Used Car of the Day: 1985 Toyota Mk2 Supra

by Tim Healey

Published: April 12th, 2023

used car of the day 1985 toyota mk2 supra

Today's used car of the day is a 1985 Toyota Mk2 Celica Supra that has a lot of miles on the clock.

Don't let the 230,000 miles scare you, though. The seller claims this Supra runs and drives well and all the controls work. He or she also claims that as part of a major restoration, many parts have been replaced.

That includes the alternator, spark plugs, and starter.

The only red flag seems to be a vacuum leak that causes some hard-shifting issues at low RPMs.

The seller asks $5,200 and is based in Arizona. Give the car a look here.

[Images: Seller]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

#UCOTD #UsedCaroftheDay #Toyota #ToyotaCelica #ToyotaSupra

Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

More by Tim Healey

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 30 comments

SilverCoupe on Apr 13, 2023

I had a targa top on my '89 Supra Turbo; I liked to take it off most at night. During the day, I had to wear a hat to deal with the sun glare.

One had to screw and unscrew four screws in the top with a special tool, which took a bit of time. I used to place the top on the car in the parking garage near work without screwing it down to save time, so the car was technically unlocked, but it looked attached, so no one ever bothered it.

Like Reply
- Art Vandelay on Apr 13, 2023
  
  The "special tool" is an allen wrench though. Mine is off now and I've never seen one of those tools.
  
  Like
Randy in rocklin on Apr 14, 2023

I almost bought that Gen, good thing I waited 2 years later for the Mk III. I have 9ne I bought brand new in late 86 with 200k miles on it now and just got a turbo 5 speed same Gen with 75k miles. Don't ever let it overheat or you're going to need a new head gasket.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Whynotaztec Like any other lease offer it makes sense to compare it to a purchase and see where you end up. The math isn’t all that hard and sometimes a lease can make sense, sometimes it can’t. the tough part with EVs now is where is the residual or trade in value going to be in 3 years?
Rick T. "If your driving conditions include near-freezing temps for a few months of the year, seek out a set of all-seasons. But if sunshine is frequent and the spectre of 60F weather strikes fear into the hearts of your neighbourhood, all-seasons could be a great choice." So all-seasons it is, apparently!
1995 SC Should anyone here get a wild hair and buy this I have the 500 dollar tool you need to bleed the rear brakes if you have to crack open the ABS. Given the state you will. I love these cars (obviously) but trust me, as an owner you will be miles ahead to shell out for one that was maintained. But properly sorted these things will devour highway miles and that 4.6 will run forever and should be way less of a diva than my blown 3.8 equipped one. (and forget the NA 3.8...140HP was no match for this car).As an aside, if you drive this you will instantly realize how ergonomically bad modern cars are.These wheels look like the 17's you could get on a Fox Body Cobra R. I've always had it in the back of my mind to get a set in the right bolt pattern so I could upgrade the brakes but I just don't want to mess up the ride. If that was too much to read, from someone intamately familiar with MN-12's, skip this one. The ground effects alone make it worth a pass. They are not esecially easy to work on either.
Macca This one definitely brings back memories - my dad was a Ford-guy through the '80s and into the '90s, and my family had two MN12 vehicles, a '93 Thunderbird LX (maroon over gray) purchased for my mom around 1995 and an '89 Cougar LS (white over red velour, digital dash) for my brother's second car acquired a year or so later. The Essex V6's 140 hp was wholly inadequate for the ~3,600 lb car, but the look of the T-Bird seemed fairly exotic at the time in a small Midwest town. This was of course pre-modern internet days and we had no idea of the Essex head gasket woes held in store for both cars.The first to grenade was my bro's Cougar, circa 1997. My dad found a crate 3.8L and a local mechanic replaced it - though the new engine never felt quite right (rough idle). I remember expecting something miraculous from the new engine and then realizing that it was substandard even when new. Shortly thereafter my dad replaced the Thunderbird for my mom and took the Cougar for a new highway commute, giving my brother the Thunderbird. Not long after, the T-Bird's 3.8L V6 also suffered from head gasket failure which spelled its demise again under my brother's ownership. The stately Cougar was sold to a family member and it suffered the same head gasket fate with about 60,000 miles on the new engine.Combine this with multiple first-gen Taurus transmission issues and a lemon '86 Aerostar and my dad's brand loyalty came to an end in the late '90s with his purchase of a fourth-gen Maxima. I saw a mid-90s Thunderbird the other day for the first time in ages and it's still a fairly handsome design. Shame the mechanicals were such a letdown.
FreedMike It's a little rough...😄