6G Celicas Forums

I am a new member here, so i wanted to make an introduction thread and tell you a little about myself and my newest Celica. I am 32 years old and live in Rapid City, South Dakota. I just hitchhiked 400miles and picked up a 1999 GT convertible. I bought a 99 GT brand new in 98 on the same day I bought the engagement ring for my ex wife. I shoulda get the car and got rid of the woman, but it's all good because I finally got another one and this one has alot more headroom. The car is in amazing condition for a 10yr old car in South Dakota, especially considering it has 224K+ miles.

I drove it home last night and made it 390 miles before the gas light even came on. The car drove and rode great. It is not as fast as my Solstice GXP was, but that's not what I bought this car for either. I did have one hiccup when I got off the highway, it stalled when I stopped at the end of the exit ramp. It fired right up and didn't have any problems at all today. Maybe somebody could give me some hints to what that might be.

The car will be more of a daily driver, road trip vehicle, and may have some spirited driving through the hills. So i am not planning on any engine upgrades at the moment. I like reliable vehicles. I will however be tinting the windows, suspension upgrade, and get some 17's underneath it.

I need upgrade the speakers even though i love the way it sounds. At low volumes you can hear some crackling from deteriorating surounds. I don't remember my old one having this much bass either.

The windshield has one small rock chip. The interior is perfect except for the drivers door panel fabric came loose at some time and somebody did a ****ty job glueing it back on. The Top is in Perfect condition with ZERO rips, tears, holes, burns, or even fading and the motor works great. The drivers sunvisor has a punture from the top lock mechanism, and the driverside window makes a rubbing noise with it gets almost all the way up. The paint still has a nice shine, it has a few small rock chips on the hood. The front passenger fender has a tiny rub mark that should buff out, and the passenger rear quarter has 3 small door dings that are only visible in certain light and at certain angles. The trunk release works, but it doesnt actually open unless you lift it up while popping the trunk. Last but I am sure not least, the power antenna goes up but not all the way back down. I think all in all these are very minor problems and most of them are easy and cheaply fixed.

I will eventually do some searching and get to fixing those minor things, so if you know of anything I can do to fix any of it just let me know.

Here are some things I will be looking for as well...

HID hi and low beams, possibly even fogs
Lowering kit
17" wheels and tires
Leather seats(I would like to get Katzkin to make me some suede ones)
Stubby antenna

















This post has been edited by Con99vert: Aug 27, 2009 - 1:07 AM

Auto. Booo

welcome, first thing you need is to change that radiator. before it cracks. Importrp.com has some good rads.

that rear window will need attention too, before it cracks the plastic bushings. 224k, did they ever turn off the car? jeez.

convertibles are fun, but difficult to take care of, parts are getting scarce.

i did not realize your sig, i have to chech out my asc ##

The rear window was replaced recently. Where are the radiators cracking and what is the cause? I am trying to get copies of all of the service records from the dealership now.

My ASC number was in the driver's door hinge area.

This post has been edited by Con99vert: Aug 27, 2009 - 11:04 AM

Psssh. Don't knock the auto. I try to think of it as more of a "luxury" as opposed to a 5-speed which is more the fun or racing style.

the radiators tend to crack whenthey look brown, a couple of members were left stranded. I just replaced it.

224K in 10 years is insane lol How much did you get the car for?

How much do you think it is worth? I think I did ok on the price.

High miles in South Dakota is pretty common. Especially on economy cars. It is nearly 400 miles between out 2 largest cities. Many people drive 50+miles each day for work, plus there are awesome places to cruise twisty winding hills.

My first 99GT was an auto and I purchased it in order to have something sporty with a smaller chance of getting into trouble around town. But now, I bought an auto because I am getting old, fat, and lazy. sure a stick would be more fun, but this is more intended for daily running around and Trips to Phoenix that are 1330 miles each direction.

I will have to do something about the radiator if that really is a known problem. Thanks for the tip. That is the exact kind of help I signed up for.

welcome.....nice ride!!

My rad has looked brownish on the top for 3 years. It seems to keep going. I'm not sure I would go with the whole if it's brown, it's toast thing. Perhaps it's getting old, but mine is 3 years older than yours. Perhaps all those extra miles on it can age it faster? I don't know.

Hey, welcome to the site. You're in a great place to learn about the little things that might need tending to on a car with that many miles. It's still running great, I presume? Since you say you plan on driving it to Phoenix. Sounds like it's been taken care of! The only thing I would do different if I were you is I wouldn't get HID's in the high beams or fogs since they have to warm up and they are fairly sensitive to being switched on and off like that. Otherwise, it sounds like this car is in good hands!

Welcome! Your car looks great - like a very clean foundation. Being a Toyota, the mileage isn't really as scary as it would be if it were, say... oh I don't know, anything else.

My '94 has its original, now greenish brown, 251k miles radiator. Nary a crack to be found. Granted I don't want to wait for it to crack, but on the other hand, why fix what ain't broke? However, having the harsh winters you have there, and pretty hot summers if I recall correctly, I think in your case I'd start shopping around for a radiator once you've got all the tune-up type of things taken care of. Depends on your cash flow at the moment of course... and of course, you're still gonna need gas money for that road trip you're heading out on. Just don't forget to get AAA to be safe. Search KOYO for a high quality aftermarket radiator. Nice upgrade, not too much $$ compared to stock OEM replacement as far as I know.

As for HIDs on the high beams and/or fogs, I'd definitely forgo them on the fogs unless you run them a lot, and on the highs, assuming you live in a fairly remote town and drive a lot at night, I'd get 'em if I lived in SD. If you actually do live in Rapid City, then there's street lights, and I wouldn't worry so much about getting them on your high beams. Silver Stars should be more than adequate when combined with HIDs on your low beams.

You say NOW that you're just looking at minor mods... you just wait. I think most of us started at that point

Here's some quick tips/sources:

I can hook you up with those, I sell them on the site. They're great quality but not the cheapest you can get 'em for. Just the least I can offer them for.

Eibach Sportlines; you can find them on eBay, or any respectable performance shop on line. Expect to pay about $200 for all 4 springs, plus about $160 for shocks/struts - you'll want to consider KYB GR2s or Billsteins for good quality "budget" shocks. If $ is no object, then search the site for "coilovers". Expect to pay about $1500 for them.

http://www.tirerack.com is a GREAT source. Most local places (America's Tire/Discount Tire) will price-match them, too. Saves on shipping. LOTS of tire opinions on this site, just search the site... General consensus is 225/45r17 is the best spec for 17" (I agree!)

looks like you're on that already!

Search the site for S2000 antenna mod

Teins are a bit cheaper than Eibach, and it works well for me with KYB shocks.

Thanks, I am not worried about the mileage at all. Engine swaps are cheap and easy.

I am going with HID in all three because of all of the driving i do at night. I like to see the deer from a distance, not up close and personal. I also drive to Phoenix, Vegas, Denver, and North Dakota regularly so all the extra lighting I can get is helpful when I am in the middle of nowhere.

I have got the a point in my life where I don't spend the kind of money I used to on mods. $10k on just a paintjob never got a second thought before. Most mods I would do these days would be out of convenience or necessity, rather than just because it's cool to other people.

As far as rims go, I will probably buy a used set from somebody who is upgrading to something else. Same thing with the springs or coilovers. For now I may just powdercoat the stock wheels when I get to Arizona in a couple weeks.

I have already read the S2000 antenna mod and quit honestly it looks ok, but is just some ghetto crap somebody cobbled together. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it was soldered together rather than superglued.

Yes, the car runs great! I just drove it 400 miles home without stopping and had no problems. It should do just fine going to AZ. My normal roadtrip car is a 95 Sentra so this should be much more reliable.

Congrats on the car! Boo on the auto indeed, but at least you have a 5S-FE.

My radiator is just about the same color...would cooling issues be a sign of a need to replace it?

No, cooling issues are more likely a sign that you need to either replace your radiator cap, thermostat, or coolant. You'll know when it's time to replace the radiator; the puddle of coolant beneath your parked car will be a clear indicator (unless, of course, you've just burst a hose)

Not boo on the auto - it's a 'vert anyway! I've always thought of the verts as a matter of style over it being a rocketing ball of aerodynamic fluidity. Unless, of course, we're talking about Doc's vert project. . .

I know your pain. I know it all too well.

cool. I got a 98 convertible brand new but I totaled it and I took the bus for 200 miles to buy an used 98 convertible two months later.



mine is a stick shift and I get about 32mpg mostly highway. once in a blue moon my car would stall if I fire it up right after I turn off the engine. seems the computer feeds too little to the engine in idle. but once the car gets moving it never stalls.



the car is reliable. but check the oil level regularly since it seems to burn a quart of oil every 2-3K miles.



the car has the upgraded 8 speaker system. upper bass is overly emphasized. I think that is compensation for open air driving.



the fabric on the front door tend to come loose as the glue underneath dries up. sometimes I just feel like ripping the fabrics off. rear panel door dings I got too. trunk lid does stop popping after awhile, maybe the cylinders dried up.



I got some ultra light 16" enkei and less than a year later I already bent one driving over a pot hole. I drove the stock wheels for 8 years and even though they look crappy they are still straight - and they weight less than the enkei.



looking for leather seats also but dont know any good installer.