95 GT-Four Progress Thread Options

[azian_advanced]

I just flew in to Vancouver today and picked up a 1995 GT-Four that I imported myself. So now that I have a celica again, I decided I should have a progress thread since I never made one for my previous car.
It is a 1995 Celica in baltic blue (code 752) with the optional sunroof. That's about the only feature it came with from the factory.
Upon arrival, I was disappointed that the exporter did not show pictures of the worn and damaged areas of the car. The only damage noted was a dented rear hatch door and was in excellent mechanical condition.

First, I'll start with the pictures that the exporter had posted of the car.















optional factory seats. but obviously i went with the recaro's.
















here are some pics after i picked up the car and gave it a wash.












this is the mileage when i first picked up the car and drove to the nearest gas station a couple of kilometers away since the gas tanks are emptied when the car boards the ship.
i spent exactly $100 to fill! damn vancouver gas prices are high!








no idea why this is in the car. looks like a turbo timer diy that went bad...





driver-seat.. side bolster is beat to ****! i'm so disappoint!




but the passenger-side looks very good




it has LED map light installed





a couple of adhesive pads were left on the dash. not sure what it was for but i sure hope it can come off easily




this is the head-unit that the exporter agreed in installing.




i found this inside the shifter surround plastic. seems like a turbo-timer DIY install that went bad.





there's also this blitz boost controller which i think is a dummy since it doesn't light up or anything..





black spoiler... seriously?




here's that dented hatch door i mentioned.. hope it can be easily repaired.




small nick on the spoiler blocks




severely faded hood and vents





headlamp rubber seals are about to come off... typical 6gc problem.





and the rest are just random stickers and insignia











some goodies found in the glove compartment












I've spent most of the day driving around the city getting used to the RHD. it feels like learning how to drive all over again. shifting with the left takes some time to get used to. the turn signals are on the opposite side now and out of habit i'm turning the wipers on instead. after a few hours i've gotten used to most of it but downshifting in traffic while using the turn signals & changing lanes simultaneously is nearly impossible to do at first.

mechanically, the turbo spools up like it should but i'm really concerned about how much life it has left. nearly half of the foam in the hks mushroom air filter has already disintegrated, so there's literally no filtering at all! seems like the previous owner didn't care for it. also, when i picked up the car, it was on a gravel lot and the car was dusty. i really hope no sand was sucked in to the compressor and engine to cause long-term damage. i won't be driving through any gravel roads from here on out until i get back to winnipeg in 3 days.

you can really tell the difference between the gear ratios of the e154f & s54. i need to shift at a higher rpm so that the engine doesn't bog down on the next gear.. like the engine is begging to be revved! i'm still a softie when it comes to pushing the engine, looks like things are gonna be different from now on!
the shifter itself is notchy when downshifting to 3rd and 2nd or when trying to shift at higher than normal rpms so i'm guessing the synchros are starting to go?
i still haven't made any hard pulls since i'm still trying to get the hang of driving a RHD but I'll likely do a few once i get on the highway tomorrow. the drive through the mountains is gonna be fun.

This post has been edited by azian_advanced: May 16, 2012 - 1:24 AM

[azian_advanced]

it's difficult to tell the difference between awd and fwd unless i push the car harder (test for oversteer/understeer). the car does feel a bit heavier in 1st gear in the lower revs because of the awd, taller gearing, extra weight but once boost kicks in (even if it's just a little), the extra power shortens the length of time to stay in 1st so the addition of a turbo compensates for the taller gearing. it's also pleasing to hear the bypass valve go off when accelerating from a stop. i don't think i'll ever get sick of that i find high-chirping aftermarket BOV to be really annoying.

i was worried at first about the aftermarket exhaust, as i'm not a fan of loud exhausts (unless it's coming from a ferrari), but the car has a nice low, deep-tone to it which doesn't resonate inside the cabin like some of the other civics i've driven and it also can't be heard when cruising at 3000 rpms which is perfect for the highway.

the car is fitted with lowering springs of some sort. the ride is harsh and i can feel that some of the bushings are shot. the driver side door panel needs to be tightened as it doesn't make that new-car-door-closing noise. it just needs to have the upper clip along the window glass pressed in tighter.

the recaro's fit really snug around the thighs. i'm 5'10" & 220 lbs but i would say the seats are meant for 180 lbs and lower with the same height. the worn thigh bolster on the driver seat has its inner foam shifted around the metal inner-frame of the bolster so i can feel the metal just digging into my leg.

the 4-speakers are garbage. can't wait to change the speakers and head unit.

i'm really looking forward for the winter and see how well the AWD performs.