Celica Gt4 or Celica Gt4 Conversion? Options

[pentathlete5]

Im new to this site.
Im wondering if i can find any gt4 or all trac around where i live (Boston, Massachusetts) or will it be easier to just convert a normal celica to a gt4.
If it is possible to convert Will it even work because i don't know if the st205 gt4 came wide body, so if i take everything from a gt4 (for example) will it fit a gt liftback of the same model year. Because then i can just do that find all the exterior pieces buy the motor, tranny etc. and just put it into a gt lift back. I do want it awd i want it exactly the same (mechanically) but if i cant have the extroir exact that's fine.






Comment Please.

[mkernz22]

I'll start it off with a little info for you. There are no GT4 in the US that are a 6th gen (you can find GT4 5th gen's though). Everything from a GT4 will go right onto the GT, but as you can figure, it will require some modifications, especially the th AWD part of it.

[JuMPiiN]

10,000..... and yuou have it boom.

OR

Spend 18,000 to import and legalize.

[mkernz22]

Almost forgot, you could just have it cut it half overseas, get it shipped here, reassemble it, and register it as a kit car

[richee3]

I'll answer this as simply as possible. No, no, and no.

No, you cannot find a 94-99 GT4 in the United States. No, you cannot easily convert a normal Celica into a GT4. And no, you can't just "drop in" the pieces for AWD. You can't make a FWD Celica into an AWD Celica any easier than you can turn a '94-'99 Camry or Corolla or any other FWD Toyota into an AWD car. You are basically making your own AWD car. The motor bolts right into the engine bay, but after that, you're on your own.

Do a search for the member "pipes." He did an AWD conversion on his car. It's no walk in the park.

As Jumpiin said, your options are to spend $10,000 on a $2,000 car and do it yourself, spend who knows how much to have somebody else do it for you, or spend nearly $20,000 or more to have one imported. And having one imported will not be legal.

[chacha]

Move to Canada...for 2 years, buy one for 10,000. drive back and store it until 2020 and maybe register it.

[delusionz]

how come you cant just import the car whole and register it as a kit car? and then just put on some emission crap from your US GT? or from a UK GT4?

what would the engineer fail the car on?

[mkernz22]

You can just register it as a kit car, but I believe you cannot import the car as a whole, you have to have it semi cut up, imported, and then reassemble it

[delusionz]

but how is there any difference? whats say you bought a rolling shell? then piece by piece put the interior back in? or hell even if u cut it in half and put it back together in the states, how is the engineer gonna even tell who welded what where??

is someone at customs really gonna see a whole car and send it back because its not in pieces? if u can get around that by saying u need the whole car for parts.. and just say u need the shell in 1 piece??

[mgnt232]

Get yourself alot of money lol And alot of time.
get your self a celica GT and drop in a 3stge engine (still will cost you a pretty penny) Still being fwd but very very powerful, im sure you could just deal with that
I also talked to jim a few months back at the NJ meet (keep in mind hes like a celica genius lol) and he said the awd stuff really wasnt as hard as people make it out to be. he also has all the parts needed and can get his hands on any parts missing that would be very hard for some to get ahold of.

[richee3]

but how is there any difference? whats say you bought a rolling shell? then piece by piece put the interior back in? or hell even if u cut it in half and put it back together in the states, how is the engineer gonna even tell who welded what where??

is someone at customs really gonna see a whole car and send it back because its not in pieces? if u can get around that by saying u need the whole car for parts.. and just say u need the shell in 1 piece??

It depends on where you live. A lot of states do inspections, and some of them are very thorough. Where I live, there are no inspections at all. I just drive a car and as long as I had the title to a USDM Celica, I would never get in trouble. I wouldn't even have to VIN swap. The insurance companies will never check, police will never check, and nobody else will ever have any desire to check.

The big thing about GT4's being illegal in the US is that there were no crash tests done. So our government assumes that if you get in a wreck, it will look something like this:



This post has been edited by richee3: Dec 25, 2010 - 7:47 PM

[chacha]

hahaha...in california....no EGR....NO SERVICE... fail and can't reg.

This post has been edited by chacha: Dec 25, 2010 - 7:58 PM

[Malek]

I laughed ^^ haha

[mkernz22]

This can also help you with you questions you may have: (not trying to be an a$$)


This post has been edited by mkernz22: Dec 25, 2010 - 11:19 PM

[delusionz]

Oh well, Any way you look at it, you have to be nuts about the celica to own a gt4. the upkeep is way too expensive even though the parts are readily available where i live...

imagine not having the parts available in your country... for example..

your local bearing shop may produce the right size wheel bearings for a st205 gt4 but wont have the corrosponding part number reference

the ball joints in the superstrut arms cant be pressed out and replaced, every time you have to replace the whole arm, you'll have to import the arms from toyota japan

wheel bearings and superstrut arms tend to last about 80,000 miles

thats just 2 examples, theres alot more things than that.

[pentathlete5]

SO i can drop almost everything into a usdm gt celica (extrior and motor) But the hard part is going to be making the fwd into a awd car.... Am i right?

Alost the usdm gt celicas come wit 5sfe wouldnt i have to cut n weld motor mounts?

For the 3sgte motor to fit in?

[mkernz22]

SO i can drop almost everything into a usdm gt celica (extrior and motor) But the hard part is going to be making the fwd into a awd car.... Am i right?

Alost the usdm gt celicas come wit 5sfe wouldnt i have to cut n weld motor mounts?

For the 3sgte motor to fit in?

If you don't do a RHD swap, you will have to extend the engine wiring harness because it is too short for the LHD setup.
There is a guy on here that will do it for a fee, or you can do it yourself if you know what your doing and you have the balls haha

As for the engine, it's a complete drop and bolt down when it comes to the motor mounts. They line up exactly the same.

[pentathlete5]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO So Everything is a bolt up.
So what happens with the awd set up some guy in toyotaownersclub told me imma have to cut n weld some of the back is that true?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO So Everything is a bolt up (im going to leave it LHD).
So what happens with the awd set up some guy in toyotaownersclub told me imma have to cut n weld some of the back is that true?

[richee3]

No, everything is NOT bolt-up. It isn't that simple. Read, young grasshopper, read. The motor alone will bolt up. Nothing else will. The wiring harness needs work. You will either have to extend it or else cut a new hole in your firewall. You cannot use the AWD transmission if you stay FWD.

If you go AWD, you are in for a huge nightmare. You will have to custom fabricate almost everything for the rear end. That means precise measuring, cutting, welding, etc. It's not as simple as unbolting some pieces from one car and bolting them to yours.

[Ted95]

SO i can drop almost everything into a usdm gt celica (extrior and motor) But the hard part is going to be making the fwd into a awd car.... Am i right?

Alost the usdm gt celicas come wit 5sfe wouldnt i have to cut n weld motor mounts?

For the 3sgte motor to fit in?

If you don't do a RHD swap, you will have to extend the engine wiring harness because it is too short for the LHD setup.
There is a guy on here that will do it for a fee, or you can do it yourself if you know what your doing and you have the balls haha

As for the engine, it's a complete drop and bolt down when it comes to the motor mounts. They line up exactly the same.

you dont HAVE to extend the harness, you can cut a hole in the firewall and run the harness through. thats what im doing and thats what dustin did too.