Curse of the RED celica, PART II (long)

[2kcelicaGT]

well, I think most of you know about my old red GT into a guard rail, totalled that one. Well, I was just feeling good about my new GTS, with the custom paint job...well, blew the engine, hydrolocked it about 30 miles out of springfield, MA during a HUGE rain storm. Was on route 90, car started bogging, mad water on the ground, and I have no wheel well covers, so i'm sure water was just splashing all over my CAI filter from the ground and tire spray, car got hard to drive, wouldn't accelerate much, had to down**** into like third and floor it, all of a sudden, BOOM, all the lights came on, car shut off, rolled to the side of interstate 90 and proceeded to sit there for 2 hours until a tow truck came...blew a rod or something down and through my oil tank, so scraps of metal and all my oil was all over the ground...

the tow truck guy did a great job of getting my lowered car on and off the bed, but of course next day as they transported literally like 7 buildings away to toyota (while I was at work), they managed the bust my newly painted front bumper, cracked the bottom slightly and took two chucks out of each of the corners near the fenders (when the bumper scraped on the bed, it put pressure on the front, cracking the fiberglass at each end at the top). Then they expected for me to pay $175 for all that towing crap which I am saying no thank you to, and will be fighting them in order to get out of those charges.

The engine is shot, I need AT LEAST a new small block, and just to diagnose if the long block is shot, would cost me 1,000 (toyota crap quote). They also quoted me over 5,000 just to fix the small block, baring the possibilty that anything is wrong with the long block which I laughed at.

I pretty much am considering just getting a guy in Texas who specializes in rebuilding engines, to buy a block there and rebuild me one (for I think around $1600 plus shipping) and then hopefully having it swapped for the dead one somewhere in holyoke, MA for around $1,000.

The saga continues...and to make matters worse is the fact that I will at the end somehow have to get a new front bumper and also paint it with the 3 stage paint, which I dont have, and take it somewhere here (I know no good shops) and THEN after all that, if that isnt enough to deal with when I am working 5 days a week with NO time to do anything during normal business hours AT ALL, I have to get it inspected in Mass which the guy who towed me told me I would have a HELL of a time with in that (1)my car is lowered too much, (2) my tint is too dark, (3) no front plate, (4) rear tails are illegally tinted, and last but NOT least, (5) my exhaust is "aftermarket" greddy, and is illegal and "will have to be changed back to stock."

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!! If anyone has some great ideas, or a GTS engine, uh, just lying around, let me know ;)

GRRRR, just when I was starting to feel good about my new car!!

Sorry for the long post, VENTING!!!

TIM

[SpankinGT-S]

Sorry bro. Hope everything works out.

[2kcelicaGT]

must have been my crappy rims that everyone hates that made my engine hydrolock...either that or my car just decided to commit suicide since I would not give it nice shoes ;)

[bluegtgirl]

damn that sucks.... but if it makes you feel any better I LOVE your paintjob. Your car looks/looked awesome dude.

[oamisnwa]

Originally posted by SpankinGT-S
Sorry bro. Hope everything works out.

[2kcelicaGT]

Originally posted by bluegtgirl
damn that sucks.... but if it makes you feel any better I LOVE your paintjob. Your car looks/looked awesome dude.

looked unfortunitly...front bumper is faked.:faint:

anyone have any good suggestions for another front, some ppl think the VS front/kit is hiddeous, personally, I like it, but what other bumpers would flow?

[TRD GT-S]

Sorry about the celica man..i've been having so many probs w/mine as well. None motor related tho :) IMO i think you should stick w/the same front b/c nothing else seems to flow w/the rest of the kit.

[oONoGoAutoOo]

good luck with everything.

[2000gts6speed]

I just want to know what kind of rims those are and how much you paid.

[2kcelicaGT]

they are 18" ADR Demonoyas (or something) and I got them with the car when I bought it, you like em or no??

[Gas-n-Grease]

Kinda superstitious of the red color huh? In Japan, they believe Midnight Blue is a bad color for a car. A Japanese friend told me of this story of how this superstition started.

[X-EVIL-X]

trial kit would look sick in that color. or oem 03+ front with c-one lip.

['04-GT]

Why no wheel well covers? Seems like that's where the problem originated. Sorry 'bout your bad luck, though. :(

[Mistrimeat]

From the looks of your sig, your car isn't red anymore.

[WillyWonka]

You have explained the hazard of owning a CAI and lack of sense to drive into a large amount of standing water with a CAI and no wheel well lining. Prep your mind for these situations. Flooring it was surely not the correct instinct nor was driving in the first place. Prep your car for these situations. Get your wheel well lining installed! Hold this as a reminder of what not to do next time. As for the inspection, that's what you should expect. You'll settle soon enough.

[F35-JSF]

That sucks. Check car-parts.com. They may have a listing of a 2zz in your area.

[silverCELICAgt-s]

hey i didnt know u r near springfield mass... ur near me and rattgt

[jotan82]

dang bro...

3SGTE time!!!

[natispeeddemon]

i went thru the same hydrolocking crap last year. same **** with the towing compnay as well. i told my insurance agency about all this and they covered all the damages. new motor, new intake manifold new carpetting and all. and they also paid my towing bill and they were gonna go after the towing place for damages.

[Mp3Supply]

damn u just got that **** painted too. . . ****tyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[F22-Raptor]

Yep hydrolocking is usually coverd under flood insurance.

[2kcelicaGT]

called my insurance company today, and they said they would not cover anything with the engine, i didn't even tell them the problem, as for toyota, they obvi, and rightfully so blame it on the CAI, so i really have no case there. Thanks guys, i'm sure in time it will all turn out, but its such a pain not having a car and needing to be to work every morn, every damn morn/day is a struggle.

[stankybcn]

Originally posted by jotan82
dang bro...

3SGTE time!!!

Exactly

[Manny_TXtreme]

damn Tim..the saga appears to continue.

Why didnt u have a lining?

[Tung]

Hope everything works out...

[se168us]

Tim, I did leave u a message today. Give me a call.
Wish you luck!

[WillyWonka]

Yesterday in Maryland:
http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0707/3503870_320X240.jpg
They apparently are not board members.

[speedeeGTS]

tim, i dont know if you read my post in the NE forum about me mis-shifting my car a few months ago. but i just finished my motor swap that i did all on my own. i've never done one before and it wasnt as hard as i thought it was gonna be. i ordered a long block from www.risingsunengines.com (which gets used JDM motor, tests them out, and sells them) for $1650 shipped. the motor was damaged during shipping, but it was all parts i easily swapped off my stock motor. you're best bet would be to do what i did. my insurance company wouldnt help me either. hell, if you decided to do what i did, i'd even help you out! i learned alot and would do it again if i had to. PM me if you want to know anything else

[Manny_TXtreme]

yea Tim if u decide to do anything remotely close to Matt's neck of the woods, I will get the troops together to shoot over to MA to help out.

[se168us]

Tim, remember to contact me when you are ready. OK! Simon

[18secCelica]

Hey 2kcelicaGT Ive got a 2zzge motor with 27,xxx miles on it out of my wrecked 2000. PM me if your interested (Your pm box is full). Good luck.

[2kcelicaGT]

Originally posted by speedeeGTS
tim, i dont know if you read my post in the NE forum about me mis-shifting my car a few months ago. but i just finished my motor swap that i did all on my own. i've never done one before and it wasnt as hard as i thought it was gonna be. i ordered a long block from www.risingsunengines.com (which gets used JDM motor, tests them out, and sells them) for $1650 shipped. the motor was damaged during shipping, but it was all parts i easily swapped off my stock motor. you're best bet would be to do what i did. my insurance company wouldnt help me either. hell, if you decided to do what i did, i'd even help you out! i learned alot and would do it again if i had to. PM me if you want to know anything else

Cool man, thanks for the offer, if I bought a full engine, how long (hours of work) would it take to swap my blown engine out and put the new engine in and hook it all up. You would be able to do this?

Also, thanks for the offer Manny, I might take you guys up on it, though I dont know how far away you are or how I would get my car down there considering they already fuct up my bumper, dont really wanna chance anymore damage or pay huge towing fees, but let me know some more details.

Tim

[2kcelicaGT]

Originally posted by 18secCelica
Hey 2kcelicaGT Ive got a 2zzge motor with 27,xxx miles on it out of my wrecked 2000. PM me if your interested (Your pm box is full). Good luck.

hmm, sent you a PM

[speedeeGTS]

if we were to do this, i'd say a 2 days max. i did it all on my own and it took 4 days. that was with no prior experience at all other than a clutch job! but now im a lot more confident and would do another without hesitation. if you have a garage, thats all we need. that and borrow an engine hoist from someone or rent one. other than the hoist, all i used was basic hand tools. keep us updated on what you're gonna do!

tim, i think manny meant that he'd bring some of the NY'ers up to MA to help us out if we did this ;)

and if you get used engine, you might want to have a compression and leakdown test and make sure the lift bolts arent broke too. i made sure rising sun checked my lift bolts before they sent my engine to me

[2kcelicaGT]

well, i am definitly going to either get a rebuilt engine or a used engine that I know is good, however, I have no idea how I would get my car to your area or where we could use a garage, OR how I would even have time to do this...I really am useless when it comes to doing anything with an engine other than a CAI or something, and I work 5 days a week, 9-5:30, so I wouldnt be able to even be there, so i dont think it would work unfortunitly.

Update: here is my temperary solution/winter beater
$250 1985 Buick Skylark
http://2kcelicagt.50megs.com/BEATER.jpg
It sucks but it will get me to work while my celi is out of commission and hopefully will last until winter so i can take the celi off the road and just drive the beater around...trying not to screw up my paint job and what not for the winter...if this ever gets fixed ;)

TIM

[speedeeGTS]

you dont have a family member or know someone with a garage that lives close by to where the car is? but i work 5+days a week too and i wouldnt mind sacrificing a weekend to help out a fellow celi owner.

nice new car by the way ;)

[ICU2COP]

wow very nice car. good luck with the work.

i wouldnt do it at toyota though, i had my gt engine done at a local shop, 3,000 for everything, as opposed to the 4,000 toyota wanted to just rebuild the short block(had an oil leak, which wouldnt have been fixed by toyota)

good luck