BUYING a FIREDAMAGED MKIII
 

Someone is selling a fire damaged MKIII Turbo for $600. I feel like $400 is more appropriate for dipping into the unknown. Please let me know your thoughts on this purchase. I am most interested in the engine for a swap and having a parts car! It would be nice if all I needed to do where simply buy these "plastic" parts and hoses. I have even attached the pictures of it. Here is what it said in the ad.


I need to sell my 88 supra w/turbo, sport roof.
Had a small engine fire. Hoses and plastic parts melted. Needs engine wire harness.
Car runs and has 115,000 mi. Did a head gasket @ 80,000.

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IMO, fire damage == parts car only.

Question about that.. So if the engine was not the cause.. Do you think I could use it in a swap. It's not like the engine could be ruined by fire if it where not severe. I was just thinking because its metal and all.

Please let me know what you think about me using the ENGINE. I just didn't know if it was something that would be considered part of the PARTS you where talking about.

even a small fire can cause massive damage... especially if the engine was running at the time if the fire. oil lines and seals can burn up in no time, same for coolant lines. manifold and head can warp too (depending on the type of fire).

like I said, parts.

if you want too use the engine, plan on a complete tear down. anything less would be foolish.

ah engine fires.. brings me back to the days of my Fiaro.. Did i even spell that right? those were notorious for engine fires.. 7m's not so much, makes me wounder what caused it. nothing worse then having your cabin fill with smoke to look in the mirror and see flames licking up outa your engine grates.

CRE, I have some new info for you.. Since I will not be able to dig to deep into this guys supra to fully check it out, however. Here are some questions and answers that I got from him..

Does it still run now? Yes
How long did the fire last? about 2 minutes
Do you know what caused the fire? yes a leak on the power steering hose
How did you extinguish the fire?Fire extingusher

What do you think? Good buy for $600. You think I may be able to pull the engine for a good purpose without having to much bad luck?

Until it's dissected on the floor of my garage.... PARTS.





I feel this way about any used powertrain components but ESPECIALLY those involved in any sort of accident.

The wholistic Guru
 

Remember you're talking to Cre, he never seems to do anything half way or by tossing a coin in the air. I say slap it together and see what it does....hehe cause I am kinda that way.... Cre would be working on a crew at Nascar, I would be the guy rigging an accelerator with a coat hanger down at the dirt track. haha

By the way I set my Ford Econoline 350 on fire with Ether last summer. I mean I set it on FIRE! It runs great and I tore nothing down, just burnt some hoses and pastic. Turned out the electric fuel pump was bad.

Hahah! I love the coat hangar bit! I may do a half way check out. i'm more trying to find out the likely hood of it going south again. It all seems like it was a simple thing that was taken care of quick enough. I think SERIOUS fire would damage the engine but not such a soft 2 min fire created by a power steering leak. I'm going to try and talk them down to $400 and steal it! I mean honestly I feel its a good price of $400 for it being a little crispy on the edges..

Parts
 

Either way that car is worth a lot of money in parts on ebay!!!

True, True.

I would buy it specifically to be nothing more than a parts car... then if I found it to be readily rebuildable while tearing into it I may reconsider. At $600 it's still hard to go wrong that way.

So I seen the engine bay. Actually it seems like it was all in one area. The 3000gt plastic is done, the 7mgte front engine plastic is done, The oil cap is done. I checked the oil level on the dip stick and there was NONE! It has been sitting for a month now. I feel that the 0 oil level seems a bit fishy and I should just swap out the engine. Anyhow, I could simply save it by replacing these melted plastics and try to fill her up with oil and pray for the best. However, again.. I think it's not going to work out.

Does anyone know if the bearings are still good after fire damage that has been done to the extent described above? I have a lead on an engine I want to buy from someone local here. It needs new bearings according to its current owner. So I could use the fire damaged engine barings on this one. If you all think it's not a bad idea. Please say so.
:stickpoke

My plan is to get the fire damaged supra turbo and perform an engine swap using another 7mgte (with bad bearings). I will if possible, use the bearings from the fire damaged supra. The fire damaged supra has a much more straight body than my current N/A supra. This will save me money when I go to paint it, instead of paying for dent removal as well.

I will then sell my 1988 supra n/a for what it's worth. An call it a day...

Possibly I will have the 7mgte I am swapping in professionally maintained before the swap (Cleaned up, machined, whatever). Is that expensive? If someone could at least list the main things to get cleaned up before I drop it in. That would be great. I am on a budget..
(Headgasket? 2mm?? 3mm??)
Remember, my power goal is 350hp in the end..

Anyone think this is a good idea.? Any suggestions.? Adjustments.?

:stickpoke

For what it is worth, this is my opinion.
The idea that bearings from an engine which caught fire, has no visable oil on the dip stick, and no known history, are useable, is :nuts:.
Do some research and find a local shop with erperience rebuilding the 7M and can correctly mill the block and head for the MLS gasket install (how much material removed from the head & block, determine how thick of a gasket to use). Talk with them and get some ideas for the rebuild cost. Save up enough money to have the shop do a proper rebuild. Give the shop both engines and let them determine the best components, (block, head, crank, pistons,etc.) from the two engines, that can be used. Replace what can not.
If you take short cuts in an engine rebuild, you will be rebuilding that engine again.

Change in plans..
Bought the fire damaged supra. Paid the $600. My shop checked it out. Things are not to bad at all. Needs timing belt done, they want to get a better gasket on there, apr studs. Replace the burnt up vacuum hoses with silicon, replace the wire harness, replace the power steering, and finally the intake.. All should be VERY reasonable in price! The PRE team offers reasonable prices for AMAZING service.
By this time next month. I should be rolling with the turbo supra!

Best, of luck.

Thanks for the advice. All great stuff. :)

I said I'd buy it... just wouldn't plan on fixing it until I actually had it apart.... and I'd never buy ANY broken Supra if I couldn't do the work myself... I hate being poor.

Thought you guys would want to see. BTW the timing belt is fine..

Timing belt??? Who cares about the timing belt? There are dozens of things I'd be more worried about and the pics definitely don't make me feel any better... but it's your battle, not mine. Good luck with it. Hopefully it turns out to be an inexpensive restore.

You have been given sound advice from CRE. You have been given additional input from other members.
All advice, appears to have been thrown out.
Why ask for advise, when you have made up your mind?

Hey, if he wants to try it out and see if he can make something of it that's great.... these cars are too scarce as it is... I'm just trying to really drive the point home that he may be experiencing some tunnel vision and that his glasses seem to be a few shades past rose colored.

Well, I ain't rich. I don't have tons of money or the time to "make sure". I was not sure of ANYTHING at first. I do not think cre is wasting his time. His input has helped me understand and speak in a way about my Supra that I couldn't before. I mean if you think he is wasting time. Great, I say thanks though.