Thinking About A Mkiii

[Flat Pack]

I've always liked these, so I've read the odd buyer's guide and lurked on a few forums to find out a bit about them :) Are they genuinely useable as a day to day car? It'd have to be my daily driver as I've already got one project on the go and no space for another one!

I don't mind a car that needs a bit of looking after and I'm happy doing routine maintenance, but I need something that I can be pretty sure will start in the morning ;)

Finally, how much am I looking at for a decent one? Would have to be manual and turbo (oh and not white;)). There seem to be a lot of very cheap ones that I expect are real money pits and very few decent looking ones, but I'm not in a hurry so I'm happy to hunt around to find a decent car. I've only really considered the 7MGTE engined cars as the import versions seem very rare.

Thanks,

David

[Karma Supra]

Mkiii.... good man!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would suggest tryign a decent auto turbo before totally ruling them out!!!!

Want a buying guide??? Suprasonic buyers guide

I am currently on my 5th mkiii.... they make a very usable daily driver... especially if you are mechanically minded, and know how to look after a car!!!! (they do need looking after).

I have had my grey 3.0T daily drive for just under a year now... and in the 20,000 miles I have everedm, the only problem that I have suffered that has stopped me from getting home is a failed imobiliser relay... which you can't exactly blame the "car" for!!!!

There is what looks like me to be a good buy right now on auto trader... £995, import 3.o turbo aero top, in the same grey as my UK daily drver.... if I had the cash spare I would buy it!!!

Just so you know I am not any muppet comenting on cars I don;t have a clue about.... my two can be faoun in TOC garage (click the images in ym sig) and on my site here..

Anything you need to know... just ask!

[adi]

Personally i think £995 is still too cheap ..even with the rock bottom prices that eBay are chucking them out at ( for poor examples).

If you want a decent mk3 you've gotta be looking at £2k+ ... This will get you a good example with no bodywork issues, and any mechanical issues you can sort yourself.

Pop over to the owners club at www.mkiiisupra.net ...

[MarkMcQ]

Absoloutely avoid one that someone is selling as 'Only needs a new head gasket'. MK3's are notorious for blowing them, and buying one that's like that comes with a big risk. I've bought two now that had BHG's, and both times the block was cracked. Took me months to source blocks for them both. A lesson I wish I hadn't had to learn the hard way.

Also, when you're viewing one, pop the rear hatch and check the area around the top of the rear lights. It's a badly designed water trap, and the gasket on the light is crappy foam, so it soaks up water untill it can't retain any more, and then the only place for it to go is out the bottom, through the light and into the boot. This can lead to rust behind the lights, so any rust on the panel above them is a tell tale sign.

I'd agree with Adi too. While you could get a great model for under a grand, going up to 2 or there abouts could net you a late spec model, with under 60k on the clock.

[Karma Supra]

My grey one was bought cheap with a BHG ;)

No problems with the head or block ;)

[Flat Pack]

Thanks guys,

The Buyer's guide looks great Karma Supra.

Been lurking on mkiiiSupras.net, think I'll keep lurking for now ;)

I'm aware of the car's reputation for eating head gaskets, are they really as bad as people make out or is it case of once it goes they don't check the head and block are level so it goes again soon after?

Edit to say interesting range of prices ;) I'd be looking for a good, late car really.

[Karma Supra]

The heads were not "really" torqued down enough from the factory....

That is a major factor... couple with the point you made.... and head bolts that don't have the best tensile strength in the word......

I am also a firm believer or re tourquing a thousand miles or so after installation (note to self, must do girlfriends car), as the gasket does "settle", reducing the presure exerted on it by the head....

I also think becuase of the reputation of the cars, people mis diagnose them!!!!

i.e. the other day, my girlfriends '91 3.0T:

Heater not working, gurgling sound behind the dash, coolant loss, misfire and mayonaise in the filer cap.... Most people would say without heasitation, "headgasket"

It was infact a coolant leak getting into the spark plug wells (misfire and coolant loss) causing an air lock in the coolant system (gurgling behind dash). the car had been sitting for a week un started and it had been raining non stop, explaining the mayo in the oil filler cap.. (a quick run and it was gone and did not return...)

I am sure someone somewhere would have condemmed it to HG failure... I even bought a car that I was told had a headgasket gone... new rad cap and thermostat and it never missed a beat!

[MarkMcQ]

Thanks guys,

The Buyer's guide looks great Karma Supra.

Been lurking on mkiiiSupras.net, think I'll keep lurking for now ;)

I'm aware of the car's reputation for eating head gaskets, are they really as bad as people make out or is it case of once it goes they don't check the head and block are level so it goes again soon after?

Edit to say interesting range of prices ;)  I'd be looking for a good, late car really.

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It's as Charlie said. They came from the factory with too little pressure. Toyota's official number is 50lbs on each head bolt. in reality it needs to be in the region of 75. Once it's all sorted, they're rock solid. Very sturdy engines.