Gen 6 Celicas

[KPARRIS-JONES]

Hi all,

A Gen 6 Celica pulled up beside me the other day and I just couldn't stop looking at it. I've been following the build thread in here too and there is just something about them that really gets my attention much like my AE92 did.

I definitely want to become the owner of one some day, but I have no idea about what trim levels to look at or what engine they have etc.

I know about the GT4'a and 3S-GTE engines because I know a few people who have them, but I would like to learn some more about them to help me decide which one to go for in the future.

What is the line of engines they had?

Where there any face0lift versions?

Which were the most/least powerful?

And finally, what sort of price am I looking at for one in next to perfect condition?

Thank for taking the time to read this, advice/help is much appreciated. ;)

KP

[KPARRIS-JONES]

So no one knows anything about Gen 6 Celicas? :P

[GT4 BOOSTER]

engines - 3sgte , 3sge ,3sfe .

if you going to buy a gen 6 ,my advice if you have plenty o cash is the gt4 , but bare in mind these cars are old now and parts are expensive , the front suspension can cost upto £600 per side to have the "superstrut suspension" changed . but once thats done these cars are pretty much bomb proof .

the british gen 6 ( not gt4 ) had the 3sge lump as did the jap ss2 , 2 litres of red lining performance with a better top end speed over the lesser powered 3sfe which is found in the jap ss1 and the rav 4 .

facelift happened in 1996 ish , new front bumper and indicators ,clear wing indicators ,nothing major really.

buy an import as its going to be in better condition than a uk model , a fresh import would be ideal , a one thats not been fiddled with as the !Removed! like their performance mods . this way you know its standard and not been thrashed , you can mod it yourself over time . if you test drive a gen 6 3sge or 3sfe , find a straight road and at 40mph let go of the steering wheel if it pulls to the left/right radically , walk away - its probably been front ended .another common problem on the gen6 was the rear antiroll bar knocking, this is a cheap fix but the noises are horrendous and headbanging, if you test drive a gt4 however you need to listen for knocks and bangs like metal to metal over small bumps and on lock to lock at the wheel , this is the sss worn and is big bucks to replace , everything else is simply a case of looking for accident damage,rust etc .

a quick look on autotrader , pistonheads , eBay , will give you an idea of prices , or even goto the gt4 owners website , plenty of lads on there selling their own very very well looked after and maintained beloved gt4's . Hope some of this info has cured your desires .

[KPARRIS-JONES]

Thanks that information is great!

Doesn't sound like much that I can't sort out, and prices for new parts - that's been crippling me for a while now and is nothing new to me. (My current car is a 1989 AE92).

From the sounds of it the ideal choice is between the 3SGTE and GT4 Celicas, I'll take a look for imports too to see what's what.

Thanks a lot that is very helpful,

KP

[GT4 BOOSTER]

prime example here http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201015356859445/sort/priceasc/usedcars/quantity-of-doors/2/maximum-age/over_10_years_old/transmission/manual/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/fuel-type/petrol/model/celica/make/toyota/radius/1501/page/1/postcode/sr81ll/image-id/1120907355?logcode=p

mileage is very close to when the superstrut gives in though. 59k on 1 of these babies is nothing at all.and its 16 years old. plus that one has abs which with the power is very much welcomed.

[KPARRIS-JONES]

You, sir, are a scholar and a gent.

Cheers, that sounds reasonable to me!

I'll let you know if I get my hands on one.

[GT4 BOOSTER]

the imports run better on super unleaded too , when i owned a st205 i fitted a manual boost controller which took it close to 300 bhp and cost me £30 , the effects were simply mind boggling , that was the "BEST" car i have ever owned , 1 day i put £20 of fuel in it , took my mate out for a spin , did 12 miles , "YES" 12 miles and the fuel light came on - Oh those were the days , needless to say i had 9 points after 9 months of ownership so i sold it .

[KPARRIS-JONES]

haha! I'll be keeping my eye out for one, I don't think that I have heard of a better value £/HP mod before! :o

Could I ask what a boost controller is? I have also heard of Turbo Timers, I'd be interested to know what they are. I am not one to shy away from technical jargon, I'm just new to turbos! :D

[GT4 BOOSTER]

stock boost on the st205 is mapped to 1.1 bar , but toyota sent them out at about 0.7 /0.8 bar to keep things cool and stop the pistons melting , a manual controller or electronic controller lets you over ride this and allows full boost , afaik a rise of 1psi of pressure gets you 10 bhp increase . doing this also allows full boost from cold in all gears .

turbo timers basically allow the engine to run on for about 5 minutes to allow the turbo to cool enough before it shuts down - waste of time in my opinion and an insurance nightmare - all you need to do is drive carefull the last 10/15 minutes of your journey "OFF BOOST" and temperatures will be fine - you could turn the blowers on full blast on red hot also if you wanted to .

im no gt4 expert by any means so this info may not be 100 % factual , but its pretty damned close to the truth before the flamers start .

[KPARRIS-JONES]

Cheers.

Ok makes sense to me.

So why would I want to get a boost controller which will up my boost to a point where my pistons melt? I don't mean to poke holes but I have to ask before I do if you know what I mean... :D

[GT4 BOOSTER]

1 bar is just about right for boost pressure for keeping it cool and not stressing the clutch and gearbox too much, after that you need forged pistons , maybe a front mounted intercooler to keep things cool . to be honest stock boost, 4wd and 259 bhp is quick enough . i never played with mine other than the boost controller and kn panel filter , some guys have spent 1000's upon 1000's modding these engines

just noticed 1 or 2 smart 1998 models on pistonheads , fresh in from japan , around 5 grand.

[KPARRIS-JONES]

Ok, thanks a lot mate. You've been a real help! ;)