Toyota Celica GT
‘A Minor and a Haynes manual can be the beginning of a rewarding new hobby’
TOYOTA CELICA GT
Remember that Toyota pickup that Top Gear tried to kill and couldn’t? Imagine that level of engineering thoroughness applied to a practical sports coupé with genuine pedigree. It exists – the 1993-99 Celica GT. OK, so it isn’t the Wrc-winning Gt-four, with its complex suspension and gearbox. But the 2.0 GT’S 3S-GE engine is special. Designed by Yamaha, it powered European Formula Three Championship-winning Reynard 883s and Toyota’s own Carina GTI BTCC Super Tourers. It screams reliably round to 7000rpm and delivers 173bhp in a nimble front-driven 2+2 that comfortably outruns a Porsche 944. The price? A paltry £1400-£5000. Just think how much something comparable from Dunton with ‘RS’ written on it would set you back now.
Make sure you’re buying a genuine Uk-market GT though. Crosscheck the numberplate against the DVLA’S database to make sure it’s not a base-model ST with its fragile 1.8-litre engine, plain bodywork disguised with a set of Gt-option side-skirts and a spoiler. Avoid Japanese imports, spotted via Japanese early service history and square numberplate plinths – they weren’t rustproofed like the UK exports were. And if you can, see if you can remove any plastic sideskirts to check the sills, because rust can nibble away behind them if the drain holes are blocked. Otherwise, they’re stolidly impervious to faults so long as a correct fully-synthetic 5W-30 oil has been used.
Convertibles are something of a gamble. Only available in GT guise – so you definitely know what you’re getting – and so thoroughly stiffened that it doesn’t suffer scuttle-shake, driving just like the coupé. However, a leaky hood means sill rot is more likely, and replacing a damaged roof costs £800 in parts alone. But they’re less sought-after and, unusually for a drop-top, actually fetch a good £1000 less than their hardtop cousins. A well-bought one could be an even bigger bargain.