@@jeremychen9282 Actually the Mk 3 was way more popular then the MK 4 ever was before the movie. The MK 4 killed the Supra. Even left North America early because of the MK 4 they couldn't give away people just didn't want them when new. Wasn't until F&F millenials wanted the car. The movie used because they were cheap and no one wanted them at the time. The MK 2 and 3 are true Supra's beautiful cars.
@@damilolaakanni The mk3 actually is more of a gt car than the supra. It has a longer wheel base making it better for high speed driving. Theoretically speaking it would be safer to make big power with a mk3 than a mk4
I had an 88 Mustang GT back in the day and around 1991 I happened upon a Turbo Supra on the beltway around Houston...we put the hammer down and rung it out. I never could catch the Supra. After about 10 minutes of this the guy pulled over and we talked...he said were were going 140 mph at one point. Thinking back this was probably not very smart...but it was pretty fun.
Funny you should bring this up. My wife and I graduated college in 1989 and were married in 1990 at which time I upgraded from an 83 Mustang GT to a 1986 Mustang GT and for my wife we purchased a used 1987 Supra Turbo (6-speed manual of course). At some point during our ownership we were side by side on a highway and gunned it from 60mph to 120mph and we were dead even the whole time. For the era, these were pretty fast cars especially once you got it going. It had as much power as a C4 Corvette. In 1994 I sold the GT and got a used 1990 300zx Twin Turbo - little did I know at the time we would have two relatively iconic Japanese cars of the era.
oddly enough, when i was a teen i had a new 88 turbo targa supra, I ran into a mustang probably of the same yr. Him and i got to going on our Canadian highway.. He was at my side , we punched it, and i kept creeping past him slowly, by the time we backed off i had the needle buried and he was in my rearview mirror. . Best run of my life.. But looking back,, stupid move..
Man, I had a 91 turbo supra 7mgte, built 720whp. Car got totaled and swapped the motor into my 86 mustang hatch, boy did I get looks here in Texas back then lol
And nowadays all the issues of this car are known so it's pretty easy to make them bulletproof. Plus this engine can handle a big amount of horsepower for those who want to make it really fast
@@Trussme96 that’s true with all 90s JDMs. They’re just waiting to appreciate. Next in line is the FC, Z31, and A70. Better to start being realistic and buy a GT86/BRZ 😂
After more videos like this not for long. Used to have one and was hoping to again one day. That is something that is quickly disappearing for most as prices are already on the rise in many places.
I bought a MK3 about 6 weeks ago and I am so happy that I finally found one. Maybe it's subjective but I feel like it is getting a lot more love from media lately. I was pretty concerned that the prices would explode before I got mine.
How are you enjoying it? The prices sure as hell did explode and we didn't pick the best time to buy, but now is certainly better than what the future holds. Last year I paid $8K for the 7M-GE and an automatic, no sport package. Pretty steep, but the car was in pretty damn good shape for 116K miles and had the head gasket sorted. $10K later in fixing things, led conversion, wheels/tires/suspension, and fiberglass window louvers, she is one really expensive car haha. Looks absolutely stunning though, I couldn't think of a better vehicle ever. Gets a ton of attention.
The Mk 3 smokes the look of the jelly bean MK4. Yeah the MK4 gets all the love. But the Mk3 is just miles better looking. Build one out to 500hp and you’ve got a banger. Who wants a 1000hp jelly bean anyways?
@@755hp me either tbh, I always built my own stuff. This car though I wanted to have peace of mind with the engine since it needed a rebuild anyways (got it for $80 with piston and head damage), but the swap will be all on my own lol
I've owned nearly this exact same car for more than 15 years, and you have done it justice. Also, for potential buyers, this guide is excellently researched. One more thing that may be worth mentioning however, is that the cam bolts on the lower suspension arm tend to seize within the arm bushings, causing them to need less than favorable means of extraction (and replacement) to get a good alignment. Account for this costly potential if the car does not track well.
My 88 does not pull to the left or right and seems just dandy, but I did put coilovers on, a sway bar, and new 17" wheels and tires. I was thinking about getting an alignment just because I guess you probably should after all that, but I wonder if the issue you mentioned would get in the way of that.
And when you get it, I suggest swapping a 7MGTE engine in it with a small Garrett GTX Gen2 turbo (GTX2876r, GTX2976r, etc); comes into boost quick with lots of torque. Also, I’d suggest building the bottom end to a 10:1 compression ratio; this helps spool the turbo incredibly quick. But you will need pull back ignition timing as the 7Ms don’t have crank sensors (based off exhaust cam sensor); so when the belt stretches, timing can jump (advance) momentarily causing knock.
One of the best videos out there on the A70. I drive my Mark 3 regularly between Denmark and the UK, and with the vacuum-operated cruise control it just eats the miles with that 70L fuel tank. Everybody waves, and everybody wants the headlights popped up! Plus, with a quick intake mod, you got all the turbo noise you'd ever want. One thing you did not mention, is to check if the car you're looking at has had its CT26 Turbo wastegate shim spaced. If there are washers or a spacer at the mounting flange on the intake side of the turbo, the car has had a rougher life than normal. Keep that in mind!
I owned a 1991 Toyota Supra Turbo and I wish I never traded it in. I traded it in at 70,000 miles and it never gave me one problem during the time I owned it. The motor ran smooth as silk as was very quiet at idle. I've had BMW's and Porsche's since then but I most fondly remember my Mark 3 as my favorite car. And I loved the styling.
At 19 years old this was my first car!! A 1988 supra targa turbo( bought for $7,100ca in 1998) it was an amazing car,that i drove always and everywhere. Got it at 147000km, sadly sold it 4years later but with 330000km, so yeah Sam it really can eat up the miles.. Now 19years later and i still miss this car. Alot of memories with this car,(friends,great road trips and how i met my wife,lost the car but kept her👍)
This year I remembered this cool "Supra" my dad had 20 years ago that had super comfy bucket seats and I loved it. So I decided to pick one up this year (not the best timing with prices lol). It's a hell of an experience. It's absolutely gorgeous and solid inside and out, easily the nicest car I've been in and I think the interior is one of the best ever made. Way different from all the econo cars I'm used to; the Supra is pretty huge doesn't exactly move like my lil' Camry. Never been so in love with a car though, the MKIII is a thrill to drive everyday and I always look forward to it.
@@kevinbarrett8802 Well I realized I'd probably have that granny Camry the rest of my life so I sold it and bought a 01' Celica GT-S. Way more my style and it's a blast to drive and corners amazingly well. Still looks like a modern car IMO.
Any tips for a newer MK3 owner after all that time? My head gasket is sorted, all new wheels/tires/suspention/swaybar/all fluids/AC converted. It's only a 7M-GE, but at 117K miles I want to make sure it's on the road for as long as possible. Only thing so far was a power steering leak and some hoses fixed that, doesn't seem to play nice with LED headlights, but that's just a gripe.
Wow, didn't realize people were paying that much for these. I almost bought a running and driving NA car for $400 several years ago, but it needed a little work. Should have snagged it up.
Little fun fact for you. In the original Back to the Future script, the vehicle that Marty wanted was going to be a Supra (instead of a SR5 Pickup) except it was older than this one.
Finally. Thank you someone touches on this like a comfy gt semi luxury car. People forget this came out before Lexus was a brand. They were luxury tech packed comfortable rides
Own an 87 Turbo. That entire second timestamp/section of your video is every time I tell people about my 'fun car'. "I own a Supra. No, not that Supra you're thinking of..." etc. Pretty much point for point exactly the same thing you say lol But honestly speaking, I DO want to crank as much power out of mine as possible, hopefully staying with the 7M (rebuilt with better parts of course). Call me a hipster, but the whole 2J/Mk4 Supra hype thing is just so... cliche. I wanna do something different. I know there are people who've built out 7Ms, and I hope to join them; I do NOT wanna be one of those people who smashes a 2J in the engine bay and basically makes a knockoff A80.
If you really want to engine swap, put whatever the hell you want in there man! An MK3 with a 2JZ is already a better car than the MK4 and even after all that MUCH cheaper. I plan to just on my 7M-GE myself, it's not super fast, but 1-2J prices are as much as I paid for the car in the first place now, probably not happening. Besides, I've never heard a car that sounds THIS nice and powerful without being obnoxious, I absolutely love it.
My first car was an 89 Supra NA. Manual Non turbo with targa top. It was around 2006 so all my boys laughed at me for a little bit until I fixed and was fishtailing out of the parking lot. Good times, then I blew the head gaskets. Essington Ave, Philly 🥺
If I were building a 3rd one, I would install the 1JZ engine with modest turbo(s), because the 7MGTE engine has a lot of faults. I rebuilt 4 if I can remember right. Two turbo, two non. I thought I got it "bulletproof" on the 4th one with Cometic metal gaskets and ARP studs, but really its just a problematic engine compared with other Toyota units. Back then we were just learning of the travesty of these incorrect head gasket torques, and this was before Internet and bulletin boards were very prolific, so info was limited. Because it was a pretty rare car (in my area anyway - I was the only one driving one in the town by what can remember), we just didn't know the problems they had. In fact the first one had the "birdcage" light on when I bought it (I later found and bought a factory owners manual which told me it was the coolant level warning signal), which - of course now we know - meant the head was blown and leaking/burning coolant. I was unaware of any issues of Toyota's mistake back then...maybe I just thought that it was a Toyota, what could possibly go wrong? That one threw a rod through the block pretty quick...only a few weeks! Toyota really should have stood up and owned the problem they created with a recall, but they just didn't and at the time, nobody I knew had an idea of what the heck happened. A reman'd engine went in, and later I bought a Turbo but I knew of the problem pretty well by then. I proudly owned examples of these fine cars when I was in my late teens (89 and 91T), and I tried my best to keep them running on a shoestring budget, with minimal mods, minimal skill and knowledge, but maximum love. The interior was a wonderful place to spend thousands of miles and it only left me stranded a couple times. The car has a personality that, like the 240sx, can be "sticky" to its owners.
@@lansonfloyd4687 The birdcage light just refers to the coolant overflow tank. The lid (for whatever reason) does not fit right on mine so I think it evaporates out. I think you can probably always activate that light briefly if you corner hard enough. I definitely don't have a blown HG, it's been fixed.
@@rushnerd hey if that's all it is, then grabbing a new coolant tank should solve your issues. With a car this old (now) that's a blessing. Side note - I have no budget to buy one but I spotted a gray one sitting in a yard about a mile from my house. Not even sure if it's for sale or not but from 50 ft away the body/exterior looks pretty good as I drive by it once or twice a day. Sigh....not good for Supra addicts like me
@@lansonfloyd4687 I've heard this story a few times hah, they are ALWAYS for sale if it's like that (eventually). I've yet to ever see any model of Supra in the wild though, most people have no clue what the hell I'm driving. At this point buying any Sup just to part it out pretty much pays for itself!
I worked on Toyotas at an independent Toyota specialist back in the day and nope. The The turbos were well matched with the auto, the torque converter helped build boost and covered up the lag. The NA with the 5 speed felt snapper and more responsive, but was slower. There was not a huge weight break with the NA car. Like Mr. Smith said, these were cruisers, think Japanese versions of the Porsche 928.
@@realkarfixer8208 I think it was a grammar joke. the way it's worded could also be interpreted that the turbo (itself) weighed 3500-3600lbs, doubling the overall weight of the car ;)
very comprehensive assessment of the 7m! great job guys, in regards to transmissions btw they have 3 available transmissions, a weaker 5 speed manual in the non turbo (w58), a strong 5 speed manual (r154), and of course the sloshbox 4spd auto (a340). However a modified a70 chassis these days is still quiet the performer and not to mention how dam good the 7m sounds when opened up!
Even my 7M-GE with the sloshbox is the best sounding car I've ever heard (dual tip exhaust.) At start up alone it sounds like it has MUCH more power than it actually does, I love it.
i just got my mk3 running finally smogged it in cali and im not going to lie or exaggerate but as far as a car goes it is amazing. it shouldnt be compared to the newer mk4 . the 7mgte is a great motor but compared to the 2jz it gets over shadowed but for real its better than most cars engines for instance a 3vze in a the 2nd gen 4runner or so and they still hit 300,000 miles on those .and if your going to hit 1000 hp 7mgte or 1jz you gotta build both anyways plus the cost of swap for 1j aint cheap for a stock 2.5 lol and in the end the larger displacement makes a statement look up 1300 hp 7m they use the same standalone ecu as a 2j or 1j so price build is very similar. mine is completely stock though cause cali smog ruins it for me and it runs strong people underestimate how good it sounds and runs. it is a well designed setup. mine has an a340e auto and the way it drives is better than most modern cars,it kinda sounds like a g35 or 350 z gas mileage aint that bad either if you dont have a heavy foot. i have been driving amazon flex and have been doing double shifts in it working 8 or so hours a day driving it like a mail van and its taking it like a champ. doing deliveries in it is a treat. the reason this motor got hate is purely the head gasket specs.
The A70 / MK3 Toyota supra was my first car and it is my favorite car. I’ve owned six of them over the the past 17 years, and I have had at least one at any given time since I was 14. One of my current projects is a one 1UZFE swapped 1989. I have to say this was a spot on write up absolutely an awesome job.
My first car... the 1989 Toyota Supra Turbo in a red and grey cloth trim, targa top, and 5spd R154 transmission. That was 18 years ago, I still own that car :)
@@xyzebruh1083yap, I instantly did arp head bolts and a hks head gasket. But I also built it and bigger turbo/injectors etc to about 720whp. She screamed.
One of these with an automatic, throw a good aftermarket exhaust on that isn't loud, and put some good tires on it. That is an absolute dream car because it would be a comfortable nice car to take on roads like the ones in this video.
Yea the car was sooo smooooth... i can't tell you how many time i went to start it while it was already running. so quiet and so smooth...until you punched it with the turbo..
That along with Fortune 500 coilovers and a beefy whiteline front swaybar on full stiff make ALL the difference. She handles absolutely incredible with next to no body roll after that. I think the stock exhaust sounds absolutely incredible, but mine is certainly old and needs to be replaced.
Great review! I had an 86.5 NA and an 89 Turbo. I'm glad you emphasized this cars strength. It was a spectacular GT car. I drove it 7 hours with no stops, and I had zero fatigue from it. Being 6'6" and around 250lbs, it's rare for me to find a car that's even comfortable on a short trip. Miles just melted away with this car. It also had good chassis balance. It was very easy to control in a slide and was much more nimble than its weight implied. I miss them. I have a manual SC300 now, but there were definitely some things the MA70 did better.
I'm 6"5 and 300lb it was the same. I fell into this car but was looking for a Dodge Magnum with a Hemi to manual swap. So glad my buddy talked me into the Supra. It just feels so good. Drove my friends 500whp is300 and I just felt like I was going to break it, but not the soup! I'd take that any day even with 50whp less
Any thoughts on the NA vs your turbo? I have no idea what the GTE is like since I only have an 88 NA. I understand it's not a massive difference, but I am curious. Kinda sucks when you have the version of the car no one talks about or seems to want, but then again I think it's plenty fast and should have less issues than a GTE.
@@ZombieTapdance Yeah it's literally the most comfortable car I've ever driven, those cloth seats are something you couldn't even beat in a new car today. Long road trips are a blast. Pretty hilarious you mentioned that the is300 felt like it was going to fall apart lol. I never thought about it much, but the Supra really is solid as hell, I would take that over some souped up civic.
@@rushnerd on paper, the numbers aren't that different, but the turbo had considerably more midrange power, so it pulled much better at most speeds. The suspension, steering, and brakes are the same, so they feel pretty much identical other than that. My turbo did have appreciably better steering feel, but that was due to the revised power steering on all '89 Supras.
I have a 1992 Supra it’s an automatic but it’s all stock. The turbo option was an extra 40 hp I believe. Mine has a sunroof leather thumbs up all the time. The color is teal I think Toyota calls it mica green.
Eye watering price lol. I looked at a mint example in the early 2000’s and should’ve jumped on it at the $5k asking price 🤦 the thing was a garage queen
"professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt" What? Drive slowly between the lines and around a curve? Sure. I'll hoon the living shitz out of my car then...
Excellent & objective review! Yeah, they were built for a specific purpose, and should be considered only within those limits. The reliability -- considering the age -- is remarkable, but as pointed out, the head gaskets and the leaky targa roof are major weaknesses to watch out for. One of the telltale signs of failing head gaskets is a gurgling sound behind the dash when accelerating from a standstill; that's cylinder pressure leaking into the heating system. The other is coolant in the #6 cylinder, which is crammed right up against the bulkhead, by which time that cylinder will no longer fire anyway; then it's high time to replace the gaskets. It took me a while to get into the habit of idling the engine when making stops on the Autobahn. Haven't had issues with the turbo yet, but then I don't floor it anymore. Also, if you're considering registering your 30-yo Mk3 as vintage (which significantly reduces insurance premiums and road tax) make sure it hasn't been modded; in Germany, at least, the vehicle must be in original condition to qualify for vintage status. EDIT: I forgot to mention the chassis wobbles and creaks significantly without the targa roof. This is normal, but can be alarming for those with a nervous disposition. :^D
Tons of info here and helpful perspectives on what might be best to consider between so many different options. I say you're really improving with these buyer's guides!
My Dad bought this car,you are watching, brand new. I bought it from him in 2008. Loved this!!! I did all the repairs ,talked about in the report, myself. It was a labor of love!! Unfortunately it spent a lot of time in storage, I didn't have enough time to enjoy, bummer. I sold it in 2019 to the gentleman, who obviously loves it as much as my family had. Enjoy Thanks DAD RIP SEPT 2020.
My wife and I owned a beautiful pearl white 1987 Supra Turbo with matching white wheels - 6 speed manual. Get this, we bought it used in 1990 just after we were married with about 40k miles for only $11,000. We kept it for 6 years and put 100k of our own miles on it. It was relatively trouble free, though we did have some cooling system issues and I was getting worried about the head gasket issue towards the end. For the era, it was a fast enough car - as fast as my 1986 Mustang GT with as much power as a C4 Corvette. I cant think of many non-exotic cars that were that much faster until later in the 90s. We felt pretty upscale in it as well and driving with the targa top off was an additional treat, though it was pretty flexy. A few years later I sold my Mustang GT and bought a used 1990 300zx Twin Turbo and so I was fortunate enough to own both these Japanese relatively iconic cars together for a few years.
Oh, and I thought it was better looking that the Mark IV - as you say, more grown up looking. Mostly due to the huge wing on the Mark IV turbo which I thought at the time took away some of the sophistication. Not that I didn't love the 325hp of the Mark IV - but by then I had the Z32 300zx Twin Turbo, so we eventually replaced the Supra with a Lexus SC300 (which I didn't like) before going all German.
I'm the very proud owner of a 1990 Supra Twin Turbo R, imported from the Japanese auction network. Driving one of those compared to an american spec A70, which is still a great car, makes you realize just how bad the US market got watered down when it came to getting the best of the best trims.
The KGB realized if they tell the same story over and over, people think it is true. That model is the MA70. Toyota has no "A70", and it is the first generation. A million American journalists can say other wise, but it is a first generation.
A surprising amount of people agree that the MK3 looks superior. They both have their place and while the MK4 is way more modern, the MK3 just looks like a work of art and the interior is extremely well designed and unique.
If you're looking for one of these with everything working, a complete interior, and a like-new turbo you can either settle for 2 out of 3 or you can keep looking for the rest of your life.
@7:54 also guys, from a more than 10 year previous owner of two mk3 turbo Supras....first thing to get is a turbo timer...if you don't give the turbos time to warm up at idle before you do hard acceleration you will blow the turbo seals...
They very first manual car I learned I had the 88 Turbo with the R154 long ass throws but damn that shifter was rock solid bought it for $3800 back in 2001 at 96K miles I enjoyed the heck out of it but hated the little nagging issues the 7M had until I sold it at 125K then few months later the HG gave up on the next owner.
I sooo miss my 87 5speed maroon Supra turbo... What a well built Beautiful GT car. Made the camaro' s and mustangs of it's time look like poorly engineered badly built pos by comparison. put 300,000 miles on her..
As a former owner of three MKIIIs and one MKIV, I appreciate this review. My MKIV had 136K on it when I sold it, and it ran and drove like new. My last MKIII had 331K on it when I sold it. I drove it daily and surprised a buddy with a modified E92 M3 with only an intake and full cat-less exhaust. He also owned a Cayman GT4, 458, M4 GTS, and couldn’t believe the MKIII was so fast. Other owners of both generations agree there’s something different about the MKIII to appreciate.
My dad was a Toyota mechanic and still had to replace the head gasket like 3x and rebuild the transmission twice in 5 years on his MKIII turbo. I drove it and an NA version and they handle like boats but gripped well (the turbo with LSD is actually controllable during drifts). Always tempted but they’re just not reliable with the 7mgte
Great guide that covered a TON of stuff that mostly only the community knows about. However, I did catch one minor mistake or oversight. The MK3 Supra actually came with 3 transmissions. The manual in the turbo and non-turbo variants are extremely different. The non-turbo had the W58 trans which was a traditional push style clutch. The turbo had the R154 which was a pull style clutch and a heck of a lot stronger 😉
great review , best friend bought one of the first turbos sold in our city and we drove it year round and did ok with winter tires then he decided to keep it for 3 season driving, your bang on about it being along distance car it went from coast to coast in Canada several times and also in the USA and it never left him stranded anywhere on these trips the maintenance was always done or done ahead of time and this car had the best A/C above any car in its class and did fine inCalifornia, Texas and Arizona , it was $27,000 new before tax he later sold it after his first kiddo was born for a 4Runner , it had about 100k miles when he sold it, great vehicles 👍
just picked up a A70 supra with a 1.5jz gte swap head his warning goddamn the guy that had it before did a terrible swap job just had to pay 20k to get it where it is now and its beautiful but if thats not something you are ready to do avoid the swaps take the 7m or import a jza70 instead though I will say i would take the 1j any day fantastic motor sounds amazing runs fast and smooth would take it over the 2j any day the exhaust note is just a tad nicer imo
I was thinking to buy one of these as a 1UZ swap platform. Now that they are almost $30,000 I think it's best to pass. Either way that is a beautiful car from Toyota's golden era.
30k!? Join a mk3 facebook group and buy them all day long for 4-9k depending on condition. If you are going to 1UZ swap it anyway, buy an NA with a blown headgasket but a clean rustfree body. You can find those easily for 4-5k.....
I prefer the styling of the Mark 3 Supra over the styling of the Mark 4
That’s your opinion, Matt.
Mk3 design and mk2 was my favourite.
I agree. The MK4 looks more like a GT car than a sports car. Same with the 3000GT.
@@jeremychen9282 Actually the Mk 3 was way more popular then the MK 4 ever was before the movie. The MK 4 killed the Supra. Even left North America early because of the MK 4 they couldn't give away people just didn't want them when new. Wasn't until F&F millenials wanted the car. The movie used because they were cheap and no one wanted them at the time. The MK 2 and 3 are true Supra's beautiful cars.
@@damilolaakanni The mk3 actually is more of a gt car than the supra. It has a longer wheel base making it better for high speed driving. Theoretically speaking it would be safer to make big power with a mk3 than a mk4
I had an 88 Mustang GT back in the day and around 1991 I happened upon a Turbo Supra on the beltway around Houston...we put the hammer down and rung it out. I never could catch the Supra. After about 10 minutes of this the guy pulled over and we talked...he said were were going 140 mph at one point. Thinking back this was probably not very smart...but it was pretty fun.
Funny you should bring this up. My wife and I graduated college in 1989 and were married in 1990 at which time I upgraded from an 83 Mustang GT to a 1986 Mustang GT and for my wife we purchased a used 1987 Supra Turbo (6-speed manual of course). At some point during our ownership we were side by side on a highway and gunned it from 60mph to 120mph and we were dead even the whole time. For the era, these were pretty fast cars especially once you got it going. It had as much power as a C4 Corvette. In 1994 I sold the GT and got a used 1990 300zx Twin Turbo - little did I know at the time we would have two relatively iconic Japanese cars of the era.
@@alangil40 My wife cried when I traded in the GT...it was a great car.
oddly enough, when i was a teen i had a new 88 turbo targa supra, I ran into a mustang probably of the same yr. Him and i got to going on our Canadian highway.. He was at my side , we punched it, and i kept creeping past him slowly, by the time we backed off i had the needle buried and he was in my rearview mirror. . Best run of my life.. But looking back,, stupid move..
Man, I had a 91 turbo supra 7mgte, built 720whp. Car got totaled and swapped the motor into my 86 mustang hatch, boy did I get looks here in Texas back then lol
At least this is the Supra that you can still afford and has a Turbo
And nowadays all the issues of this car are known so it's pretty easy to make them bulletproof. Plus this engine can handle a big amount of horsepower for those who want to make it really fast
Come back next year when everyone who couldn't work last year finally get enough money for a down payment on a bank loan to buy all the good ones.
Affordability is different from person to person
@@Trussme96 that’s true with all 90s JDMs. They’re just waiting to appreciate. Next in line is the FC, Z31, and A70.
Better to start being realistic and buy a GT86/BRZ 😂
After more videos like this not for long. Used to have one and was hoping to again one day. That is something that is quickly disappearing for most as prices are already on the rise in many places.
Do one on the 1984-1989 Nissan 300zx Turbo
That would be awesome to see is well. (:
Turbo 280z is worth a mention
Hi just sold a z32 with only 95000ish km why do you like z31 better?
@@walterreeves9883 worth owning, turbo option with digital Dash is best
@@walterreeves9883 isn't the 280 a zx?
I bought a MK3 about 6 weeks ago and I am so happy that I finally found one. Maybe it's subjective but I feel like it is getting a lot more love from media lately. I was pretty concerned that the prices would explode before I got mine.
How are you enjoying it? The prices sure as hell did explode and we didn't pick the best time to buy, but now is certainly better than what the future holds. Last year I paid $8K for the 7M-GE and an automatic, no sport package. Pretty steep, but the car was in pretty damn good shape for 116K miles and had the head gasket sorted. $10K later in fixing things, led conversion, wheels/tires/suspension, and fiberglass window louvers, she is one really expensive car haha. Looks absolutely stunning though, I couldn't think of a better vehicle ever. Gets a ton of attention.
Hope you got her running in top shape
This... This is THE Supra to me. Not bubbly or cartoonish, nice straight lines, substantial... perfect.
My friends had Corvette posters in their bedrooms. My poster was a white 1990 Sopra Turbo.
The Mk 3 smokes the look of the jelly bean MK4. Yeah the MK4 gets all the love. But the Mk3 is just miles better looking. Build one out to 500hp and you’ve got a banger. Who wants a 1000hp jelly bean anyways?
My fave generation Supra.
I love my two Mk3 Supras:
- 1988 5psd w/ a 2JZGTE engine swapped in
- 1992 auto sunroof/hardtop 7MGE
I had a customer that had 3 of these in his driveway and all 3 were running.
Lucky son of a..
Well hello MK3 buddy! I also have an 88, my 2jgte is at a local supra shop being built as we speak lol. My my chassis is a bit of a project though lol
@@kylewise3111 Yeah, never had “shop-money”; I did the swap myself and learned a lot. However, hopefully you’re getting a quality build done.
@@755hp me either tbh, I always built my own stuff. This car though I wanted to have peace of mind with the engine since it needed a rebuild anyways (got it for $80 with piston and head damage), but the swap will be all on my own lol
I've owned nearly this exact same car for more than 15 years, and you have done it justice. Also, for potential buyers, this guide is excellently researched. One more thing that may be worth mentioning however, is that the cam bolts on the lower suspension arm tend to seize within the arm bushings, causing them to need less than favorable means of extraction (and replacement) to get a good alignment. Account for this costly potential if the car does not track well.
My 88 does not pull to the left or right and seems just dandy, but I did put coilovers on, a sway bar, and new 17" wheels and tires. I was thinking about getting an alignment just because I guess you probably should after all that, but I wonder if the issue you mentioned would get in the way of that.
currently trying to find a MK3 for sale in the uk, any pointers?
I want a Mk2 Supra instead, please do an episode on that one too.
And when you get it, I suggest swapping a 7MGTE engine in it with a small Garrett GTX Gen2 turbo (GTX2876r, GTX2976r, etc); comes into boost quick with lots of torque. Also, I’d suggest building the bottom end to a 10:1 compression ratio; this helps spool the turbo incredibly quick. But you will need pull back ignition timing as the 7Ms don’t have crank sensors (based off exhaust cam sensor); so when the belt stretches, timing can jump (advance) momentarily causing knock.
I suggest swapping in a slant six
@@redgreen6436 UTG 👍
One of the best videos out there on the A70. I drive my Mark 3 regularly between Denmark and the UK, and with the vacuum-operated cruise control it just eats the miles with that 70L fuel tank. Everybody waves, and everybody wants the headlights popped up! Plus, with a quick intake mod, you got all the turbo noise you'd ever want. One thing you did not mention, is to check if the car you're looking at has had its CT26 Turbo wastegate shim spaced. If there are washers or a spacer at the mounting flange on the intake side of the turbo, the car has had a rougher life than normal. Keep that in mind!
I owned a 1991 Toyota Supra Turbo and I wish I never traded it in. I traded it in at 70,000 miles and it never gave me one problem during the time I owned it. The motor ran smooth as silk as was very quiet at idle. I've had BMW's and Porsche's since then but I most fondly remember my Mark 3 as my favorite car. And I loved the styling.
smoothest running engine that i have ever owned..
So happy to see you at Hagerty Sam! They seemed to have scooped up all the good ones lately.
At 19 years old this was my first car!! A 1988 supra targa turbo( bought for $7,100ca in 1998) it was an amazing car,that i drove always and everywhere. Got it at 147000km, sadly sold it 4years later but with 330000km, so yeah Sam it really can eat up the miles.. Now 19years later and i still miss this car. Alot of memories with this car,(friends,great road trips and how i met my wife,lost the car but kept her👍)
I miss my 91. That was a good car, even tho it was an automatic.
I had a 89. Cry myself to sleep every night since the night it broke down and I had to sell it.
Get another one
@@TheMrFlyBoy18 working on it. But they cost 4x as much now
Had a 91 in white....definitely car
I still can't believe this is the car my mom got for college...
Sick
This year I remembered this cool "Supra" my dad had 20 years ago that had super comfy bucket seats and I loved it. So I decided to pick one up this year (not the best timing with prices lol).
It's a hell of an experience. It's absolutely gorgeous and solid inside and out, easily the nicest car I've been in and I think the interior is one of the best ever made. Way different from all the econo cars I'm used to; the Supra is pretty huge doesn't exactly move like my lil' Camry. Never been so in love with a car though, the MKIII is a thrill to drive everyday and I always look forward to it.
Awesome indeed Toyota guy. Ole faithful dependable Camry alongside classic supra is an awesome combo.
@@kevinbarrett8802 Well I realized I'd probably have that granny Camry the rest of my life so I sold it and bought a 01' Celica GT-S. Way more my style and it's a blast to drive and corners amazingly well. Still looks like a modern car IMO.
I like the mk3 more than the mk4 too. Not as overhyped and are nearly as good
Yes me 2 @ Jas from space @ you tube
This one is plenty famous from Gran Turismo game.
Absolutely excellent video. As an owner of a MK3 for nearly 15 years, you hit every single one of the key points. Well done!
Any tips for a newer MK3 owner after all that time? My head gasket is sorted, all new wheels/tires/suspention/swaybar/all fluids/AC converted. It's only a 7M-GE, but at 117K miles I want to make sure it's on the road for as long as possible.
Only thing so far was a power steering leak and some hoses fixed that, doesn't seem to play nice with LED headlights, but that's just a gripe.
I love my Mk3 Supra 🔥🔥🙏💕
Ah yes, back when Supras were made by Toyota.
Yep, these guys rolled out of the Lexus factory in Yokohama. Very well built (cept for the head gaskets, of course)
Wow, didn't realize people were paying that much for these. I almost bought a running and driving NA car for $400 several years ago, but it needed a little work. Should have snagged it up.
Really appreciating this part of Hagerty... I love learning about this kinda stuff.
I remember riding in my dads Mk3 supra, good times
Little fun fact for you. In the original Back to the Future script, the vehicle that Marty wanted was going to be a Supra (instead of a SR5 Pickup) except it was older than this one.
That's funny, I just watched the first movie last night lol.
The supra was quite futuristic btw
@@sleekskyline120
Just say bttf last night again.
Finally. Thank you someone touches on this like a comfy gt semi luxury car. People forget this came out before Lexus was a brand. They were luxury tech packed comfortable rides
It is reliable.... other than the guaranteed head gasket replacement around a 100000 miles!
Own an 87 Turbo.
That entire second timestamp/section of your video is every time I tell people about my 'fun car'.
"I own a Supra. No, not that Supra you're thinking of..." etc. Pretty much point for point exactly the same thing you say lol
But honestly speaking, I DO want to crank as much power out of mine as possible, hopefully staying with the 7M (rebuilt with better parts of course). Call me a hipster, but the whole 2J/Mk4 Supra hype thing is just so... cliche. I wanna do something different. I know there are people who've built out 7Ms, and I hope to join them; I do NOT wanna be one of those people who smashes a 2J in the engine bay and basically makes a knockoff A80.
If you really want to engine swap, put whatever the hell you want in there man! An MK3 with a 2JZ is already a better car than the MK4 and even after all that MUCH cheaper.
I plan to just on my 7M-GE myself, it's not super fast, but 1-2J prices are as much as I paid for the car in the first place now, probably not happening. Besides, I've never heard a car that sounds THIS nice and powerful without being obnoxious, I absolutely love it.
Had a 87’ turbo in midnight blue. Amazing to drive.
My first car was an 89 Supra NA. Manual Non turbo with targa top. It was around 2006 so all my boys laughed at me for a little bit until I fixed and was fishtailing out of the parking lot. Good times, then I blew the head gaskets. Essington Ave, Philly 🥺
I brought a mk3 a black one back in 2001 it was 5spd manual widebody ,taga top, 1g-gte the price was $12995 nzd i miss the burn outs .
I remember looking at these in the early to mid 90s and even then they were always beat to crap and the interiors didn't hold up well.
Oh yea, MOST of these MKIII's are all destroyed.
yeah the vinyl was not the best, cloth seems to have fared much better if not faded too badly
Watches video while looking out my window at my white package 89 supra 👌
Ahhh its my precious! I owned two of these. NOT a good example of Toyota reliability, but I loved those money pits so much.
If I were building a 3rd one, I would install the 1JZ engine with modest turbo(s), because the 7MGTE engine has a lot of faults. I rebuilt 4 if I can remember right. Two turbo, two non. I thought I got it "bulletproof" on the 4th one with Cometic metal gaskets and ARP studs, but really its just a problematic engine compared with other Toyota units. Back then we were just learning of the travesty of these incorrect head gasket torques, and this was before Internet and bulletin boards were very prolific, so info was limited. Because it was a pretty rare car (in my area anyway - I was the only one driving one in the town by what can remember), we just didn't know the problems they had. In fact the first one had the "birdcage" light on when I bought it (I later found and bought a factory owners manual which told me it was the coolant level warning signal), which - of course now we know - meant the head was blown and leaking/burning coolant. I was unaware of any issues of Toyota's mistake back then...maybe I just thought that it was a Toyota, what could possibly go wrong? That one threw a rod through the block pretty quick...only a few weeks! Toyota really should have stood up and owned the problem they created with a recall, but they just didn't and at the time, nobody I knew had an idea of what the heck happened. A reman'd engine went in, and later I bought a Turbo but I knew of the problem pretty well by then. I proudly owned examples of these fine cars when I was in my late teens (89 and 91T), and I tried my best to keep them running on a shoestring budget, with minimal mods, minimal skill and knowledge, but maximum love. The interior was a wonderful place to spend thousands of miles and it only left me stranded a couple times. The car has a personality that, like the 240sx, can be "sticky" to its owners.
This is going to be MY second, the first was a NA black and beautiful beast.
@@lansonfloyd4687 The birdcage light just refers to the coolant overflow tank. The lid (for whatever reason) does not fit right on mine so I think it evaporates out. I think you can probably always activate that light briefly if you corner hard enough.
I definitely don't have a blown HG, it's been fixed.
@@rushnerd hey if that's all it is, then grabbing a new coolant tank should solve your issues. With a car this old (now) that's a blessing. Side note - I have no budget to buy one but I spotted a gray one sitting in a yard about a mile from my house. Not even sure if it's for sale or not but from 50 ft away the body/exterior looks pretty good as I drive by it once or twice a day. Sigh....not good for Supra addicts like me
@@lansonfloyd4687 I've heard this story a few times hah, they are ALWAYS for sale if it's like that (eventually). I've yet to ever see any model of Supra in the wild though, most people have no clue what the hell I'm driving.
At this point buying any Sup just to part it out pretty much pays for itself!
As a former MK3 owner, this is excellent.
How's the reliability ?
@@mattfinlay7476 it’s good.
@@mattfinlay7476 wouldn’t say it’s like brand new honda reliable but it’s pretty good for a 1990s GT/Sports car.
As a current MK3 owner, still excellent.
"a turbo weighs 35-3600 pounds",ok no turbo=faster.
I worked on Toyotas at an independent Toyota specialist back in the day and nope. The The turbos were well matched with the auto, the torque converter helped build boost and covered up the lag. The NA with the 5 speed felt snapper and more responsive, but was slower. There was not a huge weight break with the NA car. Like Mr. Smith said, these were cruisers, think Japanese versions of the Porsche 928.
@@realkarfixer8208 I think it was a grammar joke. the way it's worded could also be interpreted that the turbo (itself) weighed 3500-3600lbs, doubling the overall weight of the car ;)
What?! Just stumbled on your channel and did not expect a Mark 3 Supra video. Badass!
very comprehensive assessment of the 7m! great job guys, in regards to transmissions btw they have 3 available transmissions, a weaker 5 speed manual in the non turbo (w58), a strong 5 speed manual (r154), and of course the sloshbox 4spd auto (a340). However a modified a70 chassis these days is still quiet the performer and not to mention how dam good the 7m sounds when opened up!
Even my 7M-GE with the sloshbox is the best sounding car I've ever heard (dual tip exhaust.) At start up alone it sounds like it has MUCH more power than it actually does, I love it.
i just got my mk3 running finally smogged it in cali and im not going to lie or exaggerate but as far as a car goes it is amazing. it shouldnt be compared to the newer mk4 . the 7mgte is a great motor but compared to the 2jz it gets over shadowed but for real its better than most cars engines for instance a 3vze in a the 2nd gen 4runner or so and they still hit 300,000 miles on those .and if your going to hit 1000 hp 7mgte or 1jz you gotta build both anyways plus the cost of swap for 1j aint cheap for a stock 2.5 lol and in the end the larger displacement makes a statement look up 1300 hp 7m they use the same standalone ecu as a 2j or 1j so price build is very similar. mine is completely stock though cause cali smog ruins it for me and it runs strong people underestimate how good it sounds and runs. it is a well designed setup. mine has an a340e auto and the way it drives is better than most modern cars,it kinda sounds like a g35 or 350 z gas mileage aint that bad either if you dont have a heavy foot. i have been driving amazon flex and have been doing double shifts in it working 8 or so hours a day driving it like a mail van and its taking it like a champ. doing deliveries in it is a treat. the reason this motor got hate is purely the head gasket specs.
Only comment is there was 2 different 5 speed manuals, the N/A model had the W58 and the turbo model had the R154
people are starting to look at other supras because the mk iv has become a rich person's toy
Yes 🤣😂🤣🤣👍❤️ to U
I swapped an 7mgte into a Volvo 240 wagon is a heck of a sleeper. Thanks for the review.
Should be getting One soon 😸😜🤯 a MK 4 is a lesser car I think.
I love my 87 supra got it when I was 17 I'm 32 now and doing a 2jz swap
this is the one and only Supra for me. There was a Celica Supra earlier before this.
The A70 / MK3 Toyota supra was my first car and it is my favorite car. I’ve owned six of them over the the past 17 years, and I have had at least one at any given time since I was 14. One of my current projects is a one 1UZFE swapped 1989. I have to say this was a spot on write up absolutely an awesome job.
Same here first car, had six of them and waiting to get number 7
My first car... the 1989 Toyota Supra Turbo in a red and grey cloth trim, targa top, and 5spd R154 transmission. That was 18 years ago, I still own that car :)
oh and 100ft lbs on the ARP head bolts and she'll run forever
@@xyzebruh1083yap, I instantly did arp head bolts and a hks head gasket. But I also built it and bigger turbo/injectors etc to about 720whp. She screamed.
One of these with an automatic, throw a good aftermarket exhaust on that isn't loud, and put some good tires on it. That is an absolute dream car because it would be a comfortable nice car to take on roads like the ones in this video.
Yea the car was sooo smooooth...
i can't tell you how many time i went to start it while it was already running.
so quiet and so smooth...until you punched it with the turbo..
That along with Fortune 500 coilovers and a beefy whiteline front swaybar on full stiff make ALL the difference. She handles absolutely incredible with next to no body roll after that.
I think the stock exhaust sounds absolutely incredible, but mine is certainly old and needs to be replaced.
Great review! I had an 86.5 NA and an 89 Turbo. I'm glad you emphasized this cars strength. It was a spectacular GT car. I drove it 7 hours with no stops, and I had zero fatigue from it. Being 6'6" and around 250lbs, it's rare for me to find a car that's even comfortable on a short trip. Miles just melted away with this car. It also had good chassis balance. It was very easy to control in a slide and was much more nimble than its weight implied. I miss them. I have a manual SC300 now, but there were definitely some things the MA70 did better.
I'm 6"5 and 300lb it was the same. I fell into this car but was looking for a Dodge Magnum with a Hemi to manual swap. So glad my buddy talked me into the Supra. It just feels so good. Drove my friends 500whp is300 and I just felt like I was going to break it, but not the soup! I'd take that any day even with 50whp less
Any thoughts on the NA vs your turbo? I have no idea what the GTE is like since I only have an 88 NA. I understand it's not a massive difference, but I am curious. Kinda sucks when you have the version of the car no one talks about or seems to want, but then again I think it's plenty fast and should have less issues than a GTE.
@@ZombieTapdance Yeah it's literally the most comfortable car I've ever driven, those cloth seats are something you couldn't even beat in a new car today. Long road trips are a blast.
Pretty hilarious you mentioned that the is300 felt like it was going to fall apart lol. I never thought about it much, but the Supra really is solid as hell, I would take that over some souped up civic.
@@rushnerd on paper, the numbers aren't that different, but the turbo had considerably more midrange power, so it pulled much better at most speeds. The suspension, steering, and brakes are the same, so they feel pretty much identical other than that. My turbo did have appreciably better steering feel, but that was due to the revised power steering on all '89 Supras.
I have a 1992 Supra it’s an automatic but it’s all stock. The turbo option was an extra 40 hp I believe. Mine has a sunroof leather thumbs up all the time. The color is teal I think Toyota calls it mica green.
I had an 89 Supra, and loved every second of owning it. Wonderful, wonderful car.
Eye watering price lol. I looked at a mint example in the early 2000’s and should’ve jumped on it at the $5k asking price 🤦 the thing was a garage queen
Mk3 Supra is beautiful, my favorite Supra 😍
I loved my 1987 supra, still wish I had it.
This is still my dream car . Remember my grandma had one that was burgundy with burgundy interior
I had the same color combo.
The metallic flake side door trim was amazing looking.
Beautiful
"professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt"
What? Drive slowly between the lines and around a curve? Sure. I'll hoon the living shitz out of my car then...
A licence is to taxi and not to fly,😜😂🤣😂😅🤔🤯
Excellent & objective review! Yeah, they were built for a specific purpose, and should be considered only within those limits. The reliability -- considering the age -- is remarkable, but as pointed out, the head gaskets and the leaky targa roof are major weaknesses to watch out for. One of the telltale signs of failing head gaskets is a gurgling sound behind the dash when accelerating from a standstill; that's cylinder pressure leaking into the heating system. The other is coolant in the #6 cylinder, which is crammed right up against the bulkhead, by which time that cylinder will no longer fire anyway; then it's high time to replace the gaskets.
It took me a while to get into the habit of idling the engine when making stops on the Autobahn. Haven't had issues with the turbo yet, but then I don't floor it anymore.
Also, if you're considering registering your 30-yo Mk3 as vintage (which significantly reduces insurance premiums and road tax) make sure it hasn't been modded; in Germany, at least, the vehicle must be in original condition to qualify for vintage status.
EDIT: I forgot to mention the chassis wobbles and creaks significantly without the targa roof. This is normal, but can be alarming for those with a nervous disposition. :^D
Oh, the head gasket!! AND, THE WARPED CRANKSHAFT. This was the last used car I ever bought
ahhh....the old gurgling sound....
Toyota punted with that one.
I got a 89 MK3 Supra. Love it. Great video.
The fact that these are rising in value quicker than I can save up to afford one is making me extremely depressed
Sorry to hear that I am now on you tube@ Jas from space
Tons of info here and helpful perspectives on what might be best to consider between so many different options. I say you're really improving with these buyer's guides!
C Jas from space on you tube
Mk3 owners can we get a “BHG!” 😉✌️
My Dad bought this car,you are watching, brand new. I bought it from him in 2008. Loved this!!! I did all the repairs ,talked about in the report, myself. It was a labor of love!! Unfortunately it spent a lot of time in storage, I didn't have enough time to enjoy, bummer. I sold it in 2019 to the gentleman, who obviously loves it as much as my family had. Enjoy Thanks DAD RIP SEPT 2020.
Jas from space on you tube
Sorry to hear that you have lost your dad bloke chin up and C Jas from space on you tube
This honestly is my favorite generation of Supra and my 17 year old self wants to say thank you!!!
Yeh they were nice until the engine starts knocking, I had 2 die on me and hated Toyota for building a faulty engine
But the oldsmobile sihlouette is what you really want
I will never sell mine.
My wife and I owned a beautiful pearl white 1987 Supra Turbo with matching white wheels - 6 speed manual. Get this, we bought it used in 1990 just after we were married with about 40k miles for only $11,000. We kept it for 6 years and put 100k of our own miles on it. It was relatively trouble free, though we did have some cooling system issues and I was getting worried about the head gasket issue towards the end. For the era, it was a fast enough car - as fast as my 1986 Mustang GT with as much power as a C4 Corvette. I cant think of many non-exotic cars that were that much faster until later in the 90s. We felt pretty upscale in it as well and driving with the targa top off was an additional treat, though it was pretty flexy. A few years later I sold my Mustang GT and bought a used 1990 300zx Twin Turbo and so I was fortunate enough to own both these Japanese relatively iconic cars together for a few years.
Oh, and I thought it was better looking that the Mark IV - as you say, more grown up looking. Mostly due to the huge wing on the Mark IV turbo which I thought at the time took away some of the sophistication. Not that I didn't love the 325hp of the Mark IV - but by then I had the Z32 300zx Twin Turbo, so we eventually replaced the Supra with a Lexus SC300 (which I didn't like) before going all German.
Dude I love Sam Smith!
Loved his articles when I was, um, out if society for a lil bit. Great writer!
Man I wish these and the z31 had not shot up in price so high the last 24 months
I'm the very proud owner of a 1990 Supra Twin Turbo R, imported from the Japanese auction network. Driving one of those compared to an american spec A70, which is still a great car, makes you realize just how bad the US market got watered down when it came to getting the best of the best trims.
sigh digital dash
Do one on the 1990 Eagle Talon Turbo!
The KGB realized if they tell the same story over and over, people think it is true. That model is the MA70. Toyota has no "A70", and it is the first generation. A million American journalists can say other wise, but it is a first generation.
Jas from space@ you tube
Am looking at buying a 7mgte auto
I love the look of the MK3 supra. So elegant. Way better than the MK4, IMO. (cue the MK4 fanbois cursing me out...)
A surprising amount of people agree that the MK3 looks superior. They both have their place and while the MK4 is way more modern, the MK3 just looks like a work of art and the interior is extremely well designed and unique.
@@rushnerd ...and I daily drive a MK4 Lexus SC
I always loved Mark III! *weeps*
Stop making this car popular I can’t afford part for it anymore
i couldn't afford parts when this car was new lol..
Love love love your videos. Great info and well shot.
Can’t wait for more vids
And the Head gasket has blown
This was really well done
Great channel
Am I the only one who thinks that the MK3 Supra is cooler than the MK4 ?
Nope, theres a nice few of us.
Nope. I don't like the design of the mk4 and mk5
Now that is my dream automobile 🚘. It is hard to find 1.
If only we got the version with the 1JZ 2.5L Twin Turbo engine
Great information! One thing to mention is the fuel filter. It's directly above the rear differential and a total pain in the ass to change.
10:26 Prices depend on the country too
Saw several MK3s for second hand where most of them were 8-15k EUR
If you're looking for one of these with everything working, a complete interior, and a like-new turbo you can either settle for 2 out of 3 or you can keep looking for the rest of your life.
@7:54 also guys, from a more than 10 year previous owner of two mk3 turbo Supras....first thing to get is a turbo timer...if you don't give the turbos time to warm up at idle before you do hard acceleration you will blow the turbo seals...
They very first manual car I learned I had the 88 Turbo with the R154 long ass throws but damn that shifter was rock solid bought it for $3800 back in 2001 at 96K miles I enjoyed the heck out of it but hated the little nagging issues the 7M had until I sold it at 125K then few months later the HG gave up on the next owner.
What's funny is I saw this car on The Car Wizard.
1990s I Always Wanted a Red Targa Top Supra to Act Like Ferrari 208 GT Like in Magnum P.I. (smile)
I sooo miss my 87 5speed maroon Supra turbo...
What a well built Beautiful GT car.
Made the camaro' s and mustangs of it's time look like poorly engineered badly built pos by comparison.
put 300,000 miles on her..
As a former owner of three MKIIIs and one MKIV, I appreciate this review. My MKIV had 136K on it when I sold it, and it ran and drove like new. My last MKIII had 331K on it when I sold it. I drove it daily and surprised a buddy with a modified E92 M3 with only an intake and full cat-less exhaust. He also owned a Cayman GT4, 458, M4 GTS, and couldn’t believe the MKIII was so fast. Other owners of both generations agree there’s something different about the MKIII to appreciate.
My dad was a Toyota mechanic and still had to replace the head gasket like 3x and rebuild the transmission twice in 5 years on his MKIII turbo. I drove it and an NA version and they handle like boats but gripped well (the turbo with LSD is actually controllable during drifts). Always tempted but they’re just not reliable with the 7mgte
Great guide that covered a TON of stuff that mostly only the community knows about. However, I did catch one minor mistake or oversight. The MK3 Supra actually came with 3 transmissions. The manual in the turbo and non-turbo variants are extremely different. The non-turbo had the W58 trans which was a traditional push style clutch. The turbo had the R154 which was a pull style clutch and a heck of a lot stronger 😉
great review , best friend bought one of the first turbos sold in our city and we drove it year round and did ok with winter tires then he decided to keep it for 3 season driving, your bang on about it being along distance car it went from coast to coast in Canada several times and also in the USA and it never left him stranded anywhere on these trips the maintenance was always done or done ahead of time and this car had the best A/C above any car in its class and did fine inCalifornia, Texas and Arizona , it was $27,000 new before tax he later sold it after his first kiddo was born for a 4Runner , it had about 100k miles when he sold it, great vehicles 👍
Really miss driving my mk3. Been side tracked with life and other projects but videos like this and the many mk3 Supra forums keep me hopeful.
just picked up a A70 supra with a 1.5jz gte swap head his warning goddamn the guy that had it before did a terrible swap job just had to pay 20k to get it where it is now and its beautiful but if thats not something you are ready to do avoid the swaps take the 7m or import a jza70 instead though I will say i would take the 1j any day fantastic motor sounds amazing runs fast and smooth would take it over the 2j any day the exhaust note is just a tad nicer imo
Thanks again to Hagerty... love the shows. You should do one of these on the mazda 626 gt turbo either 86-87 or the 88-91 had both and loved them.
I was thinking to buy one of these as a 1UZ swap platform. Now that they are almost $30,000 I think it's best to pass. Either way that is a beautiful car from Toyota's golden era.
very, very few are 30k...can find one under 10k as long as you are not looking for a museum piece.
30k!? Join a mk3 facebook group and buy them all day long for 4-9k depending on condition. If you are going to 1UZ swap it anyway, buy an NA with a blown headgasket but a clean rustfree body. You can find those easily for 4-5k.....
I had an 88 turbo. Aside from the blown head gasket, it was such a terrific car. I miss it.I can still remember the silky smooth sound of that I6.