favorite Celica Generation

[JDM-GTFour]

I thought you might know its history due to its rarity and your patrticipation in many forums... but I have now discovered it was from QLD.. and now will be registered in NSW near me.. mystery solved... :)

[Hiro]

They're rare but its not like there were only half a dozen ever imported, so history on a specific car is a bit of a stretch to ask for :P

[ST204R]

Gotta be the 6th gen for me. I'm a sucker for twin headlights. And they drive pretty well after you drop a V6 into them!

Edited May 22, 2014 by ST204R

[ttwv8]

what about the 5th? i just think they got it right with the 5th just the looks are amazing the pop up headlights whatever happend to pop up headlights? were they just a fashion thing?

The pop up headlights were horrible for pedestrian safety, but look incredibly cool ! In many cases (mostly in the USA) they were implemented in cars like the 86 for keeping up the headlights. I know it may sound weird but the americans had some strict regulations about the headlight height. Toyota didn't want to raise the car so they installed pop up headlights to the USDM version to keep the car as low as possible ! That's why Celicas with pop-up headlights are my favorites, its a shame Toyota doesn't do this any more for its customers to preserve the "driver's car".

[steveh3167]

For me it is the first generation with the flat rear lights.

I loved it's shape and style.

I admit to a strong bias though as it was my first ever car, albeit second-hand.

It was a standard LT, 5 speed manual, Scandinavian Blue with white interior. Dual stripes down to the doors with LT lettering.

I remember that my dad loaned me the money which I think was $2800, in 1974. I've never forgotten that he wanted me to buy a purple Renault 12 he had seen!

I loved it and had it until 1978 I think. I needed to buy a larger car as my parents bought me a Pyrenean Mountain dog for my 21st and things got a bit tight for her on the rear seat.

When they asked me what I wanted for my 21st I said a new front bumper as the one fitted had received a knock at some stage and had been straightened, not particularly well, and it always used to bug me. I guess you can imagine their response and the dog was a surprise. Apparently, I saw one on a Cruft's show and said I liked them.

I have recently started looking around for a neglected one to bring back to a life it deserves, but look's like I have left my run far too late.

No comments please about regretting letting go the one I had. Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing!

Thanks for reading - it was good to get this down.

Cheers,

Steve

[JeroH]

My favourite is ST16x but I love the RA28's mmmmhmmmm

My crappy old ST162 loved her to bits and had to get rid of her

[Rattle Rattleson]

For me it is a first generation TA22 with the 2T-G DOHC engine (which unfortunately was not available en mass in Australia). It has a beautifully proportioned body and I consider it one of the most aesthetically appealing cars ever built. Plus that 2T-G engine was a gem and provided the car with an excellent power to weight ratio for the era. My dream would be to do a nut and bolt restoration on one with no expense spared, but this will have to remain a dream unless I win Lotto.

But I have an equal soft spot for the first front wheel drive version - the ST162 series. Probably because it came out a couple of years after I learned to drive and I was excessively car nutty at the time. I could not get enough of the car magazines and I used to go driving around to perv at all the new cars in the Sydney area car yards on Saturday nights. Cars such as the ST162 were more or less my dream car (I owned a base model AE80 1.3 litre Corolla at the time). Plus, at least for Australian buyers, the ST162 Celica - along with the Corolla Twin Cam, Supra and MR2 heralded the first time an ordinary buyer could enter an Australian Toyota showroom and actually purchase a "performance" Toyota vehicle with a DOHC 4 valve engine. We might consider all this stuff old school now, but back in around 1986 it was all cutting edge stuff, with these engines delivering specific power outputs that only exotic turbocharged cars had previously achieved. My eyes were opened to these new generation Toyota engines when my uncle bought the Twin Cam Seca in 1987. I was mightily impressed as it was my first taste of a decent power to weight ratio, a high revving engine and the smoothness of fuel injection. I remember thinking that if my uncle's Corolla felt that good, just imagine what the Celica would be like with that extra 17 kW (86 versus 103 at a time when my own car had 49!).

[Si93]

Hi I am a newbie member and not sure what / how to post.

Now driving 2004 Rav 4 Cruiser one of the best cars I have Owned.

I had a 93 Celica GT Four sadly no more but I do have some terrific bits that have been in my garage for last 5 years and they could help someone out.

Cheers

Si93

[MikeGrpA]

I admit I may be a little biased, but the 185s are my favourite. Also really like the 205s and the ta20s and ra20s.

Edited January 20, 2015 by MikeGrpA

[zrb]

185 group a have the sexiest front ends.

[GirlCelicaFan]

I own a 5th and 7th Gen. Would have to say 7th Gen for me :)

[BONAZOO]

must be 5 Gen the body is so

Smooooooooooth !!!!