When the seventh-gen T230 Celica came out in 1999, it caused quite a stir. From a long way away the styling had a distinct whiff of Ferrari about it.
Now there's the more fustian aroma of Shed about it.
There aren't many Mk 7s about in this sort of condition at this sort of money. In fact, while reaching for the WW2 Army helmet that he also uses for oil changes, Shed thinks it might be this model's debut appearance here.
Ensure the exhaust isn't as dark as those tints!
Ah yes, oil. Let's talk about that. There was a Celica facelift for 2003, before which they were somewhat known for their oval pistons. Toyota reckoned a litre of oil every thousand miles was not beyond tolerance.
This car is from 2002, so be prepared to keep a regular eye on that dipstick. The tailpipe is unfortunately not visible in the ad, but ideally it needs to be on the grey side of black. Some folk actually quite like a car that uses oil, as it means you're effectively changing it all the time. It's a useful excuse anyway.
This one is a 140hp model. If you want more power, there's a 190hp version. Diving straight into one of them would be a lot more cost-effective than trying to induct/exhaust your way up there from a 140. You can supercharge the 190s to 215hp, as Toyota itself did in its rare and dangerously alluring Corolla T-Sport Compressor, but that would be a very expensive aftermarket route.
Makes a cave look airy, doesn't it?
For daily driving the 140 will be fine as long as you're happy to keep your foot in and the revs up. Peak power isn't until 6,400rpm, just 900rpm short of the redline. The 190 is even more of a screamer, generating peak torque at 6,800rpm and maximum power at 7,800rpm, at which point only old Labradors can hear it. Running these VVTIs on posh petrol will hone the driving experience to an even sharper point, but they're not especially relaxing or sonorous engines up high, not compared to VTECs anyway.
The mileage on this car is quite high at 147,000 but the engine has no known difficulty in racking up the numbers and should be easily good for 200K+. With 40mpg attainable and 35mpg a perfectly reasonable target average, this could be a cheap, fun car for the foreseeable future. The handling is tidy enough for a front-driver, the steering sharp, and the boot makes the third-gen MR2's sandwich-holder look a bit daft..
Your man's Premium pack with leather, roof and climate is desirable. Shed can't remember if the leather seats are different to the cloth ones in terms of their shape and construction. He hopes that they are, because the cloth car he ran for a while played merry hell with his poor old lower back.
Vendor is selling Celica to run a taxi. Poor guy
Anything else to look out for? Well, after the fashion of many Asian cars of this vintage, the alarm plays up. If a seller locks the car manually with the key instead of the remote, be suspicious. The acid test is to set the alarm with the fob and wait. Make sure you have lots of conversation topics ready because the recommended waiting period is 30 minutes. If it goes off at that point, you have a problem. Or rather the vendor does because you'll be walking off, as indeed you should be if the gearchange seems at all reluctant to go into second off the top of first.
Corrosion blights wheels, hubs and brakes. Have a grovel about underneath generally because they're not that durable there. Tailgate struts fail, but squeaky tensioner pulleys should have been sorted out on a factory recall, along with the faulty fuel filler pipe.
Toyota is good at recalls. Shed never understands why people bleat about Toyota recalls whenever they make the news. The real news is why other manufacturers do so few recalls, if any. Is it because their cars are perfect? Shed thinks not. Good on you Mr. Toyoda.
Selling my car as need a saloon for doing taxi otherwise I would not sell. Very reliable car has never let me down for the 3 years I have owned it, mechanically excellent and still has many miles left has been looked after and serviced regularly no noises or knocks runs smoothly, body and paint in great condition considering age and still a smart looking car that gets attention. Not expensive to run has a decent fuel return, first one to see will buy. Everything is standard on the vehicle it is a premium sport pack I believe with all original Celica parts including wheels and mats only modification is windows been tinted which are within the legal limit.
3 Door Coupe, Silver, Petrol, Manual, Trip computer, Side airbags, Passenger airbag, Heated door mirrors, Steering wheel rake adjustment. 10 months MOT, 3 months road tax, excellent condition, leather interior, sun roof, electric windows and mirrors, air conditioning, climate control, 17" alloy wheels with locking wheel nuts, power steering, ABS braking system, alarm, central locking, spare wheel, led lights, aero wipers, standard Sony stereo with cd and cassette player, large boot.
Recently had oil changed, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs, alternator belt, rear tyres, new brake pads all around and new wiper blades.
Not interested in part exchange and no time wasters serious buyers only! Ring 07534128991. £900