New Member

[ifc63]

Hi, I've joined because I've been asked to find a new owner for the brother-in-law's car. He's emigrated to the Dominican Republic (bit windy over there at the mo!!) and the car was in storage waiting to follow him over. Now he's been told it can only come over as parts, not a complete car.

The car was known in Classic Jap circles in the late nineties as he was an officer in the Toyota Enthusiasts Club and the car won various prizes at that time. I have returned it to a road-going condition recently with tax and MOT.

Now I need help in two directions: I need a couple of items to finish the car off and: I need help in putting a sale value on the car with a view to finding the right home for it.

Details as below, and I will be pleased to hear from anyone who can help me,Ian.

1981 Griffith Sunchaser Toyota Celica TA40 1600 ST.

One of 12 believed RHD models converted from new at Tickford of Coventry using kits from Griffith in the USA. Very original with a lot of NOS parts collected as spares.

Full details and photos will be forthcoming if necessary.

Parts or Part Numbers I need fairly soon are carburettor floats (fitted with twin Aisan carbs) and possible T50 gearbox as the original seems to work OK but is a bit noisy.

[+Steve]

do you have any pictures of this car?

[ifc63]

Steve, pictures aren't a problem. Richard, the cars owner, has left me a fairly comprehensive album of this car and other Sunchasers doing the show circuit circa 1998/9. The problem might be me uploading them to the forum as I'm no computer whizz-kid! Watch this space as they say.

P.S. the car was pictured in TOYOTA CELICA - 25years of Development and motorsport by Brian Long c.1996 ISBN 1 899154 02 7 on page 52.

[harvey]

hi there

I know the sunchaser well, and my wife owns one, inspired by seeing Richards car, tell me is the float problem occurring when the engine is hot and allowing excess fuel to drip down the second choke area of the carb? if so this is a common problem normally associated after cars have been laid up and then re-commisioned, if so let me know and I will sort you out with the fix.

cheers Harvey

[ifc63]

Harvey, you've hit the nail right on the head! Car starts brilliantly from cold and drives well. But stop for 5 mins, to fill up with fuel etc, and you have to keep your foot to the floor on the throttle and wind it over for about 20 turns until it will fire. I've had the top off the front carb as this was the easiest to get at and altough the float wasn't holding any petrol inside it, there appeared to be a couple of pinholes in it's platic body. Couldn't source a replacement so filled the holes and hey presto-----------it was exactly the same :( :( :( .

I would love to know the fix as I would like to fully sort the car so I can re-home it before the bad weather sets in as the inside storage we've had it in for the past 6 years is no longer available.

I'm glad to have found another Sunchaser owner, and if you want to e-mail me details of your car I can see if there is any pictures of it in Richard's collection.

Regards, Ian Condliffe.(ian_co@lycos.co.uk)

[Peanut]

Hi,

I believe that you have got the car from RH who was involved with the Toyota Enthusiats Club. I spoke to him years ago when I was planning on restoring my Griffith. RH's car and mine were very similar but he kept his in such good condition, mine would look like a poor relation next to it. I still have the car and am planning a restoration.

However, I did come across a Grifffith convertible in South London for sale and tried to buy it. It was acquired for £500 by a chap in Scotland. It needed some TLC but had very good bodywork and good doors and a superb boot. It needed a respray and a new mohair hood as it had the cheap plastic version which makes the car look really cheap.

I plan to restore my car and as I am cack-handed, will be getting professionals to do this for me. Once in good condition, I have absoluely no idea how much the car would sell for. Depends on the condition and finding someone who wants the car. Bear in mind that the roof will cost at least 350-400 to make before it is even fitted, if the roof is bad.

The bootlid is an absolute bugger to find. I bought an entire car for £50 just because it had a good boot. Bear in mnd that the round headlight model shares the same boot so you could search for any ST or GT coupe bootlid from about 77 to about 83. The model is a TA40. Also try Trevor at "TCB" 01579 383879, they sometimes get the older cars.

A picture of Richards car would be useful and I also wanted to copy the griffith decals on the bottom of the doors as the doors on my car had rotted and the decals perished.

I will dig out a snap of my car when it was looking a bit better and post it as soon as I find one.