1977 Toyota Celica Gets F22C Transplant
This classic import has been given a new lease on life thanks to a couple that not only loves cars but each other.
From Nissan to Toyota
Peter and Theresa Vong have an itch for engine swapping imports. Prior to bringing this classic back to life, the couple were working on an LS1 swapped Nissan 240SX. Peter came upon the 1977 Celica for sale one day and says it was love at first. "I'd always wanted to build one of these and this seemed like the perfect opportunity."
Hey... is that an F22?
The Celica he saw that day wore an old bright green paint job but had been the recipient of an F22C powerplant courtesy of a 2005 S2000. The car looked well enough to him and had a decent price tag to it so he figured, why not? He then bought it online sight unseen IRL.
Looks can be deceiving
Once he had the car in his possession, he discovered it was in far worse shape than previously thought. Peter remarks, "I bought the car off of the Internet, so it was completely sight unseen. I had photos and videos that the owner sent me, but it was in far worse condition than I thought. It originally came from Oklahoma City so the car had a ton of rust. When I received the car, I noticed that the bright green was just a single layer. You can still see the original red paint revealing itself along with the exposed rust. The floorboard on the driver's side had two holes from rust that were large enough for me to put my foot through it while driving."
Rebuilt and better than ever
It seems that almost everything on the car needed repairs except for the updated engine which ran like a champ. The chassis had to stripped bare via a through media blasting to eradicate all of the cancerous rust. Then the car received new metal to patch the holes, front and rear SMILY bumpers, TRD spoilers, wider fenders, and a midnight purple paint job. The engine, valve cover, 48mm Jenvey ITBs, coil pack cover, and other parts then got a fancy new "neo chromed" look to it to top it all off. Connected to the 2.2-liter is a six-speed transmission from Honda that goes to a TRD limited slip from a Zenki AE86.
A modern masterpiece
The rest of the car got custom 16-inch staggered BBS RS wheels, an AccuAir VU4 electronics air ride suspension, Wilwood brakes, plus upgraded Addco sway bars and polyurethane bushings. For the interior, the driver and passenger have rare "Maziora Edition" Bride Stradia Venus II seats to rest themselves on while swatches of suede are appointed to various sections of the cabins including the headliner, center console, and the rear seats. If something about the gauges looks familiar to you, it's because it is another part borrowed from an S2000 along with the push button starter. The Vongs have decided to put the car up for sale to make some room for a new project that the couple can tackle. However, Peter has stated that if the car does not meet the reserve price, he is just fine with putting the car away in storage.
To see more of the first gen Celica rocking the S2000's 2.2-liter engine just click here.