cb1118

ok...before I started to talk about the Toyota Supra Turbo (not Twin Turbo)
I would make things very clear first.

I own a factory and do quite well this year
I also invest in stock market and funds to save up for my future
I first wanted to buy a F355 (which was within my budget in the beginning until I found out about maintainence cost, which is out of my budget, to be honest)
so I changed my mind to a brand new S2000 (not interested in used S2000 because I only like 2004 model & up) **still within my budget
anyway, saving up money is my primary target, as investing in stock market/funds is more important than spending money on luxury items (such as cars)

so I am also shopping for a used NSX, a used Supra Turbo/Twin Turbo, or a used GTR R33...
NOTE: it would only cost me 40% of a brand new S2000 price to buy this used car instead.

I am quite busy in work now, so I am not really in a hurry to shop for the cars
I have until May/June 2005 to buy it.
I have been looking for it since beginning of 2004
**but if I decide to buy a brand new car, it must be a 2005 S2000, the only choice.


to the main point,
today my friend, who is a used car dealer and does my car stereo installation, shows me this used Supra Turbo automatic....(obviously he does not know I am looking for a manual car only!)

he suggested me to buy a junk manual Supra Turbo from Japan
(meaning that the car is totalled from a rear-end accident and I can buy this kind of cars for US$7000 inclluding the installation cost)

since Japanese car body is designed initially for both left/right hand drive and both manual/automatic transmission.
the hole for the crutch is already there, we just need to open the hole to fit the crutch pad/components

(from his words) the HK department of transportation only keeps record about the performance data of the vehicle, but not the transmission.
so I can switch the transmission to manual without notifying the government
**I have doubt on this.

anyway, assuming his words are correct,
I have another trouble
Supra Single Turbo is for automatic model only!
to find a manual Supra Turbo, they are all Twin Turbo (Twin Cam)...
and there is no way I can register this engine at the department of transportation.
because the government can check the serial number on the engine and knows it is not designed for this car body..(which is only fit for Single Turbo model (not Twin Cam engine)

the solution is
***to go very far***
I can keep both sets of engine/transmission
and I can switch them before the inspection annually to fool the department of transportation
in other words, I would be driving something illegal on the road, but I still pass the inspection annually...(not a good thing to do because I can go to jail)

the trick is things is illegal only if you get caught (such as stopped by police road block, or involved in accident which the cops must tow my car back for inspection...**I would be in shxt...)

as long as I don't crash the thing and don't drive it on roads with road blocks (they only set up in certain places, and most drivers know where they are)
it would be fine for me to drive it daily to work.. (just dont crash it)

I have this wild imagination.
if I would do this..why bother to buy a Twin Turbo engine/manual transmission from Japan junk shop
I should just buy a GT cup engine from the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) team...
then I would have the fastest Supra in HK....

what do you think?
anyone here goes wild by importing a HONDA mugen team VTEC engine from japan for the S2000
(it is definitely performing better than something installed from aftermarket)

mvf4s

just find a manual supra and do a single turbo conversion and save the headaches.

565565

Before you buy or try to fix anything, I recommend you get your facts straight.

www.supraforums.com


I don't think their's been a single cam supra engine since the 1geu, and the last stock single turbo supra engine was the 7m-gte.

cyber_x

In the USA, all stock turbo MKIV Supras, regardless of auto or manual transmission, are twin turbo. I'm pretty sure this is the case overseas as well...

Honestly, your plan sounds like a lot of risk for very little reward. Why not just buy a twin turbo and then convert it to single? You can have a good time blowing out the stock twins.

cb1118

thx for all the informations,

I actually talked to a famous car repair shop after the sales suggested me of changing parts.
I may be wrong about the Twin Cam thing (not from the repair shop owner's mouth)

but he did insist that there is no Twin Turbo automatic in HK... only Single Turbo automatic....(reason why?? I am not sure)

anyway, I have serious doubt about the transmission thing in the department of transportation registration.


assuming this car is infact a Twin Turbo Supra automatic (I never ask about the spec, just know it is Turbo, and not yet test driven), and
if it is really legal about switching to a manual (this car is very clean, very good maintainence, only uses TRD parts, and never crashed or any accident..)
I may consider to switch the engine to a 2000 model (the car is 1996)

cb1118

one quick question,
has Toyota ever released a Single Turbo Supra model between 1993 1998 MKIV?

cb1118

thx, my main concern is the transmission thing
I wonder if it is really legal to switch an automatic to a manual accordiing to HK law

cyber_x

No. The export ones were all either normally-aspirated or twin turbo.

I'm 99% certain that this is also true of the Japanese models. I believe the only real difference was that the Japanese models later got vvti engines.

The single turboes should all be aftermarket.

cb1118

thx for clarify everthing.
the Single Turbo thing is mentioned by the car repair shop owner (not the car sales)

I was assuming it's Twin Turbo too when I received the call from the sales.
I was shock to hear from the repair shop owner that automatic must be Single Turbo
(I never heard of a MKIV model with Single Turbo too)

anyway, I had called back the sales about the information on the Single Turbo/Twin Turbo
The sales did try to call me later tonight, but I missed that call
I will clarify things with him tomorrow..

from your words, which you are more of an expert on this, I believe it is in fact a Twin Turbo

so, my last concern is only the conversion from automatic to manual (and to replace with a newer engine)
*I already understand it is legal to replace the engine, as engine is a component of the car, too and it can fail.

thx for all the tips and the web site...it is really great web site

cb1118

thx!
I will call the sales again tomorrow to clarify everything
(now, I really believe the car repair shop owner is giving me wrong informations)

another bad thing now is I will be flyinig to Texas from HK at 1635 tomorrow..
let's hope the car is still there when I return on Jan 10th 2005...

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year