1987 Toyota Supra Base review from North America

Thrown rod, blown head gasket, bad condition interior.

I have always admired the Supra and it was my dream to own one. Had the chance to buy a Supra body for $500 but the engine was gone. Replaced the engine with a JDM for $1000. Did all the work myself and in the beginning it was fun, but after a week I realized what an over complicated piece of crap this thing really was. Ended up fixing the head, and replacing the clutch, timing belt and water pump in the process.

Lo and behold, the electrical system was crap too. Had to make a new wiring harness because the Toyota one was a nightmare. In the end I got this thing running and out in the street. It leaked oil and misfired, despite all of my work.

I ended up pouring all of my money into the engine and parts, which left none for the interior or fixing up the rust and wheel wells. The car was in ugly condition when I got it, and its only gotten worse from there. It is just not a good looking car when it's obviously a junker.

Took it out for racing, but realized the thing wasn't as fast as I remembered. In fact the thing was a heavy piece of bad shifting crap. It would jump rpm's and get some decent acceleration, but at the cost of some MAJOR fuel consumption. At first I thought it was burning rich until I saw the fuel ratings. That's when I was just finished with this car. Sold it to some kid for $1000 bucks and last I heard he totalled it a week later trying to race in the snow. It's a rear wheel drive car and performs like even more crap in the winter heh.

Not a good experience for me. I will stick to Honda next time or my old Toyota Corolla. For anyone thinking that this Supra is desirable, think again. It just isn't worth it. If you really want one, just go on eBay and buy one of the ones there for $2000, but plan to spend a lot more in repairs and gas.

Now the good news. I bought the good Supra. A 94 to be exact. WOW. It's almost embarrassing to call the 87 Supra a Supra in the first place. It just ruins the legacy. Save your money for the good model years, 93 and up. Don't waste anything on the 87 Supra/boat.