A Decent Supra Mk3 For A Grand?!

[King Rocco]

I've been thinking recently about getting a quick rwd car to have some fun in over the summer months in between finishing uni and starting my new job. Hopefully it'll take me to the nurburgring a couple of times too and be relatively reliable...

I'm stuck between the S13 200SX and the Mk3 Supra Turbo, though i'm leaning towards a supra. Been trawling through eBay and there seems to be quite a few for around the £1000 mark or less, do you think i could get an ok one at this price?? Insurance seems reasonable, which i was surprised at, got a qoute for just over a grand from Lancaster.

I've read the guide on mk3's that Karma Supra put up, which was very helpfull - but now the head gasket problem is slightly worrying me!

My intention is only to keep it for a few months then get rid, but if work will allow me to keep it... who knows!!

Also, if anybody has any (unbiased!) opinions on what they think of the 200sx in comparison i would appreciate it.

Many thanks

[Bibbs]

The mk3 soup is a LOT bigger car than the S13 ..

The S13 also has the CA18 engine which also isn't the strongest.

Both capable, but both can have issues. Drive both and see which you prefer.

[Ahhhh__Aristo]

I don't think you'll get anything decent for £1k imho, especially not one to take around Nurburg, possibly a n/a, but you need to know its history, so many of these are badly neglected by tight fisted owners.

Are you handy with the spanners?? if so, buy one with a blown head gasket and DIY. Garage cost to fix a bhg is gonna be around £1k + (mostly labour)

DIY cost around £200.

The S13 is a nice nimble car, obviously not got the extras that the supra has, they also suffer from big ends failing. Very popular for drifting, so knowing its history is important again.

Voice of experience----wait till you've got a bit extra cash, cause the supra can't be run on a shoe string budget.

HTH

[Leeky]

S13 for handling/driftability, mk3 supra for high speed cruising

[King Rocco]

I don't think you'll get anything decent for £1k imho, especially not one to take around Nurburg, possibly a n/a, but you need to know its history, so many of these are badly neglected by tight fisted owners.

Are you handy with the spanners?? if so, buy one with a blown head gasket and DIY. Garage cost to fix a bhg is gonna be around £1k + (mostly labour)

DIY cost around £200.

The S13 is a nice nimble car, obviously not got the extras that the supra has, they also suffer from big ends failing. Very popular for drifting, so knowing its history is important again.

Voice of experience----wait till you've got a bit extra cash, cause the supra can't be run on a shoe string budget.

HTH

Cheers for the advice.

I'm ok with the spanners, and i have a few mate's who really know there stuff so the mechanicals shouldn't be too much of an issue. I wouldn't be too hard on the car round the 'ring, as I haven't been before and wouldn't want to put it into the barriers on my first trip... never live it down!

Next thing to do is take some for a test drive i suppose...

Cheers

[Ahhhh__Aristo]

Also worth bearing in mind that with a sports exhuast and washers on the actuator (5mm worth=10/11psi) the car's pushing out around 260bhp-280bhp, which makes it feel quite alot better :D

Get out there and test drive some :D

[Karma Supra]

I doubt you will finda decent one for £1k... but you may be able to get a rought bargein and fix it up properly for £1k.

If you get a car which has already had a blown headgasket and needs fixing, you'll get it cheaper, and you can be sure that the new headgasket is fitted properly!!!

When it comes to mainteneance on these cars, its all the bits that you can't see and people don't do properly... I think 9/10 cars have not had the shims adjusted as per service scedule.. also avoid skimmed heads like the plague! Service history is not always thyat great, as from my experiance toyota mechanics are totally clueless when it comes to these cars and do more damage then good!

[Ahhhh__Aristo]

I actually know a ex Toyota mechanic, who worked on the mkiii when they were first launched, unfortunately, your diagnosis is correct, he knows <I thought I could get past the swearing filter - what a sad muppet I am eh?> all about them, although he thinks he does.

Charlie, I don't know why you say avoid skimmed heads like the plague??

[Karma Supra]

Because if I head is that warped, it should be replaced, not skimmed!!!!

If it is very slightly warped, the torque of bolting it to the block will straigten it out, (always remember to torque down over time, torquing the bolts in the right order - and re torque after 1000 miles... if I head is so warped it needs skimming... and it is skimmed, torquing it down will no longer straighten it out.... sure the mating surface will be flat... but the head won't.... think how long the cams are in those heads.. do you really want them turning through slightly missaligned journals? Then throw some thermal expansion and contraction into the mix... its bad news!

Skimmed heads are bad enough in little fourbangers, but with the extra length factored in on a fair sized straight 6, any run out (not really the correct term) will be greatly exagerated.

Mkiii headgaskets went originally because Toyota didn't torque them up enough from new.... they only go again because people don't redo them properly!!! (sure there will always be the odd one, and neglected coolant systems are another huge contributing factor)

[Ahhhh__Aristo]

Have to disagree, even though you seem a jolly nice bloke :D

It's a huge can worms, ready to burst open is the mkiii headgasket debate, and one I'm not gonna get into.........at the moment lol

[King Rocco]

I doubt you will finda decent one for £1k... but you may be able to get a rought bargein and fix it up properly for £1k.

If you get a car which has already had a blown headgasket and needs fixing, you'll get it cheaper, and you can be sure that the new headgasket is fitted properly!!!

When it comes to mainteneance on these cars, its all the bits that you can't see and people don't do properly... I think 9/10 cars have not had the shims adjusted as per service scedule.. also avoid skimmed heads like the plague! Service history is not always thyat great, as from my experiance toyota mechanics are totally clueless when it comes to these cars and do more damage then good!

I realise it wont be a minter for that kind of money - i'm looking at something to have fun in for as little money as i can get away... but i'm realistic tho, and realise the bodywork, etc... may be a bit tatty. As long as the engine, drivetrain and chassis are ok.... not easy for that money i know!!

The headgasket problem is a design defect then... is there any do's and dont's to help prolong the inevitable from happening or is it just a case of waiting for it to go at some point?

I've had some bad experiances at dealerships too... gonna stay at my local independant from now on as he seems to know his stuff and prices are reasonable.

Cheers

[Leeky]

All im going to say is i saw a 97 spec 2jzgte VVTI Twin Turbo lump WITH 6 speed manual getrag for £500 on eBay not too long ago ;) Worth thinking about if you get a mk3 with a engine fault.

[Karma Supra]

Just talking from experience

A well prepared and maintained 7M should be problem free. The problem being that so many are simply not repaired properly!!!

What ever happens, I would give a full oil change, coolant flush and change the thermostat and rad cap as soon as I get it home....

Go over every single hose, degunk the breather lines, make sure the cam covers are not leaking, do the shims, check for error codes, etc etc

[Ahhhh__Aristo]

All im going to say is i saw a 97 spec 2jzgte VVTI Twin Turbo lump WITH 6 speed manual getrag for £500 on ebay not too long ago ;) Worth thinking about if you get a mk3 with a engine fault.

Think that was a scam mate, as one week, it was over here, the next it was in america, then back here again, and the bloke would never release a contact number.

I doubt you will finda decent one for £1k... but you may be able to get a rought bargein and fix it up properly for £1k.

If you get a car which has already had a blown headgasket and needs fixing, you'll get it cheaper, and you can be sure that the new headgasket is fitted properly!!!

When it comes to mainteneance on these cars, its all the bits that you can't see and people don't do properly... I think 9/10 cars have not had the shims adjusted as per service scedule.. also avoid skimmed heads like the plague! Service history is not always thyat great, as from my experiance toyota mechanics are totally clueless when it comes to these cars and do more damage then good!

I realise it wont be a minter for that kind of money - i'm looking at something to have fun in for as little money as i can get away... but i'm realistic tho, and realise the bodywork, etc... may be a bit tatty. As long as the engine, drivetrain and chassis are ok.... not easy for that money i know!!

The headgasket problem is a design defect then... is there any do's and dont's to help prolong the inevitable from happening or is it just a case of waiting for it to go at some point?

I've had some bad experiances at dealerships too... gonna stay at my local independant from now on as he seems to know his stuff and prices are reasonable.

Cheers

I'd personally go for good bodywork, bad mechanicals.

The inner rear arches can go on these, and when I say go, I mean go.

Just talking from experience

I understand, it's like the new engine run in proceedure, so many different theories.

[Karma Supra]

I bid on that engine :(

I have bid on three 2jzs this year on eBay, "won" two of them, the plug was pulled on another (me winning).

Its just not fair!

[King Rocco]

I'd personally go for good bodywork, bad mechanicals.

The inner rear arches can go on these, and when I say go, I mean go.

Unfortunately i know all about corrosion... my Corolla gti has not enjoyed the winter!!

Thanks everybody for all the info on what to look out for etc... will be extremely useful. Shame i have to wait for another few months till i can get one.

[MaJiC]

I just bought a MKIII Supra (Non Turbo) for £875 and as you'd expect it isn't perfect. I'll let you know now, for the money I paid I'm very happy as the engine is a recon one by a previous owner with cert to prove it. It's only done 42K miles and now that I've serviced it, it's sweet as!

No idea what the S13 handles like but this sticks to the road like glue so I'm well pleased!

As for what's wrong, well the body work needs a little attention, one or two small bubbles of rust starting to come through and a few scratches in the paintwork but I've a little experience with spray work and I'm going to sort that out over the coming year. All the brakes need replacing and it needs a diff (mine makes funny noises on high speed over-run [you know, you get it up to 120+ and then take your foot off the accelerator])

Servicing has cost around £250 but I've used some semi-racing parts (foam air filter, re-usable!, oil filter n oil)

I expect to pay another £400ish to do the rest of the mechanicals but the grin on my face when I'm driving more than compensates for it! :D

Does anyone else have the problem where you're driving along and just keeping to the speed limit and then you see a poxy [insert annoying boy racer car here] and feel the urge to floor it in third and watch them disappear?

MaJiC

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[Karma Supra]

Yup, these cars do handle very well indeed, but again only if they have been looked after properly!!!

Mild understeer (very mild lol) on a track makes them very user friendly too, the long wheel base is nice for stability, making the back end very "catchable"

Anothr very worth while investment is a full global wheel alighment and new bottom ball joints..

I need to get mine done, but if its not a full global alighnment, and laser done, its not worth doing!! to be extra fussy I want to replace all the bushes for poly bushes (24 IIRC), and replace the track rod ends before I get it done... for a fairly heavy car (people keep saying they are heavy, they are not really, for a GT) they can be very nimble indeed!