Hi, I just want to start by thanking everyone for all their support and help with my car. Willie, Kevin, all you guys have been amazing and I am so sorry to do this but I have too. However, my mind is set, I am selling Trinity and all the spares I have and moving on. Why? A multitude of things, I just finished paying off a huge 30k debt that has hung round my neck like lead for 7 long years, money that was pretty much all wasted on cars. I have no joy in working on my car, in fact I hate it. I hate feeling this way, but I just see all the Thousands of pounds I have wasted on it whenever I look at it! It just does not fit into my plans as an everyday car, Its not what I want, a rock hard ride, and noisy exhaust, I have lost my passion for speed. I want comfort, bit of space and reliability. I want to do 300 miles in a day and get out feeling half decent, not like I have just fought tyson. I want a car I can park in a supermarket and not worry about, a car that I don't have to plan rust prevention in my diary. In short I don't want it for my everyday car, and I don't... no scratch that.. cant afford it as a play thing and run a second car. I want one car, a car I do simple serving work on, a car I can wash and wax every other weekend, a car that as a family I can go places pretty much assured I will get back without an AA truck. In hindsight, I wish I had never done the Toyota sprint series, because then the car would have stayed pretty much std, but hey looking back in anger never does you any good. However the memories will last forever and last year it was great to kick all the Newer GT4s butts out on track, that felt mega! So for Monday, I will be working on an exhaustive inventory of the car, its full detailed spec and every single spare I have. I will then post up the relevant for sale topic, I hope to sell the car and spares as a job lot.. At first glance I think that the car and all the spares will break for at least 5 - 5.5k inc the engine machine work that has just cost me £430. I don't want to be greedy, all I am going to ask in I think is 3.6k all in. turn up with a trailer ( car not road legal due to one tyre ) but is MOt'd and a van and I will give the lucky buyer everything celica gen 4 I own, in addition to the car, that included 1 short block with forged pistons, 2 heads, one ported and polished, rear suspension and subframe poly bushes, gauges, spare turbo, intakes, cams, throttle bodies, starters, trim, sensors, gaskets, tons and tons of gear, hence my list. If I don't get a buyer for everything, I will then sell sep the car and spares and then break her. IMPORTANT. THE SHOW IS STILL GO, I WILL BE THERE, JUST WITHOUT A GEN 4. Once again, my apologies to everyone, but quite honestly, knowing I am going to sell the car, has taken a weight of my shoulders!! I will still be a member of the club, I will still want to work on everyone else's cars, I still love helping people. I hope to contribute more no I dont have the hassle of mine! I learnt so much with my car and I need to share that! If my plans work out, once the celica is sold and then the astra goes, I can then buy my next car for the next 2 years. I will be getting, after test driving a few today, a lexus IS200, nothing special, but it does all I want, and I can still claim it as a Toyota. Thanks again to everyone, for everything.
OMG !!! this really sucks...I can hardly believe what my eyes are showing me... I think I understand you, but still am crying for this loss ... I think everybody will agree you are one of the rolemodells for all of us Glad to hear you stay on the forums (for now) and an IS200 is not a bad car ! now I'm going to sit in a corner and cry a bit...
:sad :sad :sad Very sad news indeed. Shocked when I found out. Always sad when someone has owned a Celica as long as Rich has. Rich is and will always be an inspiration to me in the UK. He's my sidekick, he is the mechanic and I, the polisher. Without him, I'm not that enthusiastic with organising our annual gen 4 meet :sad
are you breaking up with me? :sad5 jk! and attempt to brighten things up a bit :cool well, sucks to have this happens, but totally understandable. you have your own reasons for doing things and i respect your decision. i was good 3 years having you around the boards though :hsdance . The Celica wouldnt be where it is if it werent for your expert knowledge on the car. and i wouldnt have the super rare leather shift knob without you either as we say in starcraft 2,"gl hf" which translates to good luck, have fun.
Its sad to read this but i understand your feeling of having a money pit, mine on a much smaller scale tho. You've achieved a lot over the years, thank you for all the hard work, encouragement and advice, you've helped all of us a lot. Best of luck and i hope you enjoy the luxury comfyness of the lexus
Hey Rich, As discussed on the phone with you I will be sorry to see you leave the 4th Gen scene as an owner. I don't have the disposable income as I once did either. I do wish you would reconsider using Trinity for the 4th Gen meet, maybe her last hoorah as the owner. I also feel selling the car with a longer mot will command the price your looking for, hell if she hasn't sold by then you can put a 'For Sale' sign up in the window Happy to help out further with the Gen4 meet
Hi Steve, Getting a longer ticket is not an option Sadly or getting to the 4th gen meet. To do that I would need to get road insurance which is about £500, tax it so I can drive it there £120, one new Tyre, £60 plus the MOT cost £45 thats £700! Or I could hire a car with a tow bar and trailer and maybe save a couple hundred quid. But If no one wants it I will break it bit by bit, I am in no hurry to sell it. Car without Spares I would sell for 2.5k. Thats got to be a steal even if you break it. Car passed last MOT and has done barely 500 miles since.
I saw this on Facebook a few days ago and still in shock. I think everyone should read your comments and take note of what it takes to own a 25yr old car. The money is irrelevant, as guys we are born to waste huge piles of cash on our hobbies, women have shoes, phones and clothes etc. I respect your descision, raising a family in these times is hard enough and priorities change - I had TEMS on a track last weekend and it scared me for the 1st time in my life. The suspension is too soft for track use, the motor too expensive to be revved all day, tyres got chewed up etc and worse was every time I had a slide on or somebody in front I was thinking "this is it!" Afterward I had a think what it would take to rebuild this car and the chances aren't good That is not fun and not how to go racing, I'd like to find a daily (crappy Corolla?) and keep this car for show and weekend cruises. I'd be happier building an Alfasud for track use and if it got scrapped it wouldn't be a biggie. I'm also not in a position to take risks or blow money right now, work is scarce and I'm dependant on my Celi - for now I wish you would convert it back to stock and keep it, I agree on the suspension and the 205 brakes are a nightmare untill fully warm - not an option for the road.
Sorry to hear that you are parting ways with Trinity Rich. Your car has always been my favorite. I really hope someone from this board buys the car from you.
Wow...i may not post a lot here, but i do lurk...and you have been an inspiration to myself, and i am confident you have been an inspiration to others as well. A truly valued member of the 4th gen community; i respect your choice on moving on no matter how sad it is to see you move on, but i understand your decision. Thank you for sharing your wisedom and knowledge.
Sad to see you let it go, but thanks for the insight on modding an old car. I'm on the complete opposite end, in which I haven't put any money or work into my car yet, but hope to do so in the near future so it's good to be able to see the other half of ownership. Anyways, GLWS. Hope Trinity goes to a good home.
-super sad to hear that your selling her, however its good to hear that youll be relived by it. as much as i hated to pass 09 off it too was a relief. much more free time and space. -i am however worried that i have the middle stages of celicuitus. the one were you keep shelling out $ even though you know it should be going into savings or the like. im glad im able to recognize this now. -an IS is a great car imo. best part is its already fun. youll be able to keep the mods to cheap, tastefull, finishing touch type things rather than full blown race car mods. maybe limited to stuff you get for b-day and x-mas gifts. -cool to open a new chapter. i think youll should get an honerary spot for your IS in the members celicas section.
yes i've known this for a bit and didn't want to say anything as rich asked. like everyone said it is sad to hear but totally understandable. you have a lovely wife and child and family comes first. bottom line. and any car hobby is expensive and for most of us therre is a budget. if that budget is blown away and the car still needs way more...well we all know that answer. i'm pleased to see rich isn't giving things away and is distributing Trinity throughout the community. which will help us all in one way or another (BTW i need to get something off the car, so does rick (world fusion cars)) and keep the memory and history of Trinity alive.
Cheers guys. I am blown away ny everything everyone said, I got her started and cleaned her today for the for sale add, going to see her sep from the spares. She still leaves me cold, sadly. I hope I can still contribute more to the forum now as I will have more free time. I love gen4s just not mine. Mafix I will post you a few things from my time with the car.
I was in the same boat not to long ago, but listen to me you will hurt inside for a long time and may never get over it I havent and im not a person that holds on to crap!, but if it is already done then it has been a pleasure! Im sure you can come back here and chill your always wanted here! :cheers
Hate hearing this news man, leaves me thinking how close I came to selling my GTS a few months back when my wife lost her job. Then I thought about how I sold my first racecar and regret it till today. Well the wife is back working again and wants me to finish the car even if it means taking out a personal loan. Put your family first, but don't turn your back completely on your love of cars, you'll hate yourself later. I plan on finishing the Celica, if for no other reason but to keep the 4th gen car alive and to put it back on track. Hang in there dude and stay in touch with us all and I'll keep updating my progress to maybe keep you're spirits up!! racerb :cheers :cheers
