The 2nd generation Toyota Celica was sold from Oh What A Feeling dealers around the world from 1978 to 1981 as a 2 door coupe or 3 door liftback. However, for the US market, Toyota thought they could sell a convertible version and commissioned the Griffith Company to hack off the roof and install a targa-style top with folding rear convertible back. In total about 2000 of the Sunchaser versions were built from 1979 to 1981 so finding one in nice shape with a 5-spd transmission is a treat. Find this 1980 Toyota Celica Sunchaser offered for $5,000 in Williamstown, NJ via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
The Sunchaser versions started out as ST or GT coupes and when finished were sold through US Toyota dealers with complete factory backed warranty. The conversion removed some structural rigidity but added almost no additional weight since that funky looking roll bar is a fiberglass piece. Good luck finding a new targa top if yours is missing or damaged because they are made from pure grade 100% automotive unobtanium.
Under the hood of the Sunchaser was the same 2.2 liter 20R inline-4 that puts out 90 horsepower and is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Maintenance on a 20R is simple and cheap, so you can expect another few hundred thousand miles of motoring from this 70k mile engine.
See another factory backed targa for cheap? tips@dailyturismo.com
These have multipurpose roll bars. Reclining the seats at a proper angle protects bald-spots from sunburn.
ReplyDeleteIn a deeply weird piece of circular referencing, whoever is selling this Celica has photoshopped it into the same 'Your mother wouldn't like it' MGB ad, complete with model with high beams, that CFlo posted on the mother's day MGB two posts down.
ReplyDeleteIt's as if somoene was trying to answer "How can I give a Japanese hatchback the same rear visibility as a Countach?
ReplyDeleteWrong coast for me but..and I'm not a Nipponese fanatic..for 5 K with a 5 speed and a convertible in ths shape I would buy it. Period. Kudos to the owner for the straightforwardness of a Craigslist ad! Does anyone know if the rear window is OEM spec? Or did someone like Fieros?
ReplyDelete