1983 Toyota Celica GT Liftback 22-RE, 2.4L?

Summary:

Fun car! Reliable! Eye-catching design!

Faults:

* Had to replace battery (easy) ~ $60.

* Had to replace alternator (easy do-it-yourself job) ~ $70.

* A/C clutch was scraping when disengaged, had to pull it and add a shim (not so easy) ~ 22 cents.

* Thermostat stuck open, so it took forever to warm up ~ $3.50 for new thermostat and $3 for new thermostat gasket (easy).

* Speedo was a little shaky, so pulled and lubricated speedo cable. Very easy to do, but cable pulls from the bottom of the car, so it's a little messy when you push it back up into its sleeve.

* Passenger-side electric mirror does not work. Took it apart and found the little plungers that push and pull it had broken off. Glued it and called it good (still doesn't work very well).

* A few small rust spots around the fuel-filler door.

General Comments:

I needed a new (used car) to replace an aging 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme that was killing my wallet at only 8-10 MPG and needing constant repair. I came across this 1-owner beauty that was purchased new in Dec. 1982 and had to be sold when it's grandmother owner could no longer drive.

I was specifically hunting for an 80's car, because I like their angular designs that are so much more interesting than the a-amorphous blob of a design that modern cars have. I also knew that 80's Toyota's are rock solid, because my parents had a 1984 Toyota Van-Wagon that ran happily to 380,000 miles.

This car has been nothing short of amazing. It's fun to drive, especially on windy roads, as it corners well. It runs on the freeway happily at 75-80 MPH and has made several trips between Sacramento and LA (~350 miles one way) without any problems.

Even after 25 years, all the mechanicals are smooth and all the electrics work (including the power windows, power door locks, and tilt-forward headlights).

It only has 105 HP and 137 ft-lbs of torque, which is not a lot by today's standards, but it's enough to get it quickly up to speed when merging onto the freeway and enough to beat a few cars off the line :)

It's a very easy car to work on and the shop manual is a must-have (easy to find on e-bay).

It gets a lot of looks because of it's unusual trapezoidal design.

Most of all, I only paid $1,800 for it, put ~$177 in repairs and 2 oil changes, and after a year of ownership, am still below the NADA pricing for this car -- which appears to be going up in value :) Buy a new car, and after a year of car payments you'll be up to nearly $1,800 in interest alone, not to mention the depreciation hit you'd take.

I only have 2 complaints: The oil filter is a pain to get to. The seats and driving position are not too comfortable for long trips.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th March, 2009

13th Apr 2010, 21:29

I guess the other person who commented didn't bother to read carefully that you NOW have those km's on it.

Heck mine has only 190,000 km's, and I expect to get a lot more km's out of it, and you made a great purchase since that car will last a long time yet.

It's only people that don't know anything about these lil great pieces of machinery that think they're not worth much, except for the fact these cars run forever, and always manage to still look a lil cool while doing it.

This is my 2nd one, and I bet the one I sold 5 yrs ago has 400,000 + km's on it now, and is still going.

14th Jun 2010, 12:21

Don't drive it anywhere near road salt. These things rust easily.

1983 Toyota Celica GT

Summary:

Lots of bang for little buck

Faults:

I've only had to replace the thermostat. But really, what's $10 to anyone.

General Comments:

I can't believe how good this car is. I paid $300 for it for what I expected to be an "in-between cars " car. I got such a good deal, it's run great for over a year now with just the thermostat going out. I believe the clutch may have been replaced a couple years before I bought it too. But this little car always gets me where I need to go.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd May, 2006