Overview
I took on a full restoration of a 2002 Toyota Camry - my first major mechanical project after years of circuit boards. I diagnosed and fixed a cylinder-3 misfire, installed aftermarket coilovers, sourced a salvage door to fix water intrusion, and reupholstered the interior, but I never finished the restoration - it's shelved.
What I learned
- Diagnosed a cylinder-3 misfire with an OBD-II scanner and resolved it by replacing the ignition coil on the car's 2.4L 2AZ-FE engine
- Installed aftermarket coilover suspension to correct a rear ride-height issue and improve handling
- Sourced and color-matched a replacement door from a salvage yard to fix water intrusion from prior collision damage
- Reupholstered the interior in vinyl and lambhide, and installed sound-deadening material to cut cabin resonance
- Managed parts sourcing and repair sequencing across mechanical, electrical, body, and interior systems for a multi-system restoration on a nearly 250,000-mile vehicle