Page 1: F20C Celica Build
Page 2: Pics after completion
F20C Celica Build
Here is a quick view of the build. Thanks to Andy Vang who guided me and allowed me to build at his garage, and Andy Reyes for being a sport by being there to help during the build. Without these guys, it couldn't of been done.
We started off with a regular beat up 1971 Toyota Celica (RA20). The engine had been swapped from a 8RC to a 20R, and the paint has gone from metallic green to a metallic brown with a leather top. Thanks to the California weather, the car did not have any rust under the leather top. The only rust that existed was under the battery box.
THe tear down begins. The motor goes out, and everything other than the bare essentials for the car to roll are pulled out.
Not it's time to pre fit the F20C from a Honda S2000. The motor was acquired from HAP Recycling in Sacramento. They sold me the motor, tranny, driveshaft, harness and dash cluster.
The F20C is much taller than the Toyota R series motors, and the transmission is larger in diameter too. So you need to c-notch the cross member for clearance, and cut the body for the tranny to fit. Andy Vang already had done this swap before, so everything went like clock work. It also helped that I had frequent biz trips to Japan, where I picked up a Toyota T-series crossmember as a donor.
This is how much you have to cut the body to fit the tranny. Quite a lot. No turning back! lol (actually, the tranny is lifted a little higher than normal in the photo.)
Motor goes in smooth to the already modified Celica, and sits very close to the firewall.
Towed the car to get a 10pt custom cage built. Notice the blue fender. The original front fender had some major dings, so we had to frankenstein from another fender
Plug up some holes we're not gonna need. Giving it that clean smooth look.
Strip the paint in the engine bay and pressure washed the car. Also POR15'd the rusted/could rust areas.
While the paint/body shop worked on the car, some parts were restored, modified, or purchased.
Car comes back from the paint/body shop. NOT HAPPY. They used WAAAAY too much bondo. So much for special deals. But in this case, I got less for what I paid for...
But not time to re-do or turn around. Must continue. So the motor and all the new parts get bolted up, and she fires up for the first time with no problems!
Finally starts looking like a car. Lacks many details, and requires further more work.
Off to get a new exhaust. Used a 2.25" piping. Crush bent due to budget. Used a Magna Flow resonator and muffler.
Interior gets a fake dynomat treatment, and then driven to get an alignment.
Now it's time for a test drive :) Rear end sits a little higher than anticipated.
Minor work, like the carpet and interior panels are done, and we're ready to drive down to LA to exhibit it in the T.O.R.C. Fest in Long Beach. Was literally done the night before.
After a safe and fun drive down to LA, the car sits on the grass, and I'm happy.
After the show, I drove back up to San Jose, parked the car in the garage, and it sat there for a while. I attended the Japanese Classic Car Show in the fall, and did that for the following years. Since then, the car was lowered a little more in the rear, got a new radiator, etc. I'll post some cosmetic pics up on a separate page.
Thanks for reading.
Koich
