New member with a question or two Options

[mkselecta]

Hey everyone - I joined today because I am thinking of buying a Celica and wanted to see what people had to say about them. You guys have a really nice forum! I did some searching but wasn't able to come up with definitive answers to a couple questions - sorry if they've been asked a million times before.

Does the 5sfe run on premium gas or regular? It seems like some people say regular and others premium. The only reason I ask this is because right now I drive an 01' Prelude and it has "premium fuel only" written all over it. I'm sure it is smart enough to retard the timing, but I don't really want to tempt fate with it. Plus the 5sfe has a 9.5:1 comp. ratio which is not as high as the H22 (10:1) but still pretty high.

Also, since I'm looking for something specific (5 spd., GT, hatchback) I'm probably going to have to do some travelling to pick one up. Are there any common problems I should look out for and ask about before I go on a long trip to look at a car? I know the timing belt is a 60K item - anything else like that I should know about?

[jgreening]

Hey everyone - I joined today because I am thinking of buying a Celica and wanted to see what people had to say about them. You guys have a really nice forum! I did some searching but wasn't able to come up with definitive answers to a couple questions - sorry if they've been asked a million times before.

Does the 5sfe run on premium gas or regular? It seems like some people say regular and others premium. The only reason I ask this is because right now I drive an 01' Prelude and it has "premium fuel only" written all over it. I'm sure it is smart enough to retard the timing, but I don't really want to tempt fate with it. Plus the 5sfe has a 9.5:1 comp. ratio which is not as high as the H22 (10:1) but still pretty high.

Also, since I'm looking for something specific (5 spd., GT, hatchback) I'm probably going to have to do some travelling to pick one up. Are there any common problems I should look out for and ask about before I go on a long trip to look at a car? I know the timing belt is a 60K item - anything else like that I should know about?

regular gas

no real "common problems" that I know of that aren't generic car issues. I would look for body damage, tread wear, interior condition, miles, modification history, receipts of routine maintenance, etc.

[brianforster]

gt's are easy to find, most cars are hatchbacks, those options arent gonna make you travel, but 5spd might, since our cars arent that fast more people got them in automatic for just a sleek cruiser type car.

[CelicaZR]

Welcome
I run my car on premium unleaded, before its recommended here.
Plus its good for the car.
The celica is a reliable car.
You should look out for normally things when you are
buying a new car like body damage, oil leaks, service history etc.

[snapshotgt]

Like people are saying, just look out for "normal" buying points that you want to pay attention too. The Toyota Celica is a great car. The only downside of it is that it is slow...BUT, one of the main reasons that i'm drawn to it is the body styling (94-99)...and you can turn a great looking car into a great track/fast car...like many members here have done. I love my manual GT, and would recommend you buy one ...then swap an engine into it!

good luck, and update us!

snapshotgt

[brianforster]

Welcome
I run my car on premium unleaded, before its recommended here.
Plus its good for the car.
The celica is a reliable car.
You should look out for normally things when you are
buying a new car like body damage, oil leaks, service history etc.

its actually questionable whether it is good for the car or not.

the results of the debate ive always seen is running higher octane gas for no reason always results AT BEST not detrimental to the engines longevity, but some have said its actually bad for the engine.

ive never read that it was good for it though.

[CelicaZR]

Well I dont know if there is any difference between the premium over there and here.
Over here the Premium Unleaded has a rating of 98 Octane.
Here is the link that says that Toyota recommend Premium unleaded. Celica Review
This is the fuel I used in my Celica.
BP Ultimate
It has cleaning agent in to clean your engine.
More performance over regular Unleaded and other Premium Unleaded,
and less pollution.

I know the camry(5sfe) didnt required premium unleaded over here.
But the spec of the Camry(5sfe) was different to the Celica (5sfe).
Camry had like 96kw, while the Celica had 100 kw.
So due to the extra power maybe thats why it requires premium unleaded.

[95CelicaST]

When you go looking open the door and check the body seams (door sill area). If its broken you should move on. The Celica is a good car. I don't mind that it's slow, I just love driving in it and watch people look at me when I roll by. Makes me smile every time.

[lagos]

all stock celicas run on normal 87octain gas.

as far as things to look for... well there really arent any. these some of the most reliable cars ever built. only thing i can think of is, timing belt, water pump and make sure it wasnt in an accident or anything. other then that, its and amazing car.

[bloodrain]

our celicas do have major problems, there is this one problem where you press on the gas pedal you dont move anywhere, and then like 40 seconds later you finally hit 60. This is a major bug that toyota neglected, they have nick named this problem S.L.O.W.

[frosty]

Everyone pretty much nailed your questions. There really isn't much for me to add except my testimoney that the car is a very reliable car.