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Newbie sez "Hey, y'all"...92 GT ragtop

3K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  Numbchux 
#1 ·
Greetings Celi-Kats...new to group, my fifth Toyota and first Celica...

Been a long time member of TN.com,, just sold my trusty '76 Corona Wagon and picked up this convertible, came across the site looking for parts. Lots of good threads from what I see.

Pretty crazy circumstance...this baby has been sitting in a climate controlled garage for...get this...11 long years. Last tagged in July '04. When found, car had no brakes (master cyl.), door nail dead battery, rear window had separated from top in one corner, and a gas tank which leaks, but only at 3/4 tank and above. Gave 'em the cash, winched it up on a trailer and hauled it home.

No rust to speak of, paint oxidized but definitely "will buff out"...interior great shape, no damage...top and headlight motors all function fine. Auto, 152K miles, with a fresh factory motor installed at a little over 60K, due to the boneheads at Jiffy Lube neglecting to refill after an oil change. Have already yanked the air intake and master cylinder, was forced to cut the fuel line in order to get the filter out...PITA...but now moving right along with slowly bringing this Sleeping Beauty back to life and back on the road....will post more pix as work progresses....
 

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#5 ·
My third Toyota and second Celica. How about some pictures of the 5SFE apart? Its always fun to see. In two years the 92s' will be classics. I rarely see 90 - 93s on the road these days. You have a rough gem that won't cost a lot to make like new again which will be rare. When sorted they purr for many-o-mile.
:cheers:
 
#6 ·
Well...at this point, still not sure if she's a keeper or a flip. I've never owned a 'vert, always wanted one, but nothin' fancy...just some crappy ragtop, you know, some old Rambler or Plymouth or the like. This is actually a pretty nice 'lil sled, got it for next to nothing, so there may be some serious profit potential. The more I look at it, though, the more I like the style and lines...interior is slightly dirty but nearly flawless, no damage or abuse. Don't really care for the "gas can red" color, but it does strike me that it would be pretty easy to paint a new color if I keep it.

First things first...fix the brakes and get it started. I yanked the air intake, vapor canister, and master cylinder, had to cut the fuel line to remove the fuel filter....which was obviously the original, and full of crap and nasty lookin' gas. Scored some great deals already on Rock Auto, new cap, rotor, plug wires, plugs, got a new Interstate battery.
The previous owner said that the car was running and driving perfectly when it was parked in '04, and I have no reason to doubt that. I found this thing on eBay, and as luck would have it, only a 90 min. drive from our "getaway cabin". Very nice people, rather affluent area...she had basically found out that a convertible is not the ideal vehicle to rely on during winters in Cleveland. Rear window plastic became separated from fabric in one corner, she parked it and bought a Land Cruiser. Sat for a couple of years, battery died. Sat a while longer, jump started it, now the brake pedal goes to the floor. You get the idea. Minor issues that added up to being "too much hassle". Life goes on, 11 years pass, time to just let it go...I was basically the first to get to it. Rather rare for an eBay find, of course on there cars can be hundreds of miles away.
Will post more pix as I progress, but I hope these will NOT include any shots of the "5SFE apart", ghosti! I drained the old oil and have used the starter (with plugs out) to spin some fresh lube through the engine...I may at some point in the future dig in and replace the injectors, depending on how she runs. Get past Turkey Day and get back to gettin' my hands greasy...thanks for the welcome, gents, stay tuned....
 
#7 ·
Trust me when I say this:

After you drive it you will want to keep it. Pretty good power delivery. Great handling. Excellent gas milage. Pop up freaking headlights lol. Decent amount of aftermarket parts. Easy enough to get stock parts. If you maintain it she will last forever.

I just picked up an 88 a few weeks ago. Over 230k miles. There are two problems. She leaked a bit of oil, which I fixed already. She leaks power steering fluid. I repaired that but waiting to see if that was the only issue witb it. Other then that, runs like a dream. Starts right up, even in this low 20's we have had. I average about 38 mpg if I drive her slow shifting at 2.5k rpm to 3k rpm.
 
#8 ·
Hey Fox, you're probably right...my tush does seem to fit quite nicely in that driver's seat. My sweetie of course thought I was nuts....

" you bought a car with no brakes that doesn't even run!?!?! "...I'm sure she'll change her tune come Springtime when we take that first cruise...

Every thing that I read so far about the car sounds appealing, even if it is an automatic. So was my '86 Cressida, and that was without a doubt one of the best cars I've ever owned and a blast to drive. The one other issue I will have to deal with eventually is the gas tank leak, but the young lady (previous owner) said that it only leaked at 3/4 tank and above...and from what I can see from diagrams that would most likely eliminate the tank seam. At least four gaskets by my count on the tank, betting that's where I will find it. And the more I read and research it, I'm pretty convinced that I can replace the top myself, way cheaper.

Also have to find some 15" rims to fit, I'm sure you know that those 205/60/14's are practically impossible to find, so far only seeing cheap Chinese crap...hoping to find some stock Toyota rims in good shape, but boy they are asking top dollar for those! The tires on it are practically brand new (wear wise anyway) but far from the correct size...185/70/14...so at least I have some time to shop for replacements. All in all a great "project vehicle", as they put it in their eBay listing...that's what caught my eye!
 
#10 ·
That was gonna be my next post, to see if anyone had successfully replaced a top. Lots of choices online, have seen a couple of "generic" top replacement vids on YouTube but none Celica-specific...
And ironically, that is the exact wheel I have been checking out online! At first I didn't think that these would fit, eBay fitment kept saying "no", obviously can't go by that. All the specs seem to match, thought it was maybe an offset issue...will bear down now and see what I can come up with in the next couple of months...nice looking wheel!
 
#12 ·
'twas I that just replaced the top on my vert.

It was not a small project. But, with a couple good screwdrivers (I ended up buying a pack of #2 Phillips impact driver bits, and using them with a hand held bit driver), some time and patience, it turned out pretty awesome. Check my build thread for some info: http://www.toyotacelicas.com/forums/94-fifth-generation/77706-91-gt-vert.html

Short version, I bought from Convertible Tops and Convertible Top Parts , and while I'm not unhappy with them, the installation guide that was included was very vague, and the top itself is from Home . I jumped on the package price, and didn't really shop around. If I were to do it again, I'd inquire directly with Kee on the price of the top and cables. I'd also skip the tack strips, and do some of my own research for the fancy galvanized staples (they sent an assortment, but I only used one size).


Most of it is pretty self-explanatory, where it attaches to the rear quarters is a bit weird, I should take a few pictures of that specifically....
 
#13 ·
Hey 'Chux...good to know ya. Saw a few of your posts in browsing...

Be super glad to get any help, pix, whatever, any "hey heads up when ya do this" stuff is much appreciated...

The top is actually in fair to good condition overall, no holes or rips... goes up and down smoothly...damage to window may be semi-repairable for the short term so it can be driven, replacement is inevitable but not high priority. First get her started, hope the brake calipers aren't seized up and that nothing has suffered catastrophically from the 11 year snooze. New rims and tires are next...I like these '00-'05 69387 rims, and they seem to be more plentiful AND less expensive than the original '93 15" wheels. Thinkin' some Perelli P4's would be nice...

I see from your pic that your fog/driving lights operate with the parking lamps...is that a Canadian build car, or did you do that yourself? Mine relay off of the low beams only. I plan on adding a pair of Hella FF75 foggers, but wiring them to the existing dash switch, and putting the stock ones on an independent switch. Can't have too much candlepower...
Hit you up for sure when I tackle the new top....
 
#15 ·
Brilliant...and since you also mentioned it at the end, I'm assuming that there's no easy way to tap a hot lead from the "ON" position of the ignition switch, or is there?....

Either way, great to know how a little study and ingenuity can make for way simple solutions. I can just tap into the low beam circuit with the new harness they provide with the FF75's. Heading back to the cabin this weekend, may tackle this if things go well on the mechanical end. Too freakin' E-Z...well done, and thanks!!
 
#16 ·
Brilliant...and since you also mentioned it at the end, I'm assuming that there's no easy way to tap a hot lead from the "ON" position of the ignition switch, or is there?....
There might be, I didn't see much point since the parking lights aren't wired that way either....

Someday I might make everything switched with the key like it should be, but I really haven't researched that. It probably wouldn't be too hard
 
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