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I own a 97 5spd (1 of 120) if I consider keeping it I was thinking about giving it a paint job but I didn't really want to waste money because I was actually thinking about buying a Supra instead. I think if I were to paint it, i'd lose more off resale value then just leaving it alone and selling it as is. I guess I kind of answered my own question haha. Opinions on what I should do? Supra or no Supra?
Similar as the two cars are mechanically, if you really want an MKIV Supra, I think you should focus on that.
97 5-speeds might indeed be better let in their original paint color for the sake of originality. If it's just a repaint with the same paint code, that's different.
It really comes down to which vehicle you want more. You've already got a very rare one. Stick with the car that speaks to you more. Of course, you're also looking at a huge price difference between even your '97 manual and any MKIV NA. Even more so if what you want is an MKIV TT.
Alternatively, are emissions and visual inspections highly strict in your part of Texas? Have you considered a 1JZGTE or 2JZGTE R154 swap for your SC? Even with the rarity of '97 5-speeds I think doing a very clean swap (not quite inexpensive) would do more to raise rather than harm its long term value.
Still... if a Supra is what's constantly on your mind, I'd go that route if it's affordable to you.
I've always wanted a TT 6spd Supra and always had a heart for them but since their average price is about $35k, I don't know if it's financially smart to get one. I was lucky enough to stumble across the Sc300 as the closest thing to one. It's not a question of if I can afford it or not because I could get it if I wanted to. My priorities had somewhat changed over the years to live more frugally and save. $35k can definitely be used for investments or down payment on a house instead. I've kind of exited out of the car scene in regards to modifying so I don't want to spend much on it shall I decide to get one. If I were to get a Supra I'd want it to be able to drive it as a daily and have some fun with it pre-modified already with maybe some minor modifications to my liking to satisfy my childhood dream of owning one. The SC is perfectly fine financially and more economical as I still cherish it (just probably needs a paint job and some tlc to make it look better) but I keep seeing this Supra pull up at my work and I feel it's taunting me because the guy is driving my dream car that I am considering pass up just to be financially smart. I would keep both if I could but it has to be one or the other. I would probably end up selling the Lexus to offset some costs to buying the Supra. I also don't know how much it will cost to maintain a pre-modified Supra.
ha that's funny because I am kind of in the same mindset as you are BigBang. I've always wanted a supra, but at the same time, for the price of a 90's modified supra pushing 600hp, I can get a 2011+ Camaro ZL1 pushing 580HP. But I know that the Camaro will not get the same amount of looks and is not what I have been dreaming of for the last 15 years.. But I feel your pain haha
I've always wanted a TT 6spd Supra and always had a heart for them but since their average price is about $35k, I don't know if it's financially smart to get one. I was lucky enough to stumble across the Sc300 as the closest thing to one. It's not a question of if I can afford it or not because I could get it if I wanted to. My priorities had somewhat changed over the years to live more frugally and save. $35k can definitely be used for investments or down payment on a house instead. I've kind of exited out of the car scene in regards to modifying so I don't want to spend much on it shall I decide to get one. If I were to get a Supra I'd want it to be able to drive it as a daily and have some fun with it pre-modified already with maybe some minor modifications to my liking to satisfy my childhood dream of owning one. The SC is perfectly fine financially and more economical as I still cherish it (just probably needs a paint job and some tlc to make it look better) but I keep seeing this Supra pull up at my work and I feel it's taunting me because the guy is driving my dream car that I am considering pass up just to be financially smart. I would keep both if I could but it has to be one or the other. I would probably end up selling the Lexus to offset some costs to buying the Supra. I also don't know how much it will cost to maintain a pre-modified Supra.
If you are getting a MKIV at a bargain price then it is always financially smart to get it because you will surely make money after you are done playing with it . I currently own 5 MKIVs and all were bought at bargain prices. I have sold 4 in the past 7 years and I made money on each one I sold. Their prices are not going anywhere at the moment but up as had been seen in the past 10 years. It is a question of what condition is the car in and at what price did you buy it....that will dictate if it is a wise buy or not.
A daily driver car, regardless what kind of car it is , will surely break one way or another. A modified / boosted car is always expensive to maintain especially if you don't work on your cars. They are money pits.
If you are getting a MKIV at a bargain price then it is always financially smart to get it because you will surely make money after you are done playing with it . I currently own 5 MKIVs and all were bought at bargain prices. I have sold 4 in the past 7 years and I made money on each one I sold. Their prices are not going anywhere at the moment but up as had been seen in the past 10 years. It is a question of what condition is the car in and at what price did you buy it....that will dictate if it is a wise buy or not.
A daily driver car, regardless what kind of car it is , will surely break one way or another. A modified / boosted car is always expensive to maintain especially if you don't work on your cars. They are money pits.
That's a good idea... I should probably set a limit to buy one at around 25k and if I can't find one for a bargain then oh well. I figured if I did have one, I could easily sell it for a downpayment on a house when the time comes.. but if I did I would be car less if I sold the SC or even might regret selling the Supra. I can't imagine myself driving any other car other than my SC or Supra. The labor can be done... it's just the parts to replace the pre-modifications that might be costly. I think figuring out which parts to replace/compatible would be a challenge as well. For now I think I won't paint my SC, I don't think the value will go up anytime soon even considering how rare it is..I might just drive this thing into the ground! It already has 170k miles...
^^ In that case I'd keep the SC 5-speed no matter what you do. 170K is on the lower end of the car's lifespan (and it's the same for the Supra even though people like to keep their miles far lower).
The stock GTE engine is still very reliable but does have some more parts to maintenance on the turbo side. Highly modified probably will require more maintenance.
If it's the turbo experience you want most, you can achieve most of that with your 97 SC with a variety of route options.
The second best cure for "Supritis" is a 600+ HP, SC. Unless you are afflicted with the highly regarded "Gerrb Syndrome" in which case you would be biologically immune to this cure..... Sorry...
With this widely sought after condition, Sc'ing just feeds the need to Supra...
That's a good idea... I should probably set a limit to buy one at around 25k and if I can't find one for a bargain then oh well. I figured if I did have one, I could easily sell it for a downpayment on a house when the time comes.. but if I did I would be car less if I sold the SC or even might regret selling the Supra. I can't imagine myself driving any other car other than my SC or Supra. The labor can be done... it's just the parts to replace the pre-modifications that might be costly. I think figuring out which parts to replace/compatible would be a challenge as well. For now I think I won't paint my SC, I don't think the value will go up anytime soon even considering how rare it is..I might just drive this thing into the ground! It already has 170k miles...
True if you got a MKIV at a bargain price then it is easier to sell it, but mind you , selling a modified / boosted car takes time . People who know what they want, looks for bargain too. Selling a modified car, you need to have the patience and a lot of time to let it sit , otherwise you will not get what you want. You may even end up loosing money.
Originally Posted by Studiogeek
The second best cure for "Supritis" is a 600+ HP, SC. Unless you are afflicted with the highly regarded "Gerrb Syndrome" in which case you would be biologically immune to this cure..... Sorry...
With this widely sought after condition, Sc'ing just feeds the need to Supra...
hahaha I like that syndrome name, Tony. My wife calls it "2jzgte madness" . One day, she heard from my son that I was planning to replace the engine of one of our Four Winns boat with a 2jzgte and called me aside and said, don't include those boats in your "2jzgte madness" ... hahaha
You see, the secret of playing with boosted cars is ... learning and doing the work yourself, not unless you are a rich boy from the Hamptons. I have learned the hard way. My first SC and Supra build where bad experiences. Just like most who wanted a boosted car, never worked on cars...but I ended up spending tons and no running cars. That made me make a resolve that I wasn't playing with boosted cars if I cannot work on them.
The next thing I would share with you guys is, even if you know how to work on these cars which saves you on maintenance buying a built and well tested car is at times cheaper as long as it has the specs you are after. It saves you a lot of headaches. Don't you wonder why you see a lot of un-used aftermarket parts for sale ? A lot of people abandoning their project ? You just have to be patient in looking for that car. The only way it is cheaper to build is if you get your build parts at a bargain and you do all the work. This is just my $0.02. I know some will always have that thrill of building their car.
Reason why when I see a better MKIV at a bargain price, I buy it to upgrade mine and sell the inferior one higher than what I just bought . I end up having a better car and make some on the old one. But you need to have patience in selling a boosted car.... a MKIV will sell , especially if it is a fair price.. it is a matter of time. Only those who are in a hurry to sell their cars do not get what they want. I don't even modify my MKIVs anymore.. I just look for better MKIVs being sold at bargain prices to upgrade mine. But you have to know what you are buying. Again, we go back to the issue of learning and knowing ...
Last thing, not unless you bought your SC build parts at bargain prices and you are doing the work, I repeat, you will never get back your investment when it's time to sell that car. Most of the highly boosted SCs we have seen on this forum have been parted out just to get back more. So be smart building on your boosted SC.
I too own a 97 sc300 (1 of 120) and I'll repainting it the original color within the next two months. I'll be doing the work with my father so I won't be spending shop money to get the work done.
I don't think you really ever get your money back on paint, its just one of those things that has to get done sometimes.
^^^ Gerrb has said it best. I feel like there are more MKIV owners now who are leaning towards keeping their cars BPU+, BPU or even stock now, sometimes for the sake of originality alone. There will always be built MKIVs all over. Selling any vehicle like it is indeed a waiting game to get the price close to what you are hoping for.
I'm also going to echo the "do (most of) your own work" advice. It's essential to owning either chassis so that you aren't nickel and dimed on everything. I think I've had some luck with bargain priced parts for my swap but in other cases I've opted to buy new electronics or no-brainer service items (sometimes with a new wear part or gasket in reserve) rather than find the cheapest deal on every single thing. It costs more but when everything goes together I'm at least baselining with a basically "new" engine with backup VSVs, etc. in case something old proves to fail out of the gate. I can only imagine how this works out for 500-600whp builds.
Gerrb, you have MKIV ownership down to a fine science though
187 -- Agree with you on the note of paint. It's one of the first things we look for when evaluating a used car. It's a given in terms of valuation.
05-23-15, 05:25 PM
Should I paint my car? or get a Supra
