Running Costs

Hi guys,

I'm new here, and just trying to get a feel for what to expect with a Supra...

I'm currently considering a '95 Twin Turbo, and I think the buyers guide will come in very useful.

I need to know how much to budget for in terms of running costs... I'll be doing about 12000 miles a year, which I think is 2 services? (6000mile intervals?) The cars I am looking at have around 60000 miles... Any big costs to watch out for?

Can servicing be done by me, or would I be better taking it to Toyota? Are there any specialists that are cheaper/give better service?

I heard of a specialist in Watford, but can't find any information on them anywhere... Anyone heard of a company around there? And are they any good?

I love the idea of owning a Supra, but I heard of people paying £1000 for a service? That idea kind of puts me off...

Anyway, views would be appreciated, and any advice will be very welcome.

I hope to become an owner in the very near future!

 

I need to know how much to budget for in terms of running costs... I'll be doing about 12000 miles a year, which I think is 2 services? (6000mile intervals?) The cars I am looking at have around 60000 miles... Any big costs to watch out for?

!

Yeah.... your fuel bill!! 12,000 miles a year man, you'd be much better off getting a 2nd car and doing less miles in the Supra.

I am sure if you are experienced enough you can do the servicing yourself. I have only had the Supra 2 months but have changed the oil, filter etc myself.

Can servicing be done by me, or would I be better taking it to Toyota? Are there any specialists that are cheaper/give better service?

 

I heard of a specialist in Watford, but can't find any information on them anywhere

Edit to add,

Tel for Phoenix : 01923 228484

Yeah, I figured on a big fuel bill... Budgeting for about £300 a month give or take...

But point taken on the second car thing...

Is the N/A a lot better on fuel? Would I be disappointed with the performance? Or are they still pretty quick?

I love the styling of the car, and I think that it's incredibly well appointed for what it is...

If I did servicing myself (and kept receipts etc) would I devalue the car a lot? And are there any silly electronic service indicator things that need resetting?

My other cars have all needed taking into a garage to get the service indicators reset...

services 2 a year but nowhere near £1000! the major service is your cambelt and tensioners, brakes etc etc but after that you just make sure all your fluids are good and clean.

toyota is extortionate for servicing and theres many other traders who do just as good a job for a better price.

supras a nice strong reliable car all you gotta consider is that the bitch likes a drink.

Can servicing be done by me, or would I be better taking it to Toyota? Are there any specialists that are cheaper/give better service?

I think the best way is to buy all the servicing parts yourself, all the fluids, oil, filters, pads etc and shop around for a labour only price to fit them. Avoid toyota dealers for fitting/servicing as they rip you off considering their knowledge on supras!.

You can buy pretty much buy all the servicing items thru the traders on here. Thats the way i will be doing it, you can find the service itenary on here with what needs doing and the interval its on a pdf so use the search to find it.

Not sure about petrol costs but depends on what you drive like really and whether its motorway or not.

but sometimes it works out better to get the parts from the guy servicing your car, coz they usually can get it direct from suppliers and dont charge you any extra. well thats how it was when i got my car last serviced.

I do a real mixture of A-Roads and Town stuff... With occasional motorway stuff...

But I think that for the pleasure I'd get out of driving it, the fuel costs could be offset...

I was really more worried about the service costs, and where to take it. But if taking the advice above, and buying parts, then asking for just labour... how much to budget for do you think (through Phoenix for instance)

Currently I pay about £400 every 7000 miles to get my car serviced...

Also, when do things like cambelts etc need replacing? Anyone got a link to a service schedule or whatever?

Sorry to ask so many questions...

but sometimes it works out better to get the parts from the guy servicing your car, coz they usually can get it direct from suppliers and dont charge you any extra. well thats how it was when i got my car last serviced.

Yeh probably works out cheaper that way. But by buying the stuff myself at least id like to think the correct stuff is gonna get used. It depends who you use, a supra specialist like mk1v store will know what they are doing but if you take your supra to a general run of the mill garage and ask them for a service they wont have a clue what needs changing or what to use.

The best advice then is to make sure you use a supra specialist whichever way you do it, plenty of them on here.

Your major 60k mile service shouldnt cost you over £500 at Toyota, most of the expense is labour charges, the parts (belt, plugs, oils and filters etc) add up but dont cost too much.

A service is around £150.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 9k miles usually.

oh right? tbh, the main cost is fuel and insurance then... That's actually pretty reasonable!

I got a quote from elephant.co.uk of £710 fully comp, which seems pretty good for a 22y/o with 2 yrs no claims...

fuel-wise, does it need super unleaded? or can it make do with 95RON?

optimax only or equivalent 98/99ron!

i've heard people go on about optimax on all the car forums, but i don't rate it personally... surely Tesco 99 is just as good (and without all the crappy detergents that you get in Optimax!)...

Don't want a petrol debate here though, was more just a question about whether you need to use high-octane, or whether the engine can adjust to normal unleaded...

Obv it'll give more power etc on high octane...

Cheers for all the help so far guys... V helpful

if you go for an NA you could get away with using 95ron.

Tesco 99 RON is ok, but a cheap substitute for Optimax. BP Ultimate is a close second to Optimax.

You get what you pay for.....

Don't use 95 RON in an import Supe, its not supposed to use anything less than 100!! However, 98/99 will do.

Its not just down to the RON number, but also the MON number (which isn't advertised). I'd expect that the Optimax has the best combined RON & MON, giving a better all round fuel.

ok, that's interesting... so basically, top fuel is the way to go...

As I thought tbh!

Has the Supra got an automatic knock sensor, and/or a learning ECU? I know some cars adjust themselves to the way you drive and/or the type of fuel used...

It's got a learning ECU. Don't know about the antiknock sensor though.

I'm pretty sure you can use lower grade petrols, but as said the JDM Supras expect decent fuel, the UK specs were originally setup for running on 96/97 ron fuel. But its only going to lose performances and shouldnt cause problems if you're only cruising the motorway etc.

brilliant! thanks for that info guys.

So the main thing is the fuel... In terms of maintenance it's actually pretty average (I'd do it properly anyway, as i have with my other cars), And i'll get an insurance quote from Sky as well to see if they can better Elephant...

Has anyone got a link to a website for Phoenix? Or a phone number?

I'm sure it's on this site somewhere, but this is the first time i've looked around it...

optimax only or equivalent 98/99ron!

N/A will run on 95 unleaded no prob.

Oh, also.. I like the idea of the 6-speed manual.. but I believe the auto is quicker..?

Which would people recommend, and why?

How good is the "manual mode" on the auto boxes?

Read the FAQ's

Will do mate.. Many thanks everyone!

 

If I did servicing myself (and kept receipts etc) would I devalue the car a lot? And are there any silly electronic service indicator things that need resetting?

if you are even contemplating going DIY then i'd say go for it.......

its cost effective, you 'know' 100% its been done, you don't have to travel miles to someone you can trust, there's loads of info on here about procedures etc, and helpful advice/people if you managed to still get stuck.

That's Phoenix, they're in Watford. They're great guys and know what they're doing with Supras. Lots of us on here use them.

 

 

Edit to add,

Tel for Phoenix : 01923 228484

To requote Jake's post, here's Phoenix's number 01923 228484.

Mine has been serviced/modded there from import, so highly recommended! Great garage. Chris Wilson is excellent too by all accounts.

Depends where you are in the country though, obviously. Ask, and you'll get!