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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Looking for some advice PLEASE!!


suprasam
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Hi there i am new to the Supra scene and will in the not too distant future be purchasing the said car.

 

A little background for you - i have just changed jobs a step up in money BUT also only 5 mins from my house. At present i am walking to work as driving seems pointless and my car lives in the garage. I am looking to buy a Supra as i have always wanted one and now seems the time to do it. I will hopefully buy one and it will only be used evenings and weekends at the most thus costing me very little to run and i can keep it looking sweet.

 

Now - the downside is because it won't be used much i can't afford to pour massive amounts of dosh into buying one. I will probably have around 5k to spend. Looking on Autotrader and Ebay it seems this will get me a nice N/A version.

 

As it lacks two turbos does this detract from the driving enjoyment???

 

What average MPG can one expect??? (although this isn't important more for my info)

 

How tuneable is the N/A version???

 

What power can i expect to aceive??

 

Can you fit four people in or is it just 2 and 1 unfortunate friend???

 

Finally - they all seem to be auto - does this also detract from the driving experience or is it a good auto box??? and linking in would it be worth (bearing in mind my budget) hunting out a manual version???

 

Sorry for all the questions but this is kind of a dream situation for me and i want to make the right choice and invest (the little money!!!) i have wisely.

 

Look forward to hearing your opinions/replies - cheers

 

SupraSam

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Sounds like you want power, so I'd suggest not getting an NA. I've never driven one or been in one but heard quite a few people on here getting annoyed after a few months and wanting more power (admittedly the TT guys want more power too but it's enough power to start with!!!).

 

The auto is a VERY good box. I prefer the manual but many others will disagree - you need to drive both anyway really.

 

 

Id look to spend more to be honest.

 

Whatever you decide you'll be happy, never met an unhappy supra owner! :D

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Owning both I can say the NA can hold its own, it's when you get an open stretch of motorway that the TT will leave you standing.

 

If you can only afford an NA then don't bother test driving a TT or the NA will feel slow. Best to stick to the NA until you have the funds to get a TT, then test drive one and you'll have the motivation to instantly buy one.

 

The auto box is very good, although the TT is better than the NA, but the NA is still miles a head of normal auto boxes you find on other cars.

 

:Plug:

 

If you want a nice fast NA then I can highly recommend this one http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=35349

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Power is not a real issue i just wanted to know what we were talking about. As far as buying a TT goes i simply can't afford it so that will wait for a few years but the N/A will keep me going i am sure!!!!

 

Any more insight on the auto box???

 

Suprasam

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Yeah the running costs weren't an issue i meant my budget for buying is limited otherwise it would be a TT believe me!!!!

 

As i said it isn't going to be used everyday so running costs are kinda irrelevant although an average MPG (or miles out of a tank) would be handy for me to know.

 

Having not driven a TT i think the N/A will still feel v quick - i am coming from a 150bhp car!!!! Am i right in thinking these Supras come with around 225 as standard??

 

I am looking forward to driving one as its the gearbox that intrigues/concerns me the most - you don't normally associate an Auto with a high performance car.

 

My plan is to by an completely standard example - no nasty bodykits and 'take me to the moon' rear wings, the standard look is fine for me. Can anyone recommend any importers worth checking out who supply such examples?? I have found a few but they seem to concentrate on highly modded TT's which are circa 10-15k!!!!!!

 

Just sorted a sensible insurance quote with Admiral online so thats one cost planned for.

 

Cheers for all this info guys its great

 

Suprasam

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I get about 22mpg out of my TT, but that's a different argument :p .

 

The auto really is very good as far as I'm told, I like it and I've never even driven one!!!

I got a manual because I prefer doing some work in the car, it's a drivers car the way I see it and I'm not interested (at the moment) in being wafted in comfort at high speed, I want the concentration and harshness all around me - even just going to work!! My next car I think would be an easy fast driver though.

 

I think the auto is quicker as well isn't it? Although probably not if you're taking it on a track or anything like that.

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Thats some great info cheers guys - i also tackled the biggest hurdle tonight - convincing the missus!!!!! Whey!!!!!!! Anyway with regard to the auto box does it also have tiptronic function like most autos or is it just - Drive, Neutral and Reverse??

 

Cheers

 

Suprasam

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The NA auto does seem to behave differently to the TT. I've only recently driven a TT auto and I was surprised at how smooth it was in comparison to the NA. As far as I can see its only down to the amount of power available as the NA is very eager to kick down (well mine certainly), the TT in comparison always seemed to have the power so kick down wasn't needed as much - ultimately giving a more smooth and relaxing drive.

 

The Auto does have a manual mode where you can select the gears yourself, but to be honest I don't use it much as there really isn't the need most of the time.

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Thanks Faye for a sensible answer to my Tiptronic question!!!!:) By tiptronic i mean manually selectable gears. My girlfriend has new BMW which is an auto but if you push the selector across you can drive it like a manual, the FTO is the same the Alfa is the same it is fairly common as far as i am aware. Could be wrong though.

 

Its a very exciting prospect becoming a Supra owner there are only two where i live all be it one is modded and looks real nice the other is standard.

 

With regards to the Aerotops are there many of these around or are they limited in their numbers quite like the idea for the summer?? Does the roof panel stroe in the boot or is it a 'leave it home item and hope it doesn't rain' affair?

 

Even the girlfriend is looking forward to driving it........i myself have some concerns over this idea.

 

Suprasam

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With regards to the Aerotops are there many of these around or are they limited in their numbers quite like the idea for the summer?? Does the roof panel stroe in the boot or is it a 'leave it home item and hope it doesn't rain' affair?

 

 

Roof does stow in the boot, they are not as common as the hardtops but don't appear to be any more expensive than regular NA's ( a few for approx £6k on the trader at present). They are all (well i've never seen a manual) automatics though.

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With regards to the Aerotops are there many of these around or are they limited in their numbers quite like the idea for the summer?? Does the roof panel stroe in the boot or is it a 'leave it home item and hope it doesn't rain' affair?

 

Theres one outside my house :D

If you don't mind what year the aerotop is then you shouldn't have too many problems finding one. If you want a 97/98 onwards you may have a few more problems.

Aerotops are great (well I think so), but if your girlfriend wants to use it on her own and she's short she may have some trouble taking the panel off and putting it on etc

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Roof does stow in the boot, they are not as common as the hardtops but don't appear to be any more expensive than regular NA's ( a few for approx £6k on the trader at present). They are all (well i've never seen a manual) automatics though.

 

There was 1 manual TT aerotop for sale last year on Auto Trader. Wonder if someone on here bought it?

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Thats cool not too fussy about year really as long as its tidy and standard as stated before. With regards to the girlfriend i am still coming round to the idea of letting her drive it let alone driving it AND taking the roof out!!!!! :-)

 

All is good i am pretty much out of questions although if i think of anyothers be sure to read me post coz your all super helpful.

 

Cheers Suprasam

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Here we go again!!!!! I have read about some guy who speaks about an Aero front bumper now is this just the type of front bumper or did some Supras come with one of those electronic lips that deploys itself beneath the front bumper at a certain speed a la Mitsi GTO????

 

Also with regards to the Aerotop models how does the roof panel fix in place?? It seems quite a substantial piece of metal.

 

And also the rear seats are very 'buckety' can you realistically fit anybody in them?? Or is it a case of one person in the back sitting across both the seats?? Not that i am really bothered as i will have the best seat in the house but sometimes i do take more than one passenger and was just wondering.

 

Ta

 

Suprasam

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hey sam no the rear seats are only the for the looks the are not practical at all imho

i have managed to get 2 women in the back of mine but it *ucks up the leg room in the front and you always clout your head when you get in the car and that just ruins the coooolness of it all lol

 

i have one word of advice. . i have a n/a auto and i realy wish i had brought a tt 6sp manual that is my view other than that awesome car (actualy that was more than one word but good advice nontheless imho :read: )

 

read my post on why i wish i had brought a TT

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The 6 speed Getrag manual is very tough but at times could be noisy in operation. Pick up is marginally faster than an auto box and thus has a very slight edge on the 0-60 times but only professional drivers with a silky smooth gear change could achieve this. Congestion will annoy you on a car of the Supra's spec - to preserve the life of your internals you would ideally be selecting the correct gear all too frequently! Also, the 6sp is better suited if you are going to spend thousands achieving big bhp (over 550), but as you aren't looking to thrash the machine to oblivion, then really just look toward an auto.

 

The auto is more integrated than the manual and works with the ECU to extend the life of the box and drive train by temporarily dimming output on gear selection. As the auto was used on the old MkIII, reliability is guaranteed. The auto is a 4 speed box with option to go into manual mode where you can select the first 3 gears to change gear faster, and will support up to 500bhp. I personally prefer auto as it suits all types of traffic and the twin turbo's standard 282bhp (vs about 220bhp for NA) is plenty fast. To keep your economy (if you can use that word for this car) good, the auto has an overdrive button to prevent over rev on gear selection.

 

As for Tiptronics - they exist from 97 onwards and are 4 speed autos/manuals (a mix if you like) with ability to switch to manual shift, using buttons on steering wheel.

 

As for insurance - buy a jap car magazine and towards the back you'll find a list of adverts for specialist insurance companies.

 

Anyway - feel free to drop me a private message if wanna hand findin' a motor - I spend loadsa time scooting autotrader and ebay cos I like looking for the 'must haves' even if I'm not in the market! (which annoys my boss in the office!).

 

GL,

 

D

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Also with regards to the Aerotop models how does the roof panel fix in place?? It seems quite a substantial piece of metal.

 

5 bolts hold it in place, yes it is a fairly substantial bit of metal, not so much heavy but can be a little unwieldy

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