Oh no he isn't! Oh YES I AM!
 

Here's the story. Just got a 1986.5 Toyota Supra for cheap with a .... you guessed it BLOWN HEAD GASKET! So, my plan is to put in a 350 Chevy Vortec Motor and a 700R4 from a previous project that I had sitting around. Why Why WHY!?! :rant: :frown: :eek3: Because I can make this car go fast for super cheap. :yum: Won't require a lot of fabrication work either! Just some welding and metal that can be done easily in my garage. I have the car, with a blown motor. I have the engine, with no car. So put 2 and 2 together and will have a 400 hp monster that will ride nice and look awsome. I always liked the 3rd Gen Supra Styling but always thought the motor was a turd. After reading how much fun it is to put a new head gasket on, I came to the quick and easy solution of the 350 Chevy swap. Weld in motor mounts and braces for it. Put in a trans mount. Align the engine and tranny up with the rear differential and make sure the pinion angle is correct and whala!! A 400 hp screamer for cheap. Total cash won't excede $1500 as I only gave $600 for the car and the engine won't be included in that price. So I do believe that $900 additional should be achievable. Even if I do go over, it'll still be worth it, to me at least.:dance:
VT247

sounds pretty lame, have fun I guess.

But it would have been 'really friggin' cool' if I'd of stuck a 1UZ motor in there right? Any idea how hard those are to get around here? On top of that the cost? I'm on a budget and welding in some sheetmetal will be easy / cost effective. Putting in a built Chevrolet 350 Vortec & 700R4 into this Toyota Supra is really the only shot at another life for it. Would have been nice to find one running, but this way is cheaper and more fun. Wish me luck! :x:
VT247

:frown:
sounds pretty lame, have fun I guess.
__________________
Nate

I agree that really sucks you never put a non toyota motor in a supra its just not cool and a disgrace to the mk3 :whateva:

Wrong, an LS series motor would be sweet. A vortec 350 in a supra is lame.

Good luck, post some vids when you're done.

I'll try and reconfigure the pics soon or change my camera settings. I can't get them to upload as the file must be too big. Comes up as a file upload error on the manage attachments after it attempts upload.

The car is a solid roller only needing a front windshield glass and paint. Will receive a gloss black paint job and a red stripe from the front of the hood all the way back down the middle. Oh yea, the paint job will be cheap as well. $75 roller job. 8 -10 thin coats of rustoleum with a 4 inch foam roller (did I mention this project is being done on the CHEAP!). Prep for paint will take me another day or two.

Has like new Z rated 16" tires on it and a nice complete interior. Has less than 100k on the odometer. So it's a decent base.

Say this project will be lame, yea... but effective. :stickpoke

i seriously felt bad for you they way people were bashing your motor idea, BUT PAINTING WITH A ROLLER, NOW THATS LAME. you should just buy a bicycle or something. sorry dude, but there is a difference between being "cost effective" and plain old "CHEAP".:boring:

I'm ain't gonna just slather paint on there like some idjit.:stupid: No, the rustoleum has to be thinned with mineral spirits. Get it to a milk / melted ice cream consistency and go over the whole car 8-10 times allowing time for proper drying. First, the engine needs to come out. Then sand and smooth it out good. Then, I'll go over it one coat a night. Wish it would warm up at least to 40* - 50* so it wouldn't be so bone chilling outside.

This car will take some time to do. But it'll be something I've done and created. I don't have a spray gun to paint it, I don't have a Toyota engine to put in it, I don't have endless amounts of cash to throw at it either. What I do have is time, patience and the know how to put this car together to work for me. But hey, if any one of you wants to put this car together for me or donate a 400hp Toyota engine, bring it!

Roller paint job? Vortec v8? $1500 for people to laugh at you 'till they wet themselves? There's got to be a cheaper way to screw up a Supra!

Why not a gallon of gas and a match?

Good luck!

you can buy a basic siphon feed paint gun for about 20 bucks. or if you have the cash, it bout 100bucks for a nice gravity fed gun. anyway, i think your in for a world of screwing around and jimmy riggin everything. but hey, im sure it will be one of a kind and you'll need a big stick to beat the ladies off of ya. :x:

Know what's worst of all? Posting this on the internet with 'how to' instructions. One goal with the motor and mounts is to make it bolt it friendly. Make a few extra sets and sell them online or give the specs out free to those who can weld. That and where to cut for the transmission. There's a lot of Supra's out there with bad motors or the usual BHG. They're doing it with the RX7's, nows the time for the MKIII swap too.
VT247

oh, and just to let cha know, i got a new head gasket for 99 cents on ebay + 20 bucks shipping. so for 21 bucks, you could just use your supra engine. its up to you, but 21 bucks will sure save you all the messing around. i still have mine brand new in the shed. just a precautionary measure.:dance:

The person who owned the car before me took most of the parts off the front of the engine. Had them sitting in the hatch. I'm tossing all of it except the radiator and mounts Anyone need stock 7M non turbo 5 speed parts? They'll otherwise go to the scrap yard.
VT247

The motor is out, the car is sanded and I'm still waiting for the weather to warm up some. It's nice in the garage with the stove cookin', but still pretty chilly outdoors. Hopefully it'll warm up soon so I can pressure wash the engine bay. Won't be long now before I can do a test fit.

Sure am glad I don't have to try and put this thing back together. What a nightmare! I stripped the motor prior to taking it out. I feel for you out there that have had to work on these. Expecially those who've had to do a head gasket fix.
VT247

yeah... i still think your destroying your supra. its got a reputation and you are pretty much shatting on it with your 350 conversion. and doing the head gasket isnt really that bad. its just time consuming and you have to know what your doing. i guess if you dont know what your doing, you just throw in a 350! lol

What a I missing here?
 

am I the only guy here who thinks Automatic trans in these cars are for wussies and old ladies? I understand for drag racing they are faster (sometyimes) but for me - the shifting makes the drive! We have turned 3 of these things into road race cars (sort of - 24 hours of Lemons) and our only 2 criteria - manual trans and rear wheel drive so the supra fits - - why? because it's fun to drive!

Carl "yah I have had 6 knee operations - operating the clutch is no big deal" Johansson

i agree with kwnate, an ls series would be tits in a supra, but that would be pretty much the only "non-toyota" motor i would put in it. snoretec is gay. :weak:. im gonna love when you pull up to another supra, and it shits on you.

The shifter is bolted down. Made a metal cover for where the original shifter is mounted. Then, some brackets, metal plates, and a few welds to secure the shifter. Running a B&M Mega Shifter with the 4 speed Auto.

This 350 Vortec / 700R4 combo pushed my 1984 Corvette to 12.8 at 108mph in the 1/4 mile. That with it's 2.73 rear axle ratio and the Vette's 3300 curb weight. The Supra has a 4.30 Rear axle ratio but the dreaded open diff. Be looking to swap that out later for an lsd G30 or 31. The lower axle ratio and the nearly identical weight should duplicate or beat my Vette's et. :werd:
VT247

+++++++++++++++1

First coat of paint went on tonight to the engine bay. Sprayed it down with Gloss Black Rustoleum thinned with mineral spirits. How? Cheap, real cheap. $20 electric paint gun. First coat came out looking pretty good though. Much better looking than it was. Gives me an idea of what it will look like when rolled on the car. Going to shoot another coat tomorrow during the day. Want the engine bay painted asap so the motor can be fitted and welded in.

Engine bay is done. Paint is on and it looks infinitely better than the mess that it once was. Going to let that dry for a day or 2 then position the engine / tranny down in.

The shifter is bolted to the floor in the pic. Still needs a piece of carpet between the seats and under the shifter. Shifter required some fabrication to mount it right where I wanted. Some cutting, grinding, drilling and welding on 3 pieces of steel, then bolted to the car using factory holes.

that is really black cant see much else

That engine bay does look alot better than any I've seen with the stock paint, although I think it would've been even better if you had taken everything off of the firewall and fenders. Especially your brake master cylinder and hoses.... Kinda makes it look a little hurried now.

Yea, it wasn't meant to be perfect. Taking all that stuff off takes time and I wasn't striving to be meticulous. Just wanted it to look better than before. I'm fairly pleased with the results and the rustoleum will keep corrosion at bay and cleaning the engine gunk off now will be simple. Take it to the car wash and hose it all down. It was pressure washed before the paint went on. There is some texturing to some areas, but by in large it's much better than before.

In the bottom picture (i.jpg), of the interior, I'm planning on placing 3 gauges clustered together where the radio was. The 3 gauges will monitor, Temp, Oil Pressure and Voltage. I'll drill or cut out a hole to pass the probes and lines out to the engine. Such as the brass pressure hose for the oil, the flexible line for the engine temp and the voltage. I've made a lot of progress on this car already and have only had it for about a month.
VT247

hey all, ive been out of these forums since i got into bikes, but as a supra person that kept his car resting in his garage,,,

i still find it funny, when i read the post here,,

and yeah lame idea on the chevy motor
but, and thats a big butt, i do feel ur pain, resurecting a dead 7m isnt the best idea or the most fun,
i see other pples point about sticking to toyota motors, but hey
ive been doing that and my car is still dead,

so A for the effort, but F for the thought

anyways good luck with your build my friend let us know what happens

Here's a picture of the nearly completed interior. Still needs cleaned and the carpet strip. Gauges have been mounted and lines ran through the transmission tunnel. Temp Sensor and Oil Pressure line routed to the freshly painted engine bay. Gauges are mounted where the radio used to be. Need to pick up a 12 inch by 40 inch piece of black carpet. Will go under the gauges, shifter and ran back to the rear seats. No middle console will be used, just the ratchet shifter.

Thinking that the engine will use a dual support in the front. Standard engine mounts using the stock frame mounts modified. Second, front motor plates bolted to the heads. The plates will be flat sheet metal, squared and cornered to the frame rail on each side. Then, some 90 degree angle iron mounted to each side, front and back.

Transmission will use the stock tranny mount but modified, then a T brace running from one frame rail to the other. Hoping that the tranny will be high enough so that the tail of the transmission is concentric but not parellel to the diff. That way the driveshaft angle is positioned correctly.
VT247

I just wanna say props to you on continuing to post your progress despite the crap you're getting from alot of the people on here. Most people would've told them to f*** off and be done with it.

I wouldn't personally do what you are doing, but now I'm really interested to see how it turns out. Keep us updated

Thanks man, glad at least one person is following along. Here is a picture of the finished interior. You'll see my vehicle security system is on, it's installed in the glove box. LOL! The carpet is layed and cut. Bought a gallon of rustoleum so I can start on the body paint after masking. Bought a few rattle cans to get the hard to reach areas. Went ahead and put a quick coat on the running board area, the pillars, the door sides and the flip up headlights. I'll begin masking it off soon. Will use a tack cloth to pull off any remaining particles. Going to put a red stripe down the center of the car. Following the hood bulge, going all the way back over the roof and down the rear bumper.
VT247

Almost done masking it off
 

Almost finished masking the car off. Did a quick rattle can paint spray to the nose just to give me an idea what it'll look like once I'm finished. Need to mask off the back glass on both sides. Covers have been removed from the back hatch, it's getting painted too.

This car is coming along quickly, I want to be driving it before the end of spring. Sure, there is a lot left to finish yet. But it's keeping me occupied. Always liked having a project hot rod around.

Here's a list of just some of the vehicles I've owned in the past. I'm sure I'll forget at least 15-20. Each has it's own story....

1987 Pontiac Sunbird, 1987 Pontiac Firebird, 1981 Z-28, 1980 Z-28, 1978(?) AMC Matador Wagon, 1995(?) Mitsubishi Mighty Max P/U, 1981 Z-28, 1979 Trans Am, 1972 Mach 1, 1986 Ford Econoline van, 1976 Z-28, 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442, 1970 Ford Torino Grande, 1970 Ford Torino GT, 1979 Trans Am, 1979 Mercury Marquie, 1973 Mach 1, 1971 Mach 1, 1988 Toyota Supra Turbo, 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1986 Buick Skylark, 1977 Pontiac Tempest, 1987 Nissan P/U, 1986 Chevrolet Cavalier, 1987 Dodge Daytona Turbo, 1988 Pontiac Sunbird, 1987 Pontiac Sunbird Convertible Turbo, 1989 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible, 1991 Buick LeSabre, 1987 Pontiac Grand Am, 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1993 Chevrolet Lumina, 1993 Lincoln Town Car, 1987 Lincoln Town Car, 1983 Lincoln Mark Series, 1969 Lincoln Mark Series, 1991 Geo Spectrum, 1988 Dodge Dynasty, 1979 Ford Extended cab F-250, 1976 Ford F-350, 1978 Ford F-150, 1986 F-150, 1976 Ford Wrecker, 1987 IROC, 1987 Pontiac Trans Am, 1984 Recaro T/A, 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1991 Buick Roadmaster Wagon, 1988 Chevrolet C-1500, 1970 Chevrolet C-10, 1983 Mazda RX-7, 1987 Toyota Supra, 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1993 Jeep Cherokee, 1991 Ford Escort wagon, 1987 Ford Escort GT, 1978 Ford Pinto, 1993 Toyota Tercel, 1986 Ford Bronco II, 1993 Geo Tracker, 1978 Mercedes Benz 350/700R4, 1980 Pontiac Formula, 1984 Chevrolet Corvette, 1986 IROC, 1991 IROC, 1985 Buick Riviera, 1986 Ford Tempo, 1983 Datsun 280ZX, 1986 Nissan 300Z, 1987 Hyundai Accent, and countless others
VT247

Engine test fit is a success
 

The engine is in and has been test fitted. Goes in like it was made for it. Only had to cut a small hole on the passenger side for the transmission to fit in good. My assumption of using two seperate engine mounting techniques were correct. One, a plate from the stock frame mount going forward to bolt on the engine mounts. Second, a front plate mounted to the motor. It will run the distance from the passenger to the drivers side frame rail. 90* angle iron will be welded to the frame rail on each side of the plate. The stock transmission mount is in a great location also. It won't require much modification to make it work. I'll do the painting after the engine is done. Who knows how many more times it will need to come in and out. The masking however is done.
VT247

More pictures
 

Here's a few more pictures that I took.
VT247

Youtube videos
 

Here is a video I posted on Youtube.com of the Supra project.
VT247

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2QtXIKyXH8

Not my flava' But damn man, this project has rocketed along.

Well done! Looks like you have done a job that you can be proud of! You should have used a forced aspiration 1UZ-FE though ;)

Congratz tho, You'll have to get a dyno and a 1/4mi run done ;)

Seriously though... ditch the saw blades ;) worst alloys ever!

It's not going to be a supra anymore if you swap for a non toyota engine. i think your painting ideas are wack mann.

Least hes done it rather than 90% of other people that own cars and just talked about it.

Project has been stalled for about a week now. Been rainy and cold. Had some other things needing to be done too. Going to purchase 2, 1/4 pieces of steel, 8 X 8 1/2 inchs. Drill out the 4 indentions on the stock frame mounts. Then, set the pieces of steel on the mounts and cut a groove for the steering shaft on the drivers side. Drill holes through the steel to align with the frame mounts holes. The steel will also span the distance to the frame rails and will be welded on there as well. The engine mounts will rest on each of the steel braces. Sooooo..... the engine needs to come back out, again. *Sigh*
VT247

Steel motor plates loosely fitted
 

Here are a couple pictures of the plates that will be used. The engine mounts will be bolted or welded to these plates. The plates will also be welded to the frame rails.
VT247

Here's my latest Youtube video. It's of the engine plates and mounts. It was pretty simple to fabricate the plates. The engine sits in there real nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hacynXk4T8g

VT247

Looks like the exhaust will be a tight fit on both sides. I'm purchasing a set that I think will work with the space given. Should clear the steering linkage on the drivers side and miss the firewall on the passenger side. I'm planning on running sidepipes as well. There is plenty of clearance for 2" exhaust between the front subframe and where the body frame rails begin to roll back under the car. A 5 ft piece of 2 - 2 1/2 exhaust will run the length of the mid section of the car front to back with turn downs just behind the doors. Here are a few pics of each side of the engine with it sitting on the steel mounts. You'll notice how much easier this engine will be to work on than the 7M. For anyone else who might eventually turn to the dark side and do a convertion like this, it's been pretty easy so far. The best part, it sits in there with only minor underbody cutting. The oil pan clears the subframe and so does the starter. The plates are pretty straight forward.
VT247

A few more pics of engine bay.
VT247