The Forgotten 1985 Toyota Celica GT-S Convertible Cost More New Than A Supra, 300ZX, or Camaro Z28
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- While prolific in their time, the third generation Toyota Celicas are now few and far between - before this one, I probably hadn't seen one on the road in 20 years, and only a spattering at collector auctions. I presume this is because most of them got used up, and people never considered them as collectible as the Supra.
This is a shame, because not only did the Celica predate and launch the Supra, it has a storied history spanning 36 years and seven generations, including some racing victories and very special editions.
This 1985 Celica GT-S is one of those editions - in total, less than 4500 were made (200 in 1984, the rest in 1985), and they were expensive - shockingly so. The conversion done by ASC added over $6K to the base GT-S price of $11500, putting the MSRP on these cars in the mid $17s - a thousand more than the cost of a Supra, a few hundred more than a 300ZX, and encroaching on to BMW E30 and Porsche 944 territory. I'm not surprised so few were built.
This 3rd generation Celica GT-S shares much with the Supra - everything from the A-Pillars back is the same, as are the wheels, the brakes, the suspension, and the incredible sport seats. Fender flares and graphics gave these cars very sporty appeal, though the 2.4 liter 22R-E engine was significantly less potent than the Supra's inline 6. Otherwise, the balance and handling of this car was phenomenal, and the fuel economy very good.
This is a full review and test drive by Bill of a very well preserved 1985 Celica GT-S Convertible, along with an in-depth look at the prior generations and development of what was a very popular Toyota at the time.
Vehicle is for sale at Autohaus of Naples, on the web at www.AutohausNap..., or by phone at (239) 263-8500.
I do a shot every time you go on a tangent about animals, say "for the love of god", mention kids, guns, Canadians, or Dalton. It's now my favorite drinking game. Best channel on UA-cam.
I'm honored - thank you.
you forgot the goats!
How the hell do you get through one of Bill's uploads without worrying about your imminent liver transplant? Cheers.
I would add that I take a bonus shot for weather reports and goat sightings.
I wait for "shit' or other versions like "piece of shit', ape shit or shitty
The thing I like about Bill is that he is focused on describing the car and the history behind it and relevant world events at the time. He doesn't go into crap about transcendentalism or over the top slamming of the car.
Go back and watch his review of the Maserati Ghibli! Changed my entire perception of the car I thought I enjoyed because of the perception of "hand-built!" lmao!!
This era Celica and Supra were the best looking Toyotas back in the day. Wanted a Celica GT-S notchback badly when these came out.
I Agree
The Hero car of the early to mid 80s was actually the Mitsubishi Starion.
It's success on the Racing/Rally scene was incredible with 22 victories across it's lifetime.
The AWD model was definitely the fastest car of it's era with 250kw only weighing 920kg.
@@brantleyfoster021 Yes! I was and remain a big Starion fan. That, the Celica and the Prelude are my 3 favorite '80s cars.
@@Steve-uw5bf
The 3rd gen Prelude with it's mechanical 4WS system was incredible & the best handling car in the world at the time.
The best Toyota of this era to me was actually the AE86.
But the Starion was definitely the hero car of this era, everyone thinks the AE86 introduced drifting to the world but the Starion could drift & came out a full year earlier & enjoyed alot more pro racing victories at the time.
@@Steve-uw5bf
I liked alot of the 70s Celica's too.
RWD, NA & lightweight is a good combo for racing.
Love these mixed retro reviews always something unique and different each time. You are a true gent Bill don't ever change.
Bill is a talented storyteller and he truly has made isolating a little more bearable.
Semitic. Talking weather 😒 n you!! AUTOMOBILE 🚘 🚗 🚘
"isolating" BAAAHAHAHAHAHA
Bill you are a hoot! The more I listen to you the more I realize these videos are like therapy for you but I love it. Your very knowledgeable and hysterical. Great combination.
So much history behind one car Bill... amazing knowledge. In 1984 My ex wife got a new 84 Supra, 2 tone Maroon, auto 6 cylinder. Same blow up lumbar for the drivers seat. Drove that car all over, remember one long trip from Staten Island NY to upstate NY.. driving it on those twisty roads brings back many memories. 2 years later I bought a new 1986 MR2, bright red with black and gray cloth seats. 5 speed manual... loved that car. Kept it for 7 years, sold it with 73k miles and never changed the brake pads nor rotors... didnt do one major repair in 7 years, nothing broke down... changed my oil myself every 3k miles... true testament to their build quality and reliability. Should’ve stuck with Toyota from that point on. SMH. Wound up going American for the next 15 years (Ford, Mercury, Buick) then mostly German and Swedish until 2019 with 2 Acuras (a 1992 Legend L 4 door bought in 2002, one of the best I’ve ever owned after my current 2013 ES350 and a 1992 NSX manual bought in 2005. What a blast, like a giant go cart that stuck to the road.
In 2019 I bought my current ride (car #20) a 2013 Lexus ES350 with then only 30,009 miles... now 2 years later with 42,500 miles haven’t sunk a dime into except 2 synthetic oil changes that i did myself. Damn. Lexus/Toyota forever. In hindsight probably would be just as happy getting the previous gen ES350 a 2008-2010 model with higher mileage... would’ve saved about 6k at the time,but what the hell, my 6th gen 2013 is sleeker and newer. Rambling here but this Toyota brought back so many great memories, thanks for posting it.
The supras with the 5mge engines were terrible. Low oil pressure oil pumps killed the OHC. Toyota knew all about it . At about 80k miles they detonated thus ending their legendary durability. Took mine to a dealer with a tapping noise , they didn’t even open the hood their reply was “ it’s about $2500 to fix and you are out of warranty “.
I'm sure everyone can relate to every one of Bill's struggles, frustrations he encounters throughout these priceless reviews,Bill you are so real, and we all appreciate you more than you know
I test drove one of these new in 1984 at a dealer in Jacksonville, FL. The car was white with black top and gray interior. The window sticker was $16000.00 in 1984. That is $41300.00 in 2021 money! This example is really clean! 👍😎👍
Bill, I just love your commentary. My wife and I grew up in Naples and now live in North Carolina and we get a kick out of your early spring annoyance with the hot, humid weather. Most people we know from Naples constantly talk about how wonderful the weather is year-round. It’s nice to have some realistic perspective.
Most importantly, I think you do a great job researching the history of the cars and presenting them for us to look at. Keep up the good work!
“Uploaded 22mins ago” here so early Dalton is still cleaning windows
But as we all know, ultimately, not clean enough.
Allegedly.......
1:22 the exasperating sigh we all live for.
28:53 too.
Noticed that as well good catch hoss.
Love these Celicas! I had 2 1982 hatchbacks and also a 1981. Owned them in my late teens and early twenties and drove them all very hard and I just couldn't break them. All of them were 5 speed cars but living in Canada meant the bodies rusted away long before the drivetrains even thought about failing. If I had the extra coin to warrant a fun summer car, I'd buy this today. But I don't, so I'll just pine.
Great video as always. 👍
I am absolutely hooked on your videos and stories 😃. Great work Bill. Be well 👍.
My '85 Toyota Pickup had the 22RTE motor. I miss that truck.
When I was stationed at Ft Bragg in the '80's, the Toyota dealership had a huge lot full of those pick ups and would sell out every week. Had new soldiers coming in all the time, and since we had a steady paycheck and could have the payments automatically taken out of our pay, the Toyota dealer loved us GI's.
Those were terrific trucks, and ones still running can bring a lot more $$ than most 35 year old vehicles. ...Imo, they're classics!
I’m going to stop saying “another awesome video“ I promise!
I really enjoyed this video and it certainly brought back a truckload of memories for me. I’m always impressed with the level of detail that you provide in each video. I certainly appreciate all the hard work and effort you put into pumping these out.
Wow. Seeing these cars of my youth in "like new" condition is amazing. My first car was a 1974 260Z, and I would love to see the early Z and ZX (pre-300 series) in this condition.
Full gauge package!! Now I have to go watch the Motorweek review of this car so I can hear John Davis blow his load when describing it.
Bill, you are one of a kind, sir. Keep it coming! Love from the only 91 Prelude owner from Canada. Keep shoving crazy Canucks in the backseat, brother.
Where Does he find these this is amazing examples .This car is incredible and rare in this condition and today is still better than thing new
I love listening to you Bill. You're hilarious and I love the cars! Your goat stories 🤣
My boss had a coupe version, seemed so futuristic compared to my Cutlass!
I'm a newcomer to the channel, and it took me a few videos to "get it"! Now I love it! :-)
I was in tears I was laughing so hard at the back seat going down! Thank you Bill for always keeping me entertained with your reviews!
The back bumper looks like a boarding platform on a jetski!
I really appreciate the amount of time you put into researching the history of these cars. Loving the content 👍
A few years before Peak Toyota but a nice car overall. Back when their engineers used to ask “what do people want and how do we make it indestructible?”
Around 1990-92 Toyota went all out. You could get the "almost a Lexus" Camry, or something like a friend bought, a '92 Corolla Coupe. Other than a few RX7s, most of my experiences with Japanese cars were 1970's/80's econoboxes. I realize it was a series of year to year improvements, but it felt like a huge jump in quality.
I had a 1985 black GT hatchback. First vehicle I bought on my own. It was a gift to myself for graduating college. Cost me $12,700.00.
We passed through Biscayne Bay on our 42 ft sailing Yacht for a whole summer in 2010 and the heat was torturous while we were their. But I still love Florida and maybe I will come back and give you all a visit. Nicest people in the World in Florida.
Came here for the car stayed for the weather report. Love it. Keep this kind of content coming.
I love this car. Thanks for making these vids. They’ve helped me stay sane during this pandemic by taking me back to fun days in my past.
The way you pumped that ball Bill ...freaking hilarious 🤣🤣🤣
Bill you're such a good presenter, I'll bet all the cars you review sell in 5 minutes or less.
Toyota Celica GTS was the car of my youth....what a beautiful convertible
An absolute treasure today, Bill.. I had to spend over a half hr in a parking lot to watch- it was that important. What a great Celica one in such rare form. Yes a bit thin on storage ; p but interior still amazing. Those Supra seats will set you in place that I can tell you with joy and fervour.
The Mk 2 Supra is my favorite Japanese car design, and only 2nd to the Porsche 911. The seats in the Celica/Supra were always awesome looking too. Great video as always.
Guy down the street had a white one of these brand new when I was a kid. Lotta cool cars in the neighborhood, & even though we were muscle heads, we absolutely loved this thing.
I bet #ScottyKilmer would be interested in this ride. Anything Toyota for him. Especially his '94 Celica.
very nice car , think you could not get ist in Europe , in Germany i never see this car. Magna Steyr in Austria build alot of differnt cars an components for a 4 wheel drive. Sorry for the worth english , i wish you al the best at this easter weekend and i cant wait to the the next great video .
Am I the only one screaming at the screen just because he's not showing the popup headlights yet?
Pop-Up Up and Down Headliiiights!!!
Sorry wrong channel.
Yes
Love the cars that u preview on this channel...I am an 80s kid and a car enthusiast and I look forward to seeing what u buy. It is truly a highlight of my day. Thanks
Those seats flying down was hilarious. I love this generation of Celica
My first new car was an 1983 Celica ST coupe, 5-speed with a/c, $7995. With the super skinny 175SR14 stock tires, it was awful. Went back to the dealer and had them put on a nice set of Carroll Shelby wheels and bumped up to a to 70 series tire (Radial TA's no less) and voila, nice. As stock parts wore out, better performing ones replaced suspension wise, and the jump to the 60 series tire made the car incredible. It would not win any drag races, but twisties and traffic gauntlets were a blast. Was clocked at 115 by a friend. What a fun car. I've dreamed of GTS notches ever since. Not a convertible guy, however I never had one so who knows. IMO the convertible is gorgeous.
The memories were flowing with this vid! Thanks so much. Your vids always crack me up and make my day :) .
Where in the heck do you find these cars? You must have a great contact that owns the lot behind the old Matlock tv set.
Great video !!!! I loved your knowledge and introduction. Awesome !!!! I own one of these. You are spot on about the folding rear seats. Try having your kid in a booster seat back there and accidentally hitting the top down button. My daughter is fine till this day. :) Your Celica GTS is beautiful!!!! In your trunk, where the rear shocks poke through. There should be a black plastic cap over the protruding shock mounts. It protected the original glass window and top sliding over it when the top is lowering. There is an aftermarket company online that manufactures those. By the way, your original boot can retail on eBay for around $500 upto $1000. And your original equalizer radio is impossible to find. If you got an extra one, please let me know.
Great review Bill on this iconic Japanese sporty compact from the 1980’s. A great time to be alive versus today. Glad you got your shot. I am getting mine tomorrow. My brother had a 1984 Supra which was gorgeous and fast. I miss those great in-line 6’s from years ago.
You are EPIC!!!!!!!!!!! Don't stop, perfect!
Ever think about keeping a few of these for yourself, Bill? You deserve it!
Oh, the memories this video has brought back. First, the girl next door, well, down the street actually, whose dad bought her a 2nd gen Celica notchback coupe. Her dad had a Porsche 912 and a Datsun 240Z over the years. She drove that thing till it practically rusted out from underneath her. She's not my wife, but she has been married to the same man for decades. From her Facebook posts, where many of my classmates show their ugly side, she's sweet as ever.
I read Car and Driver during the '80s, also the occasional issue of Road and Track, and their Sports & GT Guide from time to time. Of the third generation of Celica, I wanted the car the convertible was based off of, the GT--S coupe. I could imagine myself driving a black one, same interior as that convertible, with the stereo that looked like a high end Technics/Pioneer/Kenwood home stereo, but with a five speed. At that time, I didn't have the money for it, though.
Now that Scion is gone, I don't know why the car that they call the 86 is not instead called Celica. It's exactly where that name needs to be in the Toyota lineup.
Yeah both the Celica and the Prelude need to come back! Too many damn SUVs, cars now probably won't happen -even though yes the 86 should've been called Celica. Some marketing idiot probably told Toyota it was too fem of a name or something. Ugh.
Thanks Bill. You helped your followers through this pandemic and it’s great to know that we helped you. Enjoy the weekend.
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Great video. I remember these cars in high school, so cool. But never a convertible. So rare.
I got an ‘85 Supra in ‘90 after I graduated college. It had 63k mi on it and was in mint condition (the 2 owner only drove it in the summers so it never saw salt…this was in NY). It was a midnight blue metallic, 5-speed manual and was one of the best cars I ever owned. I drove it until ‘95 when it had 167,000 mi. No issues until the end (started burning oil) when I traded it in. I still miss that car. That in-line 6 was amazing, the interior was like being in a fighter-jet…buttons everywhere (I loved it!). And as you said, those seats were SO comfortable. Plus, it was practical…the hatchback held a lot and it had Toyota reliability. Good times…
I always have loved the supras from the '70s and '80s. I owned a 1980 Supra, and the engine caught on fire. I left it on the side of i-70 in indiana. LOL after that, I worked for John elway toyota, yes the quarterback of the Denver broncos back in the '80s. We had a memo that came out that stated that Toyota of North America had done an inventory, and found that there were 22 1988 Celica supras that were left in Long Beach California at the shipping yard. Through the years of sitting there, the California Sun took its toll on the paint and some of the soft tops. I remember that our dealership received 8 of those cars, and they sure came in Sun faded! I worked in the detail department and we work on those cars for a couple days to try to get the paint all restored. I remember that one of our mechanics bought one, and one of the sales people bought one. I think the rest went out for sale as new cars, because they were never purchased yet by the public. Very interesting cars. This brought back a lot of memories. :)
I petition that your videos must be 60 minutes minimum.
I always love getting my daily dose of Bill. Couldnt stop laughing at the beginning of the video.
In the early 80's, there were far less Toyota dealerships than today. There were Govt import quotas on the cars but not on the small pickups. There might be a dozen cars at the dealership and customers could buy one of those or they would buy one off a manifesto list taped to the wall of what was coming in. They would put a deposit down, sign their name to the list next to their car. The delivery trucks would show up about every 10 days, cars would be prepped, AC added in service along with CPP (Consumer Protection Plan or buff n fluff) for $595, all lined up and customers called to come and get them. Tercels were $4995, Corollas $5995, the brand new Camry $7995-$8995, Cressida $12995, Celicas averaged $7995-$10995 and Celica Supra at $14995. Those small pickups ran $4995-$10995.
I had one of these, and really loved it. They only came in red, black, and white. Mine was all black, as the black front and back panels were used with the other two colors. It was a rare five speed manual with a perfectly placed short throw shifter that was a dream to use. The original top was padded and had a glass rear window with a defroster. The three piece fiberglass boot to cover the top when it was down had to be stored in the trunk, where it took up a lot of space. There was no convertible Celica for 1986 when Toyota went to the front wheel drive generation four, but a new version returned for 1987. By then, the hard edges of the car became softened, leaving the 1985 as a one year type. The square design of those Supra wheels is definitely a design masterpiece!
Nice.
Don't recall these but we bought a like new '83 Celica GT lift back in '85. Car was great but we went thru alot of cars in the '80s and '90s..
This is one my wife agree we should have kept.
I've seen 1 in the last 5 years. That was probably the first in 10 years.
My first car was a celica... Loved it..1995 model though...
I believe people have some connection with their first cars.
@@crownviclx2000 hope u mean that in a good way....in ireland we get screwed on engine sizes..so the bigger the engine the more motor tax u pay....so no nice V8s for me😕😭
My dad, a mechanic, fixed what I believe was an '82 Supra for a client. Completely black, 5 speed, and I believe it had the digital dash. It was so badass. This was back in the mid 90's, when I first got my license. Wished it could have been my first car, but I wound up with an old Chevy station wagon. Anyway, Toyota has long been my loyal brand, except for a five year gap when I had to drive my wife's horrible Nissan. I'm on my second Corolla now, and I love it. Toyotas rule!
Had to laugh when that back seat shot forward. Crazy. Also in Naples you nailed it on the weather. Another interesting vehicle. Thanks. Look forward to the next video.
That rear seat flipped forward like some sort of death trap! I laughed so hard I was in tears!
23:08 No kidding... is that how the seats flipped forward from the factory? How did Toyota accomplish such an impressive amount of force, large springs under tension on the seat-back pivot point?
Yeah we had one of these '85 GT-S models, Toyota was freakin' serious about those seat flips! You could bang your head into the dash if you were not careful. My '79 Celica was similarly tensioned.
Manual transmission in these was like butter. It transformed the drive.
This is truly one beautiful car! I remember these when I was a youngster in the 80s. My aunt used to have a black 1979 Celica lift back in a 5speed. It had the lampshade style rear window shade & all. I loved that car!
Great car and buy! I'm restoring an 85 GTS hatchback 5 speed in red right now. 325k miles before the restoration and will be passing it down to my kids with fond memories growing up in the car.
Ford Cantina sounds like a Tex-Mex roadhouse, or a place to grab a cerveza after a shift at the Hermosilllo assembly plant.
I believe that you meant Cortina.
Had a doppelganger to this car back in college. Unbelievably great car.
I seriously miss the pump action air bladders for back support in the seats.
I loved this generation of both models. To this day I remember staring transfixed at my October 1981 copy of Motor Trend, the one where a red gen II ‘82 Supra practically leapt right off the page the way the lens exaggerated the already prominent, vaguely-Italian hood - that f***** grabbed my 15 year old throat and refused to let go. I’m still in love.
My 1st car was an '85 Celica ST. It was white, had custom pin stripes and the exact same wheels. It was rear wheel drive and had a 5 speed manual. It was a great little car.
My sister's first car was a '78 Celica hatchback hich she bought in the mid 80's. Nice looking car and a lot of fun to drive! Great review!
Gee you can really tell this guy is in love with his detailer.. You know I would rather tear all of my nails off with a pair of pliers than work for this guy
I owned an '85 Celica GT-S hatchback with a 5 spd manual....great handling car. Thanks for the review.
Every time I watch one of these videos from him, he is on a tangent about the horrible weather! 😂😂😂
1985 the year I graduated high school....great year for cars for sure.
I was selling these in the 80s and production was delayed and limited because chassis was not re-inforced properly. We could not get enough of the GTS models!
I had a black '83 Celica Supra back in high school... still miss that thing to this day.
Wow dude . Your channel it’s awesome you have shown some cars from my early teens that I’ve had forgotten. Thanks for the videos another awesome car I loved when I was a kid 🙏😁. Brings me some great memories
Great discussion on the history of the Celica, Bill. Nice job.
Three reviews in a week! I love it
Only 3 tries to get the month right - and I thought you took a Covid shot every morning!
These vids are a highly light for me love them and the cars. Keep up the great work Bill. Being from the uk it’s great to see all the cars and I do love coming over to the US. 👍👍
For the love of god, this vlog is great
Couple of my army buddies got the notchback new. They loved it. Great car!
I love the way you get a weather update at the start of his video and how he digresses off subject on the animal update it’s hilarious.
YOU'VE GOT MY DREAM CAR!! Super awesome!!!! Thanks for the post!!! Cheers! From Mike T in Del Rey California.
Hey Bill! Thanks for the video! They make my day. Ben in Pa.
I bought an 82 Mazda 626 Special Edition because the 84 Supra was a little more than my E-4 Navy pay (VP-46, NAS Moffet Field, Ca) could handle. I so wish I had saved up a little more. They both were great cars as we all now wonder 🤔 what if...
Another great trip back down memory lane, thanks Bill.
Love, love this car. I was a teenager too when this came out. I love the sound of that 2.4 liter engine. Thank you for the wonderful video.
Your knowledge is remarkable but your conversational style is one of the things that really separates you from the myriad of car reviews on UA-cam. Plus - you remind me of Rich Eisen!
Keep up the good work!
Love this car!! My cousin had a hard top with the same wheels in a 5 speed..but it was brown over tan. So you were a freshman in HS in '85 like me! Makes sense that you hail from the same vintage as I identify with a lot of your references. Absolutely agree about the C&D writers from that era, I still have many mags in storage. You've done another good one my friend! Keep at it.
This little car is gorgeous. oh my god, my piano instructor had one. i lusted over this thing when i was 8.
That instrument cluster. Brings back nostalgia.
Great review, Bill! Cool Celica. You sure don't see those anymore. A real throwback to my youth.
My first car in high school was a spanking new 1984 Celica GTS. What a great car.
Im headed to Florida in a few years--to retire---BUT---I will apply here for my second round in LIFE---love this place and their cars----and this dude is FUNNY AS HELL :)
Miss my ‘85 convertible. Incredible chick magnet in an age when convertibles had long since disappeared. Even my sister’s basic ‘84 Celica was a hoot.
I had a silver 82 celica GT with the lean back headlights...I loved that car....traded it in a few years later for an Isuzu Impulse, which lasted me a decade.
Another great video goes down well with a nice cold beer! Perth Western Australia.
Cheers Bill !!
I'm addicted to this channel. Hilarious comments. Love the firearm references. Thanks for giving us something to look forward to.
Great example. I’ve always liked that body. Muscular and chiseled. I’m glad to hear that you were playing the system well to take care of yourself and your best interests.
I have had a 68 Corona, 72 Carina, 2 76 Corolla SR5's (long story) and an 85 Celica GT. I love Toyota's