In 1997 when I was 16 I got my first car, an '82 Celica GT-S. I joined up with celicas.org on the old OCC mailing list long before online forums were around. Learned a lot from guys like Matti Kalalahti, Sean Figgins, Gary Meisner, etc.
Fast forward a couple years and I picked up a '78 RA4X coupe, but just wasn't feeling that car. Seven more cars, 15 years later, and a move from Ontario to Alberta, and I'm in the process of selling my '91 MR2 Turbo that's heavily modified (standalone EFI, disco potato, RMR intake manifold, custom A2W setup, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.) I'm feeling the bug to have a project again. The MR2 was fun but it was too complete and too easy, just ready to drive everywhere...
So I found myself an old '77 Celica in central Alberta last weekend, picked it up on a trailer (wouldn't start) and get the thing back down to Calgary. Haven't had much time to work on it this week, as I'm getting everything buttoned up on the MR2 to be picked up tonight, but I did find that it was just a loose wire on the starter. She starts right up and purrs like a kitten! It has weber sidedraft carbs and a header already, but the body is rough and the interior trashed.
I plan on leaving the 20R in there, or possibly doing a 20/22R hybrid. (a 1UZ is a VERY remote possibility). I want to do a complete resto on the body, and take the interior to a local shop to have it recovered/repaired, etc. I've already ordered complete new brakes (drums, rotors, shoes, pads, calipers, wheel cylinders, master cyl) and both clutch cylinders. The existing stuff feels spongy and has likely had the same fluid in it for years. Considering I'm planning on the occasional autocross, I want everything to be in good order.
Anyway, I'll start a new thread for the build/resto itself, but just wanted to say hi!
![Welcoming :wave:](./images/smilies/cust_wave.gif)