If I'm getting a N/A or a turbo by the look of the car?

bought a 88 with targa top and manual tranny online, can't see the badging, got it from a dealer and it has a 3month full warraty on the engine and trans

got it as a project car, to keep at home til I got it good and well off, was planning on an engine swap eventually

the thing is I don't know a heck of a lot about it, I've got the main serial #, a couple pics and a garentee that it runs

if it is a 7M-GTE I'll be happy with a complete rebuild with upgrades, but if its just a GE then I'll do a full swap, is there any way to tell based on the exterior or even the dash layout which one it might be?

(try as I might, through yahoo, google, wikipedia, and the forum search functions, I couldn't find an aswer)

Does it have a spoiler.., Stock spoiler. N/A's don't have spoilers unless the owner has added it. Not to my knowledge.

Congrats on the new supra. Retorque those head bolts change the oil and give it a full fledged tune up including the air filter.

That should keep you running for a while.

If you're not mechanically inclined...., you may have bought the wrong car.
Don't be so quick to write off a 7m-ge engine.

It's tight for all things concidered.

If you're not mechanically inclined...., you may have bought the wrong car.


I am actually a mechanic... and an electrician, but not a very experienced in either area. So I guess I am sorta mechanically inclined. I havent worked on a whole lot: suzuki sidekick, camry, integra, explorer, B3000(ranger), neon, Mx-5 miata, metro, jeep cj-5, and even an 89 supra turbo, so on and so forth, but all with basic hand tools.

Yes it has a spoiler, and all original paint, though slightly faded, matches the spoiler. If thats a sure way to tell then it is turbo unless they swapped engines at some point.

If thats true then I am pretty happy I suppose, although a bit more worried about BHG.

Thanks for the input :)

Look at pics of supras on hpf's web site and you'll see that the n/a's don't have spoilers. I don't know of any that do. Unless someone has added the stock spoiler. Wich I know someone that has and drives around saying he's a gte when he has a jdm cressida engine. The guys a tard.

But to the best of my knowledge spoiler= turbo, and you have the targa.
Whatever it turns out to be.

You are always better off to rebuild what you have, than to buy a jdm and rebuild it and then have to do fab on the car.

Look at pics of supras on hpf's web site and you'll see that the n/a's don't have spoilers. I don't know of any that do. Unless someone has added the stock spoiler. Wich I know someone that has and drives around saying he's a gte when he has a jdm cressida engine. The guys a tard.

But to the best of my knowledge spoiler= turbo, and you have the targa.
Whatever it turns out to be.

You are always better off to rebuild what you have, than to buy a jdm and rebuild it and then have to do fab on the car.


Cool, well I guess I'll know for sure when I check it over. I just need to be sure it will make the trip home first of all, which is about 135miles :eusa_sile

I would prefer doing a rebuild, I really wanted to take it back, garage it and rip it all out/go all out, forged components, electronics, new turbo/intercooler, good MHG and bolts, rims and tires (dont really like the stock ones), suspension, and so on and so forth until it gets completed. Possibly get it repainted to black or a nice dark foresty-green-metallic. I don't think I'll be driving it very hard, I want it to last. Possibly to be a show car eventually, which is why I was looking for one that needed very little body work to begin with.

VIN:
MA70 = N/A
MA71 = Turbo

At least if it's still equipped as it was from the factory. ;)

its MA70

ah well then its a NA, as i figured, unless its swapped or modded, though i heard someone somewhere say that some of the MA70 were factory turbos too, so I wasnt sure about that

I have no problems with an NA, actually I almost prefer it, its gonna be a cruiser/show car anyway not for racing. Still do a swap eventually.

I see you helped me out in both places here heh heh ;) thanks

i heard someone somewhere say that some of the MA70 were factory turbos too

Yeah, that's been going around... :eusa_doh:

According to someone I know (and who most active in the MKIII world) who works for a Toyota dealership and is pretty much THE human encyclopedia for the MKIII (Jeff Lange) there were no MA70 VIN 7M-GTE's (none, zero, zilch, zip, nada).


I wouldn't rule out a swap or N/A-T though.

well who knows, it has over 200k miles on it

but then again it was pretty cheap, either because of mileage I assume, or because its NA (which is what i assumed from the beginning, that and if it was T, they would have mentioned it because it would have been a pretty big selling point i think)

At this point I'd rather have an NA because I need it to be pretty reliable for the next couple months. Not that I'd drive it that hard either way... And I'm not really wanting to get much more than 350hp either. Mebbe I could eventually hook it up to be a N/A-T and get it just over 300, thats not asking a whole lot is it? I have a couple grand at least already to throw into it.

if it was T, they would have mentioned it because it would have been a pretty big selling point

Never underestimate people's ignorance. ;) I've been amazed at how many people either think that no models before the MKIV came with a turbo OR thought that ALL Supras have turbos (typically more than one)... The one that really kills me is every time someone tries to convince me that the MKIV was the only Supra model Toyota ever made... :eusa_doh:

ouch hahaha, well I really didn't know that much about em when I first suggested my friend get one, i figured there were only mkiv because i had never seen the others, but that was before I got into cars and became a mechanic

anyway I'll post what it is when I finally get near the thing and check the engine, or at least I will after I get my internet set up over there.

and someone here has a mkii that i've seen around, its pretty beat to hell but still going as a daily driver haha (small island), and I've seen one (only one) mkiii here (must have been a 89+ N/A) which I don't see at all anymore... (never seen a mkiv here) and I am pretty ticked at the dude who has a nice 300zx TT down the street that never even turns the key and just lets it sit there, as well as the 2 panteras in his garage. oh well

Where are you located that you found an ma70 with a spoiler???

Hawaii ?

i live in hawaii right now but im moving in a week, thats why i had it reserved for me, the supra is in PA

Are you in the marines?
Stationed at K-bay?

nah, molokai, civilian. just finally sold my 95 sidekick JLX n made enough to get out of here with my wife and son (dont much care for the ocean or seafood or high prices for everything, got dragged here by my mom years ago when i was still a teen)

Right on. I thought you were enlisted.

the waiting is really killing me hahaha

i think i'm developing an ulcer... seriously, from nervousness at the move.

and i really don't care if its turbo or N/A, for now, either way i'll just make sure its running well, fix what needs to be fixed and probably go with intake and partial or complete exhaust work, then get some rims/tires, some springs and paint it (just found out my uncle has a paint shop and will gimme a freebie WOOHOO)

Was thinking black but my wife came out of nowhere wanting it red. All of a sudden she tells me shes always wanted a red sports car haha.

Just keep it as a clean cruiser for a bit until we get my wife a car, then I'll go nuts on it.

Buy parts while you are waiting because it's going to need a new everything...., sooner or later.

i'll make sure i have it first, hahaha

it better not disappear before i pick it up

Good point. lol