My cousin is in the market for a fast car, he loves my zed but isn't really a RWD man :blink: I dont understand it either :lol:

 

He is thinking about getting a Celica GT4, years ago I had a ride in a tuned one I thought it was amazing but had very little to compare it against at the time. I know they are a 3SGTE engine and I don't think that the 500hp one Noz tuned has gone bang yet so that is a good start. I have read about the suspension joints being a known failure point, but other than that don't know much.

 

I suggested the Celica as I think you will get more for your money compared to shopping for an Evo, Scooby, or GTR.

 

What do people think, good car??? Bad points???

 

Thank you guys, I am interested to hear peoples experiences.

Chargecoolers are a weak point, as is the Superstrut suspension. 60k miles is the usual point the front suspension starts to call it a day and the clutch has a similar deadline. Check the exterior condition of the radiator top - if it's looks brown, it'll need replacing sooner rather than later.

 

Heavy cars. Not quite as cheaply tuneable as a lot of people believe, but still pretty rapid and a lot rarer on the roads than, say, a comparable Evo or Subaru. It's just a shame they never achieved the iconic status of the Escort Cosworth, etc.

 

I was tempted to get one before I got my Beams, Tom. I'd say expect to pay a minimum of £2k for a half-decent one... anything less than that and they could just be buying someone else's problems!

 

Best place to look is Celica Club as there's usually one or two for sale on there and, as with here, you can usually find a good few pages of information from the current owner as to any mods and how they've looked after it.

 

:)

Cheers Si, echoing what I've read elsewhere. He has 8 grand the mad ******* :lol: there are a couple for 5 that look good.

 

I would get this one :biggrin: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/toyota/celica/carlos-sainz-gt4--widebody-st185-turbocharged-4wd-special-wrc-ltd-rally-edition-extremely-rare--outstanding-condition/2249028

Can you have a look on there please mate, perhaps screen shot any good ones? Im not allowed in, they can sense my "4WD is cheating" attitude.

That's a beautiful CS, Tom!! :shock: Looks to be in superb condition and the OZ Chronos are a nice touch (although purists would argue that a set of Roulettes would be more in keeping).

 

Plus the ST185 doesn't have the Superstrut, which is (financially) a good thing.

 

I'll go and have a look now, mate :)

Not a single GT-Four for sale on there at the moment!! Except for my mate's ST165 that he rebuilt from the ground up, but it's not going to be a performance car in comparison to the later variants :(

http://gt4oc.net/gt4bay/auction_details.php?name=forged-st205-for-sale-scotland&auction_id=103440

 

Top one looks like a good buy. Shame there aren't more details.

Sounds decent on paper, that one :)

 

So here i have my pride and joy for sale, i bought this gt4 as a non runner (i found the thrust bearing in the sump lol) and have built it up to where it is today. The engine has recently (2,000 miles ago) been rebuilt (Forged), i have regularly changed the oil and filter, as you do, and there has been no issues with the running at all.

 

If you want to know anything else , just let me know.

 

I am looking for around the £4,500 mark, i am open to offers.

 

The Car is Located in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire (just outside Glasgow) Scotland.

 

MOT - Jan 2015

 

TAX - 30 June

 

The spec of my GT4 is ..

 

Body work -

 

well polished and looked after though with a few chips, and someone has scratched the passesngers door recently (car park).

 

C-one front splitter

 

Side skirts and rear spats

 

Carbon fibre bonnet spoiler

 

Wind deflectors

 

suspension -

 

Race TRD coilovers all round

 

New front wheel bearings (last year)

 

New front brake hoses (last year)

 

Uprated crush tubes with pollybuses

 

New front and back drop links

 

Whiteline adjustable anti roll bar on rear (with polly bushes)

 

Front strut brace (RT Preformance 3 point)

 

Rear strut brace (RT Performance 3 point)

 

Wheels and tyres -

 

Rota Force alloys in gunmetal grey 17" 8.25j

 

Michelin pilot sport 3's all with 5mm of tread

 

Brakes -

 

Front TRD fast road front pads

 

Front TRD front brake disks

 

Standard rear pads, disks and handbrake shoes

 

Engine -

 

Full Engine Rebuild 2,000 miles ago

 

Ported and polished head

 

Standard cams / pullys

 

Standard valves and springs

 

ARP head studs

 

Athena Head Gasket

 

Block bored out by 0.5mm

 

Wiesco 65.5mm forged piston heads

 

Eagle forged rods

 

ACL race series big end and main bearings

 

New water pump and oil pump

 

lightened pullys (Crank, altenator)

 

Full silicone hose kit (water and breather hoses)

 

TRD thermostat opens at 76 degrees (standard 82 degrees)

 

Gearbox oil cooler with braided hoses

 

Front mount set up

 

electronic (saxo/106) power steering pump with high presure hoses

 

Fuel -

 

Walbro 255ltr pump

 

Exhaust system -

 

De-cat Down pipe

 

Down pipe support bracket

 

Custom front section

 

Blits nur spec R system

 

Interior -

 

battery relocated to boot

 

stripped out back seats

 

Deep dish steering wheel

 

Guages (boost, volts, oil pressure, oil temp)

 

Dash LED kit

Tell him i will sell him my S15 twin Cam and he can spend the rest of the cash on the engine tune up lol

No way :blink: an s15 for how much? I thought they were big money?

lol Yeah, there is also a guy in ma local pub would tire you out listening to him on the gt4s lol oh boy its hard to try and change the subject once he gets started. lol

This is a dangerous game, looking at all these nice cars. It's probably just my boost withdrawl kicking in from having the car away at Mark's place.

 

"I'm saving for a house, I'm saving for a house..." :sweatdrop:

This is a dangerous game, looking at all these nice cars. It's probably just my boost withdrawl kicking in from having the car away at Mark's place.

 

"I'm saving for a house, I'm saving for a house..." :sweatdrop:

 

:lol::lol::lol:

How's about a nice quick 4wd legacy GTB with 320bhp? :)

My cousin is going to buy this tomorrow unless something is not as advertised when he test drives it.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/classifieds/used-cars/mitsubishi/evo-iv--vi/mitsubishi-lancer-evo-5-gsr-white-imported-2011-stunning-example/2283575

 

I don't really like evos but, thats mostly a cosmetic thing, then a 4wd thing, and I have never been in one. So its not a well founded dislike, it will probably be awesome :lol:

 

What I have said to him (based on computer games and things I've heard) is to be wary of the way they grip like hell then let go in a terminal way. That they are sensitive to lift off near unrecoverable oversteer. I know this o ly happens if youre going stupid but still feel like its worth the warning, made worse by the fact its on coilovers that are not necesarrily well chosen or set up.

 

What are peoples thoughts on evos and their behaviour when they run out of grip?

Evo bump :)

Whilst I can respect and, to a point, admire the power and grip that Evos (and Subarus) deliver, the visual leaves me stone-cold!

 

I've always loved coupes, so even saloons like the M3 and Sapphire Cosworth (back in the day) didn't have me drooling like a lot of people do. I'd rather have a good-looking body with reasonable power, like a GT-Four, than have an insane turn of speed and look like I've driven through Halfords! :lol:

 

That's just my opinion, of course. :)

Mate that is my opinion too. The only time I get excited by them is when I see glimpses of awesome parts,

 

A ceramic coated fancy flowed manifold through the bonet vent,

 

Mega brakes,

 

A sequential box,

 

Don't really like the fog lights :hurl:

:lol: just had a thought, "FUNKY SI! Come over here" :biggrin:

If I was ultimately concerned with power and grip and handling, I'd have never bought a Zed :lol: But I bought one because it's one of the most beautiful cars I've ever laid eyes on, it has more than enough power (even as standard) to back up it's looks and it's heritage, and even sitting on the drive as it is now, it NEVER fails to raise a smile when I see it. :)

 

An Evo, on my other hand, is a bit too clinical for my tastes. And a bit too "four door saloon" as well. Whilst I know that's part of the point of them: to be a practical car that's also lightning-fast, they just don't impress me :(

 

Had I been your cousin, I'd have either gone for an aforementioned ST205 (or the Carlos Sainz you linked to before) or I'd have snapped up the Celica SS-III that's on eBay at the moment!

 

But ultimately, if he gets the Evo, I hope he has an absolute whale of a time driving it - if that's what he wants, more power to him, Tom :thumbup1: