Ok guys this is going to be a guide for new people who are looking to buy a used mk3 supra! Since we dont have a thread that shows actual pics of where these cars rust this is going to be it! since i live in the rust belt (North East). my car should have all the common rust spots. But if i'm leaving a spot out (where mine isnt rusted) please post a pic and a description of where its located and ill add it to my post and we will get this in the FAQ.
Spare tire well:
ok so to start here is the rust in the spare tire well. it is usually around the edges right under the tire.
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Trunk drop off
When your going to look at a supra make sure you take off the little plastic removable panels on both sides of the trunk and stick your hand down in there or take the whole panel off and get a better look. If you feel rust or water its usually going to cause holes. these holes are in the metal behind the rear plastic bumper.
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this is the inner wheel well on my driver side. my passenger side is clean.
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Plastic Mud flaps in front of the Rear Wheels
ok so these were really bad on my car. if you take off the plastic vent thats on the door sill and use a flashlight and look into the hole and you see rust then take off the flaps and be prepared. You can see the black vent you take off in this first pic. this is the driver side:
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and passenger:
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Around the Windshield and Around the Targa
now i dont have pics of before but i have an after that been grinded and prepped but it will look like little bubbles under the paint
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Rear Bumper Support (Crash Bumper)
now this one suprised me. as i was taking off the back bumper all the little bolts that hold it to the support were breaking and only 1 came out. So as soon as i got it off i figured out why. and btw this is very unsafe
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part 2. will get pics tomorrow
All rust spots in and around the trunk area like the spare tire pocket, both rear and front side of the passenger and driver's wheel well are due to a high level of moisture building inside the cab. Initially caused by two failing gaskets in the rear of the car causing 3 hidden areas to FLOOD: Tail light gaskets and the lower hatch trim seals.
this plus 2 others are what hold the bottom piece of trim on the hatch down
this is the tailight gasket that wears out and gets brittle
The death of these gaskets can be dertermined by opening the trunk and removing the plastic interior panel that will be over head, under the hatch. If you notice the hatch leaking while opening the hatch or if you find water behind said panel - your lower hatch trim is leaking. If not, your tail light gaskets are leaking.
By this being said, if you find one of the rust spots you found in your trunk/quarters the other side should have a simular result.
Also what can be blamed as a minor problem would be the rubber cups your body trim clips into. If these have a chunk missing out of them it can possibly cause water to slowly drip in the cabin.
This water will natrually migrate and pool to the lowest points of the trunk. If you find water at those points, they are drain plugs at those locations. Once the water is fully removed and dry, undercoating that area would be wise.
Spare tire well:
ok so to start here is the rust in the spare tire well. it is usually around the edges right under the tire.
Trunk drop off
When your going to look at a supra make sure you take off the little plastic removable panels on both sides of the trunk and stick your hand down in there or take the whole panel off and get a better look. If you feel rust or water its usually going to cause holes. these holes are in the metal behind the rear plastic bumper.
this is the inner wheel well on my driver side. my passenger side is clean.
Plastic Mud flaps in front of the Rear Wheels
ok so these were really bad on my car. if you take off the plastic vent thats on the door sill and use a flashlight and look into the hole and you see rust then take off the flaps and be prepared. You can see the black vent you take off in this first pic. this is the driver side:
and passenger:
Around the Windshield and Around the Targa
now i dont have pics of before but i have an after that been grinded and prepped but it will look like little bubbles under the paint
Rear Bumper Support (Crash Bumper)
now this one suprised me. as i was taking off the back bumper all the little bolts that hold it to the support were breaking and only 1 came out. So as soon as i got it off i figured out why. and btw this is very unsafe
All rust spots in and around the trunk area like the spare tire pocket, both rear and front side of the passenger and driver's wheel well are due to a high level of moisture building inside the cab. Initially caused by two failing gaskets in the rear of the car causing 3 hidden areas to FLOOD: Tail light gaskets and the lower hatch trim seals.
this plus 2 others are what hold the bottom piece of trim on the hatch down
this is the tailight gasket that wears out and gets brittle
The death of these gaskets can be dertermined by opening the trunk and removing the plastic interior panel that will be over head, under the hatch. If you notice the hatch leaking while opening the hatch or if you find water behind said panel - your lower hatch trim is leaking. If not, your tail light gaskets are leaking.
By this being said, if you find one of the rust spots you found in your trunk/quarters the other side should have a simular result.
Also what can be blamed as a minor problem would be the rubber cups your body trim clips into. If these have a chunk missing out of them it can possibly cause water to slowly drip in the cabin.
This water will natrually migrate and pool to the lowest points of the trunk. If you find water at those points, they are drain plugs at those locations. Once the water is fully removed and dry, undercoating that area would be wise.
