Joshua’s 1JZ MKIII
Josh has been around Supra’s his entire life. As a little kid, his Grandfather and his grandfather’s sister owned a couple Mk3s. Eventually his grand aunt’s children also ended up with Mk3 Supra’s as well. As you can tell it kind of ran in the family.
The classic look of the car combined with the pop up headlights and wide fenders grew on Josh. It had made an impression that later moved him to buy one when he grew older.
Josh’s family had left two Mk3s in California when they moved to Virginia. His Grandfather left them with his sister for her to give to the grand kids. But after about a month while heading to Atlantic City, they were able to spot an 88 Supra sitting next to a barn under a tarp. They decided to pull over and talk to the owner about it. As it turned out, the guy was trying to get rid of it so they inspected the car for rust, dents, and any body damage. It was completely free of imperfections and even came with an uncracked dash. Something that seems to be rare nowadays. It was in near mint condition however it did have its own set of problems.
The guy selling it said he didn’t know why it wouldn’t hold power as he cranked it, instead it would just turn on for a couple seconds then off. Josh’s grandfather knew it was just a blown headgasket and opted to not say anything. After talking about the car more, the question rose of price to which the seller replied $600. They were sold on it.
After buying it they called AAA to have it towed back to their house. After gambling for a weekend in Atlantic City they came home to a 1988 Turbo Supra with 187k miles sitting in the driveway.
When Josh turned 18, his grandfather gifted him the Supra. It has since been under his care for 8 years and has seen many changes.
One of the major changes included a 1JZ-GTE VVTI swap. Josh still uses the original R154 transmission however it is now mounted using a JZ Bellhousing instead of the original 7M. Also mounted to the transmission is a Stage 2 clutch kit and a cube short shifter. The 350hp 1JZ with 9lbs of boost from a CT15B turbo remains completely stock otherwise. The cooling system also saw upgrades such as a Koyorad radiator with flex-a-lite dual 12” fans. The Supra now rocks some Cosmis Racing MR7 18x9.5 Rims with federal SS595 tires for those that are interested in the wheel set up.
Thank you Joshua for sharing last year! Thought I’d revise and publish a more detailed feature compared to the original. Your car has come a long way especially after the accident. I look forward to seeing how it continues to grow over the years.
: Joshua Nakano
: @1JZSoup
: 1988 Toyota Supra (1JZGTE VVTI)
: 350
: @mperceptionz