Chris H72

Sorry dubs, rules are rules. In this case size matters.

Yey! Okay, being a musician I will set you a musical challenge. To demonstrate the superb practicality of the celica (and one big reason I bought one) I would like to see.... A celica with a piano in it. I di this all the time so know its possible. Btw a small electronic keyboard will not do. The requirement is that the piano must have 88 full size keys which is the standard amount. Count them if you're not sure.

Aaaaaaaarrrrggggg damn you David! I so wanted to bag the robin challenge for reliants home town. And I almost had it so feel the need to post my pics after all that effort.... Spotted this shining shit brown example in tamworth Aldi car park. You can see the elderly owners walking away. Just had to get close to it... This was the best I could do too. Not technically next to it but surely.... Close enough? So..... Would this do for the current challenge? Not sure exactly what you mean by 'stand alone' and unfortunately couldn't get anyone posting.

Haha I thought I would cheat by checking their website but the next rally round here is in September. One of their members lives in Burton on Trent which isn't far though...

Erm..... It's a very good challenge this! Had a good drive round and saw all manner of hateful old wrecks but they all had four wheels. I even visited the most deprived areas of town only to find that even the poorest of the poor drive something more advanced than a robin. I'm sure it can be done but those things are bloody rare now.

I'm bored and have an hour to spare this afternoon so will give this a go. I do live in tamworth where the damn things were built so how hard can it be?!

Have you tried atomic wheels in Milton Keynes? Someone on the forum mentioned them a couple of months back and recommended them. Can't remember who though.

Failed attempt. Not mine by the way....

Wow hamsters presentation skills have improved over the years! I thought it was a bit dull really and I can't believe there was no mention of the engine. The high revving nature of the celica is what really makes it a fun car for me. I know looks are subjective and we are biased but the celica has stood the test of time extremely well compared to other cars of the time. I still get lots of admiring looks and comments about the car. Not sure it would be the same for a 406! I never pay too much attention to the motoring press. They never liked the 190 either, saying it was a chore to drive because all the power was so far up the rev range. That's what I love best about it. You can potter around most of the time in a nice relaxed manner and then give it some lift when you are in the mood. Other people who have been in the car love it too. As for build quality, you certainly see many more celicas than 406 coupes on the road today.

Well celicaben190 should be able to answer your questions as he has just made the very same move. I have never driven a 140 so not really sure but I think one of the main differences is the gearing. It's a bit shorter and more aggressive in the 190 which will probably make it feel quicker even before lift kicks in. Sorry to hear about your mishap mate but maybe it's your chance to get into a 190 if the insurance is doable. I love driving mine and lift is an absolute blast. As for mpg it depends how you drive really. I average around 32mpg with occasional use of lift but have seen up to 37mpg. Funny thing I have noticed is that my mpg is worse if I do a lot of motorway driving rather than just using A roads and town use. I always thought it would be the other way round but maybe it's because the revs are quite high at motorway speeds?

Oooooohhhuuuhhh....I've just had to take my iPad to the bathroom...

Ah right, I thought they looked too new to be standard. I'm almost tempted to go and look as its only a few miles away and I've never driven one. Trouble is that my isa is earning so little interest that I might just accidentally raid it! Excellent hahaha! My insurance is up for renewal in June and I will be putting my gf on it this time. Before she drives it she needs to learn how to brake without dipping the clutch though!

I'm not in the market for one (at the moment hehe!) but while browsing fleabay I came across this beauty. Okay it's a bit on the expensive side but just one lady owner and completely original apart from the wheels obviously. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mint-Cond-Toyota-Celica-GT4-ST205-Silver-/300897844786?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item460ee8be32 I have no connection with this car in any way but thought I would post it if anyone was interested.

Not to mention all the help he's given me with mine, don't know where he finds the time to do it all.

Yes it's the front. I do have a local chips away guy who has done some good work for me on another car in the past. Might pay him a visit tomorrow and get some ideas.

The annoying thing is my mate parked in what wasn't even a space and so was blocking someone in. They came and asked him to move his car so they could get out. Mine wasn't blocking anyone but I was the one who got hit! So.....a couple more quick questions. I did wonder how it would have scratched in that way. Looking a bit closer it's definitely the effect of the plastic flexing like ams said. I assume this means the cracking goes right through and no amount of buffing is going to get it out? So the only options really are to have it resprayed which could be a waste of money as the colour is hard to match or get a new bumper? Ams.....do you want to add a thunder grey bumper to my wish list as well as a spoiler hehe??

This morning I noticed some damage to my front bumper which was probably caused last night in a pub car park. I'm usually quite careful and try to park where there's plenty of space but the car park was busy and there wasn't much room. Looks like someone has reversed into it and kindly buggered off without leaving a note or any details. It really winds me up. My gf bought a brand new car last year and since that a rear door has been keyed and the other week someone backed into the the door on the other side causing a scuff and a slight crease. The person who did it was driving a huge 4x4 and didn't even notice! Bloody people, learn to drive for gods sake! Anyway, I'm not one to obsess about the bodywork on my car. I like it to be clean and tidy and in good shape but at the end of the day it's ten years old and you have to expect a few marks here and there. The bumper is very slightly cracked but hasn't lost any shape. I don't think it's worth spraying or replacing but I just wondered if anyone can recommend a product which might hide those nasty little hairline scratches? They only show up when the light catches it but if I can tidy them up a bit it would be great.

Maybe it's a midlands thing? I never get a response, only bemused looks. There's even one guy that I pass going the other way every weds morning on the way to work. He has a thunder grey Tsport just like mine. Flashed and waved a couple of times but nothing back. I can't see any ccuk stickers on it though. Regarding ford owners there was a similar thread on the puma forum when I had mine. Same story there. Perhaps with gen7's people don't see you flash as they are too busy looking in the mirror...checking their hair?

Flippin eck, it's the inbetweeners!

How about a pm to new corporate member tyrefactors?

I take it the car is parked outside with a decent ad in the window? It's free and you never know.

I think cars will always sell if they are cheap enough. Trouble is that the celica (as Arizona pointed out) is a sports car which comes with higher running costs. People want small, economical motors nowadays and who can blame them. Also, lovely as it is the celica is now an old car and nobody wants to pay top money anymore. That's rough if you have a late model car and want a good price for it. I've noticed that the celica now seems to appeal to the younger end of the market. They want something cool, fun and on top of that a celica seems to be quite reasonable on insurance. But I would say most are looking to spend as little on the car as possible to offset the cost of fuel, tax and insurance. Something to consider with eBay (and this is risky and not for the feint hearted!)... If you list the car as an auction starting at say a grand with no reserve it will generate interest. I know this sounds crazy but I've seen it done a few times and mostly a car will realise its true value. My mate had to sell an Audi TT quickly. At first he put it in the classifieds and got nowhere. Eventually he put it on auction and it ended up selling for just under what he was asking in the first place. At the worst you can always pull the listing at the last minute if it looks bad. Just a thought.

He he minx that's the best looking snow plough I've ever seen! Out of interest, does the traction control help much? I haven't been out to test it.

I haven't moved mine since last Thursday, luckily don't need to use it until later this week. A 4x4 might be nice but you only end up stuck behind everything else.

Me neither, it was a choice between that gen 5 and paying the tax on my Tsport!