Toyota Celica

The Toyota Celica is a car that has changed from a slow, unrefined and noisy coupe to a modern, sporty and well-balanced GT car. From it's introduction in 1971, a switch to FWD in 1986 and the various engines and tranmissions used over the years, there is much to be said about this car.

Due to a request from a friend of mine for an internet page on his Celica (1986 GT w/Automatic) I decided that I would just go all out and create a page that had information on all the years of the car. Of course this is limited by the amount of information I have, but I do have enough to make this into an interesting enough page.

Starting in 1971 as a rear-wheel drive sporty looking coupe designed to take on the Datsun 240Z, another popular (and in my opinion) a much more attractive looking car. But, not to insult an excellent GT car, the Celica was a worthy competitor to the Z car and is still being manufactured today, whereas the 300ZX was discontinued recently due to lagging sales.

From 1971-74 the Celica used a 120cu.in. motor that started out with 90hp and was later upgraded to 96hp. Interior room was sparse but comparable to a Mustang II of the time which means lots of room in the front, tight in back. These cars have a rather high beltline and low seats so seeing out over the hood can be a problem, especially for shorter drivers. Springing is described as too-stiff but handling is deemed above average. Another comment made was the braking was markedly improved as the model years progressed.

An excerpt from a car magazine about the 1975 Celica said. "A new 2.2 liter engine will be used in 1975 Celicas which offers 9 percent better fuel economy while offering more available power." "The Celica comes in two models: GT and ST. The GT hardtop has a 5-speed overdrive transmission, sport wheels, racing stripe and vinyl upholstery. The ST comes with the 4-speed manual, fabric interior and standard AM/FM stereo radio. A 3-speed automatic is optional on the ST. Both Celicas sport an aerodynamic front spoiler."

What follows is a list of specifications on the 1975 Toyota Celica. It should give you an idea of what defined a GT car more that 20 years ago.

Specs for 1975 Toyota Celica
Wheelbase:	95.5in.	Length:	171.5in.	Width:	63.4in.	Height:	51.4in.
Track F/R:	50.6in./50.6in.	Trunk Capacity:	5.51cu.ft.	Weight:	2482lb.

The engine was a inline-4, with a SOHC head and 2 valves/cylinder. The engine displaced 2189cc and had a near square design with a 88.4mm*88.9mm Bore*Stroke. The engine produced 88hp at 4800rpm and the torque rating was 120lb.ft@2800rpm. This would have made the engine an excellent low-end performer, but probably less of a high-rpm puller that the twin-cam Celicas of the 90's are known for. The model specified included a 4-speed manual box with a 3.727 final drive driving the rear-wheels with 165SR13 radials and a front disc/rear drum brake setup. The steering rack is recirculating-ball with a 32.8ft turning circle. The suspension used was independent front with coil springs with a live axle rear with coil springs.

For 1976, the wheelbase was lengthened to 98.3in and a 3-door fastback was added to the line-up. The engine was carried over as it was new to the Celica for 1975 coming from the larger Corona model. Below are the specs for the 1976-77 Celica models:

Specs for 1976-77 Toyota Celicas
Wheelbase:	98.3in.	Length:	174.6in.	Width:	n/a.	Height:	51.0in.
Track F/R:	n/a	Trunk Capacity:	7.7cu.ft.(24.9 w/3d)	Weight:	2545lb.

First Generation Celica Models

1975 Celica GT

1976 Celica GT Liftback/Fastback

Moving on into the 80's

As the 80's came to be, the Celica changed in many ways. The biggest, and most controversial one, was the switch to FWD. I, myself think that RWD is best for the ultimate in handling. But the idea of the Celica was to be economical to manufacture as well as be profitable. So, in 1986, Toyota switched the drive wheels over to the front and an entirely new car was born. What follows is all fact. I have different sources (car magazines, buyer's guides, consumer reports) but I take their word that they have their facts straight. If you think I have said something that is not fact please drop me a line.

Information on the 80's Celicas

Evaluation

Redesigned in 1978, 1982 and with major updates in 1986 where a switch to FWD was made, these cars have always been very reliable for their owners, although not always living up to their sporting image. 1978-81 models are not very sporty at all, the 1982-1985 models are more powerful and better handling, especially in GT and GTS trim. Prices for Celicas in good condition have always been very high and resale is easy. Buyers of older cars should look for rust damage. GT-S models usually demand a higher insurance premium than the other models.

Common Problems

Front brakes need frequent attention. Exhaust systems rust quickly. Occasional minor electrical problems. Pre-1986 Celicas are more rust prone than average. Surface rust is common with weak-spots being rear-wheel openings, area surrounding gas-filler cap, door bottoms, and trunk or hatchback lids. 1982-85 cars have a rust-prone lower windshield (cowl) moulding.

Similarity with the Supra

The Supra was introduced in 1979 as a better equipped, 6-cylinder variant of the Celica. With the redesign in 1982, the Supra became a seperate model and used an independent rear-suspension. Second-generation Supras may look like Celica hatchbacks, but they are a different beast all-together, with their 2.8 liter inline-6. Mid-1986 saw the Supra receive a more high-performance chassis, a DOHC 3.0 inline-6 engine, and broke any resemblance to the 4-cylinder powered Celicas.

Pictures of the 80's Celica's

A Second Generation Celica Model (1980)

A Third Generation Celica Model (1983)

A Fourth Generation Celica Model (1988)

Continuing into the 90's

The Celica continued to evolve into the 90's. The 1990 redesign of the car was considered by some to be too rounded, that it took the rounding concept too far. In 1994, the sixth generation of the Celica was introduced with new exposed headlights, a larger base-engine and standard air-bags. The powerful but rare all-trac turbo model was discontinued but as far as model designations and body styles go, little has changed. A liftback, coupe and convertible are offered. Opting for the hatch gives you more trunk capacity, 60% more in fact, if you want to get some practicality out of your GT.

Information on the 90's Celicas

Engine Specs

For the sixth generation models both a 1.8l engine and 2.2l were offered. The 1.8l went into the base models, the GT's received the larger 2.2l. The 1.8l rated 105hp@5200 and 117lb.ft.@2800, which is the same engine used in the Corolla. The 2.2l is rated at 135hp@5400 and 145lb.ft.@4400 which can pull you from 0-60mph in 8.7sec with 5-speed, 9.0sec with optional automatic. A GT convertible road test from 1991 with 2.2l and 5-speed yielded 9.6sec. The HP rating quoted then was 130@5400, so a minor upgrade to the 2.2l for the sixth generation must have occured.

Pictures of the 90's Celica's

A Fifth Generation Celica Model (1992)

A Sixth Generation Celica Model (1994)

Coming soon… Information on the Seventh generation of the Celica that would re-vitalize the model back to it’s performance roots. With the discontinuation of the All-Trac model after 1993, it was obvious that the Celica was not the high-performance GT car that is once was known for. This new generation Celica changed that both in performance and looks. Love it or hate it the new body design is distinctive and eye-catching. For now I will include an image of the newest Celica in GT-S trim.

Well, that is all I have to write at this time. I am sure that as I go through my collection of car magazines, I will probably add more specifications and possibly correct some mistakes. Information and good images of the earlier models are hard to come by. Anyone with specific information on the first four generations of the Celica should e-mail me at typer@nbnet.nb.ca because my information on those models is very limited and I would like to know a little more about them Also any links to Celica pages can be posted below if you e-mail them to me.

The Toyota Celica Page (1971-Present)

The Awesome 200hp All-Trac Turbo Model