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Location:
Perth
Registered:
September 2005
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1978 Celica GT
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Tue, 27 September 2005 06:07
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Hi there! First off im new here!
Im hoping you guys can give me some info on a Celica of all things! Ill tell all i know about the vehicle.
1978 Celica GT (not sure if its the liftback)
It has a worked 1800cc engine (I believe its a twin cam with EFI)
4 wheel disc brakes
Imaculate white body and interior
5 Speed manual
The car is being offered to me for $3000. It has had approx $6000 spent on the engine. im unsure on how much has been spent on the body.
I havent seen the car yet so im wondering if you guys can tell me about the car? Ive searched around but dont seem to be able to find any information that matches the car.
The current owner believes it is one of only a couple in Australia.
Im planning on using the car for a few track days and for tarmac rallies and im wondering how hard it is to find performance parts for the older celica? im assuming parts from newer cars can be fitted.
Any bits of info are much apreciated!
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Location:
ballarat
Registered:
April 2003
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Location:
Perth, WA
Registered:
December 2004
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Location:
Land of Oz
Registered:
June 2004
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Tue, 27 September 2005 11:34
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Hi,
A 1978 would most probably be the RA40 style and not the RA28.
In any event, if it was a genuine GT it would have an 18RG (or variant of the 18RG) in it, which is a 2litre - not an 1800.
Still, it's worth a look to see exactly what it is he is selling.
seeyuzz
river
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Location:
c'town, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Tue, 27 September 2005 22:43
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if the guy is adamant that its 1800cc then it could be a TA45 (yes they do exist)
else its a RA45 with a 2000cc 18R-G and if your lucky F series rear end.
if its in good nick then $3000 is a great price
just check the firewall for the model code to be 100% sure of what it is.
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
February 2003
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Tue, 27 September 2005 23:34
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TA40/TA45 are 1.6lt and TA46 are 1.8lt.
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
September 2005
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Tue, 27 September 2005 23:34
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Ive found some more info!
Its an RA45 model (the round headlight, sedan/coupe type) HOWEVER it apears to be a limited edition/special model, its got a 2000cc 18RGTEU engine and is numbered 94 of 201 cars produced.The owner has not yet found anyone in Australia with one like it.
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Location:
Hobart, Tasmania
Registered:
January 2005
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Tue, 27 September 2005 23:49
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This kind of thing?
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
September 2005
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 00:18
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http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/9975/vehicl es/Celica_A4.html
Ites the 78 - 79 coupe shape, by the looks of it that picture is the liftback.
Im sure these questions have been answered before but:
Does anyone know how much power the standard transmission will take, can a upgraded clutch be easily bought?
Are upgraded suspension parts easy to get? i.e. lower, stiffer and strut braces?
How hard is it to convert to a IRS set up? aparently the rear discs are starting to wear thin but they are a 1 piece drive shaft and disc, how much would it be to get new drive shafts, discs versus converting to IRS?
As i said in my first post ill be wanting to use the car for track days and various other tarmac events, im not to fussed on any more engine mods, im looking for good handling, decent brakes and reliability over silly amounts of power so are there any areas that really need attention before i go for it, like are the brakes really poo and need a big brake conversion or do they overheat easily?
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
September 2005
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 01:12
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ok ive got more info!
Its a Japanese import, i dont know when it was imported.
It has cloth trim that has been fully restored.
The bodywork has also been restored.
I was mistaken in thinking the engine has been worked. The owner had some other job done on it and when the engine was put back together the cam timing was set so it idled nicely but made no power, he has since adjusted it so now it doesnt idle so good but really goes when its 'on cam'
How much is a genuine GT worth?
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Location:
melbourne
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 02:26
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sounds like a good buy!
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Location:
Ballarat, Victoria
Registered:
March 2003
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 02:31
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damn, sounds awesome. the 'T' in 18R-GTE indicates turbo, so has it got a turbo sitting on the side?
By the sounds of it, it seems you've found a super rare item-
I'd keep this car in original form if I were you, might be worth a lot more than $3000...
Mind you, I'm no RA40 expert... 
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Location:
c'town, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 05:24
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there is no factory 18R-G with a turbo and therefore no such thing as a 18R-GTEU
if it has a turbo it will be aftermarket and the owner added the T into the name for convention.
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Location:
Ballarat, Victoria
Registered:
March 2003
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 07:57
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| rob_RA40 wrote on Wed, 28 September 2005 15:24 |
there is no factory 18R-G with a turbo and therefore no such thing as a 18R-GTEU
if it has a turbo it will be aftermarket and the owner added the T into the name for convention.
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yeah i know, i worded that badly sorry... but either way a ra45 gt with a turbo kit could be cool.... or would it wreck originality?
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Location:
Canberra
Registered:
July 2005
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 08:37
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Ok, a couple of things:
1. BUY IT... If you don't, you'll kick yourself in a few years. That price is genuine theft for such an antique.
2. Your standard transmission will take the power of an NA 18RG. If you slapped a turbo on, I'd be changing to a W55 box. You can get better clutches. Stock 18RG clutches take it up the pooper, and even when new, slip on hard launches.
3. I assume the front struts are the same as RA40/RA23 items, and other than the discs, the diff is the same as RA40/RA23 diffs, hence, again, the suspension is the same. You can get suspension gear in this case. Dunno about sway bars on *A4* celicas though.
4. Assuming the floor pan is the same as an RA40, an IRS swap is possible from an RT142 corona (F series), retaining the factory track width. This doesn't seem like too hard a conversion as far as IRS goes, but if you lower the car, the camber will be stuffed due to ghey trailing arm setup. Soooo, that conversion isn't truly feasible if you expect an improvement in performance.
On that note, please don't radically alter the car, eg converting to IRS. I say this because it is such a rare car, so it'd be in your best interests to keep it in original trim as far as the major components are concerned.
If the discs are truly one piece with respect to the axles, you won't find parts in Australia unless you find a substitue identical axle set from another car model, which is unlikely. These parts are probably available in Japan, so your best bet may be to befriend someone who can get parts from Japan. Otherwise, you'd be paying a machinist large sums of money to replicate the component.
Given this difficulty, if you want it on the road, you could probably swap in a RA40 diff until you sourced the parts, but that would mean reverting to rear drums for this period of time.
Good luck!
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Location:
Campbelltown NSW
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: 1978 Celica GT
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Wed, 28 September 2005 11:53
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What a find! Buy it, but dont ruin its originality! If you want to race/rally and work a Celica, buy a standard RA40 and throw in an 18RG. As tricky says, std clutches and diffs dont really hold up too well if giving it a hard time - I know cause I went through 6 clutches and 3 diffs in one year! 
I am jealous! 
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