Celica GT wanted

[ace8800]

Hi people, 

Im looking  to get a Celica GT 2006/7 and wanted to know what to look out for. . Any advice?

[JayG]

Not sure if you'll be back to check on this post as it's been a while.

• Most important for the Celica is evidence of regular oil changes, ideally every 5k. If there is missing service history and the mileage on the MOT history indicates it's been doing 10k plus a year, I'd likely walk away as I'd not trust that many folks service their car more than once a year. The risk here is that without regular oil changes it could have become an oil eater, although this was largely resolved in 03 models onwards, they are merely less prone to this problem and not immune. Regular oil changes are critical for the Celica.
   
• For a GT or VVTL-i, test the lift kicks in at 6200rpm, it's common for the lift bolts to fail preventing the lift from kicking in. It's not costly to repair and could make for a good negotiating point if the current owner isn't very savvy
   
• The radiators are prone to leaking typically at the bottom corners, they often start out as very slow leaks that can take weeks to spot. All the plastic engine under trays make it very difficult to inspect properly when viewing a car. Keep an eye on your coolant like a hawk for the first couple of months if you pick one up and the radiator hasn't evidently been replaced. I've had two Celicas now and I've had to replace the radiators on both of mine.
   
• The rear boot struts are prone to failure, especially with the giant rear wing of the GT. Cheap fix though
   
• Not too common but the rear springs have been known to collapse/snap, the springs are cheap enough to replace but access to them isn't much fun.
   
• The rear brake disk calipers are prone to corrosion/seizing, be wary of anyone who says the brakes need doing as you could get stung having to replace or refurbish calipers.
   
• For VVTL-i / GT models, just be aware that some parts are becoming increasingly difficult to get hold of compared to the 140 model.
   
• The only difference between the VVTL-i and a GT is that the GT sits 30mm lower from the factory and has the giant rear wing and side skirts. Everything else is the same.