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Location:
Epping, Sydney.
Registered:
January 2004
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new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Mon, 12 January 2004 13:37
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Stumbled upon this site and it is a bloody awesome source of info. I am currently on my red p's and looking at getting an old school celica as my first car...just can't get enough of the celica's smooth lines-sensational.
Anyway a few questions if anyone could be a champ and give us a hand.
1. Are old school celicas particularly easy to work on or is everyone on this forum some sort of mechanic or has a dad/mate/cousin who is? I used to think i knew a little about cars but reading through some of the posts obviousley i know jack shit. there are some real gurus out there(maybe it is just all the big words). Does everyone do all the mechanical stuff by themselves?
Are celicas easy to mantain? I mean if i buy one will i look at getting to know my mechanic alot better. What sort of costs (besides basic stuff) are associated with maintaining a decent model? Any recurring probs unique to celica
2. Insurance... Any recommendations for an 18 year old with clean record. Only really looking at third party but any money i can save on insurance gets me a better celica right? I am under the impression that shannons and just cars and other niche companies only do modded or classic cars. Is this true?would i be able to get a pretty stock celica on their books.
Basically if i bought a 3000-3500 celica how much should i budget extra for insurance/rego costs?
3. Found this ad in this weeks T-post.
Celica RA23 1977 1.8L, 2/2004 registration, very clean body, custom/built radiator 2in exhaust/system, lowered king springs, mags, 4 new/tyres, racing gearbox, metallic blue, XRX-961 $3000 negotiable SEAFORTH 02-9949 6758
I was under the impression that all RA models had 2 litre R series engines so should i assume that it is not the original engine?
Custom built radiator and racing gearbox...what exactely do these imply/mean?
3000 neg...is this not a particularly good deal?
I know these questions seem pretty stupid and ignorant, but i'll admit it: i basically do not know that much about cars, but u have to start somewhere right?
Thanks for your help.
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Location:
c'town, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Mon, 12 January 2004 21:51
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welcome to the forums.
first of all your questions are not stupid and ignorant, as a matter of fact you have pretty much written this post with the net etiquette that makes it easy for us to help you. Non-assuming, willing to learn, no takumi drifter bullshit post, kudos.
second, all old skool celicas are easy to work on, they are robust, reliable, and one of the best cars to learn and get your hands dirty with. The only other car that i would think is easier to work on is a KE20 corolla 
we aren't all mechanics on here, but we do like to encourage new members to hook in and get their hands dirty, as mentioned before celicas are very easy to work on and if you ever get stuck there are heaps of people on here that can help. This will save you money having to rely on a mechanic.
insurance should be straight forward, if your buying an unmodified celica then most people will insure you, if modified, stick to shannons or just cars insurance, interesting note here, just cars will do 3rd party fire and theft everywhere EXCEPT NSW, how sucky is that!
that TP add can mean a few things - your right the RA23 comes standard with an R engine but:
1 - the owner might not have a clue, and could possibly be a TA23 with a 2T-G or 3T-C engine
2 - its an RA23 with a 3T-C (why would ya)
3 - or 3T-GTE engine (common swap 1.8ltre twinspark turbo)
dont be afraid to call and suss it out.
grab a $30 haynes manual, a ok quality socket set, some screwdrivers, and some spanners and your ready to work on your celica, in fact all u will need to work on the entire car is a
8mm 10mm 12mm 14mm 17mm 19mm 21mm spanner and socket 
hope this helps
[Updated on: Mon, 12 January 2004 21:53]
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Location:
Lost in the K hole
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Mon, 12 January 2004 23:35
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in fact all u will need to work on the entire car is a
8mm 10mm 12mm 14mm 17mm 19mm 21mm spanner and socket
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quite seriously, rob, is this your favourite toyota tech tip!!?? 
anyway... welcome, and thanks for not asking about how to import/drift/smash a JDM ae86.
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Toymods Social Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
July 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Mon, 12 January 2004 23:53
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gday and welcome mate!
my first RA28 is the first car that i really started getting my hands dirty on, and it really has got me hooked into cars, esp old toyotas. For a first car they are awesome to learn on, cheap enough to keep running (no the cheapest tho) and yes, very easy to work on. Since my first RA28 i have bought another RA28, a KE50 and an AE71.... which i have done all the work on myself (short of rego and wheel alignments etc)
For a first car, find yourself a cheapish RA23, RA28 or TA22 - there are enough out there to find yourself one with a decent body and ok mechanicals. The main problems we all have wiht ours that arent easily fixed is rust and body condition. BE VERY CAREFUL of rust when purchasing. Engine and other mechanical conditions are helpful if good, but not a major problem if bad.... engine swaps are a half day joB!
Anyway, welcome to the forums! HAve a read around, check out what some people have done with their celicas in the members rides section, and if you're a sydney boy... JOIN THE CLUB! Its the best way to meet likeminded people who can offer advice and share your love of a good toyota.
and thanks for reading up before posting - we really appreciate it!
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Location:
sunny coast, qld
Registered:
October 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Mon, 12 January 2004 23:58
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and a jack 
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Location:
Northwestern Sydney
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 00:03
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Rob You'll need a pesky 16mm as well,
personally anything I know about Cars comes from firstly having a ago then researching on this site and asking questions.
the TA/RA old skool Celicas are very easy to service and I even did the 18R-C (stock 2lt) to 18R-GEU conversion (2lt EFI) myself with really nothing more than the $30 service manual and my tools then asked a few questions and had her on the road in 2 weeks working by myself.
The Celicas are a little like leggo to play with and easy to get parts for and there are a lot of options as far as engine conversions, brake upgrades etc. You just have to not mind getting dirty and you're on the right track.
And they look Sex
Welcome to the forums there is an absolute wealth of information contained in these pages if you're not afraid to use the search function.
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Location:
c'town, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 02:09
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| Lambolica wrote on Tue, 13 January 2004 11:03 |
Rob You'll need a pesky 16mm as well,
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i dont think so man, sounds like u have level 2 drift spec after market weight reduction bolts to me 
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 02:13
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| rob_RA40 wrote on Tue, 13 January 2004 07:51 |
1 - the owner might not have a clue, and could possibly be a TA23 with a 2T-G or 3T-C engine
2 - its an RA23 with a 3T-C (why would ya)
3 - or 3T-GTE engine (common swap 1.8ltre twinspark turbo)
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Or more likely:
4 - the owner doesn't have a clue, saw "18R" on the engine, and assumed that means it's a 1.8 litre. I've come across plenty of people (usually Nissan types) who fall into this trap.
Yet another thumbs-up for old-school Celicas here. My first 3 cars were Celicas (TA22, TA22, RA23) and I learned everything working on them, starting with practically no knowledge of cars. They're piss-easy to work on and a great way to learn. You'll also find the mechanicals are damn near bullet-proof, but as mentioned above even if they're shagged it's easy to take care of.
Witzl is right on the money, check the condition of the body VERY carefully. It's easy to fix/replace a shagged engine, but it's bloody hard (and expensive) to fix rust or bodgy smash repairs, both of which are sadly very common on old Celicas.
Anyway good luck and enjoy!
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 02:22
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I have to agree, with everyone about Old school celicas.
Easy as to work and and perfect to learn with.
I started learning now at 23 and find it very easy - so far I've not had to refer to a workshop manual from the help I've gotten here.
in short ask lots of questions here -- many many helpful people
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Location:
Northwestern Sydney
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 03:37
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| rob_RA40 wrote on Tue, 13 January 2004 13:09 |
| Lambolica wrote on Tue, 13 January 2004 11:03 |
Rob You'll need a pesky 16mm as well,
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i dont think so man, sounds like u have level 2 drift spec after market weight reduction bolts to me
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Oh I've got a drift spec RA28 Siiiiiiiiiiiik 
the previous owner must have replace 2 of the bolts in the bellhousing with 16mm then.
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Location:
Colac, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 08:38
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you forgot a screwdriver or three , a shifter spanner , and a roll of elecrical tape
And a packet of cable ties 
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 08:49
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to give you an idea for insurance... at 19 years of age, when I bought my 1984 celica, shannons charged me $290 for 3PP, and $470 for full comprehensive, valued at $4500. My mods were a pod filter and an exhaust system.
and yeah, as long as you have some common sense and basic mechanical aptitude, that combined with the help of the forums is enough to get just about anything done
As for not understanding what we're talking about... ask! When I first came on years ago, I was confused by difficult words, such as camber, toe-in, and all the abbreviations (fmic).
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Location:
Epping, Sydney.
Registered:
January 2004
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 14:48
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re insurance... them's the breaks for young people in nsw... your insurance quickly becomes more expensive than your car.
good body means relatively straight (no dents/panel damage), and no rust. dents can be relatively cheap to repair, rust is not.
exhausts do improve your performance, but most of the gains are made close to the engine... so all the ricers out there with tips are making no improvement at all, and cat-back exhausts make minimal improvement. A good set of extractors will make a lot more difference.
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Location:
c'town, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Tue, 13 January 2004 23:57
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1. The standard engines (2T and 18R-C) are very robust and will cop huge amounts of abuse without complaining, but they're not good performance engines hence the negative comments. Don't wait for a car to show up with a decent engine already installed; a 2T-G or 18R-G swap can be done later if that's what you want, and it's very easy to do.
2. Interior quality is average for a car of that era, but given their age you can't expect them to be in top condition. It's amazing what you can do with a new moulded carpet and a decent set of seat covers though! And yes the back seat is a bit useless for anything more than storage.
3. Can't help you there...
4. Yes, good body means no rust (or minimal rust if you can't find a rust-free example) with no bodgy panel repairs from previous accidents. You should get it checked out by someone qualified if you're not sure what to look for.
5. A well-designed exhaust system will improve performance, but most people are just interested in making noise. A noisy exhaust does not always mean it's good, but a good performance exhaust is always going to be louder than stock. It doesn't have to be excessive though.
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Location:
Northwestern Sydney
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Wed, 14 January 2004 00:22
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Don't wait for a modded car, I've come across a few starndard Celicas whilst looking and found several that are owned by elderly people and have been garaged most of their lives.
The one I bourght most recently was off the second owner and he had the vehicle for over 18 years. was more than happy to tell me the complete history of the vehicle (accidents, mods, replaced parts and a few tips) but the car is (body wise) in near perfect nic. which I picked up for $1000.
You estimation on the rego costs is pretty accurate and on the cheaper side for a "young driver"
as for the standard motors they are reliable to a fault but are really a waste of time to modify to get any real power out of them. Keep an eye out on the forums you'll see 18R-geu's (EFI 2Lt) come up for sale regularly for a simple upgrade.
The back seats are *tight* but I'm 6'4" and there is plenty of room in the front for me, and thats what counts. the interiors in general are rather good for a 25+ year old car just a few of the panels tend to be non existant due to sun damage and consiquently are near impossible to find, but a replacement can be made rather easly.
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Location:
Epping, Sydney.
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Wed, 14 January 2004 11:30
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thanks for the great response guys.
Just another question. When someone says an engine has been reconditioned what exactely does this mean? Have the engine parts been replaced with new ones or what?
cheers.
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Location:
Northwestern Sydney
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: new member questions (re.old school celica)
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Wed, 14 January 2004 21:52
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Usually a reco engine is freshened up by
1. slight bore out of block
2 new piston rings (maybe pistons)
3 all the valves are set to standard factory spec
4 all bearings replaced
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