[knivesout]

okay, so i found this supra in the local auto finder, its about 2 hours away, but i called the guy on it and this is what i found out.

it's got 160000 miles on it, but the motor is rebuilt, he didn't rebuild it but the guy before him had it done so he's not sure how many miles are on the rebuild. apparently he was an insurance salesman and drove alot of freeway miles.

anyhow, its a turbo, and it's got the targa top. he says it's got a $1000 alpine system in it, and its got new tires. he says interior and exterior are in excellent shape.

this sounds like a pretty good deal, no? is there anything besides the head gasket i should look out for?? thanks, and btw this is my first of hopefully many posts to come on the supra forums!

 

[88Turbo5PSI]

reciepts.........always get receipts
check mechanical stuff......driver seat, lights, so on
and look for blue smoke out the back when you start it up
sounds like a good deal....good luck with it

jeremy

 

[knivesout]

well, hopefully i'll be able to check it out this weekend. now, this car would be my daily driver, and i'm curious about the reliability of this vehicle. i wouldn't be driving it hard everywhere, but i will open it up now and again. toyotas have always been known for reliability; is the mk3 supra any exception?

 

[Kracin]

well, hopefully i'll be able to check it out this weekend. now, this car would be my daily driver, and i'm curious about the reliability of this vehicle. i wouldn't be driving it hard everywhere, but i will open it up now and again. toyotas have always been known for reliability; is the mk3 supra any exception?

uh, hehehe, search around the forums a bit. and make sure to ask the guy if he has had any previous problem with it. even small ones, MK3's tend to act up a little bit IMO

 

[Typenamehere]

well, hopefully i'll be able to check it out this weekend. now, this car would be my daily driver, and i'm curious about the reliability of this vehicle. i wouldn't be driving it hard everywhere, but i will open it up now and again. toyotas have always been known for reliability; is the mk3 supra any exception?

A MKIII will make a fun but not very reliable daily driver. There are very few 16 year old sports cars that are (Z31 300zx and the 1st gen. MR-2 are the only I can think of right now); and the MKIII is not one of them. Still, with a little patience and maintenance you will most likely be able to use it as a daily driver.

Number one issue to cover: The HeadGasket. Search for this. Any smoke in exhaust, white crap around oil cap, overheating, rapidly fluctuating temperature needle, rough idle or gurgling noises could be from a BHG (blown headgasket).

These cars also are prone to have rod knock. Search about this too. The 7m engine gets rod knock from oil starvation, do not let this car get below 1 quart of oil low!

Search on these two things, they are the most common mechanical problems with these cars.

P.S.- Just as a heads up. If you buy this car, don't be surprised if its on jack stands for the first few weeks you own it.

 

[knivesout]

thank you guys a bunch for the helpful replies!

well, i have considered a few cars besides the 3g supra, those being a 1g dsm turbo AWD, or a 2g rx-7 turbo II. i really think this supra is a great deal, though i've yet to see it in person... and i really want something new to get me around. my commute to work is only about 2.5 miles one way, so the daily drive isn't too stressful.

and thanks again for the replies, especially typenamehere, your response was very helpful. (i hadn't heard of the rod knock problem before)

p.s....what kind of mileage can i expect out of a 3g turbo?

 

[Wreckless]

3G is semantically accurate but please call it the MK3, if for no other reason to avoid making other board members think of y2k+ eclipses.

I have an '87 Turbo 5-speed, and I see about 20 mpg in town and about 25-27 mpg on the highway, depending on the speed.

Given that you're looking at Turbo II's and 1G DSM's I guess you're not afraid of having a car on jackstands. Having worked on Turbo II's and on 1G DSM's I would call the MK3 the most reliable of the bunch, but that's not saying a whole lot. DSM parts are a bit cheaper and more available, however, and the RX-7 is a lot lighter and would make the best handling car outta the three. Its all a matter of what you're looking for.

 

[knivesout]

ooops..heh well yeah, i think the "mkIII" would probably be the best bet out of my other options. from what i've seen, the dsms for sale are always abused, and the turbo IIs only get about 17 mpg, which is a bit dissapointing considering this will be my main car.
i'm not afraid to get my hands dirty and perform some maintenence on a car, but i don't want 100% of every paycheck going into repairs. again, though, thanks a bunch for the replies, i'm keeping everything in mind as i hopefully go to see the car this weekend!