hello

[Guest scoobyman 555]

hope to pick this up tomorrow what u all think anything i would need to look for

Edited June 7, 2010 by scoobyman 555 (see edit history)

[JohnHandy]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1759099.htm

hope to pick this up tomorrow what u all think anything i would need to look for

 

A MK3 owners club maybe??

[Guest scoobyman 555]

sorry:rolleyes:

[JohnHandy]

sorry:rolleyes:

 

LOL don't worry i'm sure there is a few MK3 owners on here that can give you advice mate.

 

Some will have previously had one or most comment there doing a 2JZ swap and after info.

 

Some may try to sway you toward a MK4 though

 

Any reason you want a Mk3? (well it dose looks realy clean and looked after)

[Morpheus]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1759099.htm

hope to pick this up tomorrow what u all think anything i would need to look for

 

Hi and please forgive the first reply but he was only being helpful ;-)

 

Not all of the members share my enthusiasm for your car or have had the honour of owning what has to be the best value for money on the road today, the MKIII Supra! Huge specification (better than MKIV in many regards) but now so cheap that if you can afford the group 16 or 17 insurance (depending on turbos) then you're laughing!

 

You're going to fall in love with this car like no other, I promise! (OOPS! Better edit this bit out too! Nah!)

 

I miss mine already but I'm too tall for the standard seats and needed to know if the MKIV was better. Yes it handles infinitely better and has headroom for someone like me at 6'5" but looks notwithstanding, the MKIII has far better interior build quality. Those velour seats grip you in corners like leather never could.

 

This is the car I wanted for many years throughout the noughties but couldn't find or afford and I even considered buying yours in February/March!

 

Things to check (and this applies to all cars but some points specifically to the car in question);

 

The pop-up lights for lubrication and if they don't raise and lower effortlessly (and quickly), oil the pushrod ends and cycle them a few times to spread it around. If they ever stop working, there's a manual knob to raise or lower next to the light.

 

Obviously check all fluids regularly, esp. radiator overflow tank level and always use Toyota's red coolant, neat from the container. If any rust or particles in the coolant, flush with a hose and refill with above.

 

Naturally, check for oil or other fluid drips in the morning and use fully synthetic oil and it will last twice as long as normal mineral oils, changing it before it gets too dark. Synthetic will still remain thin though, even when very dirty but best not to let it get that way, especially with a turbo or two! Mobil 1 is the best but Halfords in the silver bottle is a great alternative for half the cost. Both last ages.

 

These engines effectively never wear out if looked after; they're so well made it's astonishing. Make sure that you check the cold start smoke level and if it puffs smoke but it goes away once warmed up you're ok for a while but it shouldn't smoke atall and should actually smell like roses (no kidding!). I think it's the red coolant. It's lovely, atleast through a Catalytic converter.

 

If it does puff blue smoke on startup, the valve stem seals are worn out and the top end will need rebuilding (commonly called a 'de-coke') but I doubt that yours will need it yet but it's at that mileage where things generally begin to show signs of wear mechanically. Timing belt replacement date is critical and will be due at approx. 70-80k miles but best to have it checked and/or replaced anyway if not recently done with a sticker on the cover showing mileage and date replaced, (these come with the belts and must always be applied to the timing cover).

 

Headgaskets are an issue with the 3 litre (replaced one myself) but not sure about the 2.5TT. Check the oil filler cap for a creamy yellowish sludge that is the result of coolant getting in the oil through the gaps in the gasket if it's degraded. The Toyota gaskets use copper water jacket 'rings' which corrode if the proper coolant isn't used and then water and cylinder (combustion) pressure blasts it away gradually.

 

Basically your car should effortessly 'float' away under acceleration like it was nothing. Any sense of over-revving or struggling atall is a sure sign of cylinder compression being poorer than it could be or an exhaust leak etc. which has a surprising effect on engine power. This can cause misfires or an intermittent exhaust note, smooth but with occasional hiccups. Mine does it.

 

A cylinder compression test is worth doing or if it's not running efficiently, the unburnt fuel will foul the sparkplugs etc. and build up on the pistons and cylinder heads which soaks up the injected fuel and causes poor combustion and low power. It also increases knocking or pre-ignition of the fuel/air mixture which in severe cases will bend rods or throw them out of the engine!

 

Low cylinder compression is usually caused by only two things (besides loose or leaking sparkplugs, identified by a brown ring at the junction with the insulator and metal body); an imperfectly sealing valve to seat relationship or badly worn piston rings and cylinder walls but this is highly unlikely to ever cause poor running in one of these engines and certainly not at 66k. Valve/seat wear is though.

 

Go on ebay and get CD manual covering the model for a fiver usually. I have three different ones for the MKIV. Some are more clearly reproduced than others, in .pdf format.

 

There are obviously MKIII Owner's Club's where you'll receive the appropriate advice (and response!) but funnily enough, I never joined one even though I owned two MKIII's over a 6-7 year period.

 

You did well to find your car and I'm pretty sure that I saw it myself when I bought mine on the same site but being in Ireland, the car was too far away.

 

Looks fantastic and doesn't appear to need anything doing to it.

 

If you've never driven a MKIII before though, one rule; lay off the turbos in anything but dry weather, or you might end up facing the wrong way, especially when pulling out at junctions. These cars are extremely tail happy with worn tyres, though your torque should be easily managable.

 

Please be very careful and don't wreck a beautiful car (or anyone else's!). In my opinion, a quieter ride and generally better built and designed car than the MKIV, just not quite the handling but you do have decent suspension on this one, so who knows? Just make sure that it's setup properly by someone who knows what they are doing, as over/understeer can be induced by changing the front to rear settings. I'd ask for it to be setup for slight understeer for safety.

 

Have fun and stay safe!

 

 

Dave

Edited June 3, 2010 by Morpheus
To further confuse matters! (see edit history)

[Morpheus]

LOL don't worry i'm sure there is a few MK3 owners on here that can give you advice mate.

 

Some will have previously had one or most comment there doing a 2JZ swap and after info.

 

Some may try to sway you toward a MK4 though

 

Any reason you want a Mk3? (well it dose looks realy clean and looked after)

 

My apologies John, for apologising on your behalf!

 

[nevins]

May want to apologise to the other members also fella.

[TonyP]

May want to apologise to the other members also fella.

 

The whole forum perhaps?

[SupraStar 3000]

Hi and Welcome.

 

Nothing wrong with the good old trusty MKIII

[SupraStar 3000]

The whole forum perhaps?

 

and their friends and family

[TonyP]

and their friends and family

 

...and their children and their children's children.

[nevins]

This would be a start, welcome to the club scoobyman

[Mcgoo]

Hi and Welcome.

 

Nothing wrong with the good old rusty MKIII

 

 

Welcome.

[TonyP]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1759099.htm

hope to pick this up tomorrow what u all think anything i would need to look for

 

and

[Morpheus]

Oh come on, don't rub it in!

 

Half of those whom welcomed me made it quite clear that my car was practically sacreligious! You'd think that I'd joined the wrong forum!

 

I do however apologise unreservedly, for any offence my comments may have caused.

 

Edited June 3, 2010 by Morpheus (see edit history)

[nevins]

"Pats on head"

Well done good boy, hear have a biscuit. lol

[JohnHandy]

My apologies John, for apologising on your behalf!

 

 

Why?

 

Oh i see now don't worry i never take offence.

Edited June 3, 2010 by JohnHandy (see edit history)