hi, any tips on buying a second hand supra?

Hi, i am looking at buying a new car in about 3-4 months and i was looking at the supra i was just wondering if there are any major things i should really look for? im in the UK and im 22 with 5 years no claims and was thinking of spending around 3-5 thousand maximum. I want one thats not going to cost me an arm and a leg to insure.

I am mainly wondering what model/year should i be looking at with roughly how many miles and what points i should make sure i check before buying, is my budget too low to get a car in decent shape?

my current car is an old mazda mx5 mk1 i like it because its fun to drive, very cheap and extremely reliable. Im not someone who has extensive knowledge of the workings of cars but i can do the things like oil change spark plugs ect, does an old supra take a lot to take care of? or can i treat it like i treat my old mx5?

Thanks for any input you can give me

Read the FAQ's handily located on this very site.

Welcome

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=67644&highlight=buying+guide

all is here for you in a pdf file

wow guys that is exactly what i was looking for thanks

only one more little question, is a supra (that passes all those tests) a reliable car? as in do i have to spend every other weekend fixing something little on it? or is it a car that i can just get in and go, im not someone that will be racing it at every set of lights i drive pretty sensibly i just have my little moments here and there.

The thing i like about my mx5 is its cheap, fun and it works, i dont have to worry about anything, would i be in for a surprise getting a supra?

Thanks again

bare in mind the pdf is just a guide.

Forgot to add if you want a supra make sure you know how much it is to maintain and run, you can get a rough guide on here of prices

done it again, if you get a well maintained supra then yes you can drive it without worrying , but things may pop up whether it be a simple fix or something more drastic.

They are generally very reliable cars. Obviously every car is unique in what condition it's in, how it's been treated etc, and there are some horror stories out there where supras have turned into money pits. That's almost always due to neglect and/or poorly performed modifications though.

Have a good search on the forum, give you a better answer to your questions. You will then see different views etc. The Supra is a very reliable car & if well maintained you should see loads of worry free motoring, remember it is a Toyota

With regards to being like your MX5 it is a whole different experience, although you will be sitting fairly low, you won't be as low as your MX5. Where as your MX5 can be slightly tail happy when booting it in the wet, the Supra can be tail happy if booting it in the dry (in the essence booting it round a corner). The MX5 cabin is a lot tighter than the Supra, although you will have the familiar cuddly transmission tunnel between you & the passenger. The parts generally are cheaper on the MX5 but you do get good priced second hand parts on the forum. The main different (depending if you go turbo or non turbo) will be that this one will drink a lot more petrol compared to the MX5.

Welcome TTC BTW

 

I am mainly wondering what model/year should i be looking at with roughly how many miles and what points i should make sure i check before buying, is my budget too low to get a car in decent shape?

 

my current car is an old mazda mx5 mk1 i like it because its fun to drive, very cheap and extremely reliable. Im not someone who has extensive knowledge of the workings of cars but i can do the things like oil change spark plugs ect, does an old supra take a lot to take care of? or can i treat it like i treat my old mx5?

 

Thanks for any input you can give me

You can get almost any normally aspirated (NA) Supra for that money.

I would try to get a facelift (96 on) SZ-R with the larger UK brakes and manual 6 speed box (its a sportier version but also should hold its value better)

The NA engines are bullet proof such that engines from crashed cars only fetch £150-200 with all ancillaries.

They are quite a similar layout to the Mx5 and DIY maintenance (especially with ref to here) is easy and the intervals and total costs would IMO not be that different to the Mx5.

If you get a later and possibly lower mileage car you should be ok re the suspension components but check the ride/feel is tight because things can get costly in this area if things need replacing. (NB I took one of these model cars from approx 40K miles to 100K miles and nothing went wrong mechanically, just servicing.........no clutch, water pump, starter motor, alternator etc etc problems whatsoever. and it still felt 'tight' suspension wise.........they are well built )

There is a very outside chance a UK twin turbo could be available for your budget, its even worth checking the insurance as its possible a UK car will be lower than the slower NA import.

The twin turbo's are just a slightly more risky proposition with the outside chance of a big bill early after purchase that realistically isn't there with an NA, your budget means buying a bottom of the price range (not necessarily a bad car) twin turbo or top of the range NA..............

hi guys.. im new here howdy

hi guys.. im new here howdy

hello mate...you can say hello by starting your own post.

Hi and welcome.

 

only one more little question, is a supra (that passes all those tests) a reliable car? as in do i have to spend every other weekend fixing something little on it?

dont forget that these cars are now pushing 13+ yrs...

Some are even 16 years old and going strong.