82 Celica GT Busted?

[krak]

My 82 Celica GT is busted. My brother, the mechanic in the family thinks somthing like a bearing in the lower end is shot.

A few months back I had to replace the head. Did that, and it ran for a month or two. Then something else happened. The oil pressure dropped (all at once) and the car died (on the freeway) and over heated. My brother fixed it he said the head gasket wasnt on right from when he did it the first time.

After the new gasket it I went to take it home, and it didnt make it. He said the timing chain was super loose, and the guides where worn down all the way (or broken i dont remember which). After he fixed the timing chain it starts and runs but it has really low oil pressure, and it knocks really really bad.

He thinks that either the guides broke off and are stuck in the oil pump causing the low pressure and the knocking....or something worse in the lower end is wrong. If it sites for a few days when you start it the oil pressure is low but not super super low. But then after a few minutes it gets lower and lower.

But he wont take it off to look, and I have started not to trust him anymore, he is rather lazy, doesnt do what he says, and doesnt really care. I guess thats most mechanics though isnt it.

What do you think? Could it be a guide or oil pump issue? Or is it a bearing, rod or the like?

I am rather fed up with fixing this car, its one thing after another. Ive already replaced the head, the intake and the drive shaft. That shit wasnt cheap either. Would it be worth it to fix it? Or should I part it out. Ive already wasted like $700 on the car that only cost my dad $700. And the pos has 250k miles on it.

Ideas suggestions? How much would it cost and how hard is it to fix the lower end. Bearings or rod, whatever.

[SigmaProjects]

Fixing old cars is usually a waste of time if the car is not something special. Look at it this way, fixing the car cost how much? When if you really want to keep the car cuz you like it it's probably better to buy another with a motor not ready to crap out or have someone install a newer motor that will pass smog. Those 22R motors are cheep truck motors, they shouldn't cost a lot, they are the work horse for a lot of toyota vehicles back in the 80's you can find it on their pick ups and those box vans where the motor was almost under the driver. I bet it would be less hassle to just buy another motor. Just weigh the cost of each thing and ask yourself, do you like this car? Seems like you don't, but if you do look into replacement of whole parts, fixing just seems to lead to another problem. Like how your family mechanic messed up and made the car over heat. Your brother should know where to get a reliable motor.