Checked out an '87 Supra yesterday...

06-19-2005, 12:18 PM

A few days ago I found an ad about an '87 supra turbo (automatic

) and decided to check it out. Beforehand I asked someone to check the vin and found out that the mileage was probably inaccurate.

So I went to a car dealer yesterday to check out the supra. When I got there the car looked stunning even though it was pretty dirty and the windshield was cracked. The body didn't have any apparent dents but some of the side trim was coming off. The gas door wouldn't stay closed, and the antennae was broken off. There was one donut on the car.So after a few seconds of gawking I went in to get the keys...

So when the dealer handed me the keys they said "It probably won't start", so I was a little worried. So I sat down and checked out the interior and it looked pretty good, no tears in any of the upholstery or anything. So I put the keys in and started it up and it fired up the first time and started but felt like it would stall for a split second. So then I decided to check the gauges and noticed that the fuel, boost, and oil or water temperature gauges weren't working and I found out that someone busted into the car and attempted to rip out the dash. Next I tried the a/c and all it blew was hot air so I guess that the freon needs to be recharged/refilled/whatever. After that I checked out the how it sounded, revved it up to 3k and didn't hear any significant popping or anything.

After I was done screwing around, I checked out the engine. The first thing that I noticed was that the hydraulic hinges (whatever they're called) wouldn't hold the hood up for more than a few seconds. I checked the oil and it was overfull and then I opened up the radiator cap and saw something nasty

Globs of what seemed to be oil were floating at the top of the coolant. I fear that there's a blown head gasket or that the head might be damaged. I know that blown head gaskets are a problem due to under-torqued head bolts, so yeah, it seems like it might be that. After that I saw some white smoke coming from the back (not a lot, it was hard to see) and it smelled like oil. So I imagine that the engine probably needs a rebuild and some replacement (read: performance) parts.

I got a little worried (I instantly fell in love with the car anyway, and don't care if it has to become a project) and decided to go talk to the guy that was selling it. So he starts off claiming that the car is worth around $4,000. I told him that I won't give him that considering all of the problems the car has. He said that the car doesn't have a blown head gasket though, and that his mechanic puts oil into the coolant to make it run better (I tried desperately not to laugh). So after talking for a few minutes, I tell him that the very most I'd pay for it is $750 and he put on a sad face really fast. After giving him my number, he said he'd call me back in a few days with the answer. Apparently if he doesn't sell the car soon, it's going to an auction. Whoever buys it might get a bad deal considering the problems that the car has, even though it looks incredible on the outside.

Anyway, thanks for reading that. Now I have a few questions...
Are there any guides to fixing blown head gaskets? I've done a few engine rebuilds, but don't know exactly what to do as far as draining stuff and things to look for.

How much would I have to spend on a stock 7MGTE (sorry if that's wrong, I believe that's what it said on the engine) to get about 300 horsies to the rear wheels?

Are there are only problems I should look for if I look at the car again?

Thanks for your time everyone!

h34r:

06-19-2005, 12:18 PM	#1
Biku Guest Posts: n/a	A few days ago I found an ad about an '87 supra turbo (automatic ) and decided to check it out. Beforehand I asked someone to check the vin and found out that the mileage was probably inaccurate. So I went to a car dealer yesterday to check out the supra. When I got there the car looked stunning even though it was pretty dirty and the windshield was cracked. The body didn't have any apparent dents but some of the side trim was coming off. The gas door wouldn't stay closed, and the antennae was broken off. There was one donut on the car.So after a few seconds of gawking I went in to get the keys... So when the dealer handed me the keys they said "It probably won't start", so I was a little worried. So I sat down and checked out the interior and it looked pretty good, no tears in any of the upholstery or anything. So I put the keys in and started it up and it fired up the first time and started but felt like it would stall for a split second. So then I decided to check the gauges and noticed that the fuel, boost, and oil or water temperature gauges weren't working and I found out that someone busted into the car and attempted to rip out the dash. Next I tried the a/c and all it blew was hot air so I guess that the freon needs to be recharged/refilled/whatever. After that I checked out the how it sounded, revved it up to 3k and didn't hear any significant popping or anything. After I was done screwing around, I checked out the engine. The first thing that I noticed was that the hydraulic hinges (whatever they're called) wouldn't hold the hood up for more than a few seconds. I checked the oil and it was overfull and then I opened up the radiator cap and saw something nasty Globs of what seemed to be oil were floating at the top of the coolant. I fear that there's a blown head gasket or that the head might be damaged. I know that blown head gaskets are a problem due to under-torqued head bolts, so yeah, it seems like it might be that. After that I saw some white smoke coming from the back (not a lot, it was hard to see) and it smelled like oil. So I imagine that the engine probably needs a rebuild and some replacement (read: performance) parts. I got a little worried (I instantly fell in love with the car anyway, and don't care if it has to become a project) and decided to go talk to the guy that was selling it. So he starts off claiming that the car is worth around $4,000. I told him that I won't give him that considering all of the problems the car has. He said that the car doesn't have a blown head gasket though, and that his mechanic puts oil into the coolant to make it run better (I tried desperately not to laugh). So after talking for a few minutes, I tell him that the very most I'd pay for it is $750 and he put on a sad face really fast. After giving him my number, he said he'd call me back in a few days with the answer. Apparently if he doesn't sell the car soon, it's going to an auction. Whoever buys it might get a bad deal considering the problems that the car has, even though it looks incredible on the outside. Anyway, thanks for reading that. Now I have a few questions... Are there any guides to fixing blown head gaskets? I've done a few engine rebuilds, but don't know exactly what to do as far as draining stuff and things to look for. How much would I have to spend on a stock 7MGTE (sorry if that's wrong, I believe that's what it said on the engine) to get about 300 horsies to the rear wheels? Are there are only problems I should look for if I look at the car again? Thanks for your time everyone! h34r: