| BRIAN ROBARDS |
| 1995 TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO |
| 6 SPEED |
| ALPINE SILVER/BLACK |
| COTO DE CAZA, CA. USA |
 EMAIL BRIAN |
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| 8 photos |
| 948 words |
| June 4th '04 |
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GENERAL:
My first Supra experience was in 2001 when my brother and I talked my dad into buying one for his “mid-life crisis”. We found a ’94 red TT advertised in San Diego and we were the first to show up for a test drive. We placed a deposit and bought it that week. Tim’s write up on TO4R explains the progression of the car. When my dad bought the “big stick” supra Tim set his sights on the ’94 as a graduation present. I then began looking forward to my graduation, and aquiring a car that could keep up with my dad’s and Tim’s cars. I originally started my search with a Nissan Skyline in mind, but that idea soon faded the more I drove my families supras.
My search originally started for a hardtop because I wanted a car that I could take autocrossing, and the idea of both a stiffer and lighter model was very attractive to me. I was convinced that the hardtop was the way to go after I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Steve Theodore and Justin Beget, a couple of hardtop owners, at last years Vegas meet. I want to thank Steve for his work providing the Hardtop Directory web site.
After searching around on the internet for a while and finding no hardtops for sale, I came across one for sale on TeamSupra.com. I think it was fortunate for me that the owner chose this site rather than more active sites since once again my dad and I were the first to arrive. Originally the exterior of the car didn’t wow me, but once I drove it I knew that the engine was strong and the turbo had good power potential. The seller is a Marine and was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq in less than 60 days. He was aware that hardtops were rare but set a fair price to sell quickly. Once again we placed a deposit and bought the car within the week. According to the production numbers posted on the Hardtop Directory – there were only 18 - 6 speed, turbo hardtops made in ’95 and the Alpine Silver is the rarest with only 2 made that year. |
ENGINE:
The car has the stock block and cams. The car was purchased with the T-66, boost controller, VPC, 2 row intercooler and exhaust. I have added an upgraded fuel system, 3 row intercooler, ignition, cooling, GCC and gauges to monitor the performance. The Unsprung 6-Puck Carbon Disk Clutch handles the power. The clutch pressure is slightly stiffer than the Blitz clutch on my brother’s car but has a very drivable feel without the noise from the lightened flywheel of the Blitz. |
FUEL:
The fuel system combines Blitz 700 cc injectors with an HKS 680 cc fuel rail and HKS 71 gph in-tank fuel pump and HKS Adjustable fuel regulator. |
ELECTRONICS:
The car was purchased with the Profec B, Turbo Timer and Vein Pressure Converter (VPC) supporting the T-66 without any upgrade to the fuel system. The GCC and HKS Twin Power DLI were added with the fuel system. |
BRAKES/CHASSIS:
My brakes remain stock. I have front and rear strut bars, TRD sway bars along with the Eilbach/KYB spring/shock combination, which work very well on the hardtop. A Brembo upgrade will be in the future. |
WHEELS/TIRES:
The car came with the stock chrome wheels. When Ken Henderson offered to sell me his set of Work Meisters – which he had painted black to match his car - I could not refuse. I believe the black wheels and the dark tinted windows are a great contrast to the Alpine Silver and give it a more menacing look. The grip provided by the 285/35 Potenza O2’s was a huge improvement. I hope to get a few thousand more miles on these before I have to consider replacements. |
INTERIOR:
The interior and seats are stock. A dual pillar pod holds the boost and EGT gauges. A fuel pressure gauge replaced the clock and the Split Second A/F meter is on the steering column. The VPC and GCC and mounted in the dash with the turbo timer below the steering wheel. |
EXTERIOR:
I chose to remove the Veilside skirts, lip and wing and return the car to the stock exterior. |
PERFORMANCE:
When I first drove the car I was pleased but not impressed. After driving my brother’s (665rwhp) and dad’s ( 700 rwhp) Supras the car seemed tame. The boost on the T-66 was limited by the stock fuel system and the exhaust was restricted with a silencer. My interest is more towards road racing and auto- cross so I was not looking for ultimate power. The car ran well and the compression tests were very good and I was sure it would serve me well.
I took the car to SPE to have it checked out and get a read from the dyno. By the third run the car posted 499 rwhp at 1.2 bar. Not bad.
The next trip back to SPE was to upgrade the fuel, ignition, cooling, electronics, gauges, larger intercooler and stiffer wastegate spring etc. The results were 641.9 rwhp and 573.7 lbs of torque at 1.8 bar. Now that’s more like it.
I may have to “borrow” the HKS exhaust from my dad’s Big Stick Supra and see if I can pick up the 25 rwhp needed to match my brother. Also, I would like to line up against both my brother and dad to see who’s the fastest in the family, Tim is still trying to claim that title. |
PARTS LIST:
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ENGINE:
Turbonetics T-66 ballbearing turbo
Turbonetics Racegate Wastegate
Greddy Type R BOV
Chrome intake – HKS Metal Flow 200H Filter
Greddy 3-row FMIC
Downpipe
TanabeRacing Medallion Exhaust
HKS Twin Power DLI
Stock cams
NGK 3330
PWR radiator
Electric Radiator Fans |
FUEL:
Blitz 700 cc injectors
HKS 680 cc fuel rail
HKS in-tank fuel pump - 71gph @ 45 psi
HKS adjustable fuel regulator
Earls lines |
ELECTRONICS:
HKS VPC – “B” chip
HKS Graphic GCC
Profec B boost controller |
DRIVETRAIN:
Unsprung 6-Puck Carbon Disc Clutch |
BRAKES/CHASSIS:
KYB AGX Adjustable Shocks
Eilbach Suspension Springs
TRD Sway Bars
Stock Brakes – painted calipers
Front and Rear strut bars |
WHEELS/TIRES:
Work Meister ZZR – Black -9"X18", 10"X18"
Bridgestone Potenza O2 - 255/40/ZR18, 285/35/ZR18 |
INTERIOR:
Greddy 60mm Boost Gauge
Greddy 60mm E.G.T. gauge
Greddy 52mm Electronic Fuel Pressure Gauge
Split Second A/F ratio meter
Greddy Turbo timer
Pioneer AVM-P7000 LCD Head Unit
Pioneer Super Tuner
PPI Amps
Pioneer SCX-P1270 12 Disc Changer |
