couple questions since i'm a carnoob

[Flakknight]

I love the mk3s and I'm looking to purchase one of my very own soon.

Unfortunately, the cars are old enough and rare enough that its hard to find exactly what I want. To that end I have a couple questions you car nuts might be able to answer since I'm just getting into under the hood work.

1. Feasability of putting an airbag on an '88. The car is basically everything I want except that its 88 so pre airbag. The issues here are safety, insurance and so my mother doesn't have a heart attack every time the phone rings thinking I just died in a horrible twisted car accident... yea...

IIRC from supras my father owned, the cruise control was moved beyond the obvious different wheel. Am I gonna need more than the wheel + computer? I'm just not sure if the entire steering column is different on a '90 (earliest I think the air bags were on the supra).

Also, can this be got for cheap from a chopshop and for how much?

2. How much would a turbo kit cost for the mkiii? I think its the ct26, though I can't recall if thats stock or not. Basically another car I'm looking at (a '90 so no airbag problem) is a regular which I'd want to convert into a turbo.

3. Anyone have any experience with replacing an auto tranny with a manual one? I'm a control freak when it comes to cars so naturally i love manual transmissions. I'm pretty sure it will be cheapish and easy to secure one from a parts car, but I'm mostly interested in technical problems with it (IE major differences besides the obvious in auto and manual models) and time investment (I will need to drive it, so 3 months of work is no good really).

As far as I'm looking right now, the '88 is basically all I want (though auto so I'd look into switching it in the long run) so if the airbag is a RELATIVELY simple deal and not terribly expensive I'd go that route.

Thanks a bunch.

[repinS]

Why put the airbag? The seatbelt should do you fine. More headaches to put one in than it's worth.

[Red85]

Have to agree - why the Airbag? The Supra is built like a light-weight Tank. Most cars built now seem to crumple quit easily- for Safety purposes of course. My 85 MR2 destroyed a Neon's front end with only a scratch to show for it - granted it's a Neon, but you get the point.

You should get a copy of World's Scariest Police Chases 1, 2, or 3(can't remember which). An 86-89 Supra was T-boned by an Old old old Jimmy/GMC (stolen or something) going 100km/h+. The Supra had a 4 year old in the back seat, with two adults up front. No one was hurt and the Supra looked driveable. The Jimmy, however, rolled and rolled and rolled. A little lucky perhaps.........but you might have a different opinion after seeing it.

....I miss my 87.

[Piddy]

Umm.... those were some strange questions.... but i'll try.

1) You may as well just buy a 90+ Supra if you want an airbag (if that is the ones they came in). Buying an 88 and adding it just wouldn't be feasible because of the cost. It would cost you more to buy an 88, get all the parts, put in all the sensors... than it would to just pay a little extra for the 1990.

2) If you want a turbo Supra.... just buy a turbo supra. And if you don't want to do that (for insurance reasons or whatever)... don't buy another ct26. You are better off spending your money on a nicer turbo kit.

3) Once again.... kind of a waste of money. You may as weel just buy a stick to begin with.


Sooo.... here are your reasonable options.

- Get a 1990 5spd Supra Turbo
- Get a 1990 5spd Supra and get a turbo kit.
- Get a 1990 5spd -or- Auto, Supra Turbo... and do a 7mgte swap.

[Flakknight]

Never said they weren't strange questions

The problem is I live in NH and am working the summer in DC. NH is barren of decent mk3s (with 1 exception being the '88) and DC doesn't seem to have a lot more options.

Of course I would love to buy a '92 turbo 5 speed, but getting even that far is hard enough given my choices.

I've found another that I'm going to look at soon thats a '91 T w/ 5 speed I just hope its as clean as the pictures (we've all been there hehe).

Does anyone know the insurance price diff with airbags on an older car?

Basically i'm not against paying a bit more for the insurance (I will have to) but I'm not willing to buy an 88 perfect in every other respect if its another 500+/yr for it simply because of the airbag.

I wish I could afford to have an unlimited range to find the 'perfect' car. Even if i could, I'd rather spend the money to upgrade a car I didn't have to pay 600 to ship (+ ticket cost for flight to go visit + rentacar... etc).

[powderblue91]

didn't airbags kill more people than they saved when they first came out? A car without airbags was designed to withstand a crash and not injure the people inside by using other means.

[Piddy]

Just be patient and wait for the right one to come around. You will be happier in the long run. But... if you're like me.... you will just buy the car on impluse .

I don't think the airbags are going to make much of a difference on your insurance. My MR2 (registered as a NA) is like $10 more a month than my Supra is.... and it has an airbag... the supra doesn't. Screw the airbag....

[Flakknight]

Patience is a virtue which doesn't take into consideration the value depreciation of the car I own now which I would like to sell

[Piddy]

What car are you selling?

[Flakknight]

My '97 civic. Good car for its run (commuting) but I'm looking for something I want to work on... mk3 supra fits the bill in my case