Jun 01, 2023
It’s been a while since my first post about the Celica.
Things haven’t exactly been going well with it.
The first engine spun a bearing, so we threw another one in. The one we threw in was from a junkyard, and sat out in the elements for quite a long time. This meant that none of the seals or gaskets survived, including the head gasket. I figured that when they replaced the engine, they would replace the gaskets and seals. They replaced almost every component but the damn seals. So alas, the engine is now in the car and has a blown head gasket as well.
I sanded the car right before the engine blew, preparing it for paint, as that was next up on the list. Since the engine blew, the car has been sanded and without paint for about a year now while I’ve been waiting on the mechanical side of the car to be decent.
The engine is currently being rebuilt, and the head has been redone by a machine shop. The bottom end of the engine was fine (thankfully), so luckily nothing had to be done there.
I cut the muffler off and threw some headers on it, and its very loud now. It sounds like shit at low rpms since it’s basically a straight piped four banger now, but at the higher rpms it sounds great. I’m hoping to get a proper exhaust system put together, but of course I need the car running on all four cylinders before I can do that.
I will post another update once this engine is in good working order.
I’ve been eyeing up a few Lexus LS400s in my area for a daily driver. There’s one that’s been blacked out with wheels on it nearby that I’m planning on going to get soon. I may write about that car as well, depending on how it goes. If I don’t get that LS400, I’ll get another one. They’re easy to find where I’m at.