The guy is pretty particular with keeping stock bodies, and I am personally not a huge fan of body kits, though a slightly larger, stock looking front end may be in order. I also am a fan of the wingless MKIV's and that would be something I would look into, though I can't knock the wing as it came from the factory that way.

Engine bay:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_KV5xBfjLX60/Sh...0/IMG_0391.JPG

They are rather rare to come by in a particular condition, I could never quite find one within my price range and in an acceptable condition. My last couple of cars have been Z's so the 370 was a natural choice for me.

I just traded in my MKIV for the Z. I absolutely loved the supra and always will. It got to the point where it just wasn't making a good daily driver and I wanted something that was still fun, but more liveable/reliable.

My supra was a single turbo making about 420 rwhp. I pretty much had the car setup for the street/road course.

As a weekend only car, I think that you will enjoy the supra more. It's just one of those cars that is incredible to drive and is very rare.

If you are not mechanically inclined, it is very hard to find reputable people to work on the cars. That was one thing I struggled with and it became very frustrating. I can do basic stuff, but for advanced things I had to try and find someone that had some clue about the cars.

Good Luck with your decision!

Thanks much for the insight!

I think I will need to spend some time in the Supra in order to make a proper decision. The more I think about it the more I am leaning toward sticking the Z, but I have a feeling once I get to spend some time the Supra it will be a much more difficult decision.

I really do love this forum. Very even handed answers. I am a previous MKIV TT owner and regret to this day every selling the car.

Just some history lessons for those asking where the .99 skidpad rating etc are, the Supra came very close IIRC did reach 99 in some tests.

I am too lazy to pull up the comparison. It finished second only to the NSX on a track day even against all the other 90s JDM super cars.

Also some interesting facts pulled from the WIKI..

The Supra was also lighter than the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 and the Nissan 300ZX Turbo. Despite its curb weight, in 1994 the MKIV managed a remarkable skidpad rating of 0.95 lateral g's (200ft) or 0.98 lateral g's (300ft) [1] due in part to a four-sensor four-channel track tuned ABS system with yaw control whereby each caliper is sensored and the brakes are controlled individually according to the speed, angle, and pitch of the approaching corner. This unique Formula One inspired braking system allowed the Supra Turbo to record a 70 mph (110 km/h) -0 braking distance of 149 feet (45 m) [2], the best braking performance of any production car tested in 1997 by Car and Driver magazine. This record was finally broken in 2004 by 3 feet (0.91 m) by a Porsche Carrera GT.


I assume you would be purchasing a Targa. I loved popping the targa off and going cruising. One thing the Z will never match is the pure joy of that smooth 3 liter Inline 6 in the Supra. Whenever I ride in my friends 335i I lust for that engine, because it is every bit as smooth and compelling at higher revs than the 335is..

The Supra is a collectible. The whole old car debate IMO is fairly irrelevant, aside from things like Nav and more interior features the car is very modern. As long as you can maintain it in a healthy state it's not going to be outclassed by much. If you stick with BPU, you are looking at a mid 12 second car with 115-118 traps, which used to be nearly world beating, is still very fast.

It's a very nice car just to drive around in when you are not completely trashing it. If you miss the 370 you can always pick one up used, your supra will hold its value.

I love both cars, but I will always hold a special fondness for the Supra. I had an absolute blast in that car, live the dream! The 370 isn't going anywhere and the Supra will only become more difficult to obtain as it gets older.:ugh2:

That would be my only input in the situation. I would get the Supra if thats what I really wanted as long as I could do any work on it myself. Cost can be high and finding reputable mechanics can be a nightmare. I love my 91 Z32TT, and I do all the work on it myself.

I remember using the Supra in the first ever Need for Speed game. I also got to test drive it once, it's ridiculous. Personally, it's a tough choice to let go of the "latest and greatest" for a classic. You could always TT the Z but it still ain't no Supra.

Imagine if you did get the Supra, are you going to preserve its miles for resale value? Or you could be taking out the Z instead for a nice Sunday cruise/spirited driving.

Looks promising
 

[QUOTE=ctzn;82897]The guy is pretty particular with keeping stock bodies, and I am personally not a huge fan of body kits, though a slightly larger, stock looking front end may be in order. I also am a fan of the wingless MKIV's and that would be something I would look into, though I can't knock the wing as it came from the factory that way.

Looks good. Im not a fan of body kits either, just dont like a stock front end if your going to spend money on performance parts.......at least let them do their job at maximum efficiency.
Make sure you get all the info possible on current owners habbits. From the pic it looks like a shift lamp mounted on the dash. Dont need that unless your red-lining on a constant basis. 6.5K RPM dumps dont treat the clutch, tranny, rear end all that well either. Im only mentioning this cause its been mentioned previously about finding a knowledgable/reputable mechanic to work on the Supra. The inline 6 is a GREAT engine.....but its not going to withstand hard driving forever.
Glad Im not in your shoes..........I would be racking my brains out trying to make this choice. Then again, Im strictly Nissan, so I guess it wouldnt be that difficult for me. Good luck bro.

Indeed I do not believe I will be missing anything in the performance department. The car sits on fully adjustable coilovers and with the BPU+ mods should be a real screamer on the highway.

Your last two paragraphs capture my thinking quite well and present the difficulty in making the decision.

Thanks for your insight.

Yes thanks for highlighting the importance of probing for the history of the car. Surely, I can not avoid a Supra that has not taken any abuse. The gentleman that currently owns it rarely drives it however, as he has a modified 996 Turbo. At least I feel better that it was in the hands of an enthusiast and not some clueless kid.

A tough decision awaits me no doubt, I will update after I get a chance to spend some time with the car. I would like to think of it as a win-win for me though :tup:

Honestly, were it me and I was making a classic "investment" decision I'd try to find one unmolested and as close to original as possible. Thats where the real value will be in the future. This showed up at a get-together here in town recently..Nice!!....

http://images50.fotki.com/v1514/phot...MG_1421-vi.jpg

If your significant other won't let you have the supra and 370z, I say divorce her. But if that's not a option go with the supra. It's a highly sought after car and i wish I could find one that was as clean as yours (hopefully). I mean the Z will be around for a little while. Maybe in the future you can get a Z and keep the supra :happydance:

everybody has seen 600+ hp supras.............but not 370's......

I tend to favor cars that aren't the norm in being power players, tend to get props more, feeling of accomplishment, and so forth.....

Boost the 370 is my opinion for you.

Supra Sick,,, New Z, warranty, low mile, Sicker

Good luck. Whatever decision you make, you end up with an awesome ride.

BTW that wing is functional and adds a measurable amount of downforce at speed.

Problem with the Z and warranty, if you want the speed of the Supra your warranty is pretty much nill. The Supra was way over engineered and is very reliable, of course with age and miles will always become issues, but this is not a FD RX7..


I'm in the same boat with you and the NSX. Sometime you just need to live that childhood dream:tup:

One thing I will say is I missed the refinement of the Supra when I had the 350. IMO the 370 is on par, aside from the coarseness of the engine. Given the cost of the Supra when it was new (mine had a sticker of over 50k) I still worship Nissan for putting together such an awesome car at a great price.

On the My Z site, in the other vehicles section someone just picked up a 98 in the low to mid 30s with under 30k miles IIRC. Killer deal.

Keep us updated, I am excited! I would def spend some time with that targa off, it lets just the right amount of air in, and really adds to the driving experience!