Is Toyota Celica 1.8 vvti 190bhp any good?

[Cliopetrolhead]

hello i am thinking to buy the celica 1.8 vvti 190bhp version i was wondering if they are any good? also i want to get more power with turbo or supercharge if its worth it. Also can i do like a 2.0 engine conversion from the old celicas?

[catman]

Hi, my Son had one. It was a good car. Reliable, good handling and fun when the revs went above 5500!

Tim

[jason61c]

Cliopetrolhead said:

hello i am thinking to buy the celica 1.8 vvti 190bhp version i was wondering if they are any good? also i want to get more power with turbo or supercharge if its worth it. Also can i do like a 2.0 engine conversion from the old celicas?

have you actually looked into the engine at all? the 1.8 vvti is much better than the older engines.

[Drive Blind]

the silly gearbox ratios let the car down imo

[Andy665]

Had one as a daily driver for 12 months to replace a Clio 182. In every respect the Celica was better, the engine is a gem and much more reliable than the 140bhp version.

Mine had done 112k when I bought it but the whole car still felt very fresh and in the 12 months it cost me nothing - one of the few cars I regret selling

[Buff Mchugelarge]

A good friend of mine had one and loved it. I was quite tempted myself tbh, good looks and they handle really well too not bad on fuel either.
The VVTLi makes Vtec feel limp too

[Fattyfat]

I've just picked up a very tatty non running 190 Celica for a couple of hundred quid. I think it'll be a riot once its going (fingers crossed!)

Engine could get dropped in a MR2 at some point if all goes well

[Jack_R]

I've had one for a few months now. Fantastic engine, really sings once you hit lift. Chassis is a little harsh on long journeys IMO but day to day it's perfect, and apparently one of the best fwd chassis of that era. I moved from a Clio expecting it to be far more impractical but I was pleasantly surprised, have a look a geraintthomas's thread on his in reader's cars, well worth a read. AFAIK the 190 engine doesn't respond hugely well to FI due to the high compression ratio, but plenty of people over at celica-club have supercharged the 140 with great results. Make sure you have a good look at the subframes and behind the side skirts if possible as they're prone to rust, but apart from that they're pretty bulletproof The pre-facelift 190's did have a small issue with the lift bolts that caused the valve lift to not function correctly, but luckily it's a pretty inexpensive repair if you catch it early. The 140's had an issue with the oil system IIRC but it only affected the pre-facelifts again. Fuel economy wise I average low 30's and they do respond fairly well to 98/99 octane, though not essential.

[lee_erm]

I can echo the comments with regards to the engine, it's a total peach. It reminds me of the VVC K-series (which is a good thing).

The chassis is a good too.

[Ryan_T]

Can only speak about the engine as it's in my 111R Elise, but it's properly manic on the high lift cam. Only issue is keeping it there between gear changes.

[IntriguedUser]

I have a Corolla T-sport with the same engine and gearbox so I'll add some input.

Engine loves to rev, high lift cam kicks in at 6200rpm redline at 8200rpm. Gear ratios and cam changeover aren't matched as best as they could be meaning if your not giving it 10/10ths you'll fall out of lift.

Engine sump is unbaffled so if planning to track an upgraded Moroso oil pan is recommended (£400) or alternatively a 1zz sump fits which has baffles but you have to cut a small part of the baffle off to accommodate the 2zz pick up.

I can't comment on the chassis as I haven't driven the Celica only the Corolla, I'd recommend the car based on just the engine, it's addictive!

Plenty of spares for the engine and gearbox, SJ Autosport in Birmingham have a ton of everything 2zzge related.