Weight Loss

DakotaHyde · 06-17-2013, 09:16 PM

I love my '87 Supra. Great shape and the body is all original! It's honestly my driving car. I don't race it, or show it. However, the mileage is pretty poor. I am looking about a serious diet for the MKIII Supra. I am thinking of replacing that massive glass window with a lighter acrylic, and maybe having a fiberglass hood made.
Does anyone have any tips or personal experiences with lightening a MKIII? Anything small without compromising the condition of the car, thank you!

cre · 06-18-2013, 04:01 AM

Fiberglass isn't always lighter. If properly reinforced it's sometimes heavier. The Turbo MR2's fiberglass engine cover weighs almost twice that of the N/A's steel cover.

Weight loss on the MKIII is HELL. I think there's a thread in the FAQ section about it... if not search the MKIII forum.

You don't give other specifics about your car. Is it N/A or Turbo? If you're a very mellow driver you could swap in the LSD from a 1989 or later Turbo MKIII. It's geared 3.73:1 and will lower your RPM while cruising on the highway significantly. As for city driving well, your off the line performance will suffer and you'll have to step on it more to get up to speed.... Short of swapping a 1G or perhaps 5S or 3S (all 2 liter engines) I doubt you'll ever see much better mileage.

DakotaHyde · 06-18-2013, 03:06 PM

Not fibreglass my bad, a Carbon Fibre hood. I don't know what the weight distribution is for me but it's around 50/50 Its not turbo, 2.8L l6, automatic. The engine was taken apart and rebuilt about 4 years ago, otherwise I have done no mods with it. Everything is either original, or just a standard replacement.
Sadly, my '87 doesn't go too far from my house. It seems 90 miles in any direction away from my house gives the old girl problems. It sputters and sometimes dies, so for now it is a town car. That's my reason for trying to lighten, to reduce the work the engine has to do on long trips and make it more efficient.

We used to have a turbo MR2 but had to sell it, it was a great car.
I'll search the forum again, but I have trouble finding details about the '87 on the MKIII forums. Thank you for help!!!

btwilson86 · 06-18-2013, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DakotaHyde

...Its not turbo, 2.8L l6, automatic. The engine was taken apart and rebuilt about 4 years ago, otherwise I have done no mods with it. Everything is either original, or just a standard replacement.
Sadly, my '87 doesn't go too far from my house...

An '87 should have a 3.0 7MGE (most markets) or a 2.0 1G in some areas. The 2.8 was the 5MGE, which was replaced by the 7M for late '86 model Supras (MKIII).

DakotaHyde · 06-19-2013, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by btwilson86

An '87 should have a 3.0 7MGE (most markets) or a 2.0 1G in some areas. The 2.8 was the 5MGE, which was replaced by the 7M for late '86 model Supras (MKIII).

I should have the 5MGE then. Sorry.

btwilson86 · 06-19-2013, 12:36 AM

I was in a hurry to get back to work when i made that last post, and i realized i did not complete my thought. I am wondering if you have a MKII or MKIII, because the year of the car suggests a MKIII, but your engine displacement suggests its a 5MGE, which was only in the MKII (unless someone has swapped out your 7M for a 5M). This information may help other forum members give you more accurate advice on how to trim the excess fat from your Supra.

To be honest though, after reading your reason for wanting to reduce the weight, I think your time may be better spent becoming better acquainted with your engine and its management systems and diagnosing / fixing your power and reliability problem(s).

btwilson86 · 06-19-2013, 12:43 AM

Also, i found this thread in the MKIII FAQ:

http://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...k3-thread.html

I didnt read through it completely, but it may have some useful information for you in it.

cre · 06-19-2013, 01:32 AM

The 1JZ (JDM only and only in later models) was 2.5L. Only came as a twin turbo engine.

If you've got a 5M then someone did a VERY uncommon swap or the car is a MKII. If it's a MKII well, they're still a little tough to lighten while staying comfortable but they're already a lot lighter than the MKIII.

What's the build date on the car? (either on the firewall plate or on the driver's side door or door frame)

06-17-2013, 09:16 PM	#1
DakotaHyde Stock Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 6	Weight Loss I love my '87 Supra. Great shape and the body is all original! It's honestly my driving car. I don't race it, or show it. However, the mileage is pretty poor. I am looking about a serious diet for the MKIII Supra. I am thinking of replacing that massive glass window with a lighter acrylic, and maybe having a fiberglass hood made. Does anyone have any tips or personal experiences with lightening a MKIII? Anything small without compromising the condition of the car, thank you!

06-18-2013, 04:01 AM	#2
cre Toyota Racing Development Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,038	Fiberglass isn't always lighter. If properly reinforced it's sometimes heavier. The Turbo MR2's fiberglass engine cover weighs almost twice that of the N/A's steel cover. Weight loss on the MKIII is HELL. I think there's a thread in the FAQ section about it... if not search the MKIII forum. You don't give other specifics about your car. Is it N/A or Turbo? If you're a very mellow driver you could swap in the LSD from a 1989 or later Turbo MKIII. It's geared 3.73:1 and will lower your RPM while cruising on the highway significantly. As for city driving well, your off the line performance will suffer and you'll have to step on it more to get up to speed.... Short of swapping a 1G or perhaps 5S or 3S (all 2 liter engines) I doubt you'll ever see much better mileage. __________________ If something breaks or you need to contact a member of the administration please post HERE. Unless it's a private or administration matter please post it on the forum. It benefits no one else if car related questions aren't posted for future users and takes away from the time I'm able to spend helping on the rest of the forum. If you're so inclined I'm always more than happy to accept tips via PayPal. Tip Jar --->

06-18-2013, 03:06 PM	#3
DakotaHyde Stock Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 6	Not fibreglass my bad, a Carbon Fibre hood. I don't know what the weight distribution is for me but it's around 50/50 Its not turbo, 2.8L l6, automatic. The engine was taken apart and rebuilt about 4 years ago, otherwise I have done no mods with it. Everything is either original, or just a standard replacement. Sadly, my '87 doesn't go too far from my house. It seems 90 miles in any direction away from my house gives the old girl problems. It sputters and sometimes dies, so for now it is a town car. That's my reason for trying to lighten, to reduce the work the engine has to do on long trips and make it more efficient. We used to have a turbo MR2 but had to sell it, it was a great car. I'll search the forum again, but I have trouble finding details about the '87 on the MKIII forums. Thank you for help!!! Last edited by DakotaHyde; 06-18-2013 at 03:18 PM.

06-19-2013, 12:36 AM	#6
btwilson86 Super Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: Billings, Montana Posts: 1,034	I was in a hurry to get back to work when i made that last post, and i realized i did not complete my thought. I am wondering if you have a MKII or MKIII, because the year of the car suggests a MKIII, but your engine displacement suggests its a 5MGE, which was only in the MKII (unless someone has swapped out your 7M for a 5M). This information may help other forum members give you more accurate advice on how to trim the excess fat from your Supra. To be honest though, after reading your reason for wanting to reduce the weight, I think your time may be better spent becoming better acquainted with your engine and its management systems and diagnosing / fixing your power and reliability problem(s). __________________ 1989 7MGTE R154 Targa Top White Package w/Blue Interior Driftmotion 57trim CT26, Upgraded Intercooler, 2.25" Hard Pipes, 3" Turbo Back Exhaust with Test Pipe, HKS VPC w/GM 3 bar MAP sensor, APEXi S-AFC, Walbro 255lph fuel pump, ProSport EVO Series Boost / Fuel Pressure / AFR gauges, Lotek a Pillar Gauge Pod, HKS Type 0 Turbo Timer, Eibach Lowering Springs, Tokico Illumina II TEMS struts, custom powder coated Motegi Racing TrakLite wheels

06-19-2013, 12:43 AM	#7
btwilson86 Super Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: Billings, Montana Posts: 1,034	Also, i found this thread in the MKIII FAQ: http://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...k3-thread.html I didnt read through it completely, but it may have some useful information for you in it. __________________ 1989 7MGTE R154 Targa Top White Package w/Blue Interior Driftmotion 57trim CT26, Upgraded Intercooler, 2.25" Hard Pipes, 3" Turbo Back Exhaust with Test Pipe, HKS VPC w/GM 3 bar MAP sensor, APEXi S-AFC, Walbro 255lph fuel pump, ProSport EVO Series Boost / Fuel Pressure / AFR gauges, Lotek a Pillar Gauge Pod, HKS Type 0 Turbo Timer, Eibach Lowering Springs, Tokico Illumina II TEMS struts, custom powder coated Motegi Racing TrakLite wheels

06-19-2013, 01:32 AM	#8
cre Toyota Racing Development Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,038	The 1JZ (JDM only and only in later models) was 2.5L. Only came as a twin turbo engine. If you've got a 5M then someone did a VERY uncommon swap or the car is a MKII. If it's a MKII well, they're still a little tough to lighten while staying comfortable but they're already a lot lighter than the MKIII. What's the build date on the car? (either on the firewall plate or on the driver's side door or door frame) __________________ If something breaks or you need to contact a member of the administration please post HERE. Unless it's a private or administration matter please post it on the forum. It benefits no one else if car related questions aren't posted for future users and takes away from the time I'm able to spend helping on the rest of the forum. If you're so inclined I'm always more than happy to accept tips via PayPal. Tip Jar --->

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