Playnthru's 1983 Toyota Celica ST

[playnthru]

Well, as some of you know i sold my 2006 Pontiac GTO. It was great car that served me well since 2007. I bought it new from a dealership that had 30+ new GTO's hoping to sell them to their local High-performance driving school at button willow raceway believe?

Here is my parting shot of said GTO.

My 2006 Pontiac GTO/farewell old friend by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

Having sold the goat I was in need of something cheap and reliable to use as a daily driver. I really wanted a small Japanese wagon to haul my kids around in but I haven't found the right one yet. When I came across what i'm calling a "survivor" 1983 Toyota Celica ST, i had to snatch it up! This car has 153,xxx miles since new and i am the third owner. It's been well maintained and has never had any accidents in it's 32 years on the road. The interior is "mint" with zero rips or tears in the seats.

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

ugly seat covers

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

The car has very little rust and seems to run like a champ. It features the near bulletproof 22R/5-spd combo that is as common as dirt making parts cheap and easy to find.

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

There is one small dent on the left rear above the bumper seen here.

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

otherwise the body is really straight.

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

In the few days since taking ownership I replaced the air filter and am currently having new shocks/struts installed to replace the originals. I also ordered a new cap & rotor and will purchase spark plugs and wires when the other parts arrive.

1983 Toyota Celica ST/new shocks and struts by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

 

[GDII]

Sweet Celica. Don't see many around here. I actually don't think I have seen one of these before in the flesh.

 

[Joey D]

My mom had one of these when I was little and I've pretty much always loved them. I've been looking for one in decent shape and if I can find one, I'll probably end up with one as my project/weekend car.

Really jealous 👍

 

[Katiegan]

Looks like a really solid and clean car! Congrats on the purchase. 👍

 

[Legro]

Nice. I love seeing clean old late 70s/80s/early 90s cars in great condition like this. Especially the interior seems nice.

 

[Spacegoat]

Wow, looks to be in awesome condition for it's age. Cool find, congrats. 👍

 

[playnthru]

Update: The new shocks and struts are installed and have proven to be money well spent! The car handles well and absorbs bumps with ease. While i won't go as far to say it rides like a new car, it does ride really nice for a 32 year old vehicle. And..I am having a absolute blast driving this light little RWD car around town!

I also had a locally known Toyota shop give the car a good "used vehicle" inspection and compression test. The biggest issue they found was the nearly ten year old tires. The age was their concern, the tires themselves have plenty of tread with no signs of cracking or dry rot. The service manager inspected them and said they looked great and didn't see any safety concerns at all. The compression was between 135-140 across all four cylinders.

The next issue to address is the radio as it only works when it wants to. While i could try to fix the original AM/FM unit i have instead decided to upgrade a bit. Tomorrow, i am having a new Bluetooth capable Alpine CD player installed. I also opted for some higher quality Memphis Car Audio factory replacement speakers (3 & 4 inch in size ). They should provide decent sound without cutting up an original car. I can also add a amplifier and even a sub-woofer later down the road if i choose to. I will post some pictures after it's installed tomorrow.

Until then here's some shots from Avila beach CA.

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

1983 Toyota Celica ST by Sean Moylan, on Flickr

 

[GDII]

I didn't notice it in the first picture but damn, love the white painted steel wheels with factory centre caps and chrome lip insert.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

That is mint indeed! But.. I can't help but suggest Gr.B look-a-like build. IMHO that is the only way to go with these notchback coupes.

 

[eiriksmil]

No; although I see where you're coming from there aren't that many cars as OG as this one left..

I'm envious of easy access to clean, old Japanese metal in Cali that hasn't rusted away. This thing is awesome. Also the San Luis Obispo area is maybe my #1 place to retire if I retire early..