fredm

Hi all, I will be going to see a Supra tomorrow with a view to buying. It has a registration which the owner wants to keep so If I decide to buy it tomorrow how long before I can drive it away on it's old registration plate? If we need to send off the V5 to Swansea it could take 2 weeks or more. Anyone have experience of these things?

I used to own a UK. TT. auto and would agree with the above post (Steve W) regarding mpg figures. As for performance, I would say yes you WILL notice a big difference in performance. I recently roadtested a n/a manual Supra and a TT. GTO. and can assure you that a standard UK. Supra will leave both of the above for dead on acceleration, no question about it. Not long before I bought the Supra I had the pleasure of roadtesting a 2000 model BMW M5 and I'd say my UK. TT. would have stuffed that too.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Hi everyone, while getting an insurance quote recently I stated that the vehicle would be garaged when not in use. Now my garage is quite small with only a 2.1m entrance, it is wider once inside but the door is only 2.1m wide. Will I be able to get a Supra through the door, with the mirror's folded in obviously? Anyone know? Thanks.

Yes it could be the battery, it could also be the Starter Motor, and it could also be a bad engine earth. Check the engine earth strap is clean(not corroded) where it joins onto the engine also at the battery. Nip into Kwikfit etc. for a free battery check, then nip round to ATS, National Tyres etc. for another free battery check, if they all say it's biffed then it probably is. My money would be on the starter motor though.

Thanks for that.

Hi everyone, I am in the process of looking for a Supra however yesterday I saw a really nice 97' 3000 GT twin turbo, 4ws 4wd etc.etc. etc. A UK model too for £9950. Anyway I know nothing about these things so I was wondering if there is anyone here who can give me some a brief list of things to watch out for. Getting at anything in the engine bay looks a nightmare, the Supra by comparison is easy. Any info would be appreciated. It's got full service history and done 58000 miles. Thanks.

If the engine runs lumpy and is under powered it could even be a blocked cat.

Ha ha ha ha ha I knew it would be a waste of time replying to this thread. Bye the way the Punto was never fitted with a carb. You will be telling us next that it doesn't have a cat in the exhaust!

Try disconnecting the wire to the stop solenoid on the carb whith the engine running, if the engine does not stop you have found the problem.

The car does not have a carburettor, it is single point injection at least I presume it is if we are talking about an early model, pre 2000. Take off the inlet trunking which fits on to the SPI unit, look inside,upon cranking the engine can you see (by looking into the SPI unit) fuel pulsating out of the SPI units main nozzle down into the inlet manifold? No fuel pulsating? The SPI unit can become magnatised over a period resulting in the unit not working. Disconnect the single multiplug that attaches to the inside of the SPI unit (2 wires, maybe 3 wires) leave off for a minute then reconnect, this allows the magnetism to dissappear. Look inside the throttle butterfly and barrel assembly is it covered in sooty black carbon gunge? If so clean with Carb Cleaner/rag/toothbrush don't go crazy with the Carb Cleaner though. Crank Position Sensors on early cars can fail sending a weak signal to the ECU on cranking, sometimes removing them and cleaning can get them working, also just try disconnecting for a minute these too can become magnatised. Electric fuel pump in the tank can also get lazy as they get old, try tapping the tank as you crank the engine. You should hear the pump in the tank "prime" for 2 seconds when you turn on the ignition , it should then start buzzing again when you turn the key to the crank position. Diagnosing faults over the w.w.w. is tricky to say the least. £99 will get you Roadside and Homestart AA Cover , I find it's much easier to diagnose when the car is in front of me. Call 0161 495 8888 tell them Fred I.D. Number 128755 sent you. Hope this helps

Check out a local tyre supplier, kwikfit, ats, national tyres that sort of place. They should have a Locking Wheel Nut Remover Kit. I can't remember the name of it now (I think it is made by Taskmaster) but I have used it myself a couple of times. It claims to be able to remove ANY design of locking wheel nut. It works a treat though it does ruin the nut itself.

Over the past month mine always seems to have condensation inside the car too. It clears after about 1 minute with the blower on full speed. You do have your air-con switched on don't you? Could be your air-con needs looking at or at worst you may have a leaking heater matrix. Check for damp carpets in the footwells and check the level of coolant in the expansion tank.

The rear wheels are waaaay too skinny, and the rear number plate just doesn't look right hanging off the back like an after thought.

The offset is too small. 30mm would be the minimum for that wheel. Also a 275 / 35 tyre would be too tall which will affect the speedo. A 275 / 30 would work. Have a word with Ibrar at Pro Alloys I'm sure he will get you a good deal on any wheel you fancy.

A question was asked regarding the benefits of Calcium-Calcium batteries. Atrade flyer I recently read states: With a few exceptions all 12volt car batteries are "lead/acid flooded". The plates in these batteries are made from a lead alloy, until recently this alloy was Antimony but over the last few years premiun batteries have changed this alloy to Calcium. They are still "lead/acid flooded" the "Calcium only highlights the change of alloy. Benefits : Significantly lower Grid corrosion leading to longer life. Effectively zero water loss in normal service making them 100% maintenance free. 18 months storage time from manufacture to fitment. Cold Cranking and Amp Hour ratings match and often exceed O.E. Specification. Suitable for vehicles with Smart Charge Systems. Definately worth the extra money if you will be keeping the car for a couple of years.

Changing the fuel tank is not something I would attempt. Good luck if you try it, remember that any work you do will have to satisfy the guy who does the M.O.T.

It probably is the Radiator, it is probably the original one which means it is 10 years old now. They do suffer from rotting at the bottom due to lots of leaves and crap getting stuck around that area. If you remove the plastic trim under the car at the front you should be able to see better. I would not drive the car if it's leaking coolant. If it is the core that is suffering from tiny pin hole corrosion a temporary repair would be something like Wynn's Radiator Sealant, or some stuff called Celit, both work very well for tiny holes.

Well spooted, 18" all round.

Attilauk you are THE MAN !!!!! Thanks for that, I was going crazy. In fact thanks to everyone with the info, I will crack these computer things one day. The wheels are EVOX SP2's. 9x19 10x18. Got them from Pro Alloys. I would recomend anyone to to business with Ibrar. If anyone is interested, according to my scales a standard 17" with 255/40 Pirelli P7000 weighed 22 Kg. The EVOX rear with 275/35 Pirelli P Zero weighed in at 22.8Kg. Which I guess means they not too shabby as far as weight is concerned.

Hope tis is right. /edited to protect email account...

Thanks for the help mate, lets see if this works. http://img117.exs.cx/img117/5654/019166bj.jpg Something tells me it ain't going to work, I hate computers! I think I'll e-mail you the pic's mate. Thanks.

Ahhh, I see we have a problem, I shall get to work on it.

Hope the link works. http://uk.msnusers.com/mywebdocuments. Looks like it's worked. I shall post some more.

Cheers Mate, I'm going to give it a go now. Damn, it says that the file is too big. Can anyone guess what my next question will be about?