1996 Toyota Supra Manual

Highlights

• Comprehensively restored by the current owner

• 3-litre naturally-aspirated model

• 5-speed manual

• Nearly new 18” Rota Grid alloys

• Largely OEM with some subtle modifications

Overview

All you have to do to send a petrolhead off on a daydream is say “2JZ” and… oi! Snap out of it! As we all know, the 2JZ – whether in N/A or turbo form – is one of the all-time great engines. Powerful, laden with torque and endlessly tunable, it became a legend in its own lifetime (there are plenty of 2,000+bhp examples out there, and even more running 1,000+bhp reliably every day).

Of course, if you put a great engine in a stinker of a car, then you just make that car a donor as every man and his dog pulls out the powertrain and junks the rest. Thankfully, Toyota decided to wrap the 2JZ in one of the slinkiest, sleekest, most iconic shapes ever penned by a car designer: the fourth generation (A80) Supra. More than 100Kg lighter than the previous generation and with a much lower drag coefficient, it was a monster on the road and the race track. 

In group tests it blitzed the competition, and dominated the All-Japan GT Championships (JGTC) from 1995 to 2003. And we’ve not even touched on the impact a certain “10 second” orange Supra has had on the modified car scene.

Naturally, as with all hero cars, they’re now highly prized by enthusiasts and collectors alike, with good examples, particularly of a manual car, hard to find. Finding one that hasn’t been widened, bodykitted, boosted or otherwise bedecked with Halfords-lite ephemera is even tougher. You’d be as well trying to get a dinner appointment with Bigfoot.

And yet. They do exist. As is proven by the black bombshell you see here. Imported from Japan in 1998, it’s spent most of its life in the UK. The current owner clearly adores the car, having lavished it with many thousands of pounds worth of mechanical and aesthetic restoration work. From a full bare metal respray to comprehensive mechanical recommissioning, they’ve spared no expense in bringing the car back to life and keeping it in excellent health.

All of which means you have the opportunity to grab a genuine car culture icon that’s had heaps of “big” jobs done, and revel in the envious glances of your fellow 90s JDM obsessives. Ten seconds? That’s about how long it’ll take you to fall in love…

History and documentation

• Registered in the UK 12 February 1998 (JDM import 1996MY)

• Current owner since January 2019, seven previous owners

• 159,204 miles on the clock

• Current MOT expires 6 August 2025

• The vendor tells us they have spent in excess of £30k restoring the car, keeping it as stock as possible and tracing OEM parts from all over the world

• The restoration was started in 2020 and finished in 2023

• Extensive collection of invoices and parts receipts – all from the current owner

• A number of spares and OEM parts are included

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

Interior

• OEM fabric front seats, finished in two-tone grey

• The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable

• The front seats show a little wear, but it is minimal

• The rear bench is well trimmed in black leather and shows no evidence of notable wear or any damage

• Black carpet through the cabin and boot appears to be in good order

• Air-conditioning

• Electrically operated side windows and door mirrors

• Removable Momo ‘Nero’ steering wheel (original included)

• Reversing camera installed

• Pioneer double DIN head unit with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

• Pioneer door speakers, plus a Pioneer subwoofer enclosure in the boot

• The vendor reports an intermittent speedo fault, which they believe to be due to a faulty ABS sensor – they plan to have this fixed prior to sale

• Otherwise, the vendor reports no faults or issues with the cabin’s features and functions

• Aftermarket GPS speedo

• All of the internal trim and switchgear appears to be present and correct, with some wear and blemishes commensurate with the car’s age and mileage

• Replacement OEM door cards, boot panels and side panels have been sourced and fitted

• NOS OEM rear cargo cover fitted

• Spacesaver spare wheel and jack underneath the boot carpet

Exterior

• Gloss black paintwork wears a healthy shine

• There are a few minor imperfections and marks in the paint, as well as a small patch of blisters above the rear of the driver’s door, but otherwise the paint looks to be in good condition

• As part of the restoration, the car was stripped to bare metal, any rust cut out or treated, then subject to a professional ‘windows out’ respray by Junction 59 Classics

• New metal was let into the sills, floor panels, quarter panels and rear arches

• The upper bodywork shows very well, with consistent panel gaps and clean lines – we didn’t note any significant corrosion or any damage

• All of the badging and external trim looks to be in good order, with nothing missing or broken

• Refurbished headlights

• High OEM rear wing is present and in fine fettle

• Following the restoration, the underside was cleaned, undersealed and treated with WaxOyl

• There is some light surface corrosion showing to some underside areas, such as the suspension components

• A set of genuine 18-inch Rota Grid alloy wheels, finished in matt black, has been fitted – all are in excellent condition, with a small area of kerbing on one wheel

• A matched set of Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 tyres is fitted, and they look to have good tread depth and clean sidewalls, having covered just about 3,000 miles

Mechanical

• 2JZ-GE engine: 2,997cc naturally-aspirated, DOHC 24-valve, inline-six

• Rated at 220bhp from the factory

• Rear-wheel drive

• 5-speed manual transmission

• Renewed and uprated engine hoses

• Apexi Power intake kit with performance cone filter

• Uprated coilover suspension

• Stainless steel exhaust system

• The vendor notes there is a slight fluid leak on the steering column, but they are looking to have this addressed prior to sale

• Restoration work undertaken between 2020-2023 includes: new rear subframe; new radiator, fan and housing; new brake lines, discs and pads all round; new suspension bushes; new timing belt and water pump; new A/C radiator and condensor; new clutch; new CV boots; uprated Whifbitz billet engine pulleys, shock arm and idler pulley; new front upper and lower control arms; various OEM sensors, gaskets and brackets; ABS wheel speed sensor; wheel bearings

• Full four-wheel alignment

• We are assured that the car drives just as it should, with no known mechanical issues reported

Summary

Page one, paragraph one of the petrolhead testament declares: “Thus the fourth-gen Supra arrived, and, lo, it was epic”. And it’s never been truer. As time goes by, they only get rarer, more desirable and ever more collectible. 

If you started driving cars in the late 80s or 90s, chances are the Supra has always been an itch at the back of your head. It’s hard to think of something cooler or more rarified. Something for the connoisseurs among us.

The non-car folk will just see a car with a big wing. But we know different. This is not “just a car”, it’s an embodiment of 90s-00s car culture, an example of just how good that period was for petrolheads. What a machine. What an opportunity…

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear.