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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Mon, 09 June 2003 04:25
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Hello everyone, It's time for me to get a new car, sick of the old 79' carb 18-r corona, I want more power!
I found this '87 supra 3.0GT turbo (7MGTE motor) for $3000! it was $12,000 but the guy has done some front end damage to it. But i think i could fix it relatively cheaply. Tell me what you guys think? And how would i go about fixing it? Or getting replacement parts?
The guy said it drives perfect as it did before he stacked into a Holden Gemini. Does the damage look too bad to repair? is it going to costs way too much if i get it done by a panel beater? can i do it myself? where can i get panels or bumpers from? especially where would i get one of them lights from??
Also are these good cars? i know the headgaskets often go on these 7MGTE engines, but the guy said he just spent $2500 on a new headgasket, i will make sure to check that the head bolts have been tightnened to 75lbs instead of 52lbs. (read that on all the supra web pages)
please give me you valued opinion! Thanx, Chris
if the pic didn't load try http://members.dodo.net.au/~urantiacjd/car.html
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Mon, 09 June 2003 04:49
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does he just have a flat on the left front corner? or is the space saver to look cool? 
seriously though... you'll be able to fix it, but it'll cost a bit. looks like the pop-up assembly is bent. new drivers quarter panel, new bumper bar, and have the chassis checked for bends. it may look ok, but have a small kink somewhere as a result. the bonnet doesn't look too bad, so you can probably just get that panel beaten back into shape
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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Mon, 09 June 2003 15:15
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Thanx for the reply draven, it seems no one else gives a crap, and i thought there were heaps of knowledgeable supra owners on these forums.
Do you know where i could get these bits from? or is the best advice to just check all the wreckers and hope to find a simular model that i can get the panels and light off?
i'll be coming from TAS to collect it from Melbourne during the weekend, and taking it back over on the spirit, problem is the car ain't registered, but i'll take a risk 
I dunno whats the deal with the space saver 
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Location:
Lost in the K hole
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Mon, 09 June 2003 15:19
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fair go dude - its not that no-one gives a crap, but what can we contribute here?
unless ive got a spare ma70 quater panel sitting in my lounge room, im not really much help to you am i? draven pretty much said what needs to be said, now youve just gotta find the parts.
i thought it was pretty simple
good luck with the repairs 
cheers
ed
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Mon, 09 June 2003 19:50
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best thing i can say is, if you have a friend who's good with cars take him along.
preferably a mechanic, or someone with real experience (not just a v8 supercar fan )
dont get me wrong, $3k is a great price for a turbo mk3 supra, but you'll need to budget a lot for repairs, as it can quickly get more expensive than it looks.
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Location:
c'town, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Mon, 09 June 2003 22:02
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i would ask the bloke why he put cressida wheels onto it
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Mon, 09 June 2003 23:17
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Don't touch it if the chassis is bent, it will cost a fortune to fix. I'd get a panelbeater to look at it, he'll be able to tell you roughly how much the repairs will cost and then you can make a decision.
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Location:
Launceston, Tasmania
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Tue, 10 June 2003 01:31
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Good luck finding parts in tassie aswell! i have been to about 80% of the wreckers in tassie and havn't come across any mk3 supras, so you'll have to get parts sent over most likely. where in tassie are you from?
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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Tue, 10 June 2003 03:19
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Thanx alot guys for the replys, as you can tell i'm a noob here.
Never buaght a good car b4
norbie thanx for the tip i'll make sure to check the car chassis to be striaght, if bent i'll leave it alone.
i'll have to fork out for some good wheels instead of the cressida ones, i relaly dunno why he put them on it, looks worse than the panel damage.
cam_RA40 i'm gonne get the parts while i'm in melbourne, infact i think i have already foudn a place to get them from, of course the price hasb't been revealed yet, i'm sure i'm in for a shock.
does tasmania have any supra's at all? i've never seen one in tas. I'm near Devonport by the way, where are you?
cheers all.
Chris
[Updated on: Tue, 10 June 2003 03:22]
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Tue, 10 June 2003 05:47
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he prolly put cressi wheels on it to keep his expensive mags.. quite common.
just one tip... it can be REALLY had to tell if the chassis is bent sometimes. just because it's a front impact doesn't mean the front of the chassis is the bit that bent.
a simple check for a layman is to check the doors close properly, and look at the chassis rail along the bottom of the door. it's by no means a foolproof way, but it's a start.
also pop the hood and see how much the metal inside the car (engine bay lining, pop-ups etc) have been damaged
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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Tue, 10 June 2003 08:58
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thanx again for the tips draven.
I'll be sure to try those tips out and hope the body is still straight, if it's bent or outa shape it's pretty much not worth buying is it? it's not really something can be easily fixed by the sounds of it.
any opionions on the engine performance? are they a thrill to drive? i've never been in anything more powerful than the new model commodore v6 (standard) so i take it these 7MGTE engines are a good quick engine? robust too if the head bolts are re-torqed. What are some of the cheaper mods i can do to get more performance? What engine do you have in your supra draven?
Cheers, Chris
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Tue, 10 June 2003 11:41
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have a look at my signature.. 1jz-gte
lots of people will badmouth the 7m, but it has loads of potential. Paul (SUPRAGTE) is getting well over 400 horsies out of his.
simple mods are the same for any turbo car... exhaust, air filter.. it all depends on your budget.
and no, if the chassis is bent I wouldn't bother
that said, hope it's in good shape for you!
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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Tue, 10 June 2003 13:02
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yeah i just noticed your sig after i posted 
Was just reading an american supra forum and some chick is squeezing 1350HP out of her supra, another guy is getting 1200HP totally insane!
anyway the hardest part for me is locating panels to replace the dented ones, it seems there just aint many wrecked supra's around.
i'll let you know how the car turns out when inspect it and give it a test drive.
Thanx
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Tue, 10 June 2003 13:37
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| dingaling wrote on Tue, 10 June 2003 23:02 |
Was just reading an american supra forum and some chick is squeezing 1350HP out of her supra, another guy is getting 1200HP totally insane!
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That's nothing, my 7M has (Dr Evil voice) ONE MILLION horsepower!
Seriously though, if you've never driven anything faster than a V6 Commodore you'll have a ball in a turbo Supra. They're decently powerful in standard trim, and with basic mods (exhaust and bleed valve) they become a 13 second car, which will be a real eye-opener for you.
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Location:
Newcastle
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Wed, 11 June 2003 03:28
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the guy said he just spent $2500 on a new headgasket
He can show you the reciept for the headgasket work can't he?
If not i would walk away from the deal.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Wed, 11 June 2003 04:35
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and I'd love to know how a head-gasket replacement cost him $2500.
that's most of the way to a complete engine reco
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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Wed, 11 June 2003 07:53
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yeah i thought it seemed abit high for a headgasket,he said
"Also Head Gasket and water pump have both been replaced costing me
about $2500"
the only way i can see it costing that much is if he had it machined and polished for a metal headgasket, but i doubt it.
i can't wait to feel the geforce of this car. (it'd have to be a step up from a 79 18-r cornona hehe)
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Location:
Lost in the K hole
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Wed, 11 June 2003 08:08
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dont get too carried away with how hard it goes.
i suspect - it being the fastest thing youll have driven - that you just get out from the first test drive, grinning like a fool, sying 'ill take it' even if it is the biggest POS ...
be wary, not excited.
ed
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Wed, 11 June 2003 08:42
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ditto what ed said
just remember every turbo supra out there goes that fast.. so focus on everything else.
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Location:
Launceston, Tasmania
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Thu, 12 June 2003 02:19
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I've seen a few ma70 supras around. i live in launceston at the moment although i am formally from penguin on the northwest coast. As with everywhere, they arn't common but there are still a few about. they are a very nice car! good luck with the repairs
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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Thu, 12 June 2003 06:49
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Yeah i saw one today, some old lady driving it, that's too much power for an old lady.
anyway i'll be picking up the panels from toyrolla in melb. will let you guys know how it go's.
thanx again everyone.
Oh also does anyone know where to get those metal headgaskets in Melbourne? and also the ARP head bolts with High torque?
Cheers.
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Location:
Ipswich
Registered:
July 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Thu, 12 June 2003 08:35
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Find out why he has a turbo motor in there as that year did not come with a 7m-gte unless it was imported.
A cheap way to fix it is find someone who bought a jza70 front cut that had all the panels on it and buy it off of them.
They should probably wanna sell it cheap.
Only thing is iy might not have everything u need. Alot of half cuts don't have all the panels. But u might get lucky.
Brett.
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Location:
Kenthurst, Sydney
Registered:
February 2003
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Thu, 12 June 2003 09:04
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sounds like a good price to me
maybe you should do a compression test to see if it has a BHG
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Location:
tas
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Buying this car this week, tell me what you think
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Sun, 15 June 2003 01:51
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Ok Guys, i'm in Melb, I've checked out the Supra, i had my Uncle (mechanical Knowledge) with me, the body damage is pretty much as bad as i thought, the panels should be able to be removed and replaced, i couldn't quite see if the underlying chassy was bent or not :(-, alot of oil on the bottom of the engine, i think it was coming from a pipe near the front of the engine, it seemed like there was foam around the pipe seal and it just wasn't sealed properly. When my uncle asked the guy about the oil on the bottom of the engine, the guy said oh it's the steering fluid from the steering box, but it seemed like alot of oil for a leaking steering box. Probably need a sump gasket :(-
The test drive was next, as suspected the steering was not great (leaking steering fluid)and not to mention with that fucked front tyre. Rear brakes were worn (expected), suspension needs replacing(suspected). The motor sounds good, Altho everything about the supra my uncle put down, he's good with some things, but i think he was just bieng a negative bastard (he's jelous i reckon). He was putting the car down so much saying "this car is not worth $1000" or "the motor just doesn't sound good, do you feel the vibration? can you hear that knocking?" none of which my self or my cousin could hear or feel. But when i told him to just fuckin plant it, oh boy did his facial expression change from baggin the car out to "holy shit, that's got alot of friggen power!"  . After that i think he had alot more respect for the car. But he still wouldn't recomend it, he recomended a saab like he has, infact this guy has never owned a jap car so i don't feel his help was very usefull.
I'm picking the car up today for $2500, and that's a realistic price for what i'm getting, alot of work, and the engine and drive seem perfect still. I may not get it roadworthry for a month or 2. but it will be a great project car to do up over time. If any of you supra experts live in melbourne i'll pay good money for your valued opionion, give it a look over and tell me what you reckon. The headbolts need to be torqued down to 70Lbs instead of 52Lbs
Thanx all
,Chris
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