Do i give up, or continue onwards?

[Kai]

Okay....so...the basic gist is, should i give up on my Mk3 or not.

Here's the build thread for it.: http://www.supramania.com/forums/sh...yota-Supra-Turbo-Buildup-Satans-Little-Helper...

Also explains some of the background of the car, too. Now, it starts, runs and drives. It doesn't have an air filter adaptor on the Lexus AFM (can't find one for a generic filter), the brakes need replacing, i need an AFPR, the clutch line and slave cylinder probably need replacing, the head needs to be properly shimmed and the shell needs to be welded in places.

Now....i spent £2000 on the car in the first place which later turned out to be worth about £500 - i'd been lied to & been sold a lemon. I had also spent £4000 on parts, including a spare engine, which again, was supposed to be good, but had worn bores and a spun shell, and a head that was junk. That alone cost £500. I have a brand new set of barely used HSD coilovers fitted to the car, a Turbo Technics Stage 1 Turbo, a full samco hose set, New Water Pump, new cam belt, Custom Intercooler which is worth about £50 - works okay, but for the money i paid, it's far from a professional job, looks like a monkey welded it - basically....never deal with a company called 'Silverline Racing'.

I had to spend about another £1500 on parts & labour just to make it safe enough to drive on public roads (hatch hinges, bolts, nuts, seals etc).

Then it blew the head gasket a few months later. I'd bought a pair of spare gasket sets (at £250 each), so i rebuilt the top end, all new valve stem oil seals, gaskets, ARP studs etc. It's been sat since June/July time.

The cynical part of me, and some friends, say i'm wasting time and money on it and i should just give up and sell the car as is for pennies/let it rot.

The optimist in me says i've spent too much money not to just go that little bit further and finish the job, it's not as if i wanted to make money on the car, i wanted something NICE for myself.

And then there's a part of me that thinks i should take anything of value off the car, engine, transmission, drivetrain and junk the shell, sell the parts, get out of the car game entirely and never bother with cars again, ever.

What would you guys choose?

 

[suprra_girl]

Well, for a while I was in the same boat and I ended up making a list if things to do. I started at the top of the list and kept going one by one thru the list and got to the day of startup I adore my car and glad I got it done and anyway, I got a dash that's needing to head your way so don't waste the plane ride its going on
Sent from my 7 Trophy using Board Express

 

[91Supra313]

I'm not taking the poll, but I will say this much.

Don't give it up. A lot of people have done it and it is like a drug, you want to go back to it and play with it some more. Owning a Supra is in some ways like having hemorrhoids. Painful at times, you know there are problems but nothing you can do about it. Doctors can't fix 'em. ( doctors was for the dealership ) BUT when there are no problems, life is great.
Yeah I know that was retarded...... I have tried to sell mine, and had a few guys come with cash......when it came time to get the cash and hand the keys over, I just couldn't do it. Knowing the work I have put into it, the time my wife has spent working with me on it, and listening to my kids say, " Daddy can you take us for a ride in your Supra?" There is no way I will ever get rid of this ole hunk of metal. Even if the 2J dies, or something else goes wrong. A Supra is a part of our lifestyle. I hate saying it like that but it's true.
Long story short man, finish it...... You have been around Supras for how long now? A lot longer then me that's for sure. You will eventually come back to them and then you will have to start over from scratch. Which means even more money spent. Spend the few extra quid and get it back where you need it.

 

[Dirgle]

I'm not sure I can vote in the poll, as I don't think my choice would be best for your particular situation.

It sounds like without fully intending to you ended up with a car that was going to be a challange just to get to a good starting point. It doesn't sound too far gone, but it's a steep hill for progress, that is going to require funds, patience, considerable effort. It is not impossible, but if you didn't get into this fully prepared to invest those things, the process will become a mental grind that will reinforce itself every time you deal with it.

That said, even if you got the car to a nice state, it would not be done. You might be happy for a week or two but you would eventually start creating another list of things you want to to to it. That is the nature of this hobby. You have the capacity to make changes to a car to suite your desires or needs, and you will want to execute those changes. It's never ending. And if being in a never ending state of improvement wears on you it might be time to take a hiatus from this hobby. Get yourself a nice reliable car you don't need to fiddle with, and see how long your can hold out before the modifying bug gets you again. You might be back quicker than you expect, Just look how long it took IJ to go bonkers again. But the time away might be good for you, to regroup, reevaluate, and use the knowledge and experience you gained thus far to position yourself better for the next round.

I think it is also hard for me to give you advice due to a possible cultural difference that exists, a difference in the car culture. Of the friends that I have had in the UK, none ever really understood my passion for working on my car, even if it was just generic maintenance. For them if something needed work it was taken to a business that specialized in what ever work needed done. And their cars were never modified because it might affect reliability, and the moment a car was no longer reliable it was replaced. So while you may be different, and fully understand the pride that come from working on your own car, I understand why your friends think you are wasting your money. So if you choose to crack on with your build, you will probably have to it without the local support that would greatly help you complete your project. That can be difficult. My circle of support has gotten me through some tough spots in my various builds.

And maybe it's time to move on from the MKIII, as this platform gets older, it takes more and more to keep it in a decent condition. And the cars that have been through bad times and bad owners, are only becoming more and more numerous. And are becoming further and further gone. The ranks of MKIII's that are worth being a starting platform is very small(I would imagine especially so in the UK).

What would I do if I were in your position? Pull the good parts off the car, put them on the shelf, and take a break. For me, I know I would want to come back to it, maybe not the MKIII exactly. But if I did I would like to have those parts encase i found a good MKIII shell. That is what I would do, however it may not be the best, or even realistic for you.

Whatever you do choose to do, I hope you stick around, you are part of the core of this community. You have been here a long time, and have contributed greatly.

 

[Suprapowaz!(2)]

Give up and sell it. Go and buy something nice, new, and with a warranty.

 

[yhatzee89]

Give up and sell it. Go and buy something nice, new, and with a warranty.

Don't listen to him! He doesn't know what he's saying! Lies!

Seriously though my suggestion would be to do what i ended up doin.take everything you bought for the car off and buy a second car thats a solid starting point, put all your goodies on that car and sell/part out the original one. Then you will be at a point that you can enjoy your car.

 

[Kai]

New isn't even remotely an option. I simply can't afford anything like that.

Dirgle - i understand your position, and i've been considering it, but you're right, the UK pool of supra's is fast drying up - the good ones aren't on sale, and the ones that are left, are either shitters, N/A auto's with rust or way out of realistic price range for a Mk3. The supply of RHD ones from Japan is going dry, too - so i worry that if i do strip the shell, i'll be left with basically parts, and nothing to put them in, if i decide to get back into the game again.

 

[Suprapowaz!(2)]

New isn't even remotely an option. I simply can't afford anything like that.

Don't feel bad, I'm in the same boat. For some reason I thought you had deep pockets.

 

[Kai]

For some reason I thought you had deep pockets.

Back in 2008/2009 when i bought the car, i did. I paid for everything, in cash, up front (in hindsight, a dumb decision). Then over £27,000 was stolen from me and....yeah its a long story. Not so flush anymore, safe to say!

 

[91Supra313]

What ever happened with Rich's old black RHD that I traded back to him? I thought at one point he had sold it and moved on himself. I am never on the mkiii site anymore, so I have lost touch with a good bit of the guys. If I didnt have to wait another 2.5 years to get yours I would buy the shell from you. I would love to toss this 2JZ into a jap shell. hmmmmm I need to get back on the forum over there and see if anyone is wanting to sell their R33......Would love to make a trade for one of those against my 2J 1990.

 

[mattsplat72]

My question is. What does this particular car means to you. My needs have moved beyond the capabilities of the A70. I have seriously considered swapping my parts into either an IS300 or an SC300. The only reason I haven't is the emotional attachment I have for my car. For me it has evolved into a long term marriage. For better or worse.

Where are you in this ? Maybe equate this to my marriage analogy. Is this relationship worth the work or is it time for a divorce.

 

[Dan_Gyoba]

Yeah, it's discouraging when a project just doesn't come together, but it feels pretty good to finish in the end.

 

[Rollus]

I'm in the same boat.

I decided to rebuilt my fresh rebuilt engine, but this time by a recognize (and expensive) shop. Things are going slowly, but safely, when money is available.
Why did I decide to carry on? Simply because I put some money on it, that is more than its value. Could I sell it and threw money to buy a everybodie's new car? sure. Would this new car would cost the same for maintenance? certainly.
A car is expensive, whatever problem or whichever car it is.

If you give up, buy a bicycle bike or shoes.

 

[jetjock]

Uh, it's a car. Cut your losses and move on.

 

[mikejza70]

Here's a quote that really got to me.

"Somebody once told me the definition of Hell: The last day you have on earth, the person you become will meet the person you could have become"

I believe it can be applied to any part of of life.

If you get rid of the car you will more than likely regret it. Stick with her till one of you chokes....

 

[SupraOfDoom]

Don't give up. I haven't even touched my car in 3 years+ and I still hold on to it for whenever that someday will come up. As time goes on its only going to get harder and more expensive, but in it's own way I feel like it's my duty to rep the MKIII for that very reason. Owning these cars is no longer about a cheap budget car its now all about passion, hard work, and having something a little different. At least that's how I see it. I saw my first MKIII in like 6 months yesterday, and that just makes me sad. I assume MKIII's are even rarer in England, if I were you I'd feel pretty damn proud to have one in this day and age.

 

[IJ.]

Never regretted binning mine after I crashed it.. Move on it's just a car.

 

[yhatzee89]

Never regretted binning mine after I crashed it.. Move on it's just a car.

Yeah but a crash is almost like fate deciding for you vs wrestling with the question yourself

 

[IJ.]

Yeah but a crash is almost like fate deciding for you vs wrestling with the question yourself

Owned it for 13 years and had a lot more emotional and $$$ invested in it than most here... Could easily have repaired it but there comes a time when you let them go, knowing Kai's situation I wouldn't keep it if I were him..

 

[S.A. supra]

Life has enough to worry about, and a car shouldn't be one. Move on with one less headache.