Time Warp Notchback: 1983 Toyota Celica GT

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This is a third-generation Toyota Celica, otherwise known by its chassis code as an A60 car. The seller is Cherokee Auto Group, which tends to dig up some incredible survivors from the great state of Georgia. This  Celica is not only rare for being a spotless survivor from the era when Toyota was still making rear wheel drive sports coupes, but also because it’s the notchback body style which shows up even less frequently than the hatchback. The paintwork appears to be in excellent condition with not a spec of rust to contend with, and it’s listed here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $11,890.

The seller notes this was a one owner example up until this year, with a coupe buying it new from the Toyota dealer in Marietta. The bodywork really is a treat, as many of these rotted out around the fenders and lower sills if they were exposed to the road salt up north. The Toyota is completely stock, riding on factory alloy wheels and retaining an OEM-style muffler. There’s no signs of modifications, and I can’t remember ever seeing one with a half-vinyl roof. That screams dealer add-on to me, and something the retiree set of the era would find perfectly normal, even on a sporty Japanese coupe.

The interior remains in outstanding shape, with perfect cloth buckets and all factory equipment still in place and working, from the Toyota radio headunit to the functional air conditioning. The fact that these bucket seats still look this good is nothing short of remarkable, and the original owners had to have been in good shape for their to be next to no bolster wear despite racking up 154,000 original miles. The Toyota will come with all of its original owner’s manuals, bill of sale, factory jack and tools, and more. If you have any concerns about cargo capacity, the rear seat does fold down.

Despite its athletic appearance and rear wheel drive, the Celicas of this era made do with a fairly rudimentary engine. The 22-RE inline-four will never win any stoplight races, but paired with the five-speed manual it will feel fairly light on its feet. The seller reports that the engine runs well despite the mileage, and while no actual mechanical history is reported, one would have to assume that for this kind of mileage and for being in the hands of clearly detail-oriented owners, that the various belt and fluid changes were proactively addressed. This seller tends to sniff out the best versions of ordinary cars that have been made incredibly rare given how few of these 80s commuters survive in this sort of shape today.

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Comments

  1. RoughDiamond

    Stunning and IMO worth every penny! I’m with you Jeff, I don’t recall ever seeing a partial vinyl roof on this body style of Toyota Celica before either. I don’t know how they find them, my guess is mostly through trades, however, the Cherokee Auto Group always features some super clean and way above average vehicles based on the model years.

    Like 6
  2. Bob C.

    I worked at a Toyota dealership in 1981 when this generation was arriving for 82. I always liked them. To me, they were the Japanese Mustang.

    Like 4
  3. JCAMember

    My friend had one in a hatchback which I think looks better than the notchback. I drove it a few times, under-powered but a solid little car that was easy on gas.

    Like 3
  4. mrgreenjeans mrgreenjeans

    A dear friend had one she bought new; traded in her ‘twin-stick’ Dodge Colt on it. Hers was white with grey steel wheels, five speed, and a darker blue interior. No halo roof treatment on the notch. An ST model, not a GT. It was a cool little car and I do not believe it ever gave a bit of trouble.

    The silver beauty shown here is really a great survivor. I have to really applaud the owners for keeping things fresh yet preserved. If it was me owning it, that little dude would never be sold or traded. 154,000 miles is barely broken in for a Toyota ……

    Like 4
    • BhoweMember

      As the owner of several older toyotas, 154000 miles may be barely broken in mechanically, the really astonishing part is the survival of the interior components and bodywork. The fabric quality used in upholstery and plastics used by Toyotas in this era were of very very poor quality and didn’t last long. What’s rare and a nice surprise is that the interior is still there. It’s also apparent that this vehicle never suffered exposure to winter roads and salt or there would be nothing left. It’s a good thing I haven’t figured out how Cherokee finds all these survivors or I’d have even more of them than I already do.

      Nice find!

      Like 0
  5. old beach guy

    My wife had this car’s twin when we met. The half vinyl tops were installed by an aftermarket company stateside. The problem is the strip going across the roof was put on will double faced tape. I had to reattach it a couple times. Other than that, great little car.

    Like 3
  6. t-bone BOB

    Item location:
    Canton, Georgia,

    Like 0
  7. t-bone BOB

    Item location:
    Laguna Beach, California

    Like 0
  8. mtshootist

    My second wife owned one of these, same color, but no vinyl top. I don’t know what she ever did with it. It disappeared about the same time she did. It was a decent car, and we took it for some long trips. Saw this picture, and it gave me the shivers down my spine, just like she did. (not in a good way)

    Like 5
    • MrBZ

      Sounds a lot like my 2nd wife!

      Like 0
  9. DON

    The seller states he believes the paint is original, but under the hood its clearly white and you can see where the sliver overspray meets the white paint.. Still a nice looking car, but maybe warrants a good look over before buying it.
    I worked at a Toyota dealership in the early 80s and I remember reading that these were designed to be like the Mustang. Sporty, and enough power to make it a fun driver. Like the Mustang, they even came in coupe and fastback, of course in the 80s it was a hatch instead of a trunk.

    Like 1
  10. PRA4SNW

    I would have bet that this one would have an automatic, based on the condition (it always seems that way, at least).

    Having the manual is a real treat.

    Like 2
  11. t-bone BOB

    Ended: Jul 01, 2021

    Like 0

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