Both of these cars are super rare and also very collectable. I know the MR2 gets most of the attention but actually the turbo All-trac Celica was much more rare when these cars were made. I remember going to a Toyota dealership back during these times and the lot had several MR2's to pick from inventory. But when i looked at the Celica's there was ONLY ONE turbo All-trac and it was all white with matching white alloyed wheels. I still see MR2's on the road today from this vintage but i NEVER see a Celica turbo All-trac ever. The last time i saw one in person was probably 2003. Awesome to see these cars presented here today.
I always admired the 90's Toyota sporty looking cars , even the Corolla GTS. I remember sitting in the Celica at a local dealership in San Diego dreaming of having one. Just a normal RWD, non turbo . I've always loved Toyota engineering the looks and reputation Toyota already had at the time.The MR2 was a SUPERCAR to me . I even love the generation MR2 before the one you demonstrated. Thank you and thank your customers for allowing us to view these wonderful Toyota marvels of the past! I'm sorry these cars are not easy to work on at times for you and your crew but in my opinion if you guys can't fix these no shop can. Wonderful explanation and presentation.
about a month ago I started looking for those Celica's and I could not even find one for sale. They do seem like super cool cars though and I miss the turbo 90's cars. I think they were super expensive when new too? Like compared to an eclipse gsx or a wrx?
@@briankalagher6687 If you really look, you can find a regular Celica ST or GT for sale...But never the All-trac. And you are totally correct about the price when new. The All-trac was wicked expensive compared to it's regular ST or GT models so there weren't alot of people who had the money to pony up to buy it. When i was growing up, we had a fairly LARGE Toyota dealer in my area - the largest in the state. I spent a lot of time admiring these cars each and every model year. For every 100 MR2's or Supra's made there was probably only 2 or 3 All-trac Celicas.
I have looked around forever since I was young and have never seen one simply driving around. Mind you, everyone knows how rare and valuable those are. Sad they were so limited. Those are the types of cars we truly want.
I was fortunate enough to own a ‘93 MR2 TURBO, suffice to say, it was an amazing car to drive! It had a similar appearance to the Ferrari 355 which got a few interesting looks. The motor was the same as in the Celina, 2.0 l twin entry turbo. I tried finding my old one, called a few favors at the dealership to see if they could locate it for me. I really enjoyed that little monster, even with all its quirks!
I have both of these: A 1991 MR2 with 2GR engine swap and a 1992 Celica GT-Four with Caldina 3S-GTE engine swap almost complete. They are amazing drivers and never fail to get attention. Thank you for highlighting these superb cars.
same, I have both cars as well. but i have the original 1992 toyota celica alltrac US spec and US spec 1992 Toyota MR2 turbo. both have 4th gen 3sgte swaps.
Glad I found someone whom I can trust to work on the MR2..I waited YEARS because I was afraid of just letting anyone work on it. It was a pleasant surprise to see the turbo all-trac there. Great video, AMD! Thank you for your patience with it, take as much time as you need, appreciate it!
AMD, You are like a kid in a candy store with these two high performance cars from Toyota's golden era. 😉 Despite their sporting character, it is very instructive that neither of these cars came burdened with the heavy, oversized wheels we see on almost everything these days. Happy Thanksgiving AMD, Team TCCN and Subscribers. 😁
Years ago I used to service a heart surgeon's MR-2, exactly like the one here. I loved that car. Beautiful little mid-engine car. Maybe that is even it. Who knows.
Here in Australia the All-Trac is known as the GT4, I owned one as my daily driver for 9 years, great memories. I’d like to point out that those wheels are special, to start with 15” because that was the size of most Rally Tyres, but the little known feature is that the rims are left and right side rims (my spare was a right hand rim). The spokes are aerofoils just like an aircraft wing to produce an area of low pressure on the outside to draw air over the brakes for cooling; most rally cars didn’t run these rims so not sure how effective it really was.
Besides the distributor, the main limiting factors of the 3S-GTE in the '90 - '93 MR2 were the flap-style airflow meter and the intercooler ducting. Converting to a top-ducted intercooler eliminates most of the intake ducting, and converting to an aftermarket speed-density type ECU eliminates the airflow meter. This was standard by 1994.
Yeah i was curious why it was designed this way. 7mge use the vane style AFM like this 3sgte but the 7mgte use an actual MAF. Why not just use that instead of the AFM, so weird.
They really liked those back then! It's a shame though because you can't really get above 250hp with them. Remove it and with bolt-ons you can get 400hp with stock internals.@@doomkid02
Wow these are true collectors cars. I am an mr2 enthusiast and have been searching for an alltrac for 20 years. The alltrac is my ultimate toyota to own. Loved this video.
Hi from Australia, I Own a 1989 Toyota Celica (ST184) It has the unkillable 5SFE. These cars are hidden gems no matter what Trim or Drivetrain. Would love to see more classic Toyotas on your channel.
Nice! I have recently subscribed to your channel and love it. You are very knowledgeable and I have learned so much! My dad was an auto mechanic and was one of the best. I remember hanging out in his garage after school. To some it seems a little strange being a girl! I have driven the same Toyota Avalon for 17 years. Technology has changed drastically! I purchased a 2024 Toyota Camry XLE and will arrive in a few days. A video on all the (tech/instrument panel only )would be so helpful! It’s all a little intimidating and confusing. Stop/Start seems so strange! Thank You
What a great video! I bought a 1993 MR2 N/A in 2002, and shortly after found a 1994 turbo that was rolled and totaled with 41K. Had the engine, transmission, instrument cluster, and beefier front brakes put in. Along with the 1994 trunk lid with spoiler that had changed to a much nicer look. Added the new taillights from 1994 too. Then had it all stripped down and repainted in the original turquoise color. It is one beautiful car! No mods other than the original swap. Always been a southern car with no rust anywhere. The turbo with the mid-engine makes it a blast to drive. And, it handles like no other. Doesn’t get driven much anymore and sits in the garage. Sadly I may part with it soon, but after this video I’m not sure I want to anymore! And, yes, it is virtually impossible to work on too much outside of oil and spark plug changes. But, it has been rock solid dependable. Thank you for your best video ever!!
i just happened to plug in an OBD2 bluetooth module to my tundra and watched what some of the readings were while the engine was running. i was stunned to see the A/F ratio not jumping all over the place, it was super steady. factory wideband FTW! in regards to the build quality of the celica you showed... even my old 96 corolla had some similar front suspension setup and parts to that, so toyota definitely liked to overbuild things for a long time. Im almost having a hard time believing that any new car will ever last as long as the 90s and 2000s cars.
Over 20 years ago I had a 91 Celica GT coupe 5 speed and two 91 non-turbo MR2s of which one was a very rare hardtop model. 5SFE was not powerful or anything special but it was reliable and so well made. The Celica reached 200K mikes on the factory installed alternator and steering pump. Both cars had a recall on the A/C expansion valve but my dealer botched the job on the Celica to a point it leaked out enough refrigerant oil in the evaporator box to destroy the compressor. The MR2 had a recall with the steering wheel not meeting some DOT standard. The dealer installed a new leather steering wheel on it. Other than that, they just kept running without any issues. From around 1998-2002 you could buy a non-turbo MR2 in good shape for $6-8K. The turbos were $10-14K for the earlier models. The 94-95 were more like $8-10K and $18K to 25K, respectively, for the best of the best. They are all rare finds now. ALLTracs were rare even then. I knew someone who bought a basket case version for $5K but the nice ones were around $20K then. Labor hours to install a clutch were something crazy like 18 hours or so. I helped him with the job and it was not fun.
I've got one that's apparently even a more hidden gem. The first generation MR 2. I always thought of it as a Japanese Lotus which is probably more true than you know since Toyota owned part of Lotus at the time it was designed And tested by Dan Gurney I had one for 27 years and the only reason I got rid of it some parts were getting hard to come by. I actually had to go to a wrecking yard in San Jose to find a solenoid for part of the smog control system They are a completely different personality from the second generation MR 2 They're like a big go kart In 27 years it never failed to put a smile on my face
Each to their own, Ruth. If you had been a member of the long-running mr2 list you would have known there are 2 camps both fanatical about the 2 generations. The first generation was more raw sports car - I thought of it like a Japanese Lotus. Rumor was that Lotus at the time helped in the design, as Toyota owned part of it. Tested by Dan Gurney. You never had so much fun with 2300 lbs and 118 hp. Toyota wanted to "move upscale" with the 2nd generation, and the driving sensations are completely different. Longer wheel base, stronger engines, particularly the turbo. The 3rd generation was Toyota's effort to return it to its 1st generation roots, but with a folding top. I had that car for 27 years, and the only reason I got rid of it was parts availability, particularly emissions parts.
These are both some of the best and most exciting cars Toyota ever built. But make no mistake, both are MASSIVE collector's items and you will be paying out the nose for either. I see a lot of my 88' Supra in that Celica as well as my 01' Celica GT-S. You cannot go wrong with 80's 90's sporty Toyota. They still look modern.
Had a 1990 Celica All- trac. What a car it was. Comfortable, very capable and super reliable if you don’t mess with it. Felt like Carlos Sainz every time I drove it. Miss my gtfour so bad.
@gtr100r in 30 years, that's what they'll say about the new wrx. But for now it only gets hated. Funny how time changes things. Imagine how toxic the car culture would've been back then if social media existed? I miss the good old days!
Beautiful cars indeed, Toyota at the top of their game. I'm sure they are very difficult to work on, but a labor of love at the same time. I'll bet you never thought you were going to outgrow this big shop!!
My college roommate bought a new red MR2 in 1989. I invited him out to the track and opened his eyes. It didn't have tge best power, but it was refined and easy to get to the limit because it was so well balanced. I also loved tge shifter and transmission. I'm sure tge turbo was more fun. It was a great car for the day. I had a 1995 4th Gen Supra Turbo. Thanks to the Fast and the Furious hyping it, I sold it for more than I paid for it and replaced it with a C5 Z06 and G35 Coupe daily driver. My favorite car from the 90's was tge NSX. What a wonderful track car! Not the fastest, but it was like a scalpel.
I’m fortunate enough to own both of these cars in red! I just acquired the 1990 Celica All-Trac Turbo and I’ve owned the 1991 MR2 Turbo since 1999. They are truly gems!
Great shop you care about your customers and the vehicles you work on. Excellent information about vehicles I knew nothing about, we have owned Toyotas sent the early 70’s and currently own three today. Take care and have a happy Thanksgiving.
I had a Celica GT4 (ST205 - the last one) *and* a Turbo MR2 (SW20) here in Australia. Wonderful cars. Anything with the 3S-GTE is highly tuneable, but they were great out of the box. The 5-speed gearbox was notorious for weak synchros and 2nd gear would usually go first (I think).
Their was a ST215 motor as well in the GT4 which provided a output I believe of around 255 or 265hp. Such great cars and so ahead of their time. I have a 94 Celica with a JGM 3S-GTE swap FWD back when I was in High school.
@@Thedonron12 Ah right. The 3S-GTE was developed further for a bit too I think, getting VVTi in some markets. Gen4/5s. I can't remember. I think both of my cars had the Gen3 which in Australia didn't have the distributor and used the Karman vortex air sensor system too which is very clever.
@@rabidbigdog the 3sgte never got vvti only the 3sge got the vvti , you can however mix and match most of the 3sg parts , i have a gen 4 3sgte head on a 3sfe block with a gen 4 3sgte lower sump with a black top dual vvti oil pump all together running around 900hp , its in the quickest celica gt4 in the world at 9.14 @ 156 mph for now at least ..
A really two masterpiece cars of that era. Whenever I see a Celica in my area - I've never seen an MR2 though I know about existence of two - I can't help but stopping and give it a closer look, with the risk of upsetting/freaking the owner...
Awesome video, thank you so much for doing this! Almost picked up an alltrac a few years back. By happenstance ended up getting an 88 GTS with the 3sge as well as a GT with the 3SFE. Wow- after watching this thorough video I’m sorta glad I didn’t get the alltrac. YES, no room on the timing belt side. The intake cam seal was not easy!! But some slight ingenuity got it done. Love mine, so much fun to drive!
The MR2 is an amazing car. I owned 4 different ones, my favorite was the "poverty pack" (non-aspirated, no power windows, no sunroof). Not a practical car, but an incredible car to drive. When Toyota shut down the dealership TRD performance shops, I knew it was over.
Love to see the 90's cars! I wish I knew back then how great Toyota reliability was. So cool to see all the LS430's at the end, I wish you showed us the cams with the valve cover off. I like to see the inside of a 20 year old clean engine!
Love it Ahmed, keep up the good work, our 2013 Toyota Prius in the video is running great! Ahmed is a blessing from God, count it a privilege if he works on your Lexus, Toyota or Scion.
Had a 91 MR2 Turbo. Thing was a blast. Had some bolt on mods and the thing just ran and ran with no issues. Nothing like hearing the turbo spool right behind you head.
Proud owner of a 1985 mr2. Very very fun cars to drive. And that Celica is awesome! Impossible not to picture in my head the WRC drived by the legend Carlos Sainz
I worked at a Toyota dealership during that time and I remember no dealer would stock a Celica Alltrac turbo because they were imported fully loaded with an msrp of $26,999.
In the ‘90’s, Toyota had multiple vehicles that at first glance were ‘magical’. Managing the mid-engine turbo 4 placement in the MR2 or getting the all-trac setup wedged into the Celica, or in my case placing the motor and drivetrain in our ‘91 AWD Previa, AND having it be an excellent performing all around drive. A short 6 passenger minivan, only about 3500 lbs. AND moved deftly by a 2.3L DOHC naturally aspirated 4 cyl, placed right under the front passenger compartment, on it’s side. First time I saw it, I thought, OMG, this is going to be a nightmare to work on. But it was SO RELIABLE, that I only ever had to do the routine maintenance, and that was made easy by placing all of the access points just where they needed to be. Auto trans was a mind reader, dropped gear to let that 2.3L 4 spin up an GO. A joy to drive, esp when the snow came.
I did the clutch on my '88 all -trac as a school project in transmission class. Tried doing it with the engine in, finally gave up and dropped the drivetrain. The transfer case was integrated with the transmission, did not unbolt like on the diamond star triplets or the Galant VR4 I owned later.
For years, I owned an 86 MR2, then in 93 bought a slightly used 91 MR2 Turbo (exactly like the one in this video, same color, same T-Tops, manual). I wish I still had both, especially the 91. Great drivers cars.
Memories! I rented one of these Celicas in Sacramento back in the day. Drove it up to Lake Tahoe after work. Went up on I-80 and came down the back way through Placerville. As I was leaving Tahoe, there were snow advisories in October. I went for it! The most fun drive of my life!
Have owned 5 Celicas and a Celica Supra 2,8i. The Celica is a true drivers car. The GT4 (all trac for the US guys and girls) is a blast. I currently own a 2ZZ GE powered Celica (Yamaha engine). 210K and still in excellent condition. I have always changed the oil every 2500 to 3000 miles. Trust me it helps! I wish Car Care But would do a video of a 2ZZ GE strip down of the engine.
And as a corolla owner 1zz-fe economy engine. I've become increasingly fascinated by the 2ZZ-GE and either turbo or supercharged is the engine is in the lotus with that engine. Although I'm not sure the supercharge kit is easy if possible at all to find by boy do they rev 😋 A small turbo and a good tune to increase power and talk smoothly till vvti kicked in would compliment it nicely.
Remembering my 91 Camry with the 3S-FE... Similar engine but a different head and no turbo. It didn't have much power, but it ran so smooth and quiet. So much more room and easy to work on in the engine bay though. The 91 Camry's special feature was the automatic seatbelts. As a pizza guy, it was actually a welcome feature. I really miss the bolster from my 89 Supra. That was an awesome feature. My brother's 87 4Runner had manual ones.
"It's a beautiful engine but not so much fun to work at" I laughed so hard 🤣 Both of these cars are special at their time and much more appealing in today's time. Great cars!!
Love these Toyotas. Especially the MR2 which brings back memories of my 1986 MR2. In 1986 at the ripe age of 22 I bought my first new car, 1986 MR2 with a 5 speed manual. previous gen. More boxier. Red with rear spoiler wing. 112 hp. 1.6 L engine Non Turbo. 4 valves/cylinder. Blast to drive. I kept that car for 7 years, sold it in 1993 w 73k miles and never changed the brake pads nor rotors. I always downshifted and “engine braked”. In hindsight, Probably not the best thing to do. The only maintenance I did was change the oil every 3000 miles and flushed out the radiator once. car needed nothing except a change of tires. In hindsight, I should’ve stuck with Toyota from that point on. 30 years later and my current car is a 2002 Lexus ES300 w 179k miles and it’s as good as new.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. A friend of mine owned that gen MR-2. I owned an 85 Supra and had so much fun in them. I really enjoyed your energy in this video. Thanks AMD!
I have a 1991 mr2 turbo and love it. Al though rigth now is in need if service. My all time favorite car. I've never seen a celica all track though, but I can't say I'm not intrigued.
Actually, i believe the support bearing for the longer drive axle is so that the actual drive-shafts are both the same length. Which means it puts equal power onto both wheels. My Accord Type-S has the same thing, its to prevent torque steer since its FWD.
90 was the best time for a Japanese sedan and car. All of them were very popular in Bangladesh. And sports sedan mark 2. Exiv and ed were also very cool cars.
You're absolutely right, couple of real gems, until you have to have work done, that is if you can find someone willing to take the time and do it right, thanks for showing us these beautiful examples, God bless
I was Toyota tech in the 90s if my memory is correct they went with the older L jetronic system on the turbos because the newer D type with a map sensor had some issues transitioning from a vacuum to boost.
*Ahmed: Yes, a lot of "happy moments" to come indeed! The YAMAHA part of these engines was the most important part, the cylinder head. In the 1980s and 90s Yamaha was Japan's Cosworth, doing high performance head development work for many engine manufacturers. In addition to Toyota's Formula Atlantic engine development effort (250 HP @ 11,000 RPM from a dry-sump, 1.6L 4A-GE), the first Ford Taurus SHO V6 heads also comes to mind. Cheers!*
Such a beautiful 90s car! Im 35yrs and I remember as a little boy, probably 6yrs my dad use to take me on joy ride around town with his MR2............
I had a white 1993 Toyota Celica convertible with the all-track hood. Great car ! The 5s-fe was ok, but not powerful enough to really be a sports car. I now have a 1990 Nissan 300zx, what a whole different beast. The 300zx is also really hard to work on. Of course, both with a manual transmission 😁
I remember selling a timing belt on a 1992 MR2 Turbo for my technician once thinking he would be happy about it. He was not happy at all. Also replacing the clutch on the Celica AllTrac Turbo, if I recall, requires dropping the engine and trans together.
I own a '93 MR2 Turbo that is mostly kept in hibernation. When I do bring it back to life, it eagerly awakes and loves to take on the twisty mountain roads.
I have a 1992 Mr-2 for the last 17 years. I helped my son do an engine swap back in 2008. Bought a mr2 clip from Japan. My son is the expert on the Mr2 I was just the helper. He has his Mr2 from his high school days. Thanks for the video my friend and all that you share and do . God bless
The timing belt replacement on the mr2 isnt that bad. You have to move some stuff out to get to the engine mount but it's pretty easy. The thing that really sucks is old bolts that may have seized in the head which is aluminum. And aluminum tends to strip really easy compared to iron which the block is
I taught my kids to drive using an '87 Celica GTS and they claim its the sweetest gearbox they ever drove; I was particularly fond of my '81 Gen 1 Supra, there was nothing like it in the day. We hot rodded an MR2, but strugled with head gaskets, and it was scary to drive-way too much power. Great channel.
The MR2 Turbo was on season 16 of Wheeler Dealer, they talk of the hose from hell, a 2 inch coolant hose that requires engine out to change and usually fail at 100K miles. Ant really tore into it
owned plenty cars, got to say, the Mr2 is probably the best quality car ive ever seen, rarely rusted, tricky to work on but looked after they never die ,score 9 out 10
Local kid had a MR2 turbo that was unbeatably fast. He learned there is no replacement for displacement, as well as, age and treachery overcome youth and enthusiasm. Fun car though.
Thanks for the video. I used to own a 93 MR2 turbo, bought brand new. Regarding the plastic covers underneath, not only did the all coolant pipss run in the tunnel, the fuel tank was mounted in that center tunnel.
I had a 1993 MR2 Turbo for 10 years. It was red on black, fully loaded, I bought it with 65k original miles off the showroom floor. I put about 25k worth of upgrades in it! What a car
Thanks for doing a video on these cars. I have a 1991 MR2 NA. I've owned the car for 25 years and has been my pride and joy. I've owned a MKII and MKIII Supra in the past and the MR2 is a true sports car. Although the MKII Supra was/is a dream car for me. I'm blown away by how many cars you have in the shop. It's good to be busy. You've made quite a reputation for yourself. Keep up the great work.
Hey there! Thank you for all your awesome educational and fun content. Really cool cars that you show here and just really enjoy your channel. And I have a question! Do you have any videos on Toyota's with the check engine light on an addition to that, that when tested for diagnosing it the code came up evap trouble code? My mechanic noticed that the gas cap has a little tiny crack in it. My 2005 tundra went in the shop for a replacement of lower ball joints. He said he would not troubleshoot vehicles that have the check engine light on because it has been too time consuming or I'm not sure what the reason was- in any case he said it might be just as simple of a fix as to just replace the gas cap. Other than that I don't know what I would do before February when it needs to be smogged. He highly recommended only a Toyota, OEM gas cap. Would this be the first thing to try after the code came up evap trouble? In your opinion? And if Toyota part only it's about $50 bucks for the gas cap. If you have any video on this that would be helpful otherwise if you're able to answer my question I would also appreciate that. Regardless, i enjoy and appreciate your videos and your time. Thank you much! And happy Thanksgiving!
I'm a proud owner of both of these beauties. I'm so glad somebody was able to loan these over for this video. Amazing job explaining!
He's in Toyota Heaven, those smiles I wish all mechanics was as genuine and caring as this gentle men.
Love when mr2’s get attention. Underrated for sure.
Both of these cars are super rare and also very collectable. I know the MR2 gets most of the attention but actually the turbo All-trac Celica was much more rare when these cars were made. I remember going to a Toyota dealership back during these times and the lot had several MR2's to pick from inventory. But when i looked at the Celica's there was ONLY ONE turbo All-trac and it was all white with matching white alloyed wheels. I still see MR2's on the road today from this vintage but i NEVER see a Celica turbo All-trac ever. The last time i saw one in person was probably 2003. Awesome to see these cars presented here today.
I always admired the 90's Toyota sporty looking cars , even the Corolla GTS. I remember sitting in the Celica at a local dealership in San Diego dreaming of having one. Just a normal RWD, non turbo . I've always loved Toyota engineering the looks and reputation Toyota already had at the time.The MR2 was a SUPERCAR to me . I even love the generation MR2 before the one you demonstrated. Thank you and thank your customers for allowing us to view these wonderful Toyota marvels of the past! I'm sorry these cars are not easy to work on at times for you and your crew but in my opinion if you guys can't fix these no shop can. Wonderful explanation and presentation.
about a month ago I started looking for those Celica's and I could not even find one for sale. They do seem like super cool cars though and I miss the turbo 90's cars. I think they were super expensive when new too? Like compared to an eclipse gsx or a wrx?
@@briankalagher6687 If you really look, you can find a regular Celica ST or GT for sale...But never the All-trac. And you are totally correct about the price when new. The All-trac was wicked expensive compared to it's regular ST or GT models so there weren't alot of people who had the money to pony up to buy it. When i was growing up, we had a fairly LARGE Toyota dealer in my area - the largest in the state. I spent a lot of time admiring these cars each and every model year. For every 100 MR2's or Supra's made there was probably only 2 or 3 All-trac Celicas.
I have looked around forever since I was young and have never seen one simply driving around. Mind you, everyone knows how rare and valuable those are. Sad they were so limited. Those are the types of cars we truly want.
I was fortunate enough to own a ‘93 MR2 TURBO, suffice to say, it was an amazing car to drive! It had a similar appearance to the Ferrari 355 which got a few interesting looks. The motor was the same as in the Celina, 2.0 l twin entry turbo. I tried finding my old one, called a few favors at the dealership to see if they could locate it for me. I really enjoyed that little monster, even with all its quirks!
I have both of these: A 1991 MR2 with 2GR engine swap and a 1992 Celica GT-Four with Caldina 3S-GTE engine swap almost complete. They are amazing drivers and never fail to get attention. Thank you for highlighting these superb cars.
I have a 92 all trac and thinking of rebuilding the 2nd gen 3sgte or doing a Caldina swap (4th or 5th gen) any thoughts? Pros and cons.
same, I have both cars as well. but i have the original 1992 toyota celica alltrac US spec and US spec 1992 Toyota MR2 turbo. both have 4th gen 3sgte swaps.
I'm swapping a junkyard 2grfe from an 08 sienna into a junkyard 07 yaris that was in a crash.
Glad I found someone whom I can trust to work on the MR2..I waited YEARS because I was afraid of just letting anyone work on it. It was a pleasant surprise to see the turbo all-trac there. Great video, AMD! Thank you for your patience with it, take as much time as you need, appreciate it!
"This is not your Corolla with 2 doors, this is the one to get". Shots fired at Scotty.
AMD, You are like a kid in a candy store with these two high performance cars from Toyota's golden era. 😉 Despite their sporting character, it is very instructive that neither of these cars came burdened with the heavy, oversized wheels we see on almost everything these days. Happy Thanksgiving AMD, Team TCCN and Subscribers. 😁
Years ago I used to service a heart surgeon's MR-2, exactly like the one here. I loved that car. Beautiful little mid-engine car. Maybe that is even it. Who knows.
I had both... if i knew more about cars at the time I would of kept my 1991 toyota celica
Here in Australia the All-Trac is known as the GT4, I owned one as my daily driver for 9 years, great memories.
I’d like to point out that those wheels are special, to start with 15” because that was the size of most Rally Tyres, but the little known feature is that the rims are left and right side rims (my spare was a right hand rim). The spokes are aerofoils just like an aircraft wing to produce an area of low pressure on the outside to draw air over the brakes for cooling; most rally cars didn’t run these rims so not sure how effective it really was.
Besides the distributor, the main limiting factors of the 3S-GTE in the '90 - '93 MR2 were the flap-style airflow meter and the intercooler ducting. Converting to a top-ducted intercooler eliminates most of the intake ducting, and converting to an aftermarket speed-density type ECU eliminates the airflow meter. This was standard by 1994.
Yeah i was curious why it was designed this way. 7mge use the vane style AFM like this 3sgte but the 7mgte use an actual MAF. Why not just use that instead of the AFM, so weird.
They really liked those back then! It's a shame though because you can't really get above 250hp with them. Remove it and with bolt-ons you can get 400hp with stock internals.@@doomkid02
The mr2 has some heat soak issues too (found out the hard way)
Afm, paper headgaskets, weight and the low voltage/high voltage modes for the fuel pump are the main "weaknesses" of the all-trac/gt-four.
Wow these are true collectors cars. I am an mr2 enthusiast and have been searching for an alltrac for 20 years. The alltrac is my ultimate toyota to own. Loved this video.
Hi from Australia, I Own a 1989 Toyota Celica (ST184) It has the unkillable 5SFE. These cars are hidden gems no matter what Trim or Drivetrain. Would love to see more classic Toyotas on your channel.
I’ve never seen you smile more in any of your videos. I hope you’re giving your best to fix any issues on these vehicles.
Nice! I have recently subscribed to your channel and love it. You are very knowledgeable and I have learned so much! My dad was an auto mechanic and was one of the best. I remember hanging out in his garage after school. To some it seems a little strange being a girl! I have driven the same Toyota Avalon for 17 years. Technology has changed drastically! I purchased a 2024 Toyota Camry XLE and will arrive in a few days. A video on all the (tech/instrument panel only )would be so helpful! It’s all a little intimidating and confusing. Stop/Start seems so strange! Thank You
What a great video! I bought a 1993 MR2 N/A in 2002, and shortly after found a 1994 turbo that was rolled and totaled with 41K. Had the engine, transmission, instrument cluster, and beefier front brakes put in. Along with the 1994 trunk lid with spoiler that had changed to a much nicer look. Added the new taillights from 1994 too. Then had it all stripped down and repainted in the original turquoise color. It is one beautiful car! No mods other than the original swap. Always been a southern car with no rust anywhere. The turbo with the mid-engine makes it a blast to drive. And, it handles like no other. Doesn’t get driven much anymore and sits in the garage. Sadly I may part with it soon, but after this video I’m not sure I want to anymore! And, yes, it is virtually impossible to work on too much outside of oil and spark plug changes. But, it has been rock solid dependable. Thank you for your best video ever!!
i just happened to plug in an OBD2 bluetooth module to my tundra and watched what some of the readings were while the engine was running. i was stunned to see the A/F ratio not jumping all over the place, it was super steady. factory wideband FTW!
in regards to the build quality of the celica you showed... even my old 96 corolla had some similar front suspension setup and parts to that, so toyota definitely liked to overbuild things for a long time. Im almost having a hard time believing that any new car will ever last as long as the 90s and 2000s cars.
Over 20 years ago I had a 91 Celica GT coupe 5 speed and two 91 non-turbo MR2s of which one was a very rare hardtop model. 5SFE was not powerful or anything special but it was reliable and so well made. The Celica reached 200K mikes on the factory installed alternator and steering pump. Both cars had a recall on the A/C expansion valve but my dealer botched the job on the Celica to a point it leaked out enough refrigerant oil in the evaporator box to destroy the compressor. The MR2 had a recall with the steering wheel not meeting some DOT standard. The dealer installed a new leather steering wheel on it. Other than that, they just kept running without any issues. From around 1998-2002 you could buy a non-turbo MR2 in good shape for $6-8K. The turbos were $10-14K for the earlier models. The 94-95 were more like $8-10K and $18K to 25K, respectively, for the best of the best. They are all rare finds now. ALLTracs were rare even then. I knew someone who bought a basket case version for $5K but the nice ones were around $20K then. Labor hours to install a clutch were something crazy like 18 hours or so. I helped him with the job and it was not fun.
I've got one that's apparently even a more hidden gem. The first generation MR 2.
I always thought of it as a Japanese Lotus which is probably more true than you know since Toyota owned part of Lotus at the time it was designed
And tested by Dan Gurney
I had one for 27 years and the only reason I got rid of it some parts were getting hard to come by. I actually had to go to a wrecking yard in San Jose to find a solenoid for part of the smog control system
They are a completely different personality from the second generation MR 2
They're like a big go kart
In 27 years it never failed to put a smile on my face
Nah, the 2nd generation is the special one, looked like a mini Ferrari but with Toyota quality.
Each to their own, Ruth. If you had been a member of the long-running mr2 list you would have known there are 2 camps both fanatical about the 2 generations.
The first generation was more raw sports car - I thought of it like a Japanese Lotus. Rumor was that Lotus at the time helped in the design, as Toyota owned part of it. Tested by Dan Gurney.
You never had so much fun with 2300 lbs and 118 hp.
Toyota wanted to "move upscale" with the 2nd generation, and the driving sensations are completely different. Longer wheel base, stronger engines, particularly the turbo.
The 3rd generation was Toyota's effort to return it to its 1st generation roots, but with a folding top.
I had that car for 27 years, and the only reason I got rid of it was parts availability, particularly emissions parts.
These are both some of the best and most exciting cars Toyota ever built. But make no mistake, both are MASSIVE collector's items and you will be paying out the nose for either.
I see a lot of my 88' Supra in that Celica as well as my 01' Celica GT-S. You cannot go wrong with 80's 90's sporty Toyota. They still look modern.
Good choice in music for the b-roll.
Had a 1990 Celica All- trac. What a car it was. Comfortable, very capable and super reliable if you don’t mess with it. Felt like Carlos Sainz every time I drove it. Miss my gtfour so bad.
@gtr100r in 30 years, that's what they'll say about the new wrx. But for now it only gets hated. Funny how time changes things. Imagine how toxic the car culture would've been back then if social media existed? I miss the good old days!
Beautiful cars indeed, Toyota at the top of their game. I'm sure they are very difficult to work on, but a labor of love at the same time. I'll bet you never thought you were going to outgrow this big shop!!
My college roommate bought a new red MR2 in 1989. I invited him out to the track and opened his eyes. It didn't have tge best power, but it was refined and easy to get to the limit because it was so well balanced. I also loved tge shifter and transmission. I'm sure tge turbo was more fun. It was a great car for the day.
I had a 1995 4th Gen Supra Turbo. Thanks to the Fast and the Furious hyping it, I sold it for more than I paid for it and replaced it with a C5 Z06 and G35 Coupe daily driver.
My favorite car from the 90's was tge NSX. What a wonderful track car! Not the fastest, but it was like a scalpel.
I’m fortunate enough to own both of these cars in red! I just acquired the 1990 Celica All-Trac Turbo and I’ve owned the 1991 MR2 Turbo since 1999. They are truly gems!
My dad had a Toyota Celica GT4 St185. Underated beast.
Great shop you care about your customers and the vehicles you work on. Excellent information about vehicles I knew nothing about, we have owned Toyotas sent the early 70’s and currently own three today. Take care and have a happy Thanksgiving.
Mr.2 was like ferrari back in my era.. No time can come anywhere close to the 90's.. I am very pleased I lived through the best time era. Viva 1990's
I had a Celica GT4 (ST205 - the last one) *and* a Turbo MR2 (SW20) here in Australia. Wonderful cars. Anything with the 3S-GTE is highly tuneable, but they were great out of the box. The 5-speed gearbox was notorious for weak synchros and 2nd gear would usually go first (I think).
Their was a ST215 motor as well in the GT4 which provided a output I believe of around 255 or 265hp. Such great cars and so ahead of their time. I have a 94 Celica with a JGM 3S-GTE swap FWD back when I was in High school.
@@Thedonron12 Ah right. The 3S-GTE was developed further for a bit too I think, getting VVTi in some markets. Gen4/5s. I can't remember. I think both of my cars had the Gen3 which in Australia didn't have the distributor and used the Karman vortex air sensor system too which is very clever.
@@rabidbigdog the 3sgte never got vvti only the 3sge got the vvti , you can however mix and match most of the 3sg parts , i have a gen 4 3sgte head on a 3sfe block with a gen 4 3sgte lower sump with a black top dual vvti oil pump all together running around 900hp , its in the quickest celica gt4 in the world at 9.14 @ 156 mph for now at least ..
I had a ST165 and concur the 2nd gear synchro was bad! But the car was great!
Took my gf now wife to my prom in a 93 Celica Gt. What a great car. Lots of good memories in it
Looks like your keeping busy. Keep yourselves healthy & happy. Really enjoy your vids. 😊
Best Toyota reviews on TH-cam. You are awesome, the product knowledge is second to none. fantastic
A really two masterpiece cars of that era. Whenever I see a Celica in my area - I've never seen an MR2 though I know about existence of two - I can't help but stopping and give it a closer look, with the risk of upsetting/freaking the owner...
Awesome video, thank you so much for doing this! Almost picked up an alltrac a few years back. By happenstance ended up getting an 88 GTS with the 3sge as well as a GT with the 3SFE. Wow- after watching this thorough video I’m sorta glad I didn’t get the alltrac. YES, no room on the timing belt side. The intake cam seal was not easy!! But some slight ingenuity got it done. Love mine, so much fun to drive!
As a Celica ST165 owner, I approve of this video.
If Toyota could just make their 90s line of cars again they would be the best cars on the road today
The MR2 is an amazing car. I owned 4 different ones, my favorite was the "poverty pack" (non-aspirated, no power windows, no sunroof). Not a practical car, but an incredible car to drive. When Toyota shut down the dealership TRD performance shops, I knew it was over.
Love to see the 90's cars! I wish I knew back then how great Toyota reliability was. So cool to see all the LS430's at the end, I wish you showed us the cams with the valve cover off. I like to see the inside of a 20 year old clean engine!
Love it Ahmed, keep up the good work, our 2013 Toyota Prius in the video is running great! Ahmed is a blessing from God, count it a privilege if he works on your Lexus, Toyota or Scion.
Had a 91 MR2 Turbo. Thing was a blast. Had some bolt on mods and the thing just ran and ran with no issues. Nothing like hearing the turbo spool right behind you head.
This video makes me miss my 97 celica. Yes it was basically a corolla but a fun little manual car. Dream was always to have this one 😍
Proud owner of a 1985 mr2. Very very fun cars to drive.
And that Celica is awesome! Impossible not to picture in my head the WRC drived by the legend Carlos Sainz
You should talk about the twin scroll dual inlet to that turbo. Talk about the Japanese 3s how it had the ct20b ceramic turbo. These cars are awesome.
I worked at a Toyota dealership during that time and I remember no dealer would stock a Celica Alltrac turbo because they were imported fully loaded with an msrp of $26,999.
In the ‘90’s, Toyota had multiple vehicles that at first glance were ‘magical’. Managing the mid-engine turbo 4 placement in the MR2 or getting the all-trac setup wedged into the Celica, or in my case placing the motor and drivetrain in our ‘91 AWD Previa, AND having it be an excellent performing all around drive.
A short 6 passenger minivan, only about 3500 lbs. AND moved deftly by a 2.3L DOHC naturally aspirated 4 cyl, placed right under the front passenger compartment, on it’s side. First time I saw it, I thought, OMG, this is going to be a nightmare to work on. But it was SO RELIABLE, that I only ever had to do the routine maintenance, and that was made easy by placing all of the access points just where they needed to be. Auto trans was a mind reader, dropped gear to let that 2.3L 4 spin up an GO. A joy to drive, esp when the snow came.
I did the clutch on my '88 all -trac as a school project in transmission class. Tried doing it with the engine in, finally gave up and dropped the drivetrain. The transfer case was integrated with the transmission, did not unbolt like on the diamond star triplets or the Galant VR4 I owned later.
For years, I owned an 86 MR2, then in 93 bought a slightly used 91 MR2 Turbo (exactly like the one in this video, same color, same T-Tops, manual). I wish I still had both, especially the 91. Great drivers cars.
I enjoy the shop tours at the end of the video almost as much as the main content itself!
I had an 87 Celica. Was a very fun car and pretty good in the snow despite being a small car.
Memories! I rented one of these Celicas in Sacramento back in the day. Drove it up to Lake Tahoe after work. Went up on I-80 and came down the back way through Placerville. As I was leaving Tahoe, there were snow advisories in October. I went for it! The most fun drive of my life!
Have owned 5 Celicas and a Celica Supra 2,8i. The Celica is a true drivers car. The GT4 (all trac for the US guys and girls) is a blast. I currently own a 2ZZ GE powered Celica (Yamaha engine). 210K and still in excellent condition. I have always changed the oil every 2500 to 3000 miles. Trust me it helps! I wish Car Care But would do a video of a 2ZZ GE strip down of the engine.
Celica supra sounds intriguing will have to look it up 😊
And as a corolla owner 1zz-fe economy engine. I've become increasingly fascinated by the 2ZZ-GE and either turbo or supercharged is the engine is in the lotus with that engine. Although I'm not sure the supercharge kit is easy if possible at all to find by boy do they rev 😋 A small turbo and a good tune to increase power and talk smoothly till vvti kicked in would compliment it nicely.
Remembering my 91 Camry with the 3S-FE... Similar engine but a different head and no turbo. It didn't have much power, but it ran so smooth and quiet. So much more room and easy to work on in the engine bay though. The 91 Camry's special feature was the automatic seatbelts. As a pizza guy, it was actually a welcome feature. I really miss the bolster from my 89 Supra. That was an awesome feature. My brother's 87 4Runner had manual ones.
"It's a beautiful engine but not so much fun to work at" I laughed so hard 🤣 Both of these cars are special at their time and much more appealing in today's time. Great cars!!
It really is a work of art underneath that Celica! I love that attention to detail!
Man did I drool all over those cars, I almost bought MR-2 Turbo. Quite the gems you got there! Thanks for sharing!
Love these Toyotas. Especially the MR2 which brings back memories of my 1986 MR2. In 1986 at the ripe age of 22 I bought my first new car, 1986 MR2 with a 5 speed manual. previous gen. More boxier. Red with rear spoiler wing. 112 hp. 1.6 L engine Non Turbo. 4 valves/cylinder. Blast to drive. I kept that car for 7 years, sold it in 1993 w 73k miles and never changed the brake pads nor rotors. I always downshifted and “engine braked”. In hindsight, Probably not the best thing to do. The only maintenance I did was change the oil every 3000 miles and flushed out the radiator once. car needed nothing except a change of tires. In hindsight, I should’ve stuck with Toyota from that point on. 30 years later and my current car is a 2002 Lexus ES300 w 179k miles and it’s as good as new.
Checking the cameras to check on the cars at 2am resonates with me! Nice work, glad to see the shop full. Cars are in good hands.
I had a '91 all trac, super fun to drive, effin hated working on it
Wow, truly special video. Viewing them in a form that they’d leave the assembly line like. Stock, non modded and beautiful as they should be
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. A friend of mine owned that gen MR-2. I owned an 85 Supra and had so much fun in them. I really enjoyed your energy in this video. Thanks AMD!
I have a 1991 mr2 turbo and love it. Al though rigth now is in need if service. My all time favorite car. I've never seen a celica all track though, but I can't say I'm not intrigued.
Actually, i believe the support bearing for the longer drive axle is so that the actual drive-shafts are both the same length. Which means it puts equal power onto both wheels. My Accord Type-S has the same thing, its to prevent torque steer since its FWD.
This specific MR2 has been a dream car of mine ever since it came out. I hope to be able to own one one day.
I'm down with Toyotas too. I have a pair. High miles but still awesome. Happy Holidays friends!
Gorgeous vehicles! Thanks for sharing them with us!
90 was the best time for a Japanese sedan and car. All of them were very popular in Bangladesh. And sports sedan mark 2. Exiv and ed were also very cool cars.
You're absolutely right, couple of real gems, until you have to have work done, that is if you can find someone willing to take the time and do it right, thanks for showing us these beautiful examples, God bless
I was Toyota tech in the 90s if my memory is correct they went with the older L jetronic system on the turbos because the newer D type with a map sensor had some issues transitioning from a vacuum to boost.
I had an 1988 turbo celiac for about 8 years. My mechanic described the engine bay as 10 lbs of shit in a 5 lb bag. Great car.
*Ahmed: Yes, a lot of "happy moments" to come indeed! The YAMAHA part of these engines was the most important part, the cylinder head. In the 1980s and 90s Yamaha was Japan's Cosworth, doing high performance head development work for many engine manufacturers. In addition to Toyota's Formula Atlantic engine development effort (250 HP @ 11,000 RPM from a dry-sump, 1.6L 4A-GE), the first Ford Taurus SHO V6 heads also comes to mind. Cheers!*
Such a beautiful 90s car! Im 35yrs and I remember as a little boy, probably 6yrs my dad use to take me on joy ride around town with his MR2............
that's a LOT of cars in that building
So happy you finally reviewed the MR2. I’ve had my 91 Turbo since I was 15. I’m 25 now. I will never sell it. Best car ever.
That was a gem of a video. My friends dad had the Mr2, the Celica is rare!!
Wish I could give this video more than a like. Amazingly good content ❤
I had a white 1993 Toyota Celica convertible with the all-track hood. Great car ! The 5s-fe was ok, but not powerful enough to really be a sports car.
I now have a 1990 Nissan 300zx, what a whole different beast. The 300zx is also really hard to work on.
Of course, both with a manual transmission 😁
I remember selling a timing belt on a 1992 MR2 Turbo for my technician once thinking he would be happy about it. He was not happy at all. Also replacing the clutch on the Celica AllTrac Turbo, if I recall, requires dropping the engine and trans together.
I own a '93 MR2 Turbo that is mostly kept in hibernation. When I do bring it back to life, it eagerly awakes and loves to take on the twisty mountain roads.
I have a 1992 Mr-2 for the last 17 years. I helped my son do an engine swap back in 2008. Bought a mr2 clip from Japan. My son is the expert on the Mr2 I was just the helper. He has his Mr2 from his high school days. Thanks for the video my friend and all that you share and do . God bless
The timing belt replacement on the mr2 isnt that bad. You have to move some stuff out to get to the engine mount but it's pretty easy. The thing that really sucks is old bolts that may have seized in the head which is aluminum. And aluminum tends to strip really easy compared to iron which the block is
I taught my kids to drive using an '87 Celica GTS and they claim its the sweetest gearbox they ever drove; I was particularly fond of my '81 Gen 1 Supra, there was nothing like it in the day. We hot rodded an MR2, but strugled with head gaskets, and it was scary to drive-way too much power. Great channel.
The MR2 Turbo was on season 16 of Wheeler Dealer, they talk of the hose from hell, a 2 inch coolant hose that requires engine out to change and usually fail at 100K miles. Ant really tore into it
Some of my all time favourite cars !!! 🤩🤩🤩
owned plenty cars, got to say, the Mr2 is probably the best quality car ive ever seen, rarely rusted, tricky to work on but looked after they never die ,score 9 out 10
Had a 1976 and 1986 Celica GT. Loved them both! If they brought back the Celica GT I would be first in line to buy.
They announced the return...I think for 2026 model year (or something close)
Had a 77 Celica. GT, great car
Local kid had a MR2 turbo that was unbeatably fast. He learned there is no replacement for displacement, as well as, age and treachery overcome youth and enthusiasm. Fun car though.
Any chance you’re in IL? I need some work done on my 93 Celica All trac (I have 3 of them lol) save me! Timing belt and there’s an exhaust leak issue.
Thanks for the video. I used to own a 93 MR2 turbo, bought brand new. Regarding the plastic covers underneath, not only did the all coolant pipss run in the tunnel, the fuel tank was mounted in that center tunnel.
A question, are the fifth and sixth generation Celicas any easier to work on? Btw, great review of two gems.
I had a 1993 MR2 Turbo for 10 years. It was red on black, fully loaded, I bought it with 65k original miles off the showroom floor. I put about 25k worth of upgrades in it! What a car
I remade all the fuel and brake lines on my celica, and yes, definitely alot of bends. The enthusiasm makes me want to show him my car, love it. 😅
I adored my 94 MR2 Turbo. Bought it used in 2004 with 40k miles - but on a dark night and low visibility I wrecked it. Hurt so much to lose it.
Excellent video on both. I have a 1992 MR2 Turbo, and have owned it since 1998. Still have it to this day.
Well Done AMD! While going through auto school I had a buddy with the ALL TRAC, we did some drifts in the dirt lot, what a fun car!!
Thanks for doing a video on these cars. I have a 1991 MR2 NA. I've owned the car for 25 years and has been my pride and joy. I've owned a MKII and MKIII Supra in the past and the MR2 is a true sports car. Although the MKII Supra was/is a dream car for me.
I'm blown away by how many cars you have in the shop. It's good to be busy. You've made quite a reputation for yourself. Keep up the great work.
Me and my girlfriend back in the 90s bought a Celica..and I loved it😀
Always loved the 92-95 MR2. Would be amazing if toyota did a GR MR2
Many thanks for your conscientious presentation. Wish to God others shared your enthusiasm. Still drive my 91 MR2T daily.
Hey there! Thank you for all your awesome educational and fun content. Really cool cars that you show here and just really enjoy your channel.
And I have a question!
Do you have any videos on Toyota's with the check engine light on an addition to that, that when tested for diagnosing it the code came up evap trouble code?
My mechanic noticed that the gas cap has a little tiny crack in it. My 2005 tundra went in the shop for a replacement of lower ball joints. He said he would not troubleshoot vehicles that have the check engine light on because it has been too time consuming or I'm not sure what the reason was-
in any case he said it might be just as simple of a fix as to just replace the gas cap. Other than that I don't know what I would do before February when it needs to be smogged. He highly recommended only a Toyota, OEM gas cap. Would this be the first thing to try after the code came up evap trouble? In your opinion? And if Toyota part only it's about $50 bucks for the gas cap. If you have any video on this that would be helpful otherwise if you're able to answer my question I would also appreciate that.
Regardless, i enjoy and appreciate your videos and your time. Thank you much!
And happy Thanksgiving!
I loved my 1993 MR2.
Fun, fast and Faultless (except the brakes, which were constant issues).