N/A Supras

[_Al_]

Still looking around for things to replace the MR2 with. I drove one of the old style (mk3?) 3 litre auto N/As and it seemed like a good car. I'm guessing that the new style (mk4?) in manual is better still?

I'm doing quite a lot of mileage these days so I can't really handle a turbo Supra (remembering Gazs' comment that it was cheaper to own and run two cars than run his Supra TT every day).

I spent last night searching for info on here and read through the buyers guides, but the huge majority of interest was understandalby on the turbos.

What mpg do the N/As get, what's the insurance like, servicing cost and availability etc (comparrissons to a rev 2 MR2 Turbo very welcome).

I found 0-60 of 6.7 and 15.2 second quarters, but is that the manual or the auto?

How can I tell if a car has a limited slip diff? Some adverts claim they do, some don't mention it.

Any help appreciated.

Finally, any comments on these two?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/184722.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/152146.htm


Cheers guys.
Al

[MrFlibbles]

Completely unrelated Al, but are you still on for the Ring trip?

How about the mk3 Supra?

[_Al_]

I've kinda got the Ring in mind for this one.

There was an article in our local rag about a >40mph side impact accident. Almost always fatal, happily the car that was driven into was a Supra. The driver walked away.

The accident-investigation bod said (in proper police speak of course) "it would have been fatal but that thing is built like a brick shi..."


Edited because my brain can only process one thought at a time: All of the MK3 Supras within reach of me are best described as 'ropey'. Most are SORN and rust is mentioned frequently in the ads. Shame as they're a great toy and with the £1.5k-k saved on the asking price I could sink some cash into the petrol bill for a turbo...

Edited by _Al_ on Sunday 17th June 10:33

[MrFlibbles]

Or even a little something like this?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/165466.htm

Completely standard so should at least be more reliable than the MRT....Not hard though

[_Al_]

MrFlibbles said:

Or even a little something like this?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/165466.htm

Completely standard so should at least be more reliable than the MRT....Not hard though

Something like that maybe, but Scotland is a fair hike from here!

[MrFlibbles]

Actually forget that. This is where its at.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/177736.htm

Do it. Do it now.

There's another red one on the classifieds for a similar price, but its in Durham - looks a bit nicer though.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/187214.htm

Edited by MrFlibbles on Sunday 17th June 11:03

[_Al_]

I test-drove a type R a couple of years back. It was the only car I've ever considered a silly loan for. Was looking at spending £11k.

I hated it. No idea why. Funky gearstick, reasonable speed, excellent shift, looks good, but I just couldn't stand driving it.

Bizzare but what can you do? Went out and bought the MR2 shortly after.

[MrFlibbles]

Its the same with the S2K i think - the VTEC is an aquired taste, but boy once you've aquired it its addictive!

The only trouble with the NA Supra, in my mind at least, is that if I had one, I'd always be gutted I didnt have the turbo!

[_Al_]

I can see me ending up in the same boat, but there's no way I can run a turbo at the min so I'll just have to get used to it. At least with the N/A you get the induction noise...

In any case the one I was looking at appears to have sold. Bummer.

S2000 is high on my realistic dream cars list - but is still unobtainable for now.

[shadowninja]

MrFlibbles said:

Its the same with the S2K i think - the VTEC is an aquired taste, but boy once you've aquired it its addictive!

The only trouble with the NA Supra, in my mind at least, is that if I had one, I'd always be gutted I didnt have the turbo!

yep. and you'd get wasted at the lights by a Saxo simply because they're lighter (and shorter if you listen to an owner )

[GravelBen]

shadowninja said:

yep. and you'd get wasted at the lights by a Saxo simply because they're lighter (and shorter if you listen to an owner )

Especially if they fold the seats down

[shadowninja]

GravelBen said:

shadowninja said:

yep. and you'd get wasted at the lights by a Saxo simply because they're lighter (and shorter if you listen to an owner )

Especially if they fold the seats down

this rings a bell. what was the arguement for doing so? I guess it lowers the CofG but sends it forward. About 2 inches.

[GravelBen]

shadowninja said:

GravelBen said:

shadowninja said:

yep. and you'd get wasted at the lights by a Saxo simply because they're lighter (and shorter if you listen to an owner )

Especially if they fold the seats down

this rings a bell. what was the arguement for doing so? I guess it lowers the CofG but sends it forward. About 2 inches.

I think the reasoning behind it was actually that because they're sitting flat it reduces the downwards pressure they place on the car (pressure being force per unit area, and sitting flat means its spread over a wider area).

Shove that up your laws of physics and smoke it.

[trick3000tt]

mkiv supras are expensive to run weather you go for a TT or n/a. You'll get about 25mpg out of an n/a compared to 18 from a TT, and depending how old you are there's not all that much difference in insurance costs either. Parts cost the same as well. That said, get a good one and reliability is excellent
n/a's do not come with a limited slip diff as standard. Have a brouse round www.mkivsupra.net , you'll find everything you need to know on there.
Just dont buy one unless you're prepared for it to take over your life and empty your wallet at every opportunity

[AJI]

MPG on a Supra depends entirely how you drive it. My UK-Spec TT can return 32 mpg sitting on cruise control at 76mph in 6th gear.
Around the Nuerburgring however it will only return 7 or 8 ! But then mine is also slightly tuned.

If you are into fun driving, especially on a track then an LSD is essential IMO. The NA Supras as you will know are ALL imports and when bought from new they had an options list as to whether the customer chose the LSD option to be fitted. Most don't, but there are plenty that do.
Its best to quiz the seller about whether he is sure he/she has an LSD version.

I must point out however that a lot of NA owners tend to wish they had gone for the TT. There are many cases of owners on the MKivSupra.net asking about turbo installations.
TTs do have higher running costs that is right, and there is more to go wrong... but I think if you are wanting the true Supra experience then you have to go for the turbo option. All just my own opinion by the way ;-)

[_Al_]

Hmm... I've been thinking back on all those times I've wished I bought a rev 3 MR2 turbo instead of the rev 2 for the extra grunt.

Buying an N/A is starting to feel like a really stupid thing to do.

Cheers for the advice guys. I think I'll leave the Supra for now. I'll come back to the turbo when I can get away with a few less miles per year.

Still looks like I'll be buying a rev 3 MRT or a classic scooby.

[AJI]

I wouldn't say it was a stupid option... far from it. You have to decide what type of car you really want. A RWD Supra is very different to an MR2.
Supras are very well built cars... generally over-engineered in many places which leads to really long life span of things like the gear-box and the rest of the drive train.

MR2's if you've had experience of them, you will know they can be twitchy on quick weight transfer corners. You would find a Supra to be much more stable. Although an MR2 turbo will out drag an NA Supra no problem.

The Impreza's are again a totally different handling car to both an MR2 and a Supra. In stock form they are a bit uninvolving with the safe factory understeer they have built into them, but on the other hand they are sure footed in the slippery conditions. A better allround type of car then a RWD monster..... ask anyone who's tried to drive their Supra in the snow or ice !! ;-)

[_Al_]

I've successfully driven my MR2 in the snow a number of times, very good fun actually, but I guess the mid-engine & LSD gives it better traction than the Supra?

I'd like a scoob just to say I've owned one. Well, that and the noise...

[GravelBen]

_Al_ said:

I'd like a scoob just to say I've owned one. Well, that and the noise...

What you want is an alphabet soup one

By that I mean WRX STi Type RA V-ltd

Drive one and you'll understand why. Theres been a number of times I've had to physically restrain myself from buying one, if I wasn't on a student budget I'd have one right now.

Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 19th June 05:15

[_Al_]

I've never even heard of V-ltd. Been in a WRX STI Type RA and that was impressive.