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Location:
Melburn
Registered:
September 2003
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RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 03:21
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First up, g'day to all on the forum, secondly - this site is by far the best knowledge base for Celica owners I have ever seen & best of all... it's based in OZ! Since about 14 I have wanted an old Celica but knowing stuff all about cars, I had reservations about getting one. Seeing all the info on the net has cleared any worries I had... so the hunt has begun. There's a few newbie questions that I couldn't find specific answers to in past posts I wanna get out the way, any help would be apreciated.
I have narrowed my taste to a 1977 Liftback (there's a fresh as orange one in a Safeway car park in Moonee Ponds I walk past every week that just reinforces my choice everytime I see it), unfortunately my girl needs to be able to drive my drunk ass home from the pub occasionaly so the car's gotta be auto. At he moment the car will be a run-about rather than a performance car so the engine just needs to start and get me around town - until I can afford to do it up, that is! What I was wondering was:
How hard are stock auto RA28s to find in good condition?
Is it difficult to install an auto trans. in a manual engine (excuse my stupidity here.. I know there's plenty of info about auto to manual conversions so I figure it can be done the other way but I like I said - I know stuff all.) What sort of costs are involved?
What's a reasonable price for a stock manual RA28 LT, straight body & good interior?
If I was to do an engine swap.. any reccomemdations for the donor auto engine?
Questions, questions, questions. I guess that's about it. Congrats to anyone getting this far through my post! Again, I know a lot if this is Mickey Mouse shit but any feedback'd be helpfull. Cheers.
-COZ
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Location:
Mornington Peninsula
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 04:06
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Strait, little rust are hard to come by. Auto's aren't too hard to come by from what I've heard so that shouldn't be a problem. I've got an Auto for one of those sitting at home if you're interested. Personally I'd stick with the manual. Auto's are pretty gutless. You'll just have to teach your girl how to drive a manual. Especially if you want to do an engine upgrade, manual's are better (much more fun too)
When looking out for rust look along the bottom of the windscreen, in the front guards between the door and wheel, the sils under the doors, the rear wheel arches and around the window in the liftback. Really get in there and have a look, just because it doesn't show on the outside doesn't mean it's not on the inside.
Engine conversions, a easy one 18R-G's which are the twin cam versions of what the car originally came out with (18R-C). You can also get fancy with a 18R-GUE which is the twin cam, fuel injected model. But I'm not going that far as I can't be bothered stuffing around with a computer etc.
Also the 1G-GTE (Twin cam, injected, Turbo) are a popular choice. I don't know too much about these conversions but there are plenty of people here who have done it and know everything about it.
Good luck with your car hunting 
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 04:31
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I agree, teach your girl how to drive a manual. It's not rocket science FFS, I'm sure she can handle it! A stock Celica with an auto isn't much fun; when I swapped a manual transmission into my auto RA23 it totally transformed the car. Also be aware that early Celica autos are 3-speed, hence no overdrive. You'll find that no overdrive is a real PITA on the highway.
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Location:
Perth WA
Registered:
August 2003
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 04:42
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I agree have a good look especially around the rear hatch, inside the spare tyre and fuel filler area they are very prone to rust. Sill panels and around the windscreen. underneath the cowl panel and around where the hatch is joined to the roof I have three ra28 celicas trying to make one good one out of them.
Out of all three If I could find just one more with less rust than these i would grab it. 18rg motors are getting hard to come by but there are a few around(even here in perth)I was at SON IMPORTS(they import jap engines) on saturday and in the back they have a 18rg (not gu) with toyota cyl heads on the floor I think they want around $800.00 a tad expensive I thought
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Location:
Melburn
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 09:38
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Thanks for the speedy replies. As far as teaching my girlfriend manual, believe me I have tried. It's not rocket science but the mess she makes of it you would think it was, seriously. I'm not overly concerned with guts & power for now... it'll be my daily so as long as it looks tough & goes.
After checking for rust around the windscreen, in the front guards between the door and wheel, the sils under the doors, the rear wheel arches, around the window the rear hatch, inside the spare tyre, fuel filler & every other inch of the body, my plan for the engine now goes something like this:
1. Realistically, getting an auto 18R-C is where I'm at now. Although 3-speed auto? That's a worry.
2. Get my panel beater mate to spray that puppy metallic gunmetal gray.
3. Upgrade breaks & suspension
4. Once I'm fed up with my shitty 3-speed auto, my next step would be to buy a *cough*auto*cough* 1G-GTE once I get a bit of cash behind me & throw that in. That seems a reasonable & common option so there's definitely a bunch of information about it online and off.. I'm guessing the cost of an engine (front cut?) like this would be in the $1000 ballpark area?
While this setup isn't everyone's cup of tea, for me it'd be pretty much perfect. Thanks all for pointing me in the right direction, now I've just gotta read and absorb as much information about 1G-GTE conversions I can possibly find. Looks like it could be well out my price range for now though.
Off topic a little, while researching different models and paint jobs, I have noticed some differences between the trim on the sides of some 1977 Liftbacks. Some have a metal strip along the door and rear panel while others don't. Is this one of the differences between ST LT & GT or something else all together?
-COZ
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 13:41
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If you're worried about the 3-speed auto, it's possible to swap in a 4-speed from a later-model Celica (RA60) with a bit of stuffing around. If you get one of the earlier hydraulic versions it's relatively simple to do. The later semi-electronic boxes are better but a little more complex to get working right. Probably not worth the bother if a 1G conversion is around the corner though.
As for the gay rubber strip, I'm pretty sure that was a dealer-fitted option. Most people remove them if they buy a Celica afflicted with the gay rubber strip - in fact that's the very first mod I performed on my RA23, on the very day I bought it!
Oh yeah, you'll find the vast majority of RA28's are the LT trim level. ST's are very rare and GT's are extremely rare. I'm pretty sure only the ST's were officially sold by Toyota Australia.
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Location:
Melburn
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 15:14
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Summed up perfectly in three words. Gay. Rubber. Strip. Ha! That's pretty much what I thought of them, no kidding those things would be coming off on the drive home. Just thank god we aren't cursed with those gay plastic bumpers.
Very interesting point about the 4-speed auto from an RA60, as that corner that the 1G is around could be a freaking long one if some of the conversion costs I have found on the net are anything to go by.
This all has helped a heap, I've got a much clearer picture of where I'm heading with this now.
1. Buy auto RA28 with decent body an interior (Probably an LT)
2. Fit 4-speed auto hydraulic/semi-electronic depending
3. New spray job - metallic olive-green-grey
4. Upgrade breaks & suspension
5. Win Tattslotto
6. Install 1G-GTE
7. Retire
I take it the GT is the only model with the slick black vinyl interior, or was that an optional extra for all of them...
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 22:24
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Black vinyl was available on the povo LT models; I think it's mostly found in white cars. My old TA22 LT was white with a black vinyl interior. It looked cool but I hated it in summer though!
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Location:
Mornington Peninsula
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Wed, 03 September 2003 22:41
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LT's were the only one's released in Australian. ST's and GT's weren't and can only be imported. I've got an ST grill so I'd like to get other ST things and do mine up like that. Something to look into.
I've got 2 black interiors and a white (white vinal, very 70's porn star!)
Airfireman1: I've got 3 RA23's and I'm trying to make one good one out of them. I found one with minimal rust, but still had to cut big holes out of it and weld bit's of metal back in.
I bought an 18R-G from Perth a few months back for about $325 I think. But it's going to cost me close to $1000 to reco
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Location:
Melburn
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Thu, 04 September 2003 01:28
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Good to know, povo LT here I come. I guess being hot (& sticky) during summer is the price I'll have to pay for looking so damn cool all year... especially if I could find a nice white pimp-mobile interior!
1. Buy auto RA28 with decent body and white 70's porn star interior (Probably an LT)
2. Fit 4-speed auto hydraulic/semi-electronic depending
3. New spray job - metallic olive-green-grey
4. Upgrade breaks & suspension
5. Win Tattslotto
6. Install 1G-GTE
7. Retire
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Location:
Mornington Peninsula
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Thu, 04 September 2003 02:36
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They did come out with air con. I've got air con in one of mine. I've never had it connected but that's not the point.
Suprisingly enough I don't think they get that hot in summer, compaired to the newer cars. Because there is so little window space. Anyway, that's what windows are for!! Seat covers are always a must in summer. I'm used to my velour seats and one of my cars (with vinal seats) had been sitting in the sun in 40 degree heat after I washed it. I went to move it and forgot about the vinal. Long story short you could see the burn marks on the back of my legs where my shorts finished. 
I like my RA23's where you can wind the front and back windows down and there is no pillar. That looks good in Summer!! 
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Location:
Melburn
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Thu, 04 September 2003 03:00
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Yup, no pillar's where it's at... then you gotta jump in the driver's seat Dukes of Hazzard style for the icing on the cake. A/C would be nice but I've never been a big fan, like you said if it's that hot just bust open the window.
Maybe a strong tint and those foil window shades would help keep the seats cool. Worse than a hot vinyl burn is a red hot metal seat belt searing... my old man's got a Jag MkII and damn do those belt clips get HOT. Can't complain though, I've been counting down the days to summer for a few months now...
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Toodyay, WA
Registered:
July 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Thu, 04 September 2003 11:46
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RA28 with vinyl seats???
We've had 2 28's and both have had cloth trimed seats (cloth on the bit you sit, and vinyl on the back)
the first 28, was white and had black/grey interior and lots of rust!
and the current 28 is yellow and has brown interior (slowly turning black).
We had a white TA22 that had a full vinyl brown interior...
As for 28's with auto's, they are slow!
both of ours have been auto and they are not much fun to drive, but i have the same prob you do, Girly wont drive a manual FFS!!
Our current 28 has factory fitted air which has been updated to r134a but is not currently in the car as the head was recently redone and i just pulled it out to make it easier, needed a regas anyways. but when we first got it, the air worked ok.
Tints are a good think, but ours are super dark and illegal (shhh). which looks cool, but its hard to see out at night.
But it looks like i'm going to be looking for another 28 and will also make this one auto to start with (4speed electronic auto behind 1UZ-FE) maybe 5 speed if i'm lucky! 
as far as price goes you can pay upto $5000 for a fantastic condition stock 28. and as little as $400 for a rusted out junker! But i'd be looking at about $2-3k for a good one.
also look out for ding damage! the easiest place to see damage is on the pannel that the lights bolt to, open the bonnet and loot at it on top, it goes across the radiator. look in the corners, it should be flat, not bent! have a look at some and you'll see what i mean, if you want i can get some pictures of the bit i'm taking about, unfortunatly i can only show you what it should look like , not what you'll probably find 
Good luck with the searching Coz!!
Cam
[Updated on: Thu, 04 September 2003 11:52]
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Location:
Mornington Peninsula
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Thu, 04 September 2003 23:01
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Yeah, Crappy old colapsed seats I had in the front of my first RA23 were fabric and then I replaced one with a brown one which was also fabric. A friend has an RA28 with fabric seats as well. I got a feeling that they have just been re-trimed.
We used to have an old HQ Kingswood with the square metal seat belt buckles and they would burn. Nothing worse than getting and sitting on final seats trying to put the burning buckle on!
Dukes of Hazzard style would be pretty classy but I'd probaby make a total ass out of myself trying and really injure my self so I'll just use the door as normal. Air con and demisters are over rated, Just wind down the window!!!! (Yes I do drive around in winter with the windows down wearing a beanie and scalf)
Can't wait til Summer. I love summer soooo much.
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Location:
Melburn
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: RA28 Automatic Q & A.
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Fri, 05 September 2003 06:23
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Glad to know someone else has the Girly-Auto problem!.. & with an RA28 too... spooky. Reckon I'm going to have to spend a fair bit of time not only hunting for a top notch body but tracking down a vinyl interior too... even with all the downsides to it, I still love the look.
This is a flick linked from another Celica site, I know I'll never find a GT but if I can even come close to this I'd be well happy. Damn that's cool... or hot... depending how you look at it... & possibly what month you're in...
$2-3k is about my price range, maybe a little more. That should leave me enough to spend the rest of my savings on restoring the body, upgrading etc.
I've knocked my upgrade down to a 1G-GE. The installation guide in the Articles section mentioned something about avoiding high insurance premiums by doing so which is always good. I'll start doing a bit of research myself on that topic in the coming months.
1. Buy auto RA28 with decent body and white 70's porn star interior (Probably an LT)
2. Rip out air con. - install tint.
3. Fit 4-speed auto hydraulic/semi-electronic depending
4. New spray job - metallic olive-green-grey
5. Upgrade breaks & suspension
6. Win Tattslotto
7. Install 1G-GE
8. Retire
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Location:
Melburn
Registered:
September 2003
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