Still on Goo-Net: Like an AE86, but better, and now incredibly cheap

"PanchoVilleneuve ST" (PanchoVilleneuve)
02/04/2016 at 23:53 • Filed to: Goo-Net, Toyota, Carina

Back in July of 2014, when I still regularly did Found on Goo-Net, I shared this very listing for a 1985 Toyota Carina GT-R, which was selling for $13,500. Well, it’s still up for sale, and for a much more reasonable $6,700. But what, you may be asking, is a Carina GT-R? Like I said last time, it’s like an AE86, but better.

You get a 4AGE in a lightweight, rear-drive chassis, just like the AE86, but you also get this:

The independent rear suspension setup out of the Celica Supra. The Carina GT-R is something that would be hugely desirable if only anybody had ever heard of it. The Carina was, traditionally, the 4-door version of the Celica, but over the years it became this weird sorta-Corolla, sorta-Celica, sorta-nothing car. But this means a car that was probably overpriced a year and a half ago (it’s mechanically great, as is the exterior, but the inside can only be described as “grody”) is the JDM-rad bargain of the century.

Here’s a link to the listing:

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

And the original post, for good measure:

http://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/TOYOT…

DISCUSSION (12)

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 00:06

It’s like if there was a Foxbody-ed AE86!

Jonee > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 00:20

Very cool car. Nice price now. I always loved the old 70's Carina. We actually got them here in the U.S. for some reason.

Kinja'd!!!

Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 00:20

I like this.

8/10, would hoon...at least, after I learned to shift with my left hand.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Jonee
02/05/2016 at 00:40

I saw a 4-door Carina for sale at a car show a couple years ago. I love them, and would buy one in a heartbeat, if I had the money laying around. My attainable dream car is an early 70's Celica coupe, with either a 2T-G or an 18R-G dropped in it. The Carina had a Toysport-sourced rebuilt 18R-G, so it was pretty much everything I wanted, with the OH MY GOD THIS IS THE SEXIEST JAPANESE CAR EVER body replaced with OH MY GOD THIS IS SO AWKWARDLY WRONG IT’S KINDA COOL.

The best thing, really, about being into old Toyotas is as long as you aren’t set on one of the few super-coveted cars, like the TE27 Mango Trueno/Levins or AE86s that haven’t been turned into drift missiles, you can still find great examples for not too much money. You can get a flawless example of something amazing and wonderful like a Mark II GSS, glorious twincam Yamaha engine and all, for like half the price of a comparable Skyline, Laurel or Galant GTO. And look at the damn thing:

Kinja'd!!!

Who sees that and says “no, I don’t want one”? Inhuman monsters, that’s who.

Jonee > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 01:00

Oh, totally. A bunch of as yet undiscovered Japanese nostalgic gems with Toyota badges. That GSS is gorgeous. I’ve always loved the Mark II’s. You’re right, they’re mostly ignored here, but that’ll change eventually. I actually used to have a beautiful near-mint all original E10 Corolla that I bought for a song 12 or so years ago. Slow as molasses, but that car got more attention than almost anything at Japanese meets. It was so pretty. And impeccably built considering what it was.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Jonee
02/05/2016 at 01:24

What we have working on our side, though, is that right now, every year, more of the Gran Turismo forbidden fruit JDM-only stuff becomes import-legal, and that’s where the market goes.

Speaking of, I don’t know how much attention you pay to R32 Skyline prices, but holy shit did they drop hard and fast. In late 2013, prices on ‘89 GT-Rs hit gonzo prices, in anticipation of Americans importing them like mad. Like, I saw beat to shit examples listed for 30-40k, with nice ones at least double that. It stayed there through January 2014, and began a rapid downward slide, to where now you can easily get a nice ‘89 or ‘90 non-Nismo, non-Autech example for about the same as your average, decent-condition R31 GTS-X.

The current in-demand cars, at least based on my Goo searches, are City Turbo IIs (still, maybe more than ever), S13s (now that ones that came with an SR20 from the factory are becoming available), 20B-powered Cosmos (like holy god are those prices climbing) and the kei sports trio of the Cappuccino, Beat and especially the AZ-1, but not the Suzuki Cara, which goes for considerably less than the AZ-1, despite being the exact same car.

The Cara is a good example of how the lack of knowledge of kickass JDM-only cars can work to the benefit of people who know. Because it’s every bit as great as the AZ-1, but nobody has ever heard of it. But really, though, as cool as the famous kei sports cars are, they’re not the best fast keis, and not by a longshot. And the best one of them all can be had for so cheap I’m going to go make a new post about one I just found. STAY TUNED TO OPPO.

Jonee > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 02:03

It’s true, the relative ease of importing will keep our U.S. models reasonable. I’m not surprised at the Skyline price drop. It’s not hard enough to find one. At least yet.

The Suzuki badge just doesn’t have the same panache in some people’s eyes, I guess. I’d actually love a Fronte Coupe, or Cervo myself. There are quicker keis, but few look as fast as that Giugiaro design.

I will keep my eyes open for it.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Jonee
02/05/2016 at 02:23

A rear-engined, 2-stroke Giugiaro Cervo is in my dream garage, and will always be. One I went all stupid with, big bolt-on fender flares, bosozoku exhaust, and some pink Hayashi Yayois.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 03:17

the GT-TR version is even better.

3T-GTE 1.8L Turbo.. asking for a touch over $10k

Kinja'd!!!

http://page12.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/p50…

PanchoVilleneuve ST > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard
02/05/2016 at 03:27

I honestly can’t believe you found one. I’ve looked quite a bit, and that’s only the second one I’ve seen.

There’s also the 2000GT-R, which has a 3S-GE in it,but that is so rare it might as well not exist.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 04:22

It’s probably the second one I’ve seen, it’s been up on Yahoo japan for a little while.

the 3S model is the next generation surely? it was a fwd engine only up until the Altezza RS200.

I’m really holding out for a Corona GT-TR

Dru > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/05/2016 at 15:01

Anyone ever bought from Goo-Net? The process seems easy enough, and there are hundreds of companies who can handle shipping, but I have yet to hear of anyone actually buying from that site.