Maybe it’s time I made a build/progress thread for my new(est) Supra that’s come into my possession. I’ve been into Supras for quite some time, but I don’t think I’m particularly well known around the forums.
A little background about myself to start: I bought my first Supra in April of 2006 (in Highschool). It was a 1990 Hardtop (originally NA/Auto) that had been swapped by a previous owner with the majority of the running components from an 88 Turbo/5-Speed donor car. The car got pretty rusty, and was something of a mechanical mess. I learned pretty much everything I know now on that car. I ended up selling the car (in better condition than I got it in, though that’s not saying much) in November of 2011.
I also purchased a 1988 Turbo/Hardtop/Auto in July of 2010. The car had quite a few problems and some neglect from previous owners, but was generally much nicer. Being a Texas car, it had almost no rust, a rarity here in Minnesota. I’ve been doing lots of maintenance (and putting lots of miles) on the car, including a roadtrip to AZ and back. It still treats me well to this day. (Those gold wheels came with the Red car)
My old “build” thread pretty well details my goings-on with both cars, it’s just grown quite long and uninteresting, so it’s time to start fresh!
Old Build Thread: http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?36586-Emilio-s-Rebuild-amp-Improvement-Build-Thread
Speaking of starting fresh, this thread is about my most recent purchase, my 4th Supra. (The third one was a parts car of sorts, had it only for a few months, nothing special.)
It’s a 1991 Turbo/Targa/5-Speed, purchased with approximately 110k on it, in San Diego California. In January, put down a deposit on the car (having not even seen it!) flew out to California, got picked up by the owner at the airport in the Supra, and bought it on the spot. It was a gutsy move, but when you see “the” car, you better jump on it!
I then drove the car that night and the following day from San Diego to San Francisco, to my dad’s house (a place he was renting while temporarily employed). It was a great chance to drive on the pacific coast highway, a real treat for a Minnesotan in the middle of January!
Fast forward 4 months, and it’s finally time to collect the car from California. I flew out, and started the journey across the country back to MN (with a stop to visit friends in Colorado)
The trip went quite well, with only a few small incidents. Around the Nevada/Utah border, the car’s temperature “spiked” quickly, and I jumped off the interstate. Coolant was being pushed out of the coolant reservoir, making me start to worry about a BHG. I drove the car gingerly to Utah, where a hotel was booked for the night. The next morning, I stopped by an AutoZone in Utah, got a jug of coolant and a new radiator cap. Then I was off for Boulder CO
On the trip from Utah to Colorado, I got the best gas mileage I’ve EVER gotten in a Supra. 28.5 MPG! I was driving at a steady 65-70mph (as gently as possible, still fearing a possible BHG), with a 55mph tailwind. Once in Colorado, I got to look over the car a little closer. The car had stopped pushing coolant out of the reservoir, and was seeming solid. Coolant was very nasty though.
I left on the final leg of my trip in the morning after spending a day snowed in (On May 1st!) in Colorado. I left early in the morning and was planning on arriving at home in Minnesota at around 1AM.
Fast forward 17 hours, to Northfield, MN (about 25 miles from my home), and the car splutters to a halt on the side of the interstate. After 2,600 miles of trouble-free road tripping, the car was stalled on the side of the road. I took off the front lip in preparation for the tow truck, and in 3 hours and $175 later, I was home with my car….not starting.
I'll be updating this thread more with the car's progress!
A little background about myself to start: I bought my first Supra in April of 2006 (in Highschool). It was a 1990 Hardtop (originally NA/Auto) that had been swapped by a previous owner with the majority of the running components from an 88 Turbo/5-Speed donor car. The car got pretty rusty, and was something of a mechanical mess. I learned pretty much everything I know now on that car. I ended up selling the car (in better condition than I got it in, though that’s not saying much) in November of 2011.
I also purchased a 1988 Turbo/Hardtop/Auto in July of 2010. The car had quite a few problems and some neglect from previous owners, but was generally much nicer. Being a Texas car, it had almost no rust, a rarity here in Minnesota. I’ve been doing lots of maintenance (and putting lots of miles) on the car, including a roadtrip to AZ and back. It still treats me well to this day. (Those gold wheels came with the Red car)
My old “build” thread pretty well details my goings-on with both cars, it’s just grown quite long and uninteresting, so it’s time to start fresh!
Old Build Thread: http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?36586-Emilio-s-Rebuild-amp-Improvement-Build-Thread
Speaking of starting fresh, this thread is about my most recent purchase, my 4th Supra. (The third one was a parts car of sorts, had it only for a few months, nothing special.)
It’s a 1991 Turbo/Targa/5-Speed, purchased with approximately 110k on it, in San Diego California. In January, put down a deposit on the car (having not even seen it!) flew out to California, got picked up by the owner at the airport in the Supra, and bought it on the spot. It was a gutsy move, but when you see “the” car, you better jump on it!
I then drove the car that night and the following day from San Diego to San Francisco, to my dad’s house (a place he was renting while temporarily employed). It was a great chance to drive on the pacific coast highway, a real treat for a Minnesotan in the middle of January!
Fast forward 4 months, and it’s finally time to collect the car from California. I flew out, and started the journey across the country back to MN (with a stop to visit friends in Colorado)
The trip went quite well, with only a few small incidents. Around the Nevada/Utah border, the car’s temperature “spiked” quickly, and I jumped off the interstate. Coolant was being pushed out of the coolant reservoir, making me start to worry about a BHG. I drove the car gingerly to Utah, where a hotel was booked for the night. The next morning, I stopped by an AutoZone in Utah, got a jug of coolant and a new radiator cap. Then I was off for Boulder CO
On the trip from Utah to Colorado, I got the best gas mileage I’ve EVER gotten in a Supra. 28.5 MPG! I was driving at a steady 65-70mph (as gently as possible, still fearing a possible BHG), with a 55mph tailwind. Once in Colorado, I got to look over the car a little closer. The car had stopped pushing coolant out of the reservoir, and was seeming solid. Coolant was very nasty though.
I left on the final leg of my trip in the morning after spending a day snowed in (On May 1st!) in Colorado. I left early in the morning and was planning on arriving at home in Minnesota at around 1AM.
Fast forward 17 hours, to Northfield, MN (about 25 miles from my home), and the car splutters to a halt on the side of the interstate. After 2,600 miles of trouble-free road tripping, the car was stalled on the side of the road. I took off the front lip in preparation for the tow truck, and in 3 hours and $175 later, I was home with my car….not starting.
I'll be updating this thread more with the car's progress!
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