Topic: 1990 Celica GT-S - The Hellica [Now with Trip Report!]

[seat safety switch]

Welcome to the future of what was once Japan's proudest luxury sports-ish-car.




Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Toyota anyway?
It is an obscure Japanese automaker that first rose to prominence by creating a pickup truck popular with ISIS and Jeremy Clarkson.

How do you pronounce Celica?
Let's ask Eddie Murphy:



Why did you buy it?
A friend is getting married, and his bachelor party is driving sub-$1000 cars to Tofino this summer, ideally in under a week.

Competitor cars are an SA22 RX-7 and an FB RX-7, neither of which have more power than this car, more torque than this car, nor can hold more lateral Gs. Despite this, these are true "sports cars" and the Celica is just a fancy Corolla Sprinter.

Sounds like you really like this car
That's not a question. A question is something like "Why did your parents have a kid even though they knew they were related before they were married?"

As a kid I always wanted an ST162 Celica. This is pretty close, it's an ST184. I'm willing to give up on a very small part of my childhood dream for an extra 15 ft-lb of torque and a variable-length intake that still works.

What's it got?
Power everything. Push-button climate control, "System 10" stereo system (complete with show-off badging), power windows, power locks, power lumbar support (drivers' side only), CD player (non functional), tape player (functional), R12 air conditioning (reportedly non functional), power antenna (broken off), and no stupid 4WS or leaky sunroof.

Is the interior nice?
You better believe it is. It's like I've died and gone to Bubble Era Interior Heaven.

How long has this thing been sitting?
Over a year. It has enough schmutz in it to start a community garden. When enthusiastically cornering a wodge of pine needles fell out and hit the car behind us.

How much did you pay for this car?
More than the Civic, but this has power lumbar support and a factory 10-speaker surround sound system with an enormous amplifier that still works.

It also has four functional tires and a suspension that doesn't slowly collapse into the floor of my garage when parked for more than an hour.

Costs are split between me and my codriver.

How many kilometers are on it?
If memory serves, under 250,000km.

What's wrong with it?

• Power antenna broken off
• Drivers' side brake light does not function, nor the running lights. Not so sure the passenger side running light is working OK. Third brake light is staggeringly bright.
• High-end System 10 stereo's CD player does not function, appears to have lost radio code since last fire (bad battery connection or vampire drain suspected). Lower (yes, there are two) LCD appears to have started leaking in the corners.
• Previous owner says it occasionally just doesn't start on its own and needs a jump, supporting previous conclusion of bad battery, bad connection or vampire drain.
• Passenger side door only latches if you give it a real punt
• Windshield is beyond pooched. Possibly original Toyota windshield based on badging, advanced stage of pitting/chipping
• Drivers' side window likes going down, doesn't like going back up
• Misc. missing trim, buttons
• Hatch struts collapsed, snow brush provided for safe use of copious hatch area
• Covered in organic detritus
• Fog light button was stuck on when purchased, fog lights non-functional
• Front clunk seems like swaybars
• One spot of damp on the valve cover gasket
• Struts are generously described as "present"
• Something's leaking coolant but not real fast
• Idealistically pulls to the left but doesn't take much effort to turn catastrophically right, like Rachel Notley
• Gear throw is a mile long, feels like two geriatrics pushing rope when you start really going to town on it
• Steering wheel, gear knob have terminal stage 'hand lotion wear'
• Power adjustable bolster/lumbar support is only available for the drivers' side seat which will make the passenger jealous during long drives
• Some rust
• Left rear wheel makes ungodly grinding noise when rolled, does not burn rust off of rotor when enthusiastically LFB'd for miles at highway speeds. Also that wheel is missing its centre cap. COINCIDENCE???
• Centre console is filthy, as are the front seats
• Spoiler too small
• Lacks hood scoop

Who killed Anne Dragsholm?
Sorry I don't speak Danish.

[jellynuts]

But that kid is your half-sister, right? 

[xrayvsn]

Excellent FAQ. I have nothing to add, other than to say that I owned a 1988 ST162 GT-S.

It spun a rod bearing. RIP.

[darthekai]

Is this a no-prep heads up type trip?

I recommend finding or making a tool to reach down inside your drivers side door and clamp onto the glass so you can pull it back up. In the past I have used a vise grip clamp with cloth glued to the teeth.

I would also recommend upgrading the spoiler.

Other than that, sounds to me like an easy win.

P. S. Hvem dræbte Anne Dragsholm?

[seat safety switch]

The drivers' power window will kinda roll about halfway and then you have to help it up with your hands. I think it just needs me to pop the clips and grease the tracks.

[Claw]

all-trac?

[seat safety switch]

Nope. All-Tracs are stupid unobtainable.

[Claw]

  I know of a certain JDM one here in town..  it's a beaut.

[seat safety switch]

Was it under $1000?

[RedndWhite]

I approve.

So did you also buy the Celica to drive while you work on the civic, which you bought do you could drive go fix the subaru?

And will you drive the subaru while you go through the cardboard to do list, or will you purchase a 4th car?

If the latter, I recommend an 90s Taurus SHO

[darthekai]

The drivers' power window will kinda roll about halfway and then you have to help it up with your hands. I think it just needs me to pop the clips and grease the tracks.

Or... Or... Hear me out...

You don't take the door apart and just wait until the window gets stuck inside the door. Then you spend hours on the side of the road in the rain trying to fish it out or 100s of km leaning into the passenger seat to avoid incoming drops.

... Its the Ekai way...

[Rathburn]

But, does it come in mens?

[seat safety switch]

Update: the engine bay contains a well hidden sticker indicating that the timing belt was changed in April 2000 at 90,000 km.

Sure hope it's inaccurate and has been changed since then, but a Gates timing belt kit is probably in my future. Luckily this is a slave-cam Toyota so I'll get to have DOHC power with the easy timing belt replacement of a single-slammer. I hope. Maybe?

I approve.

So did you also buy the Celica to drive while you work on the civic, which you bought do you could drive go fix the subaru?

My codriver is the one that registered, insured and stores it so it would be even less practical to drive me to work when the Civic and Subaru are both down for repairs.

And will you drive the subaru while you go through the cardboard to do list, or will you purchase a 4th car?

The Miata should come out of storage next month, maybe. But then the Miata might transform into another beater to drive while the other two beaters are down. Or I'll ask my wife to drive me to work

If the latter, I recommend an 90s Taurus SHO

Tried looking for those, had no dice under $1000.

Or... Or... Hear me out...

You don't take the door apart and just wait until the window gets stuck inside the door. Then you spend hours on the side of the road in the rain trying to fish it out or 100s of km leaning into the passenger seat to avoid incoming drops.

... Its the Ekai way...

Some lessons you learn the hard way. For me, I learned the lesson about power windows when I was young, hit the power window down switch and was greeted by the sound of broken glass.

But, does it come in mens?

Coming in men is your specialty, not mine.

[seat safety switch]

Pictures!

Daytime images!




LOTIOOOOONNN!!!!


DUST


Barf.


Jewel case holder!


For a broken CD player!


And a busted antenna!


Speakers!


Dusty.


Interior trunk cover trim is kinda broken.


Spare looks alright.


So Japan.




Light works.


:lol: gas struts.






Oh dear.


Yeesh.

[trevoroni]

Awesome.
Sounds like a great bachelor party in the making.
I suggest not doing anything prior to leaving other than changing fluids and then documenting the entire journey.
A 2,500km journey isn't really that far.

[seat safety switch]

Originally we were going to go up the Alcan and through Atigun Pass but the exchange rate put a damper on that. I'm still sort of in that mode.

Trust me, with the other drivers tooling around in an RX-7 I'll still be fixing things.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

What are you doing with it after?

[trevoroni]

Sounds like a hell of a bachelor party.
Mine consisted of a few hours at Airways and then the New Sarepta bar with a Dodge camper van load of friends/family.

[jellynuts]

Jewel case holder!

I thought Jewel only had like 3 albums, but wow was I wrong.  Also, holy smokes, she's 41 years old. 

What are you doing with it after? 

[seat safety switch]

What are you doing with it after?

Part of the rules (points system) are to sell it for a profit.

[seat safety switch]

My friends, it's a glorious day today in Alberta and the best way to celebrate a glorious day is to head to Pick N Pull and yank parts off beater Celicas in the rain. Shockingly both PNP yards had suitable cars, in blue, with blue interiors. This car is like some sort of good luck charm or something.

Got a new(er) steering wheel without hand lotion wear, uncracked tail lights, a battery tie-down, and miscellaneous little trim that annoyed me badly enough to replace it. This thing looks better by the minute:





After turning the car off to take this picture, it refused to start again (not even a relay click) and exhibited < 2V on the dashboard voltmeter until I let it sit for a few minutes, then it fired up immediately. Unsure what's going on there.

Also picked up a new sun visor for the Civic. No longer will aggressive acceleration have to wait for me to flip up the sun visor after shifts. I'll clean it up and post about how I cleaned it in the Civic thread, when I get around to it, I guess.

[bigdl]

Dang that body looks good for a 90's Toyota, how much rust is there?

[seat safety switch]

Dang that body looks good for a 90's Toyota, how much rust is there?

A couple dime sized chunks in the middle of body panels, a little bit of grossness in the rear drivers' side wheelwell but nowhere near as bad as most cars I've owned.

[seat safety switch]

Washed, but before windshield:



Holy balls on toast a windshield is pricey on this car. But worth it. Mostly because my codriver did it and paid for it. Thanks!

Resale value just doubled, boys. Make your offers at the window.

Also, first chunk of RockAuto parts arrived:

[jellynuts]

Wow, that exterior looks nothing like what the old steering wheel would have you believe.