Tell me about the Toyota Celica....

[Booner!]

I am just looking at my options of moving to a slightly sportier car than what I have now and want to find more out about the following models of celica:

1.8 VVTi (190ps) 3d (Dynamic Pack) (2000+)

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/292095.htm

Model 0-60 Top Speed BHP
1.8 VVTi (190ps) 3d (Dynamic Pack) 7.2 s 140 mph 189 bhp

Insurance group 15

Toyota Celica Coupe (94-99)

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/311994.htm

Model 0-60 Top Speed BHP
GT 3d (AC) 7.9 s 137 mph 168 bhp

Insurance group 15

I want to know:
Your opinions/experience on the car?

How much I should ideally be looking to spend on one?

Do they have modding potential? (worth spending a few quid on the engine?)

Alternatives in the same catagory ( sporty, impractical, not a skoda/mondeo, might consider a BMW...)

Thanks for your time!

EDIT: Just realised that to get my private plate on, I will need a car that is R reg and higher.... but I am sure that I can be persuaded if the older reg cars are nice to avoid putting plates on it!

 

[Clarkey]

the new model, whilst its looks are iffy at best, should at least be quite fun to drive. I refuse to believe an NA engine pushing out over 100bhp/litre isn't fun to thrash.

The old model, looks better but not something which gets me particularly excited. Personally I see the NA ones the same way that I do NA MR2's, looks fast but in actual fact is quite average. The GT-Four is the one to have, and even then it can't live with the other 4wd turbo's such as impreza's and evo's.

 

[Sime]

Im interested in the Celica also. More so the old school GT versions (94 - 99).

Probably my next car, either a Celica or a Cougar.

 

[Booner!]

I will be 20 next year, so trying to get something quicker than my 1.6 tank, with the option to play around with it to get it quicker too.

My 0-60 is currently in the 10-11 second mark, which leaves room for me to be impressed. Yet I need something I can actually insure - which is why I am looking at the celica's. Can you remap the 1.8 vvti?

 

[ChoÞÞer]

loving that red' celica! my uncle had a gt-4 1 in black , and damn they are fast and so low down to the road!

 

[[TW]Fox]

VVTi/VTEC engines are by their very nature highly strung. There is very limited potential becuase they are already very powerful for their reasonably small engine size.

 

[Tom|Nbk]

I will be 20 next year, so trying to get something quicker than my 1.6 tank, with the option to play around with it to get it quicker too.

My 0-60 is currently in the 10-11 second mark, which leaves room for me to be impressed. Yet I need something I can actually insure - which is why I am looking at the celica's. Can you remap the 1.8 vvti?

You'd be impressed without doing anything fancy to the engine mate , after all as you pointed out you are coming from a 1.6 Golf.

 

[Booner!]

VVTi/VTEC engines are by their very nature highly strung. There is very limited potential becuase they are already very powerful for their reasonably small engine size.

hmm, so basically you won't have the same kind of modding scene as the 1.8T for VAG based engines? (like the remaps which take you into 200bhp+)

I do like them, but what other cars are out there for say £7000?

You'd be impressed without doing anything fancy to the engine mate , after all as you pointed out you are coming from a 1.6 Golf.

Agreed, I just don't want to buy something and be disappointed and find out I could have got something much better for my money. For instance, I probably wouldn't have a golf if I posted here first..

PPS - What ARE you doing up so late on a weeknight! (I have the excuse that I am on "holiday" from work)

 

[Clarkey]

VVTi/VTEC engines are by their very nature highly strung. There is very limited potential becuase they are already very powerful for their reasonably small engine size.

Indeed, gains to be had from remapping only will be negligible. To get more power you are looking at 4-2-1 manifold, decat, reworked head, even lairier cams, increased rpm and so on. The cost of this will be disproportionate to the power gains. If you want to increase the performance of an engine any decent amount on the cheap then you need one with a turbo.

 

[Booner!]

Indeed, gains to be had from remapping only will be negligible. To get more power you are looking at 4-2-1 manifold, decat, reworked head, even lairier cams, increased rpm and so on. The cost of this will be disproportionate to the power gains. If you want to increase the performance of an engine any decent amount on the cheap then you need one with a turbo.

1.8 VVTLi T Sport 3d

7.0 s 140 mph 189 bhp

This model? Does it come in Red? and does that offer any potential?

0-60 in 7 isn't slow, so I would probably be happy with that...

1.8 VVTLi GT 3d (Sunroof) 7.2 s 140 mph 189 bhp

Does this model have a Turbo also? I presume that is what the GT stands for.. but is slower?! (0-60 in 7.2s)

 

[Clarkey]

VVTLi engine is good, Lotus use it in some of their elises. It is better than the VVTi, the L makes all the difference, it stands for Lift (as in Variable Valve Timing and Lift), so is similar to VTEC/MIVEC. As for tuning potential, i'm sure it has some but it won't be cheap or as simple as reprogramming a computer.

 

[[TW]Fox]

None of them are Turbocharged, Booner, with the exception of the 2.0 GT4 in the older shape model. The GT/VVTi do not stand for Turbo.

 

[Booner!]

None of them are Turbocharged, Booner, with the exception of the 2.0 GT4 in the older shape model. The GT/VVTi do not stand for Turbo.

My bad, I based it on the assumption that the T sport was turbo'd

So this VVTI (which I just read up on) is basically a VTEC for Toyota? I don't know much about Toyota as you can tell... all looks very good.

What are the interiors like? any build problems to look out for?

I think I will go for the 1.8 VVTLi T Sport if I do buy a celica

 

[Apatche64]

tried one of the new shape out because i love the shape.

they revs like buggery and are really fast, however i was a little disappointed with the interior of the car, looked so 90's

they are sexy as hell on the out side though, i'm put off buy these free reving engines, they just dont seem as nice to drive as an everyday car (que the flames)

i've heard that the 190 bhp car is more unrealiable than the 140bhp one , and that more can be done to the latter to mod it cheaply, that might save on the insurance?

you've no need to mod it coming from a golf mate, it'll feel like a rocket ship

 

[OllyM]

Alternatives in the same catagory ( sporty, impractical, not a skoda/mondeo, might consider a BMW...)

Depends on how much you have to spend but...

BMW 320/325/330ci?

They are insurable (at a price obviously), lovely straight 6 engine, looks good and absolutely fantastic to drive.

 

[Booner!]

I am going to get a test drive booked I think and have a look at the interiors. I quite like revvy engines and would probably suit a VTEC quite nicely after my last experience in a Honda.

Depends on how much you have to spend but...

BMW 320/325/330ci?

They are insurable (at a price obviously), lovely straight 6 engine, looks good and absolutely fantastic to drive.

A.) Go to bed Olly!

B.) I don't know where to start on them... I would love a 330i (whats the difference with a 330ci and 330i?), but wouldn't know what to look for! The only experience I have had in a BMW is a 1997 318i, a 318 estate (1999) and a 2006 330D (passenger). The 330D was amazing, but the others were crummy..

 

[Apatche64]

i'm in the same boat as you, just dont know / can't decide what to get, the easy answer is go drive as many cars as you can find that you fancy and then you'll have a better clue. what is right for one man is crap to another.

 

[Beta]

I've had a 190 for the last year. Fun car to drive, especially once you hit 6200RPM and you 'get into Lift'. Its not a fast car (0-60 about 7ish) but certaInly not slow either.

With the 190, make sure you can feel a definite change in acceleration once past 6200rpm (you should also notice a change in noise) other wise this could mean failed lift bolts - can either be very cheap or very expensive to repair.

Other things to watch out for are rubbish brakes - toyOta standards are awful and corrode very easily. The aux belt will probably sqeak, its a design fault, they all do it eventually. Belts are realtively cheap to change.

You'll probably also hear a 'gravel' type noise wehn decellerating in gear, common issue, just get the gearbox oil changed, should quieten it down.

Last thing to watch out for is oil consumption. It will use some (more so if using lift often), but just keep an eye on it and use good quailty oil.

The early 140's are prone to 'oval pistons' leading to excessive oil usage, so much so that toyota have been replacing engines of late.

Options for tuning are limited, however, there are a few supercharger kits available that take it to about 240bhp. These are both expensive (circa £5k) and relatively unreliable but supposedly a lot of fun when they are running properly.

The 140 can be turbo'ed with several kits available.

 

[Hate]

I've got a GT4 version of the older celica.

My friend has an NA celica and yeah, its a good "my first sports car". If you know what you're doing you can drive them pretty quick and suprise cars once you get the jump on them.

You won't get much more power out of them for cheap, they're 170ish standard and you might make 180 or so with bolt ons. You certainly won't get a 40hp remap like you would with a turbo car (for example, my GT4 a £25 valve got me about 25 more hp).

My advice is if you want a turbocharged car, get one in the first place and don't price up turbo kits. Someone in my car club has had his S2000 off road for about a year with turbo kit problems and stuff breaking.

 

[NathanE]

Same engine in my car. As said above, once you hit ~6000rpm it changes onto the power cam and all hell breaks loose! The change is so immediate that you wonder if you were even accelerating beforehand