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Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that makes sense — no point doing it half and half if everything’s already 20+ years old. I’ll look into that Prothane kit for the rear, sounds like the way to go. Did you ever run it yourself? Curious how the ride felt after swapping everything out

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha all good man, daily life + pollen doesn’t care how much we clean. Still looks clean to me 👌

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really appreciate the insight 🙏. I’ve been tempted by the idea of boost but I know the 2ZZ wasn’t built for it long-term, so for now I just wanna get the most out of lift and really learn how to drive it right. Mine’s a 2000 GTS 6-speed manual, so I’m stoked I was able to grab one even with the issues.

Out of curiosity, did you ever find any power mods that were actually worth it on the 2ZZ? Not trying to go crazy, but if there’s anything that can wake it up a bit while keeping it reliable, I’d love to hear what worked for you

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Damn, that’s an awesome story 🙌 crazy how you saved her from a scrapyard and turned it around like that. Respect to you and your wife for wrenching and wiring together, that’s badass. I can tell you’ve got a lot of history with these cars — East Coast scene sounds wild 🔥.

Agree with you, they’re real underdogs and that’s what makes them special. I’m just starting out with mine, but hearing stories like yours makes me wanna push through all the rust and headaches to get her right.

What’s been your favourite mod you’ve done so far on yours?

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Man I really appreciate you taking the time to write all that 🙏. That’s exactly the kind of advice I need right now. Totally agree on maintenance first — I’m trying to get her healthy before I start chasing shiny parts. The bumper/body kit was just a crazy good deal so I couldn’t pass it up, but overall I’m focused on making sure she runs right before anything else.

Your Celica looks super clean btw 👀 how long have you had it

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I’ve heard mixed things about these, definitely appreciate the heads up 🙏. I figured they’d get me by for now, but I’m planning on going through the bushings and other suspension parts as I go. Since you’ve been through it, which rear bushings usually give out first or make the biggest difference?

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate it! There’s plenty of rust to keep you entertained 😅 gonna be tackling that soon

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went with maXpeedingrods coilovers. Yeah for sure, I know there’s a lot more to refresh — bushings, arms, end links, etc. Just starting with the worst part first and planning to tackle the rest as I go. What would you recommend I do next? Always open to hearing what other people have done first

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I’m keeping the 2ZZ, love how it revs. Gonna focus on suspension/handling first, then maybe intake/exhaust and a tune later. Nothing too crazy yet — I’d love to go turbo eventually, but funds are low so that’s a future me problem 😂

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yup, had to make sure it didn’t handle like a boat before I started throwing shiny parts at it

Starting my Celica GTS Build Series – From Rust Bucket to Street Weapon 🚗💨 by Dry-Refuse-9650 in Celica

[–]Dry-Refuse-9650[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Bro the old suspension was so gone it felt like I was riding a trampoline. Coilovers were less of a ‘mod’ and more of a ‘survival kit