Hi, I'm enjoying a look around your Celica webpages. I thought I might share my project with you. Attached is a picture of it how it was in 1991 when I purchased it. It's an RA42 ('78 Celica GT) with the 20R and a 5-speed manual. Currently I haven't driven it for several years as I've stripped it down completely and am trying to restore it from the ground up. During the years which I drove it prior to stripping it down, the only real modification was a rear sway bar, free flow exhaust (no emission controls where I am) and a open air cleaner.
A couple of years ago, immediately prior to stripping it down for all the bodywork and paint, I mounted up the rear-end from a MA47 Supra. It isn't limited-slip, but retains the rear disc brakes and has a slightly wider track. Bolting up the rear-sway bar was a snap. I also replaced the rear springs at that time.
I'm keeping the colour scheme of red with a black interior. And the tire wheel combination will be 215/60 HR 14 Yokohama's mounted on the 14x7 wheels pictured here. (the picture has 195/60 SR's but those didn't last long because these wheels came from the Corolla 2T-B I had previously) Anyway, I'm sure this picture won't qualify for putting up on the web, but I hope when the day comes I'll have a picture of the car when it's finished for me to send you... Thanks for the website... most enjoyable to share others enthusiasm... where I live there isn't much interest in sweet running, sweet looking Toyota's... Kevin Oscroft (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
My restoration began in November of 1993. I might be repeating myself, but somebody t-boned me in an intersection... fortunately the rear-end took the brunt of the impact. Bent the axle, etc. At the time of the accident, the car was as beautiful as I could make it, without doing a restoration. There was a rust spots being kept in check, and so forth... a couple dents, but otherwise it still looked pretty sweet especially when it was in motion, you don't see any scratches or rock chips then. Anyway, I started out doing the mechanicals to make sure the car wasn't compeletely unrepairable, replaced almost everything on the rear suspension when I popped in the Supra rear-end. My sway-bar was mangled in the accident and the rear springs were always a bit sagged, so I replaced everything while I was at it.
I don't have too much trouble with the plastic items in my car, I guess I've been lucky because I know what you mean [about plastic things getting brittle and breaking]. I guess the only thing that comes to mind is trying to get creative with different size screws and/or washers. I know, it's a real challenge to get stuff looking right or sounding right if some of those 'holes' in the plastic panel are broken.
Unfortunately work pressures and a bunch of other things have kept me from getting the Celica done. It's been in storage now since the spring of '94. However, I suspect that I'm going to be able to give it more attention over the next year or so. With any luck I will have most of it completed before next summer. Since I bought a wrecked Supra to provide some parts I may even go so far as to incorporate the additional luxury features into my Celica GT. Stuff like the power locks, power windows seem easy. I wonder if installing the air conditioning would be too unreasonable... Hmm... :-)