1973 TA22 Toyota Celica - Patchwork quilt

Well a beer got opened and I got distracted again last night 🤣

So after a bit of a delay, explanation / final part of the saga that was a ludicrous idea for a one-day road trip, all for this 'thing' (oh and a smidge of marital bliss!)




The story starts a few weeks back after some time spent tidying up and grinding the original shell that we acquired many years ago, that and a thread entitled Wedding cars, let's see yours, within which I posted a little tale about how we came to own an Austin A35




The part that got me thinking was 'Frustratingly, everything was/is still ready asides having a shell to be able to put it on' so after another couple of glasses I mentioned my thinking to the other half and suggested we might want to keep an eye out for another shell. Sure enough a week later said shell appeared on one of the book of face groups... the catch, it was in Lancashire and the seller wanted to let it all go as a job lot with a hoard of MG midget parts he had accumulated for converting the car to a fast road/rally specification for a sizeable sum.

After much too'ing anf fro'ing and the realisation that most people wanted the midget upgrades without the shell and me wanting the shell and not the midget parts we got to a deal. So a plan was hatched with the initial plan being for me to travel up on a friday night, stay about an hour away at my cousins and do the rest the next day. Sadly work kicked that idea square in the plums and so there was nothing for it but do to it in a day. So that's how I ended up going to blackpool and back.

Oh and as an aside to the above, I also spotted the other halfs old beetle for sale in this months practical classics... I think she now wants to buy it back 

Right back to the shell...

So shortly after arriving I don't mind admitting I was a little disheartened/concerned. Why might you ask, well in the pics I was sent the shell didn't look too bad, but the first thing I saw and couldn't look past was the outer panel welding on the rear


Oh yes, that's some interesting panel patching going on! Still the rest looked solid and although there is still a bit to do in places it was still much better than what we currently have at our disposal. So the deal was done and once loaded I was then presented with a few other spares that I wasn't expecting. They all got thrown in the back of the discovery and I pointed the car south.

Thanks to it getting dark, the fog descending oh and the M25 doing its usual car park impression after 13 hours on the road 


I decided dumping the car and revisiting on Sunday was the best approach. So after a few house jobs Sunday morning, it was over to the workshop and the dissection began.

Once the spare wings were removed the replacement floors revealed themselves


All good so far then, There was also a pair of folding seats...


I need to do some digging on these as all other A35 seats I have are fixed and they just tilt forward

Some of you may have spotted already that it came on a set of four MG Midget Rosstyles (close up of that welding for you!)


incidentally all were shod with good tyres with plenty of grip remaining it also came with:


and a washing basket of various goodies


including a set of wheel trims, spare carb and repair panels




v8ian has already spotted the spare bonnet (Sorry Ian it's a lighter shade of Green, not grey as the shell garage lights suggested... but I do have another one...)



Underneath which, revealed the engine bay, still complete with replacement engine, heater, gearbox and all mechanicals



Interestingly the front was never welded, so at the moment the front end can be removed completely for easy access



rear window aperture and parcel shelf was also in fantastic condition (check out the old school 6x9's - sound a bit wooden though 🤣🤣)


Rear seat had obviously been holding water in the foam at some stage


and the rear arch welds will need some attention.

Roof was also clean and had a fetching pink coat of protection at some stage


It even still had the original sunvisors


and rather rare retro interior courtesy light


Front a-pillars and sills had seen some attention already, but where work had stopped was obvious


More of that rear wing welding


Boot floor had also been done already, albeit with the spare wheel well deleted - spot the new exhaust hanger


which in turn looks good underneath



So a bit to do still, but on the whole a massive improvement over what we have already. Many brownie points earned this weekend

Which is just as well as it's my birthday tomorrow and when asked by SWMBO what I wanted to do, I replied 'weld the celica floors in' as that was my original plan for saturday. Didn't go down that badly as it means she can be in the shed stripping the shell some more - certainly will beat being in the office!

**Thread deviation / distraction over**

On the contrary Ian, the other half is going to be a busy girl

Interesting thought re the van doors and seats - not considered them coming from an A30. More than welcome to come and have a look, just let me know when you want to pop up.

I feel a grumpy time ahead for this project but with a good ending to it.

Nice shade of blue on the doors.

Time has been getting the better of me again, but some small wins... including procurement of new gas cylinder so got back on it again today.

Well sort of, you see I also got roped into removing an engine and gearbox from the A35 so her ladyship could 'get on'... so much for getting on with my projects 🙄😆

As it happened I did get a couple of hours to myself so looked at the front floor which is what I was doing when I ran out of gas... and after a couple of mins thought I promptly cut it all out 🙈


Just wasnt happy with it, and where I'd ran out of gas without realising I'd also managed to blow a couple of holes in the thin metal 🙄

So take 2, new piece made up and tacked in


Sounds/feels more solid already so definitely right decision made.

Counting that as a small win today 👍

I was in that episode...well my van was, drove past the sorted Celica they drive halfway through in Snowdonia last year not realising it was Fuzz and Tim and had to double take, my Yodel van is on camera passing them

Another weekend and time for some more self-isolation in the workshop

Tidying of floors and finishing the inner sills was the main tasks, so not the most exciting job list but it's another thing off the to-do list,
floor tidying first with welds getting ground back


it was then on with the inner sections and fitting the reinforcing plate that I made for the seat belt anchoring point


while that was drying, it was time to summon the courage to start removing the remnants of the outer sill, a fairly laborious process due to how the original is fitted - the top flange is sandwiched with about three others at some points, particularly where it passes through the rear pillar and joins several support brackets. Took me bl**dy ages

^^^^ you can see how frilly it was in the most inaccessible places to repair



then the main sill section


which meets the front a pillar and has the infamous bull-nose section (that always rots!). So I of course started with the easiest bit


before getting into the really fiddly bits


Suffice to say, what came out was worth removing, I don't think there was going to be any saving this lot (spot the remnants of expanding foam - hopefully that's the last of it!)


After much fettling, banging, swearing (and use of the jack as an extra support/limb!) I finally got the new outer to make friends with the inner sections and just about located



Once happy with everything I then got it all pinned in position






also test fitted the seat belt mounting plate to make sure it cleared the floor and covered the hole


before giving it all a damn good tidy and adjusting the welding blanket ready for some hot stick treatment


Looks like so little achieved but it took a fair while and am very, very happy with how it all came together.

The last job was to make up a new floor plate/section for where the accelerator bracket and reinforcing plate locates as it's a bit thin and will need replacing


but that got curtailed at the cardboard stage as by that time a certain person had finished work and appeared, then promptly ran off with all the welding gear (she still feels compelled/more comfortable to user 'her' Mig!)


her plan was to start getting the front end of the A35 reassembled so I got roped in to assist. It would appear they are now breeding. jim you have been warned! 


To top off the day, I got back to find that a little acquisition/gift for the celica had arrived from a familiar lot from the Goodwood weekender...


As I'm now working from home for the foreseeable thanks to the worsening outbreak I'm hopeful of getting over to the workshop on the odd evening for some more 'self isolation', we shall see. Also the usual distraction of shows this year seems to have taken a hit too so perhaps more progress will be on the cards, every cloud and all that...

In the meantime, hope you and yours stay healthy.

Hahahaha I'm afraid of how many we will end up with!

The prep work is looking good Sam 👍

Sam - Really nice to see some structural progress - keep at it - Chris

I am in awe of you doing this, I would have walked away at first sight (or just made a brand new chassis & floor & dropped the body on it).

Top marks for having a mrs that A, likes cars and B, can weld!!!