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84 MK II saved from the woods. Day 1-3

6K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  Tazmo2009 
#1 ·
Here is where it starts. Have history with this car going back to when my buddy bought it used in 1988. Helped him put a clutch in it in his driveway a few days later. Later that year we set a personal best for 50 miles on the street of 20 minutes. Back then to us this was a supercar.
First Pic of the car a few weeks before I got it and the day after it was pulled from "storage" in the woods behind his house. He captioned the pic as "The deceiving picture you post on EBAY when you are trying to sell a car".
A few weeks later (8/31/19) its on a trailer at my shop and I am still excited to get it. Started right up and backed it off the trailer A little work cleaning the mess up in the shop and it fits inside. Not too bad a deal when you include the junk in the trunk ( A brand new Fidanza flywheel, Doug Thorley tri-y header that is just in need of a good blasting and some hi-temp Cerakote. New PS pump in the bag. Manuals and all the original paper work from when it was bought new. A spare set of flares that are in reasonable shape.) and the Panasports. A/C even still blows cold. Has some rust in the usual places, I guess. Needs a new windshield, battery and tires and I could start driving it on the street. But after reading another post that looks too easy so I'll start tearing it down in the next few weeks to start the prep process. Prepped for what I am not sure yet but I am not worried about winning anything just want to get back and run a real car on a real track again.
 

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#2 ·
From the post title, I was expecting to see a series of pictures starting with chainsaws cutting down several trees to free it from mother nature, followed by the digging it out from where it had sunk four inches into the soil, and then the winching of it up onto a trailer with four flat tires and completely frozen, non-rolling hubs. ;) The deceiving Craigslist pic doesn't look so bad and the rest of the description doesn't sound so bad. I mean how bad could it be if the a/c still blows cold? Good luck and looking forward to the rest of the story.
 
#5 ·
YESSSSS! You will do the right thing here.
There are a lot of posts where a lonely Supra has been awakened after years of neglect.
You know what to do and we will be here,Alabama dude.
 
#7 ·
I had to leave mine in the woods while I was in the desert for 23 months.

Yours faired well, I'd say. :)
 
#8 ·
Nice!! Love to see an MkII brought back to life! I had my 86 parked in my trees for less than a year...when I fill up, the gas tank now leaks at the seam so I cannot fill past 3/8s of a tank now. The seam rusted over that short time...go figure. Sounds like yours did better in Alabama.
 
#9 ·
Really, the worst thing you can do to a car is park it under trees. You'd think the shade would help, but on the other hand, trees are constantly raining down sap, bird shit, insects, acorns, pollen, twigs, branches, and of course tons of leaves. All that shit eats away at the paint and worse, collects in all the nooks and crannies where it remains moist and fosters rust. And then assuming the ground under the car is not paved, wafting up from the forest soil is lots of moisture, mold, mildew, crawling insects, rodents and even iron-oxidizing bacteria. Yes, there are dozens of known types of bacteria that dine on metal, but thankfully most are only found in the deep ocean or underground (if you get your water from a private well, you may be familiar with some). Only a few are found in the topsoil. Still, its a nightmarish thought that our mk2s might be like the Cavendish, clones with no immunity to a deadly disease. :sadbanana: I know its a stretch, but I finally managed to use that emoticon! ;)
 
#10 ·
I know, I know...trees are terrible, however, I still have 79 trees on my almost two acre property after taking a half dozen down so far. I had to "hide" it not only from my wife's "view" but also anyone who may turn me in as we are not allowed to have vehicles on the property unless on a solid surface. It was just the one year thankfully. I managed to keep it at work several years by "working on it" here and there. I have been trying to put up a building since buying this place in 2012 but the restrictions are asinine! My 4Runner is rotting away parked next to the garage whilst I wait again to get the building approved. Sorry, just venting. lol
Nice seeing you're still a big part of the community Phil! It's been a while for me. I'm eventually going to start a second YouTube channel for builds & mods whenever I'm able to get my shop built so I have space to work on projects.
:sadbanana:
 
#12 ·
After reading the last few post I think some people are going to get PO'd. This Supra is coming back but... not the way most people are thinking. Was talking to some one at work the other day and he said " Any one can restore a car but it take some one special to cut one up." My plans are to start gutting it this week end and seeing how bad the rust is and get the structure straight and square. My "if only money is no option" plan is some thing similar to Rallyrollas tube frame. I'll have to see how far I can get with that but that cat is full of radical ideas. Any way a semi tube frame and full cage are pretty much a must. Light as is safely possible and try to limit HP to around 500. I think that is very possible with a single turbo 7m. But like they say the best laid plans of mice and men...
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Steering wheel Center console

The interior looks like it might clean up pretty good.
Car Vehicle Center console Vehicle audio Technology

still has stock radio I think it still works
Alloy wheel Tire Automotive tire Wheel Auto part

A good set of Panasports that are too small to put decent brakes behind
Trunk Auto part Car Vehicle

and get the "junk" in the trunk out and see what I am going to use

This is going to be a TOYota. We just sold our toy at work and I really liked the wide body on it. So I figure I'll try to learn how to make molds so I can lay up replacement parts.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Rallycross Automotive design

I have drooled all over this thing for the last year 1/2 and I think the straight lines of a MKII Supra beg for a wide body similar to this.
 
#14 ·
No worries. Now we did have a guy on here about fifteen years ago who pulled a stock motor out of a barely 3,000 mile trailer queen to swap a 7mgte and we gave him hell for a while. You don't pull one out of a museum and start cutting, that's just wrong, but pulling one out of the woods and starting cutting? We can more easily live with that. Parts are so scarce that you couldn't really restore it to all original anyway. All we ask is that you either a) make it look really good so the collector car crowd doesn't keep thinking these are throwaway cars or b) make it WIN RACES so that the sports and muscle car crowd doesn't keep thinking these are throwaway cars. I'm sure you'll make us proud.
 
#17 ·
That's exactly why I'm leaning toward that engine. From what I understand they are pretty much bullet proof. If no one wants them any more I'll gladly help them take out the trash.
There seems to be less to go wrong with them. I understand the advantages of VVT but more little parts to break or upgrade. How ever I haven't committed to anything yet. Also in my ignorance I may have posted 7M meaning 7M-GE so if there is a difference it was unintended. Did find out some one at work has a super charged Bonneville they will let go for $700 so who know what will happen between now and when I get to that stage. (probably NOT going with a GM iron block push rod v6)
 
#18 · (Edited)
That's kind of the whole point of hot rodding, to take parts that nobody wants anymore and make a car out of them on the cheap. But by the same token, nobody wants a mk2 anymore either except the tiny handful of us here on this forum. Our whole car is ancient, slow technology.
 
#19 ·
Day 8

It's Africa hot today so I didn't get too much done before I limped home to the A/C.
The back half is pretty much cleaned out and things don't look too bad but no way would I attempt to restore this thing to original.
Rust
Vehicle Car Auto part Family car Trunk

Was very careful pulling panels and such and put a good battery in it so I could check out what works and doesn't.
Radio is good.
Windows go up and down with master switch on drivers door. (didn't think to check the pass side but will before I pull the doors apart.)
Head lights go up and down and one even comes on.
A/C seems to blow cold but didn't check the temp, engine fan isn't working (electric aftermarket) so I didn't want to run the engine too long.
Tried the sunroof but it didn't move but will check relays and fuses, I know it isn't leaking.
Drivers seat lumbar still pumps up.
Door switches for the dome lights still work. (Now I wonder if I forgot to disconnect the battery but should be ok till dark tonight or early tomorrow.)
That's pretty much it till I cool down and go back to my shop. Speaking of which I really need to declutter as I have been packing it full of good "junk" for the last 2 years. But I do have some things that need a new home.
Automobile repair shop Automotive exterior Vehicle Car Auto part

Yes all the doors still close but only have 6" to spare behind the Supra and getting to the machine shop side on the right is like running the Darby Queen.
 
#20 ·
Well day 9 brings us to where every thing is out up to the dash except head liner and door panels. Look better than I thought it would no rust from underneath into the floor pans unless it is hiding in a crease or seam. There was a little penetration through the spare tire well but these are pin holes and all put together wouldn't be larger than a quarter. Rear hatch is starting to rust again and some rust in each door. mostly lower rear corners which is probably typical.
Going to keep going to just to the point where I can use a milk crate and still pull it in and out of the shop. The rockers are the main problem but read a thread by Supramaniac I think that was pretty clear on how to deal with that. My thoughts are to pretty much to cut out the old rockers (external exposed side) and section in box tube from wheel arch to wheel arc and then tie in the factory cross members and bracing.
 
#21 ·
What are we at now day 15? Pretty much cleared out up to the dash and have found almost all the bad rust. Does not look overwhelming but is going to take some effort and creative welding.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Off-roading City car

Still runs and drives so that makes it easy to get stuff in and out of the shop since it lives by the front door.
Rust Metal

Rust Wood Pipe Auto part Metal

Rust Vehicle door Automotive exterior Windshield Auto part

There is some more rust that isn't exposed yet at the front of the rockers. But over all not as bad as I thought. Will probably use box tube to build new rockers since this isn't going to even get into the neighborhood of a cosmetic restoration and then tie in the unibody and cage to those. But once the rockers are structural again I can at least get it up in the air and really check out the under side
 
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