RE: Toyota Celica GT-Four: Spotted

[twoblacklines]

danllama said:

Yes I've died many times in all 4 of my mr2's.

Who mentioned deaths? Maybe you hurt someone, or maybe you broke something inside you, or maybe you just wrote the car off.

[mikey P 500]

Liked my old one, simple turning up the boost get them to 300 fly bhp which is enough to make them fairly quick.
Mine below at track at Bedford autodrome.



The main issue why they were not more popular was the mr2 (even better car with same engine).

[Skyedriver]

Just spotted this one coming up at auction
http://www.mathewsons.co.uk/vehicle-auction-catalo...

[BricktopST205]

redrook said:

Fair enough if you like the Celica, but I've never liked the way it looked. It's just too mild and unthreatening.

An ST205 with its period correct rear wing looks anything but nonthreatening with that bulging hood and flared arches.

Had mine going on 5 years now. 330-350 ish BHP with a forged engine planned this year. 8J wheels with 235 AD08R all around and it sticks to the road like glue. Took it down to Goodwood last summer and was really surprised by the amount of comments it got. One of the lads even let me through the road block because he had played with it on Sega Rally as a kid

Unfortunately this is how mine sits at the moment. Roll on the good weather!



It is a travesty that these are not worth the same as their contemporaries. Peel away the shell of an Escos and it looks like a victorian pram technology wise compared to the ST205. I shouldn't complain though as if ST205 prices were sky high I wouldn't have the opportunity to own such a fantastic car.

Edited by BricktopST205 on Thursday 2nd February 22:40

[AdamIndy]

SonicShadow said:

Ouch! I know someone on IMOC who had a rear tie rod snap. Scary stuff.

As you're alive hopefully any injuries weren't too serious... hate the thought of a mechanical failure sending me into some road furniture and there being nothing I can do to stop it

The same thing may have happened to me, I'm not really sure. Drivers side rear wheel was poking outwards when I got out of the car, not sure if that was the cause of the accident or because of it. I never looked underneath after to see what was what as the rear corner of the car was wrecked. Just a lot of WTF just happened going through my mind!

I remember the feeling like it was yesterday, it felt like the rear steered all by itself while hitting ice at the same time, all in a split second. Very strange. I was doing about 50mph at the time. There was no way I could catch it, even if I could have, I doubt it would have made much difference. The one thing that did scare me was even at "only" 50mph, the car travelled a long way while out of control. Much further than I thought I might. Mostly backwards just waiting to hit something!

I was absolutely fine thanks, not a mark on me. The car was a mess and subsequently written off. Pity really as that car was brutally quick. Epic little thing. They are seriously under rated.

[DaveCWK]

Although still cheap compared with the competition, they have been slowly edging up in price like most interesting stuff from the 90's.

I paid circa £1600 for mine a few years back, and have enjoyed nearly 70k trouble free miles. Keep on top of the servicing/maintenance & you get to enjoy that legendary Toyota durability in a 4wd turbo coupe rally rep package! I may look at overhauling the bodywork this year as it has suffered a bit with daily use.

[coldel]

I love mine so much I built a website for it haha http://celicast205.strikingly.com/ [inserts shameless plug] - Interior is next on the list to fettle with, get the plastics covered in something softer!

Still resisting putting an EBC in, too worried I will hurt my precious engine haha

But yes the prices are creeping up, moreso for the stock ones, as it usually is for any car. Glad people overlook them though, means I never see another on the road, yet £5k gives you a well sorted 250bhp 4WD 90s rally car, lovely!

[ollygt4]

My Celica GT4 185 was huge fun. It had a simpler (cheaper) suspension setup than the 205. But still never ran out of grip and was stupidly fast with a couple of upgrades. Mine had an ECU upgrade, boost set to 14 PSI and a front mount intercooler and was pushing our 300+ BHP

[Dave Hedgehog]

mikey P 500 said:

The main issue why they were not more popular was the mr2 (even better car with same engine).

nonsense, the MR2 was never available with the turbo in the UK, the UK MR2s wouldn't see which way a GT4 went

the biggest problem the GT4 had was the lancia integrale which thrashed it in every review, the reality of course was as a daily driver the GT4 pummeled the lancia into dust. I rejected my integrale after 6 months because it spent most of its time not working. the 3 GT4's i had all took the 30k a year i was doing with out a single issue.

the GT4 was also expensive, over 30k with leather if i remember correctly

[rallycross]

These cars are currently way undervalued, saw a very tidy GT4 st185 sell recently for £2300.

I much prefer the shape of the original Gt-4, a very rare car now due to them selling very few in the UK and the rust getting into them.



In rally flavour

[RobM77]

I owned a Carlos Sainz as my second car in my early twenties Great machine. Very expensive to run though, and I have to admit I preferred the mk1 MR2 that I replaced it with.

[J4CKO]

Dave Hedgehog said:

mikey P 500 said:

The main issue why they were not more popular was the mr2 (even better car with same engine).

nonsense, the MR2 was never available with the turbo in the UK, the UK MR2s wouldn't see which way a GT4 went

the biggest problem the GT4 had was the lancia integrale which thrashed it in every review, the reality of course was as a daily driver the GT4 pummeled the lancia into dust. I rejected my integrale after 6 months because it spent most of its time not working. the 3 GT4's i had all took the 30k a year i was doing with out a single issue.

the GT4 was also expensive, over 30k with leather if i remember correctly

Yeah, remember being on a paintball day and a youngish lad turned up in one when they were new, very jealous, I had a Montego at the time !

There was a black one on a drift day at Oulton Park when we were there once, wonder if its anyone on here ? anyway it looked fantastic, proper Sega Rally style drifts with the exhaust popping and banging, some things stick in your mind.

Always on my radar but this thread has just talked prices up by 2 grand all on its own !

[SonicShadow]

twoblacklines said:

danllama said:

Yes I've died many times in all 4 of my mr2's.

Who mentioned deaths? Maybe you hurt someone, or maybe you broke something inside you, or maybe you just wrote the car off.

We were both taking the piss because the 'horror stories' are vastly overplayed. 'Snap oversteer' is the product of the hamfisted sack of meat in the drivers seat or worn / incorrectly set up suspension. The only time I've experienced uncontrollable oversteer was when my rear camber was set incorrectly. I had ~2 degrees front, ~ 0.8 degrees rear. This was because I had swapped out the rear subframe and ARB and hadn't set it correctly. With camber set to 2 degrees all round with the same toe settings it was like a completely different car.

With incorrect camber - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhlDLO-fuqU

With correct camber - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfti91zDxlE - ran out of brakes on this one, so found myself unable to slow enough for the right hand corner. Glad there's lots of run off at Snetterton!

[coldel]

Dave Hedgehog said:

nonsense, the MR2 was never available with the turbo in the UK, the UK MR2s wouldn't see which way a GT4 went

the biggest problem the GT4 had was the lancia integrale which thrashed it in every review, the reality of course was as a daily driver the GT4 pummeled the lancia into dust. I rejected my integrale after 6 months because it spent most of its time not working. the 3 GT4's i had all took the 30k a year i was doing with out a single issue.

the GT4 was also expensive, over 30k with leather if i remember correctly

Yep, £30k vs a £25k Cossie. In today's money that's just short of a £60k car hence why so few sold. Everyone was going Ford mad at the time as well so no surprise the Cossies outsold so much.

And like anything, its styling is so niche, really different to the box styling that was knocking around at the time. It suited a few, offended the many!

[Woody928]

SonicShadow said:

danllama said:

twoblacklines said:

I was thinking of getting an mr2 for summer but all the horror stories put me off (snap oversteer) the turbo version.

Yes I've died many times in all 4 of my mr2's.

Can confirm, am also dead, twice.

Lol good to see all the usual faces get around, especially when 90's Toyota's are mentioned.

Ignore the horror stories twoblacklines, I've had MR2's for 4 years and also not died... Yet! ;-) If the car is well setup and the driver knows how to drive a mid-engined car you'll be fine, its all the tools who think they're F1 drivers and push them too far and can't handle the car. I'll guarantee over 99% of the time it won't be the car that causes the accident ;-D

Both great cars of their time and massively under-rated.

[wjb]

Had two of these back in the day, rare to see them on the road now.






They were cheap to buy (paid £1850 for the silver one) but cost a few quid to run, as to be expected.

Will always have a soft spot for them.

[stewpot01]

ST185 for me, and cheaper to buy than the annual maintainence of an Integrale

[J4CKO]

stewpot01 said:

ST185 for me, and cheaper to buy than the annual maintainence of an Integrale

Did you have to ?

God I want one now !

[Mr E]

My (red) st205 was well sorted and very much looked after.

I won't tell you what I sold it for 6 years ago. It'll depress me.

[Iceicebaby1980]

Here's mine will be doing it up a bit at a time. Getting wax oiled and under sealed new wheels. Link ecu then maybe a forged engine