In my excursions on Craigslist searching for interesting and comical ads, sometimes I stumble across something which grabs hold of my check book and won’t let go no matter how much my sensible side pleads.  I recently had one of these experiences when I found two separate ads for 1977 Toyota Celica GT Liftbacks nearby. These RA29 Celicas were the last models of the first generation before the ugly 1978-1981 redesign.  From some angles they strongly resemble classical 60’s American muscle cars, most notably the Fastback Mustang.  Rather than being powered by small block V8s, however, the first generation Celicas bore various incarnations of the venerable 4 cylinder Toyota R engine, the 1977 model receiving the 20R.

1977 Celica GT Liftback Ad on Craigslist

One of the Celicas being advertised was in (barely) running condition, albeit with poor cosmetics, a leaky cooling system, and carburetion issues.  However, the seller was willing to part with it for almost nothing.  The second was in much better cosmetic shape, but did not run due to a half-completed swap of a 22R-TE motor (a somewhat rare turbocharged variant of Toyota’s fuel-injected 22R-E).  After some negotiating, I bought both of them for pretty reasonable prices.

Ryan securing the rustier of the two Celicas

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I actually spotted this and saved it some time ago and have been remiss in posting it.  So you’re all grown up, you have a family, you’re surrounded by wee little ones who bear an uncanny resemblance to you.  Yet you yearn for the days of yore when your reckless tendencies made any vehicle under your control instantly hazardous to life and limb.  How do you reconcile?

T-T-T-TURBOVAN

At least, that’s the back story I prefer to believe in…  Otherwise this is pretty stupid.

As most people probably have at some point in their lives, I had to reassemble one of my motorcycles’ steering stem.  This requires a particular torquing/tightening procedure for seating the bearings which must be followed to avoid improper steering tension and long term damage to the steering stem components.  Unfortunately it also requires a special tool for turning the very non-standard steering stem nuts.  The service manual helpfully identifies the tool part numbers.

Steering stem tightening procedure from the SV1000 service manual

Not so helpfully, the tools mentioned cost about $140 + shipping from the cheapest supplier.  Finding this preposterous, I went to the local Suzuki dealer in hopes of borrowing the tool for a day.  Oddly, they couldn’t find the exact tool to fit the nuts and suggested I might use a spanner wrench instead (um… no).  So it was time to get creative.

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Today myself and a co-worker decided to go on a ride in the mountains around Hanging Rock Park.  What resulted was six full hours of engine-flogging curve-eating wrist-damaging twisty goodness.  Trip report follows after the map of our route.

Mountain twisties near Hanging Rock Park, NC.

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This past weekend me and my friend David took advantage of the gorgeous weather and rode up in the mountains for an afternoon.  We headed towards Pilot Mountain in NC, then proceeded up to Virginia and rode along the Blue Ridge Parkway, eventually making our way through Stuart, VA before heading back to Greensboro by way of Ridgeway, VA.  I hope I’m recalling the sequence of highways accurately enough, because I was more concerned with enjoying the mountain twisties than paying close attention to where my friend was leading us.  All that matters is that we made it back whole and no worse for the wear (well, aside from a bit of a sore back from six hours of riding).  Below is a photo David was kind enough to take of me on Pilot Mountain (yes, I do wear that hat everywhere).

Pilot Mountain, NC, 2009-03-08