6G Celicas Forums

I think I'm catching the Box disease. I've been considering selling my 914 for something else..

If I go MPFI I'd definitely go with the LS or Vortec series. For the time being I'm going to try and salvage what's there. Ended up needing a gallon of ATF to get it back to full... Transmission seems fine though aside from the leak, so that's good. I noticed it seemed to run a consistent 170º again earlier, I've never heard of a stat at that temp so I guess it's a 180º with a hole or two drilled into it. No spark knock or dieseling on 93, so an extra 20º shouldn't make or break it. Especially going to NGK platinum over the Autolite copper...

You're right, I would. It's what everyone else seems to say too.

Hmm.... Sell all the cars and start over.

Nah I'm happy with my Celica and I love my Civic. I'm just not sure about my 914. It looks decent but still needs a lot of work. I don't know when I'll have the money to work on it and if I still have the desire to work on it. I'm just not sure if I would regret selling it. I've thought about getting a miata, 1st gen Celica, AE86, AW11, BMW 2002, or a 240sx.

Just depends on what you're wanting. Only get the Miata if you want or like convertibles. The 240SX really needs swapped or supercharged. The AW11 would be fun in supercharged trim, otherwise I'd think it pretty similar to the 914. The AE86 you run into the super dorifto Intial D tax, and honestly it needs swapped or a turbo kit. The 2002 is a classic, might consider an E30 as well. Depending the stock motor would be sufficient. The 1st gen Celica in liftback form is one of the nicer looking Japanese cars of the time, though it seems they're hard to find and only Japan got the good motors. Another consideration might be the 280ZX. Each have their own thing going for it. If you like muscle cars any of the older domestics would make for a nice change. With already having the Civic it's not like fuel economy really matters. I will say revving the engine and having the car shake never gets old.

Yeah that's what I need to decide. I like the Miata because part of me does want a convertible. Plus they're cheap and aftermarkets parts are cheap too. I need to drive one first to see if I like it. I like the 240sx and probably would eventually swap it but I could enjoy it in stock form for awhile. I'm not really looking for balls out speed, just good looks and great handling. I don't think I want any domestics. I'm still not sure. I just need to weigh my options and see if I want to keep my 914.

I've on and off thought about another Miata myself, maybe actually take the time to tie my hair up and drop the top. That's really the biggest reason behind not liking convertibles, I have to not be going anywhere and just be driving around. Ironically I had intentions of starting to drop the top once Fall rolled around. The 240SX is just meh... and the fact for whatever reason it requires premium. The S13 automatic belts would drive me insane, that and the interior is terribly cheap given the origin and time frame. The S14 improved upon things a good bit, but is only in coupe form. A clean example I'd give a shot, but those are few and far between.

V8's are the only engines I like and will do an exhaust on, everything else keeps OEM exhaust. Throw in a big cam and I giggle like a schoolgirl. It makes for a nice change from the string of imports I've had. It's definitely a different type of driving experience, and each is fun in their own way. One of these days I'll have the money to sink into upgrading all of the suspension or getting something like a RX-7 and throwing in a LS. Kind of get the best of both worlds.

This post has been edited by Box: Jan 19, 2015 - 1:21 AM

Automatic belts would suck but I'm sure there a fix for that. I don't really care about interior quality. I like v8 muscle cars but I prefer the slow car fast kinda thing. I just need to decide what I want and start looking.

Maybe if the JDM or a European version didn't have them. Automatic belts were the answer to delaying the soon mandatory airbag for the U.S. market.

Fast car driven fast is the best though. My thing is it doesn't really matter what the car is since I drive like a sane person on the streets, so I rather have the power to get up to speed without looking like an asshat. There's a wide range of muscle cars to choose from, that's for sure. A lot of the bigger cars can be gotten for good prices at the moment. Something like an older Impala or Grand Prix would make for a cool cruiser/hot rod that you can take all of your friends out in and everyone is comfortable. That or something like a F-body or Mustang for a sportier driving car. To be an old muscle car the Firebird isn't that bad, I was expecting a lumbering floating boat and that really isn't the case. It's no wonder they're so popular as a pro-touring car, with some 17's wrapped in max performance summer tires and a nice coil-over setup I imagine it's quite the handler all things considered. Either way it's a nice change to have a car where I don't have to obsess over trying to make it more powerful, and can focus primarily on suspension and braking. Ironic in a way.

There finally got the order through on Rock Auto for the plugs&wires, thermostat&gasket, radiator cap, fuel tank cap, fuel filter, PCV valve&grommet, oil filler cap, oil pan gasket, transmission pan gasket&filter, and I also picked up an oil filter from Hell-Mart earlier. Think that covers it, everything with the cooling, ignition, and fuel systems that needed immediate addressing. Of course will do the trans seal and cable adjustment all at the same time. Slowly but surely...

Fair enough. I just prefer light nimble cars. There might be a few domestics I'll check out.The only one that comes to mind now is a 70 cutlass.

Shelby Cobra, get all the things! That year Cutlass and Chevelle is my favourite. Can't remember which year Skylark off the top of my head though, but it's around '69-71 as well. Something like the Nova or Ford Maverick is a smaller car. The mid-late 70's Chevrolet Monza/Pontiac Sunbird/Buick Skyhawk/Oldsmobile Starfire isn't too bad looking in liftback form, and they had the 305/350 as an option. They're only about four inches longer than the Celica and weigh around 2,800 pounds so it's about as small and light as you'll get without getting a Corvette, AMX, or some other expensive classic. Of course there's always the Fox-body Mustang if you can stomach the looks.

At least the Monza quadruplets look pretty cool, to be honest I like them and wouldn't mind owning one. The Sunbird even has a mini-Firebird vibe going for it, remove the chrome bumpers for plastic aero and it'd look much better:


This post has been edited by Box: Jan 19, 2015 - 2:52 PM

I'm more of an import guy though. That sunbird is pretty cool but I wonder about the aftermarket for them. I like foxbodies but I don't think I want to own one, they don't seem that special to me. I'm really starting to consider the 240, not sure which year I want. I think I want something a bit more different than a miata so I might rule that out too. That leaves the 240, Celica, AW11, and 2002 left. I need to start researching each.

Fair enough, I like all cars too but muscle cars are my true love. Between what you're thinking about I'd try and find a 1st gen Celica, it seems they're starting to appreciate in value so it'd make for a good investment. Was going to say finding a nice enough 240SX will be hard, but probably no harder than finding a 1st gen Celica at all.

Yeah I think I'll start looking for around for them. I think I'll add that sunbrid in the list too. The more I look at it the more I like it.

Make sure to check out the Monza/Skyhawk/Starfire as well, same car just different cosmetics. They're more a mini-Camaro in appearance. I think they're cool cars, they're about the size and weight of a 280ZX but had a V8 option from the factory. I still say they should've brought them back to put the 3.8 and T5 from the 4th gen F-body into... A car the size and weight of a 240SX with a 200hp V6 in RWD layout from the factory would've been awesome...

I may, I really like the look of the sunbird best though.

Same here, why I posted it. I like the whole mini-Firebird look to it a lot. I bet they're a lot of fun with the V8 and manual. I'd definitely buy one if I found one. Also when I was looking around some it turns out they introduced the rear suspension that the 3rd and 4th gen F-body ended up with, and have the SLA front still. Definitely some potential as a handling car...

Hmm I'm going to look into them. Maybe a domestic wouldn't be a bad thing to own?

Not at all, parts are dirt cheap for a lot of things. Hell the SBC design stayed practically unchanged for almost fifty years and millions of them were made. That and I've actually been impressed with the quality of the Firebird, the second gen is a nice car. Almost everything inside is metal or soft-touch vinyl, only a few trim pieces are actually plastic. It's just a shame they cheaped out on things over time, as the fourth gen's biggest weakness is the Playskool quality interior...that and engine access. Lots of room to work on just about everything with the older cars though. My brother replaced the original starter in his Trans Am this weekend and it took more time to get the car lifted and supported than it took to get the starter out. I think something like the Sunbird would be a good introduction to muscle for you, as it's a small car all things considered and it should handle pretty well for a car of its age. I want to say the Monza was a pretty big success in racing now that I think about it.