The first-generation Toyota Celica is one of the more sought-after Japanese cars, with recent auction sales pointing to the fact that collectors aren’t being shy about plunking down some very real cash to own one of the best. Similarly, restoration shops specializing in this era of Toyota are grabbing every garage and yard-find they can get their hands on, so supply is definitely decreasing. The seller of this 1977 GT claims to have owned it for many years and is ready to move it onto a new home after performing an engine swap years ago and then losing interest in the project. It’s listed here on craigslist in San Diego, California (but is parked at the seller’s property in Oregon) for $16,000.

This is a very interesting specimen as it relates to assessing value. On the one hand, it’s a clean, presumably rust-free California car that looks like a survivor in every sense of the word. The interior is in great shape too, and this is one of the more vulnerable areas on a long-forgotten Celica of this generation. The bodywork appears straight but is by no means pristine; the paintwork is dull and the bumpers appear to be missing their ends. Still, as a foundation, this Celica looks quite worthy of restoration, and even with the swapped drivetrain, the rest of the car’s stock appearances will help purists feel better about a potential purchase. The seller notes the interior electrical accessories need to be hooked up with a new wiring harness.

The engine is a later 6MGE inline-six with fuel injection, which is a pretty significant departure from the original engine. The newer mill is hooked up to a later W58 gearbox. This is a very cool setup, and while it’s not original, at least the seller kept in the Toyota family. Heck, if you wanted to go back to the original setup, a good W58 transmission will net you some very fair money as well a healthy 6MGE. But seeing the later engine looking like it was always meant to be there would make it hard for me to want to swap it back; however, it’s nice to know you’ll be able to find a buyer for the current setup if you wish to return it to bone stock condition. Even better news? The seller claims it fired right up after sitting for a decade.

As you can see, the bodywork is so-so. But as long as it’s largely rust-free, the rest of it is easy in comparison. The seller claims the Celica runs and sounds great, and that any potential sale will come with a variety of good spares. He doesn’t go into detail, but it sounds like a mixture of good used parts and leftover components from the engine swap. This is a car I would leave intact aside from cleaning up the cosmetics, as the engine swap is at least a Toyota mill and the W58 transmission will make for a pleasant dance partner when it comes time to hustle that torquey inline-six. While the asking price is still a touch ambitious, the market is still promising with lots of upside on this generation of Celica.