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Post by a2ndopinion Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:58 am

I'm Bob, and also known to the Celica world and a few other forums as a2ndopinion, which comes from my business name, A 2nd (or spelled out - Second) Opinion. I am a very young 51 - most of my friends are in their 20s, and we forget that there is an age difference. Obviously cars are a major interest, and women are about the only other - fast cars and faster women - or vice versa?
I am here in Portland, OR, aka Pdx - actually Hillsboro, a town just west, and have been for the majority of my life, with some time also spent in parts of SoCal, 4+ years in Japan, and "visits" to Guam, Puerto Rico, Spain and Gulfport, MS.
I do vehicle inspections - mechanical damage claims for warranty companies, verifying what and why there was a mechanical failure to engines (gas and diesel), transmissions (manual and auto) A/C systems, diffs/transaxles, electrical, brakes... in cars, trucks, motor homes, water craft, snow mobiles, motorcycles, quads... even bicycles. So yes, I was a mechanic:

After being the neighborhood bicycle mechanic, re-stringing and truing wheels, adjusting brakes, derailers, chains, tire repair, etc, I began with my first small engine class in Jr. High School at the age of 12. This was along with learning mechanics from my dad, practiced while working on the family ski boat among other things.
Shortly after that, I earned my first motorcycle, and it wasn’t long before it had been rebuilt front to back and top to bottom, bored, ported, polished… including being repainted, all by its proud, 14 year old owner.
In High School, I studied motorcycle mechanics initially, then graduated to cars, and continued in summer school and adult education classes (while in High School) as well. In Jr. College, I took classes in Engine Tune-up and Analysis, Carburetion, Engine Machining and Rebuilding, Auto Body & Paint, and Frame Straightening.
After having jobs at various independent shops with no obvious future, I joined the Navy at the age of 22, and became a “Seabee”, Construction Mechanic. While in the Navy (for almost 15 years), some of my accomplishments were as follows:
I easily graduated from the 12 week CM ‘A’ (apprenticeship) school as the Honor Graduate (#1). #1 Graduate, Diesel Tune-up, Pump, Blower and Injector Repair/Rebuilding class (4 weeks). Cut a perfect score on E-5 rating exam (similar to ASE exams). Was one of the first mechanics in the NCF (Naval Construction Force) to complete Equipment Operators Crane school (5 weeks of class and practical training), and was the #1 graduate. #2 graduate (was also working a 40 hour a week part time job) from the 12 week CM ‘C-1 Advanced’ (Journeyman’s) School (was beat out by an E-6 - I was an E-5 at the time) - Class included engine machining, rebuilding automatic transmissions - both automotive and heavy equipment, hydraulic system operation and repair, and intense electrical system instruction. Spent over 4 years in Yokosuka, Japan, responsible for about 30 pieces of MHE (material handling equipment - forklift type) and trucks for a Naval Ordnance Facility, delivering ordnance (bombs, bullets, Tomahawk Cruise missiles, etc) around the world (Gulf War 1); The only Explosives Driver Instructor and Hazardous Materials Handling Instructor (driving trucks and operating forklifts hauling ordnance) for the Kanto Plain area and the 7th Fleet, and was the only person licensed to operate every piece of equipment at the ordnance facility (and was not the license examiner).

Upon departing the Navy, I became self-employed as a mechanic before being introduced to the inspection business by (an Inspection Company), where I went to work as a “Technical Expert”, assisting inspectors and doing technical review of their reports. This lasted for almost one year, before I realized that I would be worth more as an inspector, after taking and passing all 8 tests to become an ASE certified “Master Tech” at (the owner’s) request. So, as they say, the rest is history, and I left and became an independent inspector the very next day (July 22, 1999). After spending over 1+ years in SoCal, I tired of the rat race and moved my family back to Portland, OR.
I have been ASE certified as a Master Auto Tech, Master Truck Tech, Master Auto Body Tech, Master Machinist, Service Consultant, Parts Specialist, Body Damage Estimator and Undercar Specialist. I am also certified by the State of Oregon as a Vehicle Appraiser.


I got started with Toyotas after being a Chevy guy since the early '70s. I got the bug shortly after we got my (ex) wife her first car in the mid 90s (I brought her - the wife - back from Japan, so she'd never driven before). It is (yes still have it) a '79 Celica ST coupe. We put about 325,000 miles on it, after picking it up with 99,000, and it is now hiding in the back of my shop waiting for its restomod. I had originally built my 20R head for it - many hours tied up in porting, polishing the combustion chambers and exhaust, oversize SS valves from Si, Erson springs and retainers... but when we bought the Corona in '07, I decided to slap it on there. I also added a Cannon downdraft intake for the Weber 32/36 that I'd polished, knife-edged, air foiled... plus an MSD box and coil... and then added the Thorley Tri-Y header, Magnaflow cat, built a 2.25" mandrel bent exhaust and asked Alex Borla if he could give me a Borla muffler, which he happily supplied (it's nice to have good friends), and then recently added a Dynomax Bullet muffler, as it was just a little bit loud, and I like to walk softly while carrying a big stick. As seen elsewhere in this forum, I spent many hours coming up with a trick front suspension, along with some mods to the rear which still has more to come. I also have an A43D trans from a truck that I'm building a shift kit for, and also have a custom higher stall torque converter, and also a Mk I Supra disc brake diff from Canada with a 3.90 geared LSD, and I had a bigger (stronger U-joints...) truck driveshaft cut down and balanced for it.
I also have an '85 Celica GT-S convertible that is waiting for my Chevy 327, and also have an '83 GT-S liftback for my 19 Y.O. daughter to use, another '79 ST coupe for my 18 Y.O. daughter, a '78 Celica coupe that I am going to build the f*#@ out of, and an '85 GT-S coupe parts car that will eventually become a matching trunk trailer for the convertible.
I've been repairing, started rebuilding and finally building 20/22R/RE engines almost exclusively more and more over the last 10 plus years, and I guess am considered an expert on them and their differences, and what it takes to get various power levels out of them. Watch the "Engines" section, as I'll be posting the info on my current build, which I'm hoping for a reliable almost 200 naturally aspirated horse power out of as a daily driver. It will be a "late block 2xR hybrid".
Oh, and my (almost) ex wife also has an '85 GT-S convertible (out of 4200 made) that is 100% bone-stock.

Dedicated Chevy guy: [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The ex: [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Both verts (2 of 4248 made): [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

19 Y.O. daughter's '83 GT-S: [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Old backyard pic: [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Last edited by a2ndopinion on Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:03 pm; edited 8 times in total (Reason for editing : added pics!)
a2ndopinion
a2ndopinion
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Posts : 272
Join date : 2012-10-17
Age : 62
Location : Portland, OR

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Post by Lope70Mark2 Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:19 am

Ok..."offically" welcome Bob!

Ive made up my mind. Build me a motor.
Lope70Mark2
Lope70Mark2
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Posts : 201
Join date : 2012-08-08
Age : 38
Location : Tacoma, WA

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Post by Etohboy Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:15 pm

Holy crap! I'm just happy I can change my own oil and spark plugs...

Welcome and I look forward to more knowledge!!
Etohboy
Etohboy

Posts : 62
Join date : 2012-08-30
Age : 51
Location : Missoula, Montana

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