Here's something you never see around here

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
10/25/2020 at 09:03 • Filed to: NPOCP

Old Toyotas basically don’t exist in the rust belt. This ‘80 Celica would probably be considered a rusty pile in some parts, but around here this is about as close to rust free as you could ever hope to find. NPoCP at $1500?

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The title issues could be dealt with. I say NP.

DISCUSSION (26)

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 09:23

if you can get a title. NP

someassemblyrequired > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 09:26

I also say NP , especially with a 5 speed, if the floors are good. And maybe even if they’re not.

Just Jeepin' > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 09:29

I’d agree, that seems like a good price.

However, I have to say, there’s something very weirdly proportioned about the 2G Celica. Just found this photo of a restored one in Florida.

Kinja'd!!!

vondon302 > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 09:39

Buddy of mine had one of these in high school. Fun little car , this and another buddies scirocco made me look at them foreign cars in a different light.

Mind you this was late 80s in a uaw town, driving a foreign car back then in Michigan was almost a political statement.

sony1492 > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 09:41

Np, although there's always more rust then it looks

hillrat > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 09:43

Going up the Jersey turnpike I amazed and horrified to see my buddy hit the A/C button and feel the car surge forward in one of these. I swear people used to go through those old Celicas like sneakers back in the day. When I was in college, every frat house and student parking lot had a measurable percentage of A60 Celicas in it with plenty of this vintage sprinkled in.

NP assuming the title issue is sorted.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > sony1492
10/25/2020 at 09:44

Well said.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > hillrat
10/25/2020 at 09:45

Agreed, though if you see rust, it’s probbly worse than it looks.

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 09:49

Title should be easily sorted if the story is true. Same for getting it running again.

This is the best looking Celica IMHO. I think they really got the look right.

And yeah, Japanese cars from this era no longer exist around here- they’re all gone.

Nice price, inspect closely to be sure isn't any truly dangerous (structural) rust.

hillrat > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
10/25/2020 at 09:54

Always and forever.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW
10/25/2020 at 10:23

Agreed. I'm not going to be buying it. I'm not prepared to kick my scooters out of the garage stall, and my wife won't let me kick her car out of the other stall.

shop-teacher > sony1492
10/25/2020 at 10:25

True. This one is still as good as it gets around here though.

Roadkilled > WilliamsSW
10/25/2020 at 11:24

Getting it running may be straight forward, but it’s probably not easy.

All of the rubber pieces are likely original and 40 years old. The vacuum lines are going to be cracked and will leak. The same will be true for the coolant hoses, tires, belts, suspension bushings and other rubber pieces.

The cooling system may be filled with rusts and who knows what’s happened inside of the engine. If you are lucky, an inspection with a borescope will let you know if the engine needs to be pulled or not. It may only need new plugs and wires or you may get away with just pulling the head and cleaning it up. However, if you want the engine to last, it may need a rebuild.

Brake lines are probably corroded both from the inside and outside. The carburetor is likely gummed up and needs a rebuild.

None of this is expensive on a car of this age. None of it should be that complicated. If the clutch is good, the engine turns over and has acceptable compression, it’s just a lot of time consuming work.

In summary, if you want a project car, buy it as long as the title issue is sorted. You may have a few dozen weekends working on it, but that just means you could have it ready by spring.

If it weren’t in Illinois, I might almost talk myself into it.

WilliamsSW > Roadkilled
10/25/2020 at 12:02

Yep - all of that is a given for any old car that’s been sitting for a long time. But those parts should be easier to find than most of the barn find cars I’m usually looking at online at least.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 12:22

Crack pipe. This is a $500 car... especially with that slush box and the fact it’s the uglier coupe version. If it was a manual in the hatchback body, then it might be worth the time

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > WilliamsSW
10/25/2020 at 12:23

“ This is the best looking Celica IMHO.”

Your humble opinion is wrong... the hatchback version is better looking!

CTSenVy > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 12:24

I had an 89 Corolla and it rusted so bad the trunk couldn’t keep out water. No complaints other than that put dang near 200k miles on it myself an I got it with 89k.

WilliamsSW > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
10/25/2020 at 12:25

So we agree on the generation then? The hatch is also good looking but I really like the coupe roofline (I’ve always been biased toward coupes over fastbacks, that’s just me).

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > WilliamsSW
10/25/2020 at 12:31

Yes, I like the look of that generation. But the best is the Celica Supra.

WilliamsSW > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
10/25/2020 at 12:38

Yeah - that gen Supra was always pretty rare around here, but it’s sharp looking.

XJDano > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 13:03

Boo, Must log into Facebook.

shop-teacher > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
10/25/2020 at 13:03

Its not a s lush box. FB Marketplace auto-fills vehicle listings as an automatic, if you don’t specifically list it as a manual. The pictures and description show that it is indeed a 5-speed manual car.

shop-teacher > CTSenVy
10/25/2020 at 13:05

Sounds about right.

shop-teacher > XJDano
10/25/2020 at 13:07

Sorry boss. Craigslist is pretty much dead, all the action is on FB. It makes me sad, because FB's search engine sucks, but such is life.

XJDano > shop-teacher
10/25/2020 at 15:28

Good thing I’m not looking for cheap cars.

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/d/mascoutah-ford-escort/7218841490.html

shop-teacher > XJDano
10/25/2020 at 17:49

Wow! That's a helluva unicorn.