1997 ST - The Bushmobile Options

[Bushmatic]

Just put some money down on a red 1997 Celica... I'll be bringing it home on a trailer this weekend, don't even have it yet. But I'll be updating this thread with little things that I do to it. For now, here are the pictures ripped directly from the Craigslist ad:











This post has been edited by Bushmatic: Jul 30, 2018 - 12:06 AM

[njccmd2002]

Clean celica

[cheela]

welcome! yeah that looks like a really clean celi.

[Bushmatic]

Spent a few hours looking at engine swap write-ups and other sources of "inspiration" for this car. Unfortunately, I don't have thousands of dollars to put toward a clip from Japan (I barely even have hundreds), so for now, I'll stick to fixing what I can and investing in some cheap winter wheels from Craigslist. From the brief test drive I did before buying, the car felt very underpowered (it's just the ST), which isn't a huge deal, since I loved the aesthetics of the car so much. Below is a list of small issues that aren't working or otherwise need to be addressed. Please chime in if you have any constructive input about any of them!

Tachometer
Needle doesn't move at all, at any time. After some google-fu, seems like the common point of failure in these tachs is the internal capacitors. I've already ordered a cheap set of 20 new ones from Amazon and plan to solder these in immediately. If that doesn't fix the issue, then I'll have to try something else. Anyone have a link to a write-up for the capacitor fix? Namely, taking the cluster out of the dash and taking it apart? I found a couple youtube videos, but for me, nothing beats a written step-by-step guide with plenty of pictures. There seems to be a link to some "master guide" going around in some online forums, but the link is dead, so I am lost. I probably just need to search a little harder on here.

Sunroof (moonroof?)
The motor whirs when the button is pressed, but nothing happens. It's like the motor isn't connected to the sunroof. The seller said something along the lines of, "maybe the sunroof broke at one point and the previous owner just dropped in a stationary one." Not sure how plausible this is, but how would I even find out if this is or is not the case? Never tore apart a sunroof before. Not the biggest issue to me because I would rarely use it anyway, but I enjoy having every little piece of my car in working condition. Would love to solve this problem without dropping the headliner if at all possible.

Squeaking pulley at startup
When starting the car, and sometimes briefly when driving, there is some loud pulley noise. Owner isn't exactly sure which pulley it is, but his theory is that it is due to water dripping onto the alternator pulley from the hood vent opening (it is an aftermarket carbon fiber hood; you can kind of tell from the photos). The engine runs fine and doesn't leak or stall or anything, but this would be a nice thing to fix before winter. Alternator and belt were recently replaced--can I replace just the alternator pulley? Anybody dealt with this issue successfully?

Drum brakes
I'm listing this as a problem because I hate drum brakes! The rear brakes are drum-style, and I would love to invest in a disc brake conversion. Found a few guides on here, but I don't believe they are exactly what I am looking for--they are more geared towards big brake upgrades, rather than the actual conversion from drum to disc brakes. Any guidance appreciated here.

Peeling paint and various bodywork
The paint is not adhering to the carbon fiber hood very well, and it is peeling pretty bad in spots. I'd like to strip the paint off completely, and just deal with the "ricer" look (and potentially re-paint it in the future) rather than a patchy hood. Have googled around for a good way to strip carbon fiber, and it seems like my best option is fiberglass paint remover, along with some wet sanding and new clearcoat. Also, there is a rust patch forming directly on the third brake light on the hatch lid, right above the Toyota emblem. I will likely take the car to a body shop and pay them to sand it down, fill it, paint it, do whatever.

Stereo system
Haven't listened to the radio yet, but I assume the stock sound system is less than stellar. I have a Boss subwoofer and amplifier in my garage that I may wire into this car, but first I would have to install an aftermarket head unit. I'll poke around the audio subforum and see what kind of options are available. I've seen lots of interior photos where the cassette deck is replaced by a new head unit, so I'm hopeful.

Styling
I think the car looks great as is, but I wouldn't mind picking up some body pieces on the cheap if I can find them. Namely the GT4 spoiler, I love how big and ridiculous it would be, especially on my 100 HP car. Also want some side skirts and a front lip to give some aggressiveness to the car. I've also looked, heavily, into the JDM exterior lights, but these are hella expensive. If I did these, I would probably only do the clear high beams. The JDM projector low beams are simply too expensive for my budget....but I really wouldn't mind finding a used set (hint). JDM taillights seem nicely priced, but the "effect" they would have on the overall appearance of the car would be minimal compared to some other items, so these are low on my list.

Wheels
As you can see, the car comes with some nice aftermarket wheels in mint condition. However, they really are NOT my style. I am willing to trade, if anyone has any they'd be willing to part with. These wheels are 17", and I would ideally replace them with 18's. My tastes lean more toward wheels with wider spokes and a more silver or even white finish. I also like mesh/retro BBS style ones. Basically, I like a cleaner, more OEM-inspired look. I don't mind repros, as long as they look good. At some point, maybe I'll make a new thread in the classifieds, who knows. But our bolt pattern is super common, so I doubt I'll have problems finding a new set.

[Box]

Welcome! Every time I see a Renaissance Red Celica I get slightly nostalgic.

[ClevelandGaint]

Welcome, once you get one your bound to get others

[Bushmatic]

I just tried to post 3 times but the posts are not showing up. I have the post saved (it's pretty long) so I don't have to retype it each time. Am I getting marked as spam or something? But anyway, thanks everyone! Hope this post goes through

[cheela]

I just tried to post 3 times but the posts are not showing up. I have the post saved (it's pretty long) so I don't have to retype it each time. Am I getting marked as spam or something? But anyway, thanks everyone! Hope this post goes through

new members are required to have their posts got through admin approval for a bit. lots of spam recently and hey this site is free so no worries, just keep posting, as long as its not gucchi purses, it'll show within the day or so.

[cheela]

as for your other questions:

tachometer: http://www.6gc.net/howto/change_gauge_cluster_light_color
this should give you access to take a look and see what's wrong. I'm not much help there. sorry

sunroof: you're probalby gonna have to take the headliner off. but here's a good how to
http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=90205&hl=

alternator pulley: it's simple on the 7afe. 3 bolts (pivot bolt, locking bolt and adjusting bolt) all right in front of you then slide the belt off and put the new one on.

drum brakes: yeah they suck. I have an ST as well. still stuck with the drums. u can do a GT conversion fairly easily. just a matter of finding all the parts from a GT to bolt on to yours.

paint: paint looks good. can't really tell from the pics. haven't really looked into paint removal on CF hoods though.

as for aesthetics, that's all up to you. I love the look of OEM/JDM/TRD bits. I do recommend JDM headlights and tails. They really freshen up the look of our cars. and if u like subtle lips, I would look into the SS-III splitters or a TOMs lips like I got.

[Bushmatic]

Wow, my long post showed up. If an admin sees this, please don't approve my other posts that are almost exactly the same!

But hey thanks for the remarks. Not a lot I can do at this point (picking up the car Friday afternoon), but mental preparation is always nice. Your body kit is probably exactly what I would ideally do with my car, even the rear spoiler. I probably wouldn't do the yellow light tints with a red car, but it looks awesome on yours!

[Box]

Here's a writeup on drums to discs: http://www.6gc.net/howto/convert_rear_drums_to_discs

As far as pulley noise goes you should be able to isolate it with a really long screwdriver by placing it onto the alternator body then power steering pump etc... with the end of the handle up against your ear.

The moonroof could be a snapped cable which is why the motor seems to work but nothing happens.

The ST is a good daily, I was able to get 36-40 mpg out of mine but I drive like an old man. Really the best thing you can do performance wise outside of an engine swap is to focus on suspension and pair that with some good summer tires and good o.e. replacement performance rotors and pads. Another thing I and many find to help the driving experience is to install a short throw shifter, fairly inexpensive and easy to do.

[bryanf]

Here is my writeup on the brake conversion:

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=96500

I do recommend the complete GT brake setup including fronts, rears, and prop valve. Find the right car in a junkyard and it's not an expensive swap.

[Bushmatic]

Here's a writeup on drums to discs: http://www.6gc.net/howto/convert_rear_drums_to_discs

As far as pulley noise goes you should be able to isolate it with a really long screwdriver by placing it onto the alternator body then power steering pump etc... with the end of the handle up against your ear.

The moonroof could be a snapped cable which is why the motor seems to work but nothing happens.

The ST is a good daily, I was able to get 36-40 mpg out of mine but I drive like an old man. Really the best thing you can do performance wise outside of an engine swap is to focus on suspension and pair that with some good summer tires and good o.e. replacement performance rotors and pads. Another thing I and many find to help the driving experience is to install a short throw shifter, fairly inexpensive and easy to do.

Yeah I just found the information section of this site, there's some really good stuff on here! Already buying a set of Euro front splitters from a member who lives in the next city over from me. I'll look into short throw shifters too.

A couple more things I remember about the car:

Center dash bezel/trim
The interior of the car is amazing, almost 100% flawless. It's awesome sitting inside. However, there is one eyesore, and it is a missing chunk from the bottom corner of the dash bezel, right below the climate controls and tape deck. I'll post pictures of this missing chunk when I get the car, but I guess I'll just look into replacing the whole dash trim piece.

No tension in seat belt
Driver's seat belt just hangs loose. Will look into new seat belt tensioners. Is this hard to replace or relatively straightforward? Or should I go DIRECTLY to racing seats with a full 6-point harness?

No cruise control
I will look into what is required to install this. If it's more trouble than it's worth, I can live without it. I just do a lot of highway driving so it's one of those quality of life things.

[Smaay]

Sounds like you should have not bought this car. Its loaded with things you dont like

[ClevelandGaint]

You can go on eBay and purchase a 7th gen celica short throw shifter, cheaper and works.

[Box]

You can go on eBay and purchase a 7th gen celica short throw shifter, cheaper and works.

Yup, I ended up with a Megan Racing one for a 7th gen on super clearance sale. A solid aluminum knob in addition would help as well, get some momentum going between shifts.

[Bushmatic]

Sounds like you should have not bought this car. Its loaded with things you dont like

It just sounds that way because I never typed up a list of things I like about the car--because what would that achieve?? I like buying imperfect cars, because then the only direction to go is up. I go crazy if I don't have a car-related project to work on, even if it's something small like looking for a specific part online. And I got the car for pretty cheap, so even if it turns out to be the worst car in the entire world and I hate it, I'll just put it up for sale again. The reason I was in the market for a new car in the first place was because a young woman totaled my previous car while it was parked. My budget for a new vehicle was whatever the insurance company decided to give me, which was.... not a lot. I'm using it as an opportunity to try out something new. Celica reviews are amazing everywhere I looked online, so I'm giving it a shot.

You can go on eBay and purchase a 7th gen celica short throw shifter, cheaper and works.

Yup, I ended up with a Megan Racing one for a 7th gen on super clearance sale. A solid aluminum knob in addition would help as well, get some momentum going between shifts.

I'll hit up ebay and take a look... I think I'll try and get used to the stock one before diving into a short throw shifter. But I really can't do anything meaningful until Friday

[Csober]

Nice to see pictures of it, and was good to meet you yesterday. Should have let me know, I have a short throw shifter i am not using..

[Bushmatic]

Got her home today, it was a nice drive! It's a really great car, a bit underpowered but no complaints apart from that. The key fob is pretty busted and doesn't work at all, is a new fob only available at a dealer? Also, the key barrel in the driver's door is jammed or something, so I have to unlock the car by putting my key in the passenger door, which is kind of inconvenient. A fob would solve this problem, but if that's too expensive or impossible for some reason, I'll need to fix or replace the driver door handle/lock barrel. Another dealer-only fix or what?

Anyway, here are some relevant pictures I took today. The red paint looks amazing in this light. I included a pic of the dealer options the car came with, never heard of some of them on this forum so I'm not sure how cool or rare they actually are, but nice to know regardless. Interestingly, it came with a burlwood dash, but a PO swapped to a flat silver dash at some point.

[Box]

You could try using some Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster in the key barrel, could be corroded/rusted inside. After letting it sit for awhile I'd blast it again and try working the key in and out before trying to turn it.

My ST had the mudguards, also had the optional alloy 14" rims and moonroof. It was a '95 though.