Just got a 1986.5, now what?

[quarterturn]

or.....first things first....
as a newbie this would be my first posting. needless to say, very glad I found the sight and look forward to the wealth of knowledge available here.

A friend I play golf with mentioned he was going to be buying he and his wife new vehicles and that he would be selling three of their used trucks/cars. I ask what he was selling and became interested when he said they were going to sell a Toyota car. Turns out that they bought it new in Meza, AZ while he was in his residency internship. It has 96,xxx miles on it. Engine is a 7MGE with a 5 speed. When he brought it by the house I bought it on the spot.

He said they had really babied it through the years, keeping it covered or garaged most the time. Never wrecked. He said the only thing was they had installed a different radio because the antenna malfuctioned. (he gave me the original radio as they had kept it). Also, he said the best thing to do was lock it from the outside with the key to avoid the pesky alarm going off.

As I say, the car is now in my garage and my reason for posting is to ask some basic questions. I would like to start detailing this great little car inside and out. I plan on using Simple Green on the engine with my power washer to clean the engine, would that be ok? Also, what should I wrap with plastic to protect from water during the engine cleaning?.

I would appreciate any input on completely detailing this baby. No question it has been covered/garaged all along but the engine is dusty and it needs a good washing and waxing. It's all stock/original. Except for the radio. First things first though. Any tips/advice on using the wrench for the targa top?
I do have the operators manual and it explains it but just wanted to check here. Previous owner said they hadn't had it off mor than 10 times. ??

Sorry for such a long post but one more thing. Any suggestions for brand of engine oil would be appreciated. Plus, I'll be checking fluid level's and everything to get her ready to drive. Any other advice/tips on getting it cleaned up and ready to roll would be most helpful. I did drop the air pressure to 28psi all around. It has Goodyear Eagle GT's that are fair.

Can't wait get it on the road but I want to have it nice and clean. I'll eventually have it gone through mechanically but it runs great now.

thanks in advance.
K.

 

[lagged]

NO! do NOT power wash the engine bay.

first, itll be a PIA to cover all the electrical components that you dont want to get wet, second, you WILL get water in the spark plug valley causing your car to run like shit until the water evaporates.

youre just gonna have to clean the bay by hand, start in one corner and move on to the next.

id suggest a tune up and replacing all fluids, just so you know exactly where you are at with the car.

 

[RTA Supra]

I agree, don't pressure wash the motor, you'll probably have more headaches then anything. Plus, if you just go through and wipe stuff down you have a better chance of finding something wrong that maybe you didn't know about. Also, a tune up and OIL CHANGE are key IMO. Especially the oil change. We don't want Mr. Rod to come a knockin'

 

[psifactor]

If you think about it for a second water and electrical stuff really do not go together well. The best way would be to go get some purple cleaner (or i'm sure simple green will work) start in small areas and then use a paint brush to break loose the dirt and grime. Then trickle water in that area only to remove the residue. Or better yet get a rag and a bucket of water to wipe away the mess.

So where are our pictures? This car sounds like its mint

 

[Supra Blues]

Turbo Swap

 

[lagged]

Turbo Swap

i agree. i also have an 86.5, lightest mkiii made so you have that going for you, and youll get a chance to clean up the engine bay while you have the motor out.

 

[Supra Blues]

My 86.5 is nearly complete. Runs good, just gotta work out the bugs.

 

[Squid699]

def don't power wash the interior....i did that when i first got my NA and wondered why it ran like crap. Def think about puttin a turbo in.

 

[wulfstan]

A lot of elbow grease will go a long way. Even if you do go toward turbo swap, the cleanliness will help in the end. G'luck and congrats on your new baby...

BTW make sure you run your compression to check for BHG. If he indeed is the only owner, then it prolly still has the stock torqued bolts on the head. Due a search for BHG and you'll see why I'm making a big deal about it even though I know you want looks at the moment.

 

[IJ.]

1: Open drivers side door and insert copious amounts of cash !

 

[CTsupra]

Def. go for a turbo swap, or you'll be wondering why people are saying mean things to you. On the other hand, I agree what the brothers have said about not power-washing the bay. Use a TOOTHBRUSH and make sure you have about 6 hours of free-time.

edit: what the hell? read my post below, please.

 

[shaeff]

when i pulled the motor out of my 86.5 i used Engine Bright engine degreaser on the entire bay. it was absolutely spotless. it looked brand new! it didnt harm the paint at all either. get those "rags in a box" things and a can of Engine Bright. it literally looks amazing when you're done.

never power wash your engine bay, unless you've pulled the wiring harnesses and the motor out. even then, i'd go for a steam cleaner over a power wash.
you'd be best off with a turbo swap too. my 86.5 was real quick till i blew the tranny.

oh yeah, do exactly as lagged said, change all fluids! change: gear oil in tranny, rearend, motor oil/filter, antifreeze/flush, power steering fluid, drain the clutch and put new fluid in, and check all the brakes, too. if the fluid is nasty lookin', buy a damn lot of it and change that out too. it gives you an awful lot of piece of mind.

-shaeff

 

[CTsupra]

Def. go for a turbo swap, or you'll be wondering why people on the streets are saying mean things to you. On the other hand, I agree what the brothers have said about not power-washing the bay. Use a TOOTHBRUSH and make sure you have about 6 hours of free-time. Change ALL fluids: motor oil, tranny, and differential. Use Royal Purple oil (its a synthetic). Change the radiator fluid with Toyota Red, distilled water and a bottle of water-wetter. Change your head-gasket to a metal one and make sure the head is re-decked to a smooth mirror finish. Use all ARP hardware and torque that bitch down to 90ft.lbs. Change air filter, water-pump, thermostat, probably your oil-pump as well (NEVER TRUST THE OIL-PUMP!), fuel filter and a whole lot of other stuff I'm forgeting.

Actually, sell it and buy a turbo model....then do all of this.

 

[americanjebus]

ok ok i see allot of "turbo swap" and perfomarnce stuff for recomendations first questions taht matter are
your age, (different age groups have different interests)
the purpose of this vehicle (daily driver, weekend racer, cruiser for long road trips, or show car)
your pocket (how much $ can you fork over within a 2 minute period)
and most important , your time. how much of this do you have

first thing your gonna see is this is a maintenance car. you check its oil at every gas stop you make. you check the coolant for oil when you so much as think about the subject and do the same for the rest of your fluids. you baby it and it will deliver.

another thing this is a 7mge so you wont be seeing boost thus less compression and i geuss less chance of a blown head gasket. but it is a stock head gasket so what your going to see first is a bad one. it is a N/A motor so the oem will work. save up a couple hundred and two weekends to get this done right. if your going for a daily dependable car with SOME balls this is all you need. it will last and you will love it.

IF you want to get performance and you DO have lots of $$ then go for the turbo swap just a jdm engine rebuilt and refurbrished to tip top shape will be great. Either way this forum will help you allot with either road you take. let us know how we can help.

 

[CTsupra]

N/A = higher compression = same if not more of a chance for a BHG. A stock HG will work for...a while...if it's brand new, applied correctly and torqued to 70-75 ft.lbs. Either way, you'll be paying for a HG change.

 

[americanjebus]

thnx ctsupra i wasnt sure on the compression.

 

[CTsupra]

No prob. I was looking at my reply and thinking yea this guys gonna think I'm stepping on his toes. Glad you didn't take it the wrong way.

 

[IHI-RHC7]

1: Open drivers side door and insert copious amounts of cash !

I second that.
And:
You must turbo it.
Boost is your friend.
First though, do a comp check, check fluids,
I run Castrol Syntec 20W50, but any full synthetic motor oil will work well.
Keep an eye on your oil level at all times, and check for leaks.
Also once you switch to synthetic, you must stay with synthetic, and it's not cheap.
How much did you get the car for? Where are the pics?
Don't pressure wash it!
Turbo it.

CT, although technically, you're right...
The Turbo motor will see higher cylinder pressures, so the na has a lower compression ratio in that aspect. When cranking, the NA is higher, but when boosting even 6 psi, the turbo motor will have an average cylinder pressure that would be equivalent to ~12:1 static compression on an NA motor, rather than it's static 8.4: sompression ratio whilst cranking.
Therefor, although the NA has a higher static compression ratio, the turbo motor will be more likely to blow a headgasket.
(I'm also not trying to step on toes )

 

[IJ.]

2: Open hatch and pour in some more cash

 

[IHI-RHC7]

Pop hood and insert the remaining cash.