BLUEWIRE CELICA

Year................ 1980
Make............... Toyota
Model.............. RA40 Celica
Owner.............. Sean Basford
Car Name......... Bluewire
Engine..............18RGEU
Supercharger..1GGZE

Now if you saw our 1980 RA40 Toyota Celica 10 years ago in Hot 4s magazine well you won’t recognize it now. They say "What was old is now new again". After working in the car audio business for a while, I now know what sort of car I would like to see at car shows, something not too old school but not a money car with the bells & whistles from the showroom floor.

To build a great custom car you got to strip the whole body back to bare metal and rebuilding the body for a complete different shape. As I have succeeded to do, removing the rear bumper bar and replacing it with 2mill steel to make a curved shape. All up on the body we changed the rear, Cleaned up the engine bay giving it a flat smooth & round effect, removed the body line, HZ Monaro flutes where fitted and painted the Celica in a 2000 Subaru WRX two pac WC Blue Mica. With tail lights ive made them up out of clear Perspex, bicycle lights and truck lights to give that new clear look. Ive striped the Celica in 1997 and sat in the work shop for nearly two years before it was started. The whole job took about 3 years and a lot of late nights and never thought ill go this far. Getting RA40 Celica replacement panels & parts wasn’t hard with the help from David at Sleeka Spares.

INTERIOR

The seats are from a 1990 GT 4 Celica re-trimmed in a grey and blue trim. The whole dash has been rebuilt for the electronic operated flap for the CD changer as for the gauges ive used three dashes to make the Blue carbon fiber dash around the auto meter gauges. ISOTTA enhancements have been fitted like leather Strada sports steering wheel, race pedals, leather gear knob & leather hand break cover. Most the trim I did myself but with some help from Cludes Trim Shop with the seats.

Due to entering Summernats 20 in 2007, we changed most the trim and all the audio gear, Retriming the seats adding a flame afect though out the car. Changing the whole car 80% We ripped off the old standard grey roof lining and added this great Flame design with a painted flame in the centre with a down light added (Painted by MYSTIC FX)

ENGINE HARDWARE

The Toyota 18RGEU fuel injection Twin Cam has been fully rebuilt for low compression with forged pistons, Nissan piston rings and new cam, all for the high standard for the supercharger. The Toyota AW11 4AGZE supercharger and all the custom piping are fitted by Fours n More. The supercharger is intercooled by a Mitsubishi Evo stile front mounted Aluminum intercooler with a Turbo Smart “V Pod” blow off valve. As for the Aluminum Radiator, custom built by BTR Aluminium Fabrications, the Twin Cam always keeps its cool even in the hottest conditions. All the wiring has been hidden, but one wiring loom heading to the engine from the Microtech Digi 1 computer. The most powerful factory engine for first generation Celica’s was the 18R-G (twin cam, no pollution control) for 140HP. The factory fuel tank was modified with a surge tank fitted inside, for the fuel injection (EFI) also running a Holden Commodore VL Turbo fuel pump.

BRAKES, SUSPENSION & DRIVE LINE

Most the Toyota suspension was replaced with Koni struts, Whiteline pan hard rod & sway bars, lovel lowered springs, Cam towers and all new rubbers and bushes. With DBA vented discs at the front and Supra MA45 rear disc brakes makes good stopping power. The rear suspension has, Supra (F series) RA.45 (GT) LSD 7.5 centre the same one that was used by Peter Williams in Bathurst 1981. Also a Holden HQ one piece 3 inch custom tail shaft. The Celica W55/ 5 speed alloy gearbox with a ceramic high performance Extreme clutch plate and the modified TRD quick shifter makes the Celica drive hard and quick. The factory fuel tank was modified with a surge tank fitted inside, for the fuel injection (EFI) also running a Holden Commodore VL Turbo fuel pump.

AUDIO

Thanks to the top of the range Pioneer DEH 9050 head unit. Operating two Pioneer GM-X722 amplifiers, one amp runs a set of Pioneer TS-C1625 midrange and tweeters which are fitted in fiberglass door pods whitch was hand made.The second amplifier runs two Pioneer TS.W1200F voice coil cooling Subwoofers, which are also aluminium alloy cone woofers. These have been placed in a custom twin 56 litre box which only just fits into the back of the Celica, not a hair to spare. As for the RCAs and power cables, all Stinger were used.

WHEELS & TYRES

Looking for 1980 Celica wheels wasn’t ezy, being a RWD. So Simmons Altas was the way to go and got them custom drilled to fit with 17/7 inch at the front & 17/8 inch at the rear. Also Fitted with 215/45 Kumho 712 low profile tyres. With the spare tire ive fitted a Nissan Silvia space saver which has the same stud pattern than the Celica.

ELECTRONICS

The Celica has the electronics all updated from, Cruise control to the Power windows and is fully protected both internally and externally by a comprehensive security system. The engine can be started by remote control, and a talking car alarm system witch car be recorded to use Sean’s voice to talk back. All so a microphone has been fitted in the sun visor to use like a out side PA system also to record for the alarm system. Also the Power windows can go up and down by remote control as well as the tail gate, petrol flap and the audio display in the tail gate.

DRIVELINE HARDWARE

The rear suspension has, Supra (F series) RA.45 (GT) LSD 7.5 centre the same one that was used by Peter Williams in Bathurst 1981. Also a Holden HQ one piece 3 inch custom tail shaft. The Celica 5 speed manual gearbox with a ceramic high performance Extreme clutch plate and the modified TRD quick shifter makes the Celica drive hard and quick. The factory fuel tank was modified with a surge tank fitted inside, for the fuel injection (EFI) also running a Holden Commodore VL Turbo fuel pump.

THANKS TO

Big thanks to Peter Eames, Fours n More, Sleeka Spares, Immaculate Crash Repairs, Mystic FX, Eastside Performance and all guys that helped though the 3 years. They were extremely supportive and helped through some of the difficult jobs that I came across while completing the project.

AWARDS

Adelaide Custom Auto Expo 2003
Top Ten / Top Standard Paint / Top Modern Hi-tech / Top Engine bay.
Mt Gambier Show n Shine 203
Top Ten / Top Trim / Top Street Machine.
Adelaide Extreme Horsepower Supershow 2003
Top Ten / Top Radical 4Cyl / Top Small Car / Top Toyota / Top Radical Engine Bay / Top Hatch Back
Adelaide Small Car Sunday 2003
Top 20 / Top Engine Bay / Top Custom Exterior
Street Machine Summernats 17.2004
Top 60 Street Class / 3rd Engine Bay / Top Tudor
Adelaide Custom Auto Expo 2004
Top Trim /Top Engine Bay /Top High Tech / Top Hi Tech of Show
Street Machine Summernats 18.2005
Top 60 Street Class / 1st Engine Bay / Top Tudor
Adelaide GazzaNationals 2. 2006
Top Interior / 2nd Engine Bay / Top Other / Show n Shine Champ
Street Machine Summernats 20.2007
Top 60 Street Class / Top Tudor / PPG Finalist
Sydney MotorEx 2007
3rd 2 door Street Machine
Adelaide GazzaNationals 3. 2007
Top Interior / 2nd Engine Bay / 2nd Undercarriage / Top 2 Door / Top Other
Street Machine Summernats 21.2008
Top 60 Street Class / Top Tudor

I've striped the Celica in 1997 and sat in the work shop for nearly two years before it was started. The whole job took about 3 years and a lot of late nights, and never thought I'd go this far doing up this model Celica.

If you would like to find out what Bluewire Motorsport can do for you please do not hesitate to contact us on service@bluewiremotorsport.com