Touring Supra

[Ranma]

We all have different reasons to own our mk III's. I am NOT a racer or drifter and the thought of doing such bores me. Saying that I want my guy to be a pleasure to drive, top on or off. So what can I do to make my guy a touring car? I want to drive route 66 and do it well even in the old areas. So what can I do?

[cre]

Well, if you're not driving on rough roads then I'd lower the car a bit. I found that on the stock suspension they tend to feel a bit like the tail is floating. Nice quiet tires, new weather stripping around the windows and targa for less wind noise and replacing the old noise dampening material with newer, lighter and more effective sound insulation makes a huge difference on those long, casual cruises. A well dialed in alignment and new wheel bearing often makes a huge difference in comfort as well.

CUP HOLDERS!!! Add cup holders! I never understood why the Supra's (and MR-2's for that matter) never came with cup holders... GT my hind end!

Oh, and a good sound system NEVER hurts.

A piggyback setup which allows you run a bit leaner at cruise is very nice... I can't think of anything else at the moment... Okay, yes I can, new foam in the seats.

[pandrade]

i thought they did. my mk3 comes whith the 2 cup holder in the center concel but the lift piece will crush it if the drink is not big enough

[cre]

Originally Posted by pandrade

i thought they did. my mk3 comes whith the 2 cup holder in the center concel but the lift piece will crush it if the drink is not big enough

I forgot about those... later models only and still no good. I kept crushing cups with my elbow so I stopped using it. Wow, how did I forget about those?

I think they should've molded them into the door panel or beside the e-brake.

[pandrade]

that would have been great if they would have put it by the ebrake or even like the toyota pickup which had the slide out one under the ac concel

[cre]

Toyota and a couple other manufacturers used cup holders which fit in a single DIN location under or above a single DIN head unit... It's not the best of locations in the MKIII though and interferes with accessing other items to a significant degree if driving alone (no one to hold your cup for you while you change CDs or search for an MP3 to listen to. They're easy enough to find in salvage yards though.

[Ranma]

Not sure if I want to lower my guy. Is there something I can put on his rear end to stiffen him up? *looks innocent*

[cre]

Originally Posted by Ranma

Not sure if I want to lower my guy. Is there something I can put on his rear end to stiffen him up? *looks innocent*

To what are you responding? The float issue? A stiffer suspension will do very little... The goal is to reduce the volume of air moving under the vehicle, remove turbulence and limit the amount of air pushing against and trying to get under the tires. Air dams and a low lip will help more than stiffer suspension, but clearance remains just as much of an issue.

[Ranma]

Originally Posted by cre

To what are you responding? The float issue? A stiffer suspension will do very little... The goal is to reduce the volume of air moving under the vehicle, remove turbulence and limit the amount of air pushing against and trying to get under the tires. Air dams and a low lip will help more than stiffer suspension, but clearance remains just as much of an issue.

He just seems a bit soft in hard turns. Of course a continuing problem is the car seems to be "flexing" in hard turns and with the top off it becomes a downright problem.

Anyhow, where can I get air dams for under my car? The previous owner destroyed the ones that came with the car.

[cre]

The MKIII never came with air dams. If you're asking about the front undercovers your only options are the dealership or used. Air dams you'd have to fabricate, there's not a lot to them and you can look at many modern vehicles to see how they're employed and to get an idea of placement. They're just rigid plastic sheets which extend down below the car to divert air from going under the car and away from the tires. Even Prius have them.

EDIT: Air dams for tires look like small (usually hidden) reversed mud flaps for the front wheels.

For turning performance a much stronger anti-sway bar will make a very big difference without sacrificing ride quality in a straight line. It does nothing for stabilization at high speeds though... different problem, different solution. Naturally, stiffer suspension will help too but the ride will get a bit rougher.