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Points to look at when buying an imported MkIV Supra

When purchasing a MKIV Supra there are a number of key things to look for, and also a number of modifications which you or the dealer must make to ensure the car can pass the standard MOT.

One thing which comes up time and time again is the number of people who choose the non-turbo MKIV and then later regret not having paid the extra and gone for the twin turbo. You will have to pay about £2,000 extra to get a twin turbo but the performance increase over the non-turbo is exceptional, and the scope to further improve that performance is far better than with a non-turbo car. If you shop around insurance companies you should be able to get fully comp insurance for less than £800, where the non-turbo would probably cost £600. Fuel consumption is not that different and the overall maintenance costs should not be much higher. Some people find they dont need the additional power and are happy with the non-turbo, but we continue to find people who want to upgrade their car to a turbo, and this means spending thousands on trying to convert the car, or simply changing the car for a turbo.

Points to View
All the usual rules apply with an import Supra. The only exception is that the car will be without a service history record. If you are very lucky there might be a record with the car but in almost all the cases that I have come across there hasnt been one.

One thing that imports will have had is an auction sheet. This will contain a lot of important information about the car, however it will be in Japanese and is not normally of much use. There is one piece of information which is valid though, it will be graded depending on its appearance and mechanical state. This goes from 5 (being an immaculate car), down to 2 or 1 which are basically write-offs. In general you should ask to see which grade the car is, and in ideal circumstances should only take a car if it is a 4 or a 5.

Other areas to view are

  • Tyres - in Japan the all cars are limited to 112mph, so in theory they do not need the 150mph+ tyres that we use in the UK. Make sure to check that the tyres on the car are Z rated.
  • Tracking - if the tracking is out of line then a set of front tyres can be worn out within 6000 miles. It is best to check the very inside of the front tyres for excessive wear. If found then a new set of tyres may be required, and computerised tracking should also be done on the car to ensure the correct settings. I have had my MKIV tracked to the same as a UK car and so far there appears to be no abnormal wear.
  • Electrics - the Japanese love toys in their cars, ranging from electric seats up to TV systems incorporating HKS Camp to monitor the engine performance. If these items fail it may not be possible to get them replaced in the UK
  • Toolkit, spare wheel and jack - the MKIV has a number of small tools in the boot, along with a space saver wheel, a jack and a tyre lever. As a minimum make sure that the jack and spare wheel are in there, and if the tools are also there then you know the car has been well cared for.
  • Wheels - If the car has had new wheels fitted make sure to check for damage and cracks. If they fail at a later date then you wont be able to replace it, and you might just be lucky enough to get it repaired but dont count on it.
  • Turbos - the twin turbo Supra has noisy turbos as standard, with the first turbo spooling up at 1500rpm you will hear the whistle almost all the time. If a turbo fails then this whistle will become excessive and should become obvious that the turbo has failed.
  • Manual 6 speed Gearbox - apparently the gearbox on the twin turbo is extremely noisy and quite notchy when going from 1st to 2nd gear. In the US a few members even had theirs changed under warranty and the problem still persists.

Essential Items
Due to differences in the Japanese and UK requirements a number of elements of the MKIV need to be changed to bring the car into line with the UK standards. The majority of these items must be completed before the car can pass an MOT and in most cases the dealer you are buying from should make these changes for you.

  • Fog light - in Japan the cars are not required to have a fog light. In the UK a fog light have been law for many years now and so the MKIV must have one fitted, or must be converted to enable a fog light to be turned on from inside the car. The cheapest way to do it is just screw a Halfords fog light to the bottom of the rear bumper, or if your dealer knows what they are doing they can convert one pair of brake lights (the Supra has 2 pairs of brake lights as standard) so that they become the fog light.
  • Speedo - In Japan all cars have speedos in kilometers per hour, in the UK it is a requirement for a dealer to change this to miles per hour, however a personal import does not have to have this changed. Expect your dealer to do this for you.
  • Odometer - the distance travelled is stored in the odometer, and in line with the speedo this will read in KMs. You can also expect this to be converted by your dealer, however it is not a legal requirement and may not be done by some dealers.
  • Cruise Control and Active Spoliers - With the speedo reading in KPH the cruise and active spolier work as expected, however converting the speedo and odometer to miles will mean that both items are confused as to the actual speed and will active at different times. You probably shouldnt expect the dealer to deal with this, as they probably wont know how to. More information can be found on the web site at...
  • Car Stereo - in Japan they have a smaller range of FM bands to choose from. Once the car arrives in the UK you will find that you can only get Radio 3 (or something like that). To fix this problem the dealer will fit a band expander. This allows more FM channels to be obtained, however it is still somewhat limited in its overall range and you might be better off buying a new stereo. You will also find that the stereo handbook is in Japanese, so if you dont know how to operate the stereo the handbook isnt going to help. Consider changing the stereo once have you purchased the car.

The Japanese tend to appreciate their cars and tend not to accept shoddy work, they have a better moral code than the British so you should expect the car to be in good or exceptional condition. However, do not rely on the car being in this condition, I have seen a few cars with very poor work done on them, either by the Japanese or by the importer so assume nothing.

The dealer should take most of the hassle out of buying the car, and with help from the list you should never have any problems sourcing parts. By purchasing an import you can save thousands of pounds, you get a well maintained car, and with the change in attitudes towards imports you shouldnt really have any problem trying to sell it when you go to buy your next one.

if you have any questions or feel you need to make any comments on any of the imformation supplied above please contact branners@mindless.com