Celicas

Toyotafanboi

may aswell start a thread so i don't have the chat thread very very blocked up.

i have short listed a few, but i would value opinions on my decision making the list is rather varied, but i have a few set criteria.

-has to be an irish or uk car, no jap models.
-i have no preference in regard to 140 or 190 model
-i would have preference towards a facelift model but again, i'd consider either
-if buying private, NCT is a must. i know it isn't the be all and end all, but the car has to go into immediate use, so i can't be driving without it.
-i'm willing to travel within 100 miles or so of wicklow to view.
-budget €4000, but i'm aware that these cars depreciate like a stone, so i'm keen to spend as little as possible as anything i buy will half in value the minute i buy it.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-celica-190bhp/8511784?offset=1
this is my top contender at the moment. new NCT, relatively new clutch, rad and brakes. it has the right spec (190, facelift, leather) but despite the ad saying the owner is a female over 40, they are able to tell you that it hits lift fine and burns a litre of oil per 10k kms which is a bit of a concern.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-celica-2003-143-bhp-vvt-i/8602180?offset=1
this looks good too (facelift, leather, sunroof, even if it's only a 140), it has a short test (april) and the front fogs look to be missing.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-celica-1-8/8547506?offset=3
i've been to view this one already and i get the impression €2100 would get it. it's a pre facelift with a cloth interior but it will come fully serviced, with a few small jobs i pointed out fixed, 4 months tax (worth €220), a new NCT and a 3 month warranty and for that reason i feel it should be considered. with either of the 2 cars above i'm going to have to tax and service them and set aside a couple of hundred for my own warranty anyway, so even though it's as dear as a much newer model, it's a sit in and drive with no hassle purchase.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-celica-vvti-6-speed/8661006?offset=5
then i'm half in the mindset of, why don't i just buy something like this. it's literally around the corner from my house. yeah, it's rough as ****, but €1200 would buy it i'd say. 3 months tax (€150), 6 months NCT, leather and it looks very "original". the jewel in its crown would be that i would be pocketing €2300 back into the bank from the sale of the corolla and driving the car i wanted in depreciation free guise, which are two points not to be snuffed at, once you get over the 01 plate.

anyone?

was going to view one today, but work has gotten in the way. might get a late viewing in with someone this evening.

nd

hmmm I can't see where the first one says they are a female. It does say the previous 2 owners were female, lol

I suppose the last one is def worth going to look at anyway as it is so close.

dodderangler

Japanese ones are better mate. As for the whole 190bhp
They've lost plenty of them horses over the years.
So don't believe that crap on 190 horses etc.
check rear on them all for crash marks. A lot of ones I've seen have been rear ended

Toyotafanboi

i have no doubt that i would enjoy a jap model more, but as a male in his mid twenties a person living in ireland, trying to insure a 15 year old, jap model "sports car" will be pretty ****ing unpleasant and after a driving career of various sporty jap imports i'm just sick of the insurance battle year on year and subsequent premium loading.

yeah, the power doesn't bother me too much once the car is straight. i'm not really one for driving hard anyway so it's no big deal.

does anyone know what the real story is with these regarding oil burning and the lift bolt problems in the vvtl-i's? was oil burning rectified in the facelift cars? what happens if the lift bolts snap?

Atlantic Dawn

I have 3 main pieces of advice...
Get the 190
Get the 190
Get the 190.

I would get the UK version, check that after engine gets to operating temperature it goes in to lift at 6k revs. Check the gearbox for clunking going in to some gears.

Atlantic Dawn

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

does anyone know what the real story is with these regarding oil burning and the lift bolt problems in the vvtl-i's? was oil burning rectified in the facelift cars? what happens if the lift bolts snap?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_ZZ_engine

For the first few years of production, the engines were notorious for failing "lift bolts". This did not damage the engine, but would hamper performance as the high output cam profile was unable to properly engage. Toyota fixed the problem in late 2002 with a redesigned bolt that was installed on later engines. Earlier engines with the problematic bolts can be fixed via a Toyota-issued TSB simply requiring the new bolt to be installed in place of the old one.

Toyotafanboi

thanks, i read a few guides on replacing the lift bolts and it looks like a fairly simple D.I.Y. task, once they don't snap on the way out, which seems somewhat guaranteed.

i have driven a few 140's but i've yet to drive a 190 which is something i must do before i make a decision. are they much the same below 6k then? a facelift European 190 seems like the hardest combination to find unfortunately.

Atlantic Dawn

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i have driven a few 140's but i've yet to drive a 190 which is something i must do before i make a decision. are they much the same below 6k then? a facelift European 190 seems like the hardest combination to find unfortunately.

Yes I think it's the very same performance as the 140 up to 6k, you would want to be in 2nd or 3rd gear at 6k to really feel it kick in, it redlines around 8k so can take a bit of getting used to changing quickly out of 2nd. Engine noise will increase when it goes in to lift.

Toyotafanboi

Went to view that red 190 model linked above.

Wow, what a difference to the 140 to drive... very very pokey!

All the paperwork and history of the car were present. All new brake lines, pads and discs, clutch kit, rad, 4 good bridgestone tyres. Seemed to cross over at 6k fine but i didn't want to rag it.

The only major downsides were the front bumper was very very stone chipped and it had a tow bar!

Aaaanyway, the owner says he had a couple view it earlier on today and said they were going to get a mechanic to look at on saturday but they hadn't left a deposit. So i said i have cash on me, and if we can agree on a price i would drive it away there and then. He wouldn't sell it, he was giving the previous viewer first refusal until saturday.

so, yeah...

Noccy_Mondy

Toyotafanboi wrote:

Aaaanyway, the owner says he had a couple view it earlier on today and said they were going to get a mechanic to look at on saturday but they hadn't left a deposit. So i said i have cash on me, and if we can agree on a price i would drive it away there and then. He wouldn't sell it, he was giving the previous viewer first refusal until saturday.

That's fair reasonable of the fella to wait for the other ones to get back, despite no deposit. Sounds like a decent skin, not many would shut down an opportunity like yours over it. Even still, I hope they don't take it, for your sake

Toyotafanboi

Yes, he was a very genuine fellow and that made me want it even more as a lot of other celica owners appear to be a bit challenged in some regards.

I really hope they don't buy it. As far as i can see, it's the only european facelift 190 model on the interweb at the minute.

Atlantic Dawn

Sounds good.

The seller though may learn a hard lesson, never refuse cash on the hip. If a deposit was taken I would hold a car even if offered more than the price I agreed with purchaser but no deposit I would sell no matter what pre sale inspection was organised if they hadn't left a deposit.

Toyotafanboi

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Sounds good.

The seller though may learn a hard lesson, never refuse cash on the hip. If a deposit was taken I would hold a car even if offered more than the price I agreed with purchaser but no deposit I would sell no matter what pre sale inspection was organised if they hadn't left a deposit.

That's what i couldn't understand. He's being very admirable but personally until i have a deposit, the car is anyones.

here's hoping anyway. It'd be a good bargaining point for me if the first party don't buy it.

Bpmull

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

That's what i couldn't understand. He's being very admirable but personally until i have a deposit, the car is anyones.

here's hoping anyway. It'd be a good bargaining point for me if the first party don't buy it.

I'd be the same when selling a car first person that gives me a deposit gets the car. Until I get one its anyone's to buy. Then once someone has given a deposit I wouldn't sell it to anyone else unless they pull out obviously. I think thats the fairest way to do it for everyone. Refusing a deposit because some lad said he'd bring his mechanic to look at it at the weekend just seems mad. Hopefully for your sake the other guy was just a timewaster.

Tea 1000

I hope you get that one, it's a nice looking car, and yer man sounds like a good owner to buy from. Also, they are without doubt the nicest after market wheels I've seen on a Celica. Most owners, as you pointed out, are a bit challenged and the state of some of the wheels are just chronic. The standard 16" ones corrode like f**k, so those nice ones are the job.
There is a massive difference in the 190 alright. I had a 140 many years back (couldn't find a 190 at the time), and drove a mate's 190. Over 6k and it was a different car. The thing is though, you have to nail the gearchange just before the point where the rev limiter kicks in, otherwise you are outside the cam change in the next gear and there is a half second or second delay before you make progress again. You kind of have to park your mechanical sympathetic side for a while! But it's 10 seconds quicker to 100mph than the 140 version officially, and feels it. My mate took pleasure in leaving a few Glanza Turbo and Golf GT-TDI drivers a bit confused looking!

TheDoc

**** this thread.

A Celica or MR2 were my kinda "dream car" from early teens. Hadn't really had much interest in replacing my current Astra, as I have a newborn and need boot space etc.

But the temptation is real.

Tea 1000

Plenty of boot space in the Celica.

Toyotafanboi

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Plenty of boot space in the Celica.

was just going to say, the celicas boot looks around twice as big as the corollas that i just got rid of :pac:

nothing else on the radar in the mean time... biding your time is the hardest part.

i'm still kind of questioning the need for the 190 because i know i will rarely if ever take the car over 6k revs and the 140 is less than a second slower to 60mph. it's just the knowing it's there if you want it :pac:, could i ever forgive myself for buying a 140? time will tell.

first world problems at their finest really :rolleyes: how many horsepowers do i want in my coupe.

nd

I suppose a supra is out of the question, lol

cerastes

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Plenty of boot space in the Celica.

But you can't put a baby in it even if it is easier than getting then into the back seat, tried it a few times on two doors and breaks your back, well mine anyway.
Prices seem quite reasonable? I saw one for sale in the UK and by the time youd bring it over it would probably work out cheaper here, can't imagine the vrt being too reasonable.??

cerastes

nd wrote: »

I suppose a supra is out of the question, lol

In always thought the supra looked fantastic, never knew how anyone could insure the things, then I looked at the interior, I couldn't understand how to my eyes they could get it so wrong.

nd

Yeah I just remember driving them in the original gran tourismo. I have seen a few irl and yeah they are great looking, but have never been in one.

Toyotafanboi

The facelift 190 sold to the other party.

Currently no other facelift 190s for sale as far as i can see!

Toyotafanboi

http://www.adverts.ie/car/toyota/celica/2001-toyota-celica-vvtli-190-for-sale/7210513

Thoughts on this car?

Ticks all my boxes bar facelift. 190bhp, leather, sunroof, irish car, seems like it has a sensible owner.

Is there likely to be hassle with that kind of mileage? Lots of horror stories of bottom end failure.

Tea 1000

nd wrote: »

I suppose a supra is out of the question, lol

Non-turbo, auto. Wouldn't bother.

Toyotafanboi

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

http://www.adverts.ie/car/toyota/celica/2001-toyota-celica-vvtli-190-for-sale/7210513

Thoughts on this car?

Ticks all my boxes bar facelift. 190bhp, leather, sunroof, irish car, seems like it has a sensible owner.

Is there likely to be hassle with that kind of mileage? Lots of horror stories of bottom end failure.

Rang the owner. The temp gauge was fluctuating... the car doesn't blow hot air and you can hear a gurgling behind the dash :rolleyes:

Toyotafanboi

Bought one!

190, leather, sunroof, UK car.

Bpmull

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Bought one!

190, leather, sunroof, UK car.

Well wear looking forward to seeing a few pictures.

Tea 1000

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Bought one!

190, leather, sunroof, UK car.

I like sunroofs! Best of luck, you'll like it. Keep good oil in her and keep those lift bolts lubricated with plenty of use!