checking out an 86 mk3 tomorrow

[cvbikeguy]

so im checking out an 86 tomorrow and its looking like a good buy. its for $700, non turbo of course with original w58 auto tranny. ive searched the forums a bit trying to find help on problems to look for when buying but sadly i havnt had the time, being my yota just broke and this sale just popped up. anyways if you have any advice please let me know.

a little about the car.

86 mkIII
245,xxx miles
just replace water pump
all electronics work
running condition

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/1470153180.html

so sorry for not being able to do more research on this site but i have been researching mkIII's quite a bit. beautiful cars. thanks

[cre]

The W58 is the N/A's 5 speed. The A340 is the auto used in both GE and GTE vehicles (although I believe the GTE's A340 may be a bit more robust, just what I've overheard).

That is a LOT of mileage on that car, do you know if it's ever had a rebuild? I wouldn't touch that car unless I could take it to a mechanic the I personally know and trust to go over it with a fine tooth comb. Definitely need to do a compression test and a leak down test. Does it leak or burn oil? Does it loose coolant? Does it smoke? Have the dampers been replaced in recent years? Any signs of the coolant or oil being contaminated?

What are your goals with this car anyway? Is it going to be a daily driver, are you wanting to turbo the GE are you looking to do a swap in the future?

$700 is a fair price, but with the mileage that engine and chassis have seen I'd pick it apart before I committed. I have a friend who owns a '90 with about 300K miles on his car. It was rebuilt TWICE and the seller had all the paperwork (both theirs and from the previous owner). His car is a gem... but he did a lot of poking around before buying it.

[cvbikeguy]

I'm planning on getting the r154 and getting a 2jz. Lol after I rebuild the 22r

[cvbikeguy]

Thanks for the advice. Ill check all over the car. But yes I'm planning on replacing a lot on this car. Luckily I have a little paycheck to work on it

[Krem]

Originally Posted by cvbikeguy

Thanks for the advice. Ill check all over the car. But yes I'm planning on replacing a lot on this car. Luckily I have a little paycheck to work on it

if you have a little paycheck to work on it... I'd be very cautious... as Cre mentioned, that's a LOT of miles on that engine. Infact, if there's been no rebuild on it, and has just been maintained very well, it's still likely to go at anytime. Also if it's the original tranny, might want to have that examined as well. If possible, try to catch the car in cold state and examine the tranny fluid, sniff for burnt smells in the trans oil.

Further more, a 2jz auto clip runs anywhere from $2.2k to $4k... manual transmissions only escalate that price (especially 6 speed tranny). I saw a 2jz 6spd front clip the other day for $4,800 total.. but unless you're going to do the swap yourself and also do the wiring, you're probably going to spend that much, if not more, to get it all under the hood and hooked up running. You'd probably be better off looking at a mk3 that's had a JDM 7mgte swap that's ready to drive w/o much work... then again, seems these mk3's are always needing some kind of attention.

[cvbikeguy]

Yea I was looking for a while at 2jz with the 6 speeds. I might just get the 5 speed first and the 1jz. We will see. I'm just look forward to working on a car for once instead of my 4runner the mileage does worry me tho.

Thank you

[cre]

The 6 speed won't fit.

[cvbikeguy]

I've seen an mkIII with a v160

[cre]

I should have just said that it won't fit without a decent bit of custom work. Anything can be done; I really just meant to make the point that it's not a direct swap.

EDIT: Actually, going back through my links I can't find any MKIIIs with a V160.... I'm not surprised, the gearbox is about a foot longer than the R154... the shifter will be in the center console's storage bin. Have some links or pics of any that you've seen?

[cvbikeguy]

so i got the car today. absolutely amazing. ive always wanted a supra (any year) since i was little so this is kind of a dream come true. barely any body damage. minor paint fading. needs a clutch fan, and just need to replace a few hoses. $700. the only thing i cant wait to do is put in that r154. oh so thank you all for the help. cant wait to start posting up some build threads