Hi Guys,

I haven't been on here for some time, i did do a brief stint on the owners club and found that a painful experience.

Well anyway to the point, my beloved Grey ST185 import.

As the title states it is with great sadness i have to report this news.

A little background....

I have been a in a long term relationship for 24 year or is it 25 a few years ago i picked up a cheap import with head gasket problems..bad ones!

My wife was quite happy to let me get the car and work on it. One thing leads to another and what started out a quick fix turned into a project, you know "while this is off, i'll just do" you get the picture.

As the moaning got louder and more frequent i shelved the project only doing little bits here and there.

You guessed it she still wasn't happy, the moaning changed tack slightly and was now about NOT finishing it!

So out came the spanners and cheque book, low and behold "your not wasting money on the car again are you"

I guess i can't win! Next she will want me to sell it for nothing!

Oh your not wrong, you guessed it "it's me or the car"


So it is with much sadness i had to let the old girl go, i will miss her

So that is that.

Thank you to everyone who has offered help and advice over the years,

Chris, Loosey, Don, Pete and Jon.
















I'll post up some pictures and bring you all up to date with the Fours progress (more done in the last 2 months than the last 2 years" in a day or two.

_________________
1990 JDM ST185 Grey.
ST205 head gasket.
ARP head bolts.
ST205 Koyo Rad. (almost)
Front mount intercooler.
Colder plugs.
3" decat pipe.
4 Branch manifold.
Nitrous Oxide Steroids for Cars!

So when you getting it finished then?

Hello crossy.

soon as mate soon as.

Thing is i no longer have the house or workshop!

_________________
1990 JDM ST185 Grey.
ST205 head gasket.
ARP head bolts.
ST205 Koyo Rad. (almost)
Front mount intercooler.
Colder plugs.
3" decat pipe.
4 Branch manifold.
Nitrous Oxide Steroids for Cars!

Sorry to hear the news

_________________
Kris
95 ST205 - slept for 10 years, now waking up...
Avensis
http://www.gtfours.co.uk
_______________________________________
Turbocharging - the replacement for displacement

good move

_________________
JP
GT4DC Treasurer

Grey St185 RC
Silver BMW E46 M3
Multicolour yawn Honda VFR400
Silver Honda Civic Type-R

Women eh

Can't live with em, pass the 14mm spanner........

well it least you had 24-25 years with her!
now you and your car can be happy
that will teach her to make you choose!
if only, the car will be cheaper in the long run and wont moan as much!
all the best buddy

"well it least you had 24-25 years with her!"

guess I have as well... BLESS....

But I really... love my car

_________________
Le Latern Rouge...300ish bhp 13.8 1/4
more to come... gonna love track days.

dude.......that's pretty messed up man, I can't deny, my wife is b*tchin about my ride too, but as long as I don't spend her money on it we have an understanding.

If you had your car and/or if you were into tuning before you even met her she doesn't have much to say.....that's my opninion, even though it's something you chose on the long run, she should just accept it, cause I bet she does a few things you hate or atleast detest, but you still accept her because you love her, if she don't the same for you then I might just bet she doesn't love you the way you love her and what's the point in that relationship unless you want to get p*ssywhipped....

eitherway, all the best man, you did the right choice, I just might bet that it's not the car that's really bothering her or else she just might have some issues cause giving up a long relationship just cause you love your car just doesn't add up.

_________________
a real man is not one who can drink, *bleep* or fight the best or the most, a real man knows how to control himself and his car in a crisis situation

Glad you made the right choice, sad as it may be.

_________________
If at first you don't suck seed, try drier grain.

Thought for the day...
women are like buses...there'll be another one along soon :!:

_________________
Vice Chairman
1990 White UK Celica ST185 - Project DTM
1997 Cream BMW R1200C (as seen in James Bond "Tomorrow Never Dies")
2005 Jaguar X-type 3.0 Sovereign AWD Automatic
Blood Bikes - https://www.freewheelers.org.uk/

In the beginning there was.








Ok for anyone who doesn't remember or never knew in the first place.
The project...Midnite Racer.. was sat in the car park where i used to work, she had been there for maybe 6 months or so and hadn't been touched at all in that time.

One Friday afternoon just as i was leaving work i got chatting to a friend and then current owner of the Celica, He had had his orders which were to get rid of the Celica as it was registered in his wifes name and the tax was nearly up.

He offered it to me but i told him i couldn't afford it and it wasn't fair of me to pitch up at home with another car.

Well one thing followed another as they generally do and before you knew it the bonnet was up and the jump leads were hooked up.

Well it started on the seconed attempt a bit rough but it cleared then were were driving it up the road.
The head gasket hadn't fixed itself in the 6 month lay up and soon we were doing a great impression of Thomas the tank engine!

the next words from chris's mouth were "i can see you driving this" followed by "give me £100 and take it away" You Guessed it .

I left it at work for some more months and started get Some cars gone.
The Cavalier went to scrap, the Corolla GTi went for spares, I passed on my Mk2 Forest Escort trailer time and some other goodies and sold my 75 Chevy Nova for the engine and box, i took a hit on that one but it wouldn't fit down the drive and the out door life style ment limited working time due to weather and you just end up chasing your tail then.

I pulled the engine apart and the next thing i know we are moving house!
AHH small garage, fund are now tighter than a ducks *bleep*.
Some overtime well alot of overtime, abit of selling and careful saving saw the head gasket replaced and some other bits and bobs, water pump,timing belt etc.

Later came.. Wheels.







I had now gone onto the OC to try and get parts, sorry Chris while this is a better site the OC appeared to have a bigger fan base and this site was still young and i was low on funds. So i got hold of some parts from around the world, maybe not the best in every respect but if they get the job done then they are good enough for now.

I picked up a tuby manifold, decat and The exhaust.









I did some interior stuff because they were the only parts i had left at the time.

Interior stuff....

_________________
1990 JDM ST185 Grey.
ST205 head gasket.
ARP head bolts.
ST205 Koyo Rad. (almost)
Front mount intercooler.
Colder plugs.
3" decat pipe.
4 Branch manifold.
Nitrous Oxide Steroids for Cars!

Oh I forgot,

Whilst doing this i put the engine back together, i had the head skimed a tiny bit and pressure tested all ok.

Checked the bores for cracks nothing obvious, Checked the block deck to see if it was flat and it was.

I fitted it back using

ST205 head gasket
ARP stud kit
New cam Belt etc
Water pump
Thermostat
Port matched the TVIS, Head and inlet.

When i started this project the radiator in it was the wrong one, it had melted where the rad cap seal sits. the distributor cap was melted and hanging on the wonk.

At the time the only ally rad i could find was the KOYO but that doesn't fit...well..

A cosworth type which may of fitted with work or a bespoke one which was expensive!

I got a KOYO from the states for about 220 quid all in and have fitted that now i just need to fabricate two lower carriers.

I'll be back later to picture up this post.

_________________
1990 JDM ST185 Grey.
ST205 head gasket.
ARP head bolts.
ST205 Koyo Rad. (almost)
Front mount intercooler.
Colder plugs.
3" decat pipe.
4 Branch manifold.
Nitrous Oxide Steroids for Cars!

Great write up sounds like a real labour of love. Inspiration for all those owners of ST185's out there which may be getting a little 'tired' now.

_________________
Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

Here are a few pictures for the previous post.

The Cap! oow


Head Gasket!





New Gasket.



Covers and supports





TDC!





A little bit of porting

_________________
1990 JDM ST185 Grey.
ST205 head gasket.
ARP head bolts.
ST205 Koyo Rad. (almost)
Front mount intercooler.
Colder plugs.
3" decat pipe.
4 Branch manifold.
Nitrous Oxide Steroids for Cars!