Possible Newbie Here (Buying a Supra)
 

Hello, Tomorrow i'm going to look at an 89 Supra Turbo. I talked to a lady on the phone today about the car. She wasn't to informative about it since it was her uncles. But, she said it has 100,000 miles, New Altinator, New Water Pump, Targa & it's a 5 Speed. I have read through these forums breifly and the only problem i can find about the cars is the head gasket issue.
Other than looking at the basic things on the car like oil and water and belts. What major thing should i look for on this particular car?

They are asking $1700 for it.

I appreciate any help you can supply me....

when looking at a used car these are some of the things you should do during your inspection. Its not a complete list, but without pulling out tools and doing a more complete diagnostic, it will give you good idea of the overall condition of the car. Bring a notebook and something to write with. and make notes as you go.

Look for uneaven wear on the tires (inside worn more than the outside?), run your hand over the tread on the inside of the front tires, if you feel dips and rises (cupping) then its got front end issues. Also grab the wheels and try to rock them from the top, and from the front (do it on the back ones as well) This could show problems in the wheel bearings and/or sterring components.
Bonce up and down and all 4 corners and watch how amny times the car bounces before returning to normal height. May have bad shocks if its more than one bounce. Typical suspension problems are bad ball joints, bad steering stabilizer, worn out shocks, and rack problems. Supras are notorius for power steering leaks as well.

Look at the fluids, ALL of them. Look at the levels and the colors. If its an automatic, smell the trans fluid (yes thats right, sniff the fluid on the dipstick). Burned ATF has a distinct smell. Look under the car where its been parked and see if its leaving drips. Make notes about anything out of the ordinary.

Look at the body from all angles. Look for uneven surfaces (not just the typical dings from parking lots, but panels that dont seem to line up.) Look in the door jams and under the hood along the fenders for signs of overspray. A repaint might just be a repaint, but it could also be signs of an accident. Look inside the engine compartment down along where the frame meets fenders and the front support. Look for bends, cracks, or any signs of repairs. Also get on your back and look up under the rear of the car for the same thing. This will help point to impacts greater than the typical parking lot mishaps. Supras are tanks, if it shows signs of an impact...you can pretty much bet it was harder than it looks.

If you have a friend with you, have them start the car while you watch the exhaust. Is there a puff os smoke on startup? might be bad valves or a bad turbo seals (if it has a Turbo) Yes I also want you to smell the exhaust. Let it get up to operating temp and smell the exhaust again. Your looking for lean or rich condition here.

Get ready to take the car for a drive after its warmed up, but first have that friend help you make sure the tail lights, brake lights, turn signals and headlights work.

Now take the car for a drive. Before you hit the road, listen to the steering at low speeds as you turn the wheel, does it grind or whine? Make sure you dont just take it around the block, give it a thorough test. As you start out, pay attention to how the clutch engages and disengages. Any slippage? Get it up to highway speeds. On a flat straight road, let go of the wheel and see if it pulls one way or another. While your at it step on the brakes slowly and see if that causes a pull. Supras are notorius for the calipers binding up. If they are it will lead to warped rotors and uneven braking. In 2nd or 3rd gear, give it about 1/2 to 3/4 throttle and get the RPMS up over 4k and then let off the gas completely, then come to a stop. Notice if you smell any burning oil (Oil suck from bad rings or valve seals will occur on compression and then burn off and you will smell it). While your driving it, pay attention to all the sounds of the car. Leave the radio off and roll the windows down (this is a good time to check the operation of the power windows anyway) While in 3rd gear at around 3k RPMs, slightly lift the throttle and then reapply pressure. Do this a few times and listen for any kind of clunking from the rear end (bad u-joints or diff)

If after you have done all that and still think you're interested, it might be worth it to go one step further. If you really want to know what you are buying, I highly recommend talking the owner into letting you do a compression check. If they are reluctant to let just anybody do this to their car, ask if you can take it to a shop. Find a shop in your area ahead of time that offers "used car inspections" they will put it on a lift and double check all the safety items like brakes and lights and things like that. You should be able to get them to do a compression check.

I would also recommend paying for a carfax report. It will give you some history of the car and may point out a serious issue you, and perhaps even the current owner are not aware of. Finally, make sure all the paperwork is correct. Ask to see the title for the car. Check the VIN on the title with the one under the hood, and in the door jam. You can also check the stickers on the fenders, doors and hatch to see if they match the VIN as well. If the car checks out, the title matches the car, and the price is right...make an offer! Keep in mind your budget, and take into account that you will want to change all the fluids, (even if they say they have done it...this way you know where you stand) get your insurance and pay licencing fees.

After you make your purchase, take it easy at first. Build trust in your car. Dont take it out the first night and get into some race. You dont know the car well enough yet and you may put your life at risk. Listen to your car! Pay attention to squeaks, rattles, grinds, etc...its your cars way of trying to tell you something. Take care of your Supra, and she will take care of you!

Best used car guide ive ever read lol. I dont think anyone else will even need to post on it...Except for, Dont be too excited by the acceleration to not notice anything else. I went to test drive a camaro SS, And was so excited that it went from 10-70 in about 3 seconds(the guy was crazy, who gives keys to a 350(plus mods) hp car to a 19 year old driving a supra??) i didnt realize the CEL was on untill i parked it, And then in the trunk all the stock parts sat. Cam, ecu, maf, some unknown sensors(neveer worked on an ls1), stock intake manifold, And it def had an aftermaket exhaust. Def good reasons it had a CEL on lol. My real point, Dont buy a modded car. lol. Make sure all the parts are stock, Or that you at least get all the stock parts and ask the guy exactly what he did. The best part of the test drive was the look on my GFs face when i gunned it. From talking to WHOAAA and big eyes. Best moment of my life.

Wow, that was an extensive reply. I thank You. But, as for the Supra. Are there any problems i need to look for as in a leaky Targa top? Or certain rattles that only these Supras do?

Nope. Luxury sports car (grand touring)= well soundproofed cabin, And very stiff body, So they dont squeak or rattle much. Very very well made cars. Youll notice the difference between a cheap car and a supra in the rain too. You can hardly hear the rain hitting the roof. No leaks i know of are common, So you should be ok. And if it does leak its only 2 pretty flat seams unlike a convertible or t-tops.

Well model specific, yes the Supra Targa does tend to leak. However the leak is fixable and usually doesnt require any new parts, just some silicone caulking. Supra's are also prone to leaks at the bottom of the rear hatch glass. The seal gets worn out, and water starts to leak in to the rear hatch where it collects. From there it usually rusts out the clips holding the the rear hatch panel on, and then ends up down in the spare tire well rusting that out as well. Pull out the spare tire and look for serious rust on the floor there.

Aside from the already mentioned head gasket, the motors are pretty strong, but also already mentioned the power steering leak issues. Also the valve cover gaskets tend to leak and leave oil in the spark plug galley. Alot of time you can just tighten the screws down and get rid of the leaks.

The suspensions are pretty solid in the Supra, and I rarely see problems with them beyond needing new shocks. If the car is seriously abused it is possible it could need ball joints or even a steering rack.

Lastly, the 2 piece drive shafts are always abused and forgotten about. The carrier bearing usually needs replacing, and runs about $60 IIRC.

I think that about covers model specific issues, good luck!

front end bushings is also something to look at. You'll see a few posts about people hearing a thunk when turning fully to the left or right. Usually a bushing is shot, or a ball joint.

Well i looked and drove it today. It had 133,000 miles on it. The CEL was on. I smelled something comming from the engine when i was at the stop light right after i got off the freeway. It kinda smelled like the engine was going to start over-heating. But the temp guage never moved. That scared me though. The car hasn't been registered for over a year and it still needed to be smogged.

I know 133k miles isn't much for this year of car. But it is much for a stock turbo. I don't beleive the turbo was working at all. Because this car was really and i mean really slow. I read that this car should do 0-60 in 6.6 seconds. But i figured it was old and that # should be in the mid 7's. Lets just say my Scion XB (auto) seemed faster than this Supra.

I'm not going to judge all supras like this one. If i do find a Supra than you guys will be the second to now. (Wife is first LOL)

I thank you all for your help.

Thread stickied for one hell of a write up about what to look for when buying a Supra.

i always check head gasket at 1st on supras i check the oil good color not milky and start it and hold your hand at the end of the exhasut to see ifu can feel steam thats what happen to me when my headgasket went out the water went throught the cylinders and out the exhasut

I forgot to say one other thing that a lot of people overlook....Use your nose! Most car problems are asssociated with a certain smell, You learn them after a while. Burnt oil, Bearing grease, Burning plastic or wires, Burning paint, That weird smell when electrical stuff shorts out, Learning smell of all the different fluids...etc. It can help a lot.

i have your answer
 

hey im chris from valley center CA....u can always buy a carbon dioxide kit and what that does is its a tube that holds water with a certain chemical and then at the radiator u suck up the radiator water and if the water turns yellow or green your screwed but if it stays clear your good...it costs about 50 dollars so its worth it....now with that being said i did that to my 1987 supra turbo and then had to proceed with replacing the head gasket and right now im actually selling mine.....it has 140000 miles on it but i replaced the radiator and head gasket 3000 miles ago.....it has a hks blow off valve and fcd controller and what that does it give the engine more gas when needed. i hope that helps you out......

Yes, Its called a block tester kit. You forgot to tell him the name of it lol. You can get them at napa, carquest, pepboys, etc. All that test is to see if there is combustion byproducts in the coolant tho, Its not a 100% solid test. But if it does test out, there is a good BHG chance.

ya but when i had my test done i made sure that it was straight water in the radiator to be definate....he can also get a compression tester and put it in the number one spark plug to see if it compresses at default...you can go onto supra stats.com and look into what the stats are for it.....

Yes, compression test it, do a block test, look at the oil and coolant, do whatever you can. And if you have a friend who is a mechanic get him to do a leakdown test. Then youll see if the motor is up to par or not with compression. And if you can, run it on an exhaust gas analyzer (emissions test). Thatll tell you if something is wrong with the FI. Even thou supras are notorious for failing when something goes bad but then running great when its all ok...

Don't do what I did
 

make sure you don't buy it from a mexican, or if it says "type-r" on the back or something :-p

jk

seriously don't get one with shitty lower control arm bushings or worn out hub bearings... my suspension is toastie and so will my slife savings in a bit. I butn through tires like its going out of style..... its been 4 months and i need brand new ones... granted the old ones were just that.,... old, but they had more than an 1/8th tread left and now they're worn down to the fucking plies...

bad day knopw what i mean? tire blow out on the high way or while your showin off to your girl/boy could cost you more than a bad day...

Make sure the damn STARTER doesn't have that mystery "mid 80's curse"

almost every other day my car doesn't start right... the fucking battery is having problems with getting power to the starter... dirfty plugs are commonly over looked though... along with incorrect power and grounding cables... these things do get replaced with improper methods...

Thus the first sentance... nobody get offended ok? Its just a joke

I'd say above all else be realistic about what you can fix and what your going to have to pay to get done... you can buy the biggest peice in the world like i did but i'm going to school to become a mechanic and i want to restore old imported vehicles so its kinda what I enjoy dooing....

Oh make sure there are real gaskets.... don't take the "RTV" and the "Silicone caulking" route... more cars leak that way....


And listen to these other guys... especially the dude with the white car he really know's what he's talking about

Only other thing I can add is dont piss off the original owner, if you really want it. $1700 is a pretty decent price if everything else is in good condition. I would say you have the two most valuble options already, Turbo, and 5 Speed, I personally would like a targa but I know a few guys that arent crazy about them only from the structural aspect, those guys are pretty nit picky anyways.

I have found that the front end thunk is most likely a lower ball boint on the lower control arm, something you can replace yourself. Dont let that steer you away from it.

Let us know what you do.

I'll tell you everything that has gone wrong or is going wrong with my car. I bought this biggest rat bag piece of shit supra around. I paid 4500$ for it. The previous owner paid 9000$.

Transmission - needs a complete rebuild (automatic) - $2500 quote
Power steering - rack and pinion is shot, leaking fluid fairly quickly. - $950 quote
Shocks - leaking everywhere!!! - bought them for $500, not installed yet
Tires -bald as hell, not really a defect all cars lose tread. - $1000 total bill
Exhaust - leak in the exhaust causing weird noise - haven't been quoted
Torque Converter - not positive this is the issue, car makes weird noises
Calipers/Brake Pads/Rotors - all replaced because of wear. $1000, installed free
Valve Cover Gaskets - leaking oil everywhere! not quoted

I'm sure there are more things waiting to bite me in the ass soon. This car is cursed! Well, let's be honest...it's 17 years old and was probably driven to hell and back. I love my car, but boy do I get sick of having no money!

Hey this is actually happening to mine right now, so you say bushing or ball joint on the front end huh... how hard would those be to install by ones self do you think? and about how much would it cost me...

I want to know where to get a $60.00 carrier bearing????

Everytime I price them they are close to $300.00 .

Best thing i can tell you is take a certified mechanic with you or someone who's been turning wrenches for a while. Not someone who's tinkered around on a couple of cars before.

hmm
 

check for rust under nethier like driver side and pass 100 miles huh

my dads 90 turbo supra with 112k on it frame needed pulled in front he got 3500 k so u might beable to re sell it if ur not happy but if u like a car that can take a beating or something with alil get up and go supras way to go but if u wanna take it easy and keep it around 3 grand rpms cars great on gas just keep out of the turbo lol but aleast if u put u no the powers there when u need it =P its a really fun car to drive i love it and all the ladys around me love the supra i drive =D

I couldn't understand a word of this because your grammar and spelling is horrible. What exactally are you trying to say, here?

I'm going to see a 88 turbo 5 speed in a couple days and its running for $1500. Should i be suspicious of why the price is so low?

No reason to be suspicious. Just know going into it that at that price range you will be dropping another 2k into rather quickley and you should be safe.

You guys thinking about buying these cars should dig alot deeper than you have been if all you can find is the bhg issue. That just comes stock. There's an entire plethra of bs that comes along with a new to you supra.

The older it is the rustier bolts are and they snap on my 91 with hardly any pressure applied, just for example.

Dig deeper much much deeper, dismiss nothing.

I have right at 10k into my 91 7mge 5 speed and the bill is only growing.
I don't have to pay for anything at my dealership when I order parts because they know I am re-building.

It's kinda that bad.

ok my first advice is check the body frame and lines check for rust and damage. and then check for any pieces that can be fixed easily that might have some issues and you might be able to get a price decrease. second i hate to say it but pour water on the targa top ive seen alot of targas leak and that can cause the ruining of the interior plus much more. and targas are not that strong when the t is out of the car the car flexes like hell and then when its in there its pretty strong but still alittle flex.

I always like the "oh yeah it will go 150mph+", "but i never raced it." haa. My 87 N/A has been sitting for almost 2 years now. Thanks to the army sending me to germany and now iraq. I drove the PISS out of that thing for 3 years, without ANY problems. Just regular maint. I got mine for $2500 with 44k org. miles. It now has around 95k. runs perfect. I hope you decide to buy that supra, or a supra. I love it.

lol... sadly.. I dont think they teach grammar and spelling in school anymore. Why is everyone so worried about BHG's? If you got one, is it that labor intensive to fix? (or expensive?) I personally didnt worry too much about it cause if I have one on my car.. then it will get fixed properly. (I saw the "fix" in forums and I would rather have it done that way anyway):)

Someone posted earlier about how Supras are prone to have leaks in -

A) The targa
B) Under the rear hatch

I've got a 1990 Supra, and I've got both those problems. The rear hatch one seems quite bad, while the targa one is barely there, and only sort of dribbles a tiny amount of water in when its raining cats and dogs for an entire night or something.

Anyone have any links to guides on what I can do to fix these? :x:

either get it and swap the engine thats what im doing just blowing my engine till i get it done lol i have an 88 targa top leaks do happen mostly trunk sometime with the driver window but only wen washing buy the rear area not hrorrible either though if turbo engine is slower than auto scion its not right i smash on scions all day n/a and i have metal shavings in my oil pan cud be nothing but like i said im swaping so fuck it blow emmm up lol trunk will have rust if it leaks though youll know just look well also your gonna wanna make sure you get the top tool if not it will be a slight bitch to get its a t40 star key i belive mayb will help a lil i didnt get mine wish i did but fuck it also it does squeak after a while unless you keep the top very tight or a lil belt dressing mayb wich i feel is a lil better dont want the top flying off right also i almost forgot be sure you driver seat electrical works if you care i dont but kinda did had it for a week ploped down in my seat one day high as shit and crack snapped the gear for lifting the seat if that is good them no fat men drove the car

1500 not bad i paid 1800 for mine have dropped about 3 to 4 in it so far got some work 16" rims 2 in lips falken 512 uhp non turbo great driver every day only crapped out once due to dumb ass second owner who thought it was a drift toy lol idiot but its in great shape dont be to skepticala i mean be skep. but keeo in mind you cud pay f15 for one hooked up or add 12 to it and blow motherfuckers out the watter like what the fuck just happend i got mobbed on buy an old ass car lol most dont know oh supra fuck that ill get mobbed on thats why i love emm lol just maake sure you check for everything weve saiad if its all there ok still cool just as long as its not bad in all areas just makae sure engine is good with wide powerband and no slippage of the clutch if they dont ride with thry to grind it just a lil see how bad it sounds if its real bad it has prolly been rubbed mayb needs replacing but i think thats an ok price if it runs strong enough mayb bring a mini dino plung in thing for it so you can quarter mile it and hp test it i mean should be stock about 210 without turbo with turbo i hear its about 320 so ne were in the range 180 to 30 your great

All i'm gonna say is check the damn rear wheel wells to see if they are soft, if they are then you got rot under the factory undercoating, and it could be very bad. I just spent 3 days cutting out rot and welding in metal plates and still have to do the pass side. Not a fun time lol

sounds like a good deal i will say MK3 is a great car they run great ya they have head gasket issues but if u keep it clean and dont hot rod is every time u go to the store then u should be fine and if worst comes to worst for 1700 bucks i think u said u where getting it for u can always just keep the body and make it a project car or get a master rebuild kits for a few hundred bucks but either way when ppl ask what do u drive u can proudly say "umm nothin special just a SUPRA!!!" lol good luck man

\
ya man i think u just got a fucked up supra ive raced a 06 Sicon XB and theres no comparason i have a 88 turbo 5 speed supra wiht just ecu, intake, exhaust done and i rarly find your everyday car that can keep up thnk the only problem i run into is STI turbos but i am running 140k on a 21 year old car

lol.. Yeah.. I got beat by a STI... but if I put that kind of money into my 88 MKIII... he wouldnt come close to me.

Definitely check the wheel wells. Mine has rust holes in them and when I drive in rain.. it fills up the rear quarter panel. Didnt even think to check it when I bought the car.. only way I found out was I had a leak in the filler tube to the gas tank. Also.. take the spare tire out and look at the storage area for rust as well. Then take a close look at the weather stripping, your not gonna want it leaking all over the place.

The other thing I can think of to check is.. tell them that you will be there at 5:00 pm and show up at 4:00 pm.. and just say.. whoops..

My car blows blue (which isn't necessarily bad) when it starts cold sometimes. Not sure what is causing it, but its not using oil, so I dont worry. But.. I would have noticed it had the car not been started prior to me getting there to test drive it. Luckily, the guy had all the bills, etc.. and the engine only had around 7k miles on the rebuild. I paid 6k for mine (and had it appraised.. it came to 6k - this is Canada) and have it insured so that if it gets wiped.. I get the appraised value. Also.. a nice little tip. Check to see if you can get antique insurance on it (we can in Alberta). The stipulation is that you don't use it for a business and you dont drive over 5000 miles a year here. Only costs me 79.00 for full coverage per year. HUGE savings.. lol.

Medrivfast
 

I have owned an 1987 N/A MKIII, since 1990. I love the car but if you do not have the money to pay a mechanic or have the Knowledge, Skill and Ability ( KSA's) to fix it yourself you would be better off woth out one.

The supra factory repair manual is very good. But the car is very complex.

Good Luck,

Dan Swanson

Medrivfast
 

I have owned an 1987 N/A MKIII, since 1990. I love the car but if you do not have the money to pay a mechanic or have the Knowledge, Skill and Ability ( KSA's) to fix it yourself you would be better off woth out one.

The supra factory repair manual is very good. But the car is very complex.

Good Luck,

Dan Swanson

dude srry but your dumb shit is not that complex sit it next to a rotory or a vw diesel lol then you got complex lol supra engines are easy so is the wireing im 20 and i did mine my self lil help with sheilded whiles and shit but thats it dude if you got some moey to pick one up grab it only if its in good condition these guys hve brought up manay good points except this guy who just keeps repeating himself :roflwtf::weak:

All I can say is watch the turbos..
 

A lot of people tryed to sell me supra turbos with fucked up turbos or they ran too much boost and screwed up the engine bad gotta be really careful and inspect it mostly just ask a ton of questions and see what there running the boost settings at if they ran it stock it should be fine also check the car for frame damage from drifting or crashing it

for drifting look at the tires look for wear tht normaly dont happen lots of treadgone but tires still look new hummmm and yeah turbos are trouble get a n/a and bosst it cuz no matter what they tell you they bosted at they lied some guy the other day had a nice ass soaer clean as fuck 2jz twin turbo and he told me he only bosted at stock boost on that engine i told him he mine as well take off his turbos and wtf does he have turbo controlers for if he he is stock lol idk but i told him his turbos are wasting engine power gas among other things he said but then my w58 tranny wont turn and i said what w58 on 2jz twin yeah your stupid that shit cannt take the boost of that engine i thought the guy was fucking stupid for having all that with a w58 which wud pop in to pieces as i drifted out of his block fuck that wheel weel shit is so true i cudnt figure out why the fuck it was doing that lol targa seals also make sure they have been spraying them with belt dressing to keep them perky and sealing lol its gets bad buy the mirror and targa tops