2nd and 3rd gen Celicas?

Are these cars any good? And do they have any aftermarket support? I keep seeing them cheap on my Craigslist search and I am curious.

They're good, not much aftermarket support off the shelf anymore, but pretty easy to adapt AE86 parts, so you can really do anything to them.

If you want power, the MKiii supra swaps aren't hard.

Really I am casually keeping my eye out for a good deal on a first gen but the second and third gen keep popping up.

I talked to I guy quite a while back that was selling a first gen. I can look and see if I still have his email and phone number if you want.

I've had a first and third gen, and some experience with a fifth.

The first gen was the sexiest car I've ever owned (I had a liftback), but utterly let down by the 20R. Horrible motor for that car. I think the 3T-C would be the better option of the USDM motors (if it was a 3T, I think it might've been the 2T).

The third-gen was a car we bought to flip (it was an automatic), but it was a decent little driver. If I got another RWD Celi, I'd want a third-gen (or a Mk II Supra, but I'm not a fan of the 5M-GE and I don't think 7Ms are an easy swap).

The 5th gen was an ST, so it had the 4A-FE instead of a 5S, but even being FWD was still an absolute blast to scoot around in. Handled great once we threw a set of decent struts under it, too.

^What he said, except a 7m swap is really quite easy.

Speaking of... John Lunsford's 7mgte powered 1st gen Celica is for sale right now. It's a 10 second reliable daily driver.

The 20R isn't great. You can either go torquemonster and drop in a 22R, or the "good" engine for that car was the 18rgeu. The 3tc never came in the Celica that i'm aware of, but i could be wrong. My knowledge of the 2t/3t is with the Corollas they came in, don't remember if they found their way into the Celica. Probably did. A 3tc + boost in a 1st Celica would be a RIOT.

+1 for 5th gen. Beautiful, cheap, incredibly reliable and good-handling cars.

I am only really interested in a RWD Celica.

Do you have any links for the 7MGE swap?

Not off the top of my head.... i'd just search google for "Celica 7m swap," seems to be lots of discussion there.

I know it can't be THAT hard, there's a ton of them out there, and the Celica and Supra shared the Celica chassis through MKii Supra.

So I keep seeing stuff about fitting the 7MGE in the Celica and they keep talking about RA65 and MA61. It seems it will fit easily in the MA61 and not the RA65.

2nd gen and a 2/3RZ, the only other engine I'd consider is a properly built 7AGE(200hp and 150#/ft) done and done

Had a Supra mkII once... I liked it, prettiest of all the Supras

93EXCivic wrote: So I keep seeing stuff about fitting the 7MGE in the Celica and they keep talking about RA65 and MA61. What does this mean?

RA65 is the last rwd Celica GT-S that uses the same IRS as the mkll Supra. The MA61 would be the mkll Supra

In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:

You're right, they didn't come with T-blocks before the went to 20Rs, they came with 18R-Cs and 8Rs before that. Ugh.

If I ever have another first gen, IMO the perfect motor for that car would be a 3S-GE.

I think a 22R Turbo truck motor would be an easy way to make power...

ReverendDexter wrote: In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac: You're right, they didn't come with T-blocks before the went to 20Rs, they came with 18R-Cs and 8Rs before that. Ugh. If I ever have another first gen, IMO the perfect motor for that car would be a 3S-GE.

The 18RG is a nice motor, though!

I also agree with 3sge. A RWD BEAMS 3sge would be just what the doctor ordered.

1uzfe has been done in a few

as well as the s2k motors, 1jz, 2jz and 5m/7m

My sister had a 2nd gen. hardtop. They are "nice" cars (her's was an automatic), but really, the best things you can say about them is that they are/were well put together and look good...even today. A different sister had a '74 Capri with the V6. Guess which car was the more memorable to drive?

BTW, I see 3rd gens. around my area for sale, too. The FWD models, being newer, are more prevalent. Personally? I think the 3rd gen. looks like a folded box. 2nd or 3rd? I think the 2nd is better looking.

Aesthetically I can't stand the 2nd gen. I think they're the ugliest Celicas outside of MAYBE the 4th gens, but the 4th gen was at least offered as a GT-4/AllTrac to make up for it.

The 2nd gen notch can look good if done right.

But yeah, from factory, BLARGH.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: They're good, not much aftermarket support off the shelf anymore, but pretty easy to adapt AE86 parts, so you can really do anything to them. If you want power, the MKiii supra swaps aren't hard.

Suspenstion stuff from AE86 almost all works (on the solid axle cars). The engine, such as it is, has tons of support from the truck community. So, not a ton of support for the Celicas, but lots you can tap into.

My 22RE is balanced, 9lb. flywheel, header, underdrive pulleys... dunno, couple other things probably. Makes pretty good power down low, but they sure don't like to rev at all. It's a great engine for kicking around town and feels good when you take off, but you sure want to shift a lot. It is what it is. But the cars are great.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I know it can't be THAT hard, there's a ton of them out there, and the Celica and Supra shared the Celica chassis through MKii Supra.

The front of the MA61 Supra is longer than the RA64/65 Celica. They're the same from the A pillar back, but the front is actually different, not just the sheet metal. I've seen pictures of the swap, and they do fit, but it's not as easy as it sounds on first blush. Not super hard as I understand it, but not the factory drop in it first looks like.

If I was going to do a swap, I'd want to figure out how to get something like a 2ZZ, or maybe a 3SGTE into one. No idea what it would take to get one on a RWD transmission though. Oh, and the 22RTE didn't make a load of power either. It would be an easy swap and I know it's been done a number of times, but for the work, I'd want more. 2JZ has been done. That would be sweet.

I think the second gen Celicas look great. Third gen is an aquired taste, but EFI was factory and all the research I could do kept making me think they're lighter. Plus they have rack and pinion steering. If I was just building a street car, the second gen coupes look really nice. But the RA64 coupes, to me, are kinda cool looking. Just neat and different. I get a lot of thumbs up and waves with mine.

As has been said 5M & 7M don't fit so well into Celicas. It can and has been done just not recommended. Yes they are good cars. No there is no aftermarket, you gotta adapt parts from other cars that are close, mainly AE86 stuff and other 70's-80's RWD Toyotas.