SOURCED TO PERFECTION
STORY | Stein Broeder
PHOTOGRAPHY | Steve Mitchell
Jake Langer has owned more than 70 Toyota Celicas in his lifetime. Passionate? Yes. Devoted? Yes. Obsessed? Perhaps.
The year was 1989 when Langer bought a 1976 Celica from his dad for $600 and he hasn’t looked back. He wrenched on it when it needed work, customized it, and kept it in his possession for 28 years. That’s passion.
Langer sources sought-after parts and helps others around the world like himself with their 1970s Celica builds. He often finds Celicas in need of repair, sources the parts needed to restore them, and then sells the package to others so they can build their dream cars. That’s devotion.
His work as a merchandiser in Oregon allows him to hit the open road so he’s always scanning fi elds, barns, and places where others might not be looking. Of the 70 Celicas he has owned, five remain in his personal collection, ready to pass down to his daughters when the time comes. That probably qualifies as a healthy obsession.
Langer acquired the 1975 Toyota Celica GT pictured here from a friend who was unable to complete the build. Although he entertained other ideas, the restoration ultimately remained true to his friend’s vision.
“When I bought it in 2017 it was in real disarray,” said Langer. “I had a vision of a zombie mobile. Something out of the Gambler 500. But once I started the build, I thought about my friend, and how much this car meant to him. So, I decided to follow that path instead.”
What many people don’t know is that the Japanese version of the 1970s Celicas was a lot different from the U.S. versions. The U.S. versions were built for fuel economy. Their Japanese counterparts were built for performance. And that’s what Langer and his friend had in mind for this car. A full restoration, true to the cars from the Japanese markets with all the correct period details. From the fender flares to the stereo and everything in between.
“The build took more than three years and had a lot of delays. To make it truly period correct I had to source parts from across the world and some were harder to find than others,” added Langer.
Ultimately, they transformed it into a street-legal race car, a tribute to a time when cars looked, felt, and smelled a little different.
The body enhancements include TRD widebody flares and a ducktail with a vintage front Spook-brand spoiler and a rear Toyota Shadow window louver. Additional exterior work included a full bare-metal restoration and repaint. The interior received a complete period-correct restoration and a gauge conversion to the 1971 styling, including a restored dash, center console, and stereo.
The suspension upgrades include a Wilwood Big Brake kit up front as well as custom Techno Toy Tuning adjustable coilovers from a 1986 Corolla GT-S. Additional upgrades include 1986 Toyota MR2 AGX short-stroke shocks up front and 2002 Camaro AGX 8-way adjustable shocks out back.
The engine and transmission conversions include an LC Engineering Stage 5 stroked Toyota 20/22R hybrid four-cylinder motor with dual 45mm Weber sidedraft carbs dyno-tuned to the motor with a rev limiter at 6,300 rpm. The transmission is a rebuilt Toyota five-speed W50.
All these enhancements make for a wild driving experience, according to Langer. An experience not based on speed. “It’s all about the fear of catching on fire at any moment accompanied by the sound of a plane falling out of the sky.” And he loves every minute of it, including the smell of fuel spray emanating from the engine.
