This 1981 Toyota Celica GT is a desirable coupe model with some very tasteful modifications, both under the hood and in the suspension department. We rarely see this era of Celica in any form, much less in a semi-restored form with choice upgrades. The Celica features fresh paint, numerous engine upgrades, and a coilover suspension among other tweaks. Find it here on eBay offered with no reserve and bids to $5,600.
This auction ends fairly soon, and if bids don’t kick up, someone is walking away with a very special car for well under what has likely been invested. I love the stance of this Celica, which obviously sits quite low but also exposes just how gorgeous this era of Toyota sports coupe was. I think every car looks better when it’s lowered, and since we so rarely see Celicas of this vintage pop up with modifications, I’m having a hard time looking away. Plus, the Supra wheels it rides on are some of the best-looking OEM wheels ever made.
The good news continues on to the interior, where the cockpit shows that the seats have been recovered to factory specifications. The presumably original door panels and carpeting are in great shape still, which isn’t easy to do with a light-color cabin like this. The listing describes the sale of this Celica as stemming from an estate sale, and that the current owner acquired with the car with a fully built engine already installed; work carried out under current ownership includes the paintwork, seat recovering, suspension, and a rebuilt transmission.
The 22R is not normally an engine I associate with high performance but this is the rare exception. According to the listing, the seller acquired the Celica with a rebuilt motor featuring high-compression pistons and an uprated big valve cylinder head, custom headers, and two side draft carbs. This is a honey of a powerplant and breathes the kind of performance into the Celica we all wish it had from the factory. Someone is getting a seriously cool car that looks slick and likely moves out with far more authority than it did when new.
Very tempting but…with the mods listed I think it doubtful the car will pass smog in California. A quick check shows it was passing through June 2020. I’m guessing the listed engine work was done sometime after that. On the other hand, the seller is a “licensed California dealer” so they are on the hook to provide a smog certificate if sold to a California resident. The ad is silent about this so, maybe worth a shot?
Probably shouldn’t and wouldn’t live in CA. Then you would have nothing to worry about
Shhh, let’s have all the Californians stay right where they’re at…
And… Let’s throw all the California haters into a deep dark hole. Maybe you’ll find DJT is there too!
Yeah that’s why so many people live there because it’s so terrible right?
Lots of people live in SE Asia/China too.
Your logic is flawed.
🤡
Gorgeous looking cars. Great stance. Rare lack of rust 🙌 Proper manual transmission, mild engine mods.
Is that the stock shft lever ?
My Mom had one of these back in the early 80’s. I was a youngster (obviously) and forgot some crayons in the back seat. Tucson, AZ, Summertime. If that car is still rolling around, I bet those melted crayons are still visible LOL.
Wouldn’t this car be exempt from smog cert.?
No, 1976 and younger cars are all subject to smog.
we have 2 of these @ the shop. One is rest0mod -complete- under hood only. We turboed it/2.7 as that’s easier to wrk toward our aims. Needs paint, 1/2 upolstry, rug, gas tank to be complete. Has been a very long, slo project as time allowed. Is primarily a st car that will go to drag occasionally.