far Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 OK GUYS ! Now that I've got your attention - please could you share some knowledge & wisdom! - Im glad I found this site and you guys - talk about informative ! all the usefull threads are very interesting. Ok well I have read through the threads and most of my question s have been answered.Just to put you in the picture I have seen the light and decided to get rid of my prelude vtec and move onto the Supra TT.I have seen quite a few over the past couple of weeks and have met an importer (respected dealer recomended by work mate) who has a L reg TT Manual (RZ) - silver 70,000 miles for £8.000 (auction grade 5) which is a decent price I think(comments ?) The only thing im papping my pants about before making the purchase is there is no service history(all in japanese) hence apart from making an educated evaluation of the vehicle I have nothing else to go by - is it wise making such a purchase ? or should I wait and find one which has been in the uk for a while or indeed buy a FTSH uk car? The other thing is some thread say the turbos lifespan is circa 90k - others say the turbos are good for 200k - should I buy a car with 70k on it to run the risk of replacing the turbos after a year or so? or is it a case of "depends how the previous owner has driven" kinda thing. Finally - thanks again for your help and a great site - sooooo glad I found you ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dunk Shaw Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Hi welcome to the club, If the cars got Japanese service history couldn't you get it translated into English ?? Grade 5 is the top grade i think. £8000 for it doesn't sound bad to me. My car's done 92k with no problems but my 1st uk mk4 tt blew both turbo's at 50-60k it had FTSH 1 owner before me so why they went i dont know. A lot does depend on the treatment by previous owners, the amount of people that dont let them warm up before driving them hard and then switch them off as soon as they pull up will not do it any good especially the turbo's. Service history doesn't mean your car will be problem free but it certainly helps give you an idea of how well its been maintained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 hey thanks dunk Yep could get the history translated - good idea ! - will try and get this translation done beforehand prior to purhcase Just out of interest - whats the cost of replacing the tubros? and is there anyway of telling that a turbo is about to die when I do the test drive - I read somewhere on a thread that if it whistles excessively then its mashed Guess there is always a risk factor involved in this kinda thing,do you think its worth doing an AA check on it? Im not too mechanically minded so my knowledge of what to look for is very minimal - can you suggest for any typical things that I should look for ? The bodywork and interior is mint - but I ask the question has it been tarted up ? welll thanks again for your info - much appreciated and it has helped me get closer to my purchase ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dunk Shaw Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Think you can get hybrids done for under £2000 which basicly is all new internals but using your old casings which get modded to take the bigger internals which will = more power. If the car is mint then its a good sign its been looked after rather than tarted up, just look at everything you can, even better if you can put it on a ramp and have a good look underneath. Think your in the lap of the gods with the turbo's unless its real obvious theres something up with them like nasty noises or white smoke out the exhaust, mine were fine one second then knackered the next. Take a decent mechanic with you, ive used the RAC and the AA and wasn't really that impressed with their checks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Terry S Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Hi Far. Lots of JDM cars won't have a history. No big deal unless it's stolen! Turbo's. JDM turbo's are fragile as they use ceramics. The temptation over here is to remove the cats & therefore raise the boost. Eventually they will give up the ghost. There are excellent hybrids available over here that use steel internals ( UK turbos are steel, but not as big as hybrids). Cost would be approx. £2k inc fitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 CHEERS GUYS,well 2k for hybrids sounds ok - at least I now have a figure to budget for in case the turbos go bye bye ! By the sounds of what you are saying there is a risk factor involved purchasing a turbod car I dont think I will be de-catting the car if it decreases the life of the turbos ( I say that now but it may be a different story when I get the car! ) I have never uses the RAC or AA before but other people have warned me off them aswell as they seem to skimp on the info supplied and the checks made can be more in depth. So anyway guys what do you reckon - shall I take the risk and buy it @ 70k or look for one with less miles ? Heres a pic - doesnt tell you much though really ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willson Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 I think it sounds really good. 70k is nothing, just worn in. I would probably jump on it. Only thing, I thought Grade 5 was for very new cars with very low miles.... not sure though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dunk Shaw Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 I think your on your own when it comes to shall i or shant i. If the car drives well, stops in a straight line, doesn't leave a smoke trail behing it, hasn't had major repair wrk, is in good condition inside and out, everything wrks, then go for it. What about getting a mechanical warrenty on it for your peace of mind. Also take a look at the JIC site, there cars are a lot more ££'s than the one your thinking of buying so i'd say if the car seems sweet with no probs get your wallet out. Your biggest worry will be catching the dredded supra modding virus, which im afraid is fatal with no known cure:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 I've got a grade 4 with 56K on it on the way, and I've only seen a few pics of it. Mind you, I'm not importing it though. I think having read things on this site, nothing really goes wrong with these cars that often. Just hope it doesn't get blown out of the water by the yanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 cheers mate - I thought the same too - I haven't seen the paperwork for the auction yet but I am reassured it is a grade 5 vehicle - if what you say is correct then this vehicle cannot be a grade 5 due to milage Any thoughts Dunk /Terry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dunk Shaw Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Just looking at the pickie you posted, is there a kink in the roof or is it just a shadow :D sorry far only kiddin m8 good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dunk Shaw Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Originally posted by far cheers mate - I thought the same too - I haven't seen the paperwork for the auction yet but I am reassured it is a grade 5 vehicle - if what you say is correct then this vehicle cannot be a grade 5 due to milage Any thoughts Dunk /Terry? Not sure on that, i thought it was condition of car not mileage. Phone JIC or another import place and they should be able to tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 I think I will have to test drive it and find out dunk - will follow your advice and cross my fingers ! I think I am getting minor symptoms of this "modding virus" already - I have drove a prelude vtec (modded) for the past 5 years but said I would avoid this on the supra due to reliablity issues - my fingers seem to be twitching to get at least a exhaust/dump valve/airfilter - I will resist though ! (er... i think lol) Chase,the yanks are jealous of anything they haven't got or cant produce so I wouldnt be surprised if the supra gets blown out the water ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 ha ha very funny dunk Hopefully the only kink involved in this process will be theone in my wallet. Thanks again 4 all your info - I will let you know when / if I buy it - ok I 've just looked on the veilside site - the front nose cone is a MUST purchase - dont think I can live without that one ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dunk Shaw Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Regarding the modding,,,, resistance is futile. But at least there's a few of us here to point you in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonB Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Originally posted by Andrew Dunk Shaw What about getting a mechanical warrenty on it for your peace of mind. I wouldn't bother. I've yet to see one worth the paper it's written on. They usually don't cover anything that's likely to fail, and even then only if it fails completely. For example, I had a rear wheel bearing with too much play in it - it was about to fail. The warranty didn't cover it because it hadn't actually catestophically failed! Turbos might be covered, but I doubt it. You'll have upgradeitis before long.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyefi Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 grade 5 is reserved for less then three year old cars if i remember correctly. a 93 supra can not b a grade 5 now (unless this is some different grade system??). who tells u is a 5, is it the importer or the auction house? there is normally two grades applied to a vehicle, a number, which gives u an idea of its exterior and mechanical condition, and a letter which describes the interior condition. ask to see the auction sheet. any bodywork scratches etc will b marked on the car diagram and the grade clearly marked in roman numerals. alot of (shadey) importers will not show u this sheet. maintaining a supra isnt cheap, just like ud expect, but in general ive been really happy with the running cost of mine. things can, tho rarely, go horribly wrong and get very expensive, its a risk u take. imo u need an enthusiast or specialist to look over these cars. also imo service historys r a bit of a double edged sword Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashpoint Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 If it's only £8000 then it's a good price as i've just bought my first and the TT started at around £10k so you have £2k spare. I'd buy it. Not a technicaly reply but that what the longer term owners are for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 well with warraties its a case of reading the small print to establish whats covered and whats not Simon,I really wanna buy this one now - its not going to be ready(SVA,mot etc...) for another couple of weeks though, Does any1 know if I will get a full years MOT with it since it has just been imported ? presumably they mot it after the SVA? All my previous Jap cars have been uk spex so not sure what the procedure is Oh and also who is the cheapest veilside stockist ? Dunk - I think the virus is getting hold of me - is there a cure ? JIC sell this for "Nose cone supply only £470.00 " or "Supply, paint and fit £870.00 " Paint & fit price is £400 which seems a little steep - in fact is it me or are all the prices in JIC (including vehicles) really steep? - guess they gotta make there moeny somewhere ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyefi Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 very rarely will warranties cover modded parts and will generally blame other modded parts for a stock parts failure and thus wont pay out, again i think they r generally a waste of time. u will mod the sup £8000 sounds good if its not crash repaired and in good condition. there r some very nasty sups available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 If it's only £8000 then it's a good price as i've just bought my first and the TT started at around £10k so you have £2k spare. I'd buy it. Not a technicaly reply but that what the longer term owners are for. Thanks Cahspoint - im thinking the same,autotrader.com doesnt have any TT's for 8k so I might have got myself a bargain ! I was a member of some honda clubs & prelude meets - anything similiar go on down south for supras ? - not really into boyracer cruises though would like to meet up with some fellow owners ! (once I get the car that is ! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Terry S Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 £400 sounds cheap if you've seen how badly these things can fit! Also the Veilside is VERY common, especially in Silver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 grade 5 is reserved for less then three year old cars if i remember correctly. a 93 supra can not b a grade 5 now (unless this is some different grade system??). who tells u is a 5, is it the importer or the auction house? hey thanks for the info eyefi - hmm interesting - I will definatley check out the auction sheet prior to purchase then - didnt realise it detailed scratches etc... as for the grade - It doesnt seem to be a grade 5 then with what you have told me as its a 93 so I need to get this verified . I dont really know any supra enthusiasts(apart from you guys!) so are you offering your services eyefi? he he just messing - dont trust the AA or RAC to check over such a specialist vehicle though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far Posted February 11, 2003 Author Share Posted February 11, 2003 £400 sounds cheap if you've seen how badly these things can fit! Also the Veilside is VERY common, especially in Silver. Yep I have seen it on a few cars but I think it still looks like the dogs b0ll*x Haven't really seen anything that comes close to this kit for killer looks ! Do you have anything else in mind Terry ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dunk Shaw Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 When i mentioned a warrenty obviously youve got to get a decent one that will cover the bulk of the parts on your car, ive had them on cars before and just made sure i read the small print before i bought it to make sure the big drama's are covered. Ive made claims on them in the past and had no problems, one being for £5000 so IMO that was money well spent as the 3yrs warrenty cost £750,,, it does very much depend on doing your homewrk and going with the right company. I agree a lot of warrenties are not worth the paper there written on but some are. Regarding mods then its the same as your car insurance if you dont come clean then they will not pay up. Common sense really !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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