FTO or Celica

Chris_Heilong

Want to know peoples thoughts on these two coupes;

FTO gpx (1997-2000 face lift model) 2L Mitech
and
Toyota Celica VVT-i (2000 - 2004) 1.8L

I will be moving my civic on soon and want to buy something Japanese, Sporty and affordable. I will have about €3000 to spend and have found both of these options for less than that. If I had more money I would get a Mazda RX8 instead but dont think that will happen.

I see the FTO is really nice to look at, like a small Supra, but given its age I think many will be ready to break something and I dont think parts will be easy to come across and being a front wheel drive means alot of that 200 hp gets lost. The Celica is more common and also looks good but the back end is a bit flat. Anyway, anyone have any experience with one or the other?

Alanstrainor

The 190 celica is the one to look at surely?

FTO all the time though! V6!

ottostreet

The FTO is for enthusiasts only at this stage. Expensive in every single way..parts, running costs, and is pretty much uninsurable. The GPX is the one to go for, and its a MIVEC engine, not Mitech. They're fast, but good luck finding a good example nowadays, cos between their rarity, and a lot of them falling into bad hands in recent years, the good ones have all but disappeared.

I don't know much about the Celica, but the 140bhp version would be a different kettle of fish to the GPX, it would be far easier to live with on a daily basis cost wise, and parts for Toyotas are plentiful.

I would suggest the Celica, unless you are besotted with the FTO. I own an FTO GPvR, and as much as I love it to bits, I can't afford to run it. And I spend every penny I have on my cars.

ottostreet

Just noticed you want a facelift FTO GPX. I can honestly say I don't think there even is one for sale on any of the sites at the moment. I check everyday, and I don't think I've seen any.

Get yourself over to fto-ireland.com and put up a thread explaining what you want in an FTO.

I tell a lie, here's a facelift but it's a 96, so that means it didn't leave the factory as a facelift, its a conversion.

Chris_Heilong

ottostreet wrote: »

Just noticed you want a facelift FTO GPX. I can honestly say I don't think there even is one for sale on any of the sites at the moment. I check everyday, and I don't think I've seen any.

Get yourself over to fto-ireland.com and put up a thread explaining what you want in an FTO.

I tell a lie, here's a facelift but it's a 96, so that means it didn't leave the factory as a facelift, its a conversion.

Yeah, that ones been up there for a while now, the guy seems to have imported it from somewhere, I did visit the fto-ireland website and went straight to the tech part to see what can go wrong for these cars, a lot it seems. I get what you are saying in that they are expensive to run and insure; actually this ones not bad for what it is: http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2733679
I think the Celica might be the easiest option as its a newer car and there are more of them but I really like the FTO's styling.

Armin_Tamzarian

FTO GPX, no competition.
I used to own one, they're great, awful quick and they stick to the road like glue.
Would never consider getting a Celica instead of one.

bfocusd

What about this, styling is each to there own

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2981960

Stylin!
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2949324

This is a good price, no reg to run a check though

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2992166

ottostreet

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

Yeah, that ones been up there for a while now, the guy seems to have imported it from somewhere, I did visit the fto-ireland website and went straight to the tech part to see what can go wrong for these cars, a lot it seems. I get what you are saying in that they are expensive to run and insure; actually this ones not bad for what it is: http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2733679
I think the Celica might be the easiest option as its a newer car and there are more of them but I really like the FTO's styling.

Nah, nothing has really gone wrong for me and I'm on my 3rd FTO, and a friend of mine owned one for 5 years and it never caused him hassle. They are an amazing car, and the car parked outside my house has been my childhood dream car since I was 12. But everything about them is more difficult than the likes of Celica..there was only something like 40k FTOs in total made, and parts are expensive and hard to come by. I've been on the lookout for a passenger side arch liner for a facelift FTO for 3 months, and I haven't come across one yet (without giving 150 euro for a brand new one from Camskill).

BronsonTB

At least compare like with like & give the celica some chance....So compare with the 190 celica, not the 140.

Any questions you have on the celica ask in the club as plenty of members with the 190 version. www.celicaireland.com/forum

If it's an everyday car the celica will be eaiser manage for wear & tear as parts are plentiful.

But the FTO is alot rarer so if it's the unique factor you're after then that's the one. Otherwise a clean/well kitteded 190 celica is the way to go.

djimi

Bear in mind if you are on a budget that an FTO is extremely hard to insure. I enquired about one before I got my Integra and the only companies who would even entertain the idea were the likes of XS Direct, and even then for stupid money (I was 27 at the time, 9 years full license and 3 years NCB).

Chris_Heilong

Thanks Everyone, I really like the FTO and the Celica was my 2nd option, I was looking at the weaker Celica because the were cheaper to buy, I am with XS at the moment on my current car with an Excess of €3000. ottostreet convinced me saying hes had 3 and little has gone wrong and the community over at fto-Ireland.com are a great resource. I am not too fussy about the FTO preface lift anymore but would still like a 1997 to 2000 which is a little newer than the tons of 1995 models for sale. So FTO it is.

CiniO

djimi wrote: »

Bear in mind if you are on a budget that an FTO is extremely hard to insure. I enquired about one before I got my Integra and the only companies who would even entertain the idea were the likes of XS Direct, and even then for stupid money (I was 27 at the time, 9 years full license and 3 years NCB).

So you are saying that I was a bit naive in thinking that I'll be able to purchase FTO and swap my insurance into it temporarily for few weeks on my current insurance with Allianz? (30yo, 9 years NCB, full licence for 13 years)

Barr

FTO all the way if you can afford the extra insurance. Had one for about 4 years and they are very reliable.


I was getting about 30 to gallon which I thought was good for a 2.0 V6.

djimi

CiniO wrote: »

So you are saying that I was a bit naive in thinking that I'll be able to purchase FTO and swap my insurance into it temporarily for few weeks on my current insurance with Allianz? (30yo, 9 years NCB, full licence for 13 years)

Do you plan on trying to stay with Allianz? Have you gotten a quote from them for the next full term of the insurance? If they dont want to insure you on the car there is nothing stopping them from turning around at renewal time and asking for a ridiculous figure.

FWIW they were one of the companies that flat out refused to even entertain the idea of insuring my Integra (I wasnt their customer at the time and rang for a quote). It might have changed recently but they wouldnt touch import cars.

Others may feel differently but personally I would never purchase a car unless I was absoluely positive that I had some insurance companies who were offering me quotes that I can afford. Im not fond of transferring the insurance of the current car to a car like an FTO; Ive seen too many people burned doing that where their insurance company either jacks up the price massively at renewal or flat out refuses to insure them.

CiniO

djimi wrote: »

Do you plan on trying to stay with Allianz? Have you gotten a quote from them for the next full term of the insurance? If they dont want to insure you on the car there is nothing stopping them from turning around at renewal time and asking for a ridiculous figure.

FWIW they were one of the companies that flat out refused to even entertain the idea of insuring my Integra (I wasnt their customer at the time and rang for a quote). It might have changed recently but they wouldnt touch import cars.

Others may feel differently but personally I would never purchase a car unless I was absoluely positive that I had some insurance companies who were offering me quotes that I can afford. Im not fond of transferring the insurance of the current car to a car like an FTO; Ive seen too many people burned doing that where their insurance company either jacks up the price massively at renewal or flat out refuses to insure them.

No, no...
I'm not planning to replace my car with FTO.
I just want to get one more like as a fun-car and export it to Poland, where I would use it during my visits there.
That's why I need an insurance for it for a week or two just to be able to drive it from Ireland to Poland.
But now I'm thinking even if they won't be happy to swap my cover temporarily into FTO, I can always drive it on my third party extension provided it will not be registered in my name (which I can do - I can always register it in my friends name).
So it actually shouldn't be a problem.

Sadly I wouldn't be able to afford an extra weekend car in Ireland considering insurance, tax and maintenance costs.
In Poland whenever I'll be able to register FTO there, insurance shouldn't cost me more than 100 quid per year. No road tax as well.

That the only option thanks to which I could have an FTO

djimi

CiniO wrote: »

No, no...
I'm not planning to replace my car with FTO.
I just want to get one more like as a fun-car and export it to Poland, where I would use it during my visits there.
That's why I need an insurance for it for a week or two just to be able to drive it from Ireland to Poland.
But now I'm thinking even if they won't be happy to swap my cover temporarily into FTO, I can always drive it on my third party extension provided it will not be registered in my name (which I can do - I can always register it in my friends name).
So it actually shouldn't be a problem.

Sadly I wouldn't be able to afford an extra weekend car in Ireland considering insurance, tax and maintenance costs.
In Poland whenever I'll be able to register FTO there, insurance shouldn't cost me more than 100 quid per year. No road tax as well.

That the only option thanks to which I could have an FTO

Ah fair enough; Id say you should be okay so. It might end up costing you a small amount for the transfer considering what car it is, but I dont think youll have a problem transferring it for a week or two.

I have to say Id crack up if I thought I had a car like an FTO sitting in Poland that I couldnt drive every day

CiniO

djimi wrote: »

I have to say Id crack up if I thought I had a car like an FTO sitting in Poland that I couldnt drive every day

That will be the reason to enjoy my holidays there even more

muckwarrior

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

I did visit the fto-ireland website and went straight to the tech part to see what can go wrong for these cars, a lot it seems.

Nobody's going to go there and post a list of what's working on their car.

Barr

muckwarrior wrote: »

Nobody's going to go there and post a list of what's working on their car.

Yeah every car specific forum I looked at seems to full of problems.

Overall the FTO is a very reliable motor.

Chris_Heilong

muckwarrior wrote: »

Nobody's going to go there and post a list of what's working on their car.

I know that:p, it is more about; what are common problems associated with the make and model, I would do this for any car I was thinking of buying.

maidhc

I bought a Celica VVTi 140 recently.

It is an easy car to live with, 1.8 Tax, 37/38 MPG on average, costs the same as a focus to insure and you can fit a broken shower door or a couple of bikes in the boot.

I bought it though because I needed a cheap runaround that was a bit different. A sports car it isn't.

Some apparently burn oil. Mine doesn't. It is only an Avensis engine at the end of the day so no big deal if you need to change it.

B00MSTICK

I had to replace my FTO engine, cost about €800 all in.

Most don't have any major problems, but some of them are 17 years old at this stage so you to budget for some parts nearing the end of their life if they haven't been replaced already.
Labour can be a bit more expensive seeing as they aren't the most common vehicle and the V6 makes the engine bay more cramped then some.

Plenty of parts available usually. (I have a spares car that I will someday get around to breaking!)

goz83

He got his fto in the end

Armin_Tamzarian

goz83 wrote: »

He got his fto in the end

Good.
I loved my GPX and will probably get another one someday.

I've actuallly got a good few FTO bits lying around that I don't want, mainly interior stuff.
Free to a good home.
If anyone is interested drop me a PM.

ottostreet

I'm glad FTOs are so rare now, makes owning one that little bit more special!