z31 300zx or supra mk 3
- Thread starter blackhyb
- Start date
technically in the anime the z31 had a td08 turbo and tuned better and the r32 gtr had a td06....that z31 hauled ass
mk3>z31 btw
mk3>z31 btw
My friend had two Z32's, after pulling the engine on the one and the other random issues they would have, I can honestly say the awesome styling is not worth it unless you have very very deep pockets(granted the unreliability came from the previous dumbass owners). Even the smallest jobs were a PITA because of the cramped space. If you think a mkiii can get expensive, wait till you dive headfirst into a 300zx TT build.
well the only Z ive ever owned and still do to this day is a 78 280 whidch is in no way shape or form helpful to you but yea id seriously go with the MkIII because i have a few friends with z31s and to be blunt, YES they were stock but i beat them in a race with my 1995 honda accord lx that i used to have, so yea that should say it all
MkIII FTW
MkIII FTW
I'll come over.... but just because it can make more power on stock internals doesn't mean its a better car. I'd even say that the Z32 and MKIII are the same class..
Theres really nothing different between the Z31 Turbos and equivalant year Supra turbo. Z31's all had the option for power seats, leather, automatic adjustable suspension, automatic HVAC, digitial dashes, 205hp 3L turbo, 2 or 2+2 models, and T-top or slick top models. The Z31's are lighter and while they do suffer from leaky fuel injectors, atlease Nissan will replace them for free. I had my fuel injectors, rails, FPR, and wiring harness replaced in 2004 no questions asked due to a NHTSA safety campaign. Too bad toyota never did that for the 7M head gaskets.
It really all comes down to wether you like the lines of a supra or a 300Zx better. In the grand scheme of things neither the MKIII nor Z31 are true sports cars. They really are grand touring cars.
My Z31 is meant to go fast in a straight line. Very fast. Would I want to drive it on the street on a day to day basis..HELL NO. Do I enjoy my supra because its nothing more then a stock DD with an exhaust? Yes. If I had to start all over again would i still do a Z31 over a MKII. Yes.
It really all comes down to wether you like the lines of a supra or a 300Zx better. In the grand scheme of things neither the MKIII nor Z31 are true sports cars. They really are grand touring cars.
My Z31 is meant to go fast in a straight line. Very fast. Would I want to drive it on the street on a day to day basis..HELL NO. Do I enjoy my supra because its nothing more then a stock DD with an exhaust? Yes. If I had to start all over again would i still do a Z31 over a MKII. Yes.
Quin;1012614 said:
Im not saying that its unheard of for a JZ, but factory in the cost of swapping a JZ into a Supra and throw that VG30ET, and your going fast. I spent more on my Motec M600 to run the car then I did building an engine (ofcourse i do all my own head work, and fabricated my own intake plenum, throttle body adapter and intercooler pipes).
We all have our own opinions. To me I just like the looks of my Z31 more then my supra. I however wouldnt get rid of either of them.
Ahh missed that were talking about z31's, almost bought a turbo one, with minimal mods their pretty fast (like a mkiii). It all comes down to personal taste, pick your poison.
I think it really comes down to preference. For a long time I was obsessed w/ Z's (2900 posts on 3zc, and I was even a moderator at one point ).. but the over all design of the MKIII vs Z31 was an easy choice for me to make. I drove quite a few before I actually decided to pick up my first Supra, including Z31's na / t, and one red Z32TT ( w/ a nice deck, greddy exhaust, and for only $5500! ). I will say that the Z32TT made me think twice though... I still wish I could have had that car and my first MKIII. I remember that car so well... and I still want a red Z32TT because of it. But yeah, even though I'm a closet Z32 fanboy I'd still rather mod a MKIII personally.
ZFast300Z;1012622 said:
i hope your pushing over 600 horses since you have motec if not you just gave away money stock ecu is pretty good
http://88hybrid.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7459
there is a post on a z31 board i made a few months back, we ended up getting into a mk3 vs z31 debate.. i dont think they faired very well.
I was into Z31's before supras, i test drove multiple ones, i actually found the mk3 supra by accident, was looking for 86-89 celicas and selected supras on autotrader. Anyway saw the NA had 200hp, lol the z31 had 165 so went and test drove it, That sealed it, bought a supra and never looked back.
The Z31 from a performance standpoint holds no competition. The Supra bashed it in every way possible even with it weighing in at 500lbs more. the NA supra was more of a match for the turbo z31. And there was no contest Turbo vs Turbo. The supra out handled, out braked, out performed the z31 on every road course. And you can tell why if youve ever gotten under each. Ive had a supra for 6+ years now, ive done everything from NA's, turbo 7m's, to turbo 1j's. I recently bought a 86 300zx to flip and OMFG im glad i went with the supra. The rear suspention is a joke. its a shock spring setup and pivots from a single crossmember going across. No box setup like we have, or unequal length control arms. They are known fro having horrible rear end sag. Not to mention that the rear differential is actually a large protion of the rear suspention strength. its actually used to hold it together unlike the supras which the rear subframe is the strenght and the diff is merely mounted inside it.
The drivetrains are again no contest in favor of the supra. The NA transmission gearbox is about the circumference of a grapefruit and are extremely weak and flawed. Ive had three that have destroyed the input bearings. The motor isnt even as strong as the 7M, id say the 7m is comparable tot he z31, and the 1j mk3 is comparable to the z32. The Turbo version is non-intercooled and the injectors are junk as are most Nissan injectors. The car is a PITA to work on, and has a very small performance aftermarket. My buddy has an upgraded turbo, aftermarket intake manifold, intercooled, with larger fuel rail, 550cc injectors, tuned on 13lbs. And when he raced my brothers bpu 7M on 14lbs(stock turbo, injectors, IC, motor, untuned) My brother just ran away from him. My buddy could barely beat an SRT4.
Now there are a few things that the z31 has on the supra. It does have a few more advanced options, like a dual tripo-meter, the turbo versions have a nice factory stereo with 11 band eq, not to mention that the car is lighter than the supra. But the interiors are FUGLY, definately loose in the aesthetics department.
Really between the z31 and the mk3 from my standpoint there is no comparision. Even comparing it to the z32 id still choose the mk3, as ive worked on those as well, and as its been said is a much harder decision. I can get into that if youd like as well, but you asked about the z31. Hope this was helpful
there is a post on a z31 board i made a few months back, we ended up getting into a mk3 vs z31 debate.. i dont think they faired very well.
I was into Z31's before supras, i test drove multiple ones, i actually found the mk3 supra by accident, was looking for 86-89 celicas and selected supras on autotrader. Anyway saw the NA had 200hp, lol the z31 had 165 so went and test drove it, That sealed it, bought a supra and never looked back.
The Z31 from a performance standpoint holds no competition. The Supra bashed it in every way possible even with it weighing in at 500lbs more. the NA supra was more of a match for the turbo z31. And there was no contest Turbo vs Turbo. The supra out handled, out braked, out performed the z31 on every road course. And you can tell why if youve ever gotten under each. Ive had a supra for 6+ years now, ive done everything from NA's, turbo 7m's, to turbo 1j's. I recently bought a 86 300zx to flip and OMFG im glad i went with the supra. The rear suspention is a joke. its a shock spring setup and pivots from a single crossmember going across. No box setup like we have, or unequal length control arms. They are known fro having horrible rear end sag. Not to mention that the rear differential is actually a large protion of the rear suspention strength. its actually used to hold it together unlike the supras which the rear subframe is the strenght and the diff is merely mounted inside it.
The drivetrains are again no contest in favor of the supra. The NA transmission gearbox is about the circumference of a grapefruit and are extremely weak and flawed. Ive had three that have destroyed the input bearings. The motor isnt even as strong as the 7M, id say the 7m is comparable tot he z31, and the 1j mk3 is comparable to the z32. The Turbo version is non-intercooled and the injectors are junk as are most Nissan injectors. The car is a PITA to work on, and has a very small performance aftermarket. My buddy has an upgraded turbo, aftermarket intake manifold, intercooled, with larger fuel rail, 550cc injectors, tuned on 13lbs. And when he raced my brothers bpu 7M on 14lbs(stock turbo, injectors, IC, motor, untuned) My brother just ran away from him. My buddy could barely beat an SRT4.
Now there are a few things that the z31 has on the supra. It does have a few more advanced options, like a dual tripo-meter, the turbo versions have a nice factory stereo with 11 band eq, not to mention that the car is lighter than the supra. But the interiors are FUGLY, definately loose in the aesthetics department.
Really between the z31 and the mk3 from my standpoint there is no comparision. Even comparing it to the z32 id still choose the mk3, as ive worked on those as well, and as its been said is a much harder decision. I can get into that if youd like as well, but you asked about the z31. Hope this was helpful
iceberg319;1012579 said:
OT: thank you for that correction, I was waiting for someone to say something lol.. I hope ep 10(subbed) is out soon, im getting sick of waiting. Btw, I dont ever remember him beating blackbird, he just let him pass and watched arrogantly.
As for the argument, theres not a comparison to be made stock for stock or even to high level IMO. The Z32 would have been a better, more modern car as far as im concerned vs the mk3 but they screwed up engineering the engine compartment layout.
Last edited:
SupraRacer;1012680 said:
I agree with you on every point you made. I too was a Z31 fan, but man making power on those cars involved a lot of up-front investment. 300whp on a supra, you're looking at 550s, and a lexus AFM. 300whp on a Z31, you're looking at new injectors, new pump, would be a good idea to modify the intake manifold for more flow, possibly an upgraded turbo, full exhaust, maybe a larger afm.
On the plus side, 87+ Z31s (and Z32s for that matter) were really easy to reprogram the stock ecu. Hell, I have all the equipment in my workshop to chip them.
And I don't care, I still think the 86 Z31 wins in the styling department
I like the front end, and the fender lines of the car, but the hatch kills it for me. Too boxy and the rearend jsut doesnt do it for me. even the upgraded tails on the 88's, nothing. I think the mk3 is much more aggressive and muscular looking. BUt dont get me wrong ive seen some very very clean z31's that make me drool. Hell one is In St. Louis and is 400whp+
I own both! I just bought an '86 Z31 NA for a daily driver. It isn't too bad to work on but as mentioned prior, the VG30 v6 is an interference motor - so scheduled timing belt replacement is a must. I do think the Z31's seats are more comfortable than my Supra's seats. The interior of the Z31 is much cheaper than the Supra and I absolutely despise the T-tops! I was looking for a cheap rear wheel drive import for a daily driver and my Z31 has been pretty decent so far - I can beat on it and not feel guilty. To my surprise, many of the OEM parts are still available for the Z. I've replaced miscellaneous interior parts that I expected to be discontinued but were still available. It may be slow, but it actually runs and drives decent - all while my Supra is shielded from idiots during the daily grind under a cover in the garage.
I almost bought a Z32TT before the Supra. If I had a bit more money I would have. I would not own a Z31 unless you paid me. I think they are a horrific looking car.