88 Supra.. body work and engine question - quickies : )
 

So, went and had the body work spec'd that I need for the car. Does anyone know of a good place to get either brand new or fiberglass fenders for my car (I haven't hunted yet, just asking to see if anyone has done this and knows... saves me some legwork).

The problem is the rust on my fender in front of the driverside tire. I can get it repaired, but that doesnt guarantee no rust in the near future. However, replacing it does. So, I am thinking of going that route.

Also, has anyone ever patched the wheelwell (driver's side) before? My most pressing issue is the hole I have in mine, as I get dust and moisture inside that quarter panel.

And finally... I just noticed, when I start the car, I get a puff of blue out of the tail pipe. Now, I am planning to do some mods to the engine, but wonder if that is going to be a valve guide issue or rings... and if so, by pushing more hp out, I may be killing my engine. I havent replaced my turbo hoses yet, so thought it might be oil burning off of the turbo, but I cant logically think of how that could happen. Any thoughts?

(none of this is a panic... just trying to acquire more info as I amass the $$ for repairs)

I see few people parting out supras... if you need just the lower part or section maybe you can get them to cut that part out and ship you.... or find someone close... or a junk yard...

I have seen a few fiberglass ones on the internet..

Greg

I searched for about 2 hours, can't find any new ones yet. I dont want a used one because that would defeat the purpose of what I want to do :). I have to find a new one or a fibreglass one. Just seems hard to find.

Well, first off, unless the previous owner was obsessive about keeping the car in good condition, rust IS going to happen. I'm not sure about the humidity where you live, so its hard to say anything about the rust tho. Pretty much, in replacing fenders with fiberglass, you do solve the rust issue. But, if a qualified shop is doing the repairs, rust won't be a problem from them repairing anything, either.

If you're going to repair the wheel well yourself, I'd suggest parking the car inside for awhile before you do the repair to make sure there is no water residing in there when you close it up. I would suggest cutting out a patch (I think the supra would use 18g steel, but I'd suggest doing a little research before you do anything) and just cutting out a square around the hole and welding it up, dress it then apply filler. Also go in and spray some epoxy primer on the inside of that quarter where you put in a patch.

And as for the blue smoke, let the engine reach operating temp then see if it is still there. I'd wager it goes away.

Edit; I just realized the quarter arn't seeled. Disregard letting it sit.

I posted that in 2008 :)

My car has since had the wheelwells rebuilt and quarters redone as well. (4000.00) All the brackets holding the bumper and most of the clips, etc.. are new now also.

It is dry where I live (relatively speaking), however, we do get moist air off the mountains during winter. As well.. it snows here. Since I have owned it, it gets parked around October to about May.

Very nice
 

Heh, well, from now on I'll be checking dates.