@@jeremychen9282 Actually the Mk 3 was way more popular then the MK 4 ever was before the movie. The MK 4 killed the Supra. Even left North America early because of the MK 4 they couldn't give away people just didn't want them when new. Wasn't until F&F millenials wanted the car. The movie used because they were cheap and no one wanted them at the time. The MK 2 and 3 are true Supra's beautiful cars.
@@damilolaakanni The mk3 actually is more of a gt car than the supra. It has a longer wheel base making it better for high speed driving. Theoretically speaking it would be safer to make big power with a mk3 than a mk4
I've owned nearly this exact same car for more than 15 years, and you have done it justice. Also, for potential buyers, this guide is excellently researched. One more thing that may be worth mentioning however, is that the cam bolts on the lower suspension arm tend to seize within the arm bushings, causing them to need less than favorable means of extraction (and replacement) to get a good alignment. Account for this costly potential if the car does not track well.
My 88 does not pull to the left or right and seems just dandy, but I did put coilovers on, a sway bar, and new 17" wheels and tires. I was thinking about getting an alignment just because I guess you probably should after all that, but I wonder if the issue you mentioned would get in the way of that.
My first car... the 1989 Toyota Supra Turbo in a red and grey cloth trim, targa top, and 5spd R154 transmission. That was 18 years ago, I still own that car :)
Finally. Thank you someone touches on this like a comfy gt semi luxury car. People forget this came out before Lexus was a brand. They were luxury tech packed comfortable rides
The A70 / MK3 Toyota supra was my first car and it is my favorite car. I’ve owned six of them over the the past 17 years, and I have had at least one at any given time since I was 14. One of my current projects is a one 1UZFE swapped 1989. I have to say this was a spot on write up absolutely an awesome job.
If I were building a 3rd one, I would install the 1JZ engine with modest turbo(s), because the 7MGTE engine has a lot of faults. I rebuilt 4 if I can remember right. Two turbo, two non. I thought I got it "bulletproof" on the 4th one with Cometic metal gaskets and ARP studs, but really its just a problematic engine compared with other Toyota units. Back then we were just learning of the travesty of these incorrect head gasket torques, and this was before Internet and bulletin boards were very prolific, so info was limited. Because it was a pretty rare car (in my area anyway - I was the only one driving one in the town by what can remember), we just didn't know the problems they had. In fact the first one had the "birdcage" light on when I bought it (I later found and bought a factory owners manual which told me it was the coolant level warning signal), which - of course now we know - meant the head was blown and leaking/burning coolant. I was unaware of any issues of Toyota's mistake back then...maybe I just thought that it was a Toyota, what could possibly go wrong? That one threw a rod through the block pretty quick...only a few weeks! Toyota really should have stood up and owned the problem they created with a recall, but they just didn't and at the time, nobody I knew had an idea of what the heck happened. A reman'd engine went in, and later I bought a Turbo but I knew of the problem pretty well by then. I proudly owned examples of these fine cars when I was in my late teens (89 and 91T), and I tried my best to keep them running on a shoestring budget, with minimal mods, minimal skill and knowledge, but maximum love. The interior was a wonderful place to spend thousands of miles and it only left me stranded a couple times. The car has a personality that, like the 240sx, can be "sticky" to its owners.
@@lansonfloyd4687 The birdcage light just refers to the coolant overflow tank. The lid (for whatever reason) does not fit right on mine so I think it evaporates out. I think you can probably always activate that light briefly if you corner hard enough. I definitely don't have a blown HG, it's been fixed.
@@rushnerd hey if that's all it is, then grabbing a new coolant tank should solve your issues. With a car this old (now) that's a blessing. Side note - I have no budget to buy one but I spotted a gray one sitting in a yard about a mile from my house. Not even sure if it's for sale or not but from 50 ft away the body/exterior looks pretty good as I drive by it once or twice a day. Sigh....not good for Supra addicts like me
@@lansonfloyd4687 I've heard this story a few times hah, they are ALWAYS for sale if it's like that (eventually). I've yet to ever see any model of Supra in the wild though, most people have no clue what the hell I'm driving. At this point buying any Sup just to part it out pretty much pays for itself!
very comprehensive assessment of the 7m! great job guys, in regards to transmissions btw they have 3 available transmissions, a weaker 5 speed manual in the non turbo (w58), a strong 5 speed manual (r154), and of course the sloshbox 4spd auto (a340). However a modified a70 chassis these days is still quiet the performer and not to mention how dam good the 7m sounds when opened up!
Even my 7M-GE with the sloshbox is the best sounding car I've ever heard (dual tip exhaust.) At start up alone it sounds like it has MUCH more power than it actually does, I love it.
Little fun fact for you. In the original Back to the Future script, the vehicle that Marty wanted was going to be a Supra (instead of a SR5 Pickup) except it was older than this one.
When I was 21 I imported to Australia 1989. Targa, grey, manual, 7MGTE, digital dash, TEMS. What a combo, probably didn't appreciate it at the time. Was a daily driver, out to work and back every day. Wish I still had it now as a weekender. Such a presence on the road, lots of folk used to ask what it was at the lights. Guy I sold it to, to help fund a year backpacking overseas, was a fucking wanker which made it even worse. Owned it 3 years, never had an issue. Was an awesome car.
My dad was a Toyota mechanic and still had to replace the head gasket like 3x and rebuild the transmission twice in 5 years on his MKIII turbo. I drove it and an NA version and they handle like boats but gripped well (the turbo with LSD is actually controllable during drifts). Always tempted but they’re just not reliable with the 7mgte
Never find pretty much any car of this year in as good a shape as this one. This was probably a weekend car that lived in a garage, never seen salt, not even one year of it. Nice find, lucky who ever owns this one.
If you're looking for one of these with everything working, a complete interior, and a like-new turbo you can either settle for 2 out of 3 or you can keep looking for the rest of your life.
Own an 87 Turbo. That entire second timestamp/section of your video is every time I tell people about my 'fun car'. "I own a Supra. No, not that Supra you're thinking of..." etc. Pretty much point for point exactly the same thing you say lol But honestly speaking, I DO want to crank as much power out of mine as possible, hopefully staying with the 7M (rebuilt with better parts of course). Call me a hipster, but the whole 2J/Mk4 Supra hype thing is just so... cliche. I wanna do something different. I know there are people who've built out 7Ms, and I hope to join them; I do NOT wanna be one of those people who smashes a 2J in the engine bay and basically makes a knockoff A80.
If you really want to engine swap, put whatever the hell you want in there man! An MK3 with a 2JZ is already a better car than the MK4 and even after all that MUCH cheaper. I plan to just on my 7M-GE myself, it's not super fast, but 1-2J prices are as much as I paid for the car in the first place now, probably not happening. Besides, I've never heard a car that sounds THIS nice and powerful without being obnoxious, I absolutely love it.
Years ago I met a friend who had the non-turbo version of this car. As we became better friends we agreed to switch cars for a couple days. I had a 1990 RX-7 GTU. After a couple days I was hooked on that supra. Aside from the fact that it was very roomy compared to my RX-7. I couldn’t believe how smooth that in-line six was. Easily a car you could drive across the country. I was also impressed with how smooth the manual transmission was especially coming from the RX-7 which to me has almost the perfect 5 speed. He added a set of BBS wheels and also a set of Koni adjustable shocks to the car which helped out with the handling. Behind the wheel of that supra was just a perfect place to be.
I can't even imagine that, it's my dream. I'm guessing you did all that before prices exploded. I'm already $22K into my 88' NA Auto and I haven't really touched the engine.
@@rushnerd 9 years ago I was able to find all parts needed to build a jz for 1400 r154 trans for 700. In 2020 i had to replace my block this cost me 2200 just for a block and upper oil pan. These cars used to throwaway cars. But I find them to be a comfortable ride.
just picked up a A70 supra with a 1.5jz gte swap head his warning goddamn the guy that had it before did a terrible swap job just had to pay 20k to get it where it is now and its beautiful but if thats not something you are ready to do avoid the swaps take the 7m or import a jza70 instead though I will say i would take the 1j any day fantastic motor sounds amazing runs fast and smooth would take it over the 2j any day the exhaust note is just a tad nicer imo
As former MK3, I think the MK2 are unsung heroes of the Supra at weight of 2800-2900 which is BRZ/FRS territory a 7M/1JZ swap turns the MK2 into a well rounder car.
That's what you think. I carried a bicycle, filing cabinets, tons of clothing, and a string bass at one time. Perhaps your comment was made without considering what the reviewer might have meant.
Go naturally aspirated unless you REALLY need that turbo. They are much cheaper and it's still an incredibly fun and plenty fast car. I picked one up last year, just make sure you shop around for the RIGHT one, don't buy someone else's problem, buy someone else's baby.
Hell I'd love to have an MKIV haha, but I'd never love it REMOTELY as much as my 88'. I think it's one of the absolute best cars ever made if it's fixed up. Not even to mention you could have a smokin' built up 2JZ TT MK3 for still much less than the 4's. Don't listen to me though, I'm $22,000 into my 88 MK3 and I've never touched the 7M-GE hah.
I had an 88 Mustang GT back in the day and around 1991 I happened upon a Turbo Supra on the beltway around Houston...we put the hammer down and rung it out. I never could catch the Supra. After about 10 minutes of this the guy pulled over and we talked...he said were were going 140 mph at one point. Thinking back this was probably not very smart...but it was pretty fun.
Funny you should bring this up. My wife and I graduated college in 1989 and were married in 1990 at which time I upgraded from an 83 Mustang GT to a 1986 Mustang GT and for my wife we purchased a used 1987 Supra Turbo (6-speed manual of course). At some point during our ownership we were side by side on a highway and gunned it from 60mph to 120mph and we were dead even the whole time. For the era, these were pretty fast cars especially once you got it going. It had as much power as a C4 Corvette. In 1994 I sold the GT and got a used 1990 300zx Twin Turbo - little did I know at the time we would have two relatively iconic Japanese cars of the era.
oddly enough, when i was a teen i had a new 88 turbo targa supra, I ran into a mustang probably of the same yr. Him and i got to going on our Canadian highway.. He was at my side , we punched it, and i kept creeping past him slowly, by the time we backed off i had the needle buried and he was in my rearview mirror. . Best run of my life.. But looking back,, stupid move..
And nowadays all the issues of this car are known so it's pretty easy to make them bulletproof. Plus this engine can handle a big amount of horsepower for those who want to make it really fast
@@Trussme96 that’s true with all 90s JDMs. They’re just waiting to appreciate. Next in line is the FC, Z31, and A70. Better to start being realistic and buy a GT86/BRZ 😂
After more videos like this not for long. Used to have one and was hoping to again one day. That is something that is quickly disappearing for most as prices are already on the rise in many places.
I bought a MK3 about 6 weeks ago and I am so happy that I finally found one. Maybe it's subjective but I feel like it is getting a lot more love from media lately. I was pretty concerned that the prices would explode before I got mine.
How are you enjoying it? The prices sure as hell did explode and we didn't pick the best time to buy, but now is certainly better than what the future holds. Last year I paid $8K for the 7M-GE and an automatic, no sport package. Pretty steep, but the car was in pretty damn good shape for 116K miles and had the head gasket sorted. $10K later in fixing things, led conversion, wheels/tires/suspension, and fiberglass window louvers, she is one really expensive car haha. Looks absolutely stunning though, I couldn't think of a better vehicle ever. Gets a ton of attention.
@@755hp me either tbh, I always built my own stuff. This car though I wanted to have peace of mind with the engine since it needed a rebuild anyways (got it for $80 with piston and head damage), but the swap will be all on my own lol
And when you get it, I suggest swapping a 7MGTE engine in it with a small Garrett GTX Gen2 turbo (GTX2876r, GTX2976r, etc); comes into boost quick with lots of torque. Also, I’d suggest building the bottom end to a 10:1 compression ratio; this helps spool the turbo incredibly quick. But you will need pull back ignition timing as the 7Ms don’t have crank sensors (based off exhaust cam sensor); so when the belt stretches, timing can jump (advance) momentarily causing knock.
The Mk 3 smokes the look of the jelly bean MK4. Yeah the MK4 gets all the love. But the Mk3 is just miles better looking. Build one out to 500hp and you’ve got a banger. Who wants a 1000hp jelly bean anyways?
At 19 years old this was my first car!! A 1988 supra targa turbo( bought for $7,100ca in 1998) it was an amazing car,that i drove always and everywhere. Got it at 147000km, sadly sold it 4years later but with 330000km, so yeah Sam it really can eat up the miles.. Now 19years later and i still miss this car. Alot of memories with this car,(friends,great road trips and how i met my wife,lost the car but kept her👍)
One of the best videos out there on the A70. I drive my Mark 3 regularly between Denmark and the UK, and with the vacuum-operated cruise control it just eats the miles with that 70L fuel tank. Everybody waves, and everybody wants the headlights popped up! Plus, with a quick intake mod, you got all the turbo noise you'd ever want. One thing you did not mention, is to check if the car you're looking at has had its CT26 Turbo wastegate shim spaced. If there are washers or a spacer at the mounting flange on the intake side of the turbo, the car has had a rougher life than normal. Keep that in mind!
I owned a 1991 Toyota Supra Turbo and I wish I never traded it in. I traded it in at 70,000 miles and it never gave me one problem during the time I owned it. The motor ran smooth as silk as was very quiet at idle. I've had BMW's and Porsche's since then but I most fondly remember my Mark 3 as my favorite car. And I loved the styling.
This year I remembered this cool "Supra" my dad had 20 years ago that had super comfy bucket seats and I loved it. So I decided to pick one up this year (not the best timing with prices lol). It's a hell of an experience. It's absolutely gorgeous and solid inside and out, easily the nicest car I've been in and I think the interior is one of the best ever made. Way different from all the econo cars I'm used to; the Supra is pretty huge doesn't exactly move like my lil' Camry. Never been so in love with a car though, the MKIII is a thrill to drive everyday and I always look forward to it.
@@kevinbarrett8802 Well I realized I'd probably have that granny Camry the rest of my life so I sold it and bought a 01' Celica GT-S. Way more my style and it's a blast to drive and corners amazingly well. Still looks like a modern car IMO.
Any tips for a newer MK3 owner after all that time? My head gasket is sorted, all new wheels/tires/suspention/swaybar/all fluids/AC converted. It's only a 7M-GE, but at 117K miles I want to make sure it's on the road for as long as possible. Only thing so far was a power steering leak and some hoses fixed that, doesn't seem to play nice with LED headlights, but that's just a gripe.
Wow, didn't realize people were paying that much for these. I almost bought a running and driving NA car for $400 several years ago, but it needed a little work. Should have snagged it up.
My first car was an 89 Supra NA. Manual Non turbo with targa top. It was around 2006 so all my boys laughed at me for a little bit until I fixed and was fishtailing out of the parking lot. Good times, then I blew the head gaskets. Essington Ave, Philly 🥺
I worked on Toyotas at an independent Toyota specialist back in the day and nope. The The turbos were well matched with the auto, the torque converter helped build boost and covered up the lag. The NA with the 5 speed felt snapper and more responsive, but was slower. There was not a huge weight break with the NA car. Like Mr. Smith said, these were cruisers, think Japanese versions of the Porsche 928.
@@realkarfixer8208 I think it was a grammar joke. the way it's worded could also be interpreted that the turbo (itself) weighed 3500-3600lbs, doubling the overall weight of the car ;)
Great review! I had an 86.5 NA and an 89 Turbo. I'm glad you emphasized this cars strength. It was a spectacular GT car. I drove it 7 hours with no stops, and I had zero fatigue from it. Being 6'6" and around 250lbs, it's rare for me to find a car that's even comfortable on a short trip. Miles just melted away with this car. It also had good chassis balance. It was very easy to control in a slide and was much more nimble than its weight implied. I miss them. I have a manual SC300 now, but there were definitely some things the MA70 did better.
I'm 6"5 and 300lb it was the same. I fell into this car but was looking for a Dodge Magnum with a Hemi to manual swap. So glad my buddy talked me into the Supra. It just feels so good. Drove my friends 500whp is300 and I just felt like I was going to break it, but not the soup! I'd take that any day even with 50whp less
Any thoughts on the NA vs your turbo? I have no idea what the GTE is like since I only have an 88 NA. I understand it's not a massive difference, but I am curious. Kinda sucks when you have the version of the car no one talks about or seems to want, but then again I think it's plenty fast and should have less issues than a GTE.
@@ZombieTapdance Yeah it's literally the most comfortable car I've ever driven, those cloth seats are something you couldn't even beat in a new car today. Long road trips are a blast. Pretty hilarious you mentioned that the is300 felt like it was going to fall apart lol. I never thought about it much, but the Supra really is solid as hell, I would take that over some souped up civic.
@@rushnerd on paper, the numbers aren't that different, but the turbo had considerably more midrange power, so it pulled much better at most speeds. The suspension, steering, and brakes are the same, so they feel pretty much identical other than that. My turbo did have appreciably better steering feel, but that was due to the revised power steering on all '89 Supras.
Tons of info here and helpful perspectives on what might be best to consider between so many different options. I say you're really improving with these buyer's guides!
Excellent & objective review! Yeah, they were built for a specific purpose, and should be considered only within those limits. The reliability -- considering the age -- is remarkable, but as pointed out, the head gaskets and the leaky targa roof are major weaknesses to watch out for. One of the telltale signs of failing head gaskets is a gurgling sound behind the dash when accelerating from a standstill; that's cylinder pressure leaking into the heating system. The other is coolant in the #6 cylinder, which is crammed right up against the bulkhead, by which time that cylinder will no longer fire anyway; then it's high time to replace the gaskets. It took me a while to get into the habit of idling the engine when making stops on the Autobahn. Haven't had issues with the turbo yet, but then I don't floor it anymore. Also, if you're considering registering your 30-yo Mk3 as vintage (which significantly reduces insurance premiums and road tax) make sure it hasn't been modded; in Germany, at least, the vehicle must be in original condition to qualify for vintage status. EDIT: I forgot to mention the chassis wobbles and creaks significantly without the targa roof. This is normal, but can be alarming for those with a nervous disposition. :^D
Eye watering price lol. I looked at a mint example in the early 2000’s and should’ve jumped on it at the $5k asking price 🤦 the thing was a garage queen
i just got my mk3 running finally smogged it in cali and im not going to lie or exaggerate but as far as a car goes it is amazing. it shouldnt be compared to the newer mk4 . the 7mgte is a great motor but compared to the 2jz it gets over shadowed but for real its better than most cars engines for instance a 3vze in a the 2nd gen 4runner or so and they still hit 300,000 miles on those .and if your going to hit 1000 hp 7mgte or 1jz you gotta build both anyways plus the cost of swap for 1j aint cheap for a stock 2.5 lol and in the end the larger displacement makes a statement look up 1300 hp 7m they use the same standalone ecu as a 2j or 1j so price build is very similar. mine is completely stock though cause cali smog ruins it for me and it runs strong people underestimate how good it sounds and runs. it is a well designed setup. mine has an a340e auto and the way it drives is better than most modern cars,it kinda sounds like a g35 or 350 z gas mileage aint that bad either if you dont have a heavy foot. i have been driving amazon flex and have been doing double shifts in it working 8 or so hours a day driving it like a mail van and its taking it like a champ. doing deliveries in it is a treat. the reason this motor got hate is purely the head gasket specs.
One of these with an automatic, throw a good aftermarket exhaust on that isn't loud, and put some good tires on it. That is an absolute dream car because it would be a comfortable nice car to take on roads like the ones in this video.
Yea the car was sooo smooooth... i can't tell you how many time i went to start it while it was already running. so quiet and so smooth...until you punched it with the turbo..
That along with Fortune 500 coilovers and a beefy whiteline front swaybar on full stiff make ALL the difference. She handles absolutely incredible with next to no body roll after that. I think the stock exhaust sounds absolutely incredible, but mine is certainly old and needs to be replaced.
