Can someone explain to me how you built an intake for your 5th gens?
I went to a import perfromance shop today and we couldnt find a full intake kit, and He says it would be extremely hard to build a custom one because there is a sensor plugged into the box and it has to be pluged in "somewhere" for the intake to work. BUT im pretty sure there is some way to build one because most 5th gens iv seen have some form off an aftermarket intake.. so i would appreciate any help.
ALSO.. moving to exhaust.
Since i have a 1990 model i dont have to pass emisions.. so I bought a nopi straight through "drag" muffler. <== VERY nice sound btw.
Would it help at all if i gutted the catylitic converter... or is the gain not worth the time is gonna take to strip it off and beat it?
And lastly... besides custom intake a muffler is there anything else regarding intake and exhaust that i might can do.

I build a ton of intakes for the 5th gen and sell them. I have build lots of Cold Air Intakes but also have built some short ram intakes. PM me and I can give you some details on how to build one or I can give you a good deal if you do not want to go through the trouble. I just don't want to give away a lot of my details on a widely read forum, as I would probably suddenly have a lot more competitors. Lemme know ;)

PS. Here are a few I have done, there are a lot more.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a111/jaybratt/08bc775d.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a111/jaybratt/BlueCAI.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a111/jaybratt/100_2042.jpg

pacesetter makes an exaust system for your car for about 200. i would not gut the cat just get a straight pipe to replace it. or you could go to a muffler shop and get them to build you 2.25-2.5 inch piping from the headers and hook it up to ur new muffler. and that sensor you are talking about is not needed for an aftermarket intake. dont expect any stores to have parts for your car as they are not common. ebay has intakes for sale but they are all short ram. i would get jay to build u one cause he makes some good quality cold air intakes. and ships really fast lol. but yea he builds good ones. and 91 celica st is building straight pipes for anyone who wnts one.

I LOVE those intakes you built.... they are beautiful... Im definetly interested. Can i get your e-mail and prices?
Also can you guys explain what that plug does anyway... and why the aftermarket intake doesnt need it?

Regarding the "cat", My emissions law in North Carolina state i am required to have a catylitic converter... it doesnt have to be tested.. or even work... but it HAS to be present.. so thats why i was planning on gutting it.
Basically the guy looks to see if its there and if it is. then i pass.
Also before i gut it i want to make sure im gutting the right part. Isnt it connected directly to the header?

the plug is the air intake temperature sensor. it detects the temp. of the air thats coming into your engine and determines if it will add more fuel if the air is colder. i dont know why u dont need one if you have an intake but you dont. i unhooked mine with no negative effects. thats the sensor that you can plug the little resistor in like some peole talk about. and if u gut the cat it wont help much because you are creating a bottleneck where the gas expands and then has to go back into a smaller space. if you need to get it smog tested you can always get the straight pipe and replace it with the cat when test time rolls around.

Ok that makes sense i think...
Can anybody tell me which part of the exhaust is the catylitic converter... i think it is the part bolted directly to the header but as i look and ponder on it more i keep thinking No.. it cant be.. haha i just want to make sure before i do anything...
I saw another pipe of some kind about midway down under the car but it looked to big to be a catylitic converter does anybody know what that is and does?

that would be your cat.
here is a pic of one just so u have an idea of what they look like.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOYOTA-NEW-CATALYTIC-CONVERTER-FREE-S-H_W0QQitemZ8003683643QQcategoryZ33629QQssPageNameZ WDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
hope this helps.

Yeh.. i know they look like that but i have alot of heat shields sorrounding mine and mine is rusty so i think im just gonna take off what i think is the cat and ill find out real quick it if is or isnt haha....
I think it is the part directly connected to the header between the engine and radiator ... right?

No, I believe that is your down pipe. It should be directly after the down pipe and flex pipe from your header. There are heat shields surrounding it because the cat is usually the hottest part of your exhaust.The cat is generally always under the vehicle and not in the engine compartment.
Then again I've never seen under the hood of a 5th gen up close so I could be wrong. This is my third 4th gen and thats where they have always been on mine so I hope this helps u find it.

Yeh it kinda helps me but i dont see anything like what i in that link... i see the "header" then something bolts directly to it its squarish and round and then i see the flex pipe and then in the middle of the vehicle it looks like a skinny muffler.. then the normal muffler.

yea thats ur downpipe. the cat should be just past the engine bay, under the car. right past where the wheels are. the cat doesnt have heat sheilds on it. it looks kinda like a wicker chair pattern.

Hey projectcelica, my e-mail is jaybratt2@aol.com. I will e-mail you prices as I prefer to do this kind of thing through e-mail. You can check on my ebay screen name to see that I get good feedback and that I am legit. The SN is Tuner-Stylez, and I own the ebay store Tunerstylez. Thanx and I'll look forward to hearing from you.

my IAT sensor has been unplug for about year and a half now with no problems, its okay to not have it plugged in (mabe beneficital) because the air is hotter in hyour engine bay then what the air ur sucking in is

Alright i think iv gotten things straight. I opened my manual and its the wierdest thing... the "cat" is actually bolted onto the header right behind the radiator where i thought it was.. but the heat has corroded or rusted the bolts so im kinda scared to mess with anything because when i took off the shields 2 bolts broke and one hole stripped out..
Im going to send a picture at some point and see if you guys can explain a few more complicated questions.

thats a pre cat, in cali we dont have those :)

Yeh i think what im going to do is when i get my nopi exhaust put on this week im just going to go to the shop and make a straight pipe system all the way back to the muffler. that way i have no pre cat or anything just pipe and muffler. haha..stupid emissions parts!