Buying a Classic Celica

[Stock_22]

~~~~~~Buying a Classic Celica~~~~~~

The Comprehensive Guide





So you have decided, like many fellow enthusiasts to finally buy that Classic Celica you have always wanted. However, you are unsure of what to look for when buying it. This is where I hope this guide comes in handy. So read on, and educate yourself on what to look for when buying that Classic Celica.

Body:
This is the most important thing to look at when buying a car that is 30+ years old. If you are looking for a dead straight Celica, you have to be ruthless in your inspection.

When looking at the car, make sure it has been washed, and you view it during daylight hours, as shadows and artificial light can hide imperfections in the bodywork. Take along a mangnet when inspecting the car, so that you can test problem areas to see if they have just been filled with bog.

When the car first came out of the factory, they were painted with all the panels fitted to the car. This meant that the bolts holding front guards and doors etc were painted the same colour as the car and the paint created a seal around the bolt. If these panels have been removed for repair, the cracked seal around the bold is generally a good indication that the car has been in an accident.

Rust is one of the major problems with these cars. The most likely spots for rust are as follows:
TA22/3 and RA23: Around the window chrome trims you will often find rust holes about the size twenty or fifty cent pieces. These must be fixed because the can rust all the way through and cause water damage on the interior of the car. Also check the leading edge of the bonnet, as rust holes often appear in two spots around the hinges of the bonnet. Check the sills for large amounts of rust, or rust bubbling through the paint, this is a common problem, especially for cars that have been left un-driven and exposed to the elements. Also look in the spare tyre well for rust.
RA28/25/35 etc: See above areas to watch and also around the rear hatch as this is often a problem area for the lift back models.
Also with the liftbacks, the bottom of the rear quarter panels, the hatch itself and all around the hatch are problem areas. If the seller doesn't mind, pull up the rubber moulding and look at the rails around the hatch. If there are holes in the hatch area letting water in then there is a pretty good chance that the spare tyre well is also going to be a place of concern. the rear quater windows can form rust under the rubbers, and the doors will show bubbling in the corners and underneath. (thanks Lambolica)
Repair: If possible, get the repair done in either metal or fibreglass, bog is just a tempoary fix, as the rust will come back through it.

Unless the car has been rebuilt and resprayed by a professional, these are some things you may want to watch, as they may indicate the car has been neglected or been in an accident.

Paint Finish: Check the consistency of the paint across the panels, especially if the car has been repainted in recent years. Also check for scratches or pitting under the surface of the paint that may suggest excess amounts of bog.
Car Panels: Check panel gaps between bonnet and guards, bumpers and guards, boot and rear guards and also on the doors. Anything that doesn’t line up could mean the car has had panels replaced. Also check the bolts that hold the hinges, to make sure they haven’t been disturbed, suggesting panel replacement/accident repairs.
Roof and Bonnet: Make sure there is no evidence of dings and warping that may suggest hail damage.
Chrome Bumpers/trims:Have a good look at the chrome bumpers, from different angles to make sure there are no signs of them being bent or repaired. Another thing to look for is pitting or splits in the chrome that could suggest both rust from behind and dodgy/ hasty repairs.
Hinges: Make sure none of the hinges have rust or are bent, because sourcing these parts are tedious and difficult. The boot should pop up nice and easy, and the bonnet should open and close cleanly.
Headlights and taillights: Make sure that the tail lights are the matching design to the year of manufacture and all work without an electrical burning smell.
To check, visit these threads:
http://www.toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7641
http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...highlight=ra25

The Mechanical Inspection

Toyota only ever imported the base model celicas, as a result we never received the GT models, unless they were privately imported. So if the car is being sold as original it should have the following engine:
TA22/3- 2T/B/C (1600cc) SOHC Carburettor engine, however the 3T (1800cc) SOHC Carburettor engine has been known to be retro fitted to some TA22's. Hybrid engines are popular, 3T bottom end and 2T/G head to give a 1.8L twin cam.

RA23/8 18RC (2000cc) SOHC carburettor engine. For more specs and guides on these engines visit the link bellow:
http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...9&highlight=2t

If the engine has been swapped for a later generation engine, the most common of which are:
TA22/3: 2TG, 3T-GTE, 4AGE, 4AGTE, SR20 etc.
RA23/8: 18RG, IJZ, 2JZ, IG-GTE and 3T-GTE.

Always make sure that these cars have been checked by a qualified engineer and have been blue plated and previously registered with these engines. Remember, transport policies vary from state to state, so check with your Transport department first as to what is legal and not.

Things to look for:
Oil leaks:Inspect cam covers for sooty areas and dusty areas, also check around the rocker cover and the back of the engine for collection of oil. Also check the ground under where the car is parked. Any oil deposits could mean a leaky sump plug.
Engine Mounts: Check for the usual wear and tear, and make sure all the bolts are there. (It has been known for complete bolt and nuts missing)
Cooling System: Check radiator hoses and the top of the radiator for either splits or leaking coolant. Take the cap off, if the coolant is a murky red/orange colour this is a tell tale sign of a rusty radiator. If the car has an intercooler, make sure all the mounts are fixed firmly in place. Also check the pipes for clean welds and tightened hose circlips.
Battery: Check the battery has little corrosion around the clamps. (this can be fixed with a jug of boiling water). Also make sure the battery tray hasn’t rusted through completely. If the battery has been relocated to the boot, check it is secured correctly and the wiring has been done professionally with insulated wire, soldered joins and grommets.
Belts: Check the belts for cracks and fraying.

The Test Drive
This is possibly the most important part of buying the Celica. It should be the last inspection to be undertaken, so that you aren’t wasting your time and the sellers. The roads you should use should be a mix of different grades of surface, and be well away from built up areas, so as the car is not stationary for half the drive. Some things to look for are:

Smoke: This is the killer for these cars. If it hasn’t been maintained properly, white or blue smoke can indicate burning oil. This means you will probably have to replace the piston rings, which often lead to a full engine rebuild.
Transmission: The transmissions that came on these cars, especially the T50 were quite strong and reliable. However, check for dead travel in the clutch pedal, and slipping gears/synchros. Do this with quick up and down changes through 2nd and 3rd. Also, listen to the it (transmission) with the clutch out, then listen to with the clutch in check for noises.
Engine: Put the engine through three rpm stages, low rpm, mid and high. And check for smoke/ odd noises.

Cold and warm idle: If you can, start the car cold. If the idle is rough, wait for the car to warm up (especially with carburetted engines) If it still sounds like its struggling when warm this could mean it has either a fuel injection problem or the carburettors need to be tuned. (Twin Carburettors on engines such as the 2T-G and 18R-G are hard to correct with a gasket kit, so you may have to get them professionally rebuilt and tuned)
Suspension: Unless the car has been meticulously looked after, most of the suspension components will need new bushings and shocks. (Go he extra and get polyurethane bushes) Check for strange knocks of bouncy or jerky steering. Put the car on full lock and listen for clunking that may indicate worn or damaged CV’s.
Brakes: Check for dead pedal travel and also brake hard to check for excessive steering wobble (warped rotors). If the engine has been upgraded, check that some sort of brake package has been done to increase stopping power. (Corona, Peugeot, Hilux upgrade is the most popular as itt bolts straight in)

Beware the fake GT

In some cases, most notably with EBay etc people will advertise their car as being the GT model. Do not be fooled by the badges as there are only a handful of genuine GT’s in Australia. If the car has been advertised as a GT make sure the build plate complies with the badges. For more info on this go here:
http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...spotters+guide

In most cases, it will be just badges and oil temp gauges. But you should always check the VIN Number for genuine claims.

So there you are. Hopefully I have covered everything and have made it easier for someone to buy there next Celica. If I have missed something, don’t hesitate to PM me and I will add it in.
Just remember, these cars are 30 odd years old. In most cases they will not be perfect. They will all need a bit of TLC and patience. Don’t be put off by little things, however, watch out for deal breakers.
Good luck and happy hunting.

Ps. River, could you add this to the Classic Celica index please. Cheers mate.

[DQIKST]

to add,

with old cars its a nightmare to fix a body, but a engine conversion thanks to alot of people on toymods has become a weekend job,

so look for a nice body not a nice motor,

also with transmissions, listen to it with the clutch out, then listen to with the clutch in check for noises,

also give the car a basic magnet test, which involves you placeing a magent on different spots on the body to check if it is metal,

a magnet will not stick to bog unless the panel beater has added chicken wire when applying it,

hope that helps
cyaz

[Lambolica]

For the liftbacks the bottom of the rear quarter panels, the hatch itself and all around the hatch are problem areas. If the seller doesn't mind, pull up the rubber moulding and look at the rails around the hatch. If there are holes in the hatch area letting water in then there is a pretty good chance that the spare tyre well is also going to be a place of concern. the rear quater windows can form rust under the rubbers, and the doors will show bubbling in the corners and underneath.

Cheers
Simon

[jezza323]

also check the spare tyre well in ta22's which do not have the fuel tank there, and the rails under the doors are common for rust in these as well

[Stock_22]

Cheers guys, I have added the suggestions to the post. So + rep for all three of you.

[suss_slide]

also, a lot of rust gets built up underneath the boot seal, so take off the boot rubber and have a looksie underneath

[DQIKST]

also forgot to mention, when looking for a celica or any car for that matter, manily XYs, take your time and check for original spot welds, get under neath the car and check every where for original spot welds that way you will be able to tell for your self if the car has been in a accident,

cyaz

[Turdinator]

Nice thread.

[Toyota only ever imported the base model celicas, as a result we never received the GT models, unless they were privately imported. So if the car is being sold as original it should have the following engine:
TA22/3- 2T/B/C (1600cc) SOHC Carburettor engine or the 3T (1800cc) SOHC Carburettor engine.

The 3T didn't come in any TA celica. It is common to find them retro fitted though as they are a bolt in replacement and an upgrade from 1600 to 1800.

[Jax]

Another place to look for rust is behind the rear wheels, bottom of the doors and behind the front wheels just abouts anywhere there is a drain that can get clogged up with gunk and mud and stop water from getting out.

[Stock_22]

Another place to look for rust is behind the rear wheels, bottom of the doors and behind the front wheels just abouts anywhere there is a drain that can get clogged up with gunk and mud and stop water from getting out.

Yep, I think I've got that covered with the rust in the sills, If your looking there, you're likely to see any rust on the doors. I'm yet to see rust behind the rear wheels? If you have pics, please share.