the first drive, write your first impression stepping into a 6gc Options

[6gcpr]

More than a year ago, i purchased my 6gc from a couple who had a collision accident in the rear left quarter. I bought it for$ 250. The car was left under a tree neglected and the interior was full of garbage, had no altenator, no taillights and a broken shifter cable. Needless to say i had my work cut out for, but i didn't care, the car was unique, 12 years living in puerto rico and i've only seen a handful running around, you can't even find them in the salvage yard. Over the course of the year, i've stripped the interior, ripped the fenders, bumper and spoiler off, sanded the car all myself, and have bought a number of gt4 goodies. Its only been a month since the mechanic was able to get my car running. But today was my first time driving. It was everything i had hoped for and more. There i was driving my celica for the first time, car sanded down, the driver door being held closed with audio cable, no taillights, windows closed because im in the process of wiring in the power folding mirrors, the sun high in the sky, no license plate and sweating like a pig. But i didn't care, the feeling of the 5sfe coming to life was amazing. Peoples heads turning because there's nothing like it on the streets. I didn't care, because soon i'll be driving my celica in the streets of puerto rico knowing that im driving a rare car here, where only a handful exist. That was my first impression and i invite others to share that moment with the 6gc.

[richee3]

Congrats! It's too bad parts aren't easier to find in Puerto Rico. I would have been able to get toy the shift cables but I'm always so busy with work that I hardly have any free time to do any shipping on my days off. It sounds like your car needs a little TLC but you're the right person for the job

[kurt95gt]

Congrats man
I cant wait till i got my swappd celica on the road

[6gcpr]

Thanks guys, the car has really been a learning process for. Before the celica, i would abuse my 1995 7afe corolla which is my dd, it has 3 inch piping, short ram intake and a header. But now i can take that more easy, cause the celica is my new toy.

[kurt95gt]

Holy cow dont do 3inch on the celica unless you turbo it
3 inch exhaust is,way too big for eather car. 2.25-2.5 is more than enough

Just sayin not trying to be a dick lol
but sounds like you got plans hope to see more

[cheela]

after driving the celica, anything else just doesn't compare.




unless it's a supra or other cars like that.

[Warapparel]

ive had a lot of different cars before my 6gc. i even had a 7th gen GTS for a little while. before this 6gc the only real cars i ever actually cared for was my 91 hardtop mr2 which started its life as an NA stripper model but became swapped. and the other car was my old 87 rx7 T2. that one was my beast. but ive always been a fan of toyota. more on my history and all that once i start my introduction thread. =] but to be honest my first drive of the celica was a love hate thing. in the past i really wanted one but fell in love with mr2s. and when i drove it my first thought was "i forgot how underpowered the 5sfe is" and i forgot how it felt to drive a front wheel drive. but i am growing to love it more and more. i already have some pretty good parts lined up for install and my goals for the car are actually not that hard to accomplish. i will be posting a thread soon about my new project daily.

[6gcpr]

I've only driven a handful of cars. My first manual was a 1991 300zx and it was a disaster, my uncle was drunk and i didn't even have a license. From there i drove my dads 1994 mazda 323 manual. After that bought a 1980 mitsubishi champ automatic. That car ran great and a buttload of good gas mileage. Then i wanted something more comfortable and reliable, i was always a fan of toyota's so i went to my uncles car dealer and had my heart on a 98 and up corolla. He had only a basic corolla. But at the end of the lot he had a 1995 automatic corolla dx. With power windows, locks, sunroof with the 7afe. It looked a lot better than the other corolla too. So now i've had the corolla for 6 years now and has never failed, thing is i like to tinker with my car. But i don't want to do that with my dd so sought out a project car and i knew it either had to be a mkIII supra, mr2. But i ran into my neglected celica and i haven't. Looked.

[SwissFerdi]

Having just test-driven a Cavalier, I can safely say that trying to pilot a Russian prison would have been more pleasing than sitting in that American sack of metal shi!t. I fell in love with the Celica as soon as I saw it sitting there, knew it would come home with me. Something about the interior, which I really didn't expect, just that gentle swoop in the dash, controls canted toward driver, awesome seats for stock. It was smooth when I drove it, felt very "together" for an 11-year-old car at the time.

[Box]

My first thought, damn that's quick for 115 hp. Never see the Celica around here either. It's nice having a car that you never see anywhere else.

This post has been edited by Box: Mar 19, 2012 - 1:20 AM

[kurt95gt]

If you really want to have fun with ppl debadge her no one will know what you have

I had a dude at work that drives a 7th gen ask me what coupe was he thought it was as new as his 02 lol

[sillica]

1. dont waste money on gay body kits
2. if its unique in porto rico i would keep it locked up
3. make it look like a ss-III if anything
4. hopefully u will have many years of happy driving

i miss mine its at the mechanics getting a gearbox rebuild (no big issues im just very fussy car owner) its been 1 week.

[6gcpr]

Currently the car has no badges, one of my neighbors came by to take a look at the car while i was stripping it down. After what seemed like 30 minutes, he asked me what the hell car is this? Another guy though it was a speacial edition acura integra (lame).

[Smaay]

after first drive of my 6th gen, i said...."its like driving my Supra, just slower" i love my 6th gen

[SAE-HI]

My first thought, damn that's quick for 115 hp. Never see the Celica around here either. It's nice having a car that you never see anywhere else.

LMAO i thought the same thing. I live in sac and drove all the way down to san jose just to pick up my celica and its a nice car to drive. Only problems i have with it is the lack of power now after driving my brothers s2000 and nismo 350z and the way the gearbox feels. I dont know about you guys but my gearbox feels like a toy.

[Box]

It's enough for me. I wanted good mpg and something that was quick enough and looked nice. The Celica does that for me. Otherwise I'd be a member of the LS1 forum right now.

[ricochet1490]

I've had similar experience. The test drive I took in the Automatic left something to be desired because the car never got warmed up so the ecu had de tuned the engine and wouldn't let it shift past third until it warmed up.... But something about the 8 speaker system, the dash like you guys already said, told me I had to buy it. It was so tight in the steering. As soon as I figured her out, the 5s has never really felt like "not enough" power for me even with the auto. It's always been a fun car to drive. Cruising with the Sunroof back... whew.
I drove the family Aveo today for nearly 5 hours on a variety of roads.... and corners that I've taken 1000 times in the celica at 50mph, I literally felt like the aveo was going to fly off the road at 35 mph. Totally substandard handling after driving the Celica for so long.

And don't even get me started on Cavaliers.... that 2.2 is a DOG, the car is uncomfortable, it handles and body rolls like a ship on the high seas, just plain terrible.

[SAE-HI]

I've had similar experience. The test drive I took in the Automatic left something to be desired because the car never got warmed up so the ecu had de tuned the engine and wouldn't let it shift past third until it warmed up.... But something about the 8 speaker system, the dash like you guys already said, told me I had to buy it. It was so tight in the steering. As soon as I figured her out, the 5s has never really felt like "not enough" power for me even with the auto. It's always been a fun car to drive. Cruising with the Sunroof back... whew.
I drove the family Aveo today for nearly 5 hours on a variety of roads.... and corners that I've taken 1000 times in the celica at 50mph, I literally felt like the aveo was going to fly off the road at 35 mph. Totally substandard handling after driving the Celica for so long.

And don't even get me started on Cavaliers.... that 2.2 is a DOG, the car is uncomfortable, it handles and body rolls like a ship on the high seas, just plain terrible.

HAHAHAHA my brother's said that my celica was like a boat hahaha and it did feel like one. the suspensions were pretty bouncy on oem setup. I changed it to the trd lowering springs and brand new kyb gr2 and its better but i'd like the suspensions to be stiffer so im thinking about grabbing some gc coilovers

[ricochet1490]

your stock suspension just might be wore out. My stock suspension is all the handling I require. I have zero aftermarket mods aside from some 17" wheels and 215-40 tires mounted on them. It just carves corners like an ice sculptor with a chainsaw.... more so than ANY other car i've driven anyway.

[SAE-HI]

yeah it was. it handles better now after replacing it.

[kurt95gt]

I think my 94 st handled better than my 95 gt
But my 95 also has bad rear sway bar links. So im hoping once i fix those an trow some kybs on with ny teins type s springs she handles alittle better

[JozhGoober]

Bit of a distant second to my MR2 Turbo, but I couldn't ask for more out of a beater!

[specter1001]

learned to drive stick on a friend's 6gc, and immediately i wanted the same car, everyday i checked online for a good deal to come up as I knew that 6gc's are a little hard to come by in hawaii. I remember before I bought my car, I was stopped at a redlight and right next to me was a beautiful white stallion 6gc, I could not keep my eyes off her, she was exactly what I wanted and I wanted her soo bad. When the light turned green she took a right onto a freeway onramp and i watched her until she was completely out of sight as if she was teasing me and calling out to me. "gooooddd byyyeeeeee," she said. I knew that day that I would not be happy unless I had one of my own.

[RabidTRD]

For me, it was a love hate experience. I found the car in a "field" and basically loved it's lines. It was for sale and I set up a time to come see it. Sat down in it's dusty interior and started it up. The blower was on full so I got a face full of dirt... it was like the car was spitting at me. Let it warm up, took off. Fell in love with the leather wrapped steering wheel, the great weight on the clutch, the smooth shifts. Took some pretty serious corners at high speeds and fell in love with it's handling.

I've driven Eclipses, Mustangs, Camrys, Civics, Accords, Buicks, Cutlass', Mazda's, S10's.... pretty much a bit of everything... This car tops anything I've ever driven in regards to feel, handling, and looks.

[Special_Edy]

I bought mine for $300 with a blown head gasket that had been driven for so long that it wouldnt start. Some duct tape, a set of jumper cables hooked up to the lincoln Towncar, a can of starter, and about 30 minutes of trying and I got it started. Stalled it out in Dallas traffic a few times(what a pain in the ass pushing it to a parking lot to jump it off again, running on two cylinders with an unfamiliar clutch). I then attempted to drive it across 635 to I35 in 5 oclock rush hour traffic, where I had to stop on the side of the freeway and put two more gallons of water into it. Then made it down I35 to I20 before it pegged the temperature gauge again so I stopped and got a Tow truck the rest of the way home.

Two years later it runs like a scalded dog and smooth as silk. For me I thought it was really sporty for what would be deemed an economy car in Texas the land of pickup trucks. I like the spartan styling of the interior( the poor excuse for cupholders for example lmao), it kind of gives the car a european sportcar effect. The steering is so crisp and reactive, I felt like I was driving a go-kart. And lets not forget the four wheel disc brakes( sans ABS), that will chunk unsuspecting passenger out the windsheild like an ejection seat. Plenty of leg room in the front seats(which are such comfy seats), but I think the rear passenger seat was designed for double amputees. Lots of room in the trunk, even for a hatchback, for those of you who dont remember the 3rd generation camaro.

[6gcpr]

Its good to see people responding to this topic and having amazing stories to it. Loved the car spitting dirt in your face rabidtrd! My car doesn't even have the a/c! There's just a big hole in my center dash because I don't have a radio either.

[6gcpr]

I bought mine for $300 with a blown head gasket that had been driven for so long that it wouldnt start. Some duct tape, a set of jumper cables hooked up to the lincoln Towncar, a can of starter, and about 30 minutes of trying and I got it started. Stalled it out in Dallas traffic a few times(what a pain in the ass pushing it to a parking lot to jump it off again, running on two cylinders with an unfamiliar clutch). I then attempted to drive it across 635 to I35 in 5 oclock rush hour traffic, where I had to stop on the side of the freeway and put two more gallons of water into it. Then made it down I35 to I20 before it pegged the temperature gauge again so I stopped and got a Tow truck the rest of the way home.

Two years later it runs like a scalded dog and smooth as silk. For me I thought it was really sporty for what would be deemed an economy car in Texas the land of pickup trucks. I like the spartan styling of the interior( the poor excuse for cupholders for example lmao), it kind of gives the car a european sportcar effect. The steering is so crisp and reactive, I felt like I was driving a go-kart. And lets not forget the four wheel disc brakes( sans ABS), that will chunk unsuspecting passenger out the windsheild like an ejection seat. Plenty of leg room in the front seats(which are such comfy seats), but I think the rear passenger seat was designed for double amputees. Lots of room in the trunk, even for a hatchback, for those of you who dont remember the 3rd generation camaro.

Wow....that's quite a hurdle you had with the car. I think I wouldve set it on my fire on the way home lol. But I do agree with you about the rear seats. I'm only 6'0 feet and I had trouble sitting back there! Definantly not a family car!

This post has been edited by 6gcpr: Apr 12, 2012 - 12:04 PM

[3WayStunna]

Before i bought my 6th gen i had just arrived at my new duty station and didn't have any form of transportation, save for catching rides with others/taxis/walking. Due to obvious reasons like my job, i knew i had to get a car asap but i wanted to wait until i could find a dealership selling a celica GT4. I waited for almost 2 weeks, well really it was three and i saw it one night while out on a date with my then girlfriend. We walked past the a dealership right outside of the base i was stationed at and i saw this immaculate silver GT4 just sitting there sparkling in the night...i wanted it right then!!

Of course the dealership was closed, but the next day i was in there and the dealer explained that he had just got if off the boat from mainland the previous day and he didn't think someone would be interested so soon. So i told him i wanted to buy it that day but he explained the paperwork "yadda yadda" and that i had to wait until Friday (was currently Wednesday). Of course i also took the time to look over this amazing car i was about to purchase. The overall price for the car was 6500 which i thought was a steal.

It had a set of never before seen Toyota rally wheels on RE050's that were immaculate and pretty. TRD slotted rotors all the way around,
HKS intake, exhaust, cam gears, turbo timer and boost gauge. The inside was clean save for a gaping whole in the driver side carpeting...i didn't care though it could be easily replaced. It was silver with the monstrously huge GTFOUR wing and surprisingly it didn't seem as tacky as i thought it would...hmm, all in all it was a pretty smexy car!!!

Anywho so i put 1000 as a down payment, signed some forms and waited until Friday.
I was there first thing in the morning and go figure the car wasn't there. I asked what was up and he said that it was being inspected and would be ready the following Monday. I was irritated at that but i decided the wait would be worth it and at least the car was mine lol..

That weekend was a long wait. Mostly entertaining my friends joking at me about buying a celica, a girls car,

Well when Monday came i had to wait to show up due to work, but i got the time off i needed to head to the dealership and pick it up and wow i dont think i have ever been so excited over a car as i was that day. I showed up, signed some more papers and the guy gave me the keys....I jumped in and was ready to take her out without a moments notice.

I started her up and heard that 3s engine come to life for me (ahh music to my ears) and right then was when i realized...i didnt know how to drive a manual (only experience i had was when i was in the desert and had to drive around a manual truck for 7 months)..Lulz quickly ensued as i stalled the car, roughly 20 times before i made it back to my dorm room...

All in all, it was a very memorable experience...

[6gcpr]

Before i bought my 6th gen i had just arrived at my new duty station and didn't have any form of transportation, save for catching rides with others/taxis/walking. Due to obvious reasons like my job, i knew i had to get a car asap but i wanted to wait until i could find a dealership selling a celica GT4. I waited for almost 2 weeks, well really it was three and i saw it one night while out on a date with my then girlfriend. We walked past the a dealership right outside of the base i was stationed at and i saw this immaculate silver GT4 just sitting there sparkling in the night...i wanted it right then!!

Of course the dealership was closed, but the next day i was in there and the dealer explained that he had just got if off the boat from mainland the previous day and he didn't think someone would be interested so soon. So i told him i wanted to buy it that day but he explained the paperwork "yadda yadda" and that i had to wait until Friday (was currently Wednesday). Of course i also took the time to look over this amazing car i was about to purchase. The overall price for the car was 6500 which i thought was a steal.

It had a set of never before seen Toyota rally wheels on RE050's that were immaculate and pretty. TRD slotted rotors all the way around,
HKS intake, exhaust, cam gears, turbo timer and boost gauge. The inside was clean save for a gaping whole in the driver side carpeting...i didn't care though it could be easily replaced. It was silver with the monstrously huge GTFOUR wing and surprisingly it didn't seem as tacky as i thought it would...hmm, all in all it was a pretty smexy car!!!

Anywho so i put 1000 as a down payment, signed some forms and waited until Friday.
I was there first thing in the morning and go figure the car wasn't there. I asked what was up and he said that it was being inspected and would be ready the following Monday. I was irritated at that but i decided the wait would be worth it and at least the car was mine lol..

That weekend was a long wait. Mostly entertaining my friends joking at me about buying a celica, a girls car,

Well when Monday came i had to wait to show up due to work, but i got the time off i needed to head to the dealership and pick it up and wow i dont think i have ever been so excited over a car as i was that day. I showed up, signed some more papers and the guy gave me the keys....I jumped in and was ready to take her out without a moments notice.

I started her up and heard that 3s engine come to life for me (ahh music to my ears) and right then was when i realized...i didnt know how to drive a manual (only experience i had was when i was in the desert and had to drive around a manual truck for 7 months)..Lulz quickly ensued as i stalled the car, roughly 20 times before i made it back to my dorm room...

All in all, it was a very memorable experience...

I imagine that the wait from Wednesday to Monday was the most painful and excruciating experience for a car enthusiast!



This post has been edited by 6gcpr: Apr 12, 2012 - 3:06 PM

[ricochet1490]

Before i bought my 6th gen i had just arrived at my new duty station and didn't have any form of transportation, save for catching rides with others/taxis/walking. Due to obvious reasons like my job, i knew i had to get a car asap but i wanted to wait until i could find a dealership selling a celica GT4. I waited for almost 2 weeks, well really it was three and i saw it one night while out on a date with my then girlfriend. We walked past the a dealership right outside of the base i was stationed at and i saw this immaculate silver GT4 just sitting there sparkling in the night...i wanted it right then!!

Of course the dealership was closed, but the next day i was in there and the dealer explained that he had just got if off the boat from mainland the previous day and he didn't think someone would be interested so soon. So i told him i wanted to buy it that day but he explained the paperwork "yadda yadda" and that i had to wait until Friday (was currently Wednesday). Of course i also took the time to look over this amazing car i was about to purchase. The overall price for the car was 6500 which i thought was a steal.

It had a set of never before seen Toyota rally wheels on RE050's that were immaculate and pretty. TRD slotted rotors all the way around,
HKS intake, exhaust, cam gears, turbo timer and boost gauge. The inside was clean save for a gaping whole in the driver side carpeting...i didn't care though it could be easily replaced. It was silver with the monstrously huge GTFOUR wing and surprisingly it didn't seem as tacky as i thought it would...hmm, all in all it was a pretty smexy car!!!

Anywho so i put 1000 as a down payment, signed some forms and waited until Friday.
I was there first thing in the morning and go figure the car wasn't there. I asked what was up and he said that it was being inspected and would be ready the following Monday. I was irritated at that but i decided the wait would be worth it and at least the car was mine lol..

That weekend was a long wait. Mostly entertaining my friends joking at me about buying a celica, a girls car,

Well when Monday came i had to wait to show up due to work, but i got the time off i needed to head to the dealership and pick it up and wow i dont think i have ever been so excited over a car as i was that day. I showed up, signed some more papers and the guy gave me the keys....I jumped in and was ready to take her out without a moments notice.

I started her up and heard that 3s engine come to life for me (ahh music to my ears) and right then was when i realized...i didnt know how to drive a manual (only experience i had was when i was in the desert and had to drive around a manual truck for 7 months)..Lulz quickly ensued as i stalled the car, roughly 20 times before i made it back to my dorm room...

All in all, it was a very memorable experience...

I imagine that the wait from Wednesday to Monday was the most painful and excruciating experience for a car enthusiast!

lulz were had when I read it was at that time you realized you couldn't drive standard! So excited you didn't remember MT was a problem... lol ing again haha
beautiful story though!

[RabidTRD]

Well when Monday came i had to wait to show up due to work, but i got the time off i needed to head to the dealership and pick it up and wow i dont think i have ever been so excited over a car as i was that day. I showed up, signed some more papers and the guy gave me the keys....I jumped in and was ready to take her out without a moments notice.

I started her up and heard that 3s engine come to life for me (ahh music to my ears) and right then was when i realized...i didnt know how to drive a manual (only experience i had was when i was in the desert and had to drive around a manual truck for 7 months)..Lulz quickly ensued as i stalled the car, roughly 20 times before i made it back to my dorm room...

All in all, it was a very memorable experience...

Lol I forgot to add that I hadn't driven a 5 speed in 2 years (and in those two years I only drove 3 5 speed cars. One that I had "learned on" and two race cars.) Needless to say, I had a similar experience... accept it was that of my dad leaving me there to finish up the payment and drive away... which I did... very slowly.... lol. Only stalled twice though.

[excalibur]

After learning to drive in a Volvo, and then driving my old 94 Magna Wagon, (which i never should have brought), my new Celica is sweet. In short should have brought one sooner!.

This post has been edited by excalibur: Apr 26, 2012 - 7:33 AM

[bsamps4]

I bought my Celica from a friend that I've known for years. I've had the car for about 2 years now, and still remember my first drive. I was at my apartment having a couple beers on the couch when my friend stopped by. He had been talking about selling the car for a couple of weeks, so I told him I was interested, and asked him if I could drive it. He agreed even after knowing that I had a few beers to drink....hahah....Right before I pulled out he informed me that the clutch was toast, but I didn't care. I took it for a spin, and the clutch slipped just about every gear getting up to 45, but it was then that I knew I wanted to buy the car.

A few weeks later I found a buyer for my silver integra, and basically sold the car for what I owed on it +100 bucks in my favor. (I really just wanted to get rid of the integra, and get that celica). I then called my friend who all of a sudden decided that he had cold feet. I offered him an extra 500 bucks for the celica, which he mulled over for a minute and decided to take it. I bought his car the same day, but couldnt' take delivery of it until that night because it was spur of the moment and he needed the car the rest of the day to get to work.

I liked the torque that the 5s produced, but am now thoroughly impressed with my 3s.

The first drive in the 3s was hilarious because I didn't have the fuel pump wired correctly. This caused it to sputter out every hundred feet or so. I finally got the fuel pump working and took all of my buddies for a ride to the gas station so that I could fill the tank with 93 octane. We took it slow on the way to the gas station (it felt just like the 5s), but on the way back I decided that I was ready for some boost. So i gave it about half throttle and the damn thing took off! (I thought i had my boost controller set to 5 pounds....nope....it was 12). My boost session ended fairly abruptly though when one of my charge pipes blew itself loose!

I now have the car at 16psi and the damn thing SCREAMS! Drives like an economy car until you give it a little gas, and the best part is that it is predictable!

[specter1001]

^ how i wish i could have a 3s of my own someday...

[mgd89]

A customer at my dealer was going to junk his celica gt after finding out it needed a head gasket. bought it off him for 400 bucks re sealed the motor/rebuilt it posted it for sale on CL for 2500. was driving it till i sold it but feel in love with the car now its no longer for sale and is my daily. the end!