76 GT restoration $?

[zincmobster]

i am looking at a 76 celica GT, and i'm curious how much these kinds of cars will typically cost to restore. this one has been sitting in a barn for 15 years, and has 87k on it. it seems to be in ok condition, but are parts difficult to find? engine components expensive? i'm looking at it as a side project, but i don't want to have to drop too much money into it. where can i find parts? does toyo still make and sell most of them? i'm new to restoring toyotas, and i just need some help on making the decision to invest in another project.

thanks.

[toyotageek]

Welcome to the TORC Forums.

The Celica GT sounds like it could be a nice project. Cost and parts will all depend on what you want to get out of the car. Is it strictly an investment project? Do you want to sell it and make a quick return? Or do you want to keep it to restore to factory specs? Or maybe customize it?

Here is some general advice for almost any pre-80's Toyota. People often ask "how much will it cost me to restore this car?" or "How easy is it to get parts for this car?" There is no cut & dry answer. It all depends on how much of a restoration someone wants to do. Much depends on the quality of work a person wants done - the old adage is you get what you pay for. Much also depends on parts availability, and for most older Toyotas, most parts (especially trim and rubber) are discontinued. Your local dealer (if they are willing to put out some extra effort to find the part numbers for an old car) can still get a lot of parts for you. But be prepared to hear "not available" a lot. Wrecking yards can be a good source if you have some near you. There are also some online sources for parts.

I know my reply didn't really answer your questions, but I hope I was able to help.

[zincmobster]

well, i plan on doing the majority of the work myself. i go to school in mcpherson, Kansas. my major is in auto restoration tech. what i really plan on doing with the car is restoring it to original or possibly better than original condition, and keeping it for a while. my girlfriend drives an 86 GTS regularly, and i have always had my eye out for a cool old toyo myself. before i undertake this car though, i just want to make sure i can afford to get it running and driving well enough to be driven regularly. given your experience with these pre-80s cars, will it require a lot of work to get it to turn over? it's been sitting for so long, i'm a little afraid to try without rebuilding the engine first. i could do more damage than good. i'll PM you some pictures, and you can see it for yourself. thanks!

[1982rn34]

Yeah, Mike is correct! You will hear "discontinued" an awful lot at the Toyota parts center. Trim pieces and rubber will have to be found in wrecking yards or on e-Bay.

I know for a fact that sheet metal is all discontinued. Fenders can be bought, but they are now made out of fiberglass. Toyota could still make some money if they would support the vintage models.

Toyota Parts has a book for the most common replacement parts (I've seen it once, but not sure of its correct title). You will find the alternator, water pump, regulator, wheel cylinders, brake pads/shoes, and maybe the clutch. Some of these components are remanufactured, although is sold in a Toyota box.

OEM parts are getting pretty scarce even for my 1982 SR5 pickup. The couple of things that I've needed, I have turned to e-Bay. The last auction that I won was for a fuel sending unit (gauge).
My gauge was discontinued by Toyota for a while. The p/n does not even come up in the order screen. On the other hand, I am surprised that some of the other parts I need are still available.

BTW, I love the RA29's. I like Mike F's orange Celica. One of these days, I'll have one. My friend bought a '76 LB in Aug '07 and just sold it a couple of weeks ago. The motor had a blown head gasket and prior to buying it, the whole center console was stolen. It is very hard to find one in tan. ESP sensor was taken, but he found one on e-Bay.

Keep us posted and please post some photos!

Rick