Some Quick Help, Not-too-car-savvy girl here needs some ideas... Options

[mzztoyota]

Hi everyone I live in the Virgin Islands where even the hills have hills...and I'm selling my '86 Chevy Nova (Corolla in disguise...) and looking for a car for around $4,500. I found an ad in our local paper for a '94 Celica, and I'm going to go look at it tonight or tommorow. It's a GT 5 Speed with a new clutch and pressure plate, and the guys claims it has less than 60,000 miles on it (I'll be shocked if that's true).

I know that a lot of people say that Celicas don't have much power...but I'm not thinking of racing it, I just need to be able to get up steep hills. Is this car built for that kind of driving? Also, buying this car would pretty much empty my spending account for a couple weeks, so I need to be sure that I won't need to be making any mechanic trips any time soon...so what kind of common problems should I be looking for when I go and see this car?

I really appreciate your help guys, and if I buy it, I do plan on saving up and doing some work on it...so hopefully you'll see me around Thanks a lot.

[6gcSTVT]

A celica is a great car to begin with and the fact that its a GT with that many miles.... and that price.... I'd be all over it.... ask if the engine has been rebuilt since they claim that it has that many miles.....and celicas never break down as long as you take care of them Mine has 139k and all i've had to replace is the clutch and I'm the 3rd owner... if that helps at all good luck with buying the car!

Darin

[mzztoyota]

Thanks I'm really excited about buying it because it does seem like an awesome deal...I'm just hoping that it's not such a deal for a reason that I'm not seeing. I'm going to be so disappointed if I go to look at it and it's body is all banged up Hopefully that's not the case. Either way, I'm planning on spraying it over if I buy it, once I save up enough.

Ok, so ask if the engine has been rebuilt...any other suggestions? Oh, and again, does anyone else live in a hilly area? How does the car do on hills?

[WALKER]

Seeing as it is a GT with a 5 speed you won't have any trouble with the hills. Just keep it geared down and it will do great in the hills. I live right near the mountains and when I go for a cruise through them it has lots of power as long as you keep the RPM's up. It has no troble accelerating up hills if you want it too.

As long as it is properly maintained, the celica should treat you great. Also if you want to add more power or do have any maintenance questions you have come to the right place, there is a lot of knowledge on this site to help you with problems or make your car more powerful!

One thing to check when you look the car over, see what the treads on the tires look like as it may give you evidence of how it has been driven. Also check all the fluids and make sure the levels are all correct. Check the color of the oil, if it really black and ugly it may be signs that it hasn't been changed in a long time showing neglect for maintenance.

I hope things work out! Good Luck.

[mzztoyota]

Thank you Walker, that's so helpful I'm so glad to know that it should do okay on hills...

the guy said he had just put on new tires, so I guess those won't help too much, but checking the fluids and oil would probably be a good idea. I also know a mechanic who owes me a favor and can do a quick look-over for me.

The only thing I'm worried about is that with how uncommon these cars are, they are nearly nonexistant on this island...so my mechanic said that he doesn't know much about them. Usually he can list common problems with certain cars, but he isn't familiar with the Celica, so he doesn't know what kind of things I can expect to have to replace or repair in the next few months or years (I'm hoping to have this car for a tleast 2 years)...

anyways, thanks for the suggestions so far!

[sinner96ST]

Hi everyone I live in the Virgin Islands where even the hills have hills...and I'm selling my '86 Chevy Nova (Corolla in disguise...) and looking for a car for around $4,500. I found an ad in our local paper for a '94 Celica, and I'm going to go look at it tonight or tommorow. It's a GT 5 Speed with a new clutch and pressure plate, and the guys claims it has less than 60,000 miles on it (I'll be shocked if that's true).

I know that a lot of people say that Celicas don't have much power...but I'm not thinking of racing it, I just need to be able to get up steep hills. Is this car built for that kind of driving? Also, buying this car would pretty much empty my spending account for a couple weeks, so I need to be sure that I won't need to be making any mechanic trips any time soon...so what kind of common problems should I be looking for when I go and see this car?

I really appreciate your help guys, and if I buy it, I do plan on saving up and doing some work on it...so hopefully you'll see me around Thanks a lot.

Get the VIN number and run a Carfax check. A 94 GT with less than 60,000 miles on it should go for a little bit more than $4,500. It shouldn't cost you that much to get a carfax check, if you're lucky you can find a free 'day pass' to run background checks on whatever you wish.

If the car has a salvaged title, or had any water damage, I wouldn't buy it. Also, check to see where the car was owned. If it had been in New Orleans around when Katrina hit, it could have some problems. People sell cars for reeeal cheap that have been flooded in New Orleans, and neglect to tell people about the damage.

Celica's don't really have any serious mechanical issues, if you keep up on the maintenance & oil changes, you'll own the thing forever.

Good luck buying one, and welcome to the boards!

edit: if you're worried about how uncommon the cars are : don't be. The motor found in the GT celica also comes in 91-93 N/A MR-2's, and pretty much all pre 96 camry's. It's a common S series motor, there are billions of them on this planet.

This post has been edited by sinner96ST: Jul 20, 2006 - 1:05 PM

[mzztoyota]

oh, yeah, hadn't thought of the water damamge deal. I guess I can find out the VIN tonight when I go to meet the guy. Is water damage something that you can see by inspecting the car, or is it pretty much invisible until something goes wrong? I remember a friend of mine saying how she doesn't trust the people who bring used cars here to sell from the states, she prefers cars that have been on island because its easier to track down friends and relatives of the seller who can give you the truth about the car, lol.

I had assumed that this guy was just selling a car that he'd had on island for a while, but I can check that.

Thanks so much for these suggestions guys! (btw sinner, I LOVE your avy!!!:) )

If all goes well, I'll post pics of my new ride in here

[burneeed]

Cool..... yah celicas are dfefinately reliable cars. As toyota put the same engine in camrys. I had the same motor in an older celica that went over 240k. There very reliable. Only thing I ever replaced in my 90 gts was power steering pump / tune ups/ Clutch. And the car ran forever I sold it for 2k at 240k miles on it.

If the guy only has 60k on it and needed a new clutch sounds like hes a bad driver.

Make sure you get the vin and do a carfax to see if hes full of it with 60k on it and get the title check to see if its good and its actually les than 60k. There are many people on celicatech.net who have carfax who are willing to help you.

As far as it being the only 6gc in the islands. Many parts are interchangable from other toyotas such as earlier gen celicas and camrys.

[mzztoyota]

If the guy only has 60k on it and needed a new clutch sounds like hes a bad driver.

That was exactly my first thought when he said that! At this point, part of me is hoping that he just didn't know and was making up a number on the phone that sounded good...so that'll be one of the first things I look at tonight. My car right now has I think 113k and it's an '86 that's been on this island forever...as far as I know I am the third owner as well as the third person to learn how to drive a standard with it (blush)...and the clutch has never been changed (everything else, don't ask).

Keep in mind that this island is 14 miles long and 3 miles wide, no freeways, highways, or anyhting like that...so no long routes to rack up big milage. I think my average commute between home and work is 4-5 miles or something like that, lol...so milage here isn't going to be as high as in the states or other places...

~sigh~...it's going to be so sad to part ways with my oh-so-faithful Nova/Corolla....but the salt water here is a deadly concoction when combined with the metal of older cars...Rust City I tell you...

[mzztoyota]

OMG guys I just saw the car and it is GORGEOUS. I expected to just find a stock car with faded paint, but this guy is selling it with some nice rims, though he admits they're old, and he's sprayed it over! It is beautiful!

He bought it from the original owner six years ago, and he's selling it because he has three kids and there's no room for them in the car (surprise, surprise). He said the original owner had hit it on the front right fender, but that it had never caused any problems. The only other thing is that te interior leather has split and shredded...but I know a good place to get that stuff fixed.

I'm so excited! He's meeting me at my mechanic's shop on Saturday so I can get it looked over, and if that goes through well...then I'M TAKING IT!!! Woohoo!!! He already has other people interested, he says, so I'm hoping that if people start offering more money that it doesn't get to high out of my price range. I figure I can afford an extra thousand if I borrow it from a family member and pay it back when I sell my car. I want this car so bad, it is SO exactly what I want!

YIPPEE!!!

...hopeful future Celica owner...

[snapshotgt]

Sounds great! Post some pics once you get it!

...and yes...you can hear it again -- our cars are fine on hills, and very reliable!

~snap

[mzztoyota]

don't worry...you won't be able to stop me from posting pics if I get this baby...

I'm so amped, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, lol.

This is the first car I've looked at that makes me willing to sell my car to the first stranger that wants it...I'm just praying someone with a money clip doesn't roll by and throw 8k into the seller's hand or something, grrrrrr

MINE! (should I pee on the tire? would that work? lol)

[burneeed]

Cool good luck on the sale.... Make sure you post pictures of the car... Or maybe pictures of you with the car ethier or.

[neoklis]

welcome to the family, and yeah there are just about 2 reasons for letting the celica go. Age/large family or if you have totalled it.

And dont worry about the mechanic not knowing much about it. Its a toyota and furthermore its a celi. My mechanic went bankrupt because the toyo never break down and had to closed down his shop and get a job at the mercedes dealership.

[mzztoyota]

Woot Woot! So far, so good. As I was leaving last night after looking at the car, another possible buyer pulled up. I ran back to the seller and gave him my cell number, and told him that if anyone tries to buy it to call me immediately and tell me how much they were willing to pay...so he didn't call last night and he hasn't called this morning, so I'm assuming the guy didn't make an offer.

~phew!~

I went on to kbb.com also and plugged in the specs for the car, and it came out to $4,590, I can handle that. Oh and guess what? It really only has 40-something k on it! WOW! He says he hasn't been driving it much because he's had to cart his family around in a minivan.

Can you imagine foing from a Celica to a minivan? Yich.

Anyways, I've got to call my mechanic to set a meeting time for tommorow. I hope I get the OK, cuz this is my dream car right now....

[snapshotgt]

And dont worry about the mechanic not knowing much about it. Its a toyota and furthermore its a celi. My mechanic went bankrupt because the toyo never break down and had to closed down his shop and get a job at the mercedes dealership.

[mzztoyota]

And dont worry about the mechanic not knowing much about it. Its a toyota and furthermore its a celi. My mechanic went bankrupt because the toyo never break down and had to closed down his shop and get a job at the mercedes dealership.

agreed

[jcbass7]

lick the door handles to claim it as your own.. that might work


Good luck, hope you get it!

[mzztoyota]

lol...so would that be "MY SPIT!" instead of "MY DERMS!" ?

Our meeting time is set for 1:00 tommorow...I can't wait...18 hours and 42 minutes, lol....

[ImportChick95]

lol...so would that be "MY SPIT!" instead of "MY DERMS!" ?

Our meeting time is set for 1:00 tommorow...I can't wait...18 hours and 42 minutes, lol....

Good luck! I'm excited for you 'cuz I know how that feels.

[mzztoyota]

1 hour and 45 minutes away...

do you think I'm excited or what?

I'm almost positive that my mechanic will give it the ok...my boyfriend's mom is a notary, so she can notarize the vehicle transfer today if the seller is cool with it. If that's the case, then all I have to do is get insurance on Monday so he can cancel his and then the car is MINE!!!

[jcbass7]

Good Luck!

[mzztoyota]

Well...all is good except that the tire where the car was hit in the past is crooked, though it still drives straight....mechanic says that I might wind up buying a lot of new tires in the future, though...

also says that the car is leaking oil, and it looks like it's from a piston something...crap, I forgot what it was. The important thing is that he said it was like a $500 part that would require about $250 in labor to change. I want to ask the seller if I can hack $500 of the price but we're not positive if that is the problem...

I'm still going to buy it, and just have my mechanic jack it up and tell me for sure what is going on and what needs to get done...if it's immediate problems, then the car will have to sit for a while so I can save up enough. Depending on how much insurance is this car might be mine by Monday, if not, I have to wait two weeks for the guy to get back from a trip

I'm aiming for Monday. Pics soon!

[Kadett]

Only thing that I could think of when getting to sleep the day before I went to see my Celica at the Garage, was if the car was already sold when I got there.

Luckily it wasn't and look at me know

[mzztoyota]

That, I think, was my biggest worry. Now that I've told him that I'll take it Monday and if not, the day he gets back, though...I think it's solidly mine. He seems ready to turn it over to me...

I also got to ride in it (my mechanic drove...I haven't driven it yet...) and my GOD it is a nice ride! Even my hard-ass mechanic was like "wow...well, this does drive nice, hmmm." lol.

Still waiting for a quote from Guardian ><....I think the two paychecks I'll be getting between now and when the guy gets back will be a huge help in covering the insurance, cost of the car, and whatever DMV transfer fees I have to pay...

[mzztoyota]

This is the car (my first car) that I'll have to sell in order to bounce back from buying the Celi...

ahh....nm...the pics aren't showing, even though they're from my own site!...

just go to http://tfw.bravehost.com/Nova.html, if you're interested in seeing it.

This post has been edited by mzztoyota: Jul 22, 2006 - 4:05 PM

[jcbass7]

my mom had a nova, she also had a celi..

the one she talks about the most is the celi (1st gen)

[mzztoyota]

Woot! Woot! The guy just left...I wrote him a check (I promise it's a good one ) and we signed & notarized the transfer papers and reciepts...tommorow we go down to the DMV and get all the paperwork officially handed over!!!

then the Celi is in my yard and under my camera lens, promise

[snapshotgt]

Awesome, congrats on the buy!

~snap

[mzztoyota]

gracias!

can't wait can't wait can't wait...