Was thinking of selling, but fell on a setup that completely changed my mind.

Hi All,

Just thought I would share -

I've had supra's since 2003 or so, and this summer started to fall out of love with them. I guess as I've grown older I've appreciated and picked fault with the subtle details more than the raw performance, chasing handling and civility more in the passing years. My winter's project was to get the car 100% for sale next year, and so I've been in and around it for 3 months now getting a long list full of niggles sorted, all the little things that you never get round to sorting.

Last week I dropped her off the stands and took her out, and I have to say that aside curing all the niggles that used to annoy me, the car handles and tracks better than anything I can ever remember driving, I was absolutely gobsmacked, and after being convinced I was selling I'm now in a completely different place.

For sure, niggles in the map, the odd leak, frayed hose, untidy loom, badly positioned electronics, broken exhaust seal, cleaned and tidied engine bay etc all help you appreciate the car more, it was a singular thing that I did that completely transformed the car for me… Wheels and Tyres.

Off came the Lexus 18", 245/295's and on went a set of 235/265 on my Ce28's with the 48 offset. The difference is colossal. The handling is beyond precise, it's pin sharp - car feels brand new. It's exact, immune to cambers, potholes and rough roads. Handling is so much more readable, as every movement is now not a squirm through inappropriate alignment, it's feedback you can read. Driven softly the car is an effortless cruiser - SO much less stressful to drive. Suspension feels softer, yet turn in and poise are brilliant. I'd wager that in a drag race the bigger rears would have more bite, but the syvecs sorts them out, and the handling so much more progressive that pushing on is so much more enjoyable, so much less worrying. It's the most engaging car I have driven in a long time, and I know it sounds like a cliche - but I can think of nothing else that could do what it does, certainly nothing i have had the privilege of driving.

I have never run anything as small as 265 or 235 on the car before. When it came to me it had 295/255.

The wheels and tyres may look small but the handling now so incredible I could never go back.

Now if Ryan can sort way of getting 60mpg out of it, I'll be even happier ;-)

…though I wonder if the smaller tyres will help! ha ha

Happy days, I guess that if its not your daily hack, and you don't drive it for a while, its easy to forget just how nice they are to drive.

I had much the same with my mr2 turbo, previous to the supra. It maybe got used twice a month at best, much like the supra now, but over the winter I would quite happily leave it sitting for a couple of months - for the crap weather to pass.

By the time spring came around, I'd pondered over the idea of selling (this happened every year), and had the thought of "do I really need it"?

But once the sun came out to play, so did the '2', and within minutes, I knew that I could never sell it!

Until this summer, when I finally bit the bullet and bought my TT. Was virtually stock, and now I've put my stamp on it. She'll be going out next Friday for the last time for a couple of months, and I'm sure that come next spring, it will instantly remind me that there's no way I could dream of parting with it now :th:

That said, if I had not fond such a difference with the small tyres I would be selling for sure.

My moral is, when it comes to sorting wheels and tyres for your car, I'm a slow learner, for 10 years has only just taught me; bigger is most definitely NOT better.. :-/

..unless perhaps you are on track in the summer...

Mine handles so much better on the stock 17s compared to the 18s. It's just a shame they don't look as good!

Like you, now I have the runaround Yaris I just don't have the use for the Supra. But when I drive it I love it and wouldn't want to ever sell.

Nice one. Good to hear you changed your mind

Out if curiosity, what brand and profile of tyres are on the Ce28's ?

and how wide are they?

fronts are pilot sport 235/40 r18, rears eagle asymmetric 265/35 r18.

I bought these partworn; was a lot cheaper and also gave me the confidence to knock the sizes down.

I normally run 245/275. but tried 245/295 recently and it was so bad it gave me a bit of faith to knock it all down to the current setup.

stock is 235/255 as I understand..

Much the same experience as me matey, I changed my rears to 275s from the stock 255 and it was all over the place, went back to 255 and happy days again.

I only ever run stock sizes on 17"

my car is the same! has tte lexus 18" on there when i bought the car 3 years ago. yeah mine is not right in how it feels on the road, just doesint give me the confidence i want in it. my tyres 245/40/18- 275/35/18. im thinking of changing tyre sizes to 235 + 265, prefer 255, could i fit a 255 on the rear of these 10" tte rims? but i have also thought of selling them and getting a really nice or rebubed stock 17" rims, but as said dont look as good. but then i do like the stock look, wondering weather also the stock 17" will attract a higher price on the car if i ever sell!!

Another Clevelander!

Almost as rare as that LHD 6sp aero top Keron has

my car is the same! has tte lexus 18" on there when i bought the car 3 years ago. yeah mine is not right in how it feels on the road, just doesint give me the confidence i want in it. my tyres 245/40/18- 275/35/18. im thinking of changing tyre sizes to 235 + 265, prefer 255, could i fit a 255 on the rear of these 10" tte rims? but i have also thought of selling them and getting a really nice or rebubed stock 17" rims, but as said dont look as good. but then i do like the stock look, wondering weather also the stock 17" will attract a higher price on the car if i ever sell!!

Yes a 255 would fit on a 10" rim, You can also get a 225 to fit