Dan's Supra Project

I figured I should start up a thread as I've had a few people asking me what the latest is on progress with my car.

The car is a 1996 Facelift Gunmetal six speed and it came from the factory with some nice additions like the UK spec brakes, torsen diff, Recaro reclining bucket seats, and TRD sideskirts and spats. I've had the car for approx six years and have come close to selling it a couple of times (house deposit, always working abroad etc) but fortunately I never actually had to get rid of it.

Up until now the car was making great power out of a pair of Turbo Technics replacement turbochargers at a BPU level with a full decat, Nur Spec R, walbro pump, K&N panel filter, ducted front mount intercooler, HKS DLI and a few other bits and bobs. In terms of performance it would outpull an RS4/6, SL55AMG from 50mph+ and the only thing I've stumbled across that was faster (bearing in mind I'm not into street racing so I haven't raced a lot of exotic machinery) was a lovely Gallardo Superleggera. As you all know, that kind of performnace soon seems normal and it's easy to want more. I've been wanting to build up a single kit of my own and spend some time getting it all up together to the exact spec I want with no compromises for quite some time and I've now managed to kid myself into thinking I have time to finally get the single turbo installation completed.....Finally I will have my single Supra!

A few of you have seen the car and one or two have driven it but for the benefit of those who haven't seen it (and are interested) I've attached a few pics.

The basic spec will be as follows:

Precision 6776 DBB turbo (67mm DBB)

Gas flowed cast iron manifold

Four inch downpipe and midpipe

Tial 44mm wastegate

Recirculated wastegate outlet

Solaris S6 ecu

Bosch 044 pump

Bosch EV14 900cc injectors

Dual feed high flow rail and Aeromotive regulator

Aquamist 3D mappable water injection

Front mount intercooler

etc etc

There are lots of custom made parts being used and I'll just let these unfold as the thread progresses. I'lll keep things updated as much as possible and try to add plenty pics as I know everyone like photos!

I'd like to take this opportunity thank the people who are helping out on the install when needed and especially for those who are helping with the fabrication and work on all the custom parts. Thanks very much guys....greatly appreciated

Right now the car is laid up, stock turbos are off and I'm in the process of fabbing up a few key parts like the downpipe and intercooler piping.....

Part of me thinks it's a shame to spoil the existing engine bay and a shame to remove such a nice working setup but I guess that's the price of progress!

Engine Bay

My Custom “Turbo Kit” (no ceramic coating yet though)

Rolling Road Results So Far

Modified Cast Manifold

T6776DBB Turbo

Mock up of general turbo side parts (before welding wastegate parts)

Intercooler and Intake Pipes

The Ceramic Coated Turbo/Exhaust Parts

Custom Bosch 044 Pump Setup

What boost are you running?

Good luck I can't wait to see the finished result!

What boost are you running?

At the moment I'm running no boost as she's in pieces off the road.

On the original turbos I was running 1.1bar day to day, 1.2bar on occasion and i took them up to 1.3bar on the rolling road to check the fuelling was good.

On the 67mm I'll be running around 1.4-1.5bar on the road with road fuel. Off the road....we'll have to wait and see

Nice spec.

Here's a few shots of the intercooler piping being cut to the right kind of lengths and shapes for the routing to the intercooler.

Nice one Dan, have been waiting some time for this thread to start

If you're going to be photgraphing and posting updates during the conversion this thread belongs in the project section. Are you planning on that?

It would be a great thread if you could, as I know you are quite specific when it comes to doing things the right way

Is that your way of saying I'm a fussy git Darryl?

I have a few pics of progress so far to post up so I will get those done over the next few days. I will try to keep a track of everything along the way and post up pics as I go as I'm sure there'll be a few interesting bits that people will want to see.

I originally schemed out all the intercooler piping with three or four silicon bends starting with a 45 degree off the turbo as you can see in the first pic.

I was relatively happy with this but after looking at it for a day or two I decided it was actually a cr@p idea. So then I started again with more aluminium piping and set it all out so it only used straight silicon pieces (including the one of the compressor housing) for improved reliability.

I ended up with a layout I was happy with....the black silicon hoses shown are in their correct places, the red tape is where the pipes need welding.

Piping is 3" all the way from the compressor outlet to the throttle body and takes a nice route down past the alternator and bottom rad hose. This avoids the need for a 90 degree elbow on the turbo and all bends are steady and smooth for minimal pressure drop.

Good luck I can't wait to see the finished result!

Nice spec.

Thanks fellas, I can't wait to get it back on the road.

It'd be nice to take a week or so off work to get it all done; as things stand I'm getting about two evenings a week on it and roughly a day at the weekends so it's dragging a little.

I've been looking forward to seeing this project develop for sometime aswell. Best of luck Dan. If you ever need a hand, let me know as I'm not a million miles away

About time you got this thread started matey

Is that your way of saying I'm a fussy git Darryl?

Something like that Moved to projects section

Intercooler pipes and water neck/elbow being prepped for welding....

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Best of luck Dan

Intercooler pipes and water neck/elbow being prepped for welding....

a tip on the intercooler welding, give the welder some of the scrap tube he can practice on to get the ampage set without blowing holes in your lovingly prepared tube

a tip on the intercooler welding, give the welder some of the scrap tube he can practice on to get the ampage set without blowing holes in your lovingly prepared tube

Sound advice Paul - thanks.

Here's how the piping looks after welding.....not a bad job at all, I'm very happy with the quality this guy can produce especially as I told him not too be tooo fussy with the OD of the pipes as they'll be painted/coated anyway. A good rub down now and they'll be looking perfect.

I used a spare water elbow (thanks Charlie - it's been in the garage for about 3 yrs along with the spare engine!) as I didn't want to risk making a mess of mine...as it happened it was no big deal.

I've been looking forward to seeing this project develop for sometime aswell. Best of luck Dan. If you ever need a hand, let me know as I'm not a million miles away

Thanks for the offer Kev, much appreciated. I may well take you up on that but right now it's itty bitty jobs that need sorting like prepping parts ready to fit so nothing too major happening yet.

About time you got this thread started matey

Tell me about it, I've been waiting to get started on this upgrade since about January.

Best of luck Dan

Thanks Ricky

Subscribed, I'm looking forward to this one.

Good luck with the build mate, and keep us updated!

It's been a long while coming but I'm really looking forward to watching this project. I know you have an obsessive level of attention to detail, so this will be great when it's done.

Had I known that was the way you are doing your upper water neck, I would have given you mine - I did the exact same thing - may have saved you some time.

You won't need it, but good look with it all.

This afternoon was mostly spent prepping the aluminium parts.....intercooler pipes, water neck, stat housing etc.

Grinding down the welds inside the intercooler pipes was a little tricky on some of the bends but they were nice and smooth after some perseverence with the die grinder. I had to use a mirror and grinding stone on an extension a bit like the dentist working on the back of one of your molars!

I also got the baffles removed from the cam covers so they are ready for welding now as well.

A #10 aluminium weld on boss is going on each cover.

Here's a few photos of the cast exhaust manifold when I was doing the initial port matching....

There's something very neat looking and functional about the cast setup in my opinion.

Subscribed, I'm looking forward to this one.

 

Good luck with the build mate, and keep us updated!

Thanks Gaz, will do

It's been a long while coming but I'm really looking forward to watching this project. I know you have an obsessive level of attention to detail, so this will be great when it's done.

 

Had I known that was the way you are doing your upper water neck, I would have given you mine - I did the exact same thing - may have saved you some time.

 

You won't need it, but good look with it all.

Cheers Mig. I'm feeling a bit under pressure now with eyes watching!

I did ask you if you had any other useful bits tucked away in your garage No worries though, I had a spare anyway so no big deal.

I think the manifold came with a 32mm hole for the wastegate. Mine has now been hogged out to something more like 40mm at the narrowest point.

This is in a short region roughly at the manifold face which you can just about make out if you try to look for a line where the flange is meeting the manifold.