Help me help my stepbrother with his Celica. Options

[Cameage]

Hi. My stepbrother recently acquired a '97 AT200. I know absolutely nothing about Celicas (or Toyotas in general, for that matter), besides what I've picked up by reading Jalopnik (this is how I know that he has an AT200). I don't like Toyota very much, but my dislike is really only towards their current (around 2000 and up) lineup. They seem to have engineered all of the fun out of their cars (though the FT-86 looks like it's going to be pretty sweet, if it's not bloated). I'm not trying to sound anti-Toyota on a Celica forum, I'm not a jerk. I like 6th-gen (and prior) Celicas, Supras, Mister 2s, and, because I'm a huge nerd, AE86s. Hiluxs and FJs are pretty great, too. So, yeah, my point is, Toyota is definitely not my favorite brand (that would be Saab), but I definitely have an appreciation for certain models (actually, I have a total lust for turbo Supras...but then, who doesn't?).

So. Here's my question. My car is pretty awesome. I'd like his car to also be awesome, so they can both be awesome sitting in front of our house. What would be the first steps toward improving a '97 Celica on a budget? Appearance isn't important, I'm just focusing on quick, relatively inexpensive ways to give the car a bit of a leg-up on all of the stock Celicas on the road.

[SupraKid]

Dont feel bad, the majority of Toyota enthusiasts dont like the what toyota is producing these days as well. I wont even begin in on youre love of saab besides wondering why the hell they named one of there cars intercooler...


Anyway, the at200(which has the 7afe engine) is not really upgradable with HP gains easily. Really the only thing to get some HP numbers out of them is the turbo them. Other than that your looking at an engine swap. Id recomend just reading through the stickies and searching around. Member OOBE really took the 7AFE to its limits, make sure to search him. As far as a swap check out the FI stickie area and there is a how to.

Welcome to 6gc.net and dont be surprised if after researching as whatnot you end up wanting a 6gc

[eboz74]

my friend has a saab 93 vert they are good cars from what i've seen so far just a pain to work on

[Neon90424]

If we knew the limit of the budget we would know whats the limit to do to his car...All I can think of is a 3s-gte swap and thats 250HP of turbo goodness a bit pricey though

[SwissFerdi]

To put an NA build into perspective, meaning full exhaust replacement, cams, stuffs along those lines, you're looking at 130BHP. So turbo is really the only way for big power...

Tell you what, buy some quality coilovers and tasty (but try to stay light) wheels, sway bars front and rear, and some quality end links and that'll set you a whole lot further than many stock Celicas.

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Feb 2, 2011 - 1:32 PM

[macavely]

Make the car lighter. (that doesn't cost anything.. Take every and anything out of the car that is not needed..

Upgrade the suspension.. shocks, springs, upgrade all the suspension bushings..

Air Intake Exhaust.. Not much of a HP gain but if done right will give it a little extra pep..

Tires.. Brakes..

looking for a spare engine you can work on.. Would be a good project for you and your brother to do on your spare time..

[PluraticRaver]

7afe are often replaced with the more aggressive 4age's or the force inducted counterparts if you want to go threw the extra hassle. Otherwise a bit of Drilling and you could easily fit a 3sge/3sgte in, But it'll require transmission and other minor components as well.

Turbocharging your brother's 7a is also an option, but it'll never put out massive horsepower. Typically the cost is greater than the gain.

Otherwise N/a gains are going to be found with plugs/wires/intake ect. Also, you're pretty much set with stock exhaust, Unless you're just shooting for loud. Back pressure is already optimized with your stock setup.

[presure2]

Make the car lighter. (that doesn't cost anything.. Take every and anything out of the car that is not needed..

Upgrade the suspension.. shocks, springs, upgrade all the suspension bushings..

Air Intake Exhaust.. Not much of a HP gain but if done right will give it a little extra pep..

Tires.. Brakes..

looking for a spare engine you can work on.. Would be a good project for you and your brother to do on your spare time..

MAC!!!
i miss you around here bro.
everyone could use a little more duct tape and red bull cans in theyre life!

[Smaay]

Turbocharging your brother's 7a is also an option, but it'll never put out massive horsepower. Typically the cost is greater than the gain.

that not true. i turbocharges a 7A last year and it runs like a bat outta hell. the kit i make is 2500 and it comes with everything you need. including management

[SupraKid]

Turbocharging your brother's 7a is also an option, but it'll never put out massive horsepower. Typically the cost is greater than the gain.

that not true. i turbocharges a 7A last year and it runs like a bat outta hell. the kit i make is 2500 and it comes with everything you need. including management

Do you have any dyno numbers from the 7afte? Cause its under the 200whp mark im guessing, and saying the beams is about that, and has a much nicer curve for around the same price a turbo isnt the way to go, and i didnt even bring up the 3sgte..

[macavely]

Make the car lighter. (that doesn't cost anything.. Take every and anything out of the car that is not needed..

Upgrade the suspension.. shocks, springs, upgrade all the suspension bushings..

Air Intake Exhaust.. Not much of a HP gain but if done right will give it a little extra pep..

Tires.. Brakes..

looking for a spare engine you can work on.. Would be a good project for you and your brother to do on your spare time..

MAC!!!
i miss you around here bro.
everyone could use a little more duct tape and red bull cans in theyre life!

Yea... I turned that into an art form.. and you can't for get the zip ties. Those kept my front bumper on that I got from Art..

[Cameage]

Hey, thanks for the replies so far.

SupraKid, I have no clue what you're talking about as far as a Saab called an intercooler? I can tell you, I won't want a Celica. It's nothing against the Celica, it's just that nothing comes close to Saab in my mind. I want a big trunk, I want a tall greenhouse, I want super-comfy seats, I want perfect (and I do mean perfect, no hyperbole whatsoever) ergonomics, I want a four-banger with a stock turbocharger, I basically NEED green illumination, I need the car to handle well and fly down the highway, and I want this all in one car. That basically limits me to...Saabs. I drove an ST184 once, it was fun, but I wouldn't really want to own one.

eboz74, they're not really too bad if you know their oddities. They're not nearly as confounding as Audis are.

PluraticRaver, that's really good to know about the exhaust, thanks.

He needs this car to basically never be off the road, I can't do an engine swap right off the bat, and we can't really risk doing massive home upgrades, it has to stay reliable. I'm thinking weight reduction and suspension upgrades to start with.

I know which companies make great Saab stuff, but I know nothing about aftermarket Toyota stuff, and I don't want crappy stuff. I guess now I'm curious about brands to look for and brands to avoid as far as suspension bits and a decent intake.

[SupraKid]

Saab had a model of car called the 900 intercooler, and I always wondered why out of all the parts they chose the intercooler. If the car is a DD just put on some bolt on mods and make it look nice with some suspension..