and no tach signal, therefore my ignitor is faulty. I had no oil pressure, pretty sure I had a faulty oil pressure sender. I tested the wiring and gauge, and both checked out. I replaced the sender (pain in the ass) and am now seeing 1-2psi.
My water temp sensor may not be working, however as with the oil pressure gauge, the gauge and wiring are fine. All grounds are fine.
Bizarre issue too, is with the headlights not illuminating. I believe I may have messed something up when I removed them...
Now that I think of it, I think I posted all of this earlier on in the thread... haha
Anyways.
Picked up my Lotek gauge pod today.
Wetsanded and buffed my 89+ taillights, just need to polish em up to the sheen they were at previously. Or close to it hah
---------- Post added at 06:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:55 PM ----------
Retro Spec's Hiro tail light covers mocked up
---------- Post added at 06:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:56 PM ----------
(Post from June 27)
Got the 89-92 tail lights installed today. That's my update...
As for my no oil pressure issue. Well, I hooked up a mechanical oil pressure gauge, and cranked... and got absolute 0 psi.
So I need lift the engine, drop the subframe, drop the oil pan, pull the oil pump, and do an inspection and replacement of key parts.
Sounds fun, but I'm gonna be SOOOO pissed doing it
---------- Post added at 06:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------
(Post from July 29, 2010)
So on Tuesday I bought a 20 gallon air compressor to accompany my impact gun (rated at 400 ft/lbs.... I need more power!)
I started working on the front subframe of the car. So far I have the driver side completely ready to be dropped (shock absorber removed, UCA separated from subframe (which was a bitch), disconnected sway link from bar, acquired 2-3" of slack in brake line). I have part of the passenger side done, but still need to get it to that same point.
I have the passenger side motor mounting nut removed, and must do the same to the driver side. I need to remove the transmission mount bolts (to body).
Need to drain the oil from the pan and remove the two transmission support brackets, as well as the lower inspection cover (large black one).
After that I will attach my hoist and raise my engine a bit and drop my subframe a good 2-3 inches to give enough clearance to remove the oil pan and oil pump. Then I can do my inspections of the bottom end and to why I am not building oil pressure. I hope I don't have to replace the bearings :/
---------- Post added at 06:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------
I apologize for what seems like a very cluttered first post. The way that the new layout doesn't space it out... or at least that's what I've seen...
Anyways, I'll update as I make progress
Last edited:
