ilikewaffles11's Toyotas

[ilikewaffles11]

Finally waxed up the Celica! Faded areas are still pretty bad but hey at least it shines now. Solid 10 footer

Could use some paint

 

[SVX]

Car is looking great dude. Needs those Japanese market corner lights though.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Car is looking great dude. Needs those Japanese market corner lights though.

Defenitely on my to do list.

Couple more things done, I checked the oil one day to go for a drive and I noticed a large puddle of coolant and a leaky radiator.. Luckily I had the new one already that I just didn't get around to doing. Really simple job, but the previous owner half assed it and used what looked like rubber from a tire he cut up as the radiator insulators that it sits on, so I have to wait a week and spend $30 for them to get shipped in from the West coast to properly finish it.. Couldn't remove them without ruining them from the parts car. It's a cheap Chinese piece of crap which fits terribly but hey it works.

Oil leakage update! It still pisses out EVERYWHERE :c

While it was on a lift I took some cleaner spray and a Brillo pad to the exhaust tips and found out they still shine! Later took some polisher to it. They're the factory GT-S exhaust tips so I'm glad they shined up nicely.

And it didn't matter anyway because I threw on a muffler my dad had sitting in the back of the shop for it. I hate the way it sticks out and it fits very poorly, but it sounds really nice in the low end, has a nice grumble to it so now I can pretend it's a rally car

Also, chipped in for the insurance for this so I can drive it again! Been too long since I've gotten to enjoy the Miata

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Some minor stuff

The trugh

Parts car strippage

Do it for Dale

1990s Toyota heaven

So we took a cabin trip, and last minute I decided to take the Miata and it was definitely the right car to take.

Dad took my grandfathers Sequoia and we took it down to get some water the one day, and I can now say I've gotten the back end of a Sequoia out on some gravel roads.

My dad backed into a rock one late night when we all went down to the boat launch

Looked awesome late and night when the moon was bright as hell behind the clouds. Lots of satellites and also the brightest shooting star I've seen. Also bull frogs

Of course the Miata was taken for some spirited drives down some awesome roads.

The next night I went out at sundown to drive around Lake Waullenpaupack which is a massive man made lake that takes about 1 1/2 hours to drive around. The drive was really nice, and it started to storm at the top part of the lake as I was making my way down, and the whole way you could see the lighting flashing in the clouds but for the most part we didn't get wet. I had a route planned out however the roads are pretty intricate and I wound up further down than I anticipated and missed a spot that I wanted to go through.

Somewhere down that road I got behind some idiot who was clearly drunk swerving into other lanes and driving a solid 2 miles without his lights on solely relying on mine. Headed the other way back up, it started to rain a bit more and the flashing was pretty much constant the whole way up, and I must've been a foot from hitting a suicidal deer in the road, but somehow the only time that I REALLY needed the brakes to work, they didn't lock up as usual.

Anyway probably not as fun to read as it was to experience but it was an awesome time and next time I'm making sure that I go down the right roads. So have a few more pics

It needs a wash

 

[Qvale]

Never really cared much about or had much appreciation for Toyotas in general from this time period but looking through this entire thread throughout the last few hours totally changed my mind. Super dope all around man, glad to see people taking care of and appreciating their cars. Would love an update!

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Never really cared much about or had much appreciation for Toyotas in general from this time period but looking through this entire thread throughout the last few hours totally changed my mind. Super dope all around man, glad to see people taking care of and appreciating their cars. Would love an update!

Thanks man! I've been meaning to post an update so guess there's no better time.

But I've always been into Toyotas as my dad got me into them as a kid, but now that I've owned quite a few of my own I'm glad that I've been exposed to these under appreciated Japanese gems. It seems a lot of people have the mindset that Toyotas are all boring because Camry and Prius and the only worthwhile ones are MK4 Supras and AE86 Corollas, but in the 1980s and 1990s Toyota had a ton of fun and affordable cars and trucks available. It's always nice when people can appreciate them!

Spoiler: Lots of photos ahead

I hope I can remember everything, here we go. Starting off from way back in July

I've been slowly chipping away at all of the Celicas list of needs but it's still a massive list. Of course the major problems never got addressed

While writing down recently performed work on a notepad in the glovebox, I've realized that even with a ridiculous oil leak I've put 5K miles on this car since I've bought it somehow without blowing the engine up.

Pulled the engine from the parts car

I threw some new sway bar bushings on the rear which were completely shot which stopped the clunky clunky

And also replaced the rubber bushings that the radiator sits on, on the left is what it had on it before.. Radiator fits better now

I liked this shot, over the summer I've explored basically all of the back roads around where I live. So many fun roads.

And I backed into a wall one morning at work. Good thing the paint already sucks

Most of my stuff together

Hate to say I haven't really used my 4Runner, just been busy messing with all the other cars. I'm planning on making it nice again, just not a priority. It had mold growing in it one day I got in it which was cleaned out since.. But the carpet is gonna be replaced as you can buy a brand new one on eBay.

Then after months of lusting after one and considering driving to Maryland for one, I finally found it, my AW11 MR2! The car was on Craigslist for about 1 day before I went up and purchased it the next evening. I knew when pulling up to his house and seeing an FJ60 Land Cruiser in his backyard along with an FJ40 and FZJ80 out front that I was gonna walk away with an MR2. He drove it up the road, I drove it back, and I bought it on the spot for $1200. We sat and talked for about an hour and I found out he actually purchased my dads old FJ60 Land Cruiser and took $100 off the price of my MR2 because he loved that truck so much. He also gave me a ton of spare MR2 pieces from his garage, and an old pickup steering wheel. He also had an FJ40 and FJ45, and regularly takes his 40 to Moab! Most pleasant Craigslist experience I've ever had.

I've completely fallen in love with this car. It's only a three owner 98K mile car with minimal rust and recent major services done including timing belt and water pump. It even had the original owners manual and all records.

I took it to work the next day and looked it completely over and was even more ecstatic to find that he wasn't lying at all when he said it didn't leak a drop of oil and I found that every single bushing and suspension component was tight and there was very little corrosion. I got a speeding ticket the day before though so I was afraid to take it out and go for a nice drive.

Two small rust spots in the floors but nothing too bad. There's some rust spots forming on the fenders but I'm planning on having it taken to a body shop and professionally done as he car is worth it. It also needs a windshield.

The only other 'major' problems are the 'three lights of death' which I've determined is an alternator which is charging but defective causing the three lights to stay on, and it needs a headlight switch which is a common issue, the previous owner gave me 2 and we have 2 more at work. The dash lights don't work at all which is annoying but not too bad. The shifter is also kind of clunky, the linkage needs to be lubricated just haven't gotten to it yet.

It needed tires so of course I just threw my set of Miata wheels on it, the factory wheels are very clean. I'm planning on getting a set of 15x6.5 +35 Watanabe RS wheels for it with some 205/55/15 tires, I'll have to research the tires available but I'm looking for a good performance tire if anybody could give me some recommendations!

The old mans Miata got some new wheels, 15' NB wheels with some performance tires we had sitting around. Wasn't a fan of the tires, didn't have the grip I expected and actually had the back end kick out on me several times with those tires..

And my truck. Did some winter prep to it recently but need to coat the frame yet to prevent it from rusting. Needs a wheel bearing I found out. Also wanna swap a grille from an '89-91 pickup on it. I really love this truck but I'm considering seeking out someone with an FZJ80 Land Cruiser looking for a trade as they're about equal value.

Stripped more from the rusty racer. I went overkill and stripped anything and everything one would possibly ever need for their MR2.

Another spare 4A-GE!

**** these coolant pipes, I hope I never need to use these

In order to remove them I had to remove the gas tank and it had some fuel in it and I was by myself, so of course I ended up spilling a bunch of fuel onto the floor, no big deal right? Well, removing all the coolant pipes left a metric ton of coolant on the floor so I hosed it down the drain and didn't bother getting all the water down the drain afterwards, so the fuel mixed with the water and I had to wipe down the entire floor by hand. Fun!

How artsy

My dad was getting tired of how uncomfortable the Miata is, so the car is now sold, but I'm glad I took it for one last nice drive with a friend down some really cool roads with the top down in the fall. Nice send off

I have a new love of old Volvos too

Back to the 2, looking at that last odometer photo I've realized I already put 1000 miles on this

Factory showroom poster!

I washed that and the Celica. Since it leaks so much oil I've noticed that the Celica leaves a very thick coating of burnt oil on the rear bumper after a while which is a pain to remove. It's almost like a diesel

Looks good after a wash though

More nice fallness

Sold my Geo. Bought it for $200, put about $600-700 into it, drove it for 3k miles and sold it for $2k. Not bad. Somebody from a dealership down the street bought it and I always see it in traffic still.

MR2 fully stripped

Cleaned some Celica stuff, including the gross center console trim and radio surround trim. Removing the radio surround put a tiny crack in it which annoys me so I'll probably get one from a junkyard even though it's barely noticeable. The center console has this insert in it which has slots for cassettes in it which had about 30 bridge tokens stuck under it

Gross trim

Finally clean

Buttons finally clean!

The MR2 also had a non functioning oil pressure guage which I looked up and found out is very common. This wire tends to pop off the oil pressure switch.

Cleaned the inner fender liners out to find this.. Clean your fenders out kids, it saves your cars fenders from rusting. Also threw in an 02 sensor I had from the rusty racer

My dad bought this 1981 928 and o finally got to drive a Porsche! The alternator quit within the week.

Driftknuckles.com.. Actually my friend took the steering rack for his Celica project. Also, my dad bought that silver Jaguar there. Has a Chevy 350. I dunno why he bought it.

And I just had to throw a battery in this prick. I think it's also leaking gas. It's about time for the winter wheels to go on.

 

[Qvale]

The blue on that new MR2 is gorgeous! Wish you kept the original rims on it though...Miata's rims look nice but I have a thing for 3 spoke rims.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

The blue on that new MR2 is gorgeous! Wish you kept the original rims on it though...Miata's rims look nice but I have a thing for 3 spoke rims.

Thank you! I'm a huge fan of the blue as well, nice change of pace from red! Color is called light blue metallic.

As much as I love the factory wheels, I quite liked the way these wheels look on these, it's like a cheap Watanabe.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

It's a shame to see the Geo go, it's the sort of Q-ship mundane sedan I can appreciate. Plus, it was a remarkably good cheap runabout for something that only cost you 200 bucks to buy. But if it can make its new owner happy, then it's for the best...

As for the MR2, that story puts a smile on my face. People tend to joke about Craigslist and the crappy cars one usually finds more often than not there, but you managed to find the textbook definition of a diamond in the rough. Having some electronical niggles is a small price to pay for a car that won't rot to hell in 5 days like your old steed...

But yes, enjoy the blue. I'm not a fan of the Miata rims myself, but you already have plans for that, so I won't say much more. I do bet a set of legit Watanabes will look amazing with that blue... It's not an original choice, but does it have to be?

 

[ilikewaffles11]

It's a shame to see the Geo go, it's the sort of Q-ship mundane sedan I can appreciate. Plus, it was a remarkably good cheap runabout for something that only cost you 200 bucks to buy. But if it can make its new owner happy, then it's for the best...

As for the MR2, that story puts a smile on my face. People tend to joke about Craigslist and the crappy cars one usually finds more often than not there, but you managed to find the textbook definition of a diamond in the rough. Having some electronical niggles is a small price to pay for a car that won't rot to hell in 5 days like your old steed...

But yes, enjoy the blue. I'm not a fan of the Miata rims myself, but you already have plans for that, so I won't say much more. I do bet a set of legit Watanabes will look amazing with that blue... It's not an original choice, but does it have to be?

Yea I'm gonna miss having a little trip vehicle I can just get in and drive without ever having a problem but I can't say I miss the car, very boring haha.

Most of the time I've spent looking at Craigslist cars they have been pretty crappy and the owners usually aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, so it's always nice to find an interesting person with a nice car! There's some deals on there, you've just gotta find them.

Not really. They just fit old Japanese cars so well. I was also thinking about Volks with the aero covers which I've seen for sale for about the same price as Watanabes, but I'd have to see a photo of them on an MR2 first and I can't find any photos so eh.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Yea I'm gonna miss having a little trip vehicle I can just get in and drive without ever having a problem but I can't say I miss the car, very boring haha.

Most of the time I've spent looking at Craigslist cars they have been pretty crappy and the owners usually aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, so it's always nice to find an interesting person with a nice car! There's some deals on there, you've just gotta find them.

Not really. They just fit old Japanese cars so well. I was also thinking about Volks with the aero covers which I've seen for sale for about the same price as Watanabes, but I'd have to see a photo of them on an MR2 first and I can't find any photos so eh.

Haha, of course you find it boring, have you seen what it had for company? MX-5s, MR2s, 928s... How can it match that?

So basically it's vintage Craigslist, haha. At the very least not only you found a good car, but one owned by a man who owns cars that once belonged to your father. What are the odds of that?

Well yes, it's the sort of rims you'd see on an AE86, so I'm not surprised to see you consider them as a choice. Volks are a pretty good choice too, but I guess it boils down to which rim you can find for the cheapest price...

Also, no new news about the Allante? Asking out of curiosity, that's all.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Haha, of course you find it boring, have you seen what it had for company? MX-5s, MR2s, 928s... How can it match that?

So basically it's vintage Craigslist, haha. At the very least not only you found a good car, but one owned by a man who owns cars that once belonged to your father. What are the odds of that?

Well yes, it's the sort of rims you'd see on an AE86, so I'm not surprised to see you consider them as a choice. Volks are a pretty good choice too, but I guess it boils down to which rim you can find for the cheapest price...

Also, no new news about the Allante? Asking out of curiosity, that's all.

Yea, when it's a choice between driving those and a Geo, it's pretty easy to see why I stopped using it.

Yea found that pretty funny, though to be fair the old Toyota fan base is relatively small and it always comes full circle.

But the Allante hasn't been used too much, though it was fully cleaned up. We took it to a car show back in August and I drove it home, the seats are so damn comfy.

Few more photos that I didn't feel like getting from Flickr when making that last post.. Only camera photos I have of the Geo

Pickup doing its thing

Forgot to say I took the Miata to the millionth Miata celebration tour. They stopped by Young Mazda in Easton PA and I was at Cars and Coffee which is only about 10 minutes away so why not? The Miata club went and there were about 30 Miatas, ranging from track cars to super clean NAs. Mazda had the millionth Miata which was a Japanese spec model and the 1989 Chiago auto show NA. Got a couple neat little souvenirs they gave out and got to sign my name on the door of the millionth Miata! Was worth checking out.

And MR2 made a friend at its first Cars and Coffee

Oh and my dads LS got rear ended. @Doog look away

 

[Doog]

That's pretty much how my car looked two months ago.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

That's pretty much how my car looked two months ago.

Was yours in an accident as well? I don't recall seeing that.

The car behind him got rear ended which got pushed into the LS, body shop quoted $2500. The frame is bent slightly, but there's 3 clean ones in a junkyard I recently visited so as long as we can figure out a way to open the trunk up the rest shouldn't be a big deal. He's determined to keep it.

 

[Doog]

Was yours in an accident as well? I don't recall seeing that.

The car behind him got rear ended which got pushed into the LS, body shop quoted $2500. The frame is bent slightly, but there's 3 clean ones in a junkyard I recently visited so as long as we can figure out a way to open the trunk up the rest shouldn't be a big deal. He's determined to keep it.

Yeah, I didn't post any pictures of it. Once I got my trunk to open, I couldn't shut it again. lol

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Yea, when it's a choice between driving those and a Geo, it's pretty easy to see why I stopped using it.

Well at least you're honest. Maybe if the Geo had more snap oversteer you would've driven it more, perhaps?

Yea found that pretty funny, though to be fair the old Toyota fan base is relatively small and it always comes full circle.

I suppose so, if this MR2 case is anything to go by. Or maybe it's moreso the fact that the cars the fanbase tends to pick aren't just Initial D AE86 tributes and therefore aren't as well-known...

But the Allante hasn't been used too much, though it was fully cleaned up. We took it to a car show back in August and I drove it home, the seats are so damn comfy.

Of course it's comfy, it's a damm luxury Caddy! What did you expect, a Chrysler Cordoba?

Joke aside, it's nice to hear that the Allante is getting some use at least, although I demand more pics of it. We don't hear much about Allantes here at GTP, and it's a darn shame. Plus, the one your family has is in pretty good condition, so it's not like it can't be captured in pictures...

Few more photos that I didn't feel like getting from Flickr when making that last post.. Only camera photos I have of the Geo
View attachment 608832
View attachment 608833

See? It may not be the greatest design in automotive history by a long shot, but it's so clean... Maybe that's more of a testament to your care for cars than the car itself, but those pictures certainly make the car look much younger than it actually is.

Oh, and the Miata history is awesome. Signing your name on the 1,000,000th Miata is something you aren't bound to forget anytime soon, even if the car probably has a zillion names already... What were the souvenirs you brought, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Yeah, I didn't post any pictures of it. Once I got my trunk to open, I couldn't shut it again. lol

That was a concern considering the frame was bent, but somehow it still functions perfectly fine.

Well at least you're honest. Maybe if the Geo had more snap oversteer you would've driven it more, perhaps?



I suppose so, if this MR2 case is anything to go by. Or maybe it's moreso the fact that the cars the fanbase tends to pick aren't just Initial D AE86 tributes and therefore aren't as well-known...



Of course it's comfy, it's a damm luxury Caddy! What did you expect, a Chrysler Cordoba?

Joke aside, it's nice to hear that the Allante is getting some use at least, although I demand more pics of it. We don't hear much about Allantes here at GTP, and it's a darn shame. Plus, the one your family has is in pretty good condition, so it's not like it can't be captured in pictures...



See? It may not be the greatest design in automotive history by a long shot, but it's so clean... Maybe that's more of a testament to your care for cars than the car itself, but those pictures certainly make the car look much younger than it actually is.

Oh, and the Miata history is awesome. Signing your name on the 1,000,000th Miata is something you aren't bound to forget anytime soon, even if the car probably has a zillion names already... What were the souvenirs you brought, if you don't mind me asking?

Certainly!

Here's he only recent photo I have of it, this is at the Awkscht Fescht back on August. My dad was all excited because he's been going to this show since he was like 6 and he finally had something to show as it's almost all American stuff, although I'm glad to say there was a Japanese presence on Saturday! But it was fun, I've come to appreciate the show a lot more as I got older, I'm looking forward to next years.

That car was extremely clean even when I bought it, it certainly did look nice. Had I kept it longer I would've probably replaced the slightly oxidized headlights and tried to make the wheel covers look a bit better but oh well.

Yup, very cool to be able to do that. But Mazda handed out a couple things, one of which was a plaque which you could have them engrave anything you wanted on and a sticker, plus they were supposed to have shirts but they didn't have them and they were going to mail them to everyone but I've never gotten one. They also had free breakfast which was nice.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Certainly!

Well, now you know what to do; buy another Geo like yours and MR swap it! What can possibly go wrong, as Bubsy once said?

Here's he only recent photo I have of it, this is at the Awkscht Fescht back on August. My dad was all excited because he's been going to this show since he was like 6 and he finally had something to show as it's almost all American stuff, although I'm glad to say there was a Japanese presence on Saturday! But it was fun, I've come to appreciate the show a lot more as I got older, I'm looking forward to next years.
View attachment 609079

The Caddy's looking good, if anything. And it's good that your father is happy driving it as he is happy showing it to others. There aren't many car shows where I live, so I don't get to see classics all that often. Usually it's all about drifting and vehicle stunts moreso than simple classic car showcasing, so...

Plus, no Allantes, which is certainly a minus. For me, that is...

That car was extremely clean even when I bought it, it certainly did look nice. Had I kept it longer I would've probably replaced the slightly oxidized headlights and tried to make the wheel covers look a bit better but oh well.

Quite, almost factory-fresh condition. Of course it could be bettered, we always think of one or two things after we send our car away, but perhaps the new owner will think about those things you've mentioned... As long as he takes care of the car, I'm alright with that.

I know this probably isn't as important, but I'd certainly track down a few badges for the rear. I don't know, I like to have the factory badges as they should be in cars...

Yup, very cool to be able to do that. But Mazda handed out a couple things, one of which was a plaque which you could have them engrave anything you wanted on and a sticker, plus they were supposed to have shirts but they didn't have them and they were going to mail them to everyone but I've never gotten one. They also had free breakfast which was nice.

Now you can say you're a part of Miata history, I'd say it's more than cool. Shame you didn't get the t-shirts, but the plaque can come in handy for your own Miata one day. No idea what you'd engrave for such a context, but it is your car after all, haha. And what did the sticker said?

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Well, now you know what to do; buy another Geo like yours and MR swap it! What can possibly go wrong, as Bubsy once said?



The Caddy's looking good, if anything. And it's good that your father is happy driving it as he is happy showing it to others. There aren't many car shows where I live, so I don't get to see classics all that often. Usually it's all about drifting and vehicle stunts moreso than simple classic car showcasing, so...

Plus, no Allantes, which is certainly a minus. For me, that is...



Quite, almost factory-fresh condition. Of course it could be bettered, we always think of one or two things after we send our car away, but perhaps the new owner will think about those things you've mentioned... As long as he takes care of the car, I'm alright with that.

I know this probably isn't as important, but I'd certainly track down a few badges for the rear. I don't know, I like to have the factory badges as they should be in cars...



Now you can say you're a part of Miata history, I'd say it's more than cool. Shame you didn't get the t-shirts, but the plaque can come in handy for your own Miata one day. No idea what you'd engrave for such a context, but it is your car after all, haha. And what did the sticker said?

Maybe even a more simple 4AGE swap? We have three sitting around...

I'm glad that in the States there's a pretty large following for cars, in the summer there's tons of car shows every weekend, just depends how far you wanna drive. Wish I could say there were more shows for imports though, not a single Japanese show within several hours of me which is a real bummer. Only a handful of European events. I like the usual cruise ins but you get tired of seeing the same classic American cars at each event, and if you decide to bring something like my Supra nobody cares anyway so why bother.

I'm pretty positive the badging was an option, as I've seen a good mix of Prizms with/without badging. I personally think it looks a bit cleaner without the badges, though I have taken badges off of junkyard Prizms as a little memento.

I just had my name engraved, didn't know what else to put haha. But the sticker says Mazda Millionth Miata Celeberation tour with the Mazda emblem and underneath it says NA-ND.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Maybe even a more simple 4AGE swap? We have three sitting around...

I'm glad that in the States there's a pretty large following for cars, in the summer there's tons of car shows every weekend, just depends how far you wanna drive. Wish I could say there were more shows for imports though, not a single Japanese show within several hours of me which is a real bummer. Only a handful of European events. I like the usual cruise ins but you get tired of seeing the same classic American cars at each event, and if you decide to bring something like my Supra nobody cares anyway so why bother.

I'm pretty positive the badging was an option, as I've seen a good mix of Prizms with/without badging. I personally think it looks a bit cleaner without the badges, though I have taken badges off of junkyard Prizms as a little memento.

I just had my name engraved, didn't know what else to put haha. But the sticker says Mazda Millionth Miata Celeberation tour with the Mazda emblem and underneath it says NA-ND.

Not a bad idea, yes. But you'd still have to perform a drivetrain swap if you want more snap oversteer, though...

I think that JDM thing needs a few more years to mature properly, as the import laws become less strict and allow for more liberties when it comes to car age when importing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's an important thing for a JDM import to not be too old, right? That may explain the lack of proper classic JDM cars... As for European cars, I'd say it's a little easier to import one of those given that America uses a LHD layout for cars and whatnot. Of course, there are exchange rates and the like...

Nothing wrong with a rear free of badges, really. Also, why did you take Prizm badges for mementos? To remember your old steed...?

Haha, fair enough, but it's still cool. You're a Miata owner, so the sticker fits... You can always showcase it later if you end up putting it on your own Miata. Right? 👍

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Not a bad idea, yes. But you'd still have to perform a drivetrain swap if you want more snap oversteer, though...

I think that JDM thing needs a few more years to mature properly, as the import laws become less strict and allow for more liberties when it comes to car age when importing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's an important thing for a JDM import to not be too old, right? That may explain the lack of proper classic JDM cars... As for European cars, I'd say it's a little easier to import one of those given that America uses a LHD layout for cars and whatnot. Of course, there are exchange rates and the like...

Nothing wrong with a rear free of badges, really. Also, why did you take Prizm badges for mementos? To remember your old steed...?

Haha, fair enough, but it's still cool. You're a Miata owner, so the sticker fits... You can always showcase it later if you end up putting it on your own Miata. Right? 👍

Sure, but a 4AGE would certainly liven it up.

What do you mean exactly? Regarding them not being too old? But RHD would definitely take some getting used to.

Yea I like taking badges from cars I've owned.

Sure can, though I'll probably just hang onto it and not stick it on anything.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Sure, but a 4AGE would certainly liven it up.

What do you mean exactly? Regarding them not being too old? But RHD would definitely take some getting used to.

Yea I like taking badges from cars I've owned.

Sure can, though I'll probably just hang onto it and not stick it on anything.

A Black-Top engine from an AE111 Trueno would make things even better, if you ask me. Why not have 170-plus, naturally-aspirated horses in your dinky sedan?

I was reading the law thing the wrong way; apparently you have a rule that prevents cars that are newer than 25-years-old from being imported to the country. That may have something to do with the lack of some JDM metal, if anything... That and the RHD, plus the lack of parts and experts, of course.

Are you going to frame all the badges in one single frame at some point? That would look pretty nifty, I bet...

Fair enough, guess it'll be worth more if you keep in mint unglued condition, haha.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

A Black-Top engine from an AE111 Trueno would make things even better, if you ask me. Why not have 170-plus, naturally-aspirated horses in your dinky sedan?

I was reading the law thing the wrong way; apparently you have a rule that prevents cars that are newer than 25-years-old from being imported to the country. That may have something to do with the lack of some JDM metal, if anything... That and the RHD, plus the lack of parts and experts, of course.

Are you going to frame all the badges in one single frame at some point? That would look pretty nifty, I bet...

Fair enough, guess it'll be worth more if you keep in mint unglued condition, haha.

That'd be great! Though I'd be happy with a blue (red maybe?) top 4AGE that came in a Prizm GSi.

Ah gotcha, yea 25 years is the limit. But yea there would definitely be a lot more Skylines here if not for that.. Certain models can apparently be serviced at dealerships, but parts can be time consuming and expensive to get I'd imagine.

Possibly, I just have everything on a shelf right now.

Plus then I can keep it for a lot longer.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

That'd be great! Though I'd be happy with a blue (red maybe?) top 4AGE that came in a Prizm GSi.

Ah gotcha, yea 25 years is the limit. But yea there would definitely be a lot more Skylines here if not for that.. Certain models can apparently be serviced at dealerships, but parts can be time consuming and expensive to get I'd imagine.

Possibly, I just have everything on a shelf right now.

Plus then I can keep it for a lot longer.

Or even a 4A-GZE (supercharged engine, about 170 hp in JDM AE101 Sprinters, you may have heard of it being used in this car called the MR2 ), but that's probably more work than what it's worth, haha. And the engine you mention is the red top, apparently, because the writing on the engine cover is red... It's not a bad choice all things considered, but I still dig the Black-Top idea the most. It's an awesome engine!

That and a handful of other JDM neo-classics, too. Not just Skylines... If we're talking about things like late-gen MR2s and the like, it may be possible for them to get serviced at dealerships, but cars like Nissan Avenirs (random example, I know, but I needed to mentioned a JDM-only car) might be more difficult to service. Part prices also play a great part in all this, with the import taxes and whatnot...

Well you never know, might make for an interesting art exhibit down the line.

That is true, yes. Pass it on as a family memento to teach kids how awesome old Mazdas were back in your day...

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Or even a 4A-GZE (supercharged engine, about 170 hp in JDM AE101 Sprinters, you may have heard of it being used in this car called the MR2 ), but that's probably more work than what it's worth, haha. And the engine you mention is the red top, apparently, because the writing on the engine cover is red... It's not a bad choice all things considered, but I still dig the Black-Top idea the most. It's an awesome engine!

That and a handful of other JDM neo-classics, too. Not just Skylines... If we're talking about things like late-gen MR2s and the like, it may be possible for them to get serviced at dealerships, but cars like Nissan Avenirs (random example, I know, but I needed to mentioned a JDM-only car) might be more difficult to service. Part prices also play a great part in all this, with the import taxes and whatnot...

Well you never know, might make for an interesting art exhibit down the line.

That is true, yes. Pass it on as a family memento to teach kids how awesome old Mazdas were back in your day...

Yea definitely a lot of work, black top would be awesome but again, lots of work haha. I'm cool with a red top.

I'm assuming models sold here or at least very similar to some models sold here would be no issue. To be fair though, most people importing an old car likely do at least some of their own work.

Perhaps

 

[ilikewaffles11]

I'm back with Celica stuff

If any fellow 5th gen Celica owners on here need anything off of this let me know, it's supposed to be hauled off sometime soon but it'll probably be a while. Still some stuff on it.

Some guy offered me $250 for it because he wanted the rear quarters but his wife wouldn't let him buy it..

If it's not gone by Saturday I'm taking the wheels and swapping them out with the ones on mine. Maybe sooner I want these wheels...

I finally took the summer set off my red one. This is what the back of the wheels look like from all the leaking oil, these were whiter than white when I first put them on. Right rear wheel had oil coating the inner sidewall. I should probably get on that.

Muffler was shiny when I put it on now it's covered in oily residue

Factory wheels back on. This set could use a repaint which is why I wanna swap them. Going from the Sumitomos on the Konigs to the Tigerpaws on these is quite disappointing.

Though I won't miss the tires spinning anytime I'm on a slight incline and the road is wet.

And something finally clicked when I was putting these on, the worst wheel which has paint flaking off must've been a replacement, and I'm pretty positive the previous owner ran the old one into a curb when drunk.

These wheels are directional, and I have three for the left hand side and only one for the right. That really crappy one was originally on the left front of the car when I bought it and doesn't match the rest at all condition wise. When I bought the car it also needed a left front wheel bearing, the toe was off about .60 degrees, and that side of the bumper is misaligned. I'm assuming he was drunk by the multiple DUI papers I found in the car when I bought it. Fun stuff!

Also it's having cooling issues. For whatever reason it keeps pushing coolant out and I'm not sure why. The temperature guage always stays where it needs to be and its never overheated on me, yet I still always find coolant spilling out of the overflow bottle and can hear it bubbling when I shut it off. I bled the system when I put the radiator in it and made sure there was no air in it yet it still does it. I tried getting a new radiator cap but the new one wouldn't fit at all, and the old one I have fits very poorly. I'm curious if this is the problem, but I'm also curious why the hell I can't find any caps that fit properly.

I realized all of the film for my new camera is expired so I figured I'd go take the MR2 out and waste it on that, and suddenly the dash lights started working again! They come and go now, which is a plus I guess.

Went down my favorite road with the window down and the music turned off, nothing like a 4AGE at full song.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

I did stuff so guess I'll post about it

Best possible photo to show the oil leakage

I finally took the wheels off the parts car one night and swapped tires and wheels around, looks much better now with these wheels on it and I finally have proper direction wheels on each side. Also put brake rotors on it so no more violent steering wheel shake when braking which is nice.

Snowy

How lovely

Have a sunset

First photo I've gotten of these two together

Got a set of Mastercraft Glacier Grip IIs for my truck for the winter and threw them on these spare chrome 15s I had from my 4Runner. I've decided I'm selling my truck next spring or so, but I'll keep these wheels and use them on my next 4WD Toyota. I've been watching for an FZJ80 Land Cruiser.

Next winter I'm gonna get some narrow snows for my Celica and just run that since it's a hell of a lot cheaper than keeping a truck which has ridiculously high insurance for some reason, gets crappy gas mileage, and only ever gets used occasionally. Don't really wanna sell it since it's a really nice truck and I like driving it but I can't justify keeping it.

It honestly looks kind of ridiculous with these tiny tires Polished the wheels up before throwing them on though and they came out pretty nice.

Also gonna swap a 1989-1992 truck grille onto it, found out it doesn't even need to be modified to fit on later trucks. Entire grille and headlight surrounds on eBay for $75, just gotta also get an emblem.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

So small update but mostly I wanna ask for tire recommendations. Anyway other stuff first

Got to try out the snow tires on the truck, work pretty damn well and haven't even had to take it out of 2WD yet. The back end likes to step out which makes for some fun times. Super easy and fun to control.

Walked out to this one morning. That was close. Perspective makes it look further away than it was, was a pretty size able branch..

Frozen Celica

Finally splurged a little and cleared out my EBay watch list, for Mister 2 when I send it for rust repair. It's painted over on mine for some reason. Also ordered a 1989-1992 grille for my truck and got a new antennae mast for my Celica. Just need to get the braided brake lines for it yet.

So I meant to order parts for this on Friday but that didn't happen. It's sitting at work at the moment and I'm finally gonna fix the oil leak, replace the oil pump gasket, do the timing belt and water pump, put a new alternator on it, and put new serpentine belts on it. Think that's everything.

Not mine but worth mentioning, my dad sold his Celica Alltrac turbo. Bit of a shame since it's such a rare and interesting car but I don't blame him at all for selling it. Somebody from Virginia flew up and drove it back, where he will continue driving it down to Florida. Long drive.

Also not mine but we got stuck on the side of a mountai and had to get somebody to come pull us out because the 4WD on his new winter beater 4Runner doesn't work as we discovered. Fixed it last week though.

Merry Christmas

Friend recently bought this and I got to drive it and I think I'm gonna buy one of these instead of a 944.. Planning on waiting for the price to drop a little more and probably make payments on a used one. Absolutely LOVED driving this thing, such a fun car to toss around. But that's gonna have to wait a while.

I just feel like posting these. Would really love a Porsche 944 S which I've been considering, however I know the FRS is going to be much less of a headache.

Truck doing things

But anyway, I was planning on waiting a while and saving money before buying them, but I got a nice Christmas bonus at work so I'm going to buy some Watanabes for my MR2. However I'm not sure where to start with tires. I want a performance tire, no all seasons, preferably non directional though not sure that'll happen, that also are on the more 'affordable' side, so no P Zeros or anything.

They don't have to work well in the rain as I don't use the car in bad weather however I want something that works well enough on the street. Looking for 225/60/15 iirc, just wondering if anybody has anything they can recommend to look into.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Well, for starters, I can't really help you with the tires/tyres (English differences, hooray!) thing since I do not own a car myself and have very little experience with tire choices. Sorry for being so blunt, but it's best to admit my lack of knowledge now instead of pretending I know and get you screwed over later...

I can however mourn the leaving of the Alltrac, it's a car with quite a history within your family. It probably found a caring home and owner, but still, all its good times were spent in your home, with your father at the wheel. And besides, not many Celicas can claim that they were featured in Hemmings Cars at one point in their lives... I just hope it can remain in stock condition, that's all.

As for the FRS, I guess that's a good place to start if you're in need of a coupe and love Toyotas. Of course, while it's easier to understand and slightly easier to fix than a 944, it also has a few more gizmos to worry about. It all depends on whether or not you like to fix electronics, really.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Well, for starters, I can't really help you with the tires/tyres (English differences, hooray!) thing since I do not own a car myself and have very little experience with tire choices. Sorry for being so blunt, but it's best to admit my lack of knowledge now instead of pretending I know and get you screwed over later...

I can however mourn the leaving of the Alltrac, it's a car with quite a history within your family. It probably found a caring home and owner, but still, all its good times were spent in your home, with your father at the wheel. And besides, not many Celicas can claim that they were featured in Hemmings Cars at one point in their lives... I just hope it can remain in stock condition, that's all.

As for the FRS, I guess that's a good place to start if you're in need of a coupe and love Toyotas. Of course, while it's easier to understand and slightly easier to fix than a 944, it also has a few more gizmos to worry about. It all depends on whether or not you like to fix electronics, really.

Understandable, I'm a mechanic myself and I don't even know where to begin. Don't really deal with performance tires though.

Well the guy who bought it was a huge Toyota guy as well and he definitely appreciates it for what it is so that's good to know its going to somebody who will take care of it. He supposedly owned one for about a week before somebody ran into it and totaled it, so he wanted another. I believe he said he owns an SW20 MR2 as well. Glad I can say I've been able to drive one at least.

To be honest, a 1980s Porsche is more likely to have issues than a new Toyota. We rarely have any Japanese cars in at work with any sort of wiring or electrical issues. I'm not sure about 944 electrical systems, but I know the general consensus on old Porsches are that the electrical systems are problematic, as my old mans 928 can attest too. Plus I've never owned a car where every single bolt and nut will actually come apart without breaking or stripping, so that's a plus of the FRS!

Though one of the things I'd enjoy about a 944 is that it's different from what I'm used to working on, and I enjoy tinkering with stuff on my own time. I'm sure I'd get frustrated working on it, but I like working on something that's a bit of a challenge when it's at my own pace. Main reason I volunteered to work on his 928.