Buying a 6g, Advice? Options

[Mississauga]

Hello everyone, nice to see a community based around such a sexy car.


I am looking at buying a 94 or 95 celica (in Canada I cannot find any 96 to 99s, I guess they werent released here).

How long do these last (I know how regular it is service plays a factor but how much of a factor?)? What should I be looking for specifically? For example, do they rust in a certain spot more regularly then another?

Is buying a 14 year old car a good idea for someone who will have to do all repairs a the mechanics? (I have neither the time nor the training to repair myself)


I want a 6gen celica cause it looks sweet but Im debating if its worth it with repair costs.. I'm just starting my career and have no throwing around money.

Thanks!!!!

[Jeunesse]

I have a 94 and almost 240K now and its running like new. Exterior doesn't have that much rust either except for my gas tank which I will be replacing as soon as I get the part from D-Man. All in all, if its well maintained and taken care of, it'll last for a long long time.

[DEATH]

Welcome. You can find many members here from Canada with 96+ 6GC's.
I believe the usual rust spots to watch out for is underneath the door but I live in Tx where rust is not a problem.
If you wait until I think Dec or early next year you can buy some of the imported 6gc's from overseas which have much more HP and other goodies like AWD [Which I would think would come in handy up there in the winter time]

[GriffGirl]

The simple fact that you primarily only have the 94s and 95s to chose from tells me this: one, they're still around and so they still rock; and two, no one wants to give up their 96-99s!

Your best bet is going to be to do your homework. Run a Carfax on the car you're interested in, and spend the money to have the car inspected by a mechanic before you buy it. Any legitimate seller will be more than happy to accommodate this! If they're not willing to, than move on because they have something they're hiding. This goes for ANY used car, I don't care if it's a year old or 15 years old. Doing your homework is the best way to have the clearest idea of what you're getting into.

DEATH is absolutely right - if you've got the money, wait until January and get yourself a GT-Four. They'll probably cost considerably more than an ST, GT or GT-S up there, but WELL worth the money if you've got it.

[Mississauga]

Welcome. You can find many members here from Canada with 96+ 6GC's.
I believe the usual rust spots to watch out for is underneath the door but I live in Tx where rust is not a problem.
If you wait until I think Dec or early next year you can buy some of the imported 6gc's from overseas which have much more HP and other goodies like AWD [Which I would think would come in handy up there in the winter time]

What do you mean wait til dec? What happens.. cars from Japan are shipped here and sold at normal dealers or special import dealers??


Also, the 96-99 was sold in Canada? I have been scouring the used auto listings and cant find a single celica that is in the 96-99 range but I can find lots both older AND newer then that.

Anyone know someone with a celica for sale in Ontario, Canada? A well taken care of one naturally..

[playr158]

look for worn out ball joints/bushings in the suspension

Rust on the doors, wheel wells

interior wear is common cause its old

leaking oil & oil consumption (blue smoke out the tail pipe)

if its MT, clutch functional (does it slip?)

has the timing belt/water pump and thermostat been replaced?

This post has been edited by playr158: Oct 2, 2008 - 2:14 PM

[GriffGirl]

96-99s definitely made it to Canada... go to the members section, used advanced search function to see some; I found 3 '96s alone (didn't search the others)

Next year you'll be able to import GT-Fours because you guys have a 15 year rule about foreign imports. You can buy the car from Japan or Europe or where ever yourself, pay shipping and voila! A superior 6G!

[Mississauga]

I just want a celica ST actually. Cheap MPG and still have that look. It is my first car so money is key.

Does the 15 year rule help me at all if I was to buy a celica ST from the US? I dont know how that works but I hear its very expensive with huge import taxes or duties or both???!?

This post has been edited by Mississauga: Oct 2, 2008 - 3:27 PM

[96bluevert]

The 15 year rule only applys if you wanted to legally import the top of the line (factory) Celica, the GT-4. But if you just want an ST, you should be able to find one there in Canada fairly easily, though they were only sold up until 97' (I think Canadas the same as the US on that one).

[HaRv3sTeR]

I think ST werent made in Canada...all GT-S IIRC

[elvasoshexai]

it is definitely hare to find a 96-99 in canada... after 1/2 a yr, i found 1 96 and 2 98's... 1 of which was imported from the states and had a salvage title.

i imported my 98 from the states btw.

neway, 96-99 were sold in canada... because i see a couple near where i live hah. been seeing more than usual this summer lol...

ur best bet is to import one from the states because there is 100x more choice (cars.com and autotrader.com), u can buy from states w/o snow, and it is cheaper! i have only seen 1 ST for sale in all of canada when i looked

the 96+ i saw in autotrader.ca were expensive! 11k for an imported 98 w/ salvage, a 98 w/ 218k km and in worse condition than mine for 8k... hell, even 94-95 were even 5k+!!!

my 98 was 7k.

if u buy in canada, use carproof and not carfax (unless it is imported from states).... and u can bring it to www.safecar.com for a full inspection.

hope it helps... and the GT does get decent gas mileage... not great but still decent

I think ST werent made in Canada...all GT-S IIRC

there were ST, GT and GT-S in canada... well i have seen at least one of each here hah...

This post has been edited by elvasoshexai: Oct 3, 2008 - 2:47 AM

[Mississauga]

i imported my 98 from the states btw.

Wow! Great advice thank you! What did it cost you to bring the car here from the states? That is my biggest concern cause I REALLY like the idea (no winter rust, can find a good car and not have to settle like I feel pushed to do with the limited selection in Canada).

I dont want to pay over 6 grand.

[elvasoshexai]

i actually paid a lot for mine... 11kCAD after everthing (i think it was 7k USD for the car, 1.5k shipping, 15% tax, 6.1% duties, safety, e-cert, and everything to get it canadian legal)

[Taskbot]

Uh it was actually pretty easy for me to find my ST. I just used the classifieds. Its kind of sketchy though, I have a lot of questions as to the car's origins. I am not quite sure if its a real Canadian car or not. It has the gauge cluster and the running lights, however it also has no airbags (or rather I am unsure it has airbags... Every other 6th gen owner has a different steering wheel than I do ). It could very well be salvaged. Regardless, if you're looking for a ST I'm sure you can probably find one for pretty cheap (mine was $2400 cert), it just might take a lot of resources.

I should maybe run a check on the VIN Number of my car and see where she's been.

[Sinyk]

I have a 96 GTS. Bought it in canada and everything.


I checked autotrader and only found 7 94-99 celicas for sale in canada, 3 of them are way over priced.

This post has been edited by Sinyk: Oct 10, 2008 - 11:52 AM

[delusionz]

I've owned two 6gcs so far.... one old, one young. the old flew past all mechanical inspections and would go on to drive well for a very very long time (if it didnt meet it's death by being crashed into), kept the service up on it, but things do start to go funny... on my new celica the gear shifter is tight, the gearbox doesnt crunch, the brakes dont squeek, the motor has full compression, the steering wheel stays straight, the factory interior pieces are in tact and still look new, all this in contrast to the old celica which was 100,000kms & 1 year older than my current celica.