Input on a potential Toyota Celica purchase

[DBentley415]

I'm on the road to buying the car I've wanted for over 4 years: A 2000-2005 Toyota Celica! I found a 2000 for sale about 10 minutes from where I live, but don't want to rush into a decision. If any of you have owned a Celica before and/or have any input, it would be much appreciated. I plan on trying to sell my own car soon (a sexy 1999 Saturn SL2 :P), get a pre-purchase inspection done on this one by a mechanic, and hopefully everything works out so I can buy it. Here is some info about the car:

2000 Toyota Celica GTS
Manual Transmission (6-speed)
AEM Intake (brand new) and an Invidia exhaust system (brand new) both about 8 months old
new brake calipers and rotors on the rear wheels along with new brake pads
~150,000 miles
new clutch within the last year
*All work done by a certified mechanic

I've been told these cars have a tendency to burn oil, but he says he hasn't had a problem with it.

He is asking $5500-6000. KBB.com says it is worth $4800 in very good condition, but he says the mods and new stuff he has put on it add value. Also, these cars are relatively hard to find unless I want to travel to pick it up, especially because I want one in manual, so the demand adds value.

As a girl, I know I'm liable to get screwed over on a car, which is why i'm definitely not going to rush into anything. Thanks for your help!

[Jiggles]

Mods don't add value, if you feel its in very good condition, offer him $4800. Nobody buys an exhaust system expecting to sell the car 8 months later. He needs to get rid of it, take advantage of that

[Jono]

I wouldn't pay more than $5000 for it.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Nobody buys an exhaust system expecting to sell the car 8 months later. He needs to get rid of it, take advantage of that

He's 18 and moving off to college in the Fall so he does need to get rid of it, eventually. It is weird that he would drop $ on mods less than a year before he wanted to get rid of it...

[Jiggles]

Tell him you don't care for the mods, he can keep them if he wants (tell him to switch it back to stock) and that you will give him $4800 if it is in very good condition

[greg737]

I've been told these cars have a tendency to burn oil, but he says he hasn't had a problem with it.

A better way of putting it would be: Toyota engines, both their 4 and 6 cylinder engines, don't do well when you ignore the oil. If the car has never been allowed to go too long between oil changes it'll be perfect. My neighbor has a white 2000 GTS that has insane milage on it (somewhere above 250,000 mostly highway miles) and it's a great car.

[Xoulrath]

That's the VVTL-i engine and it works exactly the same way as Honda's VTEC system. In basic terms, it makes more HP up top for drivin' it like ya stole it without being a slug when you wanna granny drive it for mileage.

As Greg said, you need to make sure the oil was changed on a regular basis, and you need to see if you can find out how much oil it burned and whether or not the owner topped it off regularly. Most people don't check the oil level in their vehicle, so him saying he hasn't had a problem with it doesn't mean anything.

You need to engage him in a casual conversation about the car. Ask him who did the mods. They are very easy and any person who can competently turn a wrench could do them without a problem. It may mean, but doesn't guarantee, that he changed the oil on a regular schedule.

Look up how VVTL-i and VTEC work. There are tons of resources on how these engines work. Educate yourself on it, if for no other reason than to show you have knowledge about the car. Engage the young man in a conversation about it. If he knows how the engines work that is a reasonable sign that he is a "car guy" and not a kid looking for a sporty car to make himself look cool to the ladies.

As far as that inspection goes, you should probably make sure you bring a friend who is somewhat knowledgeable before you pay for the inspection. Check the tires for wear, are they the same brand front and rear? Same size? Check the brake pads. Check all the fluids on site: oil level, coolant, brake fluid. If anything is low, it could be a sign of neglect. Make sure you get to see a copy of the receipt for the clutch, brakes and rotors so you can confirm they have been replaced.

I could go on, but honestly, if the oil has been changed regularly and it's full when you check the level on site, then the car will probably last for another 100,000 miles or more. As others have stated, the mods don't add value. If KBB says $4800 for the car, then offer him no more than $5000. He needs to sell so you have the advantage.

[Boom King]

Originally Posted by DBentley415

He's 18 and moving off to college in the Fall so he does need to get rid of it, eventually. It is weird that he would drop $ on mods less than a year before he wanted to get rid of it...

It's not that weird. 18 year old kid bought a car popular with the tuner crowd. If he was concerned about buying an economical commuter vehicle and saving for college, he would've bought an old Toyota Echo.

[blackR]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Mods don't add value, if you feel its in very good condition, offer him $4800. Nobody buys an exhaust system expecting to sell the car 8 months later. He needs to get rid of it, take advantage of that

Agreed, or you can ask him to remove those unnecessary parts and drop the price.
As for the burned oil, it just depend on how good the owner take care of it.
My uncle and his two sons all have Celicas from 93-00 and never had any problem...

and yes the gts 6spd are little harder to come by vs the gt/automatic

[DBentley415]

Bad news, he posted it online today so I'm gunna have to move fast if I want the car. I'm currently in negotiations with him, but have a bad feeling he won't take less that $5500. The last Celica I looked at got sold the day after I looked at it, so these cars really do not stick around. Ahh car shopping is so stressful

[kcaja1]

My buddy had one and the wind noise coming from the side mirror was so annoying. I wouldn't get one.
Anyway, bring a male friend who knows cars if you think you'll be taken advantage coz you're a girl.

[Jiggles]

Offer $4800 and tell him the mods aren't worth crap, no one is going to buy that car for $5500

[DBentley415]

The last offer I made him was $5,200 and he turned it down. There is no way I'm going higher than that. The only reason I will do 5,200 is because it is the gts and is literally 10 minutes away from my apartment. I've been scouring cragslist for another, but the options are few and far between. I might just have to let this one go and continue my search over the next few months.

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by DBentley415

I might just have to let this one go and continue my search over the next few months.

This is your best bet. Don't rush into buying this specific car at a higher than market value price because you have had trouble finding them.

How set are you on the Celica GT-S? The Acura RSX Type S is a very nice car that IMO far outclasses the Celica.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

How set are you on the Celica GT-S? The Acura RSX Type S is a very nice car that IMO far outclasses the Celica.

I'm not set on the GTS, just pretty confident I want a 2000-2005 Toyota Celica in general. The RSX does look pretty similar I'd definitely consider it.

[EMSRacer07]

I own a 2003 Toyota Celica GTS.

the GT has the 1zz motor and the 00-02 burned oil real bad bc of the material the rings were made out of.

the GTS has the 2zz performance motor than doesnt burn oil.

If i were u and you were really looking for a celica the new generation look for a 03+. THey came with better options, better interior, lights, better transmission, etc. And no way he wants 5k for it lol. i probably couldnt get 5k for my car lol. If you look at my sig or click on my profile u can see my celica.

The acura rsx would probably be a better choice performance wise but economical the celica wins.

[Apex]

The K20 is a great power plant. I'd take the RSX over the GT-S any day of the week.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by Apex

The K20 is a great power plant. I'd take the RSX over the GT-S any day of the week.

The RSX looks very nice. They seem to be just as hard to find around here though. This the closest one to me (130 miles away, but close to my parent's place). Pretty pricey though. I'm only looking to spend $6K tops, still got 2 years of college left.

http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/3002633565.html

[DBentley415]

I've set my sights on a different car. It's a 2001 GT, but with a 2005 motor in it with ~55,000 miles. He has sent me the receipts for his purchase of the motor. Only problem is the car is in Michigan about 30 minutes outside of Detroit so I'd have to fly there, which is actually under $100, then drive the car back, or get it shipped. He had it posted for $5,550 on eBay and no one bid, then he told me he would sell it for less than $5,200, but take his nice after market stereo out. Not sure if I'm willing to travel for a car, but the mileage is really low. The cool thing about it being posted on eBay is that it shows the title history so you don't have to get a CarFax.

[robmilchling]

Originally Posted by EMSRacer07

I own a 2003 Toyota Celica GTS.

the GT has the 1zz motor and the 00-02 burned oil real bad bc of the material the rings were made out of.

the GTS has the 2zz performance motor than doesnt burn oil.

If i were u and you were really looking for a celica the new generation look for a 03+. THey came with better options, better interior, lights, better transmission, etc. And no way he wants 5k for it lol. i probably couldnt get 5k for my car lol. If you look at my sig or click on my profile u can see my celica.

The acura rsx would probably be a better choice performance wise but economical the celica wins.

Came to say just this. To confirm, yes, the 1ZZ-FE (found in the GT) before '03 had some issues with burning oil in some vehicles, while the 2ZZ-GE (GTS) did not have such issues. The only thing I've seen the GTS have issues with is the clutch as, for some reason, many people burn them out well before 100k miles.

About the RSX, depending on where you live you may want to get an insurance quote on them before considering them. Being a Honda product, somewhat desired, and often modded/raced/crashed, they tend to have very high insurance.



As for the '01 GT with the '05 engine, how many miles are on the chassis? Even with the newer engine, I'd be hesitant to really spend over 5k or so on it. Any other information given on any other recent maintenance?

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by robmilchling

As for the '01 GT with the '05 engine, how many miles are on the chassis? Even with the newer engine, I'd be hesitant to really spend over 5k or so on it. Any other information given on any other recent maintenance?

Not sure how many miles are on the chassis. The only other information he had posted was that is has new brakes and clutch, but didn't say when.

[robmilchling]

Personally I'm wary of travelling for a vehicle like this in case it happens to not be what you expected. Also, I don't know your state's laws, but how would you drive it back? You would need temp plates for that vehicle if things are like they are here in MD.

[Apex]

http://www.dmv.org/wi-wisconsin/buy-...egulations.php

Buying or Selling a Car Without Registration

A vehicle does not have to be registered to be sold. If you're the buyer, you will need to obtain either temporary or permanent license plates within two days of purchasing the car. You can do this at any DMV office. Temporary plates cost $3.

I'm sure out of state cars require similar actions.

[robmilchling]

Ok, well that's very good then. It's much more costly here. I believe it's something like $50 for a temp plate, but it's been a few years since I had to buy one.

[Apex]

I have no clue what my state requires. Then again, I have no plans at all to purchase a car out of state.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by robmilchling

Personally I'm wary of travelling for a vehicle like this in case it happens to not be what you expected.

Yeah I'm a pretty risk averse person so I'll still wait on it.

[peng155]

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

The Acura RSX Type S is a very nice car that IMO far outclasses the Celica.

If you're not in a big hurry to get the Celica... I would definitely look at the Acura RSX Type S first.... Xoulrath is right IMO the RSX outclasses the Celica

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by peng155

If you're not in a big hurry to get the Celica... I would definitely look at the Acura RSX Type S first.... Xoulrath is right IMO the RSX outclasses the Celica

IMHO I think the celica looks better, plus the RSX is definitely out of my $ range. I'm looking to spend $5,000 give or take a little bit. All the RSX's I've seen are 7-10K. Maybe in a few years when I get out into the professional world a RSX will be a good choice

I've opened up my options and am now thinking I might just want to upgrade to a nicer fuel efficient car since I've got two more years of college left. I've been checking out the Toyota Matrix and Yaris. Most of them are very pricey since they are new to the market, but a 2007 Yaris just went for 4,800 with 140K on it. I'm pretty confident the seller screwed themselves over and priced it super low because the KBB is 6,200. I literally texted him minutes after the car was posted on craigslist and then it was gone. The one I'm looking at now is a 2004 Matrix with 144K for 5,900, not sure if its still for sale since it was posted two weeks ago, but looking for cars makes for a good break in between studying for finals so if another one pops up I'll be right on it!

[Apex]

Don't forget the Echo. That thing did well in fuel economy.

Other possibilities:
Ford Focus
Honda Civic
Honda Fit
Nissan Sentra
and some others.

You are still in college, so looks should be the least of importance. I have seen what happens to cars on campus. IMHO, get something that is dependable. Looks should take a back seat to cost (purchase price and insurance), economy, and reliability.

[Xoulrath]

Get a Geo Prism. It's a rebadged Corolla with all the reliabilty but they don't hold their value as well.

[mustang5.0]

lots of miles on the yoda

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by Apex

Don't forget the Echo. That thing did well in fuel economy.

Other possibilities:
Ford Focus
Honda Civic
Honda Fit
Nissan Sentra
and some others.

You are still in college, so looks should be the least of importance. I have seen what happens to cars on campus. IMHO, get something that is dependable. Looks should take a back seat to cost (purchase price and insurance), economy, and reliability.

I live off campus and just commute in. Not saying my car is "safe" where it is parked because I don't have underground parking or anything, but its not parked next to a bunch of college kids' cars. It's a lot easier to say looks shouldn't be important than to actually not care about how the care looks. I couldn't live with myself walking out to get into an Echo, Sentra, or Civic every day. The cars are just plain boring looking. I need something I'm actually proud to own.

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

Get a Geo Prism. It's a rebadged Corolla with all the reliabilty but they don't hold their value as well.

[DBentley415]

How do ya'll feel about this: http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/2967007803.html

[Jono]

NO!


Get something Japanese.

[DBentley415]

http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/3003453607.html

How about this. I know its $7000, but it is lower on miles and KBB says it is worth right around that
much.

or this: but kinda weird that it only has 86K and they only want $5200

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/3009361005.html

[Apex]

Hmmm. $5200. 5spd manual transmission, 86,000k miles...wow, that is like 86,000,000 miles! Let us hope it is a typo.
The electrical is in good condition. 5000 OBO, sorry no trades. Thanks.

My spanish is a bit rusty.

Could be decent. They only stated the electrical is in good condition, the interior may be trashed...you never know. Any floods in the area where this could have been a flood recovery?

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by Apex

Hmmm. $5200. 5spd manual transmission, 86,000k miles...wow, that is like 86,000,000 miles! Let us hope it is a typo.
The electrical is in good condition. 5000 OBO, sorry no trades. Thanks.

My spanish is a bit rusty.

Could be decent. They only stated the electrical is in good condition, the interior may be trashed...you never know. Any floods in the area where this could have been a flood recovery?

Probably not, Chicago isn't really known for floods, but either way I don't trust it enough to drive over an hour away to check it out.

[DBentley415]

New potential car!! 1995 BMW 318ti any thoughts?

[robmilchling]

Keep in mind that BMW repairs will cost more and the electronics do tend to be rather troublesome.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by robmilchling

Keep in mind that BMW repairs will cost more and the electronics do tend to be rather troublesome.

I'm leaning towards the BMW because 1. it's cheaper and 2. my boyfriend is pretty good with these cars. He has owned 9 BMW's himself and is an active member of a few BMW forums. I'm a lot more comfortable buying a car that someone knows a lot about.