my girlfriend want to get rid of her civic and buy a celica. the bubble headlight ones. are these cars any good? anything i need to look out for when purchasing one?? what are the model differences between the GT and ST models?? thanks in advance

 

The 6th Generation Celica was one of my favorite models before they went with the buzzy 1ZZ/2ZZ variants that lured alot of Honda/Acura owners in. This car had great handling characteristics ST and GT form. The biggest differences between the two are the ST = 1.8L 4cyl (7A-FE) or the 2.2L 4cyl (5S-FE). For the US...the GT model only came in liftback form. The ST came in both coupe and liftback form. Go with the GT! I still have that actual original brochure in a box somewhere.

Here's a good site for reference on the 6th Gen Celica:
http://www.toyotacelicaonline.com/historyb.htm

 

I owned a blue ( Iris Pearl ) 1995 ST for six years ( 1995-2001) . Beautiful car....I think the best-looking coupe I ever owned, body-style-wise. Handled well in spite of 70-series high-profile rubber...and rode fairly well for a sport coupe.....but came with crappy Goodyear Invicta tires that started howling at 5000 miles or so. Dumped them at 15K and got much quieter Goodyear Regattas. Repairs were minimal......the powertrain was Corolla-based and virtually bulletproof....but the 1.8L 7A-FE engine with the 4-speed automatic was borderline underpowered at only 110 HP...somewhat less so with the 5-speed manual. The interior, despite being all-black, was well-done and built of very high-quality materials.....IMO better than what Toyota is using today.

The GT had only 20 more HP ( 130 ) , more standard features and options, ( including a convertible ), a stiffer suspension, and lower-profile tires that rode noticeable more harshly.
Both models were available in both hatchback and coupe form until near the end of the model run when the coupe was dropped. A 25th Anniversery model with special logo was produced in 1996.

There were a lot of jokes going around about these being " secretary's " cars but I disagree. Their beautiful looks IMO more than made up for a lack of power.

 

great info. i appreciate all the input you gives are giving. does the GT come in auto???

 

Yes, it does.

 

My x bought a 04 model but he bought the GT-S which is the top of the line model..
I wasnt real impressed with it and I personally wouldnt buy one but if she wants one tell her to look into the GT-S model..


and it does come in a automatic too!

 

Sharp looking cars torquey engine nice colors to like solar yellow oceanspray mettallic and whatever the purple was called. I like the styling of the 94-95 better but the 96-99 had the better looking machine finished wheels. If you want somting special 96 had the anniversary edition and the 97 had a special edition essentially the same car.

 

i've been looking through the local classifieds and there isnt much 6th gen celicas for sale. is paint oxidation a common probelm with these cars?? i've seen a few on the road with oxidation problems..

 

No but the darker colors will oxidize...especially with a 11 year old car that wasn't garaged or maintained well.

 

The 94-95 and 96-99 were pretty much the same car. It was not substantially redesigned until 2000...with the Matchbox Hot-Wheels look. The " purple " was not purple at all. It was called Bright Iris Pearl...a beautiful blue. I had that color on my 95 Celica. Solar yellow was indeed a color that was offered at least through '95 ( don't remember any after that ) but there were few takers, and usually dealers special-ordered them. That color was later offered on the next-gen Celica ( but not in 2000) , the MR2, and the Lexus IS300.