So I bought a 1986.5 Supra, and I have a few problems.

[kingison]

yeah somehow i was mistaken the proverbial "jap car" was going to be reliable. If I wanted a "fun ride" I would have gone with an american muscle car. Instead I figured I would combine fun and reliability and have nothing but a ride I would only trust on short trips around town. Thumbs up!

[kingison]

That's okay I am preparing to re-list the car and not only profit, but give it to someone who wants to look under the hood every time before they drive it

[Metaphysico]

Its not that their not reliable it just that they are 20 or so years old. Buy a 20 year old honda and see how reliable it will be. Replace all the hoses, belts and a new water pump and it will be reliable as hell. I bought my 89 replaced all the hoses, t belt, thermostat, waterpump, metal head gasket and a few other small things and drove it for 5 years as a daily drive with out a single problem. Well until I ran it low on oil and spun a bearing. Even after the bearing started making noise I drove it another 3 months with a slight knock till it finally gave one day, then it got me 20 miles home knocking like hell, but it got me there. A full rebuild and a 5 speed swap and it has been just as reliable as ever. Point is its not reliable as is, replace all the old stuff that can go out and put a metal head gasket on it and your set.

[kingison]

problem is i did not research enough and i also missed a power steering leak when i bought it. Mine is rebuilt with 60k but the dude was a toyota mechanic and used all toyota parts, including head gasket. thought that was a good thing but now I realize the metal aftermarket was the choice.

dont mind me, im just a little bitter i cant take it on a road trip this weekend. when i get back its headed to another mechanic to replace the steering rack or i am listing it.

[Grandavi]

Originally Posted by Ranma

Got my Supra as a fun ride, not for transportation. Have my 2009 Honda Civic EXL for basic transport. (no payments)
If you want a cheap ride, why don't you go out and buy a used Chev Cobalt? Get that great GM feeling!

Bah (off topic.. but...) You can go buy a Chevy Cobalt.. but to get the supercharged one (supercharger??? why the hell dont they turbo.. lol) your gonna have to shell out some coin.. and then in 10 years when you go to sell it... its gonna be worth as much as your Supra will be now.

Better to get the car you want and put whatever it takes (within reason) to get it driving well enough that you smile and hear the birdies sing when you daydream about it...

To each his own of course.. I simply prefer my MKIII to the vast amount of vehicles I have owned to date. Sure.. the brand new Accord was fun.. but didn't have the feel of this car.

[Ranma]

Originally Posted by kingison

problem is i did not research enough and i also missed a power steering leak when i bought it. Mine is rebuilt with 60k but the dude was a toyota mechanic and used all toyota parts, including head gasket. thought that was a good thing but now I realize the metal aftermarket was the choice.

dont mind me, im just a little bitter i cant take it on a road trip this weekend. when i get back its headed to another mechanic to replace the steering rack or i am listing it.

My Firebird and Camero of the same vintage were total junk! This was when they were a few years old and not 24! Both of them had electrical problems, my Firebird went through an alternator and battery every 2 to 3 years. The Camero delivered to me a collection of spare screws from behind the dash for months. The accessories started going out at about one year. I will NEVER buy another "American" car again.
So go ahead and sell it and buy that good American muscle car, really dude it is no skin off of us!

[Grandavi]

Originally Posted by kingison

problem is i did not research enough and i also missed a power steering leak when i bought it. Mine is rebuilt with 60k but the dude was a toyota mechanic and used all toyota parts, including head gasket. thought that was a good thing but now I realize the metal aftermarket was the choice.

dont mind me, im just a little bitter i cant take it on a road trip this weekend. when i get back its headed to another mechanic to replace the steering rack or i am listing it.

Metal HG is only really needed if your gonna jump about 450 HP with high boost levels. Otherwise.. the stock one is fine, provided the Head and block are machined correctly (the stock block has "machine marks or swirls" on it that should be lapped if I understand it correctly)

The OEM one is good, the problem with the head gaskets was that originally they called for like 20 lbs less torque than what was truly needed. Plus, you have to retorque the head bolts as a maintenance item after a certain amount of mileage (50k?). I dont mean.. you want to.. you need to.. lol.

Its a very strong and versatile engine.. and you can drive it to death if you want. Most of us here are a tad fussy though and want the car to run right and usually better than it should. However.. it is still a traditional Toyota in that you can drive the thing until it drops and it will normally get you there. Although, it isnt as kickworthy as the Corolla or Celica. Higher tech usually means a bit more fragile.. and its true with the Supra.

I will never buy another American car.. unless its a pre-70.

Also, keep in mind, this car is capable of under 11 seconds in a quarter mile with a 7mGTE. Hell.. I beleive people have gotten over 1000 HP out of this engine. Of course.. we are talking serious cash... but.. it will do it.

[Ranma]

Originally Posted by Grandavi

Bah (off topic.. but...) You can go buy a Chevy Cobalt.. but to get the supercharged one (supercharger??? why the hell dont they turbo.. lol) your gonna have to shell out some coin.. and then in 10 years when you go to sell it... its gonna be worth as much as your Supra will be now.

Better to get the car you want and put whatever it takes (within reason) to get it driving well enough that you smile and hear the birdies sing when you daydream about it...

To each his own of course.. I simply prefer my MKIII to the vast amount of vehicles I have owned to date. Sure.. the brand new Accord was fun.. but didn't have the feel of this car.

He was complaining about cost like an apex customer. Gee if you want something nice it is going to cost.

[Grandavi]

Originally Posted by Ranma

He was complaining about cost like an apex customer. Gee if you want something nice it is going to cost.

Cost is like this over the next 10 years.. (for those that are worried about having the MKIII over some newer car...)

Buy the Cobalt (get the one for about 28,000.00)
Pay it off (add another few thousand for interest)
Pay the insurance (add a few more thousand for insurance)

note: I pay 11.00 per month to insure my TWO supras fully as collectibles.. just cant drive over 5000 km per year.. and I dont.
The 88 is insured for 6000, the 90 for 4500

Sell the car. At the end of 10 years (not including maintenance in this) you have a car that may be worth 5000-10,000 (although I doubt it will be more than 5k)

Or... Buy a Supra for 1500, soak 20,000 in it over a 3 year period.. and have a car worth about 8000 in 10 years providing you dont bag it too much...

Those are all made up numbers, but its the theory I run with everytime I explain why I spend money on my car to my wife...

[fantasma87]

same here , my wife almost kill me when I got the supra. I was 2 month for getting deployed to Iraq and was spending more time on the garage just looking and washing my fantasma "supra" than helping her with the kids and been with her, but the good thing is that she knew that my car has a lot of style and she loved the sound of the BOV. OMG I realy miss driving it with her on the highway with the top off. hey man try to spend a few more $$ on it "pocket change" and you will see what a beast you can drive and enjoy. My 2 centavos !!! .TAKE CARE SUPRA FRIEND !!!. Q