1stGenCelica.com

Hi all. Im Dunstan and live in london,england.
Im thinking of dipping into the celica world. Dont worry,I like spanners and welders.

Here is my previous car.
1991 misi evo 1. Imported from japan to uk in 2003. I owned this for 10 years. Started bone standard.


Went a bit silly on it. Ended up with 390 bhp and a full weld in roll cage.











Got fed up having a car i could only use properly a few times a year. And the evo wasnt rare enough

Went a bit rarer (only 17 of these left on the road in the UK) and kept this one full road trim. Drive it most days. Its a 1984 audi 80 quattro,rear wheel drive converted with a 20v 5 cylinder engine from a 1991 s2. makes 330bhp on a t34 50 trim. Goes like a scalded cat.







The poor thing was a lovely standard car too a year ago !!



So thats my car history,Both these cars have plenty of videos on you tube,have a look if you like,my username on there is dunstanfarmer. (if only to hear the audi !!!)

Im loving the audi right now,its retro enough,but still has power steering,and power windows,sunroof ect,hell its even got heated seats!!, The noise it makes is one of the greatest nioses in automotive history.
However,when i sold the evo,i really wanted some old jap metal,couldnt find anything at the time, Now ive been offered good money for the audi and a celica has cropped up.

Ive got two questions on the celicas.
1. where are the main rust areas to check for ?
2.is there the possibility of using say a ae86 front subframe? or say a ford mk1 escort subframe/crossmember?
The car seems a really nice one,a LT 1600 and its quite original, how are the values affected by modifications like engine swaps?

Spare tire well, rocker panels, under the battery tray, beneath the front wings , and around all the weather stripping is bad for rust. An ae86 subframe can be used and is good for r&p swaps as well as 4age series motors. Only thing is that the bolt holes have to be re-drilled, but I'm sure you can pull that off!! Good luck!

So its arrived. Aussi spec '75 LT. Came to ireland in 2005. I just got it into england and have to register it.
Painted last year. Solid, and cant find anywhere its been welded,so good start.
Its totally original exept the minilite wheels and an omp steering wheel . The interior is a little scruffy,and the dash is shot. Can the dash be replaced ? I cant see how it comes out.

Ive done a few jobs in readying it for the MOT test. Rear brake cylinders started leaking as soon as i drove it,its not been driven for a few months. Made the horn and window washers work.

Heres a couple of piccs.













Whats the opinion on modifying it ? And by that i mean a nice sympathetic modernisation of running gear,keeping the outside standard looking.

Nice Celica you've got there Dunstan! Almost the same as mine, '75 1600 LT but mine is LHD and has a tan interior. Same green color too, the color code is 679 I guess? Very nice to start with a rust free body!

You can throw in a AE86 4AGE engine, that's not too hard but you need the gearbox too (same T50 type g'box as a TA22 (4 speed is T40), but with different bellhousing and front bearings). I'm doing this conversion, together with AE86 brakes and rear axle. Most difficult thing is finding the parts. I'm not looking for a lot of power, just a rev happy engine in the lightweight Celica body.

But considering your previous cars I'm not sure you will be satisfied with the power. There is a 4AGZE (4AGE with compressor), or you can put a turbo on it with some work. Or trow in a Nissan SR20DET or Honda F20C but those will probably break the rear axle quickly and need serious cutting into the transmission tunnel.

AE86 front crossmember is a lot wider than stock TA22. From '76 (TA23 etc.) the front chassis member where spaced wider apart. Everything can be converted off course, depending on skills and how original you want to keep the body.

Please keep the pics coming!

Sorry for the lack of updates. This little car is coming along nicely. Began with suspension,these were made up from the old legs by GAZ suspension here in the uk. 32 way adjustable with rears to match.



Sits proper now.


The original engine has been livened up a bit with a crower cam,double valve springs,and a set of kehin carbs from a kawasaki. I went this route as im a bike technition,so setting them up was easy,the carbs i got brand new for a tenth of the price of a set of webbers, and they work perfectly all the time low revs or high,and dont need constant fiddling. also put a branch manifold and a nice full stainless exhaust.
Im hoping to add a lsd in the rear and over next winter go for a high compression big valve build of this 2t.





With these mods done I ran the car around brands hatch curcuit and found it great to drive.
Here with some old english rides.

Hi, your work on your Celica looks very professional. If I ever visit London, I am happy to see it. Mine is also a '75 LT, but European model, and nothing is swapped (but its color from white).

Nice way to make a statement with that 2T-B. Like the quad carbs!! Welcome to the site

Nice bus alright, looks very clean.
For so many years we were importing cars from ye and now it's gone the other way around. A lot of Ae86s here are going over to the UK these days.
Few mates of mine are doing up Celicas here at the moment and a standard 4a Engine sits nicely into the shorter 22 engine bay. You have a few options with the 20v 4age, 4agze or a mate of mine is currently fitting a turbo 4age. Loads of conversion parts readily available too.
Nice Gaz struts too, love their stuff and they are very reasonably priced

Was just googling around, and bumped up to this thread:
http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/ ... en-bromley

This beauty got stolen! F!@#ING BASTARDS!
Any news on who's hands to chop off?