Gogo's Tent, Got a motor. Lots of work to do. Options

[H8TRAIN]

Latest Update: Engine bay ready. Looking for an engine.

Update: Got engine out. Must be beginners luck.

Gogo has a tent.





It's not much but I'm lucky Gogo even has a tent. By this stage in my life I probably could have a garage with an S2000 or a restored 300ZX in it. But I don't. Life's not a fairytale and we don't always get what we want. I've never had a garage of my own. One day I will. But I'm tired of waiting for that day to stop talking cars and start doing cars.

As luck would have it, I currently have access to a sideyard! It's not too level but it's paved. And there's a small toolshed. I can put a damn tent up, scatter some tools about and it'll be like a garage. Close enough, anyway.

So all I needed was a car to start on. I chose a Toyota Celica because it was in Sega Rally Championship back in 1995 when things were good. I found one only 100 miles away with a freshly blown motor. I rented a car dolly and towed it home. This the first time I have ever dragged a car behind a truck. I was nervous about every step of it because I had never done it. After learning that is quite impossible to back up a tow dolly, my friends helped me push the Celica up and into the sideyard.







It's a 95 5spd GT. I named it Gogo. And put up a harbor freight portable garage - I like to call it a tent - over Gogo.







I have never changed an axle. I have never changed a clutch. I have never inspected a distributor. Never used a timing lite, or a bearing puller. I am a complete novice mechanic. I hate that. The point of this project is to change that. It's working already. For example: I didn't know what a wiring harness was or what one looked like. That changed quickly on Friday when I ripped the ugly mother****er out with my own two hands. Now I know.




6GC, I'm very impressed with your knowledge and your community. I joined the site because I want help. Me and Gogo both want your help.




This post has been edited by H8TRAIN: Jan 20, 2014 - 10:50 PM

[H8TRAIN]

The podcast was very helpful. See, the guy who helped me pull it out was not a mechanic. He moves sculptures for a living. So he had a laugh when I was concerned about hoisting a mere 500 pounds. Slant of the ground and lack of space and everything, he was like "No Problem".

I set up the chain on the hooks exactly like you described and he was skeptical of what he called "the pick". When I got out the jack to use for underneath he realized what was going to happen and he admitted "that's the right pick". 4-5 links on front side, 14-15 on the tranny side, just like you said. That first couple episodes of the podcast are weirdly timely and convenient for me to find.

By the way! At the end of the first episode you suggest that the cheapest, easiest worthwile swap is a 3rd gen 3sge. You when thru it kind of quickly I think you said , and I'm paraphrasing here: "badda bing badda boom and it's done.". Anyhow, that sounded very interesting to me so I went off to research it and I can't find anything! Is it so simple that there's nothing to explain? I broke down and asked for a link. SwissFerdi came up with a very good thread about the 3rd gen ge swap but does not yet cover getting the motor in and running. I know it's a matter of re-pinning a few wires and that's all. Just can't find the info. If I end up doing it I'll make sure to make a guide and give back. With good pictures not that junk I have up there. That's if I end up doing 3sge. My options are wide open. Tell you what, I'll contribute back something to the knowledge of the site no matter what motor I get.