M370 ROS-Bringing a Supra Back from the Brink!/Anyone know anything about this car?

Well, my plan of trying to save money and not spend my first pay check from the new job in one hit has failed dismally! So I was lounging idly in bed last weekend, browsing the internet for supra's(As one does!), when I spied an N/A on gumtree for only 1320, with minor cosmetic issues and being advertised as the owner not knowing if it ran or not. Now as we know gumtree is a highly reputable source of wares, where for a few hundred ugandan dollars you can own yourself a small principality in a war-torn african state, so I was more than a bit sceptical.

There were no interior pictures on the advert, and Rob-Mitchell appeared to have taken them! Through the window I spied a set of leather seats, with oem skirts and spats adorning the outside. A text to the advertised number revealed(Once I had deciphered the Ali-G-esq spelling), much to my surprise, that the car was in-fact a manual. I bid him and agreed a price of 900 quid. At that price I surmised that I couldn't actually lose out, even if it was only to break it.

I was working, so I armed my dad with the money and a bit spare for his day's work, and aimed him in the direction of High-Wycombe with a trailer. Once he was there it became clear that the "It's mint mate" that I was told on the phone was not quite true.

-The car had not moved since september, the owner said it had broken down but would not specify what exactly had happened. I knew it didn't run, but we were sceptical as to why he didn't know what the problem was.

-The front bumper had been ripped off when the recovery service let it off the trailer, the owner said he had got a local service to recover it who had not been very careful. This I believe to be the truth as it looks to have been ripped off in an upward direction as opposed to smashed off in an accident, there is also no crash damage. This had not been stated in the advert, the seller's answer was, "my mechanic removed it", to which my dad replied, "With what? A sledge hammer?". The bumper being ripped off has destroyed the mountings on the headlights,so they are scrap.

Anyway, a bit or bargaining and a new price of 700 plus fuel etc… was negotiated. Having now had a look around it, I can confirm massive head gasket failure leading to next to no compression is the reason it won't run. The cause I diagnosed as a combination of a failed radiator cap and the crank pulley being shagged. The outer/sprocket part of the pulley which the belt runs on had separated and fallen off, leaving the belt running on the larger section of the pulley. I'm thinking the slipping of the pulley and the rad cap caused it to get very hot, and the owner being an idiot… Just kept driving.

The history folder reveals that the car has been well looked after, with servicing carried out by such reputable traders as Mr Chris Wilson, and toyota themselves. I think the only reason it has been let get a bit shabby is that the previous owner simply didn't care! Anyway, after a few hours graft consisting of; diagnosis, removing an alarm with a mind of it's own, lots of cups of hot chocolate and a bit of engine 'removery!'. The Following pictures show the current state. I Will be slinging in a low mileage facelift N/A engine tomorrow, that I know is a sweet runner, and getting it up an running. I might have to build a track car out of it and go duelling with Sir Hackin' of Bashin' at Rockingham

I need a few things for it: Decent stock front bumper(Preferably 199 silver), a set of Headlights (preferably a set of tatty facelifts) and a set of facelift front indicators. If anyone has any of these please drop me a PM, I don't want to spend a lot of money as i'm not earning that much yet!

James… out!

I have one here

Looking for around £60 ono

at least it has gone to a good home now. keep us updated

Nice project - I'm sure she deserves a second chance!

I Will be slinging in a low mileage facelift N/A engine tomorrow, that I know is a sweet runner

Good work Pants nice to see one bought back to life amoungst all the poor ones being broken

Good work Pants

Great little project you got yourself there James.

Regardless of the not running, great find. Seats go for what? Circa £400? OEM skirts in good nic, £300? That would have been money back right there.

Glad its being brought back from the brink