Need some buying advice for an 86.5 Supra

[MJGunn]

I'm looking for a fun car thats pretty reliable to use for the next 6-12 months. I've found a supra being sold nearby for a cheap (I think) $950. The ad SAYS its in good shape, but we all know how that goes. What should I be looking for when I check the car over? I've heard a lot about head gaskets on the car, is that only on the turbos, or is that on the NA models as well?

Other than that, is there anything else I should be really looking for when I look at the car? Common problems? Something that if its broken its going to be really expensive to fix, stuff like that.

Also, if it checks out in good shape now, whats my chances of getting through the 6-12 months with just regular maintenince?

[cdnsupra]

of course, with any used car, there are no guarentees.

simple checks for a bad head gasket include the smell of coolant eminating from the exhaust, or a general sweet smell in the general vacinity of the rear end.

water reservior bottle goes up when engine is hot or driven hard or on hiway, but goes emtpy after cooling.

radiator idiot light in dash board, on the far right comes on when car started.{this tells you the level is low, see above]

look for coolant overflow below where reservior tube ends, indicating recent ocerflowing.

bhg's are not as common on non-turbos, but they still happen. there are sniffer tests you can do, and a compression test, but these take extra time or tools, which you may not have presently.

other than the BHG syndrome, these cars are very well made, but depending on how it has been taken care of, it might also be a dog just waiting to suck every penny out of your bank account.

if you can, try to get a local supra owner to check it out with you.