Hey everyone! I've finally achieved a long term goal of mine and acquired a 1992 ST185 GT-4 to replace (and upgrade by a damn sight!) a 1991 Celica ST that was the first car I bought, well, back in 1991! I've decided to call it Roreri (the Japanese pronunciation of Lorelei, the siren of the Rhine).
I would have loved Super Red but Black will do! It looks good in and out and drives well but it’s not all peaches and cream. It’s almost stable. I only made it about 30 miles toward home from where I took delivery before the instrument panel flashed cat, battery, and rear light warnings. I flatbedded it the rest of the way home and I had services done the next day: New battery, cooling system flush and fill (back to theToyota red coolant), transmission fluid, serpentine Belt, driver’s side steering rack boot, rear diff fluid, power steering fluid--all of the fluids were at least 5 years old.
Over the past week, I've been taking it on short loops, topping the battery off with a charger in between and checking the engine for signs of trouble thoroughly. Boost is good and very responsive. 8.5PSI on low with the Blitz dual setting boost controller the previous owner put in. 15PSI on high. 8.5 is enough for now, especially as I'm shaking it down. It's amazing how enjoyable it is, especially after 30 years of driving pokey vehicles for the most part.
Got a used Denso alternator--and a spare off brand Denso copy. It's in the shop to get that changed out, the (probably 30 year old!) timing belt and water pump and associated parts will get replaced, and new Vredestein Quatrac 205/50R16s, because the old tires were splitting along the tread grooves after 150km. They were oooooollllld (manufactured in 2000)!
Looks like the owner opted out of the System 10 sound system, and ABS was never installed or has been deleted it looks like. Standard brakes it appears. No sunroof, which makes this a little unusual from what I understand.
The AC system is the original R-12 system (and empty), so I'm assessing how to proceed with that.
The radiator is fine but there were (old) signs of coolant leakage, and indications that the previous owner or seller used leakstop. I am thinking a larger aluminum radiator (Mishimoto?) anyway. I'll assess the oil temps and see whether an upgraded oil cooler is warranted. Considering whether some kind of intercooler fan is warranted because that RC hood wasn't intended for the air to air intercooler from what I have read. Keeping the engine cool is a high priority.
Sometime, a new (and modern) audio system. It still has the OEM JDM radio cassette player that only catches the very bottom of the US band. Though it is a lot of fun to pop in my old mix tapes. Maybe I'll just use the old school cassette tape adapter thing.
I am still learning about what I have and I'm starting with learning the full extent of what the previous (Japanese) owner did with it--it seems they were shooting for a Carlos Sainz Limited Edition clone. As a result this otherwise very nice example has been slightly molested.
Thankfully, it seems like he (or she?--the aftermarket mirror add-on--now removed--was pink) didn't go (too) nuts. I know I can achieve 1 BAR via the Blitz SBC (if I dare--I just did it the once to see). There's an Apexi S-AFC (currently set to zeros on all 5 bands and there it will stay until I educate myself and maybe after, too), an HKS mushroom air filter replacing the standard box, Cusco pillowtop camber plates (the front wheels are upsized about half an inch overall from stock recommendation and cambered out a bit), a Cusco rear tower bar (nicely installed at that), and a boost timer. Omoni boost gauge. Momo Lonza steering wheel. OZ Racing Crono 5-spoke 16 inch wheels. And the CS hood and front bumper.
I have some other ideas after I get it stable but nothing crazy. I am increasingly of the thought that the modifications already installed has reached the top of the band in terms of advisable performance on the stock motor--especially given the likely age of the head gasket. I'm thinking of possibly putting some rally coilovers on it eventually and raising it up an inch--it feels very low (I've been daily driving an F-150 for 20+ years) and I feel EVERY bump in the terrible roads around here. I'm thinking retired greyhound not autocross or rally dog. It could use some paint correction.
The Japanese owner rebadged this GT-Four with a turbo All-Trac badge. Because America. : )
Anyway, really excited to have this, anxious to have the work done to stabilize it, to put in the time to learn it, and happy to share it with others.
I would have loved Super Red but Black will do! It looks good in and out and drives well but it’s not all peaches and cream. It’s almost stable. I only made it about 30 miles toward home from where I took delivery before the instrument panel flashed cat, battery, and rear light warnings. I flatbedded it the rest of the way home and I had services done the next day: New battery, cooling system flush and fill (back to theToyota red coolant), transmission fluid, serpentine Belt, driver’s side steering rack boot, rear diff fluid, power steering fluid--all of the fluids were at least 5 years old.
Over the past week, I've been taking it on short loops, topping the battery off with a charger in between and checking the engine for signs of trouble thoroughly. Boost is good and very responsive. 8.5PSI on low with the Blitz dual setting boost controller the previous owner put in. 15PSI on high. 8.5 is enough for now, especially as I'm shaking it down. It's amazing how enjoyable it is, especially after 30 years of driving pokey vehicles for the most part.
Got a used Denso alternator--and a spare off brand Denso copy. It's in the shop to get that changed out, the (probably 30 year old!) timing belt and water pump and associated parts will get replaced, and new Vredestein Quatrac 205/50R16s, because the old tires were splitting along the tread grooves after 150km. They were oooooollllld (manufactured in 2000)!
Looks like the owner opted out of the System 10 sound system, and ABS was never installed or has been deleted it looks like. Standard brakes it appears. No sunroof, which makes this a little unusual from what I understand.
The AC system is the original R-12 system (and empty), so I'm assessing how to proceed with that.
The radiator is fine but there were (old) signs of coolant leakage, and indications that the previous owner or seller used leakstop. I am thinking a larger aluminum radiator (Mishimoto?) anyway. I'll assess the oil temps and see whether an upgraded oil cooler is warranted. Considering whether some kind of intercooler fan is warranted because that RC hood wasn't intended for the air to air intercooler from what I have read. Keeping the engine cool is a high priority.
Sometime, a new (and modern) audio system. It still has the OEM JDM radio cassette player that only catches the very bottom of the US band. Though it is a lot of fun to pop in my old mix tapes. Maybe I'll just use the old school cassette tape adapter thing.
I am still learning about what I have and I'm starting with learning the full extent of what the previous (Japanese) owner did with it--it seems they were shooting for a Carlos Sainz Limited Edition clone. As a result this otherwise very nice example has been slightly molested.
Thankfully, it seems like he (or she?--the aftermarket mirror add-on--now removed--was pink) didn't go (too) nuts. I know I can achieve 1 BAR via the Blitz SBC (if I dare--I just did it the once to see). There's an Apexi S-AFC (currently set to zeros on all 5 bands and there it will stay until I educate myself and maybe after, too), an HKS mushroom air filter replacing the standard box, Cusco pillowtop camber plates (the front wheels are upsized about half an inch overall from stock recommendation and cambered out a bit), a Cusco rear tower bar (nicely installed at that), and a boost timer. Omoni boost gauge. Momo Lonza steering wheel. OZ Racing Crono 5-spoke 16 inch wheels. And the CS hood and front bumper.
I have some other ideas after I get it stable but nothing crazy. I am increasingly of the thought that the modifications already installed has reached the top of the band in terms of advisable performance on the stock motor--especially given the likely age of the head gasket. I'm thinking of possibly putting some rally coilovers on it eventually and raising it up an inch--it feels very low (I've been daily driving an F-150 for 20+ years) and I feel EVERY bump in the terrible roads around here. I'm thinking retired greyhound not autocross or rally dog. It could use some paint correction.
The Japanese owner rebadged this GT-Four with a turbo All-Trac badge. Because America. : )
Anyway, really excited to have this, anxious to have the work done to stabilize it, to put in the time to learn it, and happy to share it with others.
