Found 49 Years of Hidden Treasures Inside! // 1974 Toyota Celica Detail

[@dennisjay3277]

That mount was for an 8track tape deck. It was a quick removal. They were pretty expensive in 74. I bought a radio shack in 75 and paid about $200 for it and another $200 for speakers. I was making $4.75 an hour.

[@Wooley689]

In 1978 I was making minimum wage $2.65 and by 1986 I was making $395 salary per week.

[@desertrat77]

I hid my 8track in the glove compartment. Since I had a center console storage, I didn't lose much.

[@dickfitzwelliner2807]

@@dougharding5231 I couldn't imagine needing to hide your 8 track player. Then again I always took my face plate off and had carpenter pants so I could have a pocket for it

[@dougt5357]

If you found silver coins (dimes, quarters) from 64 or earlier, those are true silver coins (no copper showing on the edges). Those are keepers! Worth more than face value!

[@trentryan27]

I have found so many of those working retail its crazy, they even make a different sound than modern change

[@LuckyCharms777]

@@trentryan27 Switch them out for modern coins and sell the silver to a coin shop or jewelry store that makes jewelry in-house.

[@TheOtherBill]

Same with pre-'82 pennies

[@fourthplanet]

Thanks!

[@Hard_7_Iron]

I’m so satisfied watching you clean that car…. I feel like I need a smoke. That car is a gold mine!!!

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

I love it that Sarah restores normal people cars. Projects anyone can get into and don't cost rediculous money. MR2, Audi, Ranger, Beetle, even the Subaru. Now with the celica it's going to be fun

[@seanseverythingandanything6707]

Very attractive car mechanic.

[@ravenbishop5232]

What car? was there one?

[@JB-mk4ry]

Sarah, that color and grain of vinyl is still regularly used for restoration of GA aircraft. I'd reach out to some airplane interior upfitters. JR Aviation on YT has a shop near you that they've used with great results.

[@aaronmartell3046]

I love when you wear that top. So gorgeous.

[@marktuyet]

I am 71 years old and wanted this car when it first came out but never had the money. Can't wait to see what you do with it. It's too bad they don't make cars like that today. It's going to be fabulous ! Have fun Sarah .

[@marcin_bruczkowski]

That's not "TEQ" on the steering wheel, but "Toyota" in Japanese (the old katakana logo). Love our videos, thank you!

[@SarahnTuned]

Which another term for is TEQ

[@marcin_bruczkowski]

@@SarahnTuned Live and learn

[@thilomarioth]

Hi Sarah, don’t forget that the cars in Australia are right hand drive so their carpets might not fit your car.

[@Offensively-normal]

Not only can they save the seats and add bolstering, they should be able to take them apart and salvage the detail work on the backs. Find the right shop.

[@mrwest5552]

@sambyrd9005 - agreed - standard auto upholstery shop job.

[@Kodiak660]

SARAH!!!!!

[@ZackaryMac]

Coming from the land of rust (Canadian Maritimes), I can really appreciate how rust-free this car is. I mean, the fricken seat bolts were mint! My first car was a 1977 Celica with rusted out rocker panels and cancerous strut towers that were slowly leaning in towards eachother. I loved that car! Nice find Sarah! It's going to be super awesome with the V8 in it!

[@angelgjr1999]

Buy cars from the south. My 03 Mustang GT has almost no rust. The frame is very solid still.

[@stanleydragon9548]

Also from the Maritimes here. I bought a 1974 Celica ST in 1981, all kinds of fun. I followed that with a 1972 Datsun 240Z a couple of years later. I miss that era of cars, nothing today compares style wise.

[@gryphon123456]

That’s the crappy part about living here in the maritimes. But the driving routes are so amazing!

[@michaelblacktree]

Even here in Florida, cars don't stay that pristine. We don't salt the roads, but the humid climate eventually gets to them.

[@charlesdudek7713]

Toyotas were notorious for rusting out. Just like 70s Fords.

[@RobbiRocks]

Any car from the 70s is just Brilliant

[@Gus_Davidson]

Don’t forget to specify LHD from the Australian carpet supplier otherwise the vinyl section will be in the passenger footwell 👍🏻

[@chuckmillirons6529]

From someone that grew up in Atlanta in the '70s: "I'm Tillie the allllll time teller.....I work at First National Bank!" The first ATM really needed a personality for folks to trust them. Quite a new concept at the time, so they gave it a name and personality!

[@westrm2010]

That is a "Coco Mat" from a famous old company that still sells custom fitted coconut fiber car floor mats. They can do practically any vehicle. I have had a pair in my 1981 MBZ 240D that perfectly complimented the vehicle interior. Google it they are gorgeous.

[@SlickDiecast]

That is my favorite car of all time! Wish I never sold my 72.

[@DavidKAnderson]

Such a great car. The level of build quality for not a lot of money in Toyotas of that era was mind-blowing. I love that this one's in the hands of someone who doesn't cut corners.

[@Iamironman76]

I really like your whole easy, logical, intelligent, normal, humorous style. So easy to listen to you.

[@mikelewis_94]

I'm so not used to seeing cars like this that are not completely lost to rust.

[@patdesrosiers6423]

Looks like an AZ car from new as the Celicas were very rust prone. Lack of rust and sunburned package tray points to it being from the Southwest

[@delw1138]

Back in the late 80's I had a 74 Celica GT 5 speed; it was red with black interior. The engine died, so I sourced an 18R-G, it had side draft carbs. I replaced the points with an optical ignition module. For the exhaust at first, I ran straight pipe to a Monza tip, later I put a cherry bomb on it to quiet it down a bit.

[@kibbeystovall7546]

I actually laughed out loud at the upside-down Australian joke... well played.

[@mrwest5552]

@kibbeystovall7546 -agreed - her edits can be lighting fast as you know, and her own special "funnying"

[@allistairneil8968]

I think I'm falling in love... ...both the Celica and Sarah! 😂

[@robc8593]

The body work is in truly fabulous shape for its age. The Toyota looks great too.

[@tristanmorgan852]

Memory's come back watching this the carpets are usually really fluffy and completely 1970s stile

[@emaeder18]

Yeah, definitely some magic with an old car like this. Great choice, Sarah!

[@chuckcribbs3398]

Toyota quality after 48 years. Amazing.

[@homeslice1958]

That's a sweet Celica, it cleans up REALLY nice! Can't wait to see the whole project as it progresses.... I grew up in Hawai'i, so Japanese cars from the 70's are always favorites of mine. Angel, I know what smelly cat is, so please do eat a bag of peanuts. Finally, the price of first-class postage was 15 cents from May of 1978 to March of 1981. The more you know....

[@SarahnTuned]

🤙🏻

[@mdhj67]

Those old celicas are indestructible. Friend had one when we were in high school. Totally abused that poor little car but it always fired up enthusiastically and took us anywhere we wanted to go.

[@krazy4baja]

I already can’t wait to see the finished complete car when you are done. I really love these older era cars. The upgrades you plan like a bigger engine and whatever else you decide to modify or upgrade will be cool to see. I grew up through this era of cars and nice to see this one still on the road

[@SarahnTuned]

Unfortunately not much will happen with it until the engine is back.. might be a month or two until I can really tear into it.

[@poplaurentiu4148]

@@SarahnTuned I would definitely love to see a 2JZ (from a Supra) tucked in this cool Celica, would be a wolf hidden in sheep wool, a mean street warrior otherwise yes looking forward to next episode on this mini-series restoration.. try look for upholstery shops near close to you, they might also add some new foam on the bottom section of seats or on sides where are tear or ripped and at least try to save the embroided emblems on head-rest & back pockets.. Awesome project, keep up !

[@micahnelson1166]

you've got a great top end, thankyou.

[@trentyoung1135]

If you get the seats reupholstered, have them add foam for additional bolstering. Also, have them use the original headrest vinyl so you keep the logo. They can attach to the new leather. Love the car

[@briantracy1324]

2:01 Sarah , those are coconut fiber mats ,, had a few sets of them.. dirt falls through them but doesn't get ground into the carpet for easy vacuuming. Keep them.

[@andrewc8566]

Hi Sarah, when I was restoring my classic car, I took the vinyl off the back of the front seats. I had them put that vinyl on the bottom and bolster of the front seat that needed replaced. Then you can replace the portion that you took off of both front seatbacks with a very close vinyl material and it won’t be as noticeable or even noticeable at all. Love your shows. Can’t wait to see this scorching rubber on the road.

[@billyanglin1674]

Sarah, the mount under your dash is a old school quick connect for radio or tape player because alarms weren't very popular back then , so we just removed them so they wouldn't get stolen

[@ag4allgood]

I remember those. Even had a head unit that turned itself around that showed an all Black plastic face - Kenwood unit in my 1997 Integra GSR .

[@tradermonk9403]

The 8 track player went there!

[@gertraba9806]

@@tradermonk9403 CB. Radios

[@tradermonk9403]

"BREAKER ONE NINE..... WE GOT US A CONVOY!"

[@ag4allgood]

@@tradermonk9403 10-4 CJ McCall

[@AlicesWondereland]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who leaves stuff from the previous owner. I've found a few small kids toys in the seat pockets in my last two. They stayed.

[@802Garage]

You might try the guy Tavarish used for his Murcielago upholstery. Saving what's possible and adding bolstering should definitely be possible.

[@lrich8181]

In 1974 you couldn't start the car without buckling up first. If you did it would trip a kill switch under the hood that you had to reset.I had a 1974 Corolla with this feature. I bypassed it by unplugging it under the seat.

[@AcmeRacing]

Pioneer and Craig made FM/Cassette players that fit into slide mounts like the one under your dash. Follow the wiring from that slide mount and you might find it's hooked up to ignition positive, all four aftermarket speakers, and an antenna tap with a T at the end, between the factory antenna and the factory AM radio. You could take the stereo out and put it in the trunk or take it with you to avoid being a theft target.

[@donreinke5863]

I had a Craig slide out 8 track player back in 1976.

[@ekimp252]

@@donreinke5863my older brother had a Craig Powerplay in his ‘76 Pontiac Astre hatchback with matching speakers mounted on a piece of plywood behind the back seat. My ears are still ringing.

[@edisteachd9051]

I agree, I had a Pioneer Cassette Player in my Falcon Futura in the early 70's that was on a slide like that so you could remove it and take it from the car or put it in the trunk. Unfortunately it was on the floor behind the front buckets one evening when a ne'er-do-well decided they needed it more than I...

[@jayspencer66]

Could have also been used for a CB Radio! "Breaker, breaker 19, got a smoky on the shoulder and a bear in the air!!" and all that happy jazz! 😁

[@IndianaJoe3]

I remember my dad having a CB radio that slid into one of those.

[@deanjames6162]

LOL Jack Niehoff . You're a treasure

[@aelaan12]

This Celica should have the TLC it deserves, and there is no one better than Sarah to do this. I remember this car so well from my twenties. Oh, right... Happy New Year

[@toddellison5128]

I had a '76 Celica ST and in 1984 or 85 I needed to replace the seats and carpet. I went to a Pick & Pull and I found one that had been totalled but it was pristine inside, only had abt 20K miles on it. The P&P owner said, you can have whatever you need for $150. My friend and I in a few hours, stripped that thing to the bone on the interior leaving bare metal. The owner stared in awe as we drove out with a truck bed full of the interior. So this video is bringing back memories of that swap. it was certainly fun!

[@ag4allgood]

Bringing back memories Sarah ! Had a 1977 Toyota Celica hatchback looking similar. Really great cars & also had a 1984 Toyota Celica GT coupe with a more squared off back. Loved these cars for the reliability. For some reason a 20R engine keeps coming into my sight.

[@danm66]

I had a yellow 77 GT and just like you, this is bringing back so many memories. It was the first car that I paid for myself, but it paid for my youth & inexperience. :( Mine came with some kind of "information center" where the middle vents are in the dash of this 74. It was basically just fancy idiot lights and always showed a half dozen issues that I was never able to make go away.

[@danm66]

Also, I think my 77 had the 20r engine and later silly cars had the 22r

[@mitchellbrown9713]

I had a 77 Celica Liftback. It looked like a miniature Mustang. It was a great car.

[@betteheadbettehead4800]

@@mitchellbrown9713 my dream car!!!

[@ag4allgood]

@@mitchellbrown9713 Yea , I even had the Black louvers on the back hatch window on the 1977 Celica . Plus a bright tan sheepskin seat cover similar to the one Sarah removed from this one.

[@lylejohnson5549]

I had a 74 ST, red with black interior. Picked it up in 1984, my senior year of high school. The 4-speed manual redlined at 95mph, not too quickly. The vertical weather stripping between the windows wore out and in Vermont in the 80’s, I would freeze my butt off in the winter as the weak little heater could not keep up. I lovingly washed it every week and waxed it once a month, driving it all through college until the cancer of rust finally ate it up. I remember those little logos behind the head rests like it was yesterday. My aftermarket tape deck had “play”, “ffwd” and eject and you had to manually flip it over. It came with an AM radio and the rear view mirrors were a single view, they didn’t even have a day/night modes as it was the entry level model. What nice memories watching you wash it up. Thanks for doing this project.

[@dougmasters3875]

Yes, more bolstering can be added to the seats.

[@sargefreedom1578]

I just recently discovered this young lady on this here KZbin thing. I do enjoy watching her get into the vehicles, keeping them very close to original looking, no chopping dropping crazy stuff. Great Work ethic and smart as a whip. This Celica is a great find. That is all, carry on....

[@mathewchalifour1992]

It's a super cool car, I never got into the JDM side of things too much. Definitely starting to appreciate it. That's a cool car, great candidate for a heart transplant. Great job Sarah

[@bapcorp8303]

Time for Sarah to come & visit her fans in Australia

[@tonygiraldes7848]

A Toyota treasure hunt 😃 sounds like Sarah-style inanities will proliferate 😊♥️

[@DW-jx5cf]

OMG, I had one of those in 1983.. Best car ever..

[@wild_lee_coyote]

Other than the front seat it is in amazing condition. Love the little details like the stamp and loose change. It is going to be amazing as usual. The Celinator is going to be a beast.

[@kevinlyon9501]

That interior doesn't look bad for it's age. Seat wise having worked with some interior trimmers and what they can do, think your idea for the seats should be doable. 👍

[@matewansid]

Mom's 1974 Celica was the first car I could legally drive. Those woven sisal floormats were a dealer offered option, They mimic the style common in German cars of the period. I drove that little mini-pony car every chance I had. Other than a tendency toward stubborn understeer it was a delightful little car. I ordered an ADDCO rear sway bar from J.C. Whitney and bolted it onto the rear axle. Mom appreciated sporty handling cars ( having had a XK120 and a TR3 before I came along) and approved of the results. After 4 years of shrugging off my boy-racer abuse I managed to roll it over seven times and land upside down in a ditch one Christmas day. After being recovered and back on it's wheels the little Yota fired right up and ran fine ! It was replaced with a newer model Celica which had a five speed and a larger four banger. That one was mangled bay a hail storm and replaced by YET ANOTHER CELICA...

[@jimmyh7718]

Hello Sarah. You have found an awesome survivor from the 70's. Some of the artifacts in the Celica is like a time capsule. The "T E Q" that you refer to is actually read as TOYODA in Japanese. Keep up the great work, can't wait to see the next episode of the Monster Celica.

[@baitse7676]

When filling out incorporation forms in Japan, the furigana for TOYODA requires 4 boxes to filled whereas TOYOTA requires 3. In Japanese, the number 4 sounds like "die" and is considered bad luck, so they shortened the name from TOYODA トヨダ to TOYOTA トヨタ. Hospitals and hotels may also not have a 4th floor due to considering it bad luck in Japan.

[@hhattingh]

I've got smelly cat, smelly cat stuck in my head now and i don't know the words. Thank you Phoebe and Sarah.

[@MapleMarmite]

Looking like a great buy - in terrific shape. Only thing that lets these (and most imports) down in North America is the big chunks of rubber they add to the bumpers to meet the safety regs. Hopefully the Aussie carpets come in LHD, too. 👍🏻

[@pijnto]

My mate is a Motor Trimmer, specialises in restoring older cars such as the Celica, has many awards for his work, only problem is I'm in South Australia

[@buickboy92]

These Celica's are so sweet, they have such a great little muscle car vibe, it's just fantastic. Also, I noticed that the sun fading on the door panel carpeting ironically almost matches the classic Toyota tricolor racing stripes. Love this project!

[@fernandoramirez4206]

What-a-find. Toyota and Honda so beautiful in the 60s70s80s :) . Simple engines, beautiful interiors. Those seats!!! 😊😊😊

[@brycejeannotte7699]

That car is in great condition. For the door cards you might try dying the carpet to get it back the the original colour as it is in quite nice condition. That thing under the dash is half of a slide mount for an under-dash tape deck. The idea was that you could slide your tape deck out a nd take it with you. I am looking forward to this project very much.

[@garysue7561]

Definitely, you are my fave auto KZbinr. Your vehicle choices are quirky and nobody rates bean's like you. That and you actually wrench. Can't wait to see more on this classic, its a gorgeous vehicle.

[@teinspringz]

Happy New Year Sarah!! Amazing condition of the interior for the age of the car, definitely take your time restoring this keeper, I'm jealous! Later Phoebs!!😃

[@DustinDriver]

This car is an amazing time capsule!

[@neoanderson7]

Great start to the new year! The original owner did indeed took care of their ride. Hardly anything to replace. You can definitely find an upholstery place that can redo the seats to your specs. Keep the same material as well. 👍🏻 Looking forward to the resto job! 👏🏻

[@dalewyatt1321]

If the paint is original and the car has no rust, leave it alone. Nothing beats original.

[@RogerM88]

Looking how great the Celica looks, I'd start to reconsider the swap, and rebuild this one to stock specs. And use instead some unit with a body shell not that great, and go wild modding it, with a wide body, frame reinforcements, suspension, axles, and a supercharged V8.

[@adolpholiverbush2]

I said as much in my comments. You just don't see stock examples like this anymore. Truly someone loved it.

[@RogerM88]

@@adolpholiverbush2 exactly. I live near the coast and finding a sport car like that, with mint body panels it's rare. I'd restore it to stock specs. And use another shell not that mint for the swap project.

[@paulredfern2252]

I owned a 1973 twin cam 4 barrel version of this. It went well for its day and kept up with many V8. Sounded one of the best 4 cylinders ever. It drove so nice also, a great GT of its day.

[@rallymanize]

If that car was here in the UK, it most probably would have rotted away due to our British weather! Would love something like that, but prices here out of reach. Looking forward to seeing the end result. Great work as usual Sarah 👍

[@angelgjr1999]

Buy an American car from the south. You can still find cars even from the 80s that are largely rust free, if they lived in the south it’s whole life.

[@grahamhaynes7658]

These did a decade at most in the UK,till corrosion ate them up.

[@courtneyunderwood7697]

The lack of body rot is absolutely amazing. The tilly the teller receipt (1st Nat'l Bank of Atl) brought back memories. IIRC they had some of the first ATMs in use in the south.

[@SarahnTuned]

Yeah, it has pretty much zero corrosion

[@courtneyunderwood7697]

@@SarahnTuned So I'm betting this was at one point this car was in Georgia. The emory uni and Chi Phi based on the stickers on the back window plus its overall condition. Nice find! Looking forward to the build

[@SarahnTuned]

@@courtneyunderwood7697 it spent its entire life in Atlanta, 1 owner car.

[@mack4254]

Love the work and the amount of care you put into each vehicle you come in contact with,it's truly admirable

[@djd2819]

Found my old 74 Celica Owner's Manual! I'm sure that Sarah has one but am happy to send mine to her.

[@RogerM88]

This is a project I've been exited for, even proposing it a year ago. But looking how you are a perfectionist, not sure if the engine will suit the perfect Celica body shell. If it can't be properly rebuild, you can use the engine as a mock up for a properly built one.

[@pirateradio8420]

I had a silver 79 Celica as my first car in 1988. I detailed it like crazy. I loved that car. I wish I still had it. :(

[@lesfillin]

The woven floor mats were an aftermarket item in the '70's. I liked your upside down video when you mentioned that a company in Australia might be able to make replacement carpets for you. The silver bracket to the left of the steering wheel was for aftermarket stereos or tape players (cassette or 8 track). It made them removable so that they wouldn't be stolen.

[@gumbyluey]

Coco mats

[@toddwages9095]

I grew up in Georgia in the 70s and I recognized those Tillie the Teller ATM receipts immediately. Blast from the past

[@mikebelcher5111]

Smelly cat Smelly cat what are they feeding you Smelly cat Smelly cat it's not you're fault ..... that's the words Sara. Lol no one was suspicious of aninlmsl abuse lmao 🤣 😂

[@mattlochhead6474]

I really appreciate how much effort you put into cleaning and restoring parts rather than just throwing wads of cash at it and replacing everything.

[@marcmigneault8364]

The vents next to the back glass are aero devises. Prevents drumming and reduces drag when you drive with the windows down. My 1990 Corolla GTS has them.

[@gilbertwashburn7095]

Clyde Brackett under the dash is for probably an 8-track that you could take with you when you left so no one would steal it

[@markhammons01]

Sarah, in 1974 the Celica was called a sporty luxury car ,and it was. Iook forward to seeing it complete .

[@kmantriing]

What a find! I had 4 Celicas in the 80's --a '72, a '73 a, '77 and an '84 I bought almost new. Trashed most of them on country roads in Southern Alberta. So easy to work on, and well built. The steel totally decomposed in cold areas from road salt, especially the rocker panels and door sills.

[@robotrobot12345]

Love old Toyotas. So great!!

[@phillipleeds296]

The vents next to the rear window are the extraction points for the flow through ventilation.

[@kcscarecrow]

Your fortunate to find one of these. I bought a brand new Celica ST bronze color in 1974 off the show room floor. I loved the guages. 4 on the floor. 1800 cc engine. After wife and I got married we drove it to the top of pikes peak in Colorado on our honeymoon. It zipped right up the mountain slope road.

[@southpawgarage4718]

13:30 "Jack Niehoff". Strong start to 2023 Sarah! 🤣

[@beganny]

It's... not your fault! Love this project car - you pick the best ones...

[@russbaker672]

You have 16,000 views on the world wide web and this is your 454th comment. This car will be better than new and with the power the body deserves. We'll be watching for your next article.

[@leecunningham1072]

The vents in the C-pillar were actually ventilation "outlets", not specifically defrost vents. Somewhere behind that little bezel, the vents led to the trunk, and from there to the outside. In my '73 Carina, the vent to the outside was hidden in the top of the tail light bezel, with a little "draft flap" closure, that flapped open due to the pressure of air flow through the cabin. Pretty ingenious. I'd bet those hook up to the trim panel at the back of the rear window.

[@Kur0y4m4]

This channel was great before, but this series is all up in my feels as I had 3 of these Celicas in my youth. Loved these cars!

[@adammuir]

Wait what!? A yank who pronounces aluminium correctly!? Now i luv ya even more Sez! Love ya work mate.

[@frankandrews58]

My dad was a director of the Toyota dealership back in 1970's in Australia and in 1972 I purchased a Celica (pronounced 'Suleeka' btw not Sell-eka like you guys). I ordered a GT in iridescent dark green with tan interior but due to supply issues from Japan (yep even in 1972) I had to accept a standard version in silver with black interior. I think it cost $175 less than the GT at about $3300. The original steering wheel was an imitation wood wheel that was amazing and looked real. The car was absolutely the best thing ever....no power and you could drive in flat out every where. I loved it.

[@JoeSmith-nu8oo]

Those 70's Celicas were really cool cars. My neighbors had one in orange and I got to hitch a ride in it a couple of times.

[@828findadventure]

"Tilly" was the first ATM machine you could use outside of a bank in the eighties. Consequently I used that same thing in Atlanta myself.

[@chefgiovanni]

We Love the work and the amount of care you put into each vehicle you come in contact with, it's truly excellent.

[@michaelpeck8753]

Sarah, the first NEW car I ever bought was 1974 Toyota Celica GT same color as the one you have. Thank you for the flood of memories, I really loved that car!

[@user-JamesBond]

The burlap floor mat is original. You can replace the carpet and sound proofing. JC Whitney has all your parts.

[@Nafeels]

The first gen notchback Celica is my dream car. It’s incredibly gorgeous and frankly not that bad for a survivor. I’m intrigued on what’s to come, especially that V8 swap.

[@UnusSedLeo-w5l]

Wow, what a beautiful Celica! My Toyota is 10 years younger, but I recognise several parts. Well-engineered cars they are.