Debating If I Should Keep My 76 Celica

When i first discovered how amazing the 76 & 77 looked, I wanted one immediately. Looks like a classic fast back mustang, the front face of a classic BMW, RWD and a cool factor of "off the charts". I would eventually want my car to look like this:

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As I was looking for one, I've discovered that these cars are more rare than american classics! Over the course of 1 month, I've found one celica for sale that's 76 or 77 in my state of commufornia. I was looking over this car and from what I've been reading and seeing, I've purchased it for an epic price. Problem is now, I cant smog it. It just barely fails.

I'm a college student attending Cal State Fullerton, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. So, time is not a luxury I have. Money, is not a luxury I have. I suppose that I could sell my celica for roughly 2x's more than what I payed for it. Since, chances are, I cant smog my car, that means I have to store it if I want to keep it. Problem is, I rent an apartment, so I cant store it anywhere. My parent's house, well, its going to have to be parked on the street, exposed to weather. (I do have a car cover).

My question is, since this celica is sooooooooo extreeeeeeeemly rare, should I bite the bullet, take it like a man and continue to keep it? Or.....

Should I sell my liftback and worry about getting one in about 5 years? I'm just a little worried that in 5 years, nobody is going to sell their GT liftback anywhere near my location

fix it. what part of the test is it failing? i'd be more than happy to help you narrow down the possible causes. i'm around most evenings and can be easily reached on AIM at huzudra or just message me here. which engine does it have? odds are its something simple like a dirty carb, partially sticking choke, vac leak causing lean and high NOx, etc. let me know what its failing and i can probably help narrow down the causes.

Wow! That's a SWEET lookin Celica! I looks like a mini Mustang. Now I want one too (I feel like a kid at Toys-R-US). Don't let it go; just discontinue insurance and store it. You could probably rent a garage for cheap, or just leave it covered at your parents. Maybe in 5 years when you got the cash you can fix it up.

Geez, when does the Grandfather clause kick in, in CA? I hate CA more and more every year!!!!

One trick DSMers use is lower octane on test day. What octane is that thing suppose to use? Auto stores also sell additives that are suppose to help you pass too. I've never had to use them, so I can't say if they work or not, but they claim too. Is the cat the original? Could you replace it without a carb cat due to the age of the car?

One last trick is to drive the car VERY hard before you test it. The ideal is to get the cat very hot.

I would keep that car if possible. Double check timing, plugs, vacume leaks. Anything that would cause it to run a tad rich.

I thought there was a date when cars that are old do not require a smog test?

Is it before 1975 and your car doesn't make it?

If you really want it to pass- add an extra muffler/catalytic converter or other cmponent in the exhaust.

The state just wants the bad exhaust gasses to be below their standard amounts.

If you restrict the exhaust more, it would surely pass the test.

I wouldn't add a extra cat, but replace the current one. Maybe even put a California cat on it, even tho I'm pretty sure a car that old doesn't need a CARB part. I think 1992 might be the cut off. If you look at magnaflow parts, you can tell what year CARB parts kick in. Or maybe just a new cat, cause carb would probably cost you twice as much.

If you take the failed paperwork and new cat to a welder, they shouldn't give you too much trouble about installing a new one on your car.

What I don't understand is why the car is subjected to a smog test.

It should be exempt due to it's age. Has to be something wrong there.

His car is one year too new. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm

When was the last time the carburetor was tuned up? How bad did you fail and how did you fail?

actually, adding 2 large cats (like those made for a Chevy 5.7L engine) would probably skeet him past emissions if he's not failing by alot...and since they're designed for a large volume of exhaust flow they shouldnt hurt the engines performance one bit. i know a couple people who passed smog (not in cali) with cars that had been turbo'd in a aftermarket way. they used a magnaflow 3 way cat for a gmc yukon and were able to pass the sniffer that way. one guy used 2 of those cats on his, noted very little performance loss, and passed with emissions 2x cleaner than were required!

What I don't understand is why the car is subjected to a smog test.It should be exempt due to it's age. Has to be something wrong there.

The problem was I was running too lean. I don't really quite understand how running to lean means I don't pass. The person conducting the smog test said that its due to high amounts of NOx. He doesn't really like commu-fornia's smog regulations. "Its all politics" he said. "Our primary source of greenhouse gasses come from industrial power plants not cars. I don't know why everybody attacks the car. Its always the car's fault." "Smog regulations are bullsnip, everything happening in sacremento is bullsnip, your car should be exempt from smog but the fight between democrats and republicans prevented that from happening."

 

So...he was willing to check my timing and adjust the carburetor for me for free. He richened the mixture and checked my timing accordingly. Ergo, I PASSED!!! Next time I'll just bolt on a cat from a junkyard for smog and after smog, I'll just unbolt it from my car. My celica now runs hotter too. My temp gauge never reached "operating temperature"; just hovered over the C. Now it runs in the "operating temperature". Weird. So I passed.

O yea, I'm going to sell my car. Somebody is considering on purchasing it from me for 3.5x's the amount I payed for it. SWEET! Although I absolutely ADORE the way my car looks and my plans for my celica, money would certainly help my financial stress. By the time I've graduated, I'll buy a complete and near perfect conditioned celica for about the price of a used corolla. Any modifications I'll make, I'll just part and sell the original parts I don't want.

glad it worked out for you, lean means a hotter combustion flame, hotter combustion fuses N to O and makes NOx compounds. not sure how that would have kept the car from reaching operating temp tho.

Well, at least it passed. Smog is good for two years in CA (or until after it is sold).

Too bad you have to sell it, but I am sure you will get another one later.

Good luck for Christmas - maybe it will help your finances to get some monetary presents?

Also, school is important, so take care of that. Cars can come and go, but a good scholastic record is paramount.

Merry Christmas!

Just sleep on selling it. You don't want to regret it later. I'd take the right old school RWD Celica or Supra over a newer celica any day. I almost bought one awhile back, but someone got it before me. Oh well. It only had 3xK miles on it too.

Well...as much as I like the celica, I'm pretty comfortable knowing that when I graduate making 80k a year right off the bat, I can get a completely restored celica for about the cost of a used toyota corolla. Then if I want to enhance it in any way, I can always sell the parts I don't want. Right now $1000 dollars seems like $35000 when I graduate; if you understand that analogy. However, a few thousand dollars will seem like pocket change once i start my career.

I'm also comfortable that I dont really need a california celica (has a cat) to pass smog because my celica does not have a cat at all. Thus i conclude that mine isn't a california celica. I don't have the money to restore my celica so year after year, I have to renew the registration and I don't plan on getting insurance for it because I don't have the money for that either. Who knows, perhaps by they time I want a great celica, the smog will jump to 1976 or 1977 though I have my doubts. I won't be holding my breath thats for sure.

I also heard that CARB EO numbers didn't kick in until the early nineties. That being said, I don't need CARB exempt aftermarket parts if I want to enhance my celica with mikuni carbs w/velo. stacks.

Thankyou everone for your help, thought, and input. Have a Merry Christmas!!!!!

Well...as much as I like the celica, I'm pretty comfortable knowing that when I graduate making 80k a year right off the bat, I can get a completely restored celica for about the cost of a used toyota corolla. Then if I want to enhance it in any way, I can always sell the parts I don't want. Right now $1000 dollars seems like $35000 when I graduate; if you understand that analogy. However, a few thousand dollars will seem like pocket change once i start my career. I'm also comfortable that I dont really need a california celica (has a cat) to pass smog because my celica does not have a cat at all. Thus i conclude that mine isn't a california celica. I don't have the money to restore my celica so year after year, I have to renew the registration and I don't plan on getting insurance for it because I don't have the money for that either. Who knows, perhaps by they time I want a great celica, the smog will jump to 1976 or 1977 though I have my doubts. I won't be holding my breath thats for sure.

 

I also heard that CARB EO numbers didn't kick in until the early nineties. That being said, I don't need CARB exempt aftermarket parts if I want to enhance my celica with mikuni carbs w/velo. stacks.

Thankyou everone for your help, thought, and input. Have a Merry Christmas!!!!!

My thought is - "Don't count your chickens before they hatch", meaning it would be great for you to land an 80K a year job, but until you get some of that in the bank, don't rely on it.

 

The second thought is - if you need the money for the car now and the car is not being used, sell it to get the money and allow someone else to use the car.

Just my two cents.

Damn! I would have loved to buy it!!

I LOVE old cars. I love my 78 280z, but have no time to work on it...

If you see an early 70s Datsun for sale, let me know!

tdk