As soon as Toyota started promoting enlarged Celicas with six-cylinder engines and Supra badges right here in 1979, the Supra saved getting extra highly effective and costlier and the common four-banger Celica appeared much less thrilling with every passing yr. For the 1986 mannequin yr, the Celica went to a brand-new front-wheel-drive platform and have become a real slick-looking commuter machine, whereas the Supra turned a real Camaro rival. Right now’s Junkyard Gem is an instance of the Celica era simply earlier than that cut up occurred, present in a self-service yard close to Reno, Nevada, final fall.
The Celica’s dragon boat emblem design goes again to the early Carina-based vehicles.
The U.S.-market 1982-85 Celicas could possibly be had as notchback coupes or two-door liftbacks, with convertible variations bought right here for 1984 and 1985. These notchbacks are typically tougher to search out than the liftbacks.
The retractable headlights are exquisitely Eighties.
This one got here from the manufacturing facility with a fuel-injected 2.4-liter 22R-EC engine, a low-revving SOHC motor that was extraordinarily sturdy however better-suited for truck use than it was for an allegedly sporty automotive. Horsepower was 107 and torque was 137 pound-feet on this utility. 22Rs are likely to get pulled rapidly by Toyota truck homeowners after they present up within the boneyards, so this engine compartment is empty.
The bottom transmission was a five-speed guide, however this automotive has the extra-cost four-speed computerized.
212,676.8 miles exhibiting on the odometer, which is first rate for an early-Eighties automotive. The best-mile Toyota I’ve present in a automotive graveyard was a 1988 Tercel 4WD wagon with properly over 400k on the clock.
The inside is on the tough facet and the physique has some fender-bender injury, however there is not any important rust (which could be very uncommon for Japanese vehicles of its period however not so uncommon in bone-dry western Nevada).
There have been three Celica trim ranges obtainable right here in 1983: ST, GT and GT-S. The MSRP for a 1983 Celica GT notchback with computerized transmission was $9,039, or about $28,108 in 2023 {dollars}.
This one would not have air con (a $630 possibility, or $1,959 after inflation), however its no-extra-cost manufacturing facility AM/FM radio could be very good for 1983. When you wished a cassette deck with equalizer in your new ’83 Celica, the worth tag was $440 ($1,368 now).
Toyota’s promoting for this era of Celica emphasised the liftback.
The best stuff for the best time, proper now.
As at all times, the home-market advertisements are extra enjoyable.