The hunt is on!

Hi everyone,

I have been looking at Supras for about 3 years now and am finally in a financial situation where I will be able to get one within the year.

I figured I would join this forum to get involved with the community and meet some others who share my love for the mkiv Supra!

I am the type of forum user who loves to ask questions, so hope you guys don't mind sharing your knowledge.

A bit about me:

I am just finishing a PhD at Loughborough University (metallurgy) and will be starting my new job at the start of October (hence the improved financial situation).

I currently drive a Mk2 MX5 (1.8iS) which doubles up as a track toy when I can round up my mates to go on a track day. The car is incredibly fun to drive and a pleasure to work on, so I am not shy of throwing a spanner at it when it needs it.

I am an avid traveller and completed the 2015 Mongolia Charity Rally with my wife by driving a Ford Transit from the UK to Mongolia.

Despite having an enduring love for Supras, I have never had the pleasure of sitting in one or passengering in one! This is something I definitely want to tackle before I commit to a purchase.

Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go exploring on this forum

Thanks!

Welcome along! I purchased my car from Japan even though I never had the pleasure of sitting in one! Closest I got was looking in a window of one

You will not be disappointed

Here is where I would start to get yourself familiar with the car, buying one

Should cover 90% for your Q's

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?67644-What-to-check-when-buying-a-Supra

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?59334-Supra-Guide-and-Model-Differences-Chart

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?94705-BPU-(Basic-Performance-Upgrade)&highlight=basic+performance+upgrades

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?56684-FAQ-Oil-Fluid-Interval-Capacity-Steering-Brake-Coolant-Diff-Engine

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?41927-FAQ-Spark-plugs

Welcome to the forum Im sure any local members would be happy to take you out for a drive if you keep an eye on what meets and events come up near you

Welcome, ex Material Science student (early 90's) here, used to know my ferrite from austenite and my eutectic from peritectic!

If you can work on a Mx5 you'll be fine on the Supra, there are just far more pipes and hoses and access is tighter but you get used to it.

There is a forum parts trader based in Leicester who is very helpful and may even be able to help source a car. The forum is full of useful information and knowledgeable people, the hardest thing these days is finding a good one at a reasonable price.

Hopefully a local will at least offer up a passenger ride.

Welcome, ex Material Science student (early 90's) here, used to know my ferrite from austenite and my eutectic from peritectic!

.

Ah small world! I am sure that many of the people who taught you are still here, none of them want to leave as the working environment is so good!

I will be sad to see the back of the Materials Dept (or IPTME when you were there??) but onwards and upwards

Cheers for the replies everyone - I will check out the FAQs in Jellybean's post.

Welcome, you have came to the right place then What spec are you looking for and most importantly whats your budget for the "perfect" supra

Ah small world! I am sure that many of the people who taught you are still here, none of them want to leave as the working environment is so good!

I will be sad to see the back of the Materials Dept (or IPTME when you were there??) but onwards and upwards

 

Cheers for the replies everyone - I will check out the FAQs in Jellybean's post.

Ah sorry I wasn't actually at Loughborough! but I think all Materials places are similar, small/family like compared to the larger faculties. I didn't stick with it after Uni as you have/will, sometimes wish I had!

I can tell you the Jspec turbo's 'hot side' blades are made from (innovative at the time I believe) metal matrix composites, what have you been looking into specifically for your PhD?

Welcome, you have came to the right place then What spec are you looking for and most importantly whats your budget for the "perfect" supra

Hi Drift_Bear - the top end of my budget is £20k (with a little help from a bank!) as I would like a TT manual ideally. As for colour, I am open and I really like the TOMs racing style body kits for the Supra (minus the back end, I adore the stock gigantic single exit!). But bodykits/body shapes/ wheels etc I am open to suggestions to be honest, I love the general look of the Supra so I guess it will just be a case of waiting for one that causes me to drool upon seeing it.

On the subject of gearboxes, I have seen some of the tiptronics and would be very interested in trying one out - as long as I am in charge of the gears I get the maximum fulfilment. I test drove a Golf R with the DSG box recently and while the power delivery was incredible, it felt very "point and squirt" which I didn't enjoy as much.

Ah sorry I wasn't actually at Loughborough! but I think all Materials places are similar, small/family like compared to the larger faculties. I didn't stick with it after Uni as you have/will, sometimes wish I had!

 

I can tell you the Jspec turbo's 'hot side' blades are made from (innovative at the time I believe) metal matrix composites, what have you been looking into specifically for your PhD?

I am under NDA unfortunately so cannot go into too much detail, but I am working with EDF energy on the microstructural evolution of stainless steel welds during service in nuclear power stations. Most of my PhD has been spent waiting for furnace samples to come out, as the best way to simulate a long time at a high temperature is to... well, leave it at a high temperature for a long time!! I have thoroughly enjoyed it however I am currently writing my thesis (hence why I have joined here - long live procrastination!) so I am spending all day every day imprisoned in my own home trying to write.

It certainly isn't for everyone, I personally think you don't necessarily need to be highly intelligent to do a PhD (Exhibit A: Action Jackson) but you definitely need to have a certain type of personality

Do plenty of research and when viewing these cars look beyond the paintwork, all the things you can't see are what

can and will bite you in the ass, suspension arm bushes can be replaced but the ball joints can't, some arms now are also

unavailable along with a few other parts such as heater matrix's, as time goes by Toyota will faze out lots more parts so

bare that in mind.

Good luck finding a nice looked after car, it will be worth the effort in the end.

Hi Drift_Bear - the top end of my budget is £20k (with a little help from a bank!) as I would like a TT manual ideally. As for colour, I am open and I really like the TOMs racing style body kits for the Supra (minus the back end, I adore the stock gigantic single exit!). But bodykits/body shapes/ wheels etc I am open to suggestions to be honest, I love the general look of the Supra so I guess it will just be a case of waiting for one that causes me to drool upon seeing it.

On the subject of gearboxes, I have seen some of the tiptronics and would be very interested in trying one out - as long as I am in charge of the gears I get the maximum fulfilment. I test drove a Golf R with the DSG box recently and while the power delivery was incredible, it felt very "point and squirt" which I didn't enjoy as much.

That's a good realistic budget for these now, you should get yourself a decent example for that sort of money!

 

Do plenty of research and when viewing these cars look beyond the paintwork, all the things you can't see are what

can and will bite you in the ass, suspension arm bushes can be replaced but the ball joints can't, some arms now are also

unavailable along with a few other parts such as heater matrix's, as time goes by Toyota will faze out lots more parts so

bare that in mind.

 

Good luck finding a nice looked after car, it will be worth the effort in the end.

Hi Dunk, thanks for the welcome.

Thats a really interesting point about certain parts not being able to be replaced - are there lists of things that are difficult/impossible to source for these cars now?

I guess if you cant source a part then you need to modify to make something else fit?

I don't think there is a list of parts from Toyota that are now unavailable

Would be a good idea to create one, a few parts are available in the aftermarket world but some are very

dubious as to their quality.

Demisterman do their verson of the heater matrix but its not as good as the OE unit performance wise

Several companies do suspension arms but some i wouldn't fit to a pram

Interesting times ahead as far as parts supply goes

I don't think there is a list of parts from Toyota that are now unavailable

 

Would be a good idea to create one, a few parts are available in the aftermarket world but some are very

dubious as to their quality.

 

Demisterman do their verson of the heater matrix but its not as good as the OE unit performance wise

Several companies do suspension arms but some i wouldn't fit to a pram

 

Interesting times ahead as far as parts supply goes

Thanks for the heads up. Will be something I will need to consider as it is likely the Supra I purchase I will want to own for the long-term.

I am under NDA unfortunately so cannot go into too much detail, but I am working with EDF energy on the microstructural evolution of stainless steel welds during service in nuclear power stations. Most of my PhD has been spent waiting for furnace samples to come out, as the best way to simulate a long time at a high temperature is to... well, leave it at a high temperature for a long time!! I have thoroughly enjoyed it however I am currently writing my thesis (hence why I have joined here - long live procrastination!) so I am spending all day every day imprisoned in my own home trying to write.

It certainly isn't for everyone, I personally think you don't necessarily need to be highly intelligent to do a PhD (Exhibit A: Action Jackson) but you definitely need to have a certain type of personality

I think detail would confuse us anyway, I know what you mean re PhD's essentially you are just getting more and more specialised, as has been the way through your whole education no doubt, you end up being an expert in a very niche marketplace/area, can only have a good dinner party chat with about 4 other people in the whole country

Sounds a very worthy application you are working on, I think we all hope you get your sums/alloy compositions right that's for sure!

Dunk, is right about a some of the things he says, but also your budget should get you a low mileage clean one and if so you'll avoid a number of the common wear issues, the parts availability drying up is a real but very new thing, so as it increases I can perhaps see some aftermarket stuff coming in to fill the gaps, as Dunk says that then raises possible quality issues. Considering their age parts availability is still very good really.

Thanks for the heads up. Will be something I will need to consider as it is likely the Supra I purchase I will want to own for the long-term.

This for me makes it even more important to buy the right car that's been looked after by a genuine enthusiast, sadly not all mkivs are and that includes club owned cars

This for me makes it even more important to buy the right car that's been looked after by a genuine enthusiast, sadly not all mkivs are and that includes club owned cars

I have just been going through the Classifieds (cant post on there yet though!) and it is wonderful to see people caring so much for these cars.

To be honest the more I hang around the more I get an inkling that I will be buying from someone on here... from what I have read, importing is just off the cards right now as they're charging so much.

importing is just off the cards right now as they're charging so much.

Yep, best then to wait for the exchange rate to improve.