87 supra for $4500, should I?

[weezer35]

Hey ya'll. I recently wrecked my car (Fiero) in October and I've been looking for another car since then. I came across a dealership where one of the used salesmen has an 87 Supra. He was rebuilding it for his wife all summer long but his wife changed her mind about driving a stick when he got done with it. ANywho, he's asking for $4500 for it and it has 153K miles on it. However the engine is brand new, it's a j-spec from japan and he tore it down all the way to the block and head and rebuilt it, rebuilt the brake system, all 4 discs, and the cooling system and tranny. He also did some other misc. work too (weatherstripping, switches, etc.). My question is this: Would this be worth it, even though i'm hearing that parts are hard to come by? The quality of the guy's work is awesome, he knows what he's doing. I want this car to last me at least a few years, and my dad and I take real good care in terms of regular maintenance and taking care of problems when the first come about. Let me know what ya'll think, thanks alot in advance.

Chris

[projectsupramk3]

Welcome, the Supra will definetly be a huge step up from a Fiero. You didn't list one of the most important variables in the price, if it's a Turbo or N/A. Is it a targa or hardtop? Even though it does sound like a very nice car, I would say $4500 is much to steep for a stock MKIII. For reference I got my 88 for $3600 and it was 100% mint. Of coarse everyone's opinions on what's "worth it" will be different, some people might think that is an excellent price while others wouldn't even pay $1K. So that decision will have to be left up to you.

Why would anyone import a JDM engine just to rebuild it, the whole point buying JDM engines is that they are cheaper than a rebuild and usually have very low miles. Who told you parts for the MKIII are hard to find? Quite the contrary, any kind of stock or aftermarket parts can be found with a few clicks of the mouse as long as you know where to look. I suggest you have a trustworthy mechanic come with you to check out the car, also search this forum on how to pull the codes and do that, check for any rust, rusted out body moulding, check to see if the tail light gaskets are leaking, targa seals leaking, worn out driveshaft bearing, and all of the other general things you would look for with any other car.

[weezer35]

It's NA and i couldn't tell about the roof with the pics he had, i'm towards a fixed roof but i hope it's a targa. To me that could make or break it. I haven't seen it in person, which hopefully I'll accomplish this week between finals. Good point about rebuilding the j-spec, I'll have to ask him. As for the parts I would end up ordering most of them online? As far as price goes, are they kind of the same as parts you would get at a store? And what kind of gas mileage do you get with yours? That is another key thing with me, I'm looking for at least 20mpg on average. Thanks for the info though. The way i see it though, i'll probably fall in love with it the second i see it.

-Chris

[projectsupramk3]

An N/A for $4500 with 153K miles on the chassis? He will have that car for a long time until he finds someone who doesn't know anything about it to pay that much. $3K-3500 is better assuming the outside and interior are mint. Most people wouldn't even pay $2500 for an N/A in that condition to give you an idea. Targa is a great option but it does have its downfalls, it's loose when you drive it and it leaks in the rain. If he replaced all of the weatherstripping new from Toyota you will be set, if not then prepare to get wet or replace them in the future.

For most all aftermarket parts you will likely but them online, new stock parts are just easier to get from the local Toyota dealer or auto parts store. You could see 20mpg or alittle more on the highway with the GE, I believe my old one did 22 on the highway and alittle less around town. I get 32mpg highway and 27ish around town with the new engine (see website) and all with much more HP. The GTE will get better milage, but when you start modding it all bets are off. Be carefull about falling in love with the car, you want to be able to walk away from it if he doesn't come down alot on the price or if you find something seriously wrong.