My Celica

Just got this car like 2 days ago, since then i tightened the spark plugs, patched a crack in the radiator, repaired the heater. its luke warm now but thats better than nothing., Removed the distributor cap and rotor bug and cleaned the contacts on them, replaced a leaky vaccume line, and removed the criuse control since it didnt work, and now it runs alot better.

To Do list....
install the new thermostat,
reinstall the aftermarket stereo.... removed it to rewire it correctly and to install the adapter plate.
replace the valve cover gaskets since they leak pretty bad.
replace the plugs, wires, and distributor cap and bug.
remove the drivers side front seat belt and fix it so it retracts again.
flush the cooling system.
replace the front struts.
replace the dry rotted serpentine belt.
change the oil.
degrease and wash the engine compartment.
and a few nips and tucks in the interrior.

But over all not a bad car at all for only 600 dollars.

heres some pics. any advice or info is welcome.

 

Went to change the oil today, cant believe that the dang oil filter was loose as well, well that explains where some of my oil was leaking from lol. just got my new radiator in today, weather permitting, i hope to have it installed tomorrow. also have removed the center console to clean it, was disgusting. Also found the clunking noise was a missing sway arm bushing.
new radiator

dirty

cleaned

 

As for the heater, i think the core is clogged up, planning on flushing it soon,-14 today and colder tomorrow so im waiting lol. the cable was froze up so i cut it off so i could manually switch the heat on, disconnected the rod going to the vent as well so they are both where they should be for heat to work and still cold air. I read the post about the heater system on this site, very informative and helpful.
Replaced the radiator today, no more overheating issues or leaks so im happy, still have to replace the rubber tranny cooler lines and hook them up to it though, that and put my fans back in. Hoses broke like a twig when i went to unclamp them lol. Temp fix for those who dont know this is possible btw, you can run a hose coming off the tranny right back to the other line on it, very useful to know when you have a line break like mine did. Gets ya back to the parts store so ya can get a new one.
As for the bumper,,, i seen a ton of celica pics and didnt see even one with mine so i figured it wasnt factory, needs some work too as some of the fiberglass is broke off the botom. The guy i got it from lived in an apartment complex and hit more than a few speed bumps with it. Im not fond of the grill they put in it, might paint it black or just remove it.
Has anyone ever modified a body kit for a 90 to fit the 80"s model? just curious.

 

ok not that is finally done. would have finished it yesterday but its been soooo cold out and i dont have a garage unfortunately.



i plan on hitting the junk yard this summer and finding a pair of lower profile fans off of a newer car, but till then im stuck with these lol.

 

I have a couple of questions,....
1... At what temp does the fan kick on? As in where is the needle on the guage?
2... What is the normal operating temp for this car? My guage is reading at the half way mark on average, doesnt go higher than that.
3... And last of all, my volt guage moves alot, Waaaay more than i normally see in a car, when i turn on the blinkers it dances back anf forth with the blinking lights, dome light seems dim, just seems like the power fluctuates alot and every now and then i hear an odd buzzing like sound coming from the dash on the drivers side, nothing turned on just driving or idling, and when i hear that sound the amp guage drops.... Im thinking it is the voltage regulator or a bad engine to chassy ground wire. Not the buzzing, just the power fluctuations.

 

Thats great to hear. Now if i can get that annoying buzzing sound gone id be fine lol.

new to do list, anything not on the list is done now.

tune-up.. plugs,wires,cap, and bug.
repair the hood prop as there is nothing to hold it on anymore and i have to keep it in the trunk or back seat.
sway arm bushings since one is completely missing
passenger side front wheel bearing
voltage isues
heater back flush
exhaust seal on the muffler flang
oil the door lock mechanisms, they are stiff as hell
figure out what the mysterious relay in the trunk is for since it has a few wires coming off of it that dont go anywhere
finish putting my dash back together, its mostly in just not finished.

i have a feeling im going to be working on this thing for a long time, especially with the weather getting in my way all the time.

 

Went to install a new flange gasket for the muffler and found the flange rusted off the muffler colpletely, took a trip to the parts store and 25 dollars later its fixed, nice and quiet now. a 1 ft section of pipe came off in the process but i replaced it. its just clamped for now but this summer ill just get it all welded up. so now that is done, i also replaced the sway arm bushings since one was completely missing, pretty easy to do.

 

Yes i did replace the thermostat, i put a failsafe one in there so if it goes out it dont cause it to overheat,,, they should all be made that way.
As for the body kit, i was more curious about the side skirts than anything, that way my car would look more even, looks a bit off balance with that bumper that is on it, i like it just seems like something is missing.
Took it out on the highway for the first time, it handled great and i found it hard to keep it under 65 lol.
As for the power fluctuations, they are pretty extreme, lights even brighten and dim with the engine rpms, im betting it is the voltage regulator not keeping it steady. I ordered a new one but its coming from china so its going to be about two weeks till i get the part. The alternator is only a year old, well thats what the guy i got it from said. When i use the windows, which are electric, the amp guage drops dramaticaly. I did notice that it doesnt have a very good 'engine to body' ground wire so im definately going to install a nice beefy ground strap on it. Ill post a youtube video showing what it does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuQs-wa07Bw&feature=youtu.be

 

Hmm, i hit the power button for my transmission and im loving the difference, question is , if i leave it engaged will it hurt my tranny?

 

Got my new lights in YAY!!, i hated how dim my instruments was at night and decided to get some leds off ebay, paid 6.99 for 10 of these little buggers and it was well worth it. Now for those who dont know leds are polarized which means if they are hooked up wrong they wont work, and they arent marked + or - on the pins so i did it in the dark with my lights turned on, put a bulb in, and then checked the face to see if it was working, and if it didnt light up then simply unplug the bulb from the holder and flip it around and bingo, let there be light lol. im loving the difference so much im going to get leds to replace all of my bulbs. Aside from being brighter and more reliable, leds draw alot less current from the system and generate no heat. the bulbs i got has 8 small leds per light and you can get them in a wide assortment of colors, i just went with bright white on mine.





let me know what you guys think.

 

no green sleeves, i hate those things lol, the old bulbs had them though. the guages came right out, real easy to do, remove the cover, two screws at the top and the other two are hidden behind the hazard and rear defroster switches, they just pop out then unplug them and remove the screw behind each one. then the black cover comes right off, also make sure to tilt your wheel down to get more clearance. then the guages has two screws at top and two at bottom, the cover under the dash on the drivers side blocks them a bit so undo it or just undo a few of its screws to get at the bottom screws for the guages. thats what i did. the speedo cable pops off as you pull on the cluster and it comes right out. easy peasy. i need to do it again so i can replace a few bulbs for things like the dummy lights so if ya want ill get ya some pics next time.

 

havnt had the time to pop out the guages again for pics and more bulbs but i have noticed some irregular idle issues that have begun to spring up from time to time. It hasnt been doing the idle dance like they tend to do when the icv goes out but sometimes it idles at 400 rpm and other times its sitting at 1100 rpms. no distinct pattern about it either, outside temp not making a difference, it happens when the engine is at normal operating temp and usually after driving it for a few mins, i put it in park and its always at one of those rpms. not really a big problem just annoying and definately not normal lol. When it warms back up outside ill plug off the line controlling the icv and see if it keeps happening. Are there anything other than that that controls the idle?