would a MKIII make a good weekend track car? I been looking for info but the forums usually only focus on the MKIVs or have like 0 active members.

All I found out is that the head gasket blows a lot and that there are two flavors, the turbo and non-turbo one.

Is the N/A version basically the same car as the T? Around how much power can u make with upgraded turbo + bolt ons and how strong is the stock block?

Sorry I know little about Toyotas and would like something peppy for weekend track days w/ friends.

 

the NA one engine is built a little different i think. ie it does handle the turbo as well as the turbo engine. if i am wrong correct me.

 

ibJosh

 

When I was actively looking for one before I bought my 240, supraforums.com had a decent MKIII community.

Definately has head gasket issues, paper head gasket and head bolts that only get torqued to like 58 ft/lbs from the factory is a bad combination. Heavy, heavy car. Personally, I think they look fantastic but they are starting to get dated.

I think if your planning to build a dedicated track car, there are better options depending on what kind of racing your going to do.

 

As a former mkiii owner, I have a fair amount of knowledge of these cars. If you're thinking of track (i.e, one with turns) I would definitely steer clear of the mkiii. They are just absolutely heavy. They are also a hatchback design with no roof (well, you'll be hard pressed to find a turbo with no roof, I don't know if they even exist stateside), so structural rigidity is about on par with a 1915 ford model-T.

The 7mgte motor is sound once the head gasket is adressed (do this BEFORE your gasket fails, use an HKS copper gasket and ARP studs). The non-turbo 7m is still iron block, but compression is higher and the internals aren't as strong. So if you're looking for big numbers, the gte is definitely the easiest motor to work with. If you're set on the mkiii, you might consider buying a non-turbo with no targa and swap (you might even get creative and use the 2jz or the JDM 2.4t).

If you're looking for a fast track car that turns, I'd suggest an rx7 turboII long before the supra. If "track" means straight line, the supra can somewhat overpower its weight, and theres plenty of room for drag tires. There are 7mgte guys getting into the mid 500hp range with decent reliability.

Cliffs notes: if "track" is road course, move on. If "track" is drag, the mkiii may still be a viable option. As bad as my ownership experience was with mine (lots of expensive repair, poor research before buying), I still love the body style and I *almost* miss that car. :happysad:

 

The MkIV people turn up their noses at MkIII people because MkIV people like to think they're all superior by association with the subset of MkIV people who have ridiculous amounts of money in their cars.

When you say "weekend track car," what sort of track are you referring to? Road course, autocross, drag strip...something else?

 

Sounds like FD guys. :chuckles:

I was looking into getting a Mk.III as a daily, but somehow ended up with a 3S instead. Impulse buys kill me.

 

Hey thanks for the replies. Yea Supraforums has a decent MKIII section even though their description said "MK4 only".

Track means Auto-X and maybe some drag for fun. Mostly auto-x and maybe those time trial road courses (Dont know what the term for that is).

Someone mentioned a FC ... but woudnt that break down even more? I mean... those cars dont last past 80k w/o a rebuild?

I read about MKIII guys putting down around 320whp with just bolt-ons and that just sounds so sexy.

What else would you suggest if not a Supra? Thanks again.

 

So you wanna car for autocrossing, and the first thing that comes to mind is a 3500 lb pig that you can throw some bolt-ons at to make a decent amount of horsepower to the wheels?

 

They're heavy. 2JZ swap it or go home.