Since the engine of this mk3 Supra was out of the car for the rebuild to accommodate new .40 over Wiseco pistons, this was the perfect opportunity to colour match the engine bay with the exterior of the car. When the car was originally painted with this beautiful candy apple metallic red, it still had the engine in it, which made it for a difficult task to try to spray the engine bay. Not without some difficulty, all of the exterior elements, as well as the non-easily-removable components, were masked out to protect them from overspray. After treating the paint with the scuffing procedure, a primer was applied (Pic. 1). Then the red base and clear coat were sprayed on (Pic. 2). Additional subframe elements were also cleaned and painted black. The rad support was left to be painted after the engine was back in the car.

A set of Supra Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) power folding mirrors was also installed. A control module was mounted in the passenger side door, inside a space already allocated at the factory (much like the space for the power door lock unit on the driver side). Additional wiring was added. Original power mirror switch was also replaced with a JDM unit equipped with a “retract” button. For a complete wiring diagram click here.

Here is another example of a mkIII Supra that started as a fine stock specimen. With 190,000 km and minimal wear it became a perfect candinate for restoration and mods. Factory original red paint was replaced with “custom” red. Grey leather interior received an upgrade to two-tone grey-red combination. Stock internals in the 7MGTE motor with a few BPU upgrades to improve performance. They included: custom modified polished 3000 pipe with removed bottleneck, large intake pipe with Greddy type S blow-off valve, K&N cold air FIPK air filter mounted on a polished Lexus AFM. Exterior upgrades included JDM style clear turn signals and colour matching body mouldings. This Supra was on the right track towards more upgrades…

The next step was to address a few quality issues. Brand new fog lights were purchased form Toyota to replace stone-chipped original units. Xenon-white bulbs replaced ordinary lightbulbs. Targa roof also received new treatment. New rubber seals were installed all the way around. Door seals were also replaced with brand new units. Same happened to the trunk seal. All new, nice and soft rubber. Next the old carpet went out, replaced with Black, molded 20oz cutpile factory-quality piece, with rubber soundproofing backing applied. Both, the cabin and trunk area sections were replaced. Brand new, factory Toyota leather shifter knob was also purchased and installed, matched with the black leather shifter boot covering a short shifter. It is a factory original unit modified the way that retains the original rubber bushings, helping with precise and quick shifts while retaining most of the original vibration-free feel. Center console armrest was also covered with new black leather.

Only a couple of years ago this car was still a fairly stock version of the Toyota Supra Turbo. 130,000 km original mileage. No winters. Factory original Ruby Black paint, grey leather interior, stock internals in the 7MGTE motor. A few BPU mods were implemented to improve performance. They included: Suspension Techniques anti-sway bars, custom modified polished 3000 pipe with removed bottleneck, large intake pipe with Greddy type S blow-off valve, Fluidyne radiator, Greddy Turbo Timer, and TRD Style 320mm diameter steering wheel among others. Also present were front Greddy replica and rear Cusco tower braces to aid in torsional rigidity. The Supra was on the right track towards a few more upgrades…It shortly received reverse facing hood air scoop aiding in evacuating hot air from the engine bay, polished aluminum upper radiator pipe, TRD oil filler cap to dress up the engine bay as well as aluminum race-style pedals.