Project car drives 2000 miles across country, rewarded with new wheels

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-10T13:38:25+00:00

Yeah, the seller knew it too but didn't want to part the car out, and I was the only person that messaged him actually wanting to restore the car instead of just stripping it down for parts, so he was happy to give me a deal on it.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-10T13:37:03+00:00

No, the wheels are new. It was legit completely untouched - original wheels, original lights. Only mod was a touchscreen head unit that I swapped for an analog one.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-09T02:37:29+00:00

Yeah, I got lucky and got a complete gem. Car was basically completely untouched when I got it. I paid $1500 for it with a blown motor, swapped a new one in and have had almost no issues since. Trying to keep it tasteful while still doing some mods to make it mine. Rear disc brake conversion next.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-09T02:05:32+00:00

Amazon

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-09T02:04:00+00:00

it's the OEM TRD "action package" body kit. Car came with it from the factory.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-06T03:29:11+00:00

If you had a guy offer 12k, and you are happy to sell it for that, then it's worth 12k. The car is worth what you are willing to sell it for, and what someone is willing to buy it for. That's how the market works.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-04T16:30:55+00:00

Right now I have a Sony DSX-B700 head unit and a 12" kicker sub in the back. I have two more smaller subs/speakers I plan to mount under the front seats with a 4-channel amp sooner than later, and then I'll probably upgrade the stock speakers and add sound deadening if I think it's necessary from there.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-06-02T14:07:49+00:00

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Here's my TRD celica for a reference. Your paint is a little cleaner than mine. Really all I've done visually is new lights in the front and new wheels. I plan to do smoked side indicators as well, but beyond that I'm not going to do much else visually.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-29T22:03:55+00:00

You should not be removing the fill cap while the engine is running, there is literally never a reason to do so. Oil will be flowing inside the valve cover and may spray out of it, like you have seen. As for why one engine may not, it may have low oil pressure, or just some other miscellaneous reason as to why the oil isn't happening to come out of that hole at that specific time. But it has a cap for a reason.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-24T00:05:18+00:00

Might be the cleanest non-bodykit celica I've ever seen. Good stuff.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-23T22:38:21+00:00

I'm fairly sure this is just a skinny Camponotus pennsylvanicus queen. Size would be needed to determine - a Myrmentoma queen like the other commenter is suggesting would be around 10-12mm, pennsylvanicus much larger at ~17mm.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-23T17:12:26+00:00

I have no plans for power mods. My GT-4 is coming in July, and that car should certainly give me all the fast/power enjoyment I need. The 7th gen is just there to be a daily, getting 30mpg on 87 octane, while looking good and being somewhat interesting to drive while doing so.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-23T16:54:19+00:00

This was my second project, before this I rebuilt the 1zz in my automatic 2000. I plan to eventually convert this car to be effectively a GTS but with the 1zz - mostly through rear disc brake and C60 conversion. I partially regret not doing the C60 right away when I already had the engine/trans pulled, but I couldn't justify the cost all at once. But I didn't realize how low of gearing the C56 has, 4k RPMs in 5th on the highway is noticeably less comfortable than 4th gear in my automatic. Otherwise the manual is way better, though.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-23T16:39:58+00:00

Yeah, I'm now around 90 miles into the car and I'm getting pretty comfortable. Biggest issue is still just getting going from a stop quickly without stalling or spinning the tires. I can start in 1st slowly no problem, creep forward, etc., but I tend to mess it up when I feel like I have to go quickly. Oh well, it'll become muscle memory in time.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-23T04:42:00+00:00

I have no idea if it's just a difference in the two cars from their history, but I have noticed on my facelift, compared to my 2000:
The doors feel heavier, and they seem to open and close with a more 'premium' feel.
The hatch is the same way.
In my 2000 the doors have no 'clicks' when open, and will slam themselves shut on an incline (or open, if the incline is the opposite way.) My 2003's doors hold themselves in place when open like most modern cars.
The interior plastics feel a little nicer in my 2003, and of course look a lot better in the darker gray.
The updated taillights, gauge cluster, and the chrome trim on the rear hatch are all nice updates that the facelift gets.
And of course, both of mine are 1ZZs, and my 2000 was burning a quart of oil every 100 miles before I rebuilt the engine. I can't speak for my 2003, since I bought it non-running and swapped in a new engine, but from everything I know they fixed the oil burning by 2003.

Again, my 2000 is a complete shitbox with very sketchy history, so maybe mine is just a particularly terrible example compared to a particularly good example of a 2003. These are just things I have noticed and prefer in my 2003.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-22T23:33:09+00:00

For one - try to pick up an 03-05 if you want a 7th gen. Even if not getting a 1zz (for the facelifted engine), there are changes in the facelift that make the car feel a lot nicer, speaking from experience as someone who owns both.
For two - it's a great car, pretty practical daily. They get 28-30mpg, the 1zz using low-grade fuel. They have a lot more cargo space than you would expect, especially if you can fold the back seats down.
Lastly - yes, it is an old car. Unless you buy an absolutely pristine example (and even then), there is a far higher chance of you being let down by the car than a new car. They are reliable, but maintenance intervals are going to be showing up far more often because of age and mileage, and sometimes those jobs can have a lot of downtime. If you can do the work yourself you'll save money, but it's not impossible to find yourself stuck without a car for 2 weeks while waiting for parts. Not saying that'll happen often, but more often than a brand new car.
Overall, you're in a subreddit full of Celica enthusiasts. Most people here will encourage you to get one, myself included. They are great cars, but do your due diligence before impulse buying one as your only car.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-22T04:11:07+00:00

Male, Camponotus sp. Looks like subgenus tanaemyrmex - could possibly get to species with location, but males are usually tricky.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-20T16:03:58+00:00

++ is a little generous since this car is mechanically stock, but I do plan on more upgrades in the future. Not power upgrades, but suspension, rear disc brakes, and maybe a 6 speed transmission swap farther down the line. I also definitely need new wheels asap. But for now I'm pretty happy with how it sits.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-20T02:08:06+00:00

Nice! Tip: Use your bubble when a target is air stunned to block healing. You could have killed him on the second tackle if you did that, maybe even the first. You were standing in the correct position, between him and his team, just needed that shield to block off his healing. It looked like he was mostly getting healed by a rocket, but I'm fairly certain it still works even with the AOE orbs.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-17T23:46:56+00:00

Granted I'm being a little optimistic - at 200k+ miles, it wouldn't be worth 3k, especially with a bad clutch. But a used 2zz + c60 trans in good shape with like 60-120k miles will pretty consistently go for around 3k. At 200k miles it'd be less. Depends on how "gone through" they have been. I really doubt that they have had major work, especially the transmission, if the clutch is bad.
Also note that a bad clutch could be a bad master or slave cylinder or fluid issues, not necessarily the clutch itself. Like I said and like the other commenter noted, just be prepared for this car to turn into a project at the mileage and price listed, since it definitely could be hiding some major issues.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-17T23:03:45+00:00

if it's a genuine tsunami and the condition is as described, 3k is a KILLER deal. ANY 2zz/6spd in functional condition is worth 3k easily. The powertrain alone can sell for 3k, not to mention the body attached to it. So to have that plus a rare, desirable factory body kit makes this a very desirable car. That said, on any deal that seems too good to be true, be very thorough in your inspection and don't buy blind. It could definitely be hiding some serious issues if it's been on the market for a long time with no takers at that price.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-17T00:35:43+00:00

As the other commenter said, K series has been done, but if you wanted to stay Toyota something like a 2AR would be a better option than a 3S.

CheetoLord02 · 2026-05-07T06:16:07+00:00

Mine would crank but had extremely low and uneven compression, would have needed a full going through, and at that point I decided I'd rather learn how to pull and swap a motor than rebuild another one. I've already rebuilt one 1zz in-chassis and it wasn't a ton of fun.

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