A few general questions about Supra mechanicals to check when looking

Tried the search facility and also the links which appear when you enter the thread title but didn not find what I was looking for.

- how robust are, and what life expectancy can one expect from a head gasket on a Supra TT, assuming its been well looked after and driven generally as any Supra would?

- how long do rocker cover gaskets last roughly before they perish?

- is there a gearbox oil dispstick in the engine bay to check the condition of the automatic gearbox oil? (also to replace the auto trans fluid, is the unit 'sealed' or does it have suitable drain/fill holes?

I have always at roughly 100,000miles, regardless of vehicle, at the very least changed all front and rear suspension bushes, joints, links etc. Roughly, how long do suspension bushes tend to last on one? (I assume any 1995/96 or so car will need this doing upon purchase to ensure stable handling).

- at what intervals is the cambelt due?

Any further points to look for on a car with circa 160,000miles but owner says it has full history?

(Finding a UK spec Supra is hard work, and I am trying to get one over going back to something like a 99 BMW M3 or 2001 BMW M5, but if I can't find a nice enough car at a genuine price within a few months I'll be forced back to BMW).

Head Gasket virtually never fails so don't worry about it. Cambelt is recommended 65-70k miles

Dave17, thanks for that.

Tried the search facility and also the links which appear when you enter the thread title but didn not find what I was looking for.

 

- how robust are, and what life expectancy can one expect from a head gasket on a Supra TT, assuming its been well looked after and driven generally as any Supra would?

 

I've never heard of one failing

 

- how long do rocker cover gaskets last roughly before they perish?

 

No Idea, but they would be changed when the Valve stem seals are replaced around 100k+

 

- is there a gearbox oil dispstick in the engine bay to check the condition of the automatic gearbox oil? (also to replace the auto trans fluid, is the unit 'sealed' or does it have suitable drain/fill holes?

 

There is a dipstick next to the engine oil dipstick. Drain the fluid via the autobox sump and fill it up via the dipstick

 

I have always at roughly 100,000miles, regardless of vehicle, at the very least changed all front and rear suspension bushes, joints, links etc. Roughly, how long do suspension bushes tend to last on one? (I assume any 1995/96 or so car will need this doing upon purchase to ensure stable handling).

 

Correct, unless its been wrapped in cotton wool and kept in a museum!

 

- at what intervals is the cambelt due?

 

60-70k

 

Any further points to look for on a car with circa 160,000miles but owner says it has full history?

 

imo, everything will be worn out if it hasn't been replaced. I'd choose a different supra to buy

 

(Finding a UK spec Supra is hard work, and I am trying to get one over going back to something like a 99 BMW M3 or 2001 BMW M5, but if I can't find a nice enough car at a genuine price within a few months I'll be forced back to BMW).

Why do you want a UK spec?

Why do you want a UK spec?

Thanks for the information. A few GT4's I've had did have about 130-140,000 miles on them when I sold them. They were still running extremely well and without fault, only requiring usual servicing and the odd TLC item due to miles.

When I have had Toyota's (a few GT4's) in the past, I have always had UK cars with fsh. Having spoken to dealers back then, they did say that there can be slight variations in import cars and sourcing the parts as a result becomes extremely difficult. (I do always use a reputable main dealer for most repair and more technical service work and a local garage for tlc oil changes, brakes etc).

If it has high mileage like that then i'm guessing everything would have been replaced by then.

You might end up with a bargain

Check it thoroughly though, the suspension components are expensive. The engines are pretty much bullet proof but the turbo's aren't. Check for smoking on startup/boost etc.

Personally i wouldn't worry about the mileage of the engine in a supra. They really are cracking pieces of engineering. If your getting a bargain then it might be worth it if you plan on changing all the suspension components regardless of which car you buy.

I agree with Lukey on what he's said. HG's are not an issue on the 2JZ, oil seals can and do go like the cam gaskets FMS, etc, but they are easy and cheap to replace.

Then UK specs are hard to find (only 650 or so ever made, probably less than half are left), there can be much lower mileage, cheaper and tidier jspec around for a lot less. Parts are no issue at all, there are some differences but as with any 10-15 year old car it's all down to how it's been looked after. Turbo's can be a weak point if the boost has been rasied significantly, otherwise they are good for 300k miles.

Finding a well cared for and well maintained one is more important than anything else when looking for a Supra.

Thanks guys.