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Guys,

I've never done up a car and I've never modified a car... but I'm dying to get into it! :newbie:

I buy several magazines and browse these forums and I'm really starting to see green at all the awesome rides out there.

I have a 1989 Celica SX (2.0L 3S-GE engine). It's a "White Lightning" edition and apparently there were only 150 brought into Australia.

The White Lightning has a few extras that the standard SX missed out on like leather steering wheel, sunroof, electric everything, sports seats, graphic EQ and best of all sexy white alloys :) !

It's in unbelievablse condition for it's age. The wheels have to go, but I'm more interested in performance (I'm not into rice).

Like I said, I'm totally new to modding cars, so where's a good place to start to get more out of my Celica?

I can post pics of my baby if anyone's interested. Hah.

Thanks for your help. :D

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Good call. Will do.

I only got it recently, and I haven't done anything to it.

I'm mainly focussing on performance. It's got bugger all touque down low, but starts to pick up at 4000rpm.

I want to start out with the basics, but where to start with limited funds?

Thanks for your reply 2fardown. Cheers.

First thing I would do with a NA car is get a quote on a 2 1/2" exhaust with extractors. Possibly an air filter upgrade - nice and cheap. From those two mods alone you will notice a nice increase in power. As far as anything else performance wise I'm not to sure...possibly cam/s?

Alot of money and work to get good power ups with an n/a.

If you were to double the hp you'd end up with car thats no fun on the street .....very cammy, unstable idle, nil power below 4000 and a screamer above 5500 + with a compression ratio of 10.5:1 or more you'd really need 100 octane fuel..................................on the other hand...if you were to supercharge your existing motor or engine swap to a suitable turbo it would be happiness all the way

2fardown - correct, I don't want a 10sec car (or even a 13 sec car)!

I'm after that feeling you get when you know the car's got more power/grunt/oomph in reserve just in case you need it.

At the moment, I know when I'm pushing it and I'm getting beaten by my G/F in her 1.6L Lancer!!!

Don't forget, the gt4 was 4wd. You can only have so much power going through a front wheel drive car. But I would go Extractors and 2 1/2" exaust. More agressive cams. Change the air filter, Cold air induction (won't help much, but it won't hurt either) See what chips and tuning is avaliable, but the results may be quite small. Some handling mods may be in order, like suspension.

But personally I wouldn't bother, and maybe just put a good stereo in, a Celica would be good for that sort of thing.

I would save the money for a faster car in the next coming years (AE86 :D, silvia, MR2, some honda coupe, these could be a possible upgrade.).

One of the toyota or celica forums I am sure could help you more, as they will have done this stuff in the past and know what gives the best results.

Greg.

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