Is it worth it?

[JimiRain]

I have an old Celica, its either a 71 or 72. The back half is a st and the front is from a gt. The interior is rotted and the exterior is fairly rusty. The back window is missing. There is a hole in the engine block. Can anyone help me decide if its worth restoring and how much it will cost me. I have a chev. 440 engine and was wondering if it would fit in it.

[AstroVannin]

Yes, but no 400 please

[toyomoho]

Do some research on the value of this car if is it fixed up, then you can figure out how much you can afford to put into it. Restoration is very time consuming and often people end up with more money in the car then it is worth. If your hearts set on putting in a 400 then have at it, but it will most likely greatly increase the time and expense plus lower the cars value. If you have never restored cars suggest you start out with a more simpler task.

[stepho]

According to values on craigslist.com, the value of early Celicas is going up significantly.

Mechanical parts can be replace or upgraded easily.
Interior trim can be remade.
But rust is a problem.
Nobody makes replacement body panels so a panel beater will have to fix the old ones.

Decide whether you want to restore it for yourself (ie, you love early Celicas) or if you want to sell it to a Celica lover.

The Chev 440 will be too big for an easy fit and the weight will kill the handling.
Any 8R or 18R will be a drop in replacement.
So is the twincam 18R-G if you can find one.
The 20R or 22R are also easy fits with a very minor amount of work.
These cars are so light that a mildly worked 120-140HP engine can work really well.

The back window isn't made new any more.
Maybe toyheadauto.com has one or you could find a wreck.
I think I know where one is but I'd have to look up where he lives.
Or the guys at http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/classic-celica/ might have one.

- Stepho