California Survivor: 1990 Toyota Celica Convertible – SOLD!

October 27, 2021 Update – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

Not every project car has to be some priceless collectible, or an emerging model platform ripe for investment. Sometimes, it can just be a really nice version of a car that has otherwise disappeared, like this 1990 Toyota Celica convertible originally listed in October 2021 on Craigslist in Haverhill, Mass., with a clean body and new top for $3,599. Comparing this price against the NADA Price Guide confirms this private seller is slightly above the going rate for such a car, with the “High” retail pegged at $2,950, which may not reflect fully the lack of supply of Celicas from this era.

The fourth-generation Celica is perhaps the raddest of them all, what with the flip-up headlights and transition to turbocharging for its high-performance trim. The previous era, of course, was rear-wheel drive, and the next generation abandoned this layout in favor of building a true sport compact car rather than a comfortable, composed grand tourer. The Celica of this era also saw the model cut its teeth on the international rally stage which gave birth to the limited-production All-Trac models that combined all-wheel drive with a turbocharged four-cylinder. Like almost all convertibles, however, the drop-top model didn’t get the high-performance options.

The popular YouTube Channel Donut Media provides a complete history of the Toyota Celica in this Episode of Up To Speed:

The seller’s car hails from sunny California, so don’t let the Massachusetts location scare you off. This is actually one of the main reasons this Celica even exists in New England, as seemingly almost all the ones that were originally sold here have gone to the giant scrapyard in the sky, courtesy of declining values and sensitive sheet metal. The convertible as shown here is essentially the ultimate hairdresser’s car with its automatic transmission and chalky white paint, but you have to admit that it stands out solely for not being a total wreck. Hairdresser or not, the previous owner took care of it. The seller admits it has been sitting for a year and will need a basic tune-up and fluid changes, along with some attention to the brakes and air conditioning. If you live in the northeast, you already know how hard these are to find, so the issues seem minor in the grand scheme of things. Good luck with the purchase if you bring this west coast survivor home!

Here’s the seller’s description (Apologies for the seller’s use of all capital letters):

“NO RUST THIS CAR SPENT MOST OF IT’S LIFE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.NEW ROOF,INTERIOR IN VERY GOOD CONDITION,HAS BEEN REPAINTED IN ORIGINAL COLOR.RUNS AND DRIVES BUT HAS BEEN SITTING OVER A YEAR.A/C DOES NOT WORK[CONDENSER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED] R/SIDE TRUNK LID HINDGE BROKEN,STICKY L/FRONT CALIPER,NEEDS TUNE UP,SHOULD HAVE FLUIDS CHANGED.READ THE ADD,IF THE CAR INTERESTS YOU AT OR CLOSE TO MY ASKING PRICE CALL ME.NO TEXTS NO EMAILS….nine7eight-four7eight-seven43eight TELEPHONE CALLS ONLY. CAR RUNS AND DRIVES..“

Do you have a Toyota Celica story you’d like to share?  Comment below and let us know!