1992 Toyota Celica GT from North America - Comments

I'm the second owner of a 92 Celica AWD Turbo that I bought when the car was about 1 year old. My wife drove the car for about 8 years and I have driven it since. The car has been in Colorado since it was originally sold. It is a strong running car and fun to drive. I recently had the clutch replaced and asked that oil leaks be fixed when the engine/transmission was out of the car. They missed one oil leak which the mechanic speculates may be in the head gasket. We are both reluctant to pull the unit again to chase the leak. In addition, the AC isn't working and I was told today that I need a new compressor. So I'm now thinking about selling the car. The car is clean and straight except for a bend of sheet metal in front of a front fender. I know this is a rare car that is appreciated by some. Does anybody have a recommendation of how I could determine a fair price for the car?

Hey. I bought a 92 Celica GT (same engine as the GTS - the 5SFE) and the car is more than I could have asked for in my first car. It has 327,000 Km and she's still running as strong as ever. The only modifications I have right now is a cold air intake I make-shifted myself out of a K&N filter, an AEM pipe I got for free from work (Toyota) and a hose clamp from Canadian Tire. Beats spending over $100 dollars and it looks like it was supposed to be there. I also have the car lowered and it handles amazing. I have on order drilled and slotted rotors and soon I plan on adding headers and a performance exhaust.

I've already beat, in a straight line drag race, a 98 civic hatchback modded with an intake and an exhaust, a Lancer modded with an exhaust, lowered and light weight rims, and a 99 1.6L Mazda Protege modded with an intake and exhaust. And a 2000 Chev Sonoma... but really, these cars aren't fast and this car needs more power. Sure it's fairly impressive for what it is, but it should have more... because more is better.

I'm an automotive technician at Toyota and as far as reliability goes, this car is damn near bullet proof. Sure the hydraulic clutch sucks because when you're racing the hydraulic fluid over heats and allows the clutch to slip a little, but other than that it's a great car to turn into something amazing.

I myself drive a 1990 Celica GT with automatic transmission. When I bought the car, it already came with a K and N airfilter, and a spark plug wire upgrade. The car recently had a full engine tune-up and runs excellent. I didn't buy the car for performance, but for the excellent gas mileage and reliability.I, ve owned many cars and I am proud of the Celica's capabilities. Acceleration depends on the car's condition. I have seen 0-60 between 7.6-8.3 on this car. If you want a drag car, then perhaps your money should be spent on a VR-4, 350Z, or a V8 Mustang/Camaro. I don't doubt any fact that a Celica can run with the best of them, but for $2,800, what can you really come to expect? That would be an economical, reliable ride that is surprisingly fun and quick to drive. This is coming from a guy that used to own a heavily modded S13 240SX Coupe and several high powered 3800 Series 2 powered GM products. That being said, the car is worth the price because these are relatively hard to find. I find the 6th Generation a little odd looking, and the 7th Generation lacking torque for daily driving. For the tuners out there, upgrading the brakes and suspension on this car should be the first step. You can free up power via bolt-ons such as breather mods and an under pulley kit. If you must, you can always do an engine swap. However, the latter dosen't make sense if you are indeed financially destitute.

Again, if you want 500hp relatively easy, look towards the higher priced import/domestic alternatives. If you decide to leave it stock, expect to enjoy peppy acceleration, grippy handling, and good fuel economy. Despite the Celica sales of the 90's, I think Toyota really had a home run with this product. Too bad Toyota is having problems with their new Camry V6 car (according to Consumer Report's New Car 2008 Edition).

As for the interior, the bucket seats prove to be a little uncomfortable and unsupportive.The dash presents a practical layout , with easy to use controls. The head room leaves something to be desired, as does the backseat. Then again, if this is a concern, perhaps a sedan may be a better choice. The car is relatively quiet unless it is under full throttle. Tire noise is obtrusive at times. My only main concern with this car is the wet/ slippery surface traction. Given the car's 2,700 lb weight and adequate torque, wheel spin may occur if you are not careful. Other than that, this is my second favorite car, next to my modded S13 240SX. Enjoy your rides, and don't set your expectations too high for what is financially attainable to you.

The 5SFE engine is a great engine. It has good economy (I avg. 27 MPG) and low end torque (145 @ 4400 RPM's). It is very reliable (mine has 227,000 miles currently). What it isn't, is a natural born racer. I don't mean to demoralize anyone, but without modification and customization, it won't be reliably fast. Until recently, the after market was almost non-existent. Now easy upgrades are headers, cat-back exhaust, custom CAI, hi-flow radiator, light weight flywheel, upgraded clutch kits, upgraded ignitions and a few others. After that, most of the modifications will need to be custom and more difficult and expensive. DO NOT turbo a 5SFE unless you have done extensive research, they do not respond well to boost without head work and forged internals. The main problem with racing a 5SFE is the head design is restrictive and doesn't breath well at high RPM's. This causes extensive amounts of stress on many parts and will decrease engine life. Good swaps are the 4AGE and 3SGTE engines. The 5SFE can be modified to race, but is more difficult at the moment than modifying a 4AGE or 3SGTE. If the after market continues to rise, maybe in the future it won't be, let's all hope. Hope this helps to clarify some things.

I am getting ready to purchase a 1992 Toyota Celica GT Convertible, and have found many accessories and parts at andysautosport.com, but I also own a 1991 Toyota MR2 n/a Turbo, but it will fly. If anyone knows about a place that sells JDM motors, then hit me up at camron2869@yahoo.com

Does any body know if a 1992 Toyota Celica 2.2L has a turbo in it or where can you get one.

Great little car, Wife bought new in 92 and has about 90,000 on it. Fun to drive and good mileage. Only problem is the a/c knob. What can I say, A toyota, bullet proof.

Im having problems with my celica. it's a '92 2.2 DOHC 5-speed. the engine turns over fine but it won't fire up.. what is the problem and how do I fix it? punk1_18@hotmail.com

I have a highly modified 5sfe engine in my 92 celica let me tel you it will beat most everything out there. I had to do most of the work myself and it has a custom turbo set up. Modified 3sgte heads. More money and tme than I care to admit to. But sure is a fun car now.

Hi, I have a 1992 Celica GT 2.2 hatchback. I just want to know if somebody knows how can modify my car? I want to put a turbo in there. Anyone that can help?

Please, I just want to beat a Mustang 6 cylinders.

elbbrye@hotmail.com

You guys do realize the 5s-fe comes in the MR2? The headers are the same size, so look there if you have trouble finding it. Oh and don't turbo the 5s-fe, just get the 3s-gte. Done, game over.

Please stop complaining about beating a Mustang... you will beat him in the corners not the straights.

Thanks for the comment concerning using the MR2 header. Could not find any parts for my 92 celica. Is MR2 header smog legal for California?? What other parts from 92 MR2 can be used for the celica?? Let me know jonesfamily0424@sbcglobal.net Thanks.

I have a 92 convertible and I have hot shot custom headers for it, and air and clutch. It's got 170.000 miles and it's not quick. I would like to know, why swap a 3tgs motor in? What's the horse on that, or is it that you can buy mods better than our 5tgse, and will a 6sp from a new Celica fit on that motor too? That would be so sweet, whoever knows this info. Thanks.

I have a 92 Celica GTS, and there are no mods in it yet. But I have a turbocharger sitting around and I was wondering if it is more cost friendly for me to buy the all trac swap, or will it be cheaper for me to just buy the rest of the mods to go with the turbocharger that I already have? I have heard that the MR-2 turbo is an easy fit. Is this true or is it more of a hassle than it's worth? Please let me know at daneo33@hotmail.com. I love my Celica; it's not the fastest car around, but it's got a lot of bang for your buck.

I would like to swap a 3sgte or turbo my 5sfe in my 1990 Celica GT. I heard the heads are almost identical in the 5sfe and the 3sgte, could some one tell me if I could just swap heads or if I should just swap the whole thing?

And also if I should swap with 3sgte and use my stock tranny, what other things will I need besides the 3sgte i.e., electrical parts, stand alone engine man.. and what is the best car to take the 3sgte out of? josh_boling@yahoo.com