Picking this Rough Start’s location was literally throwing a dart at the map. Guam is an island in Micronesia and has a sizable contingency of U.S. military personnel stationed there at any given time. The U.S. military is Guam’s second biggest source of income. So, say you’re lucky enough to get orders to a tropical island in the Pacific. What would you use for a driver? Guam isn’t exactly large, but at the same time, biking forty miles isn’t for everyone. Given the location, I’m gonna fudge a little on my standards for the Rough Start, as I’ve done in the past for non-Continental purchases.
Last week I mentioned cars that were legal to import, and one of the more popular choices was the Toyota Soarer. Mechanically similar to the 1986-1992 Supra, the Soarer was it’s formal-coupe cousin, packed with technology, sophistication, and yes, that wonderful turbo straight six.
This particular Soarer claims to be packing twin-turbo power, though they came factory with a single. You also have the five-speed manual trans, which makes this coupe that much more attractive. The black/silver color combination looks good, the interior has worn well, and the only touch that I’d change would be some decent modern wheels with good performance tires and to find anything to replace the fart can out back.
All in all, at $6500 in U.S. dollars, this Soarer would be a great pick-up, and while you’re serving your time, you could finish all of the paperwork necessary to bring this Toyota home…it is, after all, old enough.
CLICK HERE to see the Craigslist listing for this Soarer while it is available
I wouldn’t pay $6500 for any 80’s model car. At least not here in the US. But I don’t know how car prices run in Guam. It might be cheap.
You said “wonderful straight-six.” The Z20 Soarer had the 7M-GTE which was not a wonderful engine. Lost of problems with blown head gaskets and warped decks and oil pumps. I believe you are thinking of the 1JZ-GTE from the JDM JZA70 Supra Turbo and JZZ30 Soarer or the 2JZ-GTE from the ’93-’98 Supra Twin Turbo
The speed limit in Guam is 35mph, with one or two 45mph highways. You couldn’t make good use of anything fast. Maybe if it was geared really low. I was there for a sister in law’s wedding. I thought it might be a nice place to retire. It’s a lot cheaper than Hawaii. It’s also not as crowded. However, whenever I rode somewhere, I felt like I was riding with an octogenarian making full use of their medical marijuana prescription. I guess I’d have to shift my interests over to fast boats from fast cars if I lived there.
I’ve been through Guam plenty of times throughout my 20 year career in the US Navy. Often, the beater cars that were used by servicemen and women were called “Guam bombs”, also be aware of brown tree snakes, they are all over Guam.