1987 A/T supra suggestions

[batmmannn]

Damn Dude,
What's with the scare tactics? If you want a new car go spend 40K. If you want a great dependable car then work on a Supra. I have 1500 or less invested in mine it sat for 7 years in a driveway, I paid a grand for it 7 years ago and let it sit in leaves, not even started for over 5 years. I put less than $500 in it in parts including the tires and I am all over the place driving it. It's awesome.

Don't know where you got your car, but mine is not rusted, and if it is rusted behind the fenders, who freaking cares? Nothing lasts forever and certainly you have no experience with earlier cars cause they rusted off their frames quicker than you could put 100k on them. These cars are platinum compared to earlier cars.

To read your post these newcomers would run for the hills or sell their project cars.

I think your post is unfair to Toyota and the MK3

You can still buy a low mileage garage kept near mint MK3 for about 6K. So why are you claiming you have spent so much time and money? You could have found a real fine no rust Turbo MK3 from CA for this price.

Your post makes little sense to me. If someone doesn't know how to do the brakes then read the manual, watch a youtube video or ask us here, but certainly don't throw up your hands and conclude you will leave a bolt loose then drive off a cliff, actually there is only one bolt you have to take out to change the brake pads anyway. My 7 year old child could do it.

Not slamming you, just don't think your post has a lot of validity or is at all fair to the durability or engineering inherent in every Toyota, especially the MK3.

If you are spending all this time and money on your MK3 it's cause you want to or choose to not because you have to.

The reason we are here is because we want to help each other not scare the begeezers out of people and make them think they will have an additional $5K into their car before they get it on the road after purchasing it. If you look around you'll quickly find that we are driving and fixing our cars for the cost of parts ourselves. That's the intent and magic of this forum!

Scott

[907mge]

No offense Scott, since you have put alot of effort in to your supra. But I don't think you've even broke the surface of the amount of money that can be sunk into an mk3. What is the purpose of driving a car with double wishbone suspension if the struts and bushing are worn out. Or a car that is capable of breaking a 120mph if it leaks oil and antifreeze in many places every time you treat it alittle hard. The point is you can't drive a old car like a new sports car and not expect to not put large amounts of money back into it. Sure you can drive it like you're grandma's buick and be fine for a long time but whats the fine in that.

And the rust thing is true but not for all. So unfair

[batmmannn]

Thats my point, sell your car and buy one already done for 6K or less. I drive mine hard, no leaks, no oil leaks. All I had to do was change the front crank seal and valve cover gaskets to stop my leaks. Granted mine is a non Turbo, but still if your car is so far gone unload it and find another.

My car has the same radiator hoses, all of them that it had on it 7 years ago. If they break I will replace them. I have red lined it, spit gravel, burned some runner and gotten dirty looks from people already. Last night I got cussed out at at a local convenience store for making a rocket entry into a parking lot.

My opinion is, if you want to make it like new then you are going to pay for it in time and money doing it yourself to an extreme or you can buy a western car with all the mods done for less than your time and money would be worth.

If it's a labor of love then you love playing with your car and making it exactly what you want, then the love makes it worth the money and time, though I can understand how a break down or blow up from a Turbos stress on an older car might make someone issue warnings or be regretful they took on the project.

I Like my Non Turbo cause it is basic good Toyota engineering and I know little to nothing about Turbos so I concede to you completely as I don't know the costs.

However, I will say this. I am having a replica 1966 Batmobile built in CA, It is being built on a stretched 85 C4 Corvette. I purchased the Corvette in CA because of the low rust issues.

If I wanted a nice Turbo MK3, I would look in CA or one of the dry states and pay the extra 4K.

Toyotaman on this forum has a 89 near MINT garaged MK3 N/A for 3K for sale. A beautiful car. No rust, no damage to speak of, a real sweet ride. I can't imagine there aren't beautiful Turbos out there for twice the price.

Now sure if you guys are building boost, horsepower, going beyond factory specs with after market parts, add ons, mixing components from different sources, recalibrating factory settings, your taking chances. It's a gamble is it not? If you are not following manufacturer specs and recommendations then you are in essence tossing the dice.

Thats not a reflection on the MK3 or Toyota as I see it. Cre has posted that there have been horror stories from people listening to bad advice when overbuilding beyond factory specs. To my thinking, this hobby or labor of love in getting the most out of your Turbo and being creative with it and pushing it to it's limits is where the money drain comes in.

It's like NASA tells us, "space travel" is expensive. Am I wrong?

[CanadianBak'inSupra]

Originally Posted by batmmannn

Damn Dude,
What's with the scare tactics? If you want a new car go spend 40K. If you want a great dependable car then work on a Supra

your in a dream world if you want a dependable car more like go and DO spend 40k on a brand new car

your driving a 25 year old sports car, somthing WILL GO WRONG so do not be surprised when it does!!!

if you like to not be stranded on the highway i suggest replacing all your heater hoses!!!!
first week of driving my mk2 i blew a rad hose, someone i knew actually had one just the right size "i was lucky"

[Green7mgte]

those are called city lights.. they look cool at night too.