Number 10: You've driven Supras, and only Supras, for the last 20 years.
It was 1982 when John Minert of Highland, Utah, the owner of this 1997 Supra Turbo, drove his brother's Supra. It took a few years for him to buy a black 1984 MKII, which he modified with mesh wheels, a lowering kit, tinted glass and a CD player. A MKIII Turbo was up next, equipped with a killer stereo system and several HKS components.
He soon traded up to MKIVs and since 2000, he's had seven. Why so many? Because, like many of us, Minert enjoys the building process more than just owning them. This habit earned Minert the moniker of "Supra Man," and his cars are known throughout the southwest.
Number 9: You find one of the rarest Supras ever built, then add 350-plus horsepower.
Supra purists wince when they first lay their eyes on this car, as it is only one of 17 Supras built in 1997 with an automatic transmission and the eye-catching royal sapphire pearl (RSP) paint. They ask Minert why he didn't buy a different car and paint it RSP, but his response to them is "I prefer blonde roots." Take that as you may.
Minert left the internals of the 2JZ-GTE stock, just adding some Unorthodox cam gears. The factory twin hairdryers were removed and a single GReddy T78 turbo took their place. The big snail is regulated with a GReddy Type-R wastegate, two HKS Super-Sequential blowoff valves and Blitz boost controller and turbo timer.
Cooling the charge is a GReddy three-row intercooler with 3-inch piping. Fuel is provided by a world-class fuel system featuring Siemens 720cc injectors, an A'PEXi Super AFC fuel computer, a Paxton regulator and two Nippondenso in-tank pumps. Exiting the spent fumes is a Miller 3-inch downpipe, a Blitz midpipe and TRD stainless-steel cat-back exhaust. For show, the valve cover, intake manifold, fuel rail and turbo compressor housing and radiator were polished. According to Minert, the combination is good for 643 hp at the rear wheels.
Number 8: You find a balance between marriage and Supras - 50/50.
When Minert and his wife met more than 16 years ago, his Supra addiction was already full blown. She took the plunge fully aware that marrying him meant owning at least one Supra. They're still married, which says something about how understanding a woman can be. To prove his love, Minert buys only automatics, preferring holding his wife's hand to grabbing a shift knob.
There's no way a stock automatic could live behind 750 hp, so Minert sent the trans to Brian at TransWerks in Huntington Beach, Calif. Brian replaced the torque converter with a three-disc Precision Industries model with a 4000-rpm stall speed. The overdrive button on the shifter was modified to activate the lock-up converter for better power transfer and temperature control. Minert plumbed two B&M fluid coolers in the front bumper area with 7-inch SPAL fans to prevent the slushbox from turning into a pile of mush.
Number 7: You know how to make a Supra handle and stop, without going overboard.
Minert maximized his Supra's handling prowess without turning it into a lose-your-lunch ride. The front and rear suspension has been upgraded with TEIN HA fully adjustable coil-overs, TRD anti-roll bars and a TRD front and Cusco rear strut tower brace. Braking was upgraded with a Brembo F-1 big brake kit up front, featuring 13.25-inch cross-drilled and slotted rotors, four-piston calipers and Porterfield R4-S performance pads. Stock calipers, Brembo cross-drilled and slotted rotors and stock pads bring up the rear.
Finishing off the suspension is a set of Speed Star Racing's Courage three-piece wheels.
Measuring 18x9.5 inches in the front and 18x11 inches in the back, the menacing wheels clear the massive brakes with room to spare.
Yokohama AVS Sport tires provide bite.
Number 6: You don't mess with success and leave the Supra looking pretty much stock.
Minert thinks the Supra looks just about as perfect as it came from the factory. The only upgrades he made, a Stillem urethane front bumper and an OEM European hood scoop, were to introduce a lot more air into the vital bits of the engine and all those coolers.
Number 5: The only interior mods made tell you what you need to know.
Stock gauges were enhanced with Indiglo white face overlays, a digital fluid temperature gauge, the display for the A'PEXi Super AFC and a three-pod Lotek A-piller gauge cluster with GReddy boost, EGT and oil temperature gauges tell Minert what's happening under the hood. For a bit of style, he added a TRD three-spoke blue/black steering wheel. Stereo? What stereo? You think you can hear anything over the turbo?
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