Feasibility Study MA70 cooked engine rebuild

[RT104GT]

My wrecker buddy always calls me when he gets a bargain IHO.


Last bargain took me six months and was a 1.9 TDi 306 Turbo diesel GTi with an intercooler which cost me $1500 from the yard and then $2500 for an engine and other stuff and ended up costing me $5000 on the road.


Now he has asked me do I want to buy an MA70 RWD Supra 1986 model automatic with 167000 km and a soft cooked head.
It looks pretty neat but I will need to source new engine and want to convert it to 5 speed manual.
I looked at VIN plate and it has AMI compliance so its not a grey ghost Its 1986 EN7M0020469 7MGE.

So what's the go here, GTE engine and box or whats the advice from the supra guys.
Where can I buy pedals, box, engine, also needs a radiator as his leaked and he cooked the engine, (twice) do I just buy a new head for $450 and hope the bottom end is not too cooked?

All ideas welcome.

I always wanted an RWD Supra. Maybe this is the one.
Nice alloys and low km's seems too good to be true.
$1500

Anyone got a donor car wreck or a 7MGTE engine computer air box they want to sell me?

[Kedderz]

i bought my mz21 soarer (see sig) for $1000 with a bhg, its in perfect condition. 1500 for what is a rolling shell for a NA 7m auto is way to much. You will have to upgrade everything in the NA to turbo spec including alot of the wiring which will be a bitch.

And thats just the start, if he gives it to you for $500 then it might be worth it else keep looking ;-)

[Draven]

agreed. if it was manual to begin with, you'd just be an engine away from happy times, but doing a full conversion (pedals, clutch, gbox, engine, rad), it's going to be an expensive exercise

edit: oh, and there's no way to tell if block should be replaced too until you rtake it to a builder, or have a look yourself.

[RyleyMA61]

with that kind of money you could get an ma61 and put a 7mgte in it- and already you'd have much better performance than the heavier ma70...

food for thought

[Kyosho]

Pass on it...

I picked my GA70 up that just required 2 new turbos for 1/3 of that price...

[RT104GT]

with that kind of money you could get an ma61 and put a 7mgte in it- and already you'd have much better performance than the heavier ma70...

food for thought

Yeah I think I'll consider buying nb86's MA61
looks a better deal except for RWC problems with 7M engine.

I like the 61 better shape

Thanks guys as always you are the men.

[RyleyMA61]

i went okay with the RWC and mine, just didn't say anything about the 7m... covered up all signage. the engine number is that hard to see 90% of RWC joints won't bother...

thats what i did anyway, worked with vicroads too until i engineered it