Czech out my FIFTEENTH CAR!!!!
Discussion
The time has finally come to tell you what I think of my new car. Its my daily/weekend car/pride and joy and my FIFTEENTH CAR!
Going back to when I was on the hunt for my fifteenth car, I had considered the usual options like the Vauxhall Corsa C, Mk6 Ford Fiesta and Citroen C2 but found the all important insurance quotes higher than the more obscure and different cars. I even considered going down the classic route with a Porsche 924 but after a discussion with Adrian Flux, we decided that this was a monumentally s
te idea.
Having passed my test earlier in 1995 I was getting irritable. I wanted my fifteenth car but I also wanted my fifteenth car to be something in which you wouldn't normally associate a thirty seven year old with. The opportunity to get my fifteenth car finally appeared in the shape of a persuasive conversation with Mrs Monkey!
The Celica was not initially on my radar but I saw that a young PH'er got a little Celica as his first car and that prompted me to dig a bit deeper. When I learnt that Toyota would no longer be producing the Celica model it only seemed logical to buy my own pocket rocket to retain the honour.....and here it is; My 2003 Toyota Celica VVTi 140!
|http://thumbsnap.com/j0CpAMtH[/url]
Thoughts?
I have covered 400 miles in it and my initial thoughts are positive. It is a car that is often overlooked or mocked, due to the fact that it only has 140bhp. That is a shame because it shares many components with the VVTLi 190 of similar vintage. Having said that though, due to it being overlooked, you can pick up a tidier and well cared for example for not a lot of money which is a bonus.
As I mentioned earlier, my example is a 2003 Toyota Celica VVTi 140 which was specc’d by the previous (and only owner) in a lovely, rare resale silver – it brought a smile to my face when I found the name of the official colour but I am quite a nerd for those finer details. The actual colour is a pain to photograph but hides the scratches well. It now has 81,400 miles on it and it looks to have been serviced at only dodgy garages. Should I continue that trend? I believe (but happy to be corrected) that the VVTi was the st slow, all show and no go trim level because my example has electric windows and remote locking, which are things that have gone amiss on a colleagues bin lorry.
Now, onto the driving: Initial impressions are not bad. The steering has a nice weight to it but doesn’t give much feedback; I would imagine the Ford Fiesta would be better in that regard. In greasy/wet conditions I did experience a bit of understeer but it only happened on the budget brand tyres it came with. I have since changed the budget tyres for four, matching mid-range tyres and haven’t experienced anything similar yet.
Speed, that is what all thirty seven year olds seek in their fifteenth car, isn’t it? Well, if you care about speed, my little Celica wouldn’t be your first choice if I am honest. As you look around at the rivals, they are some that will be faster off the line….but my Celica isn’t bad. It can be gear dependant and the strength is the acceleration from 30mph. When I say gear dependant, it notices if you are carrying extra passengers in the back and you have to be aware of hills if you haven’t got the momentum. The latter becomes more of a problem because I drive around Govan and other stty places daily. You soon get used to it and use the gears accordingly. Planning ahead and keeping momentum is key and rewards you with a good feeling when you get it right.
How does it cope on the motorway? I am pleased to say that it will cruise at motorway and Audi speeds with ease. I just resort to a 65mph cruise so I can listen to the radio/iPod, without the drone of the road/tyres interrupting. I would like cruise control but it isn’t essential. The seats are comfortable and after a run to the Burger King, I was fine and didn’t feel like I had done a 250 mile round trip.
I hesitated talking about economy because it isn’t a fun topic and something that I have yet to work out because in these past two months, I rarely look at the price of petrol let alone working out the economy. I always try to fill up with cheap petrol; sometimes just asking Council Baby to piss in the tank, and I filled the tank yesterday and will do the calculations when it is empty mainly out of curiosity but also to help any potential future owners reading this. If you fill up with Jakey’s urine and own a Celica, prepare for some strange looks from other drivers.
My future plans are purely cosmetic and will be keeping this thread (aling with the Blog feature in My Garage) updated with any utterly inane changes throughout my ownership. Nothing major, just subtle things here and there, designed to completely crush your soul.
Thank you for reading.
Going back to when I was on the hunt for my fifteenth car, I had considered the usual options like the Vauxhall Corsa C, Mk6 Ford Fiesta and Citroen C2 but found the all important insurance quotes higher than the more obscure and different cars. I even considered going down the classic route with a Porsche 924 but after a discussion with Adrian Flux, we decided that this was a monumentally s
te idea. Having passed my test earlier in 1995 I was getting irritable. I wanted my fifteenth car but I also wanted my fifteenth car to be something in which you wouldn't normally associate a thirty seven year old with. The opportunity to get my fifteenth car finally appeared in the shape of a persuasive conversation with Mrs Monkey!
The Celica was not initially on my radar but I saw that a young PH'er got a little Celica as his first car and that prompted me to dig a bit deeper. When I learnt that Toyota would no longer be producing the Celica model it only seemed logical to buy my own pocket rocket to retain the honour.....and here it is; My 2003 Toyota Celica VVTi 140!
|http://thumbsnap.com/j0CpAMtH[/url]Thoughts?
I have covered 400 miles in it and my initial thoughts are positive. It is a car that is often overlooked or mocked, due to the fact that it only has 140bhp. That is a shame because it shares many components with the VVTLi 190 of similar vintage. Having said that though, due to it being overlooked, you can pick up a tidier and well cared for example for not a lot of money which is a bonus.
As I mentioned earlier, my example is a 2003 Toyota Celica VVTi 140 which was specc’d by the previous (and only owner) in a lovely, rare resale silver – it brought a smile to my face when I found the name of the official colour but I am quite a nerd for those finer details. The actual colour is a pain to photograph but hides the scratches well. It now has 81,400 miles on it and it looks to have been serviced at only dodgy garages. Should I continue that trend? I believe (but happy to be corrected) that the VVTi was the s
t slow, all show and no go trim level because my example has electric windows and remote locking, which are things that have gone amiss on a colleagues bin lorry.Now, onto the driving: Initial impressions are not bad. The steering has a nice weight to it but doesn’t give much feedback; I would imagine the Ford Fiesta would be better in that regard. In greasy/wet conditions I did experience a bit of understeer but it only happened on the budget brand tyres it came with. I have since changed the budget tyres for four, matching mid-range tyres and haven’t experienced anything similar yet.
Speed, that is what all thirty seven year olds seek in their fifteenth car, isn’t it? Well, if you care about speed, my little Celica wouldn’t be your first choice if I am honest. As you look around at the rivals, they are some that will be faster off the line….but my Celica isn’t bad. It can be gear dependant and the strength is the acceleration from 30mph. When I say gear dependant, it notices if you are carrying extra passengers in the back and you have to be aware of hills if you haven’t got the momentum. The latter becomes more of a problem because I drive around Govan and other s
tty places daily. You soon get used to it and use the gears accordingly. Planning ahead and keeping momentum is key and rewards you with a good feeling when you get it right.How does it cope on the motorway? I am pleased to say that it will cruise at motorway and Audi speeds with ease. I just resort to a 65mph cruise so I can listen to the radio/iPod, without the drone of the road/tyres interrupting. I would like cruise control but it isn’t essential. The seats are comfortable and after a run to the Burger King, I was fine and didn’t feel like I had done a 250 mile round trip.
I hesitated talking about economy because it isn’t a fun topic and something that I have yet to work out because in these past two months, I rarely look at the price of petrol let alone working out the economy. I always try to fill up with cheap petrol; sometimes just asking Council Baby to piss in the tank, and I filled the tank yesterday and will do the calculations when it is empty mainly out of curiosity but also to help any potential future owners reading this. If you fill up with Jakey’s urine and own a Celica, prepare for some strange looks from other drivers.
My future plans are purely cosmetic and will be keeping this thread (aling with the Blog feature in My Garage) updated with any utterly inane changes throughout my ownership. Nothing major, just subtle things here and there, designed to completely crush your soul.
Thank you for reading.
Edited by Chunkymonkey71 on Friday 15th May 18:57
I plan to modify it next week by having a puncture repaired. I intend to take at least 10 pictures of a dodgy looking man in a tracksuit removing the tyre; then instagramming the st out of them!
Wait till I change the wipers too! That'll be a three page write up and I'll send a copy directly to Ron Dennis incase he needs the advice! The only way is Bosch!
t out of them!Wait till I change the wipers too! That'll be a three page write up and I'll send a copy directly to Ron Dennis incase he needs the advice! The only way is Bosch!
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