This is my 1985 Toyota Celica GTS.
I got a call one day from a friend who is a mechanic and he told me that a customer of his was going to scrap his car, and if I wanted it I could have it for FREE!!!
I asked what the catch was. He told me what it was and that the rear control arms were rotten and the dealer wanted $860.00 each for them so the owner decided to scrap it.
I was there in an hour and drove it home the next day.
Here is the before picture.
Here is after I finished tweaking it. I painted it blue metallic, body coloured side mouldings, a grille intake from a turbo firefly, and a rear spoiler from a Supra. The wheels just needed a coat of paint and some new tires (245's on the rear and 215's on the front)
Here is a picture of the old control arm. I found a set in Wyoming somewhere for $100.00 a pair (plus shipping). As you can see, the new one looks a little better!
While I had the rear suspension apart, I put in new shocks, wheel bearings, calipers, pads and crossdrilled Brembo rotors. I did the same treatment to the front.
I also put in a limited-slip differential out of a Supra in it, and a new custom built rear sway-bar set-up I designed myself. I got a sway bar from the wreckers for the front of another car and made brackets. I wanted to keep the rear tight because I used to do a bit of drifting with it.
I also put in a big stereo with 10" subs, 600w amp, CD player, and I threw in some Autometer gauges (air/fuel & boost) and a new steering wheel. The stock interior was in great shape so it didn't need much else.
Then I got bored with the power and built a new turbo system from scratch!
First I made a new exhaust manifold from some tubing and plate steel.
Then I got a turbo out of a 1989 Chrysler Lebaron. The size was perect.
Then I put in a bigger core turbo radiator out of a Shelby turbo chrysler of some sort and ran the compressed air through an intercooler form an Audi. The rad was just a bit narrower so I could fit the intercooler tubing beside the rad.
I put in a Mandrel bent custom exhaust with a side exit in front of the driver's rear wheel. Not much of a muffler needed. The turbo made the car quieter.
And I hooked all of it up with Mandrel bent intercooler pipes with blue silicone couplers. Then I painted it all up a bit, added a Jacobs ignition system with MSD wires, and put a strut bar out of a sunbird (shortened). I also put in a engine oil cooler and a remote filter set-up. I also put in a HKS air filter.
Everything on the car was done by me except the paint. However I did do all the bodywork and prepping for the paint.
I hope you like it. This car is for sale if anyone is interested. I live in the Toronto area.
*******UPDATE*****************UPDATE***************UPDATE************
THE CAR IS SOLD.
Yeah I sold her and now I miss her.... :-(
I'm finished with it now and have moved on to a new project.
See my mini here:
1976 Mini 1000
Thanks for looking.
