Jesse's 95 ST Project, ST with some JDM and other parts Options

[jesse09]

Little background info..

I bought the car sometime around turning 18 and it was all stock with 185,XXX miles. As strange as it may sound, it was the only car I had been wanting for well over a year. Celica's aren't very common in my area so had to be patient while waiting for one to turn up.

(I had originally ran into a 99' fully loaded celica GT with 55,XXX original miles for $5,000!! .. I wanted it so bad but could not afford it)
So I settled for a 95 ST automatic for half the price. Yes, I know a lot of people don't like autos, but it was my only realistic choice at the time.

Since then, it has been my pride and joy.. literally almost everytime I look at it.

I've been inspired by many cars on this sight and while my car may not be to everyone's taste it is to me.

Here's how it looked when I bought it..



First 2-3 years with the car
After about a year of just enjoying the classic looks I ran into 2 small trees that really damaged the fenders and damaged my bumper beyond repair
So I decided to start chasing my dream of the gt4 look. I bought the gt4 bumper for $450 and had a local body shop "fix" the fenders, fit the new bumper and do a full car (but lower quality) paint job for $600.

During this time I also added
Entry Level Sound system (Dual subs, SPL amp, power acoustic speakers, Pioneer Deck)
Car Alarm
Window Tint
Neon Dials

From this


To This


Installing Indiglo Face Dials with a buddy


Years 3-4
By this time I had become attached to my celica and was sure that I would never want to sell it, so figured might as well just keep adding and modding
These years I added..
17" Katana Wheels
Mud Flaps
GT4 hood
Sun Visor
7th gen steering wheel
Upgraded sound system to (kenwood speakers, Kenwood amp and sub)





Most Recently

Now my car means as much to me as a machine could to a person.. well maybe with the exception of young john conner and the terminator in part 2.
I get complements about my car all the time and turns a lot of heads when I'm driving. Everytime we go somewhere my friends always wanna go in my car and for also take some pride in it cause they have helped me out a lot with repairs. Not gonna lie I feel like I'm driving my dream car. I know its probably the slowest 6gc ever but it is awfully dependable. I may not even bother racing when a new mustang or corvette try to test my car at a light, but i think it's funny that $60,000 cars feel the need to impress my $2500 car. I have been saving up and sometime this year I really want to venture into the v6 swap or even give it a go at the rare 4agze but only time will tell on that..

Things I've done
Upgraded system (infinity kappa speakers, alpine amps, audiobahn to image dynamics sub)
Enkei Rims
Falken Tires
Eibach Springs
KYB shocks struts and mounts
Limited Edition Floor mats
JDM Tails









I have been upgrading parts as my budget allows.. I know some people say if your not gonna do it right don't do it at all but i've been learning mostly through trial and error. I'm a 23 yr old mex-american, still trying to finish up on my bachelors degree and so I can only work part time. I usually only buy the goodies when I get a really good deal.

Deals I've gotten include...

Set of JDM Tails- $80 picked up from local member
GT4 Hood- $145 shipped
Brand new Enkei rims, Falken tires- $575
Limited Edition floor mats- $50
TRD front and rear splitters- $95 shipped
Oem side skirts- $80 picked up

Body Kit is awaiting paint at the moment


Well that's about it for now, super tired from all this typing and uploading
Tomorrow or the next few days I will be posting of some stuff I have lined up to do and seek some advice about some stuff.

Thanks for reading and hope to hear from some of you guys
-Jesse

[Box]

Tell me more about that Camaro.







































Oh you thought I was serious.


































Oh but I am.











Nice looking Celica. I have the ST with 5 speed myself and I thought it was slow, I feel sorry for you in that regard. I've looked into doing the 4A-GZE swap myself since it'd allow keeping my transmission, but from what everyone says it's a real pain to do. So 1MZ-FE and call it a day.

[rentaspace]

Sexy car, keep up the good work

[cheela]

you've come a long way. it looks great. and I think it's funny too when newer cars rev up nice to me to show off.
you got some of your parts for real cheap and that's awesome. wish I could have found some of my parts for that cheap.
oh well, keep it coming.

[JoshuaM]

Looks good, and you're certainly happy so that's most important

One thing I noticed though... are they Curren/Coupe rear spats? That would explain poor fitment at the rear. I think they are harder to find then hatch ones, so might be worth trying to trade those on before painting rather than having to attempt the body work? .... Orrrr it could just look funny since they're taped on, either way

[jesse09]

Looks good, and you're certainly happy so that's most important

One thing I noticed though... are they Curren/Coupe rear spats? That would explain poor fitment at the rear. I think they are harder to find then hatch ones, so might be worth trying to trade those on before painting rather than having to attempt the body work? .... Orrrr it could just look funny since they're taped on, either way

Thanks man

and yeah for some reason the rear spats seem to be about a half inch to long for my hatch. I didn't know there was a difference in the curren/coupe rear bumpers..hmmm..that may be the problem cause I know they are not replicas.. the tape doesn't really help either lol

Oh well the guy has them ready to paint and said he can make them fit. He's doin the paint and fitment for 50 bucks so if it doesn't look good then it's not to big of a hit

[jesse09]

Thanks for the complements guys

Box- the camaro belongs to the guy who does my cars body work. It's an IROCZ I think and man that thing really goes. Ya I know i really want to do the 1mz since there is it's become more documented, problem with mine is I would have to change trannys no matter what i go with.

rentaspace- thanks and i will! btw your SX looks is looking real good too.

cheela- thanks, ya I have gotten lucky with parts quite a few times. A lot of it his to do with checking ebay on an almost daily basis waiting for cheaper stuff to come up. And man your engine bay looks super clean. Wish mine looked like that.

[Box]

I want to say there were some supercharged MR2's that were automatic, so not necessarily. Still, I'd just say 1MZ and call it a day. If I were to swap mine that's what I'd do.

[jesse09]

I want to say there were some supercharged MR2's that were automatic, so not necessarily. Still, I'd just say 1MZ and call it a day. If I were to swap mine that's what I'd do.

Yes there were supercharged mr2 autos. There is actually one here in a local salvage yard with a tore up 4agze. I'll have to go back and see what tranny it uses.

[Malek]

Where did you get the front and rear splitters for 95 shipped??

Lookin good!

[Syaoran]

I am now undecided between TRD replica wing or GT-4 risers... sigh.

[Box]

I want to say there were some supercharged MR2's that were automatic, so not necessarily. Still, I'd just say 1MZ and call it a day. If I were to swap mine that's what I'd do.

Yes there were supercharged mr2 autos. There is actually one here in a local salvage yard with a tore up 4agze. I'll have to go back and see what tranny it uses.

Being it's a Series A engine it'll bolt up to your transmission. The main thing was having the ECU set for an auto.

[jesse09]

Where did you get the front and rear splitters for 95 shipped??

Lookin good!

Thanks!

I won them in an eBay auction. The title said rear trd splitters but one of the pictures had the front ones too. So I sent the seller a message asking about them and he said the listing was for both sets! I'm assuming no one else new it was for both

[jesse09]

I am now undecided between TRD replica wing or GT-4 risers... sigh.

I like the gt4 risers. I think they wld look good on ur black car. I believe they are cheaper too

[sr666]

Nice work mate. I had a ST myself a few years back and although it wasn't the quickest who cares it's still a Celica right

Liking the work with the front end conversion it's looking good buddy

[jesse09]

Nice work mate. I had a ST myself a few years back and although it wasn't the quickest who cares it's still a Celica right

Liking the work with the front end conversion it's looking good buddy

Haha that's completely true! I'd still rather have celica just because its a celica!
Thanks man I appreciate it!

[jesse09]

Possible Upcoming Mods (inputs welcome): Sway Bars, Disk Brakes, and Seats (need some help on seats)

Suspension Tech Sway Bars Front and Rear or Front and Rear OEM strutbrace
Sway bars are $245 shipped from autoanything.com Still debating if this is worth the money.
OEM strut bars- I already have the front, rear is on sale for $110 on ebay. cheaper option, wondering if this would make a good enough difference in handling to avoid having to purchase sway bars.

Rear GT disk brakes- $100 dollars plus pads and rotors
There are 2 98 GT's I currently have access to that have the rear disk brake set up.
I decided I'm going to upgrade to this as soon as I have time.
If someone is interested in the other set, let me know.






Seats-
This is where I could really use some opinions/advice. I'm currently divided between three options.
Option 1- I have access to a 7th gen with black/smoke grey cloth seats (would match current interior). This option would be around $300. 200 for seats and probably 100 dollars for the 96-99 GT seat brackets and 96-99 GT seat belts which must also be changed. 7th gen seats in good condition just need to be cleaned.
Option 2- Vincent doggy seat covers. $330. I believe I read somewhere that the fitment is not that great for the 94-95 ST. I've never owned anything but cloth so Idk how I would like vinyl seats
Option 3- Reupholster worn out and faded black cloth on current seats and give the middle pattern a good clean up. Anywhere from $100-350
Let me know what you think,
Jesse


This post has been edited by jesse09: Apr 27, 2013 - 3:28 AM

[Syaoran]

I love our stock seats. I'm getting mine reupholstered.

[jesse09]

I love our stock seats. I'm getting mine reupholstered.

how much is it gonna cost you if you don't mind me asking?
Ya I love the look of the stock seats too.
But idk if reupholstering them would be more of a hassle then to throw some 7th gens in which also look good IMO.

[sr666]

Plans are sounding good sir.

Now I can give advice and say that as per strut braces the GT Four rear brace is well worth buying so I'd be inclined to buy that first then if you decide you'd like sway bars too then get the rear one only in my opinion as it would set handling better.

With regards to brakes I don't know if you've got drums on the rear but I'd be looking at the front brakes first not the rears. The GT brakes are bigger / much better so I'd be doing that myself

Seats you say eh,

Right then I've got gen 7 seats in my 6 at the minute (pics in my progress thread I believe) and the first thing I'll say is they're much softer than the 6 seats although they lack support because of this. I'd be inclined to say are you going for looks or actual performance ie are you going to track the car / drive it hard etc?

If not then get gen 7 seats, If you are then get the 6 seats sorted

Simples haha

[jesse09]

Plans are sounding good sir.

Now I can give advice and say that as per strut braces the GT Four rear brace is well worth buying so I'd be inclined to buy that first then if you decide you'd like sway bars too then get the rear one only in my opinion as it would set handling better.

With regards to brakes I don't know if you've got drums on the rear but I'd be looking at the front brakes first not the rears. The GT brakes are bigger / much better so I'd be doing that myself

Seats you say eh,

Right then I've got gen 7 seats in my 6 at the minute (pics in my progress thread I believe) and the first thing I'll say is they're much softer than the 6 seats although they lack support because of this. I'd be inclined to say are you going for looks or actual performance ie are you going to track the car / drive it hard etc?

If not then get gen 7 seats, If you are then get the 6 seats sorted

Simples haha

Excellent input man! I will be taking your advice and just start out with adding the strut brace, then possibly look at the sway bars. Idk why such I didn't think of such any easy solution.

Well I have rear drums and from what I've read converting to disk makes a pretty good amount of difference and I think it looks better too.

As for the seats, I just got a look at your interior and those seats look ballin. I'm leaning more towards the 7th gen now. I've never taken the car to track or anything. Im more about looks and comfort, and the 7 seem to be more comfortable.

[sr666]

Anytime mate happy to help.

Over in the UK even our ST's had rear disks that why I asked as I don't know too much about the differences

A lot of help would come from the rear brace they do make a big difference so well worth trying that first. Again from what I can tell of the sway bars they're more track focused so they maybe overkill lol.

Of course if something breaks it's a good time for an upgrade but I wouldn't do it of my own accord when there's lots of other stuff to do haha

[jesse09]

Finally replaced the windshield washer lines and fluid tank! This has never worked on my car due to a cracked tank and missing lines. Now that it's all working I realize how convenient having this feature is!

[jesse09]

So I finally had some movement on my car this week. And I think it's some of the most exciting and best yet. Adding to my resume of good deals is... Leather seats! And premium door panels with eclipse speakers for just 200 dollars!

The front seats are literally 10/10 and rear about 8/10. They are are dark smoke grey color that was the precise color I wanted!

The door panels are from the 8 speaker set up and they are about 9/10.

I found the donor car about 2 hours drive from my house on craigslist and picked the stuff up at a great price. The extra speaker really bring out the mids and add a much more full and rich sound! And seats are really comfy and makes it feel like a brand new car. Also added a TRD horn sticker for looks and painted my cluster needles red orange, this added a more aggressive feel. I bought some TOMS seat belt cushions just for kicks.

I also finally painted and installed the trd splitters and oem sideskirts. I think it looks really good but I'm still debating wether to keep them on or not. Comments always welcome!

[Box]

So I finally had some movement on my car this week. And I think it's some of the most exciting and best yet. Adding to my resume of good deals is... Leather seats! And premium door panels with eclipse speakers for just 200 dollars!

Just so you know, I hate you now.

[cheela]

I'm with Box. you are just too good at getting these deals!
those are on my to-do lists but can never find a decent set or seats or door panel.

[jesse09]

Ya I will admit this is like a dream find. Couldn't really believe it at first but I'm glad I searched eBay and Craigslist daily, and got a lucky find! Seats aren't really leather though now that I examined them, but they are a high quality vinyl.

[Box]

Thought they looked different than the leather seats I've seen. Look to be top notch, someone paid good money to have them recovered.

[jesse09]

Small update:

Added armrest cover


Also added a new alpine headunit but have no pic of it. Model cde-148bt. It's their newest lineup and features a nice 9 band equalizer, 4v pre-outs and time correction along with some other nice tuning perks.

[jesse09]

Haven't done much with my car lately. Added some 8mm spacers to rear and 5mm to the front.

Currently contemplating buying a turbo setup from the for sale forums . Not really sure how good of an idea this is, as my engine has quite a bit of miles.

[richee3]

I wouldn't worry about the mileage as long as the engine has healthy compression.

This post has been edited by richee3: Nov 8, 2013 - 9:26 PM

[Box]

I wouldn't worry about the mileage as long as the engine has healthy compression.

That. Though a mild refresh wouldn't hurt things though.

[jesse09]

I wasn't happy with the prefab probox I had so I decided to do something a little more custom. The box took up wayy to much room, sound quality was poor, and wasn't aesthetically pleasing with the amps and wires on the back of the rear seats

Only pic I can find



So I had a custom box made.



I had the guy make it so it stayed relatively aligned to bulges on the side

After that I bought some 1/4 MDF and carpet and began to construct my own "flush" enclosure















And that's all. It's far from perfect but it looks a lot better than having the amps and wire out in the open and there's actually a decent amount of space.

Overall cost other than the actual sub box was about $25 and took less than 2 hours to make. Hope you guys like it

This post has been edited by jesse09: Jan 12, 2014 - 12:42 PM

[MarbleFlame]

Love the look of that enclosure..

[rentaspace]

Loving the progress, definitely keep the skirts and spats on (y)

[cheela]

what are you gonna do when you have a rear strut bar?! hahahah.
looks good though and decent amount of trunk room left too.

[jesse09]

Thanks guys

Haha I debated for like an hour about the strut bar but decided to just go with a neater box. Ya there is plenty of space for me to store some of my stuff I need.

Definetly keeping the skirts, but I do need to make a thread to trade my rear coupe splitters for some hatch ones.

[jesse09]

I ran into some local tein coilovers for pretty cheap. 200 something dollars cheap. Unfortunately I don't know much about coilovers but I don't think these won't fit my ST. But I want to confirm before i pass on them. I also don't really know how to tell on the condition. Can anyone give me some insight on these?

[Tigawoods]

they wont fit

[njccmd2002]

yup if you see closely it says is for st205, or the GT4

[jesse09]

yeah I guess I was just blindly hoping they would

[jesse09]

Euro Lip finally arrived. Did a quick spray in black and fitted, it looks nice but not perfect. The whole car needs a repaint.

Overall I absolutely love the look. I've been wanting this piece for a long time. It's getting really close to being where I want it. At least cosmetically









You can't really see but the lip is about 4 inches lower from the tip of the bumper and about 3.5 inches from the ground.

Took it for a spin and haven't scraped on anything so it's better designed against bumps then it looks





Also bought a new set of Cooper RS3-A tires and a set of 25 and 30mm spacers.

I had to get my fenders rolled and there is still the slightest bit of rubbing when I go over hard bumps, so I've been super careful.

I love the tires by the way. They look great, ride great, and you can get them for a great price from discount tire direct on ebay.











I'm starting to debate getting a new car as a daily driver, so I don't have to put more stress on my car and help preserve the celica for as long as possible.

I say this but i'd probably still drive the celica anyway. I love my celica.

[The_enD]

Oh, man, the lip looks great. It sits very nicely on a GT-FOUR.

[njccmd2002]

Im digging the look of that lip

[Red123]

that lip looks very nice

[jesse09]

thanks! i gotta get someone with a DSLR to take better pics. Iphone camera isn't cutting it anymore

[jesse09]

Projectors!



Got them for $400 shipped. Driver side headlight has broken tabs, but they were included so I think I can fix them with glue.

Does anyone know if a USDM housing will fit the JDM housing?

I think I'm gonna go with 6000k HID's, after I modify them for US roads, hopefully thats not too difficult.

[mkernz22]

Projectors!



Got them for $400 shipped. Driver side headlight has broken tabs, but they were included so I think I can fix them with glue.

Does anyone know if a USDM housing will fit the JDM housing?

I think I'm gonna go with 6000k HID's, after I modify them for US roads, hopefully thats not too difficult.

I believe the projector housings are different than the USDM ones

[jesse09]

Haven't been updated in awhile. Not really any big mods done

Added the 98-99 Steering wheel and took out the 7th gen. wheel.
The ENDs cluster pods

Only a few small more details to take care of then I can't wait to for an actual engine swap.

[jesse09]

Picked up some 5zigen FN01RC for cheap the other day but it was more of an impulse by. After thinking about it i'm not really sure how I would like them on the celica. I painted 2 of them in a smoke/bronze metallic color, haven't had time to do the other 2. May sell them, don't know yet..

[The_enD]

I like them.

[Malek]

I'm liking those 5zigens. Damn clean car either way though!

What did you use to paint your risers and splitters? I'll be jumping that hurdle soon.

[jesse09]

I'm liking those 5zigens. Damn clean car either way though!

What did you use to paint your risers and splitters? I'll be jumping that hurdle soon.

Thanks!

I just used a can of black 202 from a local automotive paint shop. Cost me $8 and it did a really good job. It blends in smooth.

[jesse09]

I've had a sudden resurgence to continue rebuilding and improving my Celica.

I have a lot of plans but for now my main goal is to go back and tidy up all the corners that i've cut when dealing with my car over the years.
I've always respected the neat wiring work of njccmd and I'd like to at least convey that theme where possible.

-----------------

Finally got a chance to pick up the splash shields and fender liners i've been missing for years

Cleaned them up, I may spray them with some rubberized under coating before installing but idk yet.




Also finally found a set of decent fenders, they not in the pristine condition i've been holding out for but they're still not bad.
Im debating if I want to attempt to cover the USDM side indicator holes and cut a slot for the JDM style indicators



Also ordered a bunch of stuff. HID's, harnesses, plugs, wiring loom, relays and a fog light kit from amazon. and LEDs from superbrightleds



---------------
Suspension is my next goal. I'll hope to have everything ready by the time my illusive quest for more HP begins.

Bought a Suspension Technique rear sway bar for... $37 shipped. Brand new from amazon.
I was going to wait till it arrived before I spread the word, but when I went back the price went back up



I'm plan to upgrade to rear disc brakes (EBC pads and Centric drilled rotors), polyurethane end links, front ST sway bar, polyurethane front and rear bushing kit, And maybe GT4 rear strut and 3 point front strut.

I'll be updating this thread more often if all goes well.

[jesse09]

Added the fairing to complete the roof rack.



Got a few other things that I'm starting to gather parts for, mainly braking upgrade

[Naxx]

where did you buy Your floor mats ? btw good looking Celica

[jesse09]

where did you buy Your floor mats ? btw good looking Celica

Thanks. I got them on eBay a few years ago, however I haven't seen another set since.

[jesse09]

I almost have all the parts needed to complete my braking overhaul. So far I have

For the rear:
GT backing plate, calipers, centric seals and piston, brackets, new centric rotors, EBC 2000green stuff pads, Stoptech SS brake lines, centric parking brake hardware kit.

For the front
Avalon Dual piston calipers, centric seals and piston, GT caliper bracket, Stoptech SS brake lines, EBC 2000 green stuff pads. I think all I have left to buy is the Stoptech Slotted Rotors and a full front and rear brake upgrade will be installed.












Also..

Got a STEAL on a set of original GT4 3-Spoke alloys with Yokohama A520 Tires with decent tread life. I just need to source some center caps.







Waiting to install GT4 rear strut bar covers and sleeve as well. I have front euro splitters awaiting install after my JDM style fenders get finished this week or the next

[jordisonjr]

How the HECK did you get an ST sway bar for 37 dollars?!
Also, waaaay back in the journal, how did you manage to get the gtfour bumper fit with the stock hood without a gap?

[jesse09]

How the HECK did you get an ST sway bar for 37 dollars?!
Also, waaaay back in the journal, how did you manage to get the gtfour bumper fit with the stock hood without a gap?

I have no clue why it was so cheap. I bought it at $37 on amazon and checked on it the next morning to give 6gc a heads up and it had jumped back up to normal price.

About the bumper. I didn't do the work, a local body shop installed it. But i believe he had to mold/flex the bumper about an inch for it to work. Sorry not much help lol

[jordisonjr]

How the HECK did you get an ST sway bar for 37 dollars?!
Also, waaaay back in the journal, how did you manage to get the gtfour bumper fit with the stock hood without a gap?

I have no clue why it was so cheap. I bought it at $37 on amazon and checked on it the next morning to give 6gc a heads up and it had jumped back up to normal price.

About the bumper. I didn't do the work, a local body shop installed it. But i believe he had to mold/flex the bumper about an inch for it to work. Sorry not much help lol

No Worries, I was just curious what made it fit, whether it was the bumper that was modded or the hood, cause neither appeared to have been modded.
I also thought it may just have been the angle of the photo, but it looked great.

I wish I coudl find a sway bar for that cheap. Where abouts on amazon were you looking? I didn't even realize they sold parts there.

[jesse09]

How the HECK did you get an ST sway bar for 37 dollars?!
Also, waaaay back in the journal, how did you manage to get the gtfour bumper fit with the stock hood without a gap?

I have no clue why it was so cheap. I bought it at $37 on amazon and checked on it the next morning to give 6gc a heads up and it had jumped back up to normal price.

About the bumper. I didn't do the work, a local body shop installed it. But i believe he had to mold/flex the bumper about an inch for it to work. Sorry not much help lol

No Worries, I was just curious what made it fit, whether it was the bumper that was modded or the hood, cause neither appeared to have been modded.
I also thought it may just have been the angle of the photo, but it looked great.

I wish I coudl find a sway bar for that cheap. Where abouts on amazon were you looking? I didn't even realize they sold parts there.

I just searched the model: ST Suspension 51200. I ended up selling it for a little more then what I paid for it tho.

You can find all kinds of stuff on amazon. I've found some hard to find parts by going to the manufacturers sites and getting the model numbers. Search by the model cause search by description is garbage on amazon.

The bumper looked good without the hood and it flowed great. I've had several people ask me how it was done but the guy who did it for me was no longer at that shop.

[jesse09]

Have everything I need (i think) to tackle the front and rear brake upgrade tomorrow minus brake fluid.

Also, the 4 smaller boxes against the wall are the motor and transmission mounts, hoping to get those done by the end of the month.

[BonzaiCelica]

Oo rotors for the track

[jesse09]

Oo rotors for the track

I do eventually want to track it, though that's many months away. I found a good deal on them so I figured why not.

[LtSolid]

did you get the calipers and brackets powder coated? they look awsome

[jesse09]

did you get the calipers and brackets powder coated? they look awsome

Thanks!

Nope, I just cleaned them up really good with a wire brush and brake part cleaner, then painted them with caliper paint and threw on a TTE decal. Turned out a little better than I expected tbh.

[LtSolid]

did you get the calipers and brackets powder coated? they look awsome

Thanks!

Nope, I just cleaned them up really good with a wire brush and brake part cleaner, then painted them with caliper paint and threw on a TTE decal. Turned out a little better than I expected tbh.

the brake upgrade is gonna make your car look so much better. but one thing tho, you just have to swap out t
he GT backing plate, plus bracket, caliper and brake lines? i was thinking just getting the whole spindles from a yard and putting those in with lines.

This post has been edited by LtSolid: Oct 13, 2015 - 2:15 PM

[jesse09]

did you get the calipers and brackets powder coated? they look awsome

Thanks!

Nope, I just cleaned them up really good with a wire brush and brake part cleaner, then painted them with caliper paint and threw on a TTE decal. Turned out a little better than I expected tbh.

the brake upgrade is gonna make your car look so much better. but one thing tho, you just have to swap out t
he GT backing plate, plus bracket, caliper and brake lines? i was thinking just getting the whole spindles from a yard and putting those in with lines.

You will also need the parking brake cables attached to the backing plate. You have to get underneath the car and disconnect them behind the exhaust cover. For some reason this was hardly mentioned so it took me a while to figure out before I found it. This is for the rears.

You can just swap the spindles as well but it seemed harder that way, at least for me since i didn't have tools to remove those really have bolts and I want to say the control arm is usually seized, which involves having to cut it. I found it much easier to take off parts individually since I was gonna clean, paint and swap the hardware anyway.

This post has been edited by jesse09: Oct 13, 2015 - 3:58 PM

[Malek]

Those calipers came out really nice! Brake upgrades ftw!

[jesse09]

So I didn't expect the EBC green stuff pads to be THIS GREEN. Ya i know that sounds crazy. It doesn't look bad just personally not about the colorful look. I'm gonna dump them and pick up a set of TRD pads for the front and OEM Toyota pads for the rear. Unfortunately cars going to have to sit for about a week until they arrive




Here's a comparison photo of the old cheapo ST rotor vs the slotted EBC GT rotor.

[jesse09]

Those calipers came out really nice! Brake upgrades ftw!

Thanks! I'd like to get on your level and do a GT4 updgrade lol

[LtSolid]

did you get the calipers and brackets powder coated? they look awsome

Thanks!

Nope, I just cleaned them up really good with a wire brush and brake part cleaner, then painted them with caliper paint and threw on a TTE decal. Turned out a little better than I expected tbh.

the brake upgrade is gonna make your car look so much better. but one thing tho, you just have to swap out t
he GT backing plate, plus bracket, caliper and brake lines? i was thinking just getting the whole spindles from a yard and putting those in with lines.

You will also need the parking brake cables attached to the backing plate. You have to get underneath the car and disconnect them behind the exhaust cover. For some reason this was hardly mentioned so it took me a while to figure out before I found it. This is for the rears.

You can just swap the spindles as well but it seemed harder that way, at least for me since i didn't have tools to remove those really have bolts and I want to say the control arm is usually seized, which involves having to cut it. I found it much easier to take off parts individually since I was gonna clean, paint and swap the hardware anyway.

thanks for the info! had no idea about the parking brake line. i assumed i could use my ST cable. show some pics of the TRD pads, never knew trd made and still sell pads for our celicas.

[jesse09]

did you get the calipers and brackets powder coated? they look awsome

Thanks!

Nope, I just cleaned them up really good with a wire brush and brake part cleaner, then painted them with caliper paint and threw on a TTE decal. Turned out a little better than I expected tbh.

the brake upgrade is gonna make your car look so much better. but one thing tho, you just have to swap out t
he GT backing plate, plus bracket, caliper and brake lines? i was thinking just getting the whole spindles from a yard and putting those in with lines.

You will also need the parking brake cables attached to the backing plate. You have to get underneath the car and disconnect them behind the exhaust cover. For some reason this was hardly mentioned so it took me a while to figure out before I found it. This is for the rears.

You can just swap the spindles as well but it seemed harder that way, at least for me since i didn't have tools to remove those really have bolts and I want to say the control arm is usually seized, which involves having to cut it. I found it much easier to take off parts individually since I was gonna clean, paint and swap the hardware anyway.

thanks for the info! had no idea about the parking brake line. i assumed i could use my ST cable. show some pics of the TRD pads, never knew trd made and still sell pads for our celicas.

I just ordered the pads so hopefully they come in next week. They're unavailable at the local dealer but I called another one and they had some in stock. I'll upload some when they come in, until then I'm gonna have to ride on some autozone pads

[BonzaiCelica]

But those vibrant colors really add flare and awe to your whip in the JDM, seem haven't you seen?

[msk59]

Added the fairing to complete the roof rack.



Got a few other things that I'm starting to gather parts for, mainly braking upgrade

Hi Jesse09. Nice upgrades. can you post some more pictures of the roof rack. I really like it and tell us what brand it is with the spoiler in the front.
Thanks

[jesse09]

But those vibrant colors really add flare and awe to your whip in the JDM, seem haven't you seen?

I don't think i've seen it. I wouldn't mind a little green cause I thought the shims would cover up most of it. But it turns out these don't come with shims and installing them isn't recommended. so the green is fully exposed

[jesse09]

Thanks msk59. Here's some pics of the roof rack

Parts I used are

Yakima Q towers
Yakima Q 11 clips
Yakima stretch kit
Yakima 48" crossbars
Yakima 38" 35 year anniversary fairing
Yakima locks and keys

It's pretty sturdy and sits nice. I bought the q towers, crossbars, locks and keys used. The rest new

[msk59]

Awesome. Yeh that does looks cool especially with the front spoiler! Thanks very much.

[jesse09]

So the TRD pads were discontinued as expected. I went ahead and kept the EBC green stuff pads on there and have now put about 200 miles on the new front brake upgrade.

Overall a very good improvement over my factory setup so far. It's not too much or too little. Smooth with hardly any noise but there is a moderate amount of dust that has accumulated.

Hopefully I'll have times for rears this week

[4-eyed-freek]

I run those exact rotors with brembo pads on my lexus. I track the car 4-5 times a summer, by far the best rotors I have owned!

[mkernz22]

You could've just painted the pad plates a different color?

[jesse09]

You could've just painted the pad plates a different color?

I thought about but dont think it would have turned out right. It doesn't bother me as bad as I thought it would

I run those exact rotors with brembo pads on my lexus. I track the car 4-5 times a summer, by far the best rotors I have owned!

Ya these rotors are awesome. Haven't tracked it yet but I'm sure they'll be great

[jesse09]

Finally got around to swapping the rear drums to disc brake setup.

Big difference. Braking is more controlled and even. Looks a lot cleaner too.

It's taken many months to get all the pieces together and finding the time to install myself, but upgrading all 4 hubs was definitely worth it. Learned a lot in the process

[cheela]

looks good! I still gotta change my drums out one of these days.

[LtSolid]

same here.i gotta stock up on parts for the winter

[jesse09]

Thanks. And i'd def recommend doing so. It's not as hard as it is time consuming. Especially if you don't have the money to just shell out for all the parts at once and have to collect them as I did.

Also forgot to mention, I modified my fenders to the JDM/Euro style

And..

They weren't kidding about the brake dust on the green stuff pads, that stuff is quick to collect.

[LtSolid]

if you dont mind me asking how much and where did you get the duckbill?

i did the usdm fender reflector delete on mine. how hard was it to find the jdms?

[jesse09]

if you dont mind me asking how much and where did you get the duckbill?

i did the usdm fender reflector delete on mine. how hard was it to find the jdms?

if duckbill is another name for the hatch visor I got it online for $110 but I think they may be out of stock or discontinued. Let me know if you were talking about something else

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HIC-Toyota-Celica-...r-/171495526365

you may want to message them and see if they can get a hold of any. The manufacturer was HIC.

I couldn't find a set of JDM fenders that wouldn't put me over $800 after shipping and painting, so I went for the delete as well.

$40 for the side markers from eBay, plus $50 from salvage yard for fenders along with $200 to paint/modify and I was well below half the cost of actual JDM fenders

[LtSolid]

if you dont mind me asking how much and where did you get the duckbill?

i did the usdm fender reflector delete on mine. how hard was it to find the jdms?

if duckbill is another name for the hatch visor I got it online for $110 but I think they may be out of stock or discontinued. Let me know if you were talking about something else

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HIC-Toyota-Celica-...r-/171495526365

you may want to message them and see if they can get a hold of any. The manufacturer was HIC.

I couldn't find a set of JDM fenders that wouldn't put me over $800 after shipping and painting, so I went for the delete as well.

$40 for the side markers from eBay, plus $50 from salvage yard for fenders along with $200 to paint/modify and I was well below half the cost of actual JDM fenders

holy ****. you got a deal. ive seen it(duckbill visor w.e) once on ebay for $400. guess i didnt check good enough.

love the look! whats next on the list?!

[jesse09]

if you dont mind me asking how much and where did you get the duckbill?

i did the usdm fender reflector delete on mine. how hard was it to find the jdms?

if duckbill is another name for the hatch visor I got it online for $110 but I think they may be out of stock or discontinued. Let me know if you were talking about something else

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HIC-Toyota-Celica-...r-/171495526365

you may want to message them and see if they can get a hold of any. The manufacturer was HIC.

I couldn't find a set of JDM fenders that wouldn't put me over $800 after shipping and painting, so I went for the delete as well.

$40 for the side markers from eBay, plus $50 from salvage yard for fenders along with $200 to paint/modify and I was well below half the cost of actual JDM fenders

holy ****. you got a deal. ive seen it(duckbill visor w.e) once on ebay for $400. guess i didnt check good enough.

love the look! whats next on the list?!

Thanks!

I have plans in the works for performance. Don't want to say what just yet, but hopefully soon

Other than that. A little more tweaking on suspension.. I want install my strut bars soon and upgrade my end links. Also, need to powder coat the GT4 wheels and buy tires for them.

When you going to get some pics up of your ride man?

[LtSolid]

soon maybe. funding is tight right now. i havent done to much mods. just the body and some suspension. i have the trd 3 point strut and rear strut and they make those quick turns real tight. good upgrade right there. my endlinks could use an upgrade too.

[2bcelica]

Hey - great progress on your car. One of your photos reminds me of the time we had a meet. Continue the great work on your car man. I'm also doing some updates on mine so hopefully will be somewhat ready by mid or late February. Always glad to see a member in Texas that has passion in the Celica. Let's have a meet up at Starbucks or something when our cars are ready.

[jesse09]

Hey - great progress on your car. One of your photos reminds me of the time we had a meet. Continue the great work on your car man. I'm also doing some updates on mine so hopefully will be somewhat ready by mid or late February. Always glad to see a member in Texas that has passion in the Celica. Let's have a meet up at Starbucks or something when our cars are ready.

For sure man, I'd love to see your new Celica. They're so underrated around here it's crazy.

I should have some big changes coming this month, so late February or early March would be a good time.

[jesse09]

Mounted the 94-95 gt4 alloys today.

A lot of people seem to have a love or hate attitude for them but i really like them.

On one hand sporty, offer wider tire options, and are just pure JDM throwback classics, on the other they are a bit outdated and bland.

Planning on painting or powder coating soon (haven't decided which route yet) in hopes that a nice metallic grey brings out their full potential.

Just bought ordered a set of BFGoodrich tires to wrap them in too

[cheela]

I love them. I wish i could get a set.

[jesse09]

So replacing the motor mounts was no easy task. Surprisingly the rear mount wasn't all that difficult, just had some bad luck.

Front and passenger side aftermarket mounts I ordered from rock auto did not fit! Greatly delayed my progress.

In the process I stripped the threading in the chassis that one of the passenger side bolt goes too.

Hoping this won't be to difficult to remedy.

After that's done..


I have a set of mevotech front end links and sway bar bushings, moog rear end links, custom front strut bar and GT4 rear bar to install.

First I got to get these on, after I get the 3 spoke gt4 alloys repainted.







After that........









.....And it's not an a/c compressor haha

[Box]

Supercharger off a 4A-GZE?

[cheela]

oooooh... ahhhh...

[jesse09]

haha ooh ahh is correct.

Ya it is a supercharger, not off the 4agze tho.

I'll put up more details as I get around to installation

Should have updates on this in the coming months after suspension is ready for the additional power.