Help me help my stepbrother with his Celica. Options

[Cameage]

Hi. My stepbrother recently acquired a '97 AT200. I know absolutely nothing about Celicas (or Toyotas in general, for that matter), besides what I've picked up by reading Jalopnik (this is how I know that he has an AT200). I don't like Toyota very much, but my dislike is really only towards their current (around 2000 and up) lineup. They seem to have engineered all of the fun out of their cars (though the FT-86 looks like it's going to be pretty sweet, if it's not bloated). I'm not trying to sound anti-Toyota on a Celica forum, I'm not a jerk. I like 6th-gen (and prior) Celicas, Supras, Mister 2s, and, because I'm a huge nerd, AE86s. Hiluxs and FJs are pretty great, too. So, yeah, my point is, Toyota is definitely not my favorite brand (that would be Saab), but I definitely have an appreciation for certain models (actually, I have a total lust for turbo Supras...but then, who doesn't?).

So. Here's my question. My car is pretty awesome. I'd like his car to also be awesome, so they can both be awesome sitting in front of our house. What would be the first steps toward improving a '97 Celica on a budget? Appearance isn't important, I'm just focusing on quick, relatively inexpensive ways to give the car a bit of a leg-up on all of the stock Celicas on the road.

[Cameage]

Hey, thanks for the replies so far.

SupraKid, I have no clue what you're talking about as far as a Saab called an intercooler? I can tell you, I won't want a Celica. It's nothing against the Celica, it's just that nothing comes close to Saab in my mind. I want a big trunk, I want a tall greenhouse, I want super-comfy seats, I want perfect (and I do mean perfect, no hyperbole whatsoever) ergonomics, I want a four-banger with a stock turbocharger, I basically NEED green illumination, I need the car to handle well and fly down the highway, and I want this all in one car. That basically limits me to...Saabs. I drove an ST184 once, it was fun, but I wouldn't really want to own one.

eboz74, they're not really too bad if you know their oddities. They're not nearly as confounding as Audis are.

PluraticRaver, that's really good to know about the exhaust, thanks.

He needs this car to basically never be off the road, I can't do an engine swap right off the bat, and we can't really risk doing massive home upgrades, it has to stay reliable. I'm thinking weight reduction and suspension upgrades to start with.

I know which companies make great Saab stuff, but I know nothing about aftermarket Toyota stuff, and I don't want crappy stuff. I guess now I'm curious about brands to look for and brands to avoid as far as suspension bits and a decent intake.