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6G Celicas Forums _ My Project _ Freelica
Posted by: cheela Oct 2, 2017 - 11:55 AM
When life hands you lemon, you make lemonade.
but what happens when life hands you a '96 5 speed celica ST, aka Freelica???
so, this thing just kinda almost literally fell into my hands. Thursday night my uncle hits me up on facepage and was like, "hey, i got this sitting in my yard, you interested?"
I'm like "swching! yea!" (but i didn't say the swching part)
so details are it was my cousin's car, they were driving heard a big noise? in the general engine bay/engine area and then it died. got it towed to my uncle's and it sat for 3 years. possibly spun bearings but we'll see once i dig into it some more.
Friday comes around, I'm like ok cool another celica would be nice to have to work on but I'm still kinda broke so i'll let it simmer for now. then my cousin was like, "eh yo, if nobody's interested, I'm junking it today!"
so I hit her up and was all like, "ey ho, i'm interested yo, how much ya want for it?"
she was like "free fiddy!" and I'm like free fiddy?, she's like yeah free dollars and fiddy. you just gotta tow it out and it's yours.
so she left the title with my uncle but forgot the key so that will be mailed to me.
so for the price of towing, i got me a freelica. 
onto pick chars.
the pix my uncle sent me:
of course, first thing i do when it got dropped off was line up my green celi with it for a photoshoot. lol
then proceeded to clean the crap out of it.
BEFORE:
seats are trashed. had various smells of old pets and smoke.
seems to have taken a slight hit here. tail light's cracked and pushed in a bit...
came with a half torn apart system? lol
doors are typical of a midwest car. but seems to be the only bad rust i see on the body so far.
rear quarters looks surprisingly ok. this is the worst of it.
AFTER
gave it a quick wash to see what's left of the paint. hood's been spray canned and they didn't bother to mask anything so i had to spend some time scraping black overspray from the headlights and windshield....
she looks good from 30 maybe 20 ft. 
dash cleaned up REALLY well. aside from the torn leather steering wheel (i have my stock one and a 3post to replace) and shifter, everything looks in relatively good shape.
I believe I should have an extra door panel to replace this if needed. there's dimples everywhere.
seats, I'll most likely trash. aside from having various stains and rips. the ever present smell of cigarettes just doesn't cut it for me and I still have my tan seats from my green one when I did the 7th gen interior swap.
overall, it only takes a bit of loving to make it able to sit next to my green one. they're both pretty happy I'd say
Posted by: navseal345 Oct 2, 2017 - 12:36 PM
Let's hope you don't want the 7a in there for long if it does run.
Posted by: cheela Oct 2, 2017 - 12:43 PM
hahaha yeah, I hear ya. one slow 7a is enough. I wouldn't be able to deal with 2.
not sure what my plans are for it yet. If I can fix it up cheap, might be a winter beater or sell it for $$$$. if not, it can be a parts car to supply my green one with a manual swap. and best solution would be to get the v6 from Chris and swap it into this for a fun sleeper, and still be able to do the manual swap on my green one. 
Posted by: bloodMoney Oct 2, 2017 - 2:23 PM
I got you boo....
Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 2, 2017 - 2:28 PM
what v6? what!!!! which!!!!
Posted by: Box Oct 2, 2017 - 5:02 PM
Manual swap the green one with parts from the black one, then 1MZ/E153 swap the black one and turn it into a corner carver/track toy.
Posted by: cheela Oct 2, 2017 - 7:08 PM
3mz or 2gr. if i go 2gr, i'll be badgering you day and night just so you know.
Posted by: cheela Oct 2, 2017 - 7:17 PM
once i get some funds that's probably how it will go.
Posted by: perkyshadow Oct 2, 2017 - 8:17 PM
Congrats on the FREE Celica!! Those are the best!
Posted by: TimeslideZ Oct 2, 2017 - 11:18 PM
Nice, hey cannot complain if it's free right?
Since we already have both 3S types, a 1MZ, and a K20 up in the north... I'd say 3MZ or 2GR! Either car will be cool (BETTER YET, DO BOTH OF THEM).
Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 3, 2017 - 4:18 AM
Wow that dash does look really nice! That's a pretty well-optioned car too
Posted by: cheela Oct 3, 2017 - 9:16 AM
it cleaned up very well. did not imagine this underneath the dirt and grime. lol
and yeah before i got any details, I was thinking it would be a GT what with it having almost all options of a GT. even leather wrapped steering wheel?!
had to save this dragon. felt bad letting it go to junkyard heaven.
Since we already have both 3S types, a 1MZ, and a K20 up in the north... I'd say 3MZ or 2GR! Either car will be cool (BETTER YET, DO BOTH OF THEM).
k20's down though... lol
I gotta make room in my barn if I'm gonna start going deep into this project. we'll see.
Posted by: bloodMoney Oct 3, 2017 - 1:44 PM
You know, I happen to have an E153 too....
Jus' sayin'.
Posted by: Box Oct 3, 2017 - 4:45 PM
My ST had the moonroof, power locks, power windows, cruise, and factory 14" alloys. I can't remember if mine had a leather wheel or not.
Posted by: cheela Oct 3, 2017 - 4:46 PM
so... you're saying alls I gotta do it drop my celi off at your garage then?
why did none of this go in any of your 6gcs? lol
Posted by: bloodMoney Oct 4, 2017 - 9:19 AM
lmao!
I always had 96+ cars. No swaps due to emissions testing....
And no. I'm not doing any swaps in the near future. I'm just telling you that I have most of what you need.
peerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressure
peerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressure
Posted by: cheela Oct 4, 2017 - 4:55 PM
ah yeah forgot you have emissions.... bleh. lol
you might have to hold on to them for a bit longer for me cuz while you says peerpressurepeerpressure, my own voice is saying youbrokeyoubrokeyoubroke.
hahah. my bank account is still in recovery mode since buying the house and trying to fill it with stuff, as well as planning and paying for a wedding, just need a few months to get out of the red first. if this car wasn't free, i wouldn't have even gotten it. if anything i was thinking it had at least a few hundred dollars in parts i could make quick and...... now it's another project car. LOL!
Posted by: Box Oct 4, 2017 - 7:49 PM
Arrange payment installations, he clears up space now and you get stuff now and he gets money slowly but surely. It's a win win win.
Posted by: bloodMoney Oct 5, 2017 - 8:53 AM
Chee knows that if he really wants the stuff, all he has to do is tell me. We can work out the details later. That's part of the whole "Midwest 6gc" vibe...
Posted by: cheela Oct 14, 2017 - 7:16 PM
so, I got the key today. thought i'd entertain myself and try starting it to see whats wrong. used a jumpstarter. connected to the battery, turn the key...... VROOM....???? what? I thought they said the engine gave out? a puff of smoke under the car and I can tell the flex pipe is busted so I try to put it in gear to move the car. 1st gear nothing, 2nd gear, nothing, 3rd, 4th, 5th, reverse... nothing... so i guess it wasn't spun bearings. looks like somebody toasted the clutch.
so it looks like i'll be do a clutch job instead or engine swap. I know most of you are booing me right now because you wanted an engine swap. but if this works out, I can have this black one as a daily driver and then focus on swapping my green one.
Posted by: mkernz22 Oct 14, 2017 - 7:44 PM
You need some speaker grills? Cause I have a few sets of speaker grills laying around. At least I think I still have them...
so it looks like i'll be do a clutch job instead or engine swap. I know most of you are booing me right now because you wanted an engine swap. but if this works out, I can have this black one as a daily driver and then focus on swapping my green one.
I would check the axles first. Just to rule them out. You just never know.
Posted by: Box Oct 14, 2017 - 9:37 PM
Check for snapped shifter cables too!
Posted by: cheela Oct 14, 2017 - 10:27 PM
I'm good on the speaker grills. they were just taken off for some reason?
yeah, talked with Daniel and we said it could be clutch, axles, or cables.
but I think cables might be ok because I can feel it go into each gear. just gotta wait for better weather to take a look. it's been 50s and rain this past week and this weekend looks just as bad too. rained all day today.
Posted by: navseal345 Oct 14, 2017 - 11:09 PM
It's amazing how some cars will start after years of not running & others... good luck.
Posted by: cheela Oct 16, 2017 - 9:24 AM
yeah same thing with my RA24 when I bought it. the guy was like I don't know what's wrong with it, can't get it to start. we pushed it onto a dolly and towed it home. I started working on it, poured some starter fluid down the carb and it started just like a toyota should. lol
Posted by: TimeslideZ Oct 16, 2017 - 2:12 PM
I gotta make room in my barn if I'm gonna start going deep into this project. we'll see.
Ahhh he'll get it rumning again. Still a k20 celica haha. Na just fo 7age! Lol or throw in a BT 20v and call it a day.
Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 17, 2017 - 7:44 PM
the muffler bearing need lube.
Posted by: cheela Oct 17, 2017 - 8:10 PM
I did check the headlight and blinker for fluids and refilled those but didn't think to check the muffler bearings! you're a genius!!
Posted by: cheela Oct 18, 2017 - 7:54 PM
update:
so this past weekend we rolled it from the middle of the yard to underneath the carport and while we were rolling I did hear a clunking/scraping noise as we rolled it but didn't have time so I just left it at that.
Today, I went ahead and started it in gear and in the video you can hear a noise as it starts but then it goes away. With it in 1st and my foot on the clutch, it sounds normal but as soon as i let my foot off the clutch, you hear the clunking noise. so anytime the clutch isn't in now, it will clunk.
here's a video for a better explanation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUcIf59irS0
Posted by: richee3 Oct 18, 2017 - 9:46 PM
Holy bad knock! I’m pretty sure that’s the throwout bearing. Time to drop the trans.
Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 18, 2017 - 9:57 PM
i kne it was a bearing of some sort....
Posted by: cheela Oct 18, 2017 - 10:03 PM
yup. gonna be a fun one...
you were close.
Posted by: NgoFcukinWay Oct 21, 2017 - 4:18 PM
You should take a black light to the interior and see what comes up....
While you're replacing that throw-out bearing, drop in an LS4 while you're at it. Might as well since the transmission is coming off.
Posted by: Box Oct 21, 2017 - 5:03 PM
LS4, now there's an idea.
Posted by: cheela Oct 22, 2017 - 6:43 PM
no thanks on the black light... i'd rather live in ignorance.
drop an LS4 off at my driveway and I will do it.
Posted by: Box Oct 22, 2017 - 6:50 PM
I'm going to start marketing UV black light interior light kits, "See things like you've never seen before!"
Posted by: NgoFcukinWay Oct 23, 2017 - 8:04 PM
drop an LS4 off at my driveway and I will do it.
Living dangerously there I see.....I like your style.
I'll think about that LS4.... I may send the imaginary one I have saved aside that I was going to use for the Accord.
Posted by: cheela Oct 23, 2017 - 10:47 PM
but....... just to be safe, I'm gonna do this and put it all there for a bit, while I contemplate my life choices....
and is that imaginary LS4 the v-tec compatible version? those are much nicer than the regular ones.
Posted by: navseal345 Oct 24, 2017 - 7:36 PM
I think that the tan interior kinda seems to look a little better BUT it's hard to keep clean thus black carpet is better.
Posted by: Box Oct 24, 2017 - 8:22 PM
I like the 25th Anniversary seats and the confetti Recaro seats the most, oh and the JDM seats that had that interesting clawed stripe pattern thing going on.
Posted by: cheela Oct 24, 2017 - 8:27 PM
I do agree that the tan carpet looks a bit better, maybe because its brighter and when clean looks nicer. but I don't like the tan seats, they just look too bland for a celica. a nice set of recaros would be awesome but that would blow the budget for ANYTHING hahaha. perhaps I'll do some funky racing seats from fleabay.
Posted by: NgoFcukinWay Oct 24, 2017 - 9:40 PM
Anything is V-Tak compatible if you try hard enough.
Posted by: Box Oct 24, 2017 - 9:54 PM
Vtec just kicked in yo!
Posted by: navseal345 Oct 24, 2017 - 10:02 PM
Exactly.
I wouldn't do race seats, to uncomfortable & hard to get in & out of for a daily.
Just find some nice clean ones & throw em in.
Posted by: Box Oct 24, 2017 - 10:30 PM
That, especially cheapo eBay special racing seats. Corbeau is as cheap as I'd go for racing seats, preferably Recaro or Bride. Might look into doing some 7th gen seats.
Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 24, 2017 - 10:48 PM
that car needs mr2 seat swap
Posted by: cheela Oct 25, 2017 - 7:50 AM
Exactly.
I wouldn't do race seats, to uncomfortable & hard to get in & out of for a daily.
Just find some nice clean ones & throw em in.
yeah probably just stick my old tan ones from my green one into it. like u said, just for daily.
lol, yeah again, I'm not breaking the budget for this thing. I already my other 3 projects for that. lol and already have 7th gens in my green one.... although if i get a nice set of bride or recaros for that one, i COULD throw the 7th gens in the freelica.... hmm....
that sounds like a good option. do you know how they compare to 7th gen seats? comfortwise?
Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 28, 2017 - 6:28 PM
not as comfortable, but very sleek
Posted by: cheela Oct 28, 2017 - 8:24 PM
so it's getting colder and the freelica is just sitting in a carport so I have no motivation to change the clutch at this time unless it can be in the 70s again. It's gonna have to sit for a while.
but I decided to do some projects that could be done indoors. Took the seats apart and swapped my old seats from my green one to these rails. but no before cleaning them up. Didn't realize they were this dirty.
ammonia is great for taking stains out and i luckily had some on hand.
mixed it in with some detergent and sprayed away.
not bad.
comparison of the two, one clean and one not.
before
after
now my butt will be happy sitting in them again.
Posted by: cheela Oct 28, 2017 - 8:29 PM
looks much better compared to these anyways.
Posted by: navseal345 Oct 28, 2017 - 9:37 PM
Looks like someone had the taco bell & then drove home.
Posted by: cheela Oct 31, 2017 - 11:59 AM
current state of freelica. stripped and waiting.
seats were taken per previous post, carpet is out and will be cleaned and dyed black. headliner also taken out to clean, deodorize and possibly reupholster.
when pulling the carpet... it felt soaked under the drivers seat and rear. 
not sure if it was soda or oil or something but its not good. caused the soundproofing to unstick from the floor and pop right off. gonna have to give the floor a good clean. after moving all the fabric out though, the celi smells alot better. lol
Posted by: Box Oct 31, 2017 - 3:13 PM
Is there anything better? I think not.
Posted by: cheela Nov 1, 2017 - 11:32 AM
Is there anything better? I think not.
true.
Posted by: bloodMoney Nov 1, 2017 - 3:34 PM
That's how I got into this mess.....
Posted by: njccmd2002 Nov 1, 2017 - 9:43 PM
fix the car, sell to chris, and voila
Posted by: Box Nov 1, 2017 - 10:15 PM
=profit?
Posted by: cheela Nov 1, 2017 - 10:58 PM
Chris, looking for a father/son project? lol
Posted by: bloodMoney Nov 2, 2017 - 8:11 AM
lmao!
Nope. That'll either be the ST185 Racecar, or I'll need to steal one of your 1st gens for a UZ swap.
Posted by: cheela Nov 2, 2017 - 9:15 AM
I could be persuaded to give up the 1st gen coupe. ...
but until I get a garage put up, I have no room for it. it's stuck at my parent's house and i'm sure they're sick of lookin at it. lol
Posted by: bloodMoney Nov 3, 2017 - 7:48 AM
bhahahaa don't tell me that, I'm already out of room in my new garage.
Posted by: cheela Nov 3, 2017 - 9:20 AM
get a lift. room for one more....
Posted by: ds8 Nov 3, 2017 - 5:59 PM
Free is good. Good luck fixing her up. I've been tempted to buy another celica too lol
Posted by: cheela Nov 5, 2017 - 6:39 PM
u should do it! they're all getting pretty cheap now. and you have the space for it now too.
I have 4 celicas now, but i had 3 before I bought my house hahaha so now at least I have room for all of them. lol
Posted by: antoine64 Nov 6, 2017 - 5:43 PM
What a great find! I got a 1994 from behind my neighbor's house for $300 back in 2008. it had a bad clutch and a couple other problems. it wasn't too hard to drop the transmission and change the clutch.
I drove the car until 2014 when a pizza delivery driver rear-ended me and totaled it. I used the insurance money to buy another one with a 3SGTE but I'd always wanted to fix the old one. Now I'm parting it out and junking it (see post on for sale area).
Do you want a black carpet in good shape, stored inside for the last 3 years? I'll sell it to you cheap.
I've got a bunch of other parts and plastics, wires, etc. if you need anything.
Posted by: cheela Nov 6, 2017 - 11:13 PM
thanks! and that sucks about you celi but glad u got another one.
I've always wanted black carpet and somehow ended up with 4 celicas that ALL have tan interior... it's so weird.
since this carpet is really junky, I'm gonna try something first. I'm gonna clean it as best as i can and then try dyeing it to see how it turns out. if I like it, I'll do all my other celicas. hahaha but if not, i might hit u up for it.
Posted by: TimeslideZ Nov 7, 2017 - 1:59 AM
Man good updates so far! I'd be so scared to pull my interior apart like that but since it's so dirty guess it's gotta be done.
That's funny you mention about wanting black interior as that's what Colin actually did when he had the Celica (interior was originally tan too).
I'd say it is much cleaner and doesn't get as "dirty," but there's an appeal to tan interior too though lol.
Posted by: cheela Nov 7, 2017 - 12:46 PM
lol, nah, it isn't too bad once you've done it enough. I probably stripped this in an hour or so given that it was raining and cold and i took my time.basically just seats, door sill panels, center console, visors, mirror, carpet, and headliner.
tan interiors make it look a bit brighter and looks a bit nicer but is hard to keep clean and my carpets are 20+ years old so it's not one shade of tan anymore. I'm gonna try my hand at dyeing it vs spraying it. I haven't heard too much good things about spraying carpet as it tends to stiffen up the fibers. we'll see how the dye goes when i do it.
Posted by: njccmd2002 Nov 22, 2017 - 12:24 PM
a track car does not need carpet
Posted by: bloodMoney Nov 22, 2017 - 1:58 PM
^this.
Posted by: cheela Nov 22, 2017 - 2:54 PM
dammit. i thought I would finally have a daily driver... lol
Posted by: njccmd2002 Nov 22, 2017 - 4:00 PM
a track car can be used daily..
Posted by: bloodMoney Nov 27, 2017 - 9:56 AM
Yup. Just ask Racecarp.
Posted by: cheela Dec 11, 2017 - 12:41 PM
so a few weeks ago, I decided to throw my extra set of JDM tails onto the freelica.
the stock one on the pass. side was hit and cracked and I didn't want more moisture and snow getting into it as it's sitting outside.
started taking it off and as soon as I took off the bolts, it literally fell apart in my hands. was held on by sheer willpower only.
https://flic.kr/p/CC6vqM
https://flic.kr/p/ZViEHZ
https://flic.kr/p/ZVit34
after installing the JDM tails, I noticed how misaligned everything is on that side. will have to get the good ol sledge hammer out in the summer and mold it back into shape but the de-ambered JDM tails look really good on a black celi.
https://flic.kr/p/22gCJnx
https://flic.kr/p/21boPMQ
https://flic.kr/p/ZVir6Z
https://flic.kr/p/21bpmub
https://flic.kr/p/21bpAc1
https://flic.kr/p/21bpUuy
Posted by: richee3 Dec 11, 2017 - 1:14 PM
My favorite tool!
Posted by: cheela Dec 11, 2017 - 4:01 PM
My favorite tool!
wait?... there's more than one tool?? I've been using this for everything, tightening lug nuts, jacking up cars, wiring stereos, etc.
Posted by: richee3 Dec 11, 2017 - 4:15 PM
Truthfully a torch is my favorite tool, but an array of sledgehammers comes in a close second.
Posted by: bloodMoney Dec 11, 2017 - 4:24 PM
I still prefer that ratchet of yours that I bent...
Posted by: cheela Dec 11, 2017 - 5:35 PM
LOL, is that from another one of those Chris Hulk Smash incidents?
Posted by: Box Dec 11, 2017 - 5:49 PM
"Just need a bigger hammer" is more than a saying, it's a way of life.
Posted by: richee3 Dec 11, 2017 - 6:29 PM
Yes, and he made that nut his b****! I’ll look around for the picture. If I recall correctly, it was an axle nuy and he bent my dad’s 1/2” SK ratchet. Didn’t even break a sweat!
Posted by: njccmd2002 Dec 11, 2017 - 8:15 PM
this is my favorite tool, 
it literally attaches to every other tool i have, and can be used like a hammer, and prop tool.
you should try it...
Posted by: cheela Dec 12, 2017 - 10:11 AM
hahah! yes! the wonder tool! so simple, yet so versatile.
Posted by: bloodMoney Dec 12, 2017 - 11:59 AM
SK is usually good quality stuff.... I thought I could get down on it. Apparently, I can't.
Posted by: richee3 Dec 12, 2017 - 12:25 PM
But it didn’t break!
Posted by: bloodMoney Dec 12, 2017 - 1:57 PM
This is true.
Posted by: cheela Mar 23, 2018 - 8:43 AM
well it's warmer out and the snow's melted off of Freelica. After installing JDM taiils, I scored some riser blocks for the cheap so I threw them on just for fun. It looks good on a black celi. not bad at all.
Posted by: CoolZeen Mar 23, 2018 - 9:11 AM
yeap! looks allot better.
Posted by: narly_charley Mar 23, 2018 - 9:43 AM
An oxy-acetylene setup was one of the first things I bought when we bought our first (current) house. My dad bought the setup from an old lady who's husband passed. Not sure of the exact tank sizes, but the oxygen tank is about chest height tall. Basically brand new Victor cutting torch and really nice old school (US made) regulators (can't remember the brand). I bought the setup (tanks are owned) for $100.
Posted by: richee3 Mar 23, 2018 - 10:30 AM
Looking good! Hopefully you get this thing rolling soon. It would be fun to have a 5 speed for the summer.
Kinda hate you right now. I keep a close watch out for a torch set but all the used setups I see cost just as much as new. I have everything but the tanks and regulators left over from previous jobs but it’s not doing me any good right now.
Posted by: cheela Mar 23, 2018 - 10:59 AM
Thanks Zeen! you gotta start a progress thread on your celica too. I KNOW you've been buying parts left and right. I wanna see what you're up to.
Kinda hate you right now. I keep a close watch out for a torch set but all the used setups I see cost just as much as new. I have everything but the tanks and regulators left over from previous jobs but it’s not doing me any good right now.
yeah if the other one is gonna be down, this one needs to get up and running.
and I too am in need of that setup but am in the same predicament. used setups cost too much.
Posted by: richee3 Mar 23, 2018 - 11:31 AM
Idea: Have a Midwest Meet/Southwest collaboration. You and Devin meet at my house and we’ll have a clutch swap party!
Posted by: cheela Mar 23, 2018 - 12:32 PM
I guess I could push it there. lol
next midwest meet should be at my house.
I got a grill, plenty of parking, and lots of backroads with twisties. even got a bag of charcoal I can put in front of someone's celi.
Posted by: navseal345 Mar 23, 2018 - 1:09 PM
Deal!
Posted by: richee3 Mar 23, 2018 - 5:35 PM
Official Southwest Charcoal Bag Twisty Road Celica Push Tranny Swap of the Midwest is on. Now we just have to set a date.
Posted by: NgoFcukinWay Mar 25, 2018 - 8:07 PM
February 30th.
Posted by: cheela Mar 27, 2018 - 8:00 AM
February 30th.
dude, that's a thursday... seriously?
the 32th would be better. come on bruh!
Posted by: richee3 Mar 27, 2018 - 9:01 AM
Thirty tooth.
Posted by: navseal345 Mar 27, 2018 - 9:05 AM
Martian time or GMT?
Posted by: cheela Mar 27, 2018 - 2:33 PM
Thirty tooth.
It looks better written out doesn't it?
probably martian time.
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