Silverra23's Silver 1976 Ra23 Celica

[silverra23]

Bumpers dropped off at Modern Plating in Oakleigh Melbourne.

 

For the bumpers, two headlight surrounds and the fuel cap surround it will be nearly $800 to be rechromed.

[silverra23]

20th December update

 

Interior cleaned of all that dust

 

 

My partner painted up some front end pieces for me.

 

 

 

 

 

Will have to paint around the radiator and behind the headlights at some point soon

 

 

Have to paint here too

 

 

She painted this too - the fuel tank cover. I think we might need to make a new one

 

 

And to make myself feel like I put something on the car, I fitted my brand new in Toyota wrapping C-pillar trims

 

[silverra23]

23rd December...

 

I pulled the tail lights apart so that I could give them a good detailing before they went back on the car.

 

 

I thought I might need to rechrome the tail light surrounds, but a quick hit of autosol suggests they will come up a treat. This pic shows the polished section in the foreground, and a yet to be done area in the background.

 

 

The tail light lenses need a good clean too. Guys at work have told me to hit them with some red scotch brite and then clear coat them to bring them back to new again, but i found that a quick rub of autsol does the same job. I have also heard brasso does the same thing, so there seems to be mutiple ways of getting them looking good again.

 

I have been trying to work out what colour to repaint the edges of the tail lights, along with the other bits of body trim that are chrome/black from factory. I tossed up between the satin black finish that is like the c-pillar trims, or had another idea of charcoal metallic.

 

I sprayed the tail light centre section with a sample and I think it looks great by itself and against the silver of the car, so I am going to go with this colour. I will use it on the gt grille, plenum grille, headlight surrounds and the tail light surrounds.

 

[silverra23]

27th December..

 

Tail lights all prettied up. Dummy fitted to the car so I can see how they look.

 

 

 

[silverra23]

3rd January

 

Progress stalled by the festive season... but back into it now... by this stage I couldn't bare to put old crappy rubbers on the car so I ordered everything I could afford for the windows and doors from Rick at toyheadauto. He provides a great service!

 

Anyways. Finally fitted up the plenum grille. Fitted new hoses to the washers as well while everything was apart.

 

 

 

Also replaced the rollers inside one of my rear windows so that it would roll up and down properly. Prick of a job but now that I know what I am doing the other ones should go faster. Here is a pic of the window up. Needs a good clean!

 

[silverra23]

12th January update

 

Here is my collection of bits from toyheadauto - the delivery was really speedy and everything was really well packaged. Rick runs a great service for us Celica people, and the US$ conversion helped nicely too!

 

 

I fitted the window separator rubbers yesterday and they went straight in

 

 

The door rubbers were easy to do to, though when the panel beater took the old ones off he seems to have misplaced the screws. Really should have done it myself so that wouldn't happen.

 

 

Next week I am going to take it to get a new head lining put in it and while its there I think I will get them to fit the carpets too.

 

About now my engine builder discovered a couple of cracked pistons. So I spent a fair bit of time talking to different people to determine which custom made ones I should get from the USA. Talk about confusing!!

[silverra23]

14th January update

 

Today's done list includes installing manual pedal box (bad photo!)

 

 

Installing clutch master cylinder

 

 

Installing indicators on the guards

 

 

My chrome work was meant to be ready tomorrow.. whats the bet its not!! I also painted the brake booster but I must have done a poor job cleaning it as some of the paint wouldn't take. Will have to rub it back and have another crack.

 

On the hunt for an *A70 Supra Master cylinder for the brakes as I figure I might as well upgrade it while I have it all apart, in anticipation of putting the corona rt132 brakes into it.

[silverra23]

17th January update...

 

Bit distracted this weekend but have got a few things done.

 

Made a new parcel shelf out of 6mm MDF. Will get it covered when I get the head lining and carpet done this week.

 

 

 

And I put in the rear passenger trims

 

 

Also fitted the chrome trim on the exterior of the rear windows, and started sorting out the front window runners. Can't finish that until the little spacers arrive from the ebay dude in thailand.

 

Re-chromed bumpers are due Monday. So I started to clean up the radiator support panel area. Much surface rust in there :P

 

No photos of that, will put some up when its all nice and black!

[silverra23]

18th December update....

 

Little more movement this evening

 

Radiator support panel painted flat black

 

 

Door handles fit. They work better now too which is a bonus! Note to players at home, its much easier to put the door handle back in with the window out. So do it while you are cleaning out your window runner tracks and replacing the rollers and plastic runners.

 

I went to put the door locks back in and remembered I had ordered an all new lock set from toyheadauto, which hasn't arrived yet, so I am chasing that up as we speak.

 

 

Also started cleaning up the headlight buckets and brackets and surrounds. Much tidying to be done there.

[silverra23]

21st January update...

 

 

that was last night's progress. i am going to collect my bumpers today!! i hope :P a recurring theme perhaps?? :)

[silverra23]

Another 21st January post...this time in the evening...

 

I reckon wanting to post photos of progress is helping the motivation with this project, hope I am not boring you blokes to death!

 

Anyways, apparently "yeah your bumpers are ready" on the phone translates to "oh we had some problems with your front bumper as it had been repaired badly previously, but its all good it will be ready maybe tomorrow... oh you had other things here too... umm... oh yeah they will be ready tomorrow too" when you go to pick everything up.

 

At least the work that is done is good... even if the service kinda sucks ass. Here is my single shiny rear bumper

 

 

 

 

Thanks to my housemate we fitted the bumper without scratching anything

 

 

Then I finished painting and polishing the headlight parts and put it all back together, along with the parker lights

 

 

 

Here is a slightly arty shot to finish off the night.

 

[silverra23]

22nd January...

 

Got the rest of my chrome back finally and its come up looking great.

 

I just stuck the fuel filler ring back on. Mmm shiny.

 

 

 

Yes yes I know I know I should have painted the filler neck and used some better screws!!

[silverra23]

24th January update...

 

Been busy today, lots of painting and polishing going on...

 

Headlight surrounds were re-chromed, and then I masked them up and painted them charcoal, to emulate how they were standard. They came up great:

 

 

 

 

Front bumper also came back from being re-chromed. The point isn't perfect on it as they had to do a lot of repair work there, but its pretty darned good, and rather shiny

 

 

 

Painted the bumper in-fill panels an alloy silver and fitted them up. My paint job has left a little to be desired, but that might be something I get a professional to do again when I have some spare $$$

 

 

Gave the bonnet chrome strip a good seeing to with autosol and fitted it up

 

 

Painted the front bumper brackets flat black

 

 

Also gave the GT grille a spruce up with some charcoal paint and autosol'd the chrome. I couldn't get the chrome strips off without snapping all the bolts as they are seized solid, so just masked it up and then polished them

 

 

And finally fitted the indicators back into the front bumper and slipped the bumper on to complete the front of the car. I reckon it looks great!

 

[silverra23]

More to that update...

 

I also painted the brake booster charcoal

 

 

I also fitted the window regulators back to the front of the car after putting new plastic slides on them from one of the thai guys on ebay

 

 

 

Once the windows were back in I fitted the outer belt strips in on the doors and the outer chrome.

 

 

Its starting to look like a car now! I am thinking I might possibly make the big Hanging Rock car show if I keep pressing on, though it might be missing the badges that will still be away getting rechromed. Unless I pay mega bucks for a fast turn around..... hmmmmm......

[silverra23]

Which brings us bang up to 29th January.. the car went to the auto trimmers yesterday with the help of a friend's partner and his tow truck.

 

Spoke to Trimmer today. He loves the car. He reckons he will be done by next Friday.

 

I am suffering withdrawals already!

 

I took a couple of photos of her outside before the tow truck came to take her to the Trimmers. Looking really good I think :P

 

 

 

 

Also ordered my tyres for my Konig Rewinds yesterday. 205/50/15 Toyo Proxes 4 for a damned good price of $140 each. The Bridgestones I was thinking of were closer to $200 each! Toyo all the way :)