Split Decision!!

[AbsoluteSpeed]

For those who do not know me I am franco.

So I have kind of hit a fork in the road. I was planning on rebuilding my motor after the first one started a knock'in and even bought a second to make it easier. But now I am not sure what to do.

I need something that is reliable and hopefully last me 3years without any attention. Problem is I don’t know that a supra can offer that (Mine sure hasn't).

I was looking at few different cars but they all seemed to be $10k+ witch I don’t know if I could pay off before I go back to school (I am taking the year off). So I figure if I could get the supra to be 100% reliable for $8k then I would do it.

Problem is the motor rebuild is about $4700 with out install. Plus I would like to get the turbo and transmission rebuilt, I have to fix the a/c, I was thinking about getting a new wiring harness as the old ones get brittle. Maybe new bushings/ball joints and if I could squeeze it in there new springs and paint the engine bay.

I guess I am just looking for some encouragement to continue with the supra.

Any advice, thoughts, or ideas on what else I would need to reach my goal is more than welcome.

 

[skipbarber]

sounds like a good idea, but the most expensive part is the labor. can you try and do any of it yourself? Id say don't replace anything that doesnt need replacing (read: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.) The harness may have brittle loom, but if the wiring integrity is still good and the connectors all work, don't bother. Same with the ball joints, if they dont have excessive play or torn boots, you can ride on them. bushings are a different story, you almost always benefit from new bushings.

 

[themadhatter]

My supra has been my daily driver for 8 months now with very few problems all i've had to do is refill the ac and change the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder. The trick is preventitive mantanice and don't abuse the car.

 

[AbsoluteSpeed]

I just will not be able to shell out anymore cash once this lot is gone.
But I agree that the harness is a little excessive, I will put it in the only if there is anything left over pile.

I would like to try to do some of the labor my self but since it is/was my DD I can’t afford to make a mistake.


Is there anything else I should consider replacing?

 

[Davismj711]

Hi Franco

1) If your currently using the Supra as a DD, perhaps consider picking up a good used Corolla, or similar. Doing the work yourself in many ways needs to be a labor of love for the car. Not something you need to be pressed on time wise, and certainly not money wise. A Supra has a nice appetite for ones wallet.

2) There are several good engine builders on this site. You may consider pulling yours and sending it out to them to do for you. Keep in mind that if your looking for reliability a Supra is more than capable of giving you that, depends on how crazy you wish to go with performance mods.

3) My own Supra is just now being completed with a total engine rebuild and tranny swap, all by me, however it was also up on jack stands for 9 years as I put 2 sons through college. As I said earlier, they like reaching into your wallet. You will be happy you kept the car, believe me. It is one of the very best ever made ^^

Best of luck to you

 

[themadhatter]

wow dave you kept the car up on jack stands for 9 years your hardcore brother

 

[Dan_Gyoba]

I said this on ASC, and I'll add it here.

I drove my '89NA as a daily driver for 12 years, and over 275,000km. In that time, I put a timing belt, spark plugs and wires, a cap & rotor, and a couple of PS hoses and a clutch into the car. I also put an AC compressor in, as well as having the AC converted to R134a. A ton of oil changes, a few coolant flushes, and a head gasket retorque in 1997.

Last year, the head gasket went, and to be honest, the engine needed some work, like valve stem seals, for example. I don't think I was getting excessive blowby, compression was good to excellent at 350,000km, except on #6, where I'm pretty sure the HG went, which overpressured the cooling system, and caused the little elbow hose behind the PS pump to rupture.

My point being that the Supra can certainly be reliable, provided that you: A. Start with an engine in good shape, and B. Take care of it.

Get on the gas hard all the time, and you could be driving a Corolla (which Toyota advertises as the most reliable vehicle in the world -- and I believe it) and it won't last. If you can keep in mind that you want to keep the car reliable, and do basic maintenance on the engine, it'll last just fine.

Now granted, my car was an NA, but the principle still applies, and the NAs were every bit as subject to BHGs as the turbos. Drive it like you want to keep it, and it'll last. Drive it hard, and it'll wear hard.

 

[A-model_]

Keep the car! Swap a NA engine If funds are low,these cars are getting harder to find, Especially if your's is in good condition. You could sell or trade the turbo electronics and hardware for NA counterparts and have a running SUPRA. I've had mine for 5 years but I've only used it 1 1/2yrs, beacuse of inadequate funds , however I finish school this fall. After than comes a better paying job and the rest you can only imagine. It doesnt take much to get it running, performance however is a whole diffrent ball park.

 

[AbsoluteSpeed]

Most of the problems I have had so far have been age related and not really based on how it was driven. I mean it is a 21 year old car that sat for two years before I got it.

It has gone through a bunch of small parts that add up. It now sits in front of my house with a terrible case of rod knock . So it is not really my DD as I have to take the bus, it is just the only car I own.

I’m ok with getting the motor rebuilt and I am sure with forged internals, and all the fixins on stock setup it will be strong and true for a long time (that’s the plan anyway). It's every thing else I’m worried about. I just can’t have her on and off the road.

Is there anything other major that I should be worried about other than the motor, trans, and turbo?

Should I bother doing anything like new rad or fuel pump or would that be an unnecessary precaution?

 

[A-model_]

check vaccum hoses, coolant hoses and the coolant itself, having your radiator pressure tested and cleaned wouldnt be a bad idea, If you replace the fuel pump with a walbro you'll be set down the road for any performance need your setup will require as long as its below 450hp. Replace all fluids, brake, trans, PS, Diff and visually check the all hardware around the engine, drivetrain and suspension for deterioration, If everything is maintained it will last a LONG time.

 

[Dan_Gyoba]

Hoses for sure. As you said, it's 20+ years old, and rubber doesn't last forever. Replace ALL of the coolant hoses while it's down for rebuild. Might as well replace the vacuum hoses, too. For the price of a silicone hose kit, it's well worth it.

The fuel pump... Well, that's up to you. It SHOULD last a good long time, but it certainly can't hurt to at least inspect it for proper operation.

For the drivetrain, the driveshaft steadybearing is also something that could be prone to age-related failure, though that's more mileage and "how you drive it" dependant.

Suspension bushings... More rubber again. I had most of mine replaced shortly before all of the polyurethane kits became available on the market.

Other than that, about the only thing left to go wrong is rust.