ESPECIALLY the 2zz i don’t know any other naturally aspirated 1.8L 4cylinders was reving to 9k making over 100hp per Liter in the 2000s. and still getting over 35 mpg. and i use mine to toe around my race bikes 🤣. it’s undoubtedly been the most reliable car i’ve ever owned.
The engine is “reliable enough”, sure, but the explanation for labelling it unreliable can be found in your comment, “made them last”, they require a bit more maintenance than a lot of other Toyota motors. That’s okay, it’s an engine well worth maintaining, but it has more than a couple of weak points that will make any good owner very conscious of their oil, oil temp, engine temp etc. Letting your oil run low one time could be enough to seriously damage a 2zz, whereas some engines seem to take punishment like they love it and keep going.
I just hear a lot of smack talk about both the 1zz and 2zz, even though it’s probably coming from people who just forgot to change their oil. Glad to hear it though, mine will make it there too 😎
A lot of the hate comes from other Celica fans. Usually, those that were fans of previous generations who had expectations that were not met with the 7th gen. I have 2 Celicas both 2001 GT's and I absolutely love them. The 1zz and 2zz engines are super reliable (after Toyo fixed the oil burning issue), the rev high and are super fun to drive.
The 2ZZ GE engine is super reliable. It gets any hate due to poor maintenance or Honda fan boys. Lotus didn't want this engine in their cars because it was poor performing and unreliable. However, that being said, maintenance is essential to a long life over 250K miles: 1. Regular oil changes - every 3000 miles with a good 5W 30 synthetic oil. 5W 40 can be used also. 2. Lift bolts. Pre 2002 models swap out lift bolts with newer design. Easy DIY job (unless broken bolt). 3. VVTi and VVTLi filters/OCV - clean every 20K (new filters or use carb cleaner). Easy job. 4. Oil pump is Achilles heel. If wrong downshift then the engine will implode. 5. Sump. If racing round tight corners at high revs, the 2ZZ does not have a baffled sump. You can get aftermarket sumps. MWR (Monkey Wrench Racing) supply Moroso baffled sumps. Some people use the 1ZZ sump (which is baffled ironically), but there are conflicting opinions on this being used on the 2ZZ as effective. 6. Oil Leaks. The 2ZZ can leak oil. Common areas as the timing cover gasket and the o ring on the timing chain tensioner. However, whenever fitting a new timing cover gasket change out all gaskets on cover including water pump and it is imperative 4/5 key areas RTV is used (usually where head meets block etc). There are some great videos out there. @2zzlow has some good ones for this job. 7. Every 15K clean out throttle body and MAF sensor. Change air filter every 5000K. Some good aftermarket ones out there also but standard Toyota filter does a decent job for everyday use. CAI for me is a better option than an aftermarket cone by the engine as it can suck in heat. Good cheaper end upgrades: 1. CAI filter 2. IK20TT Denso plugs 3. Cat Back exhaust (good quality one) 4. Consider better springs/shocks or a good set of coil overs. However, these can end up being costly for a good set up. Avoid cheaper ones on eBay etc. Bodywork: 1. Check sills and subframes. Surface rust can develop. So inspect those if in a wet/salty road country. Sort and use a good waxoil. 2. Paint is not the thickest when Toyota built them. Red cars can suffer lacquer peel and fade in hotter, sunnier climates. 3. Good wax twice to three times a year helps protect paint. Higher Performance Upgrades: Monkey Wrench Racing is a good starting point for the 2ZZ GE Celica. There are others such as Se7en Motorsports in the UK. Research a good and reputable shop or join an owners forum. Celica world has a great and dedicated, friendly community across the globe. NB: You can turbo charge or fit superchargers to the 2ZZ. However, a stand alone or dedicated piggy back system must be used as the standard CPU cannot be programmed as such. Again, do your research. If remaining N/A then consider a larger intake set up/throttle body and exhaust header. Again the community can help with this and where to source. DDR were a good place for intake/throttle body but not sure if they still exist. @2zzlow may be able to help on that one plus other dedicated Celica users. Conclusion: Celica is a great car and underrated. Even standard it can embarrass many higher performing cars through the bends. Look after her and she will look after you for many, many fun miles.
La gente está poniendo rico al vendedor monkey wrench las piezas son super caras y no merece la pena el coche sigue siendo lento este Celica no se puede poner a la altura de un Cupra El Celica es un coche para niñas ridículas prestaciones solamente interesa la estética un simple saxo VTS 1.6 es muy superior
thank you. As far as I know the oil problems are only for the models between 1999 and 2004. but since in my country you can very rarely find one after 2005, and can't find 192 hp version, neither the GT_R, so i basically don't have another choice than the 143 hp oil leaking one haha. Most cars on the market are already at 100-200k mileage. I'm planning to get one and this comments helps to understand how to maintain it.
I loved my 2000 GTS. A few years ago I gave it my son and it is still a great fun reliable car. As for the styling when I first bought it I had so many people looking as I drove my and even occasionally asking me what it was at stop lights. Many times while going through a drive through I would have the person helping me comment on how much they liked it even after it was 10-15 years old.
Nice video mate, the car is very beautiful. Also The 2zzge is SUPERrelible and robust engine i know over 20 examples from stock 2zzge with 450.000 miles and 2zzge with 150.000 miles and gtx2867 380hp from 95.000 miles (100% stock internals) also many rotrex set up (250-350hp with over 200k miles) This engine needs only oil pan if pass 1.1g lateral pressure on track days. If maintenance is good has not oil consumption issues like 1zzfe 1999-2002 models. Also the break oil pumps is driver false from wrong downshifting if pass 9.000rpm the first weak point is oil pump. If someone want reliable 2zz on RACING times need forged oil pump gear and aftermarket oil pan. Also the crankshaft and rods is forged with cast pistons and 11.5:1 compression in turbo set up if change the pistons can handle easy,reliable and with longlife 400-500hp but with another gearbox.
Beautifully modified 7th gen. Love it. Ive had one for years, still going strong, drives well, cuts a few looks too. Definitely a fun affordable package if you want something different.
I bought a fairly clean manual GT Celica a few years ago for $2100. I can attest that these cars are a lot of fun to drive, are cheap and are extremely easy to work on. A few weeks ago I successfully finished a junkyard 2zz swap which was quite doable considering it was my first time attempting something of this caliber. For anyone wanting to have a little fun on the cheap with longevity in mind these cars are an awesome option. The 1/2zz where found in the Toyota matrix, Corolla, Celica, runx and Pontiac vibe, making parts plentiful and cheap in the junkyard.
Wow so much misinformation here. The 2ZZ is very solid, there are a lot of high mileage 2ZZ out there. Same engine as in the Lotus Elise and Lotus knew why they chose this engine with the yamaha head. It did not have the bad piston design as the 1ZZ.
With over 250,000 miles on my 7th gen 2003 Celica I took it to get the timing chain tensioner oil leak fixed and that killed the compression in the engine. It is in the shop getting a new engine. Good Grief! Amazing driving car that is just fun to drive at legal speeds. I had a 1979 Celica but traded it in around 2000 because the frame was rusting off of it. But it started and drove just fine.
Kind of agree with this, as the owner of the car hahaha. It’s really easy to get good photos of the front, but more of a challenge to bring out aesthetic appeal in the back.
i've got a 7th gen in silver and totally agreed. i do like blockyness in cars though and it fits the sharper lines in the front but the booty is just a tad too big.
I've got the exact same car 2002 celica 190 here in Scotland. Spent 2 grand on welding underside eek but mechanically all good quick little car especially on small country roads and you won't find anything quicker for the money. Buy one soon as they're going up in value.
I owned one for two years, and spoken to dozens of owners, mostly from the UK and US. They're underrated, but in the US they're overpriced. It's a struggle to get a GT-S for the same price as an equivalent condition MX5 NB/NC. If you want something sub 100K for 10K, you can get a Celica GT, you can get a MX5 NB or sometimes NC, you can't get a Celica GT-S. In that case, the MX5 is the better buy from a purely enthusiast POV. Bare in mind that I'm not even considering pre '03 1ZZs here, because it's just a massive no-no if you want to daily it. The oil burning will happen eventually, it can be extreme, and the only fix is revised pistons. Swapping in a Corolla 1ZZ IS NOT the solution. These cars have the 1ZZ-FED - it is different to the 1ZZ-FE found in other Toyotas. It has larger valves. That's 10hp you're probably never getting back. In the UK, it's totally different. For the price of a good 1ZZ Celica, which is 2K (and bare in mind that over here they have 6 speeds and discs all round), you couldn't dream of getting any MX5 that isn't rotting away, or about to. You can easily get a good 2ZZ for 4K - barely enough for a good NB or NC. In this market, both Celica's are excellent value for money. For another comparison, just to hammer this point in - in the UK, a GT86 costs about 3 times the price of a 2ZZ Celica. in the US, it's not even double. None of this of course makes it a bad car at all - but it is definitely a harder sell. If I could've had a decent MX5 for the price of my Celica, that is probably the way I would've gone.
@@daycrew Listening again - I have no idea how I didn't pick up on the accent lol. Without knowing anything about the Aussie market, 11K for 65K miles and a rare colour seems pretty good.
I got my 2000 2zzge Celica for $5k NZD nearly 2 years ago with a slightly different TRD body kit and gearbox LSD. felt like i got a great deal as people are wanting bone stock 1zz celicas here for like 7-8k which are a rip off
“Ugly” well…. What? 😅 It looks even more stunning than a holy grail 2000GT or Jag E-Type to me. Every time I come across this model I feel blessed. If there’s such a thing, the body style screams FWD supercar. At least in terms of the design. It’s one of the hottest looking cars ever produced in automotive history. The owners and fans should be more proud of that.
My first car was a rusty 1977 Celica GT hatchback. A few years and cars later, I bought a 1981 Celica GT hatchback. Great car. 30ish years later, I now have a 2003 Celica GT TRD. It's in nice shape, and stays in the garage unless the weather is nice and I go for a drive.
I’m the original owner of a 2001 GT 1ZZ and (23 years later and 135K) it’s been solidly reliable and doesn’t burn oil between 5000 synthetic oil changes. I suspect issues are due to abusive driving or improper maintenance care.
I bought a 1zz a few years ago for £1600 and it's the funnest car I've driven. Reliable, looks good, sounds good, and it handles great, I've seen it quoted as the best handling fwd of the era. it's super spacious too, I can fit 2 mountainbikes, I've slept in the back, I've driven accross europe with it and used it as a moving van a couple times. All in all great car, you can have everything for cheap
Hah! I drive a blue 2001 GTS (US Spec). That is a beautiful car! Love the color, body kit, suspension and ride height mods, wheels/tires, exhaust. Beautiful, tasteful mods. Glad to see other happy Celica owners enjoying their cars. Drive safe and enjoy!
Mine has 290k miles on it and is still running strong, 2zz GTS. Have everything done to it except a turbo and wheels, it's a killer on the street. 0-60 in 6 seconds, which isn't insanely fast, but in the mountains where I exclusively race it it's quite adequate. I can brake much deeper, corner at 5-10 mph faster than all but exotics, have limitless thermal handling in all systems, and have such predictable handling that fishtailing is all but impossible. It helps that I studied engineering and physics in college and used that knowledge to custom design the systems. I have BC Racing DR series coilovers with 3.5" rear and 2" front drop, 5kg/mm square rates with valving at 4kg/mm to enhance divergent effect at realistic dampening settings, stock sway bars (to square out lean vs squat), urethane bushings on all suspension points and engine mounts, and a lowered center of mass by various means like locating the battery to the bottom of the spare tire bay. With all of the modifications, let me tell you, it does exactly what you tell it to do every single time and holds on to the asphalt for dear life. Stock brakes are great, but an upgrade can be had for a moderate price by going to EBC rotors and Carbotech brake pads. My thermal handling tops at 1300 degrees F, which is adequate at stock horsepower for even the steepest mountain full throttle descents lasting for over ten minutes. I paid 5 and put 5 in, how much more than 10k do you have to pay to get superior handling? I'd say 5 to 10x more.
if you are still on the stock 16s its definitely worth upgrading, especially to something under 14lbs with a bit more width too. out of the box BCs really aren't that great, should send them to redshift to get revalved. 5k F 4K R is backwards for spring rates, rear has a much lower motion ratio than the front. better to keep the battery in the engine bay but replace it with a lithium version, all the extra wiring adds weight and there is no benefit to evening out the weight distribution on a fwd
I want a 7th Generation Celica GT-S, and ima get one. I plan to save up before they become harder to find. I'll be sure to look up the vin number to ensure it's a legit GT-S model and if I see Rear dise brakes 2ZZ-GE engine, I know for sure it's a true GT-S model.
The 2zz doesn't have low-end torque, so in that regard, some people would rather go with the 1zz engine if they plan on turbocharging it anyway. The 2zz generally does better with a supercharger.
Pero el problema no es ese,el problema es que no tiene apenas par y por si fuera poco en cada cambio cae por debajo de las 6.000rpm y entre 6.000/6.300 está abierto el vvtl-i y al caer por debajo no responde cosa que con honda no ocurre por eso nadie quiere este coche para correr no sirve,son poquitas personas la gran mayoría lo quiere por su estética
@@PointyYT how? I bang my knees on the A-pillar once in a while and hit my head on the roof getting in sometimes, same with my buddy who's 5'9". 6'4" you have to be like all legs or something and sit in the back, lol. My buddy who's 6'5" I don't think would fit at all in the car, he had to duck while driving my Astro van back in the day, no way he's sitting comfortably in a Celica. I still love those cars though, bone stock with bigger sway bars makes it quite the fun ride.
@@sigmaprojects seat is racked all the way back. Can't really heel toe without my knees hitting the steering wheel but other than that the car is a very comfortable drive. I am indeed all leg.
Tasteful mods done by Josh on his celica and love the deep purple color! Also a great vid, nice high quality, great flow of the video (don't know how else to explain it lol). I own a 1zz 7th gen celica and here in the Netherlands it's actually quite the bargain. the 2zz costs 7k and up, yet the 1zz is only 3k. You still get the great handling and a high revving engine, just does 0-100 in 1 or 2 seconds more than the 2zz. I absolutely love it as a cheap fun daily.
Super clean Celica. Love the 2zz I have one in my usdm Toyota Matrix xrs ☺️ P.s. it's a 40hp difference the 1zz was 140hp in the celica gt and was 130hp in the corolla and matrix xr
Got the same car for 7 years (same color and same engine). Bought it with 148k km. Its really reliable and fun. What is your top speed with your celica? Mine went 255km/h downhill with 16 inch wheels on it.
I bought a very beat up 2001 with over 300k on it. I finally got the engine back in after 2 years, runs perfect with the exception of a bad torque converter sealing surface. The transmission had plenty of metal in it unfortunately, and 3 or 4 small chunks of metal :( Hopefully I can learn to weld a shock tower, along with the rest of the front body work, paint it, and restore her before we run out of salvage cars in the wild. I'm not seeing many these days in the junkyards, and the ones I'm seeing are getting the entire front ripped out.
I personally love the way it looks, but I’m a bit biased as I had a 2001 gts. 6spd manual with the 2zzge. Still my favorite car that I’ve owned and if I have the opportunity to buy another one I’d do it in a heartbeat. Sadly I over-revved and blew the motor on a downshift in the mountains and sold it to a guy who put a 1zz in it and then tried to sell it as the 2zz. I only know that because I saw the car on Craigslist after he finished the motor swap. I actually flagged the ad as a scam because he tried to claim it still had the better motor.
I have the same coils on the same 2002 gts 6speed. At the same height front and back. I am having a struggle to get it as cushy and comfy as the stock suspension. Does anyone have advice on how to get a coilover car comfortable? I am 20 and shattered lower parts of my spine and its the only car in my family where long trips kill my back 😢
Unfortunately being stiffer (and therefore more uncomfortable) is by design of most coilovers, aside from setting the dampening to the softest setting (on the top of the coilover), your best bet is probably to return to stock suspension.
If you want something closer to stock go for tein flex Z's, they will feel very similar to stock on the soft setting and you can always stiffen it up (even electronically with edfc). Sway bars are another good way to control/remove body roll without adding harshness or stiffening the suspension
I had a 2005 7th gen Celica. I loved it, but I really needed 4 doors so it had to go. It was a serious Integra Type-R equivalent. I had one of those too. :)
Never rated them a lot but I marshall amateur Motorsport in the UK and we have two in the 1800cc class. They're almost always fastest in class and seem really composed when set up well.
@@daycrew I believe the main reason for it is the independent rear suspension. The Corolla T Sport doesn't handle anything like the Celica, despite having the same engine. Their performance has certainly made me take note of them, always liked the styling but never really wanted one, I do now. 🤣 For our sprints and hill climbs they work brilliantly.
@@arcanevoid9199 Agree to disagree. The difference in power between a 1zz and 2zz isn't noticeable at all until you hit lift, which is extremely narrow.
@@foamyserverYou're wrong there, own both, 1zz and 2zz, this is (140, 189 bhp) and the difference is night and day. The 2zz is just that much better. And this is without using lift btw...
@@SpartanQwop are you comparing to an FeD? Because I have a GT and GT-S that both dyno slightly above their advertised power and the curve is identical until lift
With it lowered you have to be mindful of going over big speedbumps, Josh usually takes a wide angle to avoid hitting it, since the bumper is pretty low. Doesn't feel uncomfortable over bumps otherwise!
No it doesn't deserve any 😡 hate . Your the problem. Not grateful for what you have. It beats walking.😂❤👎 Love my Celica got her in 95 & still going strong . Out of all the lemons I've had . My Celica is the beast ❤ over all...... ❤👍
Underrated for sure yeh it’s not as good as the other celicas but so what if you can have fun wit it and affordable price go for it definitely recommend manual to get more fun out of it
This generation of Celica got a bad reputation because it looks fast but isn't & people rice them out. People today still rice them out! Everyone with these want to be low & slow, not even taking them to the mountain pass or the track. Not to mention, every other Celica "build" has a TRD kit, which inherently is nothing wrong with it, it's just become boring to see literally a copied/paste Celica in different colors. Great cars, bad community, thus creating a bad reputation. I don't attach myself to any of these Celica "groups" for the reasons said, but I'm glad to see a good one across the world from me. This one's actually nice & isn't clapped out.
I do take mine on mountain runs, but yes the ride height is for looks over performance, I don’t drive it too hard so I don’t feel I have to lean into a touge build or anything, but about the TRD kits, honestly, I just think they’re the nicest looking option. You’re right that people often rice these out too much, and I think a lot of aftermarket kits are just too ricey for my taste
i personally think that the only thing holding this back to potenially be the best NA fwd car is the fact that it doesn't have double wishbone on front.
@@arcanevoid9199 is this something you can buy for a normal celica? I'm considering either a vvtli celica or integra dc2 type r. It would be really cool to get this for a normal european market celica cause it's cheaper than the dc2 by quite a few thousands.
@@iuxanu you could but its not really economical to, there is the main suspension components but the superstrut suspension was a complete package with different interior, brakes, steering rack, abs computer & yaw sensors for sports abs, helical lsd etc. If you can get a dc2 type r or even a gsr with a b18c for a similar price or slightly more its probably going to be a better option, unfortunately the aftermarket has really let down the celica. as an example the best intake manifold for the 2zz hasnt been improved on since 2009 and is about $3000usd to order which you cant even do through an online store. skunk cast manifolds for hondas are only a few hundred and are easy to get
Celicas at the time is when JDM cars were going down they weren't selling as much sports anymore people were moving to SUVs and family vehicle that's why they discontinued the Celica
It's about 40hp boost in lift. The math is pretty simple. ;) And saying a Honda 4cyl sounds like a Toyota 4cyl is like saying an LS V8 sounds the same as a Coyote V8. It just doesn't. Either way, great looking Celica. Great and highly underrated and any other gen Celica would struggle against it on a track.
Not realizable.? Mine had almost 300k and engine and chasis was still solid.! I even made a profit when I sold it.! Clean high mileage can still be worth every penny
The MK7 is a fantastic car, and one people should consider buying before hopping into an EP3 for twice the money. Put some fresh shocks and some good springs under it and you have an absolute weapon for attacking backroads. They are predictable, they are progressive, they are revvy, they are playful, supremely underrated cars. And saying the ZZ engines aren't reliable is just plain misinformed. Early 1ZZs can suffer from ovalling of the bores and early 2ZZs can suffer from broken lift bolts, but both issues were fixed later in production. Aside from that the only thing I can think of is the oil starvation issue the 2ZZ has on track, but that isn't really a 'reliability' thing because that isn't what the car was designed for, and it can be solved with an aftermarket or modified oil pan.
I’m looking at buying one of these, all I know is I currently own a 1.8 supercharged Mercedes and the mk7 celica makes the same horsepower but it’s NA so Toyota must have done something right with them 🤷🏻♂️ I want one
@@daycrew it can be it feels quick in the city, and rwd can be fun at times, beat a couple of GTIs off the lights with it but I drive on the motorway to get to work regularly and it seems like all its power is at the lower end, it feels slower at a certain point, its auto and there are mods that can potentially up the power but it’s all pricey stuff that likely wouldn’t get me much of an increase for the amount I would be paying for them, I’m in two minds whether to keep it and just buy a project
@@CCC_769 yeah Ive read that too on stock internals which for the weight is fantastic, I read they can make much more but that’s heading into the forged internals big money territory but I think if you’ve got that kind of money it would be worth it, I think they look really nice too styling wise don’t understand why so many people don’t like the way they look the front end on some I’ve seen looks like a better looking 350z with back seats the back lights I’m unsure on but I don’t hate them, I’m torn between this or an rx8 just because rwd with a rotary and suicide doors but I think the celica is winning purely based on the fact it’s a Toyota engine and you’d have to be a moron to break a Toyota 😅 and the celica imo is a slightly better looking car
Lol I'm in (with purchase) $14K into my GT-S Celica already and the front is all rock chipped up with not a great paint job. This thing looks like a show car. I'd be $20K in to even attempt to make it look like this. Standard body on mine, I just bought carbon fiber TRD kit stuff to just make it look close to those. In the USA, these are very expensive and not easy to find with low miles. The GT-S models are a complete joke if you want a nice one for anything remotely affordable.
what is this guy yappin about celica engines not being reliable? I have a mate of mine that thrashes his celica almost everyday on the streets, dragstrip, parking lots, and he somewhat does the minimum amount of maintenance on that thing and IIRC him saying its well past 250k kms already and still going strong. Both 1zz and 2zz as far as I know have received nothing but positive feedbacks from celica owners. I don't know where they got the idea of both toyota engines not being reliable LMAO. If it was at least the RX-8's rotary engine, sure, but Toyota engines almost across all models of cars that they have made are all more reliable than ur standard american/german car brand.
Not reliable? It's by far the most economical and reliable of its class and competition. GTSs here in Canada have as much as 400,000km and still kicking. GTs have gone by 500,000
It's a beautiful machine, and its looks are wayyyy better than the new Supra, aka BMW. Nothing can be compared with celica because it is a standout car.
Haha we were talking about this when filming that some people might be confused! In America they pronounce it seh-li-kuh vs Australia and a few other places pronounce it suh-lee-kuh. No one knows which one is correct as far as I could find out!
I have a soft spot for the Celica in general. This one looks very good. Just like most affordable cars they are a basic platform to build on. If I had to choose a modern Celica it would be the st205 gt4 followed by the 165 group A rally.
@@daycrew I'm not sure where you are located but if you're ever in Brisbane and would like to review the other 2zzge powered Toyota from the same era let me know.
I personally have never liked the look of the gen 7's. The motors are kinda cool, ive driven one and it was alright until you get out of it and remember what you were just in. Interior is kinda meh too. But maybe I'm just a gen 6 fan boy - I have an st204 daily, an st204 with a 600whp 3sgte in it and an st205 GT4 haha. Josh also needs to go big or go home with the stretchers, 50mm+ or nothing :P
kinda cool? better than any other na celica or even the 4age stock for stock, and of course the interior isnt amazing as i dont think you realise how cheap these were in japan. a gt4 was close to 4x the price and isnt really faster stock for stock
Ahahaha I actually had my lobes up to 42mm when I was much younger, I took them out for a few years, they closed up to about 15mm, and in the last couple of years I went back up to 24mm. Can’t see me going any bigger again 🤷🏻♂️
TLDR from another Josh: If you plan on buying a celica and boosting it you'd be better off buying the 1zz-fe version, the 2zz-ge is good N/A but as soon as you start bringing boost to the table it floods you with problems, not to mention the shitty oil pan that likes to shit the bed under cornering
1zz will also have problems if you arent careful with boost, neither of them will handle much in stock form. oil pan isnt shitty, the car wasnt designed for track use and they didnt plan ahead for 25 years of tire technology improvements. people love to say the 1zz is better for boost but the reality is the 5 speed is weaker, 2zz will make more power on less boost and depending on market/model year you have smaller/weaker brakes for 1zz models which doesnt help either
@@arcanevoid9199 @arcanevoid9199 the 6 speed bolts onto the 1zz easily, brakes are easy to upgrade and the 2zz might make high horsepower on lower boost but it will also blow up a lot sooner(from my experience at least). Swapping a 6speed on my latest 1zz(previous one was totalled and engine wasn't salvageable) very soon, I'm building it for track days so I'm already shopping around for bigger aftermarket brakes in the front and a disc brake conversion in the rear, gonna do exactly like my last one and go cams, ARP head studs, stronger valve springs and a safe 12psi of boost. Do the same mods on a 2zz-ge and it'll blow up(from my experience)
@@NovaPog37 yes but its still extra cost, this is about the cars in stock form not with a bunch of parts swapped over. if you are blowing up 2zzs you are doing it wrong, the reality is most people don't do it properly and cut corners when they go boosted. why do valve springs and studs but not pistons or rods? 1zz has weak cast rods & pistons. and experience really doesnt mean much as there are so many variables, they came supercharged from factory in a handful of models. you will also want to upgrade your oil system, 1zz pan is going to be pushing it for track days
@@arcanevoid9199 pistons and rods are definitely planned, just not gonna do it for only 12psi, once I master the car's handling and feel the need for more power I'll definitely swap more parts out
The chassis is very good. The 2zzge is a torqueless wonder below Lift but rips and sounds glorious when in Lift. The Achilles heel is the absolute garbage that is the C60 transmission. Tight and just ever so slightly slanted shift gates, the vague shifter feel. Combined with horrible 1-2, 2-3 gearing designed to improve 0-60 times at the expense of falling out of Lift meant folks were money shifting these left and right trying to get that perfect shift. The transmission literally killed the 2zz engine and killed enthusiasm for the platform. It is top 3, if not the worst, manual transmission I have ever driven.
for what it is the 2zz makes good torque, its not torqueless at all. its got a very healthy stroke for an engine that can rev to 8500 from factory. its far from the worse manual transmission, not on the same level as hondas from the era but still pretty good. people just like to blame the gearbox as a whole instead of fixing the issues they are having
@@arcanevoid9199 @daycrew yeah that's what people who thought they knew said way back when. Toyota unofficially limited MT GTS' production in 2001 and 2002 because of the transmission issues. That's why the majority of used 01&02 GTS' are autos. In 2003 Toyota came out with a slightly revised transmission. They still suck @$$ but the gates were slightly widened along with some other internal changes. Besides the horrible 1-2 gearing, it also featured TWO, TWO! overdrive gears and if we're gonna get nitpicky it should have gotten a shorter final drive. LSD was an option in later models so can't complain about that. People who say this is a good transmission clearly don't know what a good transmission feels like or what a good one can do to elevate the experience. ALL the C60 trans I have driven across all the platforms, Celica, Matrix, Corolla, MR-2zzS suck. Period.
@@zze86 what is wrong with 2 overdrive gears? shorter final drive wouldnt help because its really the gear spacing thats the problem as youve mentioned, 1st doesnt need to be any shorter than it already is. LSD was always an option just not in every market, my 1999 7th gen has one which was included with the superstrut package. Havent driven a honda or anything but have driven multiple other manual cars and the celica still feels much nicer
@@arcanevoid9199 because you don't need two overdrive gears and could use it for something else? Make 5th gear 1:1 and tighten up the rest of the gearing. As for the final drive, it would help with the engine not feeling like a torqueless wonder, lol. I mean the FD in the C60 is pretty short already but going to a 4.7 would've made it feel punchier. Sure, RPMs would be sky high at highway speeds but that's why it has TWO overdrive gears 😂 Go try some actually good feeling transmissions. Then come back and tell me it's a good transmission with a straight face. You won't. Because the C60 sucks ballz! 🤣 Don't get me wrong I really like the 2zz and IMO the ZZT231 is a better platform than the EM2/EP3 and DC5 but the C60 straight up kills the overall performance and enjoyment.
I've owned many Celicas. From 1st gen to 7th. 7th gen lacks hp and rear wheel drive. I am fixing 🤔 that on my current 7th gen. V8 Celica GT-SS th-cam.com/play/PLHUWidjJ9X6T26LVBPT5fL7DovFXzloVb.html&si=N5iVep52QL5tY26E
Are MK7's underrated or overrated?
underrated... 2zzge 👌🏿🔥
underrated as they should be lol
all FWD celicas are overrated
@@helloyt4799 by who
@@deanrivers5295 celica owners mostly
I'm sorry but labeling both 1zz and 2zz "not reliable" is a slap on the face for those that took care of them and made them last over 200k miles
^^
ESPECIALLY the 2zz i don’t know any other naturally aspirated 1.8L 4cylinders was reving to 9k making over 100hp per Liter in the 2000s. and still getting over 35 mpg. and i use mine to toe around my race bikes 🤣. it’s undoubtedly been the most reliable car i’ve ever owned.
They are only as reliable as you are willing to make them.
Way to add some wisdom on the 2zz. I love that engine. Tons of fun and it sounds way better than a honda
The engine is “reliable enough”, sure, but the explanation for labelling it unreliable can be found in your comment, “made them last”, they require a bit more maintenance than a lot of other Toyota motors. That’s okay, it’s an engine well worth maintaining, but it has more than a couple of weak points that will make any good owner very conscious of their oil, oil temp, engine temp etc. Letting your oil run low one time could be enough to seriously damage a 2zz, whereas some engines seem to take punishment like they love it and keep going.
him saying its not really reliable
My celica with 270k miles and still running
I just hear a lot of smack talk about both the 1zz and 2zz, even though it’s probably coming from people who just forgot to change their oil. Glad to hear it though, mine will make it there too 😎
Mine is it 254k miles and still runs perfectly.
A lot of the hate comes from other Celica fans. Usually, those that were fans of previous generations who had expectations that were not met with the 7th gen. I have 2 Celicas both 2001 GT's and I absolutely love them. The 1zz and 2zz engines are super reliable (after Toyo fixed the oil burning issue), the rev high and are super fun to drive.
Thank you man
I've known some people *in the Celica community* complain that the 7th gen isn't RWD??? Really puzzles me given they weren't RWD since the 80s!
@@B_-.- in the 90's the st185 and st205, all fwd, gt fours is awd and célica's supra's rwd
I also had 2 of then 2002 and 2003 GT.
when was the oil burning issue fixed, how do I know that?
Beautiful car. Still quite stunning in 2023. Definitely underrated.
Esta subestimado porque es lento
The 2ZZ GE engine is super reliable. It gets any hate due to poor maintenance or Honda fan boys. Lotus didn't want this engine in their cars because it was poor performing and unreliable.
However, that being said, maintenance is essential to a long life over 250K miles:
1. Regular oil changes - every 3000 miles with a good 5W 30 synthetic oil. 5W 40 can be used also.
2. Lift bolts. Pre 2002 models swap out lift bolts with newer design. Easy DIY job (unless broken bolt).
3. VVTi and VVTLi filters/OCV - clean every 20K (new filters or use carb cleaner). Easy job.
4. Oil pump is Achilles heel. If wrong downshift then the engine will implode.
5. Sump. If racing round tight corners at high revs, the 2ZZ does not have a baffled sump. You can get aftermarket sumps. MWR (Monkey Wrench Racing) supply Moroso baffled sumps. Some people use the 1ZZ sump (which is baffled ironically), but there are conflicting opinions on this being used on the 2ZZ as effective.
6. Oil Leaks. The 2ZZ can leak oil. Common areas as the timing cover gasket and the o ring on the timing chain tensioner. However, whenever fitting a new timing cover gasket change out all gaskets on cover including water pump and it is imperative 4/5 key areas RTV is used (usually where head meets block etc). There are some great videos out there. @2zzlow has some good ones for this job.
7. Every 15K clean out throttle body and MAF sensor. Change air filter every 5000K. Some good aftermarket ones out there also but standard Toyota filter does a decent job for everyday use. CAI for me is a better option than an aftermarket cone by the engine as it can suck in heat.
Good cheaper end upgrades:
1. CAI filter
2. IK20TT Denso plugs
3. Cat Back exhaust (good quality one)
4. Consider better springs/shocks or a good set of coil overs. However, these can end up being costly for a good set up. Avoid cheaper ones on eBay etc.
Bodywork:
1. Check sills and subframes. Surface rust can develop. So inspect those if in a wet/salty road country. Sort and use a good waxoil.
2. Paint is not the thickest when Toyota built them. Red cars can suffer lacquer peel and fade in hotter, sunnier climates.
3. Good wax twice to three times a year helps protect paint.
Higher Performance Upgrades:
Monkey Wrench Racing is a good starting point for the 2ZZ GE Celica. There are others such as Se7en Motorsports in the UK. Research a good and reputable shop or join an owners forum. Celica world has a great and dedicated, friendly community across the globe.
NB: You can turbo charge or fit superchargers to the 2ZZ. However, a stand alone or dedicated piggy back system must be used as the standard CPU cannot be programmed as such. Again, do your research.
If remaining N/A then consider a larger intake set up/throttle body and exhaust header. Again the community can help with this and where to source. DDR were a good place for intake/throttle body but not sure if they still exist. @2zzlow may be able to help on that one plus other dedicated Celica users.
Conclusion:
Celica is a great car and underrated. Even standard it can embarrass many higher performing cars through the bends. Look after her and she will look after you for many, many fun miles.
La gente está poniendo rico al vendedor monkey wrench las piezas son super caras y no merece la pena el coche sigue siendo lento este Celica no se puede poner a la altura de un Cupra
El Celica es un coche para niñas ridículas prestaciones solamente interesa la estética un simple saxo VTS 1.6 es muy superior
thank you. As far as I know the oil problems are only for the models between 1999 and 2004. but since in my country you can very rarely find one after 2005, and can't find 192 hp version, neither the GT_R, so i basically don't have another choice than the 143 hp oil leaking one haha. Most cars on the market are already at 100-200k mileage. I'm planning to get one and this comments helps to understand how to maintain it.
I loved my 2000 GTS. A few years ago I gave it my son and it is still a great fun reliable car. As for the styling when I first bought it I had so many people looking as I drove my and even occasionally asking me what it was at stop lights. Many times while going through a drive through I would have the person helping me comment on how much they liked it even after it was 10-15 years old.
I have a 2002 2zz 6spd mica blue and looks brand new with 405k smiles. Owned it since 2002💪💪💪💪
The celica is so fun to drive. That counts for alot. It's light and analog too.
Nice video mate, the car is very beautiful. Also The 2zzge is SUPERrelible and robust engine i know over 20 examples from stock 2zzge with 450.000 miles and 2zzge with 150.000 miles and gtx2867 380hp from 95.000 miles (100% stock internals) also many rotrex set up (250-350hp with over 200k miles) This engine needs only oil pan if pass 1.1g lateral pressure on track days. If maintenance is good has not oil consumption issues like 1zzfe 1999-2002 models. Also the break oil pumps is driver false from wrong downshifting if pass 9.000rpm the first weak point is oil pump. If someone want reliable 2zz on RACING times need forged oil pump gear and aftermarket oil pan. Also the crankshaft and rods is forged with cast pistons and 11.5:1 compression in turbo set up if change the pistons can handle easy,reliable and with longlife 400-500hp but with another gearbox.
Is a 2zz ge turbocharged reliable? I’m contemplating getting a celica gts or a mr2 sw20 with a 2gr swap
@mderrixk7465 yes mate. Is very reliable if keep the torque up to 350nm. Also can put a Cosworth head gasket for 10:1 compression for 100% sure
Beautifully modified 7th gen. Love it. Ive had one for years, still going strong, drives well, cuts a few looks too. Definitely a fun affordable package if you want something different.
Thank you for taking the time to reply mate, much appreciated. I will look them up. I am in Ireland. 🇮🇪 Chris 👍
I bought a fairly clean manual GT Celica a few years ago for $2100. I can attest that these cars are a lot of fun to drive, are cheap and are extremely easy to work on. A few weeks ago I successfully finished a junkyard 2zz swap which was quite doable considering it was my first time attempting something of this caliber. For anyone wanting to have a little fun on the cheap with longevity in mind these cars are an awesome option. The 1/2zz where found in the Toyota matrix, Corolla, Celica, runx and Pontiac vibe, making parts plentiful and cheap in the junkyard.
I’ve always wanted to pair a 2ZZ with a 5speed from the GT! I bet that’s a blast to drive.
Hidden gem for sure. A real driver's car 👌
Exactly. It started getting stolen in my neck of the woods because the value started rising up.
Wow so much misinformation here.
The 2ZZ is very solid, there are a lot of high mileage 2ZZ out there.
Same engine as in the Lotus Elise and Lotus knew why they chose this engine with the yamaha head.
It did not have the bad piston design as the 1ZZ.
I loved my Celica GT. It was so reliable and fun and looked great.
Not only are they reliable, but they will complete with those other cars. They're pretty damn fast
Slow? Isn't this one of the most powerful NA I4s ever made?
Ikr
😂😂😂
Yeah they clueless
Yeah lotus also used the engine for the exige, elise and 2-Eleven and people pay stupid money for those
With over 250,000 miles on my 7th gen 2003 Celica I took it to get the timing chain tensioner oil leak fixed and that killed the compression in the engine. It is in the shop getting a new engine. Good Grief! Amazing driving car that is just fun to drive at legal speeds. I had a 1979 Celica but traded it in around 2000 because the frame was rusting off of it. But it started and drove just fine.
250k miles is a long way! Shame it’s having issues now, hopefully it gets sorted with not too much pain
Josh literally has my dream car
The car literally has my dream Josh
🥰
I have endurance raced a 7th gen with the 1zz and it was extremely fun. I also own a 6th gen AT200 (Euro spec with 88k km's) which i absolutely adore.
Such a great vid / expose on the Celica. Well done Daycrew
Great video, definitely a gem! Recently I had two kids wave at my TS Celica while I was driving by, absolutely core memory for both parties :))
The seventh gen front end looks awesome, but the backend styling is blocky. Look wise i love the sixth gen!
Kind of agree with this, as the owner of the car hahaha. It’s really easy to get good photos of the front, but more of a challenge to bring out aesthetic appeal in the back.
i've got a 7th gen in silver and totally agreed. i do like blockyness in cars though and it fits the sharper lines in the front but the booty is just a tad too big.
I've got the exact same car 2002 celica 190 here in Scotland. Spent 2 grand on welding underside eek but mechanically all good quick little car especially on small country roads and you won't find anything quicker for the money. Buy one soon as they're going up in value.
I owned one for two years, and spoken to dozens of owners, mostly from the UK and US. They're underrated, but in the US they're overpriced.
It's a struggle to get a GT-S for the same price as an equivalent condition MX5 NB/NC. If you want something sub 100K for 10K, you can get a Celica GT, you can get a MX5 NB or sometimes NC, you can't get a Celica GT-S. In that case, the MX5 is the better buy from a purely enthusiast POV.
Bare in mind that I'm not even considering pre '03 1ZZs here, because it's just a massive no-no if you want to daily it. The oil burning will happen eventually, it can be extreme, and the only fix is revised pistons.
Swapping in a Corolla 1ZZ IS NOT the solution. These cars have the 1ZZ-FED - it is different to the 1ZZ-FE found in other Toyotas. It has larger valves. That's 10hp you're probably never getting back.
In the UK, it's totally different. For the price of a good 1ZZ Celica, which is 2K (and bare in mind that over here they have 6 speeds and discs all round), you couldn't dream of getting any MX5 that isn't rotting away, or about to. You can easily get a good 2ZZ for 4K - barely enough for a good NB or NC. In this market, both Celica's are excellent value for money.
For another comparison, just to hammer this point in - in the UK, a GT86 costs about 3 times the price of a 2ZZ Celica. in the US, it's not even double.
None of this of course makes it a bad car at all - but it is definitely a harder sell. If I could've had a decent MX5 for the price of my Celica, that is probably the way I would've gone.
Insightful write-up! In Australia our car market is pretty different!
@@daycrew Listening again - I have no idea how I didn't pick up on the accent lol. Without knowing anything about the Aussie market, 11K for 65K miles and a rare colour seems pretty good.
I got my 2000 2zzge Celica for $5k NZD nearly 2 years ago with a slightly different TRD body kit and gearbox LSD. felt like i got a great deal as people are wanting bone stock 1zz celicas here for like 7-8k which are a rip off
I love this gem. I think the styling is the best of all celiacs. Followed by the Gen 6
“Ugly” well…. What? 😅
It looks even more stunning than a holy grail 2000GT or Jag E-Type to me. Every time I come across this model I feel blessed. If there’s such a thing, the body style screams FWD supercar. At least in terms of the design. It’s one of the hottest looking cars ever produced in automotive history. The owners and fans should be more proud of that.
Beautiful job mate 👍 What exhaust manufacturer please. My original is starting to rust and I fancy upgrading. Thank you. Chris 😊
It’s a custom muffler from Macs Mufflers, nothing super special. it sounds awesome though!
Aaaaah Mac’s no longer about in that field. Any idea if someone else has taken over the mufflers? Thanks 🙌
My first car was a rusty 1977 Celica GT hatchback. A few years and cars later, I bought a 1981 Celica GT hatchback. Great car.
30ish years later, I now have a 2003 Celica GT TRD. It's in nice shape, and stays in the garage unless the weather is nice and I go for a drive.
I’m the original owner of a 2001 GT 1ZZ and (23 years later and 135K) it’s been solidly reliable and doesn’t burn oil between 5000 synthetic oil changes. I suspect issues are due to abusive driving or improper maintenance care.
I bought a 1zz a few years ago for £1600 and it's the funnest car I've driven. Reliable, looks good, sounds good, and it handles great, I've seen it quoted as the best handling fwd of the era. it's super spacious too, I can fit 2 mountainbikes, I've slept in the back, I've driven accross europe with it and used it as a moving van a couple times. All in all great car, you can have everything for cheap
Hah! I drive a blue 2001 GTS (US Spec). That is a beautiful car! Love the color, body kit, suspension and ride height mods, wheels/tires, exhaust. Beautiful, tasteful mods. Glad to see other happy Celica owners enjoying their cars. Drive safe and enjoy!
Mine has 290k miles on it and is still running strong, 2zz GTS. Have everything done to it except a turbo and wheels, it's a killer on the street. 0-60 in 6 seconds, which isn't insanely fast, but in the mountains where I exclusively race it it's quite adequate. I can brake much deeper, corner at 5-10 mph faster than all but exotics, have limitless thermal handling in all systems, and have such predictable handling that fishtailing is all but impossible. It helps that I studied engineering and physics in college and used that knowledge to custom design the systems. I have BC Racing DR series coilovers with 3.5" rear and 2" front drop, 5kg/mm square rates with valving at 4kg/mm to enhance divergent effect at realistic dampening settings, stock sway bars (to square out lean vs squat), urethane bushings on all suspension points and engine mounts, and a lowered center of mass by various means like locating the battery to the bottom of the spare tire bay. With all of the modifications, let me tell you, it does exactly what you tell it to do every single time and holds on to the asphalt for dear life. Stock brakes are great, but an upgrade can be had for a moderate price by going to EBC rotors and Carbotech brake pads. My thermal handling tops at 1300 degrees F, which is adequate at stock horsepower for even the steepest mountain full throttle descents lasting for over ten minutes. I paid 5 and put 5 in, how much more than 10k do you have to pay to get superior handling? I'd say 5 to 10x more.
if you are still on the stock 16s its definitely worth upgrading, especially to something under 14lbs with a bit more width too. out of the box BCs really aren't that great, should send them to redshift to get revalved. 5k F 4K R is backwards for spring rates, rear has a much lower motion ratio than the front. better to keep the battery in the engine bay but replace it with a lithium version, all the extra wiring adds weight and there is no benefit to evening out the weight distribution on a fwd
I want a 7th Generation Celica GT-S, and ima get one. I plan to save up before they become harder to find. I'll be sure to look up the vin number to ensure it's a legit GT-S model and if I see Rear dise brakes 2ZZ-GE engine, I know for sure it's a true GT-S model.
Still drive my 2002 GTS and had comments at the stop light recently.
What catback did Josh get??? I'm looking for one myself, the car sounded amazing at 7:10
It does sound awesome, but it’s just a custom one made by a local shop unfortunately.
in the US the 1zzfe is the celica GT and 2zzge the celica GTS
The 2zz doesn't have low-end torque, so in that regard, some people would rather go with the 1zz engine if they plan on turbocharging it anyway. The 2zz generally does better with a supercharger.
It's also very compact, so if you're tall it's a no go car, but quite light even for an early 00's vehicle.
Pero el problema no es ese,el problema es que no tiene apenas par y por si fuera poco en cada cambio cae por debajo de las 6.000rpm y entre 6.000/6.300 está abierto el vvtl-i y al caer por debajo no responde cosa que con honda no ocurre por eso nadie quiere este coche para correr no sirve,son poquitas personas la gran mayoría lo quiere por su estética
@@sigmaprojects I'm 6"4 and it's fine.
@@PointyYT how? I bang my knees on the A-pillar once in a while and hit my head on the roof getting in sometimes, same with my buddy who's 5'9". 6'4" you have to be like all legs or something and sit in the back, lol. My buddy who's 6'5" I don't think would fit at all in the car, he had to duck while driving my Astro van back in the day, no way he's sitting comfortably in a Celica.
I still love those cars though, bone stock with bigger sway bars makes it quite the fun ride.
@@sigmaprojects seat is racked all the way back. Can't really heel toe without my knees hitting the steering wheel but other than that the car is a very comfortable drive. I am indeed all leg.
Tasteful mods done by Josh on his celica and love the deep purple color! Also a great vid, nice high quality, great flow of the video (don't know how else to explain it lol).
I own a 1zz 7th gen celica and here in the Netherlands it's actually quite the bargain. the 2zz costs 7k and up, yet the 1zz is only 3k. You still get the great handling and a high revving engine, just does 0-100 in 1 or 2 seconds more than the 2zz. I absolutely love it as a cheap fun daily.
That is a bargain! They’re both fun engines, and for that price you can’t go wrong!!
Thanks! :)
I got the 1zz, its a blast to drive even tho it only has 144hp
One of the best head turners out there!! Pin sharp handling, looks, style!!
I love my 7th gen gt. Have it as my first car and kept it clean for 3 years. I hope to have it past 200k miles and have it keep it's style :>
Super clean Celica. Love the 2zz I have one in my usdm Toyota Matrix xrs ☺️
P.s. it's a 40hp difference the 1zz was 140hp in the celica gt and was 130hp in the corolla and matrix xr
Got the same car for 7 years (same color and same engine). Bought it with 148k km. Its really reliable and fun. What is your top speed with your celica? Mine went 255km/h downhill with 16 inch wheels on it.
hey i just bought the 99 t230 just asking what exhaust you got on it? im in melbourne if that matters
Mine is just a pretty cheap custom cat back tbh, can’t find/can’t afford the TRD exhaust kit lol
I bought a very beat up 2001 with over 300k on it. I finally got the engine back in after 2 years, runs perfect with the exception of a bad torque converter sealing surface. The transmission had plenty of metal in it unfortunately, and 3 or 4 small chunks of metal :( Hopefully I can learn to weld a shock tower, along with the rest of the front body work, paint it, and restore her before we run out of salvage cars in the wild. I'm not seeing many these days in the junkyards, and the ones I'm seeing are getting the entire front ripped out.
I personally love the way it looks, but I’m a bit biased as I had a 2001 gts. 6spd manual with the 2zzge.
Still my favorite car that I’ve owned and if I have the opportunity to buy another one I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Sadly I over-revved and blew the motor on a downshift in the mountains and sold it to a guy who put a 1zz in it and then tried to sell it as the 2zz.
I only know that because I saw the car on Craigslist after he finished the motor swap. I actually flagged the ad as a scam because he tried to claim it still had the better motor.
Ah man that sucks, hopefully people were smart enough to notice the missing power when he tried to sell it!
All the plastic in the engine bay was hopefully a giveaway 😬 you should get another one!
I have the same coils on the same 2002 gts 6speed. At the same height front and back. I am having a struggle to get it as cushy and comfy as the stock suspension.
Does anyone have advice on how to get a coilover car comfortable? I am 20 and shattered lower parts of my spine and its the only car in my family where long trips kill my back 😢
Unfortunately being stiffer (and therefore more uncomfortable) is by design of most coilovers, aside from setting the dampening to the softest setting (on the top of the coilover), your best bet is probably to return to stock suspension.
If you want something closer to stock go for tein flex Z's, they will feel very similar to stock on the soft setting and you can always stiffen it up (even electronically with edfc). Sway bars are another good way to control/remove body roll without adding harshness or stiffening the suspension
I had a 2005 7th gen Celica. I loved it, but I really needed 4 doors so it had to go. It was a serious Integra Type-R equivalent. I had one of those too. :)
My Celica ran with only three cylinders for about six months before it reached just over 300,000 miles.
Never rated them a lot but I marshall amateur Motorsport in the UK and we have two in the 1800cc class. They're almost always fastest in class and seem really composed when set up well.
That’s interesting to hear, I’ve seen some at a local track and they did seem to performing well!
@@daycrew I believe the main reason for it is the independent rear suspension. The Corolla T Sport doesn't handle anything like the Celica, despite having the same engine.
Their performance has certainly made me take note of them, always liked the styling but never really wanted one, I do now. 🤣
For our sprints and hill climbs they work brilliantly.
That celica is clean af
Awesome stuff 🔥🔥🔥
I think the chassis is excellent, but the power train really lets it down. 2zz should have been the base option with a turbo performance package.
it really doesnt need a turbo, the 2zz has plenty of power
@@arcanevoid9199 Agree to disagree. The difference in power between a 1zz and 2zz isn't noticeable at all until you hit lift, which is extremely narrow.
@@foamyserverYou're wrong there, own both, 1zz and 2zz, this is (140, 189 bhp) and the difference is night and day. The 2zz is just that much better. And this is without using lift btw...
@@SpartanQwop are you comparing to an FeD? Because I have a GT and GT-S that both dyno slightly above their advertised power and the curve is identical until lift
@@foamyserver Dyno not everything. Ive owned both the gt and gts- auto and manual. The Gt just way slower.
Hey, genuine question here, how’s it drive with it being lowered? Does it go over bumps and stuff okay?
With it lowered you have to be mindful of going over big speedbumps, Josh usually takes a wide angle to avoid hitting it, since the bumper is pretty low. Doesn't feel uncomfortable over bumps otherwise!
@@daycrew awesome thank you guys that was an absolutely awesome video
It’s a little stiff but overall not too bumpy, I like how it feels, but yeah the front ground clearance isn’t great haha
My 2zz made it 236k and probably would've still been running if it were not for an undetected pinhole leak under my upper radiator hose.
No it doesn't deserve any 😡 hate . Your the problem. Not grateful for what you have. It beats walking.😂❤👎 Love my Celica got her in 95 & still going strong . Out of all the lemons I've had . My Celica is the beast ❤ over all...... ❤👍
Underrated for sure yeh it’s not as good as the other celicas but so what if you can have fun wit it and affordable price go for it definitely recommend manual to get more fun out of it
W take
Yeah I’ve heard the autos are really weak in performance, struggle to hit lift etc
other than the gt4 its way better then the other celicas, and even then it handles better and has a better chassis & suspension then a gt4
This generation of Celica got a bad reputation because it looks fast but isn't & people rice them out. People today still rice them out! Everyone with these want to be low & slow, not even taking them to the mountain pass or the track. Not to mention, every other Celica "build" has a TRD kit, which inherently is nothing wrong with it, it's just become boring to see literally a copied/paste Celica in different colors. Great cars, bad community, thus creating a bad reputation. I don't attach myself to any of these Celica "groups" for the reasons said, but I'm glad to see a good one across the world from me. This one's actually nice & isn't clapped out.
I do take mine on mountain runs, but yes the ride height is for looks over performance, I don’t drive it too hard so I don’t feel I have to lean into a touge build or anything, but about the TRD kits, honestly, I just think they’re the nicest looking option. You’re right that people often rice these out too much, and I think a lot of aftermarket kits are just too ricey for my taste
I think 190bhp at 1150kg is fast enough.
i personally think that the only thing holding this back to potenially be the best NA fwd car is the fact that it doesn't have double wishbone on front.
theres much more to it than that, these also came with superstrut suspension in japan which behaves very similarly to double wishbone
@@arcanevoid9199 is this something you can buy for a normal celica? I'm considering either a vvtli celica or integra dc2 type r. It would be really cool to get this for a normal european market celica cause it's cheaper than the dc2 by quite a few thousands.
@@iuxanu you could but its not really economical to, there is the main suspension components but the superstrut suspension was a complete package with different interior, brakes, steering rack, abs computer & yaw sensors for sports abs, helical lsd etc. If you can get a dc2 type r or even a gsr with a b18c for a similar price or slightly more its probably going to be a better option, unfortunately the aftermarket has really let down the celica. as an example the best intake manifold for the 2zz hasnt been improved on since 2009 and is about $3000usd to order which you cant even do through an online store. skunk cast manifolds for hondas are only a few hundred and are easy to get
Dope Vid!
Celicas at the time is when JDM cars were going down they weren't selling as much sports anymore people were moving to SUVs and family vehicle that's why they discontinued the Celica
It's about 40hp boost in lift. The math is pretty simple. ;) And saying a Honda 4cyl sounds like a Toyota 4cyl is like saying an LS V8 sounds the same as a Coyote V8. It just doesn't. Either way, great looking Celica. Great and highly underrated and any other gen Celica would struggle against it on a track.
In Europe + Asia we get 192bhp for the 2zz, while the trd edition gets just over 200. You lost out.
Not realizable.? Mine had almost 300k and engine and chasis was still solid.! I even made a profit when I sold it.! Clean high mileage can still be worth every penny
The MK7 is a fantastic car, and one people should consider buying before hopping into an EP3 for twice the money.
Put some fresh shocks and some good springs under it and you have an absolute weapon for attacking backroads. They are predictable, they are progressive, they are revvy, they are playful, supremely underrated cars.
And saying the ZZ engines aren't reliable is just plain misinformed. Early 1ZZs can suffer from ovalling of the bores and early 2ZZs can suffer from broken lift bolts, but both issues were fixed later in production. Aside from that the only thing I can think of is the oil starvation issue the 2ZZ has on track, but that isn't really a 'reliability' thing because that isn't what the car was designed for, and it can be solved with an aftermarket or modified oil pan.
I’m looking at buying one of these, all I know is I currently own a 1.8 supercharged Mercedes and the mk7 celica makes the same horsepower but it’s NA so Toyota must have done something right with them 🤷🏻♂️ I want one
Honestly a supercharged Mercedes’ sounds like a lot of fun though!
@@daycrew it can be it feels quick in the city, and rwd can be fun at times, beat a couple of GTIs off the lights with it but I drive on the motorway to get to work regularly and it seems like all its power is at the lower end, it feels slower at a certain point, its auto and there are mods that can potentially up the power but it’s all pricey stuff that likely wouldn’t get me much of an increase for the amount I would be paying for them, I’m in two minds whether to keep it and just buy a project
The celica can make upwards of 250 I believe with a supercharger 😮
@@CCC_769 yeah Ive read that too on stock internals which for the weight is fantastic, I read they can make much more but that’s heading into the forged internals big money territory but I think if you’ve got that kind of money it would be worth it, I think they look really nice too styling wise don’t understand why so many people don’t like the way they look the front end on some I’ve seen looks like a better looking 350z with back seats the back lights I’m unsure on but I don’t hate them, I’m torn between this or an rx8 just because rwd with a rotary and suicide doors but I think the celica is winning purely based on the fact it’s a Toyota engine and you’d have to be a moron to break a Toyota 😅 and the celica imo is a slightly better looking car
Lol I'm in (with purchase) $14K into my GT-S Celica already and the front is all rock chipped up with not a great paint job. This thing looks like a show car.
I'd be $20K in to even attempt to make it look like this. Standard body on mine, I just bought carbon fiber TRD kit stuff to just make it look close to those.
In the USA, these are very expensive and not easy to find with low miles. The GT-S models are a complete joke if you want a nice one for anything remotely affordable.
Thank you! :)
Color is actually called "Carbon Blue Mica" or "Carbon Black Mica" sometimes.
But they are bringing it back I heard😊
This and the MR2 would be a fire comeback 🔥
This car's shape is handsome, but there aren't many people who dress it up like a varis or rocket or a Lb walk.
Nah Celica's done like that are smoking, it's got to be done tastefully only certain body kits and splitters and diffusers
$14,000 AUD is just under £7,500 GBP. And tbh... that's very much overpriced. I'm sorry but no Mk7 Celica is worth that much money.
australian car market is very inflated, cant really compare it to most places
@@arcanevoid9199 Ah I see, that makes more sense. I don't live there so I have no idea, but if that's the case then fair enough.
The 7th gen Celica didn't have a gt4 because the 6th gen got banned for cheating
the gt4 also didn’t sell well, it was about 4x times more expensive than a 7th gen
Haha that’s not a bad theory, like they killed the Celica’s rally reputation so they didn’t bother doing an awd and putting it in wrc
This is one of the most reliable sportscars ever. Whatt makes you say theyre unreliable??
W on the dash cam
If you're expecting the RWD Celica's of old you wont like this car. If you're expecting Toyotas answer to the Civic Si you will like this car.
Nobody can tell me that car is not gorgeous
It absolutely is gorgeous.
what is this guy yappin about celica engines not being reliable? I have a mate of mine that thrashes his celica almost everyday on the streets, dragstrip, parking lots, and he somewhat does the minimum amount of maintenance on that thing and IIRC him saying its well past 250k kms already and still going strong. Both 1zz and 2zz as far as I know have received nothing but positive feedbacks from celica owners.
I don't know where they got the idea of both toyota engines not being reliable LMAO. If it was at least the RX-8's rotary engine, sure, but Toyota engines almost across all models of cars that they have made are all more reliable than ur standard american/german car brand.
Not so reliable hey? I'm sitting at 515xxx kms, stock engine.
Not reliable? It's by far the most economical and reliable of its class and competition. GTSs here in Canada have as much as 400,000km and still kicking. GTs have gone by 500,000
i love my mk7 celica. def want mine to shine as nice as josh's someday soon. need mo' cash 😅😂
It's a beautiful machine, and its looks are wayyyy better than the new Supra, aka BMW. Nothing can be compared with celica because it is a standout car.
I have never heard anybody pronounce Celica like he does I don't know if it's an American thing but we say it completely different
Haha we were talking about this when filming that some people might be confused! In America they pronounce it seh-li-kuh vs Australia and a few other places pronounce it suh-lee-kuh. No one knows which one is correct as far as I could find out!
We say the same in uk @@daycrew
I have a soft spot for the Celica in general. This one looks very good. Just like most affordable cars they are a basic platform to build on.
If I had to choose a modern Celica it would be the st205 gt4 followed by the 165 group A rally.
Those are both great choices
@@daycrew I'm not sure where you are located but if you're ever in Brisbane and would like to review the other 2zzge powered Toyota from the same era let me know.
Will do 👀
@@desirabledrives44is yours a sportivo Corolla? I’d love to battle our cars out sometime! This is my car and I live in Brisbane
I personally have never liked the look of the gen 7's. The motors are kinda cool, ive driven one and it was alright until you get out of it and remember what you were just in. Interior is kinda meh too. But maybe I'm just a gen 6 fan boy - I have an st204 daily, an st204 with a 600whp 3sgte in it and an st205 GT4 haha.
Josh also needs to go big or go home with the stretchers, 50mm+ or nothing :P
kinda cool? better than any other na celica or even the 4age stock for stock, and of course the interior isnt amazing as i dont think you realise how cheap these were in japan. a gt4 was close to 4x the price and isnt really faster stock for stock
@@arcanevoid9199 imagine buying a car to keep it stock 🤮🤮🤮
@@grindstonegarage never said anything about keeping it stock, was just for comparison
@@arcanevoid9199 Im all good on em bud, not overly interested
Ahahaha I actually had my lobes up to 42mm when I was much younger, I took them out for a few years, they closed up to about 15mm, and in the last couple of years I went back up to 24mm. Can’t see me going any bigger again 🤷🏻♂️
1ZZ and 2ZZ unreliable? that's flat out not true lol, there's a reason lotus chose it over any other inline 4
What is a “Slee cah”?
Super Cool
TLDR from another Josh: If you plan on buying a celica and boosting it you'd be better off buying the 1zz-fe version, the 2zz-ge is good N/A but as soon as you start bringing boost to the table it floods you with problems, not to mention the shitty oil pan that likes to shit the bed under cornering
1zz will also have problems if you arent careful with boost, neither of them will handle much in stock form. oil pan isnt shitty, the car wasnt designed for track use and they didnt plan ahead for 25 years of tire technology improvements. people love to say the 1zz is better for boost but the reality is the 5 speed is weaker, 2zz will make more power on less boost and depending on market/model year you have smaller/weaker brakes for 1zz models which doesnt help either
@@arcanevoid9199 @arcanevoid9199 the 6 speed bolts onto the 1zz easily, brakes are easy to upgrade and the 2zz might make high horsepower on lower boost but it will also blow up a lot sooner(from my experience at least).
Swapping a 6speed on my latest 1zz(previous one was totalled and engine wasn't salvageable) very soon, I'm building it for track days so I'm already shopping around for bigger aftermarket brakes in the front and a disc brake conversion in the rear, gonna do exactly like my last one and go cams, ARP head studs, stronger valve springs and a safe 12psi of boost. Do the same mods on a 2zz-ge and it'll blow up(from my experience)
@@NovaPog37 yes but its still extra cost, this is about the cars in stock form not with a bunch of parts swapped over. if you are blowing up 2zzs you are doing it wrong, the reality is most people don't do it properly and cut corners when they go boosted. why do valve springs and studs but not pistons or rods? 1zz has weak cast rods & pistons. and experience really doesnt mean much as there are so many variables, they came supercharged from factory in a handful of models. you will also want to upgrade your oil system, 1zz pan is going to be pushing it for track days
@@arcanevoid9199 pistons and rods are definitely planned, just not gonna do it for only 12psi, once I master the car's handling and feel the need for more power I'll definitely swap more parts out
I believe that it has a sprinkle of supercar beauty on it. However it is super slow…
The 2zz is faster than the 2023 integra A spec.😂😂😂😂
The chassis is very good. The 2zzge is a torqueless wonder below Lift but rips and sounds glorious when in Lift. The Achilles heel is the absolute garbage that is the C60 transmission. Tight and just ever so slightly slanted shift gates, the vague shifter feel. Combined with horrible 1-2, 2-3 gearing designed to improve 0-60 times at the expense of falling out of Lift meant folks were money shifting these left and right trying to get that perfect shift.
The transmission literally killed the 2zz engine and killed enthusiasm for the platform. It is top 3, if not the worst, manual transmission I have ever driven.
for what it is the 2zz makes good torque, its not torqueless at all. its got a very healthy stroke for an engine that can rev to 8500 from factory. its far from the worse manual transmission, not on the same level as hondas from the era but still pretty good. people just like to blame the gearbox as a whole instead of fixing the issues they are having
That’s interesting, I loved the transmission personally, but I only drove it for a short amount of time.
@@arcanevoid9199 @daycrew yeah that's what people who thought they knew said way back when. Toyota unofficially limited MT GTS' production in 2001 and 2002 because of the transmission issues. That's why the majority of used 01&02 GTS' are autos. In 2003 Toyota came out with a slightly revised transmission. They still suck @$$ but the gates were slightly widened along with some other internal changes.
Besides the horrible 1-2 gearing, it also featured TWO, TWO! overdrive gears and if we're gonna get nitpicky it should have gotten a shorter final drive. LSD was an option in later models so can't complain about that.
People who say this is a good transmission clearly don't know what a good transmission feels like or what a good one can do to elevate the experience. ALL the C60 trans I have driven across all the platforms, Celica, Matrix, Corolla, MR-2zzS suck. Period.
@@zze86 what is wrong with 2 overdrive gears? shorter final drive wouldnt help because its really the gear spacing thats the problem as youve mentioned, 1st doesnt need to be any shorter than it already is. LSD was always an option just not in every market, my 1999 7th gen has one which was included with the superstrut package. Havent driven a honda or anything but have driven multiple other manual cars and the celica still feels much nicer
@@arcanevoid9199 because you don't need two overdrive gears and could use it for something else? Make 5th gear 1:1 and tighten up the rest of the gearing. As for the final drive, it would help with the engine not feeling like a torqueless wonder, lol. I mean the FD in the C60 is pretty short already but going to a 4.7 would've made it feel punchier. Sure, RPMs would be sky high at highway speeds but that's why it has TWO overdrive gears 😂
Go try some actually good feeling transmissions. Then come back and tell me it's a good transmission with a straight face. You won't. Because the C60 sucks ballz! 🤣
Don't get me wrong I really like the 2zz and IMO the ZZT231 is a better platform than the EM2/EP3 and DC5 but the C60 straight up kills the overall performance and enjoyment.
Gotta hate when they it sounds like a civic , that’s like saying a LS sounds like a hemi
good price, toyota reliability, cool part the lambo/super car line
my 1zz celica beats an 08 subaru forrester. i think the 1zz is the best
I've owned many Celicas. From 1st gen to 7th. 7th gen lacks hp and rear wheel drive. I am fixing 🤔 that on my current 7th gen.
V8 Celica GT-SS th-cam.com/play/PLHUWidjJ9X6T26LVBPT5fL7DovFXzloVb.html&si=N5iVep52QL5tY26E
It's a good looking car very far from ugly
Sounds like a motorbike indeed. I think it’s because Toyota collaborated with Yamaha for the engine
sleeke'a? You mean Cell' la Ka?
Silly car?
@@daycrew Guess so, you made this vid!