Hi All! Looking to get into the world of the Supra owners!

Hi All!

It's probably about time I actually created a post! I joined many months ago and have been one of those silent members who sits on the classifieds section wishing...

My previous car was (well i technically still own it) an BMW 3 series e46 Coupe (hence the name... I'm so imaginative! ). But as it's finally for sale I'm hoping to replace it with a mkiv TT supra auto/ tiptronic (manual is currently out of budget ).

So... my 1st question... i've found the buyers guide, but is there any advise both for buying a supra and owning one? I don't plan on skimping on maintenance and tyres though, so don't worry about that!

Look forward to becoming part of the forum!

Cheers,

Alex

As for buying a Supra, follow the guide and you can't go wrong.

If you can afford the maintenance and good tyres then you're starting in the right place.

Don't worry about "100000 mile" cars. These engines are gods and last forever. Some well in to the 200k region.

Don't buy the first one you look at. That goes for any car though.

Make sure you are happy with what you are getting. If you want TT power, get a TT. Don't do the "I'll save money getting an NA and turbo it later" route, as you won't save money.

Don't judge it by how it looks (styling wise) as body work is cheaper than mechanical work I've found.

Get someone to drive behind you on a test drive and see if any smoke etc appears as you drive. It could point towards problems down the line.

Lastly, be aware these cars are 20 years old. They will have faults at some point and some are expensive to fix. As long as you know what you are getting and letting yourself in for, you'll be fine.

Cheers listy I know roughly what I'm letting myself in for! I know they are old cars and will inevitably have some faults (although I hope I buy a trouble free one!). I plan on doing oil and oil filter changes every 3k miles as it's a car I want to keep so i'm going to be a stickler for maintenance!

I have to say so far, every car i've owned is the 1st one i've looked at! (I seem to have been lucky with my purchases!)

Are there any common problems to watch out for?

Thanks again,

Alex

Valve stem seals

Crank pulley

Front crank seal

Rear crank seal

Brake lines

Fuel lines

Coil pack clips

Turbo oil seals

Those are some age related things I've had to get sorted/plan on getting sorted.

Pretty much, if it can perish over time, it may need doing. If you are lucky you might find one that has had most age related things already done. Personally, I would advise buying from the forum, rather than anywhere else. There are a few places with bad reputations that will have many Supras for sale and are not recommended by any members of the forum.

I came from an E46 M3 to a Supra as well, and I much prefer the Supra. At least you don't have to worry about the rear ACP and differential self destructing if you want to go fast with the Supra. Have you had the BMW checked for ACP cracking?

Valve stem seals

Crank pulley

Front crank seal

Rear crank seal

Brake lines

Fuel lines

Coil pack clips

Turbo oil seals

 

Those are some age related things I've had to get sorted/plan on getting sorted.

 

Pretty much, if it can perish over time, it may need doing. If you are lucky you might find one that has had most age related things already done. Personally, I would advise buying from the forum, rather than anywhere else. There are a few places with bad reputations that will have many Supras for sale and are not recommended by any members of the forum.

Think I know which place you are referring to! I'll keep a lookout for a nice supra and will take your advice on looking at a few before buying, despite what my mind tells me! (I'm just a tad impatient!). I should really wait another month or 2 really... Just so finances are secure etc before diving in at the deep end.

I came from an E46 M3 to a Supra as well, and I much prefer the Supra. At least you don't have to worry about the rear ACP and differential self destructing if you want to go fast with the Supra. Have you had the BMW checked for ACP cracking?

I've had the bmw up on the ramps at a mates garage and all looks good! Just put new coil overs on as the originals s*** themselves when I hit a massive bump in the road :/ Going fast is what I plan to do! (I'll be sensible... Most of the time) how do you find the supra to drive? Big? It feels completely different from my bmw, I think I prefer the handling in the corners of the bimmer but it's something you get used to after driving a car for almost 3 years!

I came from an E46 M3 to a Supra as well, and I much prefer the Supra. At least you don't have to worry about the rear ACP and differential self destructing if you want to go fast with the Supra. Have you had the BMW checked for ACP cracking?

I had to sell my Supra recently and looked at quite a few E46 M3's - Ended up buying a BMW 645, but the Supra still is the one that leaves a smile on your face everytime.

Try getting yourself to a local meet and having a look around and asking questions.

If at all possible before you part with your cash try to get your potential purchase on a ramp

so you can have a good look at the underneath.

Most importantly go through the cars history and see what's been replaced, some parts to add to Listys list are

Radiator

Heater matrix

Intercooler

Brake calipers

Suspension arm bushes

I had to sell my Supra recently and looked at quite a few E46 M3's - Ended up buying a BMW 645, but the Supra still is the one that leaves a smile on your face everytime.

 

Try getting yourself to a local meet and having a look around and asking questions.

I've been to a few normal car meets in Bristol and have taken part in Rico Rally Sunday drivers, so I've met a few people with supras. Also a friend of mine owns an NA supra and she loves it so I've asked plenty of questions! But you can never ask too much when you're looking at buying something as special and potentially expensive as this!

If at all possible before you part with your cash try to get your potential purchase on a ramp

so you can have a good look at the underneath.

 

Most importantly go through the cars history and see what's been replaced, some parts to add to Listys list are

 

Radiator

Heater matrix

Intercooler

Brake calipers

Suspension arm bushes

I doubt I'd be able to get one on the ramp :/ But I'll definitely keep a look out for any work done to the car! Cheers for the info

I've had the bmw up on the ramps at a mates garage and all looks good! Just put new coil overs on as the originals s*** themselves when I hit a massive bump in the road :/ Going fast is what I plan to do! (I'll be sensible... Most of the time) how do you find the supra to drive? Big? It feels completely different from my bmw, I think I prefer the handling in the corners of the bimmer but it's something you get used to after driving a car for almost 3 years!

My M3 had the 19'' CSL wheels which apparently produce a worse ride/handling than the normal 18'' wheels. The thing I noticed straight away was that the steering on the Supra is much lighter so at first I was cutting corners a bit. My M3 was a manual so the tiptronic auto in the Supra is much easier to drive, I didn't really like the gearbox in the BMW.