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

[richee3]

The Greytop is certainly the cheapest of the BEAMS, and is mechanically identical to the Redtop. However, as I found out the hard way, the wiring harness is the MR2 style instead of the Celica style. Mr220v's wiring services can make the harness work for you but depending on his price you may be just as well off to buy a Redtop to begin with. The Greytop can be brought up to Redtop specs by simply replacing the header with a Redtop header, as the Greytop has a catalytic converter built in. You'll read all over 6gc.net that parts for the BEAMS are impossible to get here in the States- this is simply not true at all. 90% of any parts you will ever need for it can be purchased here. However, you need to be aware that the BEAMS has 200 hp- not bad- but it's all very close to its 7,250 rpm redline. Below 4,500 rpm, it's not much different than a 5S-FE, nothing exciting at all. I loved my BEAMS at first, and I still think it's great fun, but unfortunately I do not live on a racetrack where I can keep the engine at redline all the time, so I have made the choice to pull my BEAMS out and go with a different engine. Just something to keep in mind, if you very seldom ever redline.

[H8TRAIN]

The Greytop is certainly the cheapest of the BEAMS, and is mechanically identical to the Redtop. However, as I found out the hard way, the wiring harness is the MR2 style instead of the Celica style. Mr220v's wiring services can make the harness work for you but depending on his price you may be just as well off to buy a Redtop to begin with. The Greytop can be brought up to Redtop specs by simply replacing the header with a Redtop header, as the Greytop has a catalytic converter built in. You'll read all over 6gc.net that parts for the BEAMS are impossible to get here in the States- this is simply not true at all. 90% of any parts you will ever need for it can be purchased here. However, you need to be aware that the BEAMS has 200 hp- not bad- but it's all very close to its 7,250 rpm redline. Below 4,500 rpm, it's not much different than a 5S-FE, nothing exciting at all. I loved my BEAMS at first, and I still think it's great fun, but unfortunately I do not live on a racetrack where I can keep the engine at redline all the time, so I have made the choice to pull my BEAMS out and go with a different engine. Just something to keep in mind, if you very seldom ever redline.

Oh I love high rpms. Ruins People's Motors! Love em. I want an engine that loves them, too.

The catalytic converter the greytop come with is actually quite desirable to me. I just talked to m220v and he quoted me a price for the plug n play harness for the greytop. It was a fair but not insignificant price. The redtop could be a better deal if I do the wiring. Is it as easy as yall say it is? Hey maybe I should buy yours? =p

[richee3]

Oh I love high rpms. Ruins People's Motors! Love em. I want an engine that loves them, too.

The catalytic converter the greytop come with is actually quite desirable to me. I just talked to m220v and he quoted me a price for the plug n play harness for the greytop. It was a fair but not insignificant price. The redtop could be a better deal if I do the wiring. Is it as easy as yall say it is? Hey maybe I should buy yours? =p

Wiring is stupid easy on the BEAMS. It's seriously like 4 wires that need to be changed. My BEAMS is already spoken for, sold before it was ever even for sale. Mr220v does good work. I have an extra Redtop harness that will work for the Greytop but it's not complete. It's missing two plugs, both of which you'll have when you buy a Greytop. My harness is also extended but only with butt crimps at the moment do it would need to have all of those removed and soldered. It's about 3 hours of work.