Possible 1988 7mgte complete/running car purchase
 

Here is a what the seller emailed me about the car along with pictures.

"I have over $10k invested in this car.
Some of what has been done to the car.
Engine was bored .020 over and crank was done .010-.010, rotating assembly was balanced and crank scraper was added for oil control.
Replaced the head with a lightly ported N/A head and cams to give it more low end power, ARP head studs and metal head gasket installed.
All new belts and hoses throughout the engine.
Rebuilt Power Steering Pump.
New Starter, new A/C pump-dryer-expansion valve and converted to R-134 blows nice and cold.
Turbo replaced with a stock turbo.
Lots of parts replaced during complete rebuild. . .
Upgraded the exhaust with 3" elbow off the turbo and all 3" exhaust out the back. Mufflers free flow but are not loud like a "can", car sounds more like a European sports car.
K&N FIPK air filter and new Mass Air flow sensor.
New Clutch, U-joints and carrier bearing.
Front suspension was rebuilt with new ball joints and urethane bushings.
All electronic Struts (TEMS) replaced along with Eibach lowering springs.
New front drill / slotted rotors, new calibers all the way around with stainless break lines, installed fall 2011.
New wheels and BFG tires installed April 2012 with about 7,000 miles on them.
Upgraded the steering wheel to one from a 1989. Tail lights are 89 from Japan (the darker red color).
Pioneer Stereo with XM satellite receiver, 100W speakers with Amp + (2) 8' subs with amp.

Have some extra parts that go with the car:
Stock Wheels, R154 trans, miscellaneous engine and interior parts, complete set of factory dealer maintenance manuals.
Car runs and drives great, very dependable and fun to drive. I would not hesitate taking it across country, as I've driven it to Lake Havasu twice a year the last couple of years for vacations. I hadn't planned on getting rid of this car but my new job required a newer 4 door car and I have too many vehicles."

We also spoke on the phone for over an hour about the car and his mechanical background and experience with cars. We are meeting up next week so I can see and drive the car. It's not my first vehicle purchase but it will be my first Supra purchase, btw this is the make/model I have always wanted to buy when I did buy one.

I have done some reading on the various builds/mods on this platform on the internet and other forums and I feel that a lot of the work/steps for upgrading and reliability have already been done for me. If I purchase her I plan on restoring the interior, laying down some new paint and getting her around 550bhp.

The seller is asking $4500 If it the car is legit I'm going to offer him 4 large and run with it! What do you think?

I would appreciate owner/experienced feedback on this possible buy from my fellow Supra brothers. Sorry this is so damn long. I look forward to your comments. Thanks

First off welcome to the struggle/excitement of the Supra life lol.

As for the car, all of those mods and work listed seems for the price seems like a "too good to be true" find, as he said he spent over 10k on the car, just from my opinion i think that the $4500 is too low to be asking; unless there is something wrong with the car that he/she has unlisted or kept from you. But the only way to find out is to actually take a look at it and drive it in person. I would say just keep that in mind cause a lot of us (including me) love to jump right into things too fast, as i did with my Supra haha. But anyways check it out and bring an experienced friend along with you!
And if you can you should post the pics that he sent to you so that we all can see it as well.

Well first off, in my book, replacing broken or worn parts does not constitute "investment". It's called "cost of ownership". There isn't 10K worth of upgrades in that car by a long shot. Of course that's not to say they aren't worth keeping in mind as every little bit will save you money down the road and those are a lot of common problem areas on old cars.

N/As and GTEs use the same head. N/A cams are NOT an upgrade. The intake cams are the same on both engines and the N/A's exhaust cam has slightly different timing and LESS lift. It's been proven to actually lose power at higher RPM while providing very little in lower RPM torque gains. The swap was an old myth and needs to die. You'll be better off with the stock exhaust cam and an adjustable timing gear.

I like that he thought ahead and added an oil scraper. Was the oil pump replaced? Water pump?

I think the car may well be worth the asking price as long as the chassis is straight and clean. I wouldn't pay any more though. Have you got any photos?

@ S-mk3-B Thanks for your thoughts. I also found that it seems like a to good to be true situation. But Sometimes things just work out for the better in life although be it very rarely. I do know this, when it comes to modified cars people usually take a loss on the work they have done. Unless they are fully restored.

He did say that when it's cold the car shifts slowly into second. I asked if at anytime the Trans hands out grinds/kickbacks/pop-outs. His answer was no and after she warms up no shift issues. He believes a new synchro kit would solve the problem.

I'll get some pictures up soon for you guys. Thanks again and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

First to second is a common complaint with most manual transmissions. It's touchy on my MR-2 and terrible on my Accord and wasn't great on any Supra I've ever worked on. Depending on how bad it is just swapping out the gear oil for something like Redline's MT90 may be sufficient.

People almost always take a loss on modified or restored cars. Cars are NOT investments unless it's an old, mint collector's car (protip: the MKIII Supra isn't one). Cars only ever cost you money.... unless you're stealing everything.

@ cre I agree with you on the maintenance/upkeep comments. If you want to keep the car running those would be things you have to do. Yes, the oil & water pumps were replaced.

When the seller and I spoke on the phone he told me about his experience and background in building/working on muscle/import vehicles. From the sounds of it he seems pretty legit.

I'll get some pictures posted asap, thanks for your time.

100% Agree with that statement

*Pictures*
 

Here are the pictures the current owner sent me.

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No love
 

Come on guys 58 thread views and counting. Where are the comments/thoughts/experience?

Help make my transition into Supra life/ownership a good one. Much love and thanks.

What other information do you want? Have a compression test done, check oil and coolant for signs of contamination, check for diagnostics codes AFTER test driving it for a little bit (some people clear them before a buyer arrives but driving around until it warms up will cause most critical codes to show back up)... See the MKIII FAQ section for info on checking diagnostic codes, it's easy and you only need a paperclip.

@ cre I'm not nor was I ever really looking for specific information. I'm just trying to get a general consensus from other current and past owners of this particular model and year of car from the pictures and information I have supplied about the vehicle.

The more feedback the better. I'm also thankful of course for the extra pointers.

Okay, just checking. I know we had a brief discussion via PM about upgrades, I tried to give you a brief synopsis but I've been a bit too tied up to start a new thread on the matter. If you start one though I'll chime in when I have a chance... Looks like I'm going to be tied up in court for the next day or two though... whoopie... :o I hate testifying in court cases.

Also, just so you know.... Sports car forums are rather seasonal. This forum isn't one of the busiest Supra forums so in the fall and winter it can really slow down. Spring and summer always provide a surge of traffic.

@ cre, court is a drag no matter what side you are on. I'll start that new thread and thanks for the heads up and all of your feedback it has been most helpful.

Tomorrow: Bonus or bust!
 

Well tomorrow is two things for me.

First, I turn 39. Second and way more exciting for me I'm going to look over/drive the car that started this all.

If all goes well it will be a day of many first times for me. The first time I have ever purchased a vehicle on my birthday. My first time being a Toyota owner. My first time owning a rear wheel drive turbo vehicle.

If I seal the deal I'll post pictures of my happy self and the new addition to my family. As an added bonus the current owner is more than happy to continue assisting/working/upgrading/restoring the car after she is sold.

Thanks for all of your help everyone.

**It's official!**
 

Hello all,

I picked her up today. I'm part of the Supra owners brotherhood and it feels great! I was blown away on how much work/care that has been bestowed upon this car. The seller and all of the work has been verified and is legit.

The car ran/drove/tracked/shifted flawlessly not to mention it was a blast getting her up to boost! I had been 3 years sober from forced induction before today. I'm officially off the wagon for good.

Bonus items with the car, spare complete turbo, spare head, spare transmission, various extra interior parts and rare factory Toyota manuals that cover every part on this year and model.

Congrats on the purchase! It looks like a really clean MKIII, and sounds like it came from a good home. In my experience, that's becoming a rare find.

Or maybe that's because I live in Montana and the majority of people here don't know what a Supra is.

In any case, have fun with the new toy and welcome to the club!

@btwilson86 thank you! I believe it also to be rare that people take care of anything anymore. Props to my mother for teaching me to care for things and people. It makes those relationships last longer.

It feels great to be a part of the club and I look forward to sharing my experiences/builds/restorations and upgrades with you all.