Welcome to another edition of Shitbox Showdown! Today we’re looking at a pair of rear-wheel-drive Toyotas finished in the same, um, esthetic. But first, let’s check the results from yesterday’s Pontiacs:
Bird is the word, today anyway. Six-cylinder or not, that Firebird does look like a better starting point, even with the nasty top. But if it were me, those aftermarket wheels would have to go. Someone will want them; you could probably sell them for half the price of the car, and buy some stock wheels and replace the top with the proceeds.
Now then: You don’t see too many all-primer cars anymore. It used to be common; I think a third of the cars in my high school parking lot, including mine, were finished in matte gray or black. Yeah, you told people you were “saving up for a paint job,” but you knew it was never going to happen. A trip to Maaco might as well have been a trip to the moon. Even Earl Scheib was too rich for our blood. But we made the best of it – I remember letting my artist friends draw all over the primer-gray hood of my old Scirocco. I can’t imagine what the guys at the junkyard thought of it, when its time finally came.
These two old Toyotas are a throwback in more ways than one, then. Both are nearly-extinct breeds, and both would have looked right at home in that parking lot in suburban Chicago all those years ago. Let’s check them out.
1979 Toyota Celica GT Liftback – $2,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2 liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Marysville, WA
Odometer reading: unknown
Runs/drives? Great, according to the seller
For all I know, this exact car could have been in my high school parking lot, actually. Celicas of this age were all over the place in the late ’80s, before they all rusted away or got thrashed to death. Here on the west coast, rust wasn’t a threat, and if any car is going to survive a good thrashing, it’s one of these. Still, they’re pretty rare these days, even out here.
It must be said, however, that what we have here is most of a Celica. The interior is gutted, sporting a pair of Honda Prelude bucket seats and nothing else. Twenty years ago, you could have found interior parts for this car in any junkyard; nowadays I’m not so sure. But a remnant of industrial carpet is cheap, you can make door panels out of just about anything, and the Prelude seats don’t look too bad in there.
It’s also missing the rear bumper, but it’s a big hideous slab of black rubber anyway, so no great loss. And of course, there is the aforementioned black primer finish, over what appears to have originally been brown. I think I would have preferred the brown, myself. Its original wheels are also gone, and it wears what look to be Nissan wheels, if I’m not mistaken. That fart-can muffler sticking out from under the rear is offensive in more ways than one, but that’s easy enough to remedy.
Mechanically, it’s tip-top, or so says the seller. Toyota R series engines are known for durability and reliability, and this one is old enough to have the good double-row timing chain. Its original carb has been replaced with what I’m pretty sure is a Weber downdraft, a very common modification for these engines. The only mechanical shortcoming is worn-out shocks, and that’s easy to fix as well.
1983 Toyota Supra – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.8 liter dual overhead cam inline 6, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Auburn, WA
Odometer reading: 200,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yes, but brakes need work
The Toyota Supra started out as the Celica’s big brother, and the early ones were actually badged as “Celica Supra.” This second generation distanced itself from the Celica, but retained some familial resemblance. From the rear especially, it’s hard to tell Celicas and Supras of this age apart. Open the hood, or step on the gas, and the difference becomes clear: the Supra has that wonderful fuel-injected twin-cam inline six.
The seller says this car’s engine runs great, and “most stuff works.” I guess on a forty-year-old car, that’s about the best you can ask for. They do say the brakes need to be bled, but brakes don’t just develop a need for bleeding; if the pedal is soft, that’s a sign that more work is needed. But brakes aren’t the end of the world – unless they fail right when you need them most, I suppose.
Inside, it’s more intact than the Celica, but it’s badly faded. I think it used to be maroon inside, but the seats are sort of lavender and pink, and I don’t know what the hell is going on with the carpet. And what happened to the shift knob? That’s a five-dollar part in any junkyard, or twenty bucks for a generic one from Autozone. Nobody wants to drive a stick with no knob on the shifter. If you lost or ruined the original, put something on there.
Supras of this generation so often have louvers on the rear window that it looks somehow wrong without them. The cool “SUPRA” lettering above the taillights is conspicuous in its absence as well, collateral damage from the flat-blackening. At least those fantastic wheels are still intact.
[Editor’s Note: Hold up. Can we talk about this guy for a minute here?
What’s going on here? Where’s he going with that…what is that, exactly? It doesn’t seem like a car part – the end seems more purple than you’d expect and I think that’s some kind of foam padding/grip material in the middle? It also kinda looks like part of a Dyson vacuum, mostly because of that color. But that end also looks like it could bolt onto something? Oh wait– it’s a floor jack!
Duh, of course it’s a floor jack. It continues off the photo! I have one like six feet away from me! The handle even has the padding in the same place, and mine is metallic blue, not that far off from that purple. Jeez, Jayjay, wake up. He’s just a dude at a junkyard, getting parts! Leave him alone!
He looks like he may be up to some kind of mischief, too. Is this moments before he swings around like a second hand and flings that jack off into the air? I can’t believe I didn’t see that as a jack at first. I’m gonna leave all this in, as a lesson to myself. – JT]
So there you have them: Two rear-wheel-drive Toyota sports cars from the days when New Wave was really new. Neither one is shiny, but are stickshifts, and both can be driven home. So just pick your flavor – you can have a cheap but hollowed-out Celica, or tackle a brake job on a Supra.
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Voted for the ‘83 even though it is a bit Supra-annuated.
While the second-gen Celica is undoubtedly the finest car designed by a 1950s child star, there is only one answer here and that answer is “Supra.”
As a kid, one of my friend’s dad had a first gen Celica Supra that I thought was pretty cool, so nostalgia alone pulled me to the Supra…naa it was totally the pop up headlights.
Definitely the Supra. 6 cylinders, some aftermarket stuff, and with a little work, it’ll look like a flat black pile o’ shit.
Oh, wait….
Supra for sure. The Celica is neat but the A60 Supra is a much better looking car and it even has carpet. Plus you might get to hang out with the happy shirtless man for a bit when you go to pick it up.
It will be interesting to see the final vote. At this point, it’s 95% to 5% in favor of the Supra. Which seems off by about 5%.
What’s the most lopsided SBS matchup to date?
I suppose the Supra’s carpet could have been black and then mellowed to a fine ochre … but that doesn’t seem fatal. Brakes, dash pad, re-dye the seats, Maaco paint and you’re all good. We’ll take it!
Supra. More complete, more fun.
*ahem*
Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, having previously owned a 1982 Celica Supra, I can tell you it is an excellent value and a great…GREAT grand tourer. The 5M-GE is smooth, if a little light on power, the suspension balances comfort and sporting pretensions, and it’s honestly very comfortable to drive. In fact, it handles itself very well in the winter, making excellent snonuts. MPG clocks in at the low to mid 20s, which is good for a vehicle of this vintage and power.
And, as others have said, pop-up headlights. That is all.
I have fine memories of riding shotgun in that vintage of Supra as my friend impersonated Bullitt around San Francisco.
The Supra here. Less work and nota blue tarp Interior. You can keep the half naked guy.
Shirtless guy is in the traditional Sasquatch pose. Is it possible that Bigfoot has been dragging a floor jack around the forest all this time?
SWG, is that you?
The tattoos don’t check out. But he’s giving Stevie G energy for sure. That’s a compliment.
I want the Celica but the Supra looks to be the safer bet.
Shirtless dude is concerning. Were they filming a reboot to Jackass in that scrapyard?
Pop.
Up.
Headlights.
Need I say more?
I voted for the 79
The first two generations of the Celica are fucking awesome, and IMO the 80s Celicas/Supras are kind of ugly.
I had to upvote your comment for saying the first two gens of Celica are awesome. They are. A friend in high school who was also my first roommate in college had a first gen Celi. Ran great except for the radio. For all their automotive excellence, Toyota had the worst fucking radios in the 70s-80s.
Then may last roommate in college had a second gen Celi that we drove down to Mexico several times for cheap Cuervo. Never stranded us.
But then I had to downvote you for saying the 80s Celicas/Supras sucked. I love these early eighties versions! This Supra needs the single louvre/top-of-hatch wing, but other than that, it’s a RWD straight-6 with a 5-speed! Add in glorious 80s rectilinear styling!!!
I voted Supra but that Celica has fond memories for me. My older brother taught me how to drive manual in his of that gen. Such a fun car…
Supra was my pick even b4 the good looking shirtless dude lol
Rumor has it that he is SWG’s cousin! ヽ(͡◕ ͜ʖ ͡◕)ﾉ
don’t doubt that! lol
I’ll take the Supra and the El Camino before they rot away. I always loved that generation of the Supra
I said a ten second car, not a ten minute car!
My wife is pleased that Supra is about 3000 miles away from me. Even if it’s not that Supra. And the 5M is a Burger King double cheeseburger to the Jay-Z’s Five Guys. The A60 is still hella dope. This is a P-spec kit and some paint away from being Radwood glory. Just imagine the steeze at your next family gathering when you’re like “Yeah, I took the Supra”. And, I’m a Nissan guy so I’m not totally sure, but 3k for a running and driving vehicle that says Supra on the back seems wildly cheap. Looking locally I can get an A70 roller with a poorly swapped 1j-ge for 4k, but everything else is over 8k. The only A60 is 12k, pretty clean though.
Some of you may be drawn to shirtless guy, but I’ve only got eyes for the green MR2 on the other side of the picture.
Give me that even if its double the price of these two sad sacks put together.
This guys collection has a whole is pretty rad. GX, LS400, A60, MR2, it’s like Toyota’s greatest hits. Plus an El Camino, F150, e90 either 330/335 and that w204 might be a c32. I tried to enhance, but the Goth Girl isn’t at work here at NCIS. He’s probably not wearing a shirt to distract you from that gold mine of cool!
In the first picture with the fruit truck, he’s got what appears to be a two-tone 67-72 C10 as well. Interesting assortment for sure.
This is the correct answer. Love that green!
I like the simplicity of the ’79. I think it works better as a blank canvas for whatever direction the buyer wants to go in. The ’83, while more complete, has a lot of plastic to break, and more electrical complexities to deal with.
I owned a 81 and 85 Celica. The 85 was by far more reliable and had fewer things break. Things like door hinges and seat backs broke on the 81 – and it had electrical problems. THe 85 didn’t (and it had 250k miles on it when I sold it, and the buyer immediately drove it from NC to CA.)
Supra Dupra
Something about the ’79 Celica that is making me drool. I love the Supra, but the Celica would look great in candy apple red, Work wheels, a modified 2JZ or 1JZ. Bride racing seats. A 14 speaker Dynaudio system. I can dream…
I grew up in Western Washington, up in the mountains. Shirtless dudes dismantling cars were a-plenty, as were primered cars in every parking lot. I can smell a big-gulp cup full of chewing tobacco spit just looking at these scenes.
“I can smell a big-gulp cup full of chewing tobacco spit just looking at these scenes.”
_:(´ཀ`」∠):_
I had an ’82 Supra. One of the first in my market. It was awesome. Sad to see them now in tweaker form.