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Id appreciate your advice.....


Ewen
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To mod or not to mod - My heart and brain are in conflict over this...Id value sensible advice as to which way to go.

 

Shes a '98 TT VVTI Tiptronic Quicksilver @ 24000 genuine miles, fsh (inc Japan), unmodded engine, body work standard except rear wing etc. I have another 15 mths of finance on her by which time she'll be @ approx 35000 miles.

 

Ive a choice of either modding her (BPU first) onward and upward, or leaving her as is and buying an older Supe and upping that one.

 

If you had that choice, and your head did worry about re-sale value of what is at the moment a low mileage late Supe, but your heart wanted to enter the 400 hp plus club what would you do ?

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Yep, I agree. Although I'm also wary of bunging lots of money at some of these older Supras nowadays. I wouldn't big single mine for example (12 years old, 88,000 miles)

 

You can say you're not worried about resale value but that car will hold it's value well - VVTi, facelift, good colour and low mileage. You simply have to take that into account.

 

Recently I've been examining the Vortex NA-to-big-single turbo kits. These make a lot of sense to me - buy a £5000 mint NA, spend another £5000 on the conversion and hey presto, a T61 big singled car for £10,000 that's in excellent condition. I can't see the sense in spending another £3000-£5000 to get a good TT if you're going to rip the TT bits off it.

 

So I'd leave the nice Supra as it is and consider a NA big single project.

 

 

Edit: I just noticed it's a Tiptronic as well! No way you can mod that!

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Ewen, if you're just looking for around 400bhp, then I would say definitely go for it. You can get that sort of power with relatively simple mods, then come sale time, you could easily revert the car back to stock if you wanted to.

 

I'd suggest fitting

1. Aftermarket 'performance' exhaust

2. 2 x decat pipes and restrictor ring

3. Fuel Cut Defender

4. Cooler grade spark plugs

5. Boost gauge

 

Limit boost to 1.2bar and you will be close to 400bhp. All the above mods are relatively easy to fit, so if you keep the parts you remove it will be cheap/easy to revert back to stock if/when you decide to sell.

 

I gaurantee, you will not believe the difference in performance you will get, by doing these relatively simple mods.

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Everyone's different but if I had that car I wouldn't do anything, it doesn't need it. But if you want to get 400 bhp so badly that it meant you would be willing to buy another car then that seems pointless with all the cost involved so in that case I'd make the necessary mods as tastefully as possible and ones that can be reversed easily enough.

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So I'd leave the nice Supra as it is and consider a NA big single project.

 

 

!

 

its a possibility, but if you're after 400bhp then i'm not so sure the na's gearboxes or diff's will be up to it. Even the late SZR with the V161 gearbox and lsd may not be suitable as the gearing is low (maxes out at 150 160 ish)

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I'm guessing you're not a hell raiser and like power without lots and lots of noise. With that in mind I'd probably steer clear of removing both cats and using the loudest exhaust going...I'd be more subtle.

 

I've got a similar spec so I would;

1.) Replace the intercooler with a 2row FMIC do it well and it will make your engine more efficient.

2.) Single first cat decat - this is the really restrictive one...leave the second in - you'll pass MOT's with no messing about that way, and your boost won't go mad.

3.) The Quietest 3" Catback exhaust you can get. HKS Slient Power??

4.) BKR7E Spark plugs gapped to 0.8mm

5.) Boost Gauge + EGT gauge + pillar pod (don't lose any dash functionality to have a gauge)

6.) Got UK sized brakes already? Chris Wilson Fast Road Pads or Vortex Carbotech Pads are required ;)

7.) You don't need an FCD on a VVTi - just take the hose off the MAP sensor and put a bung in it :)

8.) Ohlins Suspension - ask Soop Dogg which spec his are as they are the DD's. And don't fail like HKS and TEIN's do...apparrently.

9.) TRD Diff

10.) Walbro Fuel Pump

 

A VVTi with those power mods will try to break traction at peak torque...I know mine used to....even in higher gears.

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I "pioneered" the mod...mine's been disconnected for some time....nothing has "gone wrong" yet....

 

The ONLY function of the MAP (that I can see atm) on a VVT-i is to activate FC. So if it doesn't see a pressure signal it can't/doesn't cut boost.

 

Ahh 1 down side...the really useless stock boost gauge doesn't work with it disconnected....oh no damn....

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Ewen, if you're just looking for around 400bhp, then I would say definitely go for it. You can get that sort of power with relatively simple mods, then come sale time, you could easily revert the car back to stock if you wanted to.

 

I'd suggest fitting

1. Aftermarket 'performance' exhaust

2. 2 x decat pipes and restrictor ring

3. Fuel Cut Defender

4. Cooler grade spark plugs

5. Boost gauge

 

Limit boost to 1.2bar and you will be close to 400bhp. All the above mods are relatively easy to fit, so if you keep the parts you remove it will be cheap/easy to revert back to stock if/when you decide to sell.

 

I gaurantee, you will not believe the difference in performance you will get, by doing these relatively simple mods.

 

Does that really get 400bhp? I thought BPU got you to 360-370, 380 at most, or is that the kind of figure you were referring to?

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Does that really get 400bhp? I thought BPU got you to 360-370, 380 at most, or is that the kind of figure you were referring to?

 

Yeah it's all really dependant on which way the wind blows on the day, but mine and Nic's suggestions will net ~400lb/ft which is much more useful (yay for VVTi!)

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Do the subtle stuff like Alex says :)

 

Nowt wrong with modding 'older' cars btw, unless you are talking about the "never getting my money back spent on mods" issue, in which case get a nice mercedes diesel auto instead, they hold their value really well ;) I buy cars to have fun, not as an investment :nyah:

 

-Ian

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Nowt wrong with modding 'older' cars btw

 

Don't you think though that as you up the stress levels all the old bits will need replacing whereas on a new car they're new and can handle the stress better? Not being mechanically minded I dunno exactly which bits wouldn't be able to handle it, and I appreciate it's a Toyota, but I'd be more comfortable fitting a big single to a 4 year old car at 30,000 than a 12 year old one at 120,000...?

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Thanks for all the advice so far...:respekt:

Reversible mods up to approx 400 hp on a newish engine may be a safe middle ground here.

Good point made ref cheaper NA plus dosh to go single....this would keep the miles down on the '98, Id have a Supe to drive whilst modding 'tother one and Id have a hooley car for the track days Ive always promised myself but havent dared in the current one.

Terry....your suggestion made the most sense to the little devil on my left shoulder...the little angel on my right is givin him a bit of :stickpoke . Id love your Supe mate, but I want to do as much of the fun stuff as I can myself - it would be a bit like buying the mother of all kits but ready made up.

So there we are then, undecided still but getting closer......

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I'd just say do what you wanna do and enjoy the car as much as you can. Mine was a mint completely stock UK manual, modded it straight away without hesitation but i knew i'd never sell it

 

Thats the dilema Im in...I want to but I dont... I bought this Supe as the lowest mileage I could get (4500 miles) and I was going to buy an old ST 2000 GT as daily driver and keep the MkIV for weekends to keep the miles low...that idea lasted exactly as long as it took to get home from JIC:D

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Ewen, if you're just looking for around 400bhp, then I would say definitely go for it. You can get that sort of power with relatively simple mods, then come sale time, you could easily revert the car back to stock if you wanted to.

 

I'd suggest fitting

1. Aftermarket 'performance' exhaust

2. 2 x decat pipes and restrictor ring

3. Fuel Cut Defender

4. Cooler grade spark plugs

5. Boost gauge

 

Limit boost to 1.2bar and you will be close to 400bhp. All the above mods are relatively easy to fit, so if you keep the parts you remove it will be cheap/easy to revert back to stock if/when you decide to sell.

 

I gaurantee, you will not believe the difference in performance you will get, by doing these relatively simple mods.

 

Nics pretty spot except you need a boost controller to hit the 1.2bar with a peak boost display not just a gauge. Your VVTi will ROCK! This is the best pound for pound modding you can do IMHO.

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I'd also go for the mods but keep them sensible. BPU things are easy to remove/undo :) and will transform the car and your enjoyment of it I would imagine :D

 

Do it one step at a time and then you can stop whenever the setup works for you, or you might just get hooked on modding ;)

 

People chip and mod brand new cars, so long as it's nothing too radical/can't be undone then I wouldn't worry, BPU is pretty tame really :)

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