New on 1stgencelica

Please introduce yourself and Celica or ride(s).
RafRA25
Posts: 38
Joined: April 13th, 2012, 1:06 am
Location: Metro Manila, Philippines

New on 1stgencelica

Post by RafRA25 »

Hi 1stgencelica community, I am a newly proud owner of a 1st gen 1973 celica liftback (RA25).
I had my shares of heartaches and sleeplessness because of my obsession on 1st ten celicas. From where I came from, it is really hard to find one. Its been almost or maybe more 2 years since I've been obsessing with a great classic toyota and quite recently I've spotted 3 of them in the internet classified. The first being a beautiful orange TA27, fully restored with 2TG which cost around 10,000USD (if converted). Another was a blue coupe (not sure of the model/code) which the owner also claims to be fully restored and was asking for almost 5,000USD. But sadly, none of them were budget-permitting. I am only a university student with legal means of getting money. The third was a black RA29 which was also fully restored (as he claims), this one was right on the budget and when I mean right it was enough to deplete my savings. My savings are also time-deposited in a bank per 30 days. Since I could not get my money, my heart was aching since a cannot buy the car that i really wanted which was near my reach. Two weeks later, the RA29 was sold. My heart shattered.

But one day, as I was surfing the net (looking for liftbacks) my dad happened to pass by the living room while I was busy with the laptop. He saw that i was zooming through 1st gen celicas and told me that he saw one halfway through my school which was being used to hang clothes with. I took note and asked him details. And on a different day I went on an adventure (with my girlfriend) and looked for that celica. I found it and saw a mini-convience store just in front of it. I bought snacks and talked to the store-owner to ask if the celica was for sale and to my luck it wasn't. She also told me that it was previously for sale but on an amount that I also cannot afford. My heart was shattered again. But for weeks I kept going back to that same store just buying snacks and talking to the store owner. I was told that it was not really for sale. And during a school day, I thought to myself to see the celica for the purpose of seeing just the car in front of me. I went to the store and to my luck I was introduced to the brother of the store owner (the celica owner), had a chat with him and told me that since I was persistent, he agreed to sell to me the car for a cheap price. I told him that my money will mature in two weeks, i can pay him in two weeks. So he agreed and promised me that it was only for sale for me. Then three days before the maturity of my money three different people came to bid for the celica for a much higher price but since the guy was ever kind. He sold to me the celica and I added extra payment for his hospitality. And as I towed the car from their store, it was both a dramatic moment for us. It had all the sentimental value to him since all his retirement money was put into this. He owned it for 12 years (1 year used only and 11 years stucked). As we bid our farewells his last words to me was "Take car of the car for me and restore it. Promise me you'll go back to show it to me when it's finished" And there, I took on the responsibility of taking car of his Red RA25.

Sorry for the long post, here are the pictures :) Thank you.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79018448@N ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79018448@N ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79018448@N ... otostream/
1973 RA25 ST - Sold
1974 RA21 GT - Sold
1977 RA29 GT with Smileys. - Sold
Still have the Smileys though.
1979 - RT132 Corona Hardtop/ Macho Machine 18RG
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mosesmulwa
Posts: 13
Joined: April 6th, 2012, 8:43 am
Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
Contact:

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by mosesmulwa »

Cool story,

Nice ride. It was worth the 2 year wait...Enjoy!

Cheers.
Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on Simplicity
- Plato -
Image
Tony.celi77
Posts: 93
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 5:23 am
Location: Las Cruces New Mexico 88012

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by Tony.celi77 »

That's an awesome Celica! I so want one of these lift backs, wish I could find a way to import one without braking the bank.
Welcome to the sight :2thumbs:
1977 Celica ST RA24
1976 Celica GT RA29 half mine
1991 Toyota Pickup
User avatar
faffi
Posts: 502
Joined: January 12th, 2010, 11:57 pm
Location: belgium, vlaams brabant

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by faffi »

welcome to the forum,
cool LB,
nice color,special plans? or go for original?
:2thumbs:
Im jhun_hapi
Posts: 1777
Joined: February 21st, 2008, 2:14 pm
Location: Antioch, CA (Bay Area)

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by Im jhun_hapi »

pare welcome :2thumbs: ur probably a member in oldschoolpilipinas.org it looks complete.. plus its the first yr of liftback. great buy.. is it RHD original and converted to LHD? hows the interior and rust?

atleast the labor there is cheap keep us updated. theres lots of info here. welcome ulit

Rocky
RafRA25
Posts: 38
Joined: April 13th, 2012, 1:06 am
Location: Metro Manila, Philippines

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by RafRA25 »

Thank you guys, you are so welcoming. :)
My plans are to keep it original as possible. But my concern really is the 18R, I mean does it still have nostalgic importance? (Or putting something thats more reliable and cheap like a 4AGE but would it give justice? Because 4AGE succeeded the 2TG right, so thats the logic I'm drawing)
The owner gave me all the parts I need and its all complete except for the emblems the engine is stuck for 10 years. There's a whole list to do with this car. You can even go Fred-Flinstone with it (Driver's floor pan is gone). Its Original LHD. It was imported here from japan since the 80's.
Cheers!

@Sir Rocky : Im just a lurker at OCP. Thank you for the welcome. :) Rust is everywhere and I mean everywhere. 15-25% of the floor pan is almost gone and yet the car still stands. The engine needs a complete overhaul. Hood has small rust holes and even the trunk. Engine bay has a big rust on the firewall side. But other than that its still a great buy plus I got ATS Classic rims (not sure if authentic though). Cheers to you sir!
1973 RA25 ST - Sold
1974 RA21 GT - Sold
1977 RA29 GT with Smileys. - Sold
Still have the Smileys though.
1979 - RT132 Corona Hardtop/ Macho Machine 18RG
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exodus
Posts: 3161
Joined: April 21st, 2008, 10:32 am
Location: Modesto, Ca
Contact:

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by exodus »

Thats a Great story to go with an AWESOME looking celica too!!

Good luck and keep us updated with the build!! :2thumbs:
Foxy:My 1973 Celica-Powered By ITB'd F20c - SOLD 8/13 :(
BUILD THREAD: http://1stgencelica.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1221
Flyby Video's of Foxy: http://youtu.be/VSXNinaak8o
Im jhun_hapi
Posts: 1777
Joined: February 21st, 2008, 2:14 pm
Location: Antioch, CA (Bay Area)

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by Im jhun_hapi »

Some members here are also in OSP. Like madds hes into Celica too..

Like we all say here it's ur money ur car and u can do what ever u want. All we ask is show us some pics. :2thumbs: before and after of what u have done. Emblems we have some repo that a member sells here check out the vendor section. Labor is so cheap back home so that will be easy. If ur rims have ATS mark on it most likely it's orig.

Btw bossing put location on ur avatar.. Salamat and enjoy the site :cheers:
madds
Posts: 149
Joined: May 29th, 2009, 11:47 pm
Location: Manila, Philippines

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by madds »

hi there, congratulations

Rocky is right, there's a lot of osph emebers who are also in this site, even the owners of the celicas for sale here in the philippines are probably in this here too.

i just sold my ra25 '73 liftback and ta27 '75 liftback last month but i still have my RA28 lb

good luck on your restoration. one piece of advice, you have to have a complete set of rubbers before you start.

Please check your Private Message

see you around

frank 8)
Im jhun_hapi
Posts: 1777
Joined: February 21st, 2008, 2:14 pm
Location: Antioch, CA (Bay Area)

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by Im jhun_hapi »

check with groupb if u need some weatherstrippings or other parts jst check out vendor section..
RafRA25
Posts: 38
Joined: April 13th, 2012, 1:06 am
Location: Metro Manila, Philippines

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by RafRA25 »

Thanks guys, Ive been checking out the site already for facts and I don't know where to start since there are too many to start with. :shock:
I'll post some pics soon as I start. :D

Oh yea, I failed to mention. There was also a third celica (or celicas rather) that broke my heart. It was sir madds' celicas! Two for the price of one.(One being just a shell and the other for parts) I wanted to buy the package but my concern was I knew that they were both different chassis codes and I did not know anything about 1st gen celica's trims and their differences.

Thanks guys, cheers to you all :)
1973 RA25 ST - Sold
1974 RA21 GT - Sold
1977 RA29 GT with Smileys. - Sold
Still have the Smileys though.
1979 - RT132 Corona Hardtop/ Macho Machine 18RG
madds
Posts: 149
Joined: May 29th, 2009, 11:47 pm
Location: Manila, Philippines

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by madds »

ra25 and ta27 are perfectly the same except for the engines (as far as i know)
ra25s are the first celica liftbacks (1973) with the GT and ST version.

the guy who bought my ra25 and ta27 is somehow lucky coz i gave him all the parts including the banana tail lights and smiley bumpers. all he need is a complete weather strips

anyways, just enjoy your new toy. :cheers: :cheers:
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njccmd2002
Posts: 738
Joined: September 5th, 2009, 10:20 am
Location: at home in computer in Tennesee

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by njccmd2002 »

ive looked at the car several times, it was a RHD converted to LHD...

see the wiper orientation is RHD. Japan only had RHD, but at any rate, nice find
once car at a time....
RafRA25
Posts: 38
Joined: April 13th, 2012, 1:06 am
Location: Metro Manila, Philippines

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by RafRA25 »

@Sir njccmd2002 : Well the previous owner claims it to have orig LHD conversions which was also told to him by the more earlier owner. Im just hoping he's right though. We'll know soon for sure. Thank you sir!

Here's scary bits about my RA25. :frown:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79018448@N ... hotostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79018448@N ... hotostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79018448@N ... hotostream

THANKS GUYS :cheers:
1973 RA25 ST - Sold
1974 RA21 GT - Sold
1977 RA29 GT with Smileys. - Sold
Still have the Smileys though.
1979 - RT132 Corona Hardtop/ Macho Machine 18RG
ChristobalRocks
Posts: 1266
Joined: August 17th, 2009, 11:02 am
Location: North of Boston

Re: New on 1stgencelica

Post by ChristobalRocks »

Wow a 1973 Celica liftback? That's got to be rare, rare, rare! :cheers:

Welcome to the board. :)
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