Big Supes' UK-Spec - The Story So Far

[Big Supes]

1 hour ago, Tyson said:

Even though you've committed a mortal sin by tampering with a UK car, really enjoying following the updates on this  

Ha!

Thanks mate, while the next chapter of the car was always going to happen, I'm not going to lie if I didn't feel a slight amount of resistance in the back of my mind when deciding to turn the page. 

All of that pressure/guilt has vanished since the first start-up on the single build though, and I haven't been this excited about the car as I am now for years.

[Big Supes]

Howdy peeps, 

Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather. Things have been pretty hectic my end with work and working on the Supra in my spare time. I thought I'd drop a couple of updates here to keep track of what's been going on...

So, the good news is, the car is currently sat at SRD awaiting some love from Mike. The bad news is, there's still feels like a lot to do, although I'm not really sure I can call that bad news, it's just the reality of building a car in your spare time. 

In between taking it to SRD and putting the engine back in, I discovered I had the wrong propshaft configuration due to Grannas Racing never coming across a UK-Spec before (which is understandable). As a result, I was supplied a prop for a 200mm diff which caused the yoke to sit up against the transmission rear oil seal, slowly wearing away through it. It became apparent when the oil seal started to fail so I got on the phone to a tremec distributor in Luton only to be told they had a real seal in stock, but couldn't be arsed to post it as "it's more hassle than what it's worth". No joke lol. I kinda respected what he was saying, but at the same time, that's pretty fcuking lousy customer service. Joel at Grannas Racing had one in the post to me right away and I got it a week later.

The prop was sent back, shortened, rebalanced and shipped back to the UK.

A good friend of mine who's a machinist kindly made me a tool to refit the seal and it was a good shout tbh as it's a tight fit and the outer flange is quite delicate. 

The old seal:

 

 

Tool:

 

 

 

 

[Big Supes]

Once the prop was back in, I filled the gearbox back up with Dextron III ATF, reconnected the exhaust and then got started on installing a second amplifier for the front door speakers. I decided to mount it under the passenger seat and got it wired up. Something I've noticed about stainless steel is, it really distorts under heat so I'm planning on adding 3 bellows to my downpipe. A 4" for the downpipe itself and two 44mm's for the wastegates. This will leave me feeling happy there's more room for expansion/contraction.  

For some reason, ever since going single, I've noticed my headunit hasn't been working. While I was doing the wiring for the amp, I thought I'd get a new headunit (the one in there was dated junk). I didn't quite get to the bottom of why the headunit isn't working it as the clock was ticking and I had a million of other things to get done in order to meet the deadline for my lift to (and back) SRD. Annoyingly, the headunit is slightly too large for the dash panel too, but with a lil bit of filing, I got it to fit (sort of) temporarily. I'm happy to make it work for now as I plan on creating a completely new centre panel that will move things around a bit. 

Managed to put some new tires on the rears and adjusted the ride height up 10mm as they were rubbing before. This was enough to cure the problem until I brimmed the fuel tank on route to SRD. I may have to get the arches rolled or raise it up some more. TBH, probably the latter will work as I think it's a bit low for comfort motorway driving/handling.

One of the other jobs on my list was to try and fix the dash cluster illumination. Ever since swapping out the OEM bulbs for LED's, only the fuel gauge would illuminate. Looking at the back of the cluster, I suspected some of the solder joints had seen better days and with LED's being more sensitive to voltage fluctuations, it might be worth cleaning them up. 

The right side of the speedo and left side of the tacho are slightly darker, but I can live with it for now. 

Big shout to Mike Seegers for his customer support in sending me some more LED's free of charge. He's a top man who really cares about his product. 

On route to SRD, I had the fuel light on and the needle showing where it is in the above pic so I'm not sure what's going on there lol. The needle must have got knocked while it was out, but I'm hoping that by brimming the tank, the needle with have reset itself at the full position. 

So, the drive to SRD was fine apart from the HVAC not working and the heater being off in the hot position.  This must be on the same circuit as the stereo, although the cigarette lighter had 12v. Anyway.....Chris was having fun with all the cars baiting us and there was me plodding along acting like a goodie two shoes. It's a bit hard trying to tell someone you can't play as the car hasn't been mapped yet while driving. 

We got to SRD after hours and didn't want to disturb Lee or make any noise so we parked Chris's car quite a way back and he walked while I chugged along the lane leading to their yard. I was just thinking to myself "ahh, all went well with that journey" and then out of nowhere she started misfiring! At first I was a bit panicked as I was thinking all kinds of horrendous things, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it's an old issue I experienced when the car was on it's final days of being on the twins.

Either way, Mike is going to take a look at it tomorrow and we might end up swapping in the injectors I had planned to get later on down the line early in order to delete the resistor pack, which could be the culprit (at least I'm hoping it is). 

Fun times...

[Big Supes]

SRD have worked their magic and she's gonna be ready for collection this Friday. I can't wait. 

@Mike2JZand @Lee P gave decent feedback on the road test so it really pleases me to hear she's all good.

Still lots to do on the horizon, but for now, I NEED to get out in it this summer as it's feeling like it's been a while. 

For now it's running 500bhp at the wheels which will be a nice little bump from BPU. It's still on the UK-Spec injectors so no more until I get the fuel system on this winter. 

Being honest, I really want to get the rear subframe, suspension arms refurbed and full geo done before upping the power so they'll be done first. 

Massive appreciation to SRD for looking after her.

 

 

[Big Supes]

Picked her up from SRD last night. The drive back was great.

It feels quite timid due to the lack of fuelling, but in all honesty, I don't mind being eased into the higher power for now. 

At first I felt it was very close to BPU performance, but it was gapping Chris's daily BMW with ease which keeps up with BPU Supra's. 

I love the sound of it and like Mike said, it's noisey when it needs to be.

The 4" inch system really isn't all that offensive, tbh, and the recirculated wastegates keep the cabin noise down too when on boost. 

Looking forward to getting it back to SRD for bigger injectors later in the year and Mike will set up the different maps including vallet mode. 

For now I'll take it to work monday to get the suspension raised up as the rear tyres are scraping badly on the arches. 

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Big Supes (see edit history)

[HarleyFDMD]

I think I saw your car at SRD last week when i picked mine up. Ash and Mike said your T56 was very nice to shift! Which makes me think that might be the best way to go with mine! Sounds savage on the dyno with the quick gear changes!! Who did you purchase the T56 through? Grannas direct?

[Big Supes]

10 hours ago, HarleyFDMD said:

I think I saw your car at SRD last week when i picked mine up. Ash and Mike said your T56 was very nice to shift! Which makes me think that might be the best way to go with mine! Sounds savage on the dyno with the quick gear changes!! Who did you purchase the T56 through? Grannas direct?

Hi mate, yeah the box is decent, no doubt about it. 

It's an absolute monster when it comes to handling torque, shifts lovely and is brand new delivered to your door with on the shelf parts in the unlikely case you need anything. 

Yeah, if you go onto the Grannas Racing website and send your enquirey, Joel will come back to you. 

Something worth querying on your enquiry is the RHD fitment as SRD had to make some extra room in the trans tunnel on the swap they did for a customer. 

I never had this issue on mine, but maybe the bell housing adaptor mould could have ran out over time. This is what Ash at SRD has theorised as he could see there was plenty of room on mine. 

[Big Supes]

Mini update... 

Suspension height raised so no more shredding the rear tyres in the arches under boost. Dash LED's fully working. Stereo working. Fuel gauge working properly. HVAC still not working and still putting out hot air. I literally drove back from Santa Pod today bare foot with both windows down. I really need to get to the bottom of why it's stopped working which will no doubt be some evening tinkering for me next week. 

Speaking of Santa Pod, I went up with Chris Pank and an old forum member Paul, in his R35. 

The car drove great and kept up with the other cars no problem. Something I've noticed is a slight clunk at the rear of the car during aggressive gear changes so I didn't make any runs along the drag strip and left all the fun to the lads. 

I have a solid rear diff mount which is no doubt highlighting some wear n tear in the subframe bushes.

The eventual plan is to go down the Grannas Racing IRS subframe route and maybe a Ford 8.8 diff, but I have other priorities for the car so a subframe refurb will have to suffice for now. 

All in all a great weekend and the car didn't miss a beat.

Edited June 26, 2023 by Big Supes (see edit history)

[Mike2JZ]

56 minutes ago, Big Supes said:

Mini update... 

Suspension height raised so no more shredding the rear tyres in the arches under boost. Dash LED's fully working. Stereo working. HVAC still not working and still putting out hot air. I literally drove back from Santa Pod today bare foot with both windows down. I really need to get to the bottom of why it's stopped working which will no doubt be some evening tinkering for me next week. 

Speaking of Santa Pod, I went up with Chris Pank and an old forum member Paul, in his R35. 

The car drove great and kept up with the other cars no problem. Something I've noticed is a slight clunk at the rear of the car during aggressive gear changes so I didn't make any runs along the drag strip and left all the fun to the lads. 

I have a solid rear diff mount which is no doubt highlighting some wear n tear in the subframe bushes.

The eventual plan is to go down the Grannas Racing IRS subframe route and maybe a Ford 8.8 diff, but I have other priorities for the car so a subframe refurb will have to suffice for now. 

All in all a great weekend and the car didn't miss a beat.

A couple of years ago I went to solid rear diff mounts without doing the same to the front mounts. Chris Wilson advised that this was going to cause an issue and a few week later I broke the casing during a burnout. 

After that I went back to poly rear mounts and never had another problem, so you might have something similar going on. So either change the rear mounts or change the fronts to solid as well. 

[Big Supes]

14 hours ago, Mike2JZ said:

A couple of years ago I went to solid rear diff mounts without doing the same to the front mounts. Chris Wilson advised that this was going to cause an issue and a few week later I broke the casing during a burnout. 

After that I went back to poly rear mounts and never had another problem, so you might have something similar going on. So either change the rear mounts or change the fronts to solid as well. 

Gotcha. My worst fear confirmed.

GR offer a soft diff mount which will also reduce gearbox harmonics so it could be an option. That along with their billet 4.11 ring and pinion gear for the big case diff. 

I'm not really sure which way to go, tbh. If I broke the big case diff I would end up going for the Ford 8.8 so maybe it's best to sell the big case now (before it breaks) and then use the money to fund the 8.8...

[HarleyFDMD]

7 hours ago, Big Supes said:

Gotcha. My worst fear confirmed.

GR offer a soft diff mount which will also reduce gearbox harmonics so it could be an option. That along with their billet 4.11 ring and pinion gear for the big case diff. 

I'm not really sure which way to go, tbh. If I broke the big case diff I would end up going for the Ford 8.8 so maybe it's best to sell the big case now (before it breaks) and then use the money to fund the 8.8...

In todays market i cant imagine an oem big case diff costing much less than a ford 8.8 anyway? Also.. why an 8.8 and not a 9"? - i dont know the difference between either, always see the Americans talking about these ford 9"s but not so much the 8.8?

[Big Supes]

16 hours ago, HarleyFDMD said:

In todays market i cant imagine an oem big case diff costing much less than a ford 8.8 anyway? Also.. why an 8.8 and not a 9"? - i dont know the difference between either, always see the Americans talking about these ford 9"s but not so much the 8.8?

The problem is finding a big case euro spec diff if you break one. 

I don't think moving to a 9 would give a desirable final gear ratio with the T56 in terms of matching it to the Supra. 

The 8.8 Ford set up is something Grannas Racing has put together specifically for the T56 - Supra swap. 

[HarleyFDMD]

7 hours ago, Big Supes said:

The problem is finding a big case euro spec diff if you break one. 

I don't think moving to a 9 would give a desirable final gear ratio with the T56 in terms of matching it to the Supra. 

The 8.8 Ford set up is something Grannas Racing has put together specifically for the T56 - Supra swap. 

Ah i see. Im using your build and in particular your drivetrain components for inspiration on my build!

When i said that a big case diff probably wouldn't cost much less than a Ford 8.8 i ment that the sale of your big case would probably pay for an 8.8

[Big Supes]

2 minutes ago, HarleyFDMD said:

Ah i see. Im using your build and in particular your drivetrain components for inspiration on my build!

When i said that a big case diff probably wouldn't cost much less than a Ford 8.8 i ment that the sale of your big case would probably pay for an 8.8

Gotcha mate. Happy to share any info I can to help with the decision.

Yeah, when I said it'll help fund the 8.8, I meant pay for it. ... Although, I would like the IRS subframe to go in at the same time if I can stretch the budget a bit more. 

[Big Supes]

Mini update. 

So, she ended up going back to SRD Tuning for the fuel system sooner than planned lol.

It just felt like it needed doing so I can stop thinking about more power.... and, tbh, it's kinda worked as the car feels a lot better now. More responsive and you get a nice kick up the arse when it comes on boost. 

600whp

 

[mattdavies]

What fuel system did you have and what did you upgrade to ? 

sounds great now 

[Big Supes]

7 hours ago, mattdavies said:

What fuel system did you have and what did you upgrade to ? 

sounds great now 

Thanks mate, it sounds the part, for sure. 

It was running stock UK fueling before, but the fuel pump was tired so SRD put a Walbro 485 pump in. 

Now it's got 264 cams, a full SRD fuel system, lines, fittings, etc. FIC 1000cc injectors, taarx fuel pulse dampener and fuel rail, and lastly, an aeromotive FPR. 

 

[Big Supes]

Update inbound... 

 

 

[Big Supes]

Thought I'd give the thread some long overdue love. TBH, it's been a bit neglected purely through being so busy on the car in my spare time lol. 

So, after having the fuel system installed, I felt it really woke the car up and gave the single turbo experience I was expecting. The torque was there and the engine felt a lot more responsive. 

With the engine satisfying (to a degree) the craving for that kick in the arse when coming on boost, it was time to turn some attention to the body and focus on styling. I really liked the TwinZ kit and with blue being my favourite colour, I found the perfect variation while prepping a car at work for sale and knew the Supra had to painted in it.

So, the strip down began....

 

I decided for a cleaner look, I'd delete the aerial and rear wiper. The panels are quite thin on the Supra so patience was key not to distort the panels with too much heat. I used an air blower to rapid cool the areas after each weld which helped.

 

Overall, I was really impressed and relieved at how little rust this car has. I mean, the main reason I bought it all those years ago was due to how mint it was, but the chassis literally only had a small amount of rust at the very end of the seal which has only gone through a couple of skins of metal. It wasn't really necessary, but it was ground back and a small plate was welded in. I used POR-15 for all these areas to act as a rust preventer which was sanded and then primered over.  

Next step was to get out the careless door dings people inflict in car parks with the help of my pal. I thought I was pretty careful about where I park, but it goes to show, you can't be too careful!
 

 

While the car was being attended to, the bodykit was prepped and primed. 

And, then finally, it was time to start getting some colour down...

 

Lee @SRD hooked me up with new quarter windows, rubbers all round and, while the car was being worked on, I decided to swap out the HSD Monopro's for HKS Hipermax S.

The poor old OEM diff oil cooler had seen better days and had been leaking slightly so, with them being discontinued, I found the closest size oil cooler and made it fit. The OEM bracket wasn't in the best shape either, but with a bit of fettling, it's doing it's job. I decided to epoxy the cooler to the original housing as it was the logical choice. 

The OEM window rubber bolts were pretty seized so things got real lol....

While the car was being painted and put back together it was time to decide on a colour for the wheels. 

With the new Toyota badges and facelift front lights, I wanted something that would lean towards tying in with the grey Toyota subtly used for these. Between a few of us at work, we decided Porsche Platinum would work.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2024 by Big Supes (see edit history)

[Big Supes]

I had originally planned to go with Harry SupraLED's front projectors and halo's so I could work around deleting the front indicators, but after installing it all, the headlights didn't fit very well around the wing. Harry was cool and offered to help as it was probably something silly I had done. As the deadline for a car show was approaching, I ended up calling Lee and sourcing some new facelift front lights and parked the UK glass lights for a bit. I'll more than likely end up sending the UK lights off to Harry to see if he can sort my error. 

To complete the back end, I opted for some Whifbitz carbon number plate garnishes. I've always liked them and they also make for a discreet place to hide a reversing camera. 

 

I also added the addition of a Whifbitz carbon TRD spoiler...

A very tappable booty, indeed....

Some more additions while the car was being put back together. Sound deadening...

While getting the rear diffuser to fit, it was also a good time to swap out the backbox to a ti.....

With everything tacked in place, I sent it off to a friend to weld. 

Fast forwarding a bit....

MOT time:

 

 

[Big Supes]

A few pics from this year....

[Big Supes]

Some other uninteresting things to note... the original 30 year old Laserline bit the bullet so I went with a new replacement Laserline as 30 years is a pretty good testament to the brand. 

 As the dash was starting to show signs of it's age, I thought I'd give it a makeover by wrapping it in some leftover material I had. This along with SRD/JP Works TRD dials and a Renown wheel, the car has a nice, clean and updated look and feel. 

 

 

[Big Supes]

Fast forward to present time, we're back at it....

So, the 600whp satisfied longer than the 500whp (which I think was two weeks before I was back down to SRD.... ), but it's time to push for a bit more. 

After speaking with Mike and Lee, it was pretty evident to get more power I'll need a bigger turbo so I went with a Precision 6870. As I'm still on a stock engine I thought I'd throw an inlet in too and DBW. As the inlet was being added, it made sense to switch to a 5" ETS so all the pipework is made only the once (it'll go forged eventually and turned up some more). 

The biggest hurdle in doing the inlet this Christmas is carrying out the unknown while everyone is shut. I tried to factor all the parts I'd need before hand prior to starting, but like everything new, there's always a bunch of stuff you're not aware you'll need. 

We're not a million miles off now. ETS is on, pipework is 90% done. Just waiting on a friend to weld the ally Link boss onto the inlet for the IAT sensor. DBW peddle is modified to fit the MKIV. Five Guys and Supra bud James has almost finished relocating the battery. Injector loom is lengthened. If all goes well, the inlet should be bolted on tomorrow. The only thing holding the car up will be ordering a second expansion loom for the Link/DBW. 

I'd like to thank Lee, Mike and Ash for being on the end of the phone for help in making sense of some of the unknowns. 

 

 

Once the inlet is done, I'll start swapping the turbo....

[Peter P]

Great updates. Car is looking great and coming along a treat mate. Sounds like SRD have been helping as needed which is great to see. I’ve always found Lee, Ash, Mike and the guys super helpful over the years. Look forward to seeing more updates and keep up the great work. 

[Big Supes]

3 hours ago, Peter P said:

Great updates. Car is looking great and coming along a treat mate. Sounds like SRD have been helping as needed which is great to see. I’ve always found Lee, Ash, Mike and the guys super helpful over the years. Look forward to seeing more updates and keep up the great work. 

Thanks Pete. 

For someone like me who really gets a kick out of working on my own car, you can sometimes find yourself out of your comfort zone which is why having people like the SRD boys to pull a bit of knowledge from here and there is really important. I try not to message unless I really need to as they're not a charity helpline for wannabe tuners.