1979 Toyota Supra Celica 2.6 inline six
Summary:
Capable luxurious sporty cruiser
Faults:
This car had a lot of work done to it previous to my purchase, as one would expect for a 30 year old car.
New fuel pump (don't get a wahlpro, it whines so badly).
O2 sensor, complete tune up. The owner scavenged a few different cars to fully complete the interior. You'd never know that it was as old as it was by looking at the interior.
Unless noted, the problems I list have more to do with the fact this car is 30 years old, and have some wear issues. I'm not complaining by any means.
The driver's seat could use to be fixed up. The aftermarket stereo needs to be replaced, along with the speakers. It's kind of a pain to correctly install a new in dash in the car; the mounting is difficult and time intensive to access. Better left to a pro shop.
The cruise control doesn't seem to work. The indicator light comes on, but the cruise doesn't engage. It's on my list of things to do.
The AC is absent. The compressor was removed from the engine, and the existing AC switch has been re-routed to turn on or off the aftermarket electric fan. I'll probably have the AC redone one day and just add an additional switch for the fan.
I had to disconnect the power to the wiper motor, as the windshield wipers had a tendency to not power off. As soon as I figure out this particular gremlin, I'll snap it back into place.
Broken transmission mount. Kind of jerks a bit from neutral into first. It's a Toyota dealer only part; I'm looking at about 70-90 dollars and about a half and hour of work.
Pulls to the right. Probably a tie rod or some such thing.
Oil pressure gauge is wonky. Always looks low. Scared the hell out of me when I first bought it.
Mass air flow sensor is buggy. Tends to miss a little at idle and rarely has an issue where it loses power. This is easily remedied even on the highway by just switching the ignition to off, and restarting while in neutral. Sometimes it's worse than at other times. Again, I'm just going to install a new mass air flow sensor. Probably looking at about 300-400 dollars including labor.
Other than that, the car runs really really well.
General Comments:
This is more of a luxury tourer than a balls-to-the-wall sports car. It's insanely comfortable, quiet, and pleasant to drive.
The transmission shifts smoothly and with a minimum of effort.
The acceleration is excellent. The horsepower and torque ratings are surprisingly low on paper, but the 2.6 engine in this 2500 pound car is more than adequate for any needs I've found. Compared to my last car, the car is WAY more comfortable at 75 MPH. You barely hear the engine.
This was an expensive car back in 79, and it's loaded with features I didn't even know were available at that time. It has remote openers for the hatchback, the gas door. The power windows work well, the sunroof opens and closes like a champ.
Fuel consumption is actually not half bad. I get around 25+, which was more than I got with my underpowered 4 cylinder Volvo, which weighed less.
I bought this car mostly because I wanted a car that would be very comfortable on roadtrips with plenty of power, and that was a little different than what you saw on the road. It's the perfect car for 2 people, offering sporty performance and complete luxury along with Toyota's reputation for reliability.
I've toyed with the notion of upgrading the engine to a later 7mge, but I think I'll probably just wait until all the little things are fixed, and see if I even feel the need to do as such.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th January, 2009