Some BPU(Basic Power Upgrades: exhaust, boost controler, and other light mods) Supras lay down about 450HP @ wheels. The problem with them is the rear suspension, so far as drag racing is concerned. They have a bad wheel hop problem off the line but trap easily in the 120+MPH range, on the highway they are tough to beat. I run into those and lightnings at the track offen in my 91 Eclipse AWD. It runs 12.00s @115-117 with 2.5k invested. pulls 1.7 60fts all day on cheap street tires. Z06s sometimes make a good race with a good driver and slicks. Most modded lightnings I see run high 12s, stock mid 13s.

 

Serpent30(I'm not attacking you just stating facts)- sorry but, no car will last 200,000 miles after racing the car....
You have to take car of the car not RACE it, any car will last as long as you want it to it just depends on how you drive/ take care of it. Its just factual that any car will last just as long as one another as long as you change all fluids when supposed to, lubricate everything and keep it that way...

I think the point of this post is that a Ford TRUCK is competing with a light toyota sports CAR...

 

5000lb. truck vs. 2500lb. car--think about it...

I love Lightnings, but it is not the supreme speed machine when raced against a car half its size.

 

I beg to differ, I had well over 210,000 miles on my eclipse before rebuilding the motor and I race it every chance I get. The failure was from my mistake in tuning. I know of one other person still on the 200,000mi+ stock bottom end of his Supra putting down upwards of 500hp. In addition my 83 stang GT ( god rest her soul)made it to 190,000 on its first motor. I drove the heck out of that car on the street and raced it at the track. I think it comes down to #1: build quality #2: good maintanence.

Also Supras are a bit porky as far as sports cars go, about 3300-3500 LBS.

 

Eddie B Expy- now, I meant no car will be in perfect condition after 200,000 miles unless "perfectly maintained."

I still have this to say... I think the point of this post is that a Ford TRUCK is competing with a light toyota sports CAR... compared to a full size truck YES this car is light. lets put some sand bags in the rear end to compare weight difference here.

"I think it comes down to #1: build quality #2: good maintenance." yes, this is somewhat true but also id like to ad my opinion on this, id say that about 35% is the craftsmanship and the other 65% is the way you maintain the car.



"I beg to differ, I had well over 210,000 miles on my eclipse before rebuilding the motor and I race it every chance I get" How well did you maintain everything? you must have babied the car... even you said when your engine blew or whatever happened, it was "human fault."

another thing, someone with a real lightning would not let it sit in a junkyard because they have the money, are you crazy??

only if I had lots of money I would buy a 2000 Cobra R, make it hell of a lot faster than it is specifically handling and kick the crap out of the ricers with it, now I'm not calling you guys in here ricer okay, I'm just talking about others that think there car is fast by putting a Wing on the back of a FWD car, theres no real point to it, tests have proven it to cost them speed wise and money.

 

I have to add my two cents here.

Who cares about how many miles you can get out of the life of a car when you are in a stoplight drag race? It's like saying "You may have beaten me, but my car will last more miles!"

I have seen some amazing times out of Lightnings. From what I hear, you can dip into the 12s just by changing the pulley on the supercharger. I have a customer who squeezed 450 hp out of an '03 Cobra with simple bolt ons, so I know there is a lot of potential.

Lastly, all the ricers tell stories about how ricers will last 200,000 miles, or rev to 10,000 rpm. What they're not telling you is that the cars you see at the dragstrip blow through parts like crazy. When the import craze started, they used to bring a trailer full of CV shafts, and would replace them after every race whether they need it or not. Usually they would break at half track and go through the traps on three wheels!

That's my two cents!

 

I drove the heck out of the eclipse from day one and the Mustang. But the mustang motor just grew tired which was well within reason given how I drove her. The Eclipse took the abuse pretty well until my fatal mistake. I think of ricers in the same way that you do. Most of them are unknowledgeable fellows who know nothing of performance and what it takes to get there. Nor do they listen to good advice most of the time. Im not sure what a Lightning weighs but I would guess around 4000LBS correct? Then the Supra would definately be at an advantage in that area. But I would think the lightning would hook up better.

Thats definately not my reasoning. I may think "I just whipped your tail with half the displacement" and that amazes a lot of people. But I dont discriminate against anyone a fast car is a fast car in my opinion, but thats a whole other subject for a different thread. so far as breakage is concerned I dont have a problem with it but I chose a better japanese platform to build up. Most of the ricers you think of are in Civics which make 90LBs/Ft of torque stock

 

No offense taken. Im not saying that a Ford CANT go 200,000 miles (my sister-in-law has a '92 F-150 that ran its original motor for 203,000 miles).
However, I owned an '85 Toyota 4Runner (its like an Explorer) that had over 250,00 miles on it (with the original engine and tranny) and I ran it hard, and the previous owner (who owned it since it was new) ran it REALLY hard and rarely did any preventative maintenance on it.
It was very underpowered, so I ran it with the gas pedal firmly planted on the floorboard and I usually shifted at 4,000 rpm.
This truck was the meaning of "rusty but trusty". It took everything I could throw at it and then some.
However it wasnt perfect, it had leaf springs all the way around, so it rattled your teeth out. Also, the radio sucked and all it had were 4 puny speakers.
To understand why Japanese cars are superior in quality you must understand Japanese culture.
See, the Japanese are perfectionists. To them, there is no such thing as "good enough".

 

To tell you all the truth though, Id rathar have an F-150 or a Ranger. Dont get me wrong, I loved my Toyotas and they were as dependable as hell.
However, Fords are easier to get a deal on, cheaper to fix and I think are about the same as far as dependability goes (if you keep up on the maintenance). Also, Id much rathar be seen in my F-150 (especially if Im sitting next to a hot chick at a stoplight) cause the Toyota just doesnt have that "macho" factor that a domestic car or truck does. Also, the duals with 40-series Flowmaster helps too!
Also its true that you can modify a domestic for far less than a ricer.

Serpent
'99 F-150 Reg Cab 4x4 Off-Road
'97 H-D XLH

 

alright, I am personaly a domestic person, I would love a '70 era car from Detroit. Something with a big block and drinks gas like its going out of style.


BUT I really dont think supras are getting NEARLY enough respect here. It doesnt sound like too many people have delt with them.

The non turbo versions are pretty boring. I wont touch that, but the turbo versions REALLY take to modding. I have no experiance but they are said to be able to on average take up to 700 HP on STOCK internals. They arent the best for anything but a straight line, but they are a BEAST on the highway.

They are IMHO probably better than any recent mustang or F body.

StomP

 

my aunt had a silver 97 or 98 supra turbo... it was nice it was quick. I have nothing against foriegn vehicles... I'm just stating that a full-size pickup is running with a car to me that is impressive... and for the people that said LIGHTNINGS are crap... no.... there very very AWSOME you just don't know whats up.

I just can't wait till the 2005 Cobra comes out or for the next Cobra R its gonna be freakin sweet as hell...

 

are they putting the lightning motor in it? I hope so, 500+ RWHP in a mustang.

 

Change the pullies and a couple other simple things and a Lightning will run low 12s through the quarter-mile from what I see. So you are saying a Lightning can't touch a Supra? Pleeeeasee.......


Keep in mind that the Lightning is $10K - $15K less, and can haul and tow like a truck and still run with Corvettes and Supras on Friday nights. I think people aren't giving the LIGHTNING enough credit here.....

 

niether of them are geting enough credit. there are quit a few imports out there that desrve credit. the problem is that we see so many kids that slap a heavy body kit on there and a coffee can muffler that supposed to make the car louder on to stock pipes and then claim there car quick. i know a few kids like that. you can build any car right to be real fast. IMHO the 1.8 liter acura motors and most 2.0 and bigger 4 cylinders when biult right have a real sweet deep growl to em that just sings. but also IMHO there is no better sound then a ford v-8, a good HO302 or a new 281 from a mustang sound absolutly wondeful, they sound so smooth and powerful. slap the 5.4 lightning motor in a mustang and you get the cobra r which i believe runs high 12's??? and yess the fact that a truck even held a candle to one of japans super cars is quit an achevment. as i belive thats what the supras are considered, much like the corvette or italys ferrarie or lamborgini.

 

The Supra is actually pretty close to the same weight as the Lightning. My 4x4 F-150 is 4200 pounds, so a lightning should be around 4000 pounds (due to the fact it doesnt have the front drivetrain).
Both are impressive machines. Personally, if I wanted a car for racing, Id buy a Nissan Skyline. 300 hp stock with AWD.
I believe however that when the Lightning goes to independent rear suspension it will kill its hauling ability. I know that Ford has had a lot of problems with the rear suspension on the new Explorers. I know of several people who have broken a-arms hauling their boat.