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6G Celicas Forums _ My Project _ 1997 ST - The Bushmobile

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 17, 2016 - 9:15 PM

Just put some money down on a red 1997 Celica... I'll be bringing it home on a trailer this weekend, don't even have it yet. But I'll be updating this thread with little things that I do to it. For now, here are the pictures ripped directly from the Craigslist ad:










Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 18, 2016 - 6:22 AM

Clean celica

Posted by: cheela Oct 18, 2016 - 9:26 AM

welcome! yeah that looks like a really clean celi.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 18, 2016 - 11:40 AM

Spent a few hours looking at engine swap write-ups and other sources of "inspiration" for this car. Unfortunately, I don't have thousands of dollars to put toward a clip from Japan (I barely even have hundreds), so for now, I'll stick to fixing what I can and investing in some cheap winter wheels from Craigslist. From the brief test drive I did before buying, the car felt very underpowered (it's just the ST), which isn't a huge deal, since I loved the aesthetics of the car so much. Below is a list of small issues that aren't working or otherwise need to be addressed. Please chime in if you have any constructive input about any of them!

Tachometer
Needle doesn't move at all, at any time. After some google-fu, seems like the common point of failure in these tachs is the internal capacitors. I've already ordered a cheap set of 20 new ones from Amazon and plan to solder these in immediately. If that doesn't fix the issue, then I'll have to try something else. Anyone have a link to a write-up for the capacitor fix? Namely, taking the cluster out of the dash and taking it apart? I found a couple youtube videos, but for me, nothing beats a written step-by-step guide with plenty of pictures. There seems to be a link to some "master guide" going around in some online forums, but the link is dead, so I am lost. I probably just need to search a little harder on here.

Sunroof (moonroof?)
The motor whirs when the button is pressed, but nothing happens. It's like the motor isn't connected to the sunroof. The seller said something along the lines of, "maybe the sunroof broke at one point and the previous owner just dropped in a stationary one." Not sure how plausible this is, but how would I even find out if this is or is not the case? Never tore apart a sunroof before. Not the biggest issue to me because I would rarely use it anyway, but I enjoy having every little piece of my car in working condition. Would love to solve this problem without dropping the headliner if at all possible.

Squeaking pulley at startup
When starting the car, and sometimes briefly when driving, there is some loud pulley noise. Owner isn't exactly sure which pulley it is, but his theory is that it is due to water dripping onto the alternator pulley from the hood vent opening (it is an aftermarket carbon fiber hood; you can kind of tell from the photos). The engine runs fine and doesn't leak or stall or anything, but this would be a nice thing to fix before winter. Alternator and belt were recently replaced--can I replace just the alternator pulley? Anybody dealt with this issue successfully?

Drum brakes
I'm listing this as a problem because I hate drum brakes! The rear brakes are drum-style, and I would love to invest in a disc brake conversion. Found a few guides on here, but I don't believe they are exactly what I am looking for--they are more geared towards big brake upgrades, rather than the actual conversion from drum to disc brakes. Any guidance appreciated here.

Peeling paint and various bodywork
The paint is not adhering to the carbon fiber hood very well, and it is peeling pretty bad in spots. I'd like to strip the paint off completely, and just deal with the "ricer" look (and potentially re-paint it in the future) rather than a patchy hood. Have googled around for a good way to strip carbon fiber, and it seems like my best option is fiberglass paint remover, along with some wet sanding and new clearcoat. Also, there is a rust patch forming directly on the third brake light on the hatch lid, right above the Toyota emblem. I will likely take the car to a body shop and pay them to sand it down, fill it, paint it, do whatever.

Stereo system
Haven't listened to the radio yet, but I assume the stock sound system is less than stellar. I have a Boss subwoofer and amplifier in my garage that I may wire into this car, but first I would have to install an aftermarket head unit. I'll poke around the audio subforum and see what kind of options are available. I've seen lots of interior photos where the cassette deck is replaced by a new head unit, so I'm hopeful.

Styling
I think the car looks great as is, but I wouldn't mind picking up some body pieces on the cheap if I can find them. Namely the GT4 spoiler, I love how big and ridiculous it would be, especially on my 100 HP car. Also want some side skirts and a front lip to give some aggressiveness to the car. I've also looked, heavily, into the JDM exterior lights, but these are hella expensive. If I did these, I would probably only do the clear high beams. The JDM projector low beams are simply too expensive for my budget....but I really wouldn't mind finding a used set (hint). JDM taillights seem nicely priced, but the "effect" they would have on the overall appearance of the car would be minimal compared to some other items, so these are low on my list.

Wheels
As you can see, the car comes with some nice aftermarket wheels in mint condition. However, they really are NOT my style. I am willing to trade, if anyone has any they'd be willing to part with. These wheels are 17", and I would ideally replace them with 18's. My tastes lean more toward wheels with wider spokes and a more silver or even white finish. I also like mesh/retro BBS style ones. Basically, I like a cleaner, more OEM-inspired look. I don't mind repros, as long as they look good. At some point, maybe I'll make a new thread in the classifieds, who knows. But our bolt pattern is super common, so I doubt I'll have problems finding a new set.

Posted by: Box Oct 18, 2016 - 12:28 PM

Welcome! Every time I see a Renaissance Red Celica I get slightly nostalgic.

Posted by: ClevelandGaint Oct 18, 2016 - 2:17 PM

Welcome, once you get one your bound to get others biggrin.gif

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 18, 2016 - 2:31 PM

I just tried to post 3 times but the posts are not showing up. I have the post saved (it's pretty long) so I don't have to retype it each time. Am I getting marked as spam or something? But anyway, thanks everyone! Hope this post goes through

Posted by: cheela Oct 18, 2016 - 3:08 PM

QUOTE (Bushmatic @ Oct 18, 2016 - 2:31 PM) *
I just tried to post 3 times but the posts are not showing up. I have the post saved (it's pretty long) so I don't have to retype it each time. Am I getting marked as spam or something? But anyway, thanks everyone! Hope this post goes through


new members are required to have their posts got through admin approval for a bit. lots of spam recently and hey this site is free so no worries, just keep posting, as long as its not gucchi purses, it'll show within the day or so.

Posted by: cheela Oct 18, 2016 - 3:20 PM

as for your other questions:

tachometer: http://www.6gc.net/howto/change_gauge_cluster_light_color
this should give you access to take a look and see what's wrong. I'm not much help there. sorry

sunroof: you're probalby gonna have to take the headliner off. but here's a good how to
http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=90205&hl=

alternator pulley: it's simple on the 7afe. 3 bolts (pivot bolt, locking bolt and adjusting bolt) all right in front of you then slide the belt off and put the new one on.

drum brakes: yeah they suck. I have an ST as well. still stuck with the drums. u can do a GT conversion fairly easily. just a matter of finding all the parts from a GT to bolt on to yours.

paint: paint looks good. can't really tell from the pics. haven't really looked into paint removal on CF hoods though.

as for aesthetics, that's all up to you. I love the look of OEM/JDM/TRD bits. I do recommend JDM headlights and tails. They really freshen up the look of our cars. and if u like subtle lips, I would look into the SS-III splitters or a TOMs lips like I got.


Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 18, 2016 - 3:29 PM

Wow, my long post showed up. If an admin sees this, please don't approve my other posts that are almost exactly the same!

But hey thanks for the remarks. Not a lot I can do at this point (picking up the car Friday afternoon), but mental preparation is always nice. Your body kit is probably exactly what I would ideally do with my car, even the rear spoiler. I probably wouldn't do the yellow light tints with a red car, but it looks awesome on yours!

Posted by: Box Oct 18, 2016 - 3:38 PM

Here's a writeup on drums to discs: http://www.6gc.net/howto/convert_rear_drums_to_discs

As far as pulley noise goes you should be able to isolate it with a really long screwdriver by placing it onto the alternator body then power steering pump etc... with the end of the handle up against your ear.

The moonroof could be a snapped cable which is why the motor seems to work but nothing happens.

The ST is a good daily, I was able to get 36-40 mpg out of mine but I drive like an old man. Really the best thing you can do performance wise outside of an engine swap is to focus on suspension and pair that with some good summer tires and good o.e. replacement performance rotors and pads. Another thing I and many find to help the driving experience is to install a short throw shifter, fairly inexpensive and easy to do.

Posted by: bryanf Oct 18, 2016 - 4:10 PM

Here is my writeup on the brake conversion:

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=96500

I do recommend the complete GT brake setup including fronts, rears, and prop valve. Find the right car in a junkyard and it's not an expensive swap.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 18, 2016 - 6:10 PM

QUOTE (Box @ Oct 18, 2016 - 4:38 PM) *
Here's a writeup on drums to discs: http://www.6gc.net/howto/convert_rear_drums_to_discs

As far as pulley noise goes you should be able to isolate it with a really long screwdriver by placing it onto the alternator body then power steering pump etc... with the end of the handle up against your ear.

The moonroof could be a snapped cable which is why the motor seems to work but nothing happens.

The ST is a good daily, I was able to get 36-40 mpg out of mine but I drive like an old man. Really the best thing you can do performance wise outside of an engine swap is to focus on suspension and pair that with some good summer tires and good o.e. replacement performance rotors and pads. Another thing I and many find to help the driving experience is to install a short throw shifter, fairly inexpensive and easy to do.


Yeah I just found the information section of this site, there's some really good stuff on here! Already buying a set of Euro front splitters from a member who lives in the next city over from me. I'll look into short throw shifters too.

A couple more things I remember about the car:

Center dash bezel/trim
The interior of the car is amazing, almost 100% flawless. It's awesome sitting inside. However, there is one eyesore, and it is a missing chunk from the bottom corner of the dash bezel, right below the climate controls and tape deck. I'll post pictures of this missing chunk when I get the car, but I guess I'll just look into replacing the whole dash trim piece.

No tension in seat belt
Driver's seat belt just hangs loose. Will look into new seat belt tensioners. Is this hard to replace or relatively straightforward? Or should I go DIRECTLY to racing seats with a full 6-point harness? biggrin.gif

No cruise control
I will look into what is required to install this. If it's more trouble than it's worth, I can live without it. I just do a lot of highway driving so it's one of those quality of life things.

Posted by: Smaay Oct 18, 2016 - 6:53 PM

Sounds like you should have not bought this car. Its loaded with things you dont like

Posted by: ClevelandGaint Oct 18, 2016 - 6:54 PM

You can go on eBay and purchase a 7th gen celica short throw shifter, cheaper and works.

Posted by: Box Oct 18, 2016 - 7:39 PM

QUOTE (ClevelandGaint @ Oct 18, 2016 - 6:54 PM) *
You can go on eBay and purchase a 7th gen celica short throw shifter, cheaper and works.

Yup, I ended up with a Megan Racing one for a 7th gen on super clearance sale. A solid aluminum knob in addition would help as well, get some momentum going between shifts.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 18, 2016 - 8:47 PM

QUOTE (Smaay @ Oct 18, 2016 - 6:53 PM) *
Sounds like you should have not bought this car. Its loaded with things you dont like

It just sounds that way because I never typed up a list of things I like about the car--because what would that achieve?? wink.gif I like buying imperfect cars, because then the only direction to go is up. I go crazy if I don't have a car-related project to work on, even if it's something small like looking for a specific part online. And I got the car for pretty cheap, so even if it turns out to be the worst car in the entire world and I hate it, I'll just put it up for sale again. The reason I was in the market for a new car in the first place was because a young woman totaled my previous car while it was parked. My budget for a new vehicle was whatever the insurance company decided to give me, which was.... not a lot. I'm using it as an opportunity to try out something new. Celica reviews are amazing everywhere I looked online, so I'm giving it a shot.


QUOTE (Box @ Oct 18, 2016 - 7:39 PM) *
QUOTE (ClevelandGaint @ Oct 18, 2016 - 6:54 PM) *
You can go on eBay and purchase a 7th gen celica short throw shifter, cheaper and works.

Yup, I ended up with a Megan Racing one for a 7th gen on super clearance sale. A solid aluminum knob in addition would help as well, get some momentum going between shifts.

I'll hit up ebay and take a look... I think I'll try and get used to the stock one before diving into a short throw shifter. But I really can't do anything meaningful until Friday rolleyes.gif

Posted by: Csober Oct 19, 2016 - 8:02 AM

Nice to see pictures of it, and was good to meet you yesterday. Should have let me know, I have a short throw shifter i am not using..

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 21, 2016 - 5:09 PM

Got her home today, it was a nice drive! It's a really great car, a bit underpowered but no complaints apart from that. The key fob is pretty busted and doesn't work at all, is a new fob only available at a dealer? Also, the key barrel in the driver's door is jammed or something, so I have to unlock the car by putting my key in the passenger door, which is kind of inconvenient. A fob would solve this problem, but if that's too expensive or impossible for some reason, I'll need to fix or replace the driver door handle/lock barrel. Another dealer-only fix or what?

Anyway, here are some relevant pictures I took today. The red paint looks amazing in this light. I included a pic of the dealer options the car came with, never heard of some of them on this forum so I'm not sure how cool or rare they actually are, but nice to know regardless. Interestingly, it came with a burlwood dash, but a PO swapped to a flat silver dash at some point.







Posted by: Box Oct 21, 2016 - 11:13 PM

You could try using some Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster in the key barrel, could be corroded/rusted inside. After letting it sit for awhile I'd blast it again and try working the key in and out before trying to turn it.

My ST had the mudguards, also had the optional alloy 14" rims and moonroof. It was a '95 though.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 22, 2016 - 4:50 PM

After some fiddling around, the key barrel isn't jammed....my key just doesn't fit in it?? I have some smaller keys that fit into the lock fine, but when I try to use the car key, it's simply too thick to fit in the slot. Kind of a weird issue to have. But otherwise, gonna try to come up with a game plan for the car--what I'm gonna do, when I'm gonna do it, how much it will cost, etc.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 22, 2016 - 9:15 PM

Anyway, moving away from the key thing: Just started planning a sound system overhaul. The front door speakers currently don't work, and I'm limited to cassettes, CDs, and the radio, so I decided this will be the first real mod I do. Already ordered the head unit and the necessary wiring harness. I have a Boss brand subwoofer and amplifier combo collecting dust in my garage that will hopefully be put to good use as well.

For the head unit, I'm going with the http://www.crutchfield.com/S-uh0dDFAqsRh/p_130180DVD/Pioneer-AVH-180DVD.html. I didn't buy from this link, it's only around $140-150 when bought elsewhere. Double DIN with iPhone input was my only requirement for my head unit, and this seemed to be one of the cheapest ones out there with the best reviews. I also like the fact that I can play DVDs in it, although I'll probably never use that feature unless I drive down to Florida or something and my girlfriend gets that bored (plus, it's 2016--we can watch Netflix on our phones now).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KL6X0U?ie=UTF8&tag=modilife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000KL6X0U. If you aren't aware (I'm sure everyone reading this is, but just for posterity purposes), you need to buy one of these harnesses specific to your car when installing an aftermarket stereo if you don't want to cut or splice any wires.

I'll probably be buying some aftermarket speakers for the front doors at some point, does anyone have any recommendations? In the meantime, how should I go about diagnosing the stock ones that aren't working? It's weird that both front speakers don't work and both back ones do, so I thought there might be a fuse specific to the front speakers. Still haven't opened up the fuse boxes and taken a close look, but I doubt it will be that easy of a fix. The rear speakers have actually impressed me with their sound, a bit lacking on the low end (which my subwoofer/new front speakers will fix), but the rest of the frequency spectrum sounds 100x more clear than I was expecting when I bought the car. If I upgrade these, it will be after everything else is done.

Posted by: BonzaiCelica Oct 23, 2016 - 12:05 PM

My left front speaker blew out and quite honestly I think it's time for an upgrade. I've asked several times what's the output of stock 4 speaker with tweeters specs but no replies.

I figure anything that's 120 for all 4 speakers n tweeters must be better than my 17 year old system. I'm looking at this head unit that includes Bluetooth and control... Pioneer DEH-X6800BT

Posted by: Box Oct 23, 2016 - 12:43 PM

You can test the speaker wiring with a voltmeter or multi-meter, or you can test with a speaker that's known to be working. With stereo on and playing preferably a CD/MP3 etc... for stable signal you can test for voltage or plug in a speaker and see if you get sound. Other possibilities being the stereo that's in the car the output for the front channel is dead or someone burnt up the front speaker wiring by trying to draw too much power through them. That or someone had the front speakers on an amp and then when they pulled the amp and speakers they didn't bother redoing the wiring. Really one of those dig and see things.

Really most of your renowned name brands make good speakers, really the best thing is to look through and read reviews on places like Sonic Electronix or Crutchfield to get an idea. Generally Pioneer, Infinity, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, etc... are good choices.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 23, 2016 - 9:40 PM

QUOTE (Box @ Oct 23, 2016 - 1:43 PM) *
You can test the speaker wiring with a voltmeter or multi-meter, or you can test with a speaker that's known to be working. With stereo on and playing preferably a CD/MP3 etc... for stable signal you can test for voltage or plug in a speaker and see if you get sound. Other possibilities being the stereo that's in the car the output for the front channel is dead or someone burnt up the front speaker wiring by trying to draw too much power through them. That or someone had the front speakers on an amp and then when they pulled the amp and speakers they didn't bother redoing the wiring. Really one of those dig and see things.

Really most of your renowned name brands make good speakers, really the best thing is to look through and read reviews on places like Sonic Electronix or Crutchfield to get an idea. Generally Pioneer, Infinity, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, etc... are good choices.


Thanks, will try all that out when I get a few hours to tear apart the doors.

Just put an order in for a full interior LED upgrade, including dash lights, as well as license plate lights and third brake light. Tomorrow I have to head to the Secretary of State office to officially register my car. Might stop by a local mechanic to get a quote on a pulley replacement. The squeal I get on startup and when turning the steering wheel all the way to the left is unbearably loud. I would be able to do this myself, but I want it done now, and I don't have a garage or proper tools or anything while I'm in school...

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 31, 2016 - 2:16 PM

Still waiting on a lot of items to ship to continue improving the car, but in the meantime, I discovered that the front door speakers actually do work. It took me sitting in the passenger seat and cleaning the stereo to finally discover the fader knob hidden behind the volume knob. It's just a little tab sticking out that was hidden from my view when sitting in the driver's seat. I turned it back to the 50-50 position and the speakers have sprung into life. I have been looking for the fader since I bought the car, since I figured that would be the easiest solution to the front speaker problem--and it turns out I was right lol. Feel kinda dumb for taking this long to find it, but whatever. They sound pretty good, a lot more bass than the rear speakers. I might just drop my sub in the trunk and stick with the stock speakers for a while.

Also gonna try to clean my AC evaporator core at some point soon using http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=77993. I normally replace all my air filters when buying a car, but these cars don't have cabin filters so I guess this would be the next best thing.

Posted by: Box Oct 31, 2016 - 3:48 PM

Or it could be the fader setting. laugh.gif That's about as easy of a fix you could hope for.

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 1, 2016 - 7:08 PM

I got my head unit and wiring harness, so I started connecting all the matching wires. I'm waiting to connect the parking brake, ground, and remote turn on wires because I bought http://www.ebay.com/itm/281345136450 that will bypass the parking brake. This will allow the settings to be adjusted and for videos to play on the screen while the parking brake is not engaged. Neither of those are urgent needs of mine, but I would just prefer to have full control of the stereo at all times. I might also buy http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jensen-USB-Interface-and-1-8-Auxiliary-Input-Jack-for-Cigarette-Lighter-/121931771203?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368 and replace my cigarette lighter with it. It would be really helpful and easy to install, since the head unit has USB and RCA inputs on the back that would hook right up to this. Since the USB input doubles as a charger, I wouldn't have a use for my cigarette lighter anyway, and this solution would look somewhat stock. I'm not sure if the stock socket can be removed from the trim piece, though, which would affect my decision to buy. If it can't be detached and subsequently replaced, I'll buy a different aux/USB input harness and mount it inside the tray beside the cigarette lighter. I'll take a lot of pictures during the installation of all these and make my own write-up, as some of the ones on this site are a bit outdated (missing pictures, old head units, not using any kind of bypass, etc.).

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 6, 2016 - 9:54 PM

Got my new stereo head unit installed, and to my surprise, everything worked perfectly on my first try. But I have a couple really minor questions to anyone who has done this installation before:

1. As soon as the car (and stereo) comes on, my antenna goes up, not just when I play the radio. Is this normal, and if not, how do I stop this from happening? Seems kind of pointless to have the antenna constantly extending and retracting if I never listen to the radio.

2. The screen doesn't dim with the factory dimmer knob. It has its own built-in dimmer setting that you have to change on the settings screen. Is this also normal? And not, what's the fix?

If it helps, I installed the micro bypass device. I installed it by just splicing the blue, black, and light green wires into the wires coming from the back of the stereo. I wasn't sure if the blue wire (remote turn-on) had to be spliced in to the connection or if it had to completely replace the factory blue wire, meaning the blue wire from the stock wiring harness would be blanked out. Hopefully this makes sense, I can take pics if necessary. I still need to find someone who owns a DVD so I can toss it in the stereo and see if the micro bypass does its job.

Posted by: richee3 Nov 7, 2016 - 8:59 AM

Both are standard with every head unit I've ever had. I used to have a switch installed in the antenna wire so it would only go up when I wanted it to. As for the dimmer, my current two head units dim when the lights are turned on but every other head unit I've ever had has just stayed on full brightness.

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 7, 2016 - 1:38 PM

QUOTE (richee3 @ Nov 7, 2016 - 8:59 AM) *
Both are standard with every head unit I've ever had. I used to have a switch installed in the antenna wire so it would only go up when I wanted it to. As for the dimmer, my current two head units dim when the lights are turned on but every other head unit I've ever had has just stayed on full brightness.


Yeah I figured it out shortly after I posted, this video explains everything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bF3uzzaT30

The blue wire is for hooking up anything you want to turn on at the same time as the head unit turns on (mainly used for amplifiers). Since I connected this wire to the car's blue wire, the antenna goes up whenever the head unit is on. I'll probably just roll with this for a while, maybe install a switch like you did at some point.

And the dimmer wire, like you said, is meant to work in conjunction with the headlights, not the dash dimmer knob. But hey, looks like I installed it all correctly. The ebay Microbypass chip works perfectly too.

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 13, 2016 - 7:59 PM

Two small questions to anyone reading...

I'm having a lot of trouble removing my third brake light to install an LED bulb in its place. The long socket does not want to come out, even when pulling with a ton of force with pliers. There is a video in http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=77397&hl=brake++light showing how to remove it, but it looks like he just reaches in and pulls it out effortlessly. Does anyone know if there's a certain way I have to move it or anything like that? After this, all my LEDs will be installed except the gauge lighting, which I am delaying until I receive the capacitors to fix the tachometer.
EDIT: According to http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=75837&hl=brake++light, I bought the LED replacement for 1994-1995 models, which won't work in my car. Looks like this replacement will be put on hold until I decide to buy https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/tail-brake-turn/1157-led-bulb-dual-function-27-smd-led-tower-bay15d-retrofit/2625/5698/ or some other bulb with the same base.

Second question: I noticed my glove compartment light doesn't work. I replaced the bulb with an LED, and it still doesn't work (I flipped the LED around a couple times to no avail). I'm guessing the socket doesn't really "go bad", so it must be the sensor that detects when the glove compartment is opened? Has anyone dealt with this issue? Not a big deal whatsoever but like I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm a fanatic about making every little thing in my car work perfectly.

Posted by: richee3 Nov 13, 2016 - 8:48 PM

I have a spare tach if you need it, but I've got a project so I'd need your old one in return.

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 13, 2016 - 9:11 PM

QUOTE (richee3 @ Nov 13, 2016 - 8:48 PM) *
I have a spare tach if you need it, but I've got a project so I'd need your old one in return.


Hopefully the new capacitors will bring mine back to life, but if they don't, I'll take you up on that offer! The only thing is I ordered them a month ago and they still haven't arrived. Messaged the seller today, will try to have an answer for you soon.

Posted by: Box Nov 13, 2016 - 10:15 PM

The switch plunger for the glove box light is probably gunked up, I forget where it is exactly on the Celica but the glovebox door would have to come in contact with it somehow so it shouldn't be too hard to find.

Posted by: BonzaiCelica Nov 14, 2016 - 2:28 PM

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=36658&pid=1086551&st=20&#entry1086551

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 17, 2016 - 9:56 PM

Trying to figure out the best way to repair/restore the hatch door on my car. Corrosion is just starting to eat through the bottom area around the latch, and there is a splotch by the third brake light. The rear wiper does not work, and the weather stripping around the window is noticeably faded. I figure the most cost-effective option would be to just take a whole new door from a yard and swap it with mine. However, it doesn't look like there are any Celicas within 100 miles of me. The other option is to take it to a body shop so they can sand/bondo/repaint the problem areas, and then just replace the wiper motor myself. At some point I would also like to remove the spoiler (and later put in the tall GT-Four/SSS-III spoiler if I can find a good deal on one), which would involve more body work. Replacing the entire liftback from a GT model would be so much easier (plus I would just need to buy riser blocks, not the whole spoiler), but idk if I'll be able to get one. Any ideas? Anyone doing a part-out? I'd be fine with one in any color if it's not too expensive, but shipping might kill me either way.... so I'm open to any thoughts on this.

Some new things coming up in the meantime... Will take some pictures once everything arrives and I get them in the car.
-Fixed tach
-Blue LED gauge lighting (already did the full [blue] LED interior upgrade except for these and the climate control lighting)
-Sparco shift knob (won a nice one in an ebay auction for 20 bucks)
-Shift boot (mine is torn and ratty)
-Radio/climate control bezel piece (two corners of mine are chipped off, and one of the vents in mine is busted)
-USB/aux input jack in the plastic pocket by the cigarette lighter
-Phone mount
-12" subwoofer with amplifier (took some measurements in the trunk and tried to order a sub box that would fit the way I want it. Will update with results whenever I get this project done)
-Winter items: new wheels and rubber floor mats
-Got a set of Euro front splitters from Colton (Csober on here), just gotta paint them and bolt them on

Things for a little further in the future when I win the lottery:
-New speakers all around (thanks for the info Bonzai)
-Replacement key fob from dealer
-Suspension upgrade of some kind
-Other random stuff... fixed sunroof, new spoiler, maybe new wheels, side skirts, full 3S-GTE engine swap.... biggrin.gif

Posted by: CelicaDICE Nov 18, 2016 - 12:18 PM

I have a set of genuine GT4/SS-III raiser blocks. You can check it out here: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=97263

If you do not like the price, feel free to make an offer!

Posted by: Box Nov 18, 2016 - 12:59 PM

ST and GT have the same lift door, what you're wanting is a '94-95 for the two post.

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 18, 2016 - 4:10 PM

QUOTE (CelicaDICE @ Nov 18, 2016 - 12:18 PM) *
I have a set of genuine GT4/SS-III raiser blocks. You can check it out here: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=97263

If you do not like the price, feel free to make an offer!

Yeah I think you commented in my classifieds thread! These would be awesome but I am not ready to start a project with my spoiler yet, as I have to address the lift door under it first. I'll keep these in mind whenever I'm ready to upgrade to the tall spoiler, which may be a while....

QUOTE (Box @ Nov 18, 2016 - 12:59 PM) *
ST and GT have the same lift door, what you're wanting is a '94-95 for the two post.

You're right, I saw a picture of a 95 GT and assumed the spoiler was associated with the "GT" part, not the "1995" part rolleyes.gif That two-post spoiler looks so much cleaner than the three-post, it's too bad they decided to change it up like that.

Posted by: cheela Nov 18, 2016 - 5:48 PM

I would just drill the extra hole for the spoiler. it take all of 5 minutes to do. but seeing that you do have rust etc on it, might be a better idea to switch them out. or go carbon fiber hatch! haha

u gettin snow tires for winter too or just wheels?

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 18, 2016 - 8:57 PM

QUOTE (cheela @ Nov 18, 2016 - 5:48 PM) *
I would just drill the extra hole for the spoiler. it take all of 5 minutes to do. but seeing that you do have rust etc on it, might be a better idea to switch them out. or go carbon fiber hatch! haha

u gettin snow tires for winter too or just wheels?


I'm picking up a set of old 14" Subaru Legacy wheels with Blizzak snow tires mounted on them. Fitment is almost exact, just need some hubcentric rings and they'll mount up perfectly. And a carbon fiber hatch would actually be awesome, if they weren't in the $700-800 range...

Posted by: Bushmatic Nov 29, 2016 - 1:38 PM

Small update, Legacy wheels don’t fit in the front because the offset is +15 mm relative to the stock offset, so they just barely come in contact with the brake calipers. I didn’t think this difference would cause an issue, but I guess I didn’t take into account that since the wheels are so small, a small change in offset makes a big difference. This is not an issue in the rear with the drum brakes. Ordered a pair of 10mm spacers to try and fix the problem, and depending on how the lugs fit after the spacers are on, I may need extended wheel studs to match. No problem, as it is currently 53 degrees and sunny here in central Michigan at the end of November, so there is not a dire need for snow tires yet.

Also spent all day Saturday finishing my subwoofer installation, and to my relief it fired right up on my first try with no popping or buzzing noises. The sub and amp have been sitting in my garage for about 2 years after being removed from a car I used to have (my previous car came with a factory option premium sound system with two stock subwoofers, so I didn’t feel the need to install my aftermarket one). I hope I never have to do this kind of thing again, as running wires from the head unit/engine bay to the rear of the car was an enormous pain in the ass. Plastic trim pieces and fender liners are probably my least favorite thing to deal with. I might upgrade the subwoofer at some point because it is one of the cheapest ones on the market and of questionable quality, but mine does the job just fine for now. Here are the details of the installation for posterity:

I ran the power cable from the battery to a grommet on the right side of the engine bay, down the driver’s side of the car. I did it this way for two reasons—one, because I ran the signal cables down the passenger side and didn’t want to cause interference, and two, I didn’t have a long enough cable to reach from the battery to the other side of the engine bay and then to the back of the car. http://i483.photobucket.com/albums/rr197/BonzaiCelica/1999%20Celica%20GT/DSCN3498.jpg from Bonzai’s build thread that demonstrates where I routed the power cable. Don’t pay attention to the black or yellow wire looms, but see where the black wire below them is coming from the engine bay. You have to remove the fender liner and route the wire into one of the other grommets leading behind the dash; blindly pushing the wire from the engine bay doesn’t do anything except shove it against your wheel well liner. It’s hard to tell for sure, but from the photo, it looks like he did the exact same thing as me when removing the liner and cut right through the bottom right corner, where a mud flap would be attached. I don’t even know what to call them, but there are three plastic clips holding the liner on from behind, and they have screw holes to mount the factory mud flaps to them. These clips were absolutely impossible to get access to, much less remove cleanly, since they are on the inside of the fender liner. I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t have the mudflaps, as the liner was clamped back into place when I reattached the flap. I installed the inline fuse under the dash, right under the fuse box. I used https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CEMGUO/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and it fits perfectly up against the rear seats and under the rear shelf. I went with an amp installation kit from Belva and it contained everything I needed. If it’s not obvious, I did this all on a pretty tight budget and it worked out perfectly, at least for my needs. I still need to buy some strong velcro to secure the subwoofer, but for now, it fits nice and snug against the rear seats.

I also received a ton of other stuff I ordered and got it all in the car. The Sparco shift knob, black dash trim/bezel, Japanese style front license plate to cover the ugly bracket, USB/aux input mounted in the pocket by the cigarette lighter (it looks super ghetto the way I rigged it up. I’ll probably get a new pocket/port and redo this step eventually). I still need to do some research on a new shift boot and get mine replaced. I’d also like a new black trim piece to replace my current one around the shift knob/cigarette lighter area. After that, I’ll take some pictures of my new and improved interior and post them up here.

Posted by: Bitter Nov 30, 2016 - 12:06 AM

If you only barely need to clear then 5mm spacers or just trimming the little bit off the caliper that interferes would allow you to not need extended studs.

Posted by: cheela Dec 6, 2016 - 4:41 PM

Fyi. njccmd2002 is giving away a 2 post spoiler for free in the for sale section.

Posted by: Csober Dec 18, 2016 - 9:34 PM

If you're still looking for a 2 post hatch there is one local to me I can check out for you. It is yellow however.

Posted by: msk59 Jan 26, 2017 - 12:49 PM

Nice updates. Like the details you write. Who makes that hood on your car? I like that style.
Thanks

Posted by: Bushmatic Apr 28, 2017 - 2:31 AM

Hey, I'm back, after packing up everything, shoving it into my car, and moving across the country to Los Angeles! Things have slowed down and I can provide a nice, tiny, little, extremely long update.

QUOTE (msk59 @ Jan 26, 2017 - 12:49 PM) *
Nice updates. Like the details you write. Who makes that hood on your car? I like that style.
Thanks


Hey thanks! There are absolutely no markings anywhere on the hood, and there is an oval of bare carbon fiber on the front of it where I assume a badge fell off at some point. But from what I gather using evidence on this forum, I think it's the http://www.6gc.net/parts/372. If you click that link, you'll see two example photos on the sidebar. The photo on the left is exactly like my hood, but the one on the right (pictured on a silver pre-facelift Celica) is definitely different--I believe that one is the http://www.6gc.net/parts/16. Whatever mine is, I think it looks nice. Since the scoop is more squared off, it looks less aggressive than the Vis one and thus looks quite a bit less jarring against the car's smooth bubbly body lines.

---

Anyway, time for an update. More pics coming whenever I remember to take them.

New things I've done...


What I plan to do...

I'd like to preface this part of my post with a brief explanation of my vision for the car. I have a very "feng shui" approach to vehicle ownership. "Feng shui" probably isn't the most accurate way to describe it, but whatever. I believe the key to a "nice" modified car is to focus first on the little details, and then focus on how those little details harmonize with the larger surrounding details. One consequence of this mindset is that a LOT of mods I want to do are really small and really cheap. This approach also limits what I can do to the car visually, as every aesthetic mod has to complement every other aesthetic mod. Kind of hard to explain without an example--some people like to make a false wooden floor in their trunk using particle board and linoleum. I think this is can be an amazing mod, but only when done right (this is rare), and done to the right car (also rare). I would love to do this to my car, but I would only think about doing it after I get a shiny new paint job and some great looking wheels. It would be kind of jarring to open the trunk of my car, with the most 90's shade of red paint possible, to find this kind of trunk inside. If you open the trunk of a well-maintained car in a fresh coat of uniquely colored paint, you would almost expect the inside to look just as unique. Probably a weird example, but you get the idea.

My ideal end result boils down to a clean reliable daily driver--stock engine (probably dressed up a bit, cost allowing), MAYBE a turbo in the FAR future, aggressive rally-inspired stance (not slammed, but also not monster truck height), technologically modern interior with pure 90's aesthetics, new exhaust that's only slightly performance-oriented (if at all), and some other details I won't get into here. I'm not going to pretend my car is anything more than a slow ST, but I am going to make it look exactly how I want it to look.


Specific plans:


Some quick and dirty iPhone photos from the other day...






Posted by: Box May 3, 2017 - 5:58 PM

Well the right way to take care of the spoiler holes would be to weld in some metal and then repaint it. Or you can find some vinyl that matches the paint close enough and use a circle cutter to make some nice patches to cover the holes, looks a lot better than rubber grommets and seals better too. As far as painting the car and rims goes you might consider Plasti-Dip, yeah I know I hated it too when it first was being done but it's come A LONG way since then. Now when you do it right it can look just like paint and for a fraction of the cost, plus if you change your mind it's easy to undo. Might consider doing Pearlizer or Silver Metalizer over a white basecoat for the rims. Here's one showing Silver Metalizer over white: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkfOLk8FvqA and one with Pearlizer over white: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLwSmksXGQM

Posted by: Bushmatic Aug 21, 2017 - 11:05 PM

Might as well post a quick update... Nothing particularly major to report apart from a new https://www.google.com/search?q=Magnaflow+14832&rlz=1C1CHWL_enUS745US745&oq=Magnaflow+14832&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i61&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTlJsYPGYHc is the closest sounding one I could find on youtube, even though it's a different product. The 7A is weak but it can make a mean sound smile.gif Just had it professionally installed last week along with new brake pads and rotors in the front.

A bunch of smaller things I've done/have planned, in no particular order:

A few months back I slapped some basic white TRD decals onto the stock mudguards as an experiment. I noticed that a lot of older cars, especially Japanese ones, have decals on the stock mudguards. http://c8.alamy.com/comp/CR4YCH/toyota-mr2-mk1-80s-wedge-mid-engine-sports-car-mid-enigne-rear-wheel-CR4YCH.jpg. I always thought it was the perfect small detail to give a car more of a "retro" kind of look. I'm very pleased with how this turned out, you can see for yourself in some of the pics below. Easiest "mod" ever!

I got a set of clear front turn signals and sidemarkers which I equipped with LEDs. Also swapped in LEDs for the third brake light and rear turn signals (all of these lights use 1156 bulbs. In the pre-facelift years, the third brake light uses a 194 bulb, which is smaller). Popped in a flasher relay so they actually work. I didn't do the four tail lights because I feel like 1157 LEDs (dual filament--used in front turns and taillights because they need two levels of brightness for normal function) don't have enough of a difference between the "low" and "high" brightness levels. Every video I've seen comparing standard filament brake lights to LED brake lights shows a quicker response time in the LEDs (a good thing) at the cost of a clear distinction between "braking" and "not braking" (a potentially VERY bad thing). This is due to the LED being SO BRIGHT to begin with, that when the brakes are applied, it's hard to notice it getting even brighter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tbb5SjV48E I just randomly found on youtube. The guy in the video has the same complaint as me, even though it's kind of hard to tell for yourself. That's why I only put an LED in the third brake light, where there is a much clearer distinction between "braking" and "not braking" (on and off, respectively--hard to misinterpret by someone driving behind me). It's safe to say that I get the best of both worlds doing my rear lights this way. Instant on/off time in the third brake light, clear braking designation in the taillights.

I have a European license plate surround and a hood spoiler I still need to install. Just need to devote a few hours to drilling some holes. I never even considered that the Euro plate surround would have different license plate hole locations than the USDM one until I had it completely bolted in.

Still waiting on a few shipments of small parts, including almost everything needed to install factory cruise control. I may have mentioned before that the car has a pair of ebay foglights installed deep in the air dam. I could never get these to work until a couple weeks ago when I traced the wiring up into my dash and found the fuse, which was blown. Then, after some quick testing, I found out that one of the bulbs is burnt out. So I ordered a new pair of yellow H3 bulbs from Hella, gold headlight film, and a new box of the fuses (the previous owner used a weird kind of fuse that I've never seen before). After it all arrives I should have a nice set of working yellow foglights. The switch will be semi-OEM looking, placed in the "second choice" location described in http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=38656.

I've decided that when I source a new hatch door, I'm going to get http://www.gt4-racing.eu/index.php/toyota-celica-st202/rear-hatch-duckbill-spoiler. It would be the finishing touch to the wingless look. My current hatch is getting eaten by rust from the inside out, so I'm going to wait before I do anything major like a new spoiler. As to why I've decided against a two-post spoiler; it was a toss-up until my girlfriend saw a picture of a GT-Four and literally the first thing she said was, "why did they put such a dumb spoiler on that?" So that was the tie breaker rolleyes.gif

Over the past few months I've noticed my brake pedal sinking into the floor as I keep it pressed down paired with a loss of braking power. I have to pump the brakes or use the e-brake every time I'm stopped on a hill. When I had my pads and rotors replaced they also bled the brakes, and the problem has persisted. So it isn't air in the brake lines. I think a new master cylinder is in my future. Speaking of brakes, I hate that they put drum brakes on these models. My old Volkswagen from 1967 had drum brakes, it's an ancient technology!

I want to do one of those false wood floors in the trunk. If you don't know what I'm talking about, http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20130806/jetuzy6a.jpg. It's one of the few tricks from the VW scene that I actually really really like. Needless to say, it's a bold design decision, so I would make sure to do it well and make it easily removable.

Still have plenty of stuff planned for when I have more money! Brake master cylinder (obviously), coilovers or lowering springs (along with new top mounts, bearings, etc.), full respray (in my previous post I said I wanted to respray in a Saab factory green color. Now I'm leaning toward just doing it in my factory color, renaissance red), treat the rust in the driver's door handle area, new speakers, blue climate control LEDs, various bits for the engine, other stuff I'm forgetting.

And now for a random dump of cell phone pics, including one from the early stages of today's eclipse! Featuring a dirty car that looks somewhat clean from a distance:









Bonus: I have a mystery item on the way from Japan... All you get now is a sneak peek!

Posted by: Bushmatic Aug 22, 2017 - 12:41 PM

Just pulled the trigger on a master cylinder, valve cover gasket set (including spark plug grommets), and new RS3000 key fob. I went with a Centric master cylinder (#130.44218, non-ABS) and Beck/Arnley gaskets (#036-1512). Hopefully these clear up the braking issue mentioned in my previous post as well as the small amount of oil pooling in my spark plug wells. After re-tensioning the alternator belt and/or serpentine belt (not sure which one is squealing on startup) and an oil change in the next 500 miles, the car should be up to date on maintenance.

Yellow fogs are working! Took some quick pics (bottom of post) before I cleaned up the wires and got the lights positioned correctly. The switch the previous owner was using is all worn down, looks super cheap, and has a busted mounting tab, so I ordered a new factory Toyota one, https://www.toyotaparts.metro-toyota.com/00550-35976.html. It originally came in 3rd generation 4Runners and I think some Tacomas. It took me a really long time to find a factory Toyota toggle switch that fits the opening under my dash, but I'm pretty sure this is the winner. It has the same dimensions as the RS3000 security system light/indicator thing, which my car has installed on the right side of the dash.

Toyota fog light switch, #00550-35976






However, when I was testing the lights, I realized the previous owner didn't use a relay. The switch gets super hot almost immediately, and I just know I'll ruin the new switch if I don't wire in a relay myself. It would be nice if I could use a factory Toyota relay and the original fog light relay location, but this would be really difficult with my current setup. I'm not using the factory fog light switch (on the headlight stalk) nor am I using the stock wiring tucked behind the blank fog light cutouts in my bumper.

So now I'm just looking at generic relays and harnesses. It'll be nice to have the fog lights turn off automatically when the car is off; I'll probably wire the relay to the remote turn on wire in my stereo as well as the new switch.








Posted by: Bushmatic Aug 28, 2017 - 12:05 AM

My new https://www.remotesremotes.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=T_RS300-BLCK&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn8616Zfr1QIVRR6GCh2s3gJ2EAkYAiABEgK5DvD_BwE arrived! It was super easy to program to my car using http://www.remotesremotes.com/v/vspfiles/photos/prog/toyota/rs3000.pdf. I also turned on the Piezo chirper, which beeps when I lock or unlock the car. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/806718/Toyota-Vip-Rs3000.html?page=20#manual is a link to the page in an online version of the manual if anyone wants to reference it. This system has more features than I could ever hope to use. I'm just happy to be done walking over to the passenger side to unlock my car every time biggrin.gif

In other news, I visited the local pick and pull the other day. They only have one 6th gen Celica on the lot, but I was bored and don't see too many 6th gens around Portland (where I moved at the beginning of July) so I figured it might have a lot of good stuff. Went home with a new manual shift surround, third brake light lens + housing, the little clip that holds the driver's floor mat to the carpet, all the internal light bulbs from the climate control unit, and some miscellaneous screws and clips.

I'm excited to get rid of the A/T shift surround I've been using; my shift boot has been hanging loose around the shifter. The new shift surround is in absolutely perfect condition physically, not a single broken or bent clip. The finish was a bit faded and marked up, so I picked up some supplies to repaint it! I'm using flat black Rust-Oleum paint with matte clearcoat. The paint is "2-in-1" and supposedly includes primer. I first sanded the part with 220, 400, and 800 grit sandpaper in that order.

Before:




After sanding, ready for paint:


Covered in wet paint:


It's not as "matte" as I was hoping for, but it still looks great and will hopefully dull out as it dries. I also painted the black ring that goes around the cigarette lighter and the coin pocket next to it with similar (great) results. I'm going to let them all dry for a few days while I wait for some more packages to arrive, including a new https://www.amazon.com/USB-Mount-Cable-Extention-Motorcycle/dp/B00VAIEAUM to replace the cigarette lighter socket. I was inspired after coming across http://my.is/forums/f103/factory-look-aux-mod-usb-charging-529785/ where a guy does the same thing in his Lexus. The plastic ring around his new USB port looks to be the same ring that we have around ours, so I'm confident in terms of fitment. I'm getting close to "finishing" my interior!

Posted by: BonzaiCelica Sep 1, 2017 - 5:46 PM

you didnt use any primer did you for the plastic??

i used scotch brite green pads and then cleaned with degreaser.

i used a white primer and let it dry for a week. i put 3 coats down waiting 20 min between coats, do 5 passes as equivalent to One Coat, but my teacher told me i didnt lay down enough primer. its powdery. like a hostess powder donut.... wipes right off with a light finger touch

ugh i have to redo it again...

Posted by: Bushmatic Sep 4, 2017 - 12:56 AM

QUOTE (BonzaiCelica @ Sep 1, 2017 - 3:46 PM) *
you didnt use any primer did you for the plastic??

i used scotch brite green pads and then cleaned with degreaser.

i used a white primer and let it dry for a week. i put 3 coats down waiting 20 min between coats, do 5 passes as equivalent to One Coat, but my teacher told me i didnt lay down enough primer. its powdery. like a hostess powder donut.... wipes right off with a light finger touch

ugh i have to redo it again...


No, the paint I bought said it included primer on the can and that was good enough for me. I figured that I could just sand and redo if it didn't turn out well. Also, ABS plastic is one of the most forgiving materials when it comes to sanding and painting. I did the whole project in 1 day from beginning to end, waiting a minimum of 15 minutes between coats. I think I did about 5 coats of base coat and 3 coats of clear. I also blew off the piece with compressed air before applying each coat. Maybe your issue is the week-long drying time? Every video I watched to prepare for my little project mentioned that you should spray the base coat while the primer is still tacky, i.e. within a half hour. I think it helps bond everything together. **Obligatory** I am far from an expert on this subject so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt!

I hate primer, the few projects I have done in my life involving plastic & primer have peeled or chipped without fail. ABS plastic especially will look pretty good no matter how much you mess up the prep stages. Based on the results I've seen, I have yet to be convinced that primer is necessary when painting over plastic.


End result, looking sexy:

Posted by: tr1stan Sep 5, 2017 - 3:20 AM

Nice. I always like the sound of magnaflow. It is not too loud.

Posted by: Bushmatic Sep 5, 2017 - 1:31 PM


Posted by: cheela Sep 5, 2017 - 2:05 PM

nice! those are in great condition. I've wanted get those too but could never find one that didn't have a ding or scrape in it.

Posted by: Bushmatic Sep 5, 2017 - 3:45 PM

QUOTE (cheela @ Sep 5, 2017 - 12:05 PM) *
nice! those are in great condition. I've wanted get those too but could never find one that didn't have a ding or scrape in it.


Hey thanks, yeah they are in really good condition but the driver's one does have some dents visible from certain angles. The chrome really brings out any kind of defect on these things. Passenger side is perfect, which is weird considering they are directly from Japan. Now that I have them installed, I'm not sure how I feel about all that chrome in one place on a car with no chrome anywhere else. When I bought them I figured they would just be silver but these things are CHROME. I'll just run with them for a while and see how I feel in a few months. Who knows, I may decide I like the plain black plastic ones more.

--

Gonna bring my dealer option center armrest to an interior upholstery shop here in Oregon, https://www.facebook.com/InsaneInteriors/, so they can redo it in black suede like the JDM one. Mine has a few ugly tears across the top of it. I came across the guy's page one day and was blown away by the photos of the bespoke work he has done, so I'm really excited to see how my armrest turns out. Maybe someday I'll go back in to get my headliner redone in black.

In other news, it looks like I'm finally done with my "new member" period so I can stop waiting for a mod to approve every post biggrin.gif

Posted by: cheela Sep 5, 2017 - 5:00 PM

owner in Japan was probably picking up chicks in heels. thats why. laugh.gif

Posted by: Box Sep 5, 2017 - 5:58 PM

QUOTE (cheela @ Sep 5, 2017 - 5:00 PM) *
owner in Japan was probably picking up chicks in heels. thats why. laugh.gif

Or at least we think they were girls, sometimes you don't really know until it's too late. laugh.gif

Posted by: njccmd2002 Sep 5, 2017 - 11:23 PM

them toes

Posted by: Bushmatic Sep 11, 2017 - 6:45 PM

I want to get a pair of tiny carriage/mushroom head bolts and bolt my license plate on from the inside of the trunk. There's a lot of car-related crime around here in SE Portland, and while I'm not worried about my car getting stolen (stick shift), I am worried about my license plate. People steal license plates and swap them onto stolen cars. Not sure if mine being a Michigan plate is deterrent enough.

I need my windows tinted too.

Anyway...WRC hood spoiler installed, European license plate surround installed, clock color changed to blue, quick interior detail, little bit of editing...








QUOTE (cheela @ Sep 5, 2017 - 3:00 PM) *
owner in Japan was probably picking up chicks in heels. thats why. laugh.gif



QUOTE (Box @ Sep 5, 2017 - 3:58 PM) *
Or at least we think they were girls, sometimes you don't really know until it's too late. laugh.gif


Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 3, 2017 - 3:46 AM

Just gonna dump some information about my sunroof here. I opened it up and looked around the guts to figure out why it doesn't work, and in the process, I learned a lot about the history of the car. I'm including some pretty detailed stuff because the sunroof manufacturer, Farmont, was bought out around the year 2000, and now there is almost no information to be found on this product anywhere on the internet. There are certainly no spec sheets, maintenance guides, replacement parts, or anything like that available.

I believe this unit was "professionally" installed by a Toyota distributor, as opposed to a previous owner. As I understand it, Toyota is the only major manufacturer that has been using a distributor network to act as a middleman between Toyota corporate and American dealerships. This system started in the 1960's when Toyota needed help breaking into the North American market. Since then, Toyota has been steadily buying out its distributors as they have been becoming obsolete, but 2 of them apparently grew too big to mess with. They are Gulf States Toyota and I believe Southeast Toyota Distributors. Apparently they liked to buy poorly-optioned cars from Toyota, add options themselves using non-OEM products (thus "adding value"), and in turn sell those cars to dealerships. If you've been around a while, you may have heard of Toyota's end customers getting screwed in the options department because of these distributors. I have a feeling this is what happened to my car with the fog lights and this sunroof. I put "professionally" in quotes earlier because these things were not installed well at all. I'm actually surprised the sunroof doesn't leak, as everything about this thing looks like it was done by Michael J. Fox on speed.

But yeah, I just wanted to type all this info because I found it really interesting, and there may be other Celica owners out there seeking information on their strange aftermarket parts. Some of it might be wrong but the general idea is there.

-

Anyway, on to the sunroof. It is a Farmont F1000.

This is what the control panel looks like. Literally just forward and backward directions. The sunroof is a "spoiler" type, meaning the back pops up while the whole glass panel slides backward and above the car's roof in one motion. This is different from the factory sunroofs which can either pop up in the back or slide into the roof--not both simultaneously. You can tell my sunroof is aftermarket because the controls are not integrated into the dome light area by the rear view mirror, as is the case in factory systems. There are a lot of other details that give it away too, like the curvature of the glass and the mismatched trim color.


This is the rear area of the sunroof. Those two black tabs pointing down are attached to spring-loaded rolled up black fabric shades. They can be pulled forward and literally hooked onto the front trim of the sunroof to block the sunlight. I always thought this was kind of cool and unique, but it isn't the most effective. When both shades are extended, they don't cover the whole area of the glass panel. Also, the driver's side shade is starting to fall apart. The little aluminum bar is coming through the fabric, which can be seen in the picture.


Here's the exposed motor. It works fine, but doesn't catch on anything. I originally thought the reason would be a stripped gear, but I was only half right.


The problem was right above the motor. A drive gear was missing altogether:


Here is what this part is supposed to look like. I found this image on some old internet forum where a guy had a similar issue with the same sunroof:


The gear is supposed to go right in between these two threaded cables:


A previous owner must have lost it when he attempted a repair or something. Not a whole lot I can do about a missing gear in an extinct sunroof. So right now I'm looking into having the whole thing removed. I want a complete sunroof delete to save that weight at the very top of my car. I doubt I would be able to find a nice factory sunroof and be able to install it for cheap, taking into consideration the two sunroofs are almost certainly different sizes. Plus, this will be a good opportunity for me to try my hand at making a new headliner in a nice black suede material.

So that's it for now. I realize nobody really cares about this info, but I didn't want it to go to waste after I spent so much time combing the internet for it. Plus someone might find this post in a search if they are having similar issues.

Posted by: cheela Oct 3, 2017 - 9:25 AM

damn. that sucks about the sunroof.. you could try and have a gear machined to match the missing one and see if that works?
it'll be a fun project to rip it out and weld it shut if u do. smile.gif

Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 3, 2017 - 10:04 AM

im pretty sure you can find that part if you look hard enough. is that oem or aftermarket

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 3, 2017 - 2:14 PM

QUOTE (cheela @ Oct 3, 2017 - 7:25 AM) *
damn. that sucks about the sunroof.. you could try and have a gear machined to match the missing one and see if that works?
it'll be a fun project to rip it out and weld it shut if u do. smile.gif

I was looking around at gear supply websites, but I'm not very optimistic about finding the right one or having one machined with just an old picture as reference frown.gif Tried looking through OEM sunroof gears from different manufacturers but they are all over the place in terms of shape and size. I even looked at cheap https://www.amazon.com/Alonea-Plastic-Single-Reduction-Picture/dp/B01MYGNNY3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 on Amazon which include a crazy amount of different plastic gears. But even if one those fit, I don't think plastic will hold up. I may just be screwed here.


QUOTE (njccmd2002 @ Oct 3, 2017 - 8:04 AM) *
im pretty sure you can find that part if you look hard enough. is that oem or aftermarket

Aftermarket! I did find a guy in Poland who used to sell parts for this sunroof; I sent him a quick email to see if he has any stock left.

More pics of the missing gear showing that it's a little more complicated than how it looks in my other post. Again, not my pics, found them http://www.starquestclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=140711.



Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 4, 2017 - 10:43 AM

if the sunroof is oem and not aftermarket, chances are you can get it from another guy selling a whole sunroof... not just the sproket.

what brand is the sunroof...

Posted by: Box Oct 4, 2017 - 11:12 AM

QUOTE (njccmd2002 @ Oct 4, 2017 - 10:43 AM) *
if the sunroof is oem and not aftermarket, chances are you can get it from another guy selling a whole sunroof... not just the sproket.

what brand is the sunroof...

According to his post, a Farmont F1000. At any rate it's definitely not the O.E. moonroof, I should know as I had one.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 4, 2017 - 8:27 PM

It's a moot point by now because I've decided that the sunroof belongs in the garbage. I took a shot at cleaning it up and REALLY examining its condition, but it's just in sorry shape all around. Scratched glass, permanent water stains, exposed/crooked/dried/cracked gasketing, and it is perfectly flat which really sticks out on the curvy roof. Not to mention the interior portion--the huge trim piece that wraps around it and takes away a good 2-3" of headroom, the sun shades (I admit these are cool but not effective), the mismatched color, the oversized and asymmetrical control panel, and just the crazy amount of rattling and creaking over every bump. "No leaks" is the only positive thing I can say about it, besides the obvious positives of having a sunroof in general.

njccmd2002, I admire your optimism, but I'm confident when I say this thing is a lost cause. I'm gonna have a professional plug it up, buff it down, and repaint. The most exciting part about all this is I can finally make myself a black headliner to match the rest of the interior. Maybe I'll devote the wiring to a dashcam or something.

I'm now realizing how boring sunroofs are to talk about rolleyes.gif

Posted by: Box Oct 4, 2017 - 8:53 PM

For me it's O.E. or not at all when it comes to moonroof/sunroof etc... Aftermarket stuff is just nowhere as nice. Personally I say patch it and get the roof resprayed and then put up a standard headliner and then none will be the wiser it ever had one.

Posted by: njccmd2002 Oct 4, 2017 - 9:18 PM

ill know and ill point it out

Posted by: Box Oct 4, 2017 - 10:22 PM

Not after it's done and he uses that memory wiper from Men In Black, and deletes any evidence on here it ever had one.

Posted by: Bushmatic Oct 18, 2017 - 8:17 PM

valve cover gasket job with something extra


(New alternator wire cover on the way)

Before picture for comparison... Spark plug coils were gunked up with oil from when the wells experienced leakage. Plus the rubber cover on #3 was weirdly the wrong size for some reason.

Posted by: Smaay Oct 18, 2017 - 8:33 PM

that thing needs a V6 in there

Posted by: Box Oct 18, 2017 - 8:40 PM

Looks a lot better! thumbsup.gif

Posted by: Bushmatic Jun 28, 2018 - 1:55 PM

Half a year later update! Still alive and driving this thing every day. Just dropped $900 at the dealership to have them install a fat pile of parts I've been hoarding without the tools or garage space or time to install myself. All 3 drive belts (got the new "gator belt" style whatevers, apparently run quieter), thermostat with rad cap, new coolant, new transmission fluid, new brake master cylinder. Much more enjoyable to drive now because it actually feels like a normal car! No more belt squeal or dangerously spongy/sinking brake pedal.

Apart from that not much has changed. Installed a small roof spoiler from SpoilerKing, adds a nice little touch to the exterior. Plugged the spoiler holes with grommets the proper way. The cellophane I used to change the clock color seems to have melted and warped in the Louisiana heat, so I need to replace that or go back to the stock clock with the hard plastic color filter. Switched back to stock taillights since my JDM ones were letting water in. Installed some brushed aluminum gauge trim rings and swapped my weird silver dash bezel with a stock black one. The result is a much sleeker gauge area, I'll post pics sometime. Ric Seed has the same trim rings in his GT-Four if you've seen the interior of his car on instagram.

So yeah....I do have something really cool on the way as well. Never seen it done before on a 6gc so I really hope it fits and looks good.

Posted by: TimeslideZ Jul 2, 2018 - 10:13 PM

Yoooooo glad it's still running and being worked on. What's the update on the sunroof then? Just reading back on the comments I cannot believe Toyota had something like that for the umsunroofs! I thought it was all OEM only.

Where's the leak on the JDM taillights? Wonder if you can just plug it up or something.

Posted by: cheela Jul 25, 2018 - 4:28 PM

bump!

what happened to the reveal??

Posted by: Box Jul 26, 2018 - 4:46 AM

Should be able to bake open the tail lights and then reseal them. Worst case drill a drain hole into the bottom of each bulb cavity.

Posted by: Bushmatic Jul 30, 2018 - 12:05 AM

Sorry about the short delay, I moved back to Michigan!

Some have probably seen my quick post in the fb group but I installed some venetian blinds in the back:







Thanks for the tips about the taillights but as you can see it is not a simple silicon-around-the-edge situation:



I put them up for sale in the fb group and still need to make a post in the buy/sell section on here, but yeah I'm trying to sell them. I do like how the stock taillights look when the inside brake lights are taped off so they only light up when braking (see my second pic above). I might also want to sell my Euro splitters. They were starting to look out of place to me, so I took them off, and I'm much happier with how the car looks without them now. They are genuine Toyota as well so might be actually worth a bit. Also returned to stock clock, as supplied my Mr. Richey himself. I guess I'm on a "return to stock" kind of streak here. I wish I could afford a set of GT-Four 3-spoke alloy wheels right now, most of them are being sold out of the UK so shipping is insane. That would be like the easiest and most ideal finishing touch to how I want the car to look without delving into "huge project" territory.

Couple of random shots:





Quick explanation of what I did to my brake lights...look at this pic:



I just covered the "dim" pin with a piece of electrical tape on each of the inner taillight bulbs and left the outer bulbs as they are. Now, when not braking, only the two outside taillights are illuminated, but when braking, the inner ones go right to "bright" along with the outer ones. Makes it very clear that I am braking and cleans up the overall look. Also removed the rear side marker bulbs, always thought they looked weird.

Posted by: Box Jul 30, 2018 - 3:37 AM

Louvers are supposed to go on the outside. tongue.gif

Posted by: CoolZeen Jul 31, 2018 - 1:13 PM

louvers ? it will be cool if they made some for our cars! but those venetian blinds look interesting. is just something different. they where used allot in the 80`s . Im glad somebody still appreciate the classic stuff. I say this because I got some too, on my 89 Cadillac. thumbsup.gif :

Posted by: cheela Jul 31, 2018 - 1:22 PM

Blinds are interesting. You should get a TRD roof spoiler. It would match the look of your celi.

and the JDM tails doesn't look too bad. just find another piece of plastic and silicon it in place. it's basically the same thing I did when I removed the amber from the turn signals for mine.

Posted by: NgoFcukinWay Aug 1, 2018 - 8:30 AM

You probably would've been better off installing ceramic window tint on the rear hatch glass (and the rest of the car for that matter). Would work and look 100 times better.

As for the sunroof thing, apparently, the whole sunroof-less roof panel is still available from Toyota.

P/N: 63111-20510

Something like $400 for the whole panel. If the dealership can't get it, you can order it https://www.amayama.com/en/part/toyota/6311120510.

Posted by: Bushmatic Aug 1, 2018 - 11:37 AM

QUOTE (Box @ Jul 30, 2018 - 4:37 AM) *
Louvers are supposed to go on the outside. tongue.gif



QUOTE (CoolZeen @ Jul 31, 2018 - 2:13 PM) *
but those venetian blinds look interesting.



QUOTE (cheela @ Jul 31, 2018 - 2:22 PM) *
Blinds are interesting.



QUOTE (NgoFcukinWay @ Aug 1, 2018 - 9:30 AM) *
You probably would've been better off installing ceramic window tint on the rear hatch glass (and the rest of the car for that matter). Would work and look 100 times better.



Posted by: Box Aug 1, 2018 - 11:36 PM

Hey, I was being funny not mean.

Posted by: Bushmatic Aug 3, 2018 - 1:35 AM

QUOTE (Box @ Aug 2, 2018 - 12:36 AM) *
Hey, I was being funny not mean.

lol I just saw an opportunity and took it. Even if everyone hypothetically HATED the blinds, it's not a permanent mod nor does it affect safety. So I'm just gonna keep them there. I've gotten a handful of compliments on them already because they do look pretty neat in person.

Posted by: cheela Aug 3, 2018 - 8:16 AM

lol, yeah, we're all just a bunch of internet assholes with an opinion. Don't mind what we think or say too much. Do what you want.

Posted by: Bushmatic May 21, 2020 - 1:43 AM

Here's a mini "update" while the site is up for who knows how long this time. I just haven't done anything major to the car in a long time.

Got a set of Advan tires for the summer wheels and they feel great, but still need to paint the wheels themselves to get rid of the awful two-tone.

Finally got the broken rear windshield wiper assembly out of the hatch after countless liquid wrench applications and using a rubber mallet. Plugged the hole with a plain black rubber grommet. If I haven't mentioned it before, the little plastic articulating arm inside the motor assembly has been broken since I bought the car. I still want a completely rust-free hatch door though.

Ordered a set of 6.5" speakers (Rockford Fosgate R165-S) that come with a pair of small tweeters for my front doors. My right door speaker has been slightly ripped since I bought the car (making certain sound frequencies really annoying), and the other day my head unit failed or something and I lost signal to 3/4 of the speakers. At least, after ripping apart the dash, I think I narrowed the problem down to the head unit. It's a Pioneer AVH-180DVD, a relatively cheap one, and about 4 years old at this point). Figured it's time for a little overhaul either way. I have a set of the triangle tweeter covers in my closet, hopefully I can get these new tweeters to fit behind them and wired in ok. I'm replacing my head unit with a JVC KW-X840BTS, which is an even cheaper model, but is less "sleek/futuristic touch screen" and more "pure stereo functionality" with an actual volume knob and bluetooth capabilities.

I feel so 50-50 about this car. I'd love to invest a lot of money and turn it into a fantastic daily driver, but at the same time, it's a base model ST with like 100 horsepower and a few rust spots forming, not to mention the burning oil and lifter tick. If I can pull off an engine swap down the line, I think that will reinvigorate my interest in investing in it. I'd love to swap the rear drums to discs and get a set of coilovers.

Posted by: Bushmatic Feb 5, 2021 - 8:30 PM

Engine finally blown! Car is for sale, as is, to the highest bidder, as a complete unit. See this thread for full info: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=99241

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