Help me convince my Dad to buy an MK3 Supra! [PROBLEM] {LONG}

[hmong337]

My dad was getting crazy and wanted to buy a newer fancy Mercedes GLK 350. He's 60. He already has a 2001 Toyota Highlander. I told him, FVCK THAT, "Dad, you should get that cool car you always wanted when you first came to this country with Mom back in your twenties. Remember the old Supra you always lusted for? Why the hell you wanna drop $50k for a stupid Mercedes SUV when you can get into a minty clean MK3 Supra people drool for and under $10k (not that the GLK isn't to drool for either ahaha). But $50k for "just another" fancy European SUV and high maintenance costs isn't really cool these days to be honest. Classic cars are hot now.

Apparently, I already convinced him. He called me today about an automatic turbo LOL. He's 60 years-old remember. The car has to be MINT through and through! He does not want any issues with the car and will pay strong money for a good car.

This is the ad:
________________________________________________________________
1988 toyota supra turbo.

comes with the 7M-GTE MOTOR. runs very strong.

only 80 000 original km!

car is mint. paint is flawless. absolutly no rust at all.

dashpad looks very nice.

this is a rare supra turbo

________________________________________________

Now that I've convinced him, I kind of pushed myself into a corner. My Dad doesn't turn wrenches. I'll ultimately have to turn the wrenches if something easy goes wrong or take it to my mechanic which is very good and I trust him. So...

PROBLEM:

This is a classic car. That means OLD! Ahaha, so we need to know about... Parts supply? Any parts or components discontinued already? I'm mainly referring to suspension stuff, wear items, and consumables. Would suck to find your Supra has a worn out components that they don't make anymore

I don't know anything about these Supras myself. Never owned one. Never followed them closely but respected them tremendously (I'm an SW20 guy). Seen some around and talked to a few owners but never any full experience with one. Which is why I'm here. Simply to ask, what sort of pitfalls am I in for? Are 7m's oily leaking bastards? How about seals? By now every seal should've been replaced lol. Any certain hoses that will need more attention? I know the 3sgte has things like HFH and HFHOE. I heard there's power steering that may need replacing? How about the electronics? Drive line components? Is glass hard to come by? The infamous BHG? Rod knock? ...to name some more.

Importantly, how is parts support looking for the mk3 supra?

I'm almost thinking he should get the Non-turbo just for reliability purposes. He's not like many of us here. He doesn't care about performance. He just likes the car mainly for its looks. An Automatic NA should be cheap to find in Mint condition, yea? But if it's a well kept and cared for turbo car, all the better.

Can anybody direct me to a good vendor?

I want my dad to get this car so bad. It would go great with my white SW20 :biglaugh:

 

[hvyman]

Id get the Mercedes. They have better a/c.

 

[Suprapowaz!(2)]

GLK is probably better suited for winter conditions in Canada, eh?

Why can't he buy his GLK, and a MKIII for a little weekend fun?

 

[supraguy@aol]

I would push dad towards an NA, only for fewer systems for you to deal with later.
I doubt he's looking for a drift/ drag car. I would say 91/92 NA with moonroof. He's not going to want to wrestle with a targa, and the 91-92's
had the nicest interiors IMO.

 

[teamslow]

Let your Dad buy the GLK. You'll save yourself and your Dad a lot of headache in the long run. Most wear items can be bought at your local automotive parts store. Lots of the dealership items are discountinued. A good site to buy factory and aftermarket stuff is on driftmotion.com. If you cant find what you're looking for there then whatever you're are look for is going to be really hard to get.

Yes. 7m's are leaking bastards. I would recommend replacing the factory bolt for the valve covers with aftermarkets ones and get them tighten down real good. If oil is leaking between the oil pan and the block, It's a real hassle to fix because you need to either unbolt the motor mounts and jack up the engine or drop the subframe.

If you buy a "mint" supra. Dont expect it to be just a drive and go car with no issues. Good luck with the car hunting.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Hey, fellow (ex) SW20 owner here! I also owned an AW11. Fun little cars.

Even a mint mk3 will behave like a classic car. They're all old and will all require more care than a new car. If you don't enjoy working on your car, then a mk3 isn't your speed. Mint car or not.

An NA will generally by more reliable. The biggest plague in the used mk3 world is Blown Head Gaskets. Followed second by wiring harness problems I'd say. I would budget a BHG fix (~$1000-1500 if done yourself with no other major problems) into your purchase price. They are that common.

From an investment standpoint these cars are on the rise so it's not a terrible financial decision, IMO. Just be prepared to have work ahead of you should he buy a mk3. If that's not a pleasant thought then help him find a newer ride.

Good luck!

 

[hmong337]

He doesn't need two SUV's. He already has his Toyota Highlander for our Canadian winters and to use as a DD. It's fully loaded and has nice leather. He kind of realized this and now wants the Supra :icon_bigg Plus talking to him about depreciation and how much he'd get raped on the Mercedes actually pushes him away from it. He'd rather have the Supra (mid-life crisis lol). He could sell it for what he'll pay for it even a few years down the road if he decides. Try that with the Mercedes! $50k Mercedes will be worth $25k in two years. $8500 minty clean mk3 supra will be worth $8500 in two years if still kept in the same condition (which it will be).

I finally talked with the seller and they are a legit classic car dealer. They mainly deal with muscle car stuff but they have this white Supra in their inventory. I was assured that everything checks out with the car. The only imperfection is a tiny rip on the driver's side seat in which the stitching came undone. Other than that, it runs strong, does not leak, and the A/C blows cold as we are being told. It was garage kept its entire life (only 80,000 kms), and is a two-owner car.

Sounds like it ticks all the right boxes. Still though. Classic car means classic car issues like parts availability. Just being cautious and looking at all angles here. It does look like we may go through with this purchase though. My dad really wants this car. At least it's not like it's an old school Ferrari or something crazy to get parts for.

The car will be kept completely stock and babied (60 year-old man), so hopefully none of the ugly pitfalls will rear their ugly heads.

Are their any issues with the automatics?

Here are more pics of the car.

 

[Melee_Falcon]

If he's getting that 7M-GTE, make sure he knows how to take care of a turbo motor in case he's never been familiar with them. Trust me, I've been on the ass end of that issue when the original owner handed it off to me from his neglect. Just make sure it's warmed up if he plans to up it a notch and to let it cool down for a minute or two after running it hard before you turn it off.

Driftmotion is a pretty good place to find most of the factory parts for the 7Ms (I get my parts there often) and if not, I've heard good things about Curt at Elmhurst Toyota as he's been able to find a lot of harder to find factory parts in case the local dealers can't find them for you.

In my opinion the auto trans seems to be just fine with the stock motor, and it hasn't given me any issues yet.

Another good resource to have is the Toyota Supra Repair Manual (TSRM). You might want to take a look at sections you might be unsure of even if that particular system is fine now. I'm not saying that it will always act up but it is an older car and some things on it are bound to need attention if it hasn't been serviced recently. Here's a link for this: http://www.turboninjas.com/mk3supra/

 

[hvyman]

The radiator is about to pop. And once it does it's likely the head gasket will go with it. Also looks like everything steel is rusting. If the rest of the car is too not worth it.

 

[VegaSupra]

Exactly what I saw first too. Lots of rust areas in that engine bay. That would likely spell trouble for the other parts of the entire car.

Thankfully we don't have to worry too much about rust in SoCal.

 

[KevinM]

Personally, I'd pass on that car and research more.

The low miles and garage history won't have helped keep the headgasket together to start, so it's something you can expect to do or pay to have done. Also beware of low oil levels and spun rod bearings.

Additionally, I'd research the various years, colors and options and either find his favorite, or if you're concerned with resale, pick what we find the most desirable (typically a 92 with shadow gray interior - auto or no, but any other person would want a manual)

Couple of things to point out as far as the year differences (simple things)

89 got the bumper, taillight and wing update
90 is the first model with an airbag
91 got the factory sunroof, also got 6.5 inch front door speakers.
92 is the most rare by far

Various interior and exterior color combinations were available, I'm guessing Wikipedia is a decent choice to figure that out.

Good luck. http://www.supras.com/ is still a decent read for potential owners.

 

[Silver MK3]

Here is a good source for color information. Can look through the original brochures for all the years too.

http://www.toyotareference.com/supra/1986-1992

 

[hmong337]

Thank you guys so much! You guys have been a wealth of knowledge.

Honestly, it would be nice to find an 86.5 or 87 since where I live, anything older than 1988 does not require emissions testing. But I don't see that happening.

I also agree that a 91-92 non-turbo automatic would be a wise choice. But those are extremely rare to find and next to impossible here in Canada.

He is adement on being as low mileage as possible. Basically under 100,000kms. Don't ask me why, those arehis wishes. He actually digs the white. But red is another strong choice.

The car i posted they are asking $8750 cad. I think that seems fair. The problem is that it's 6-7 hours away and if we were to buy it, it would be sight unseen which is hella risky. I told him that spring is around the corner and something closer is bound to come up. Hopefully i'll be able to find a clean low mileage 91-92 in prestine condition.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Overall that white car looks good to me. The radiator should be changed immediately and it would be good to see the underside to check for more corrosion. I agree with the above comment on the headgasket though. With most any mk3 you need to be prepared for at least a partial engine rebuild before it's reliable.

Are you comfortable with an engine rebuild right off the bat?

 

[Nick M]

Id get the Mercedes.

/thread

 

[mk3 salty]

/thread

Those of us who work on our own cars will say, Get the Mercedes or something else. I have spent more time under my car then in it.

 

[Nick M]

I wouldn't say get the Mercedes in 1989. Only now when they have been ruined through negligent changes or lack of maintenance. That is the biggest problem.

 

[rodel]

Its admirable that your dad wants a Supra. In order for him to enjoy the Supra, carefree, I would suggest purchasing the best platform possible. Rust free, minty interior, and the clean exterior.

This platform should then be restored completely. Rebuild the motor. Replace as many engine bay parts as possible with new ones, e.g, turbo, fuel system, alternator, radiator, hoses, belts, etc. The suspension system should also be overhauled: new springs, shocks, bushings, etc..

Basically if you want your dad to enjoy the mk3 like a classic car, he should have one that is renewed like a classic car; otherwise, he might not get the experience that he hopes for and regret his purchase.

 

[maxburn]

And no matter how nice of a platform you buy things will still break haha. Great cars despite the little problems.

 

[VegaSupra]

Its admirable that your dad wants a Supra. In order for him to enjoy the Supra, carefree, I would suggest purchasing the best platform possible. Rust free, minty interior, and the clean exterior.

This platform should then be restored completely. Rebuild the motor. Replace as many engine bay parts as possible with new ones, e.g, turbo, fuel system, alternator, radiator, hoses, belts, etc. The suspension system should also be overhauled: new springs, shocks, bushings, etc..

Basically if you want your dad to enjoy the mk3 like a classic car, he should have one that is renewed like a classic car; otherwise, he might not get the experience that he hopes for and regret his purchase.

sounds like my supra... lol. (which I will be selling soon btw... shhh. it's still a secret. :naughty