Good morning! For our final Showdown this week, I thought we’d look at a couple of cool old liftbacks. Why? Because I like them. That’s reason enough.
We were in agreement about yesterday’s Mercedes-Benz diesels; the big old S-Class battleship is the clear choice. The 190D is a neat car, and it will serve someone well, but that someone will be very sweaty by the time they get where they’re going, with the combination of black M-B Tex seats and no air conditioning.
The S-Class may look weird with its two-tone blue paint, but it’s just so much more car. It’s a bit primitive, but that just means it’s easier to work on. And the seller certainly seems to know his stuff, which is confidence-inspiring. In fact, it’s probably a good thing I don’t live in Portland anymore, or I might have to go check that one out.
Now, some of you are going to say that today’s contenders are overpriced, but I disagree. You’d have a hard time finding another one of either car in this condition for a better price. They may cost more than you’re willing to pay, but that’s different. Besides, this is all imaginary money, right? So let’s have some fun and look at a couple of neat old cars.
1979 Toyota Celica GT – $6,700
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Odometer reading: 121,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The original concept for the Toyota Celica can be summed up in two words: “Japanese Mustang.” Like the Mustang, it was based on a family sedan: the Celica was to the Toyota Corona what the Mustang was to the Ford Falcon. It even came in two body styles, a notchback and a fastback, and offered an upscale trim called the GT. Just like the Mustang. The second-generation Celica was a whole lot more well-received than the second-generation Mustang, though.
Unlike the Mustang, however, the Celica never offered a V8. Instead, it came with Toyota’s stout R-series four-cylinder engine, in this case the 2.2 liter 20R. It’s equipped with a two-barrel carburetor and makes 96 horsepower. It drives a solid rear axle through a five-speed manual transmission. This one has had a bunch of recent work done, and the seller says it runs and drives great.
Inside, it’s in pretty amazing condition for its age. The vinyl upholstery isn’t torn, the dash isn’t cracked, and even the carpet looks clean. It has the original radio, even, but the seller says only the AM band works. AM radio does still exist, by the way, but man, are your options limited. I think I’d sacrifice some originality for a nice Bluetooth connection.
It’s rust-free, it looks like, and really straight. The paint looks a little dull, but it might be shinier in person; white paint can play tricks in photographs. The wheels aren’t original; they’re from a later Celica, but they don’t look out of place. I do feel like that big rear window is crying out for a set of louvers, though. Does anybody still make them for this car?
1987 Volkswagen Scirocco – $7,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Berthoud, CO
Odometer reading: 124,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The VW Scirocco isn’t that far off from the Mustang idea either, really. It’s based on the more mass-market Golf (Rabbit here in the US), but the Scirocco actually came out a few months before the Golf. So is the Scirocco a sporty Golf, or is the Golf a more practical Scirocco? Chicken, egg, whatever. The original Scirocco was a Giugiaro design, but this second-generation one was an in-house Volkswagen design. I like the older model better, personally, but I wouldn’t kick this one out of my garage.
In 1987, the Scirocco was available with two levels of power: VW’s good old single-overhead-cam four, or a twin-cam 16-valve version. This car has the former, which if memory serves makes 90 horsepower instead of 123. It drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual. The seller says it has been “gone through extensively” in the past year, and has all new suspension and exhaust, as well as a full tune-up and a bunch of new gaskets and seals. It still needs a professional alignment after the suspension was rebuilt, but it runs great.
This interior is in really nice shape too. The seller says there are a couple of cracks in the dash, but they’re hardly noticeable. The air conditioning “needs a charge” (of course it does) and the HVAC blower fan is noisy and probably needs replacement, but everything else is in fine shape.
This car was originally silver, but it was repainted last year in this rather striking green. It’s not an original VW color, but it sure does suit this body style. Unfortunately the door sills were not painted, which may or may not bother you. It has teardrop-style wheels which the seller says are original, but I thought those were exclusive to the 16V version. At any rate, they look great on there.
These cars could have been someone’s only car when they were new; they’re certainly practical enough. But these days, owing to their rarity, they’re better enjoyed as weekend toys. But that’s fine; daydreaming about driving either one would be a fine pastime during the week while you’re stuck in a meeting. My question for you is: which one would you rather see in your garage when you open the door on a Saturday morning?
This was a tough choice, but I voted VW, though I’m far more likely to actually fit in the Celica. The Scirocco has some rather compelling engine options…wouldn’t be too hard to stuff a VR6 in there, if one felt like wrapping themselves around a tree.
The Celica has the same 20R that is in my old Toyota pickup. The 22R came out a year or two after this Celica was built. The wheels look wrong, though. They came from the next generation and are nice wheels, but not for this last version of the original design. I had a first-gen Celica, and when it finally wore out and was sold for parts, I kept the steering wheel, which is in my truck.
Considering the VW… it would be fine for a fan of the VWs that came after the decades of air-cooled models. It would be fun to enjoy for a weekend. However…
if you were to bet which one will be around to see the odometer double its current reading, which would you bet on?
I’ve had too many experiences with VW to ever want one again. My dad had a Scirocco growing up and the thing was an absolute pile of crap. The dash cracked apart until the largest part was no more than a few inches long, the rear deck UV rotted away, the seat foam turned to dust until you were just sitting on springs (he had to put folded up towels under the seat cover to drive), the passenger wing mirror rusted off, the driver’s door hinge welds broke and had to be welded back on, it would stall any time you drove it in the rain because the alternator was placed next to the front tire, and at only 90,000 miles the manual transmission shat its guts all over the highway while cruising in gear. At that point it was towed to the local VW specialist and sold for $100 as a parts car.
VW: Never again.
I owned a ’75 Celica GT and did some road trips with a friend who had a Scirocco. The Celica will be a fairly chill ride, the 5 speed is a gem but the 20R is a little slow-revving and the handling is kind of clumsy.
The Scirocco will be a much more tossable car and will put a smile on your face with it’s driving dynamics despite being FWD.
I don’t think you can go wrong with either one, but it’s a pretty easy choice of the VW for me.
I had one of those Celica’s in silver. I drove that across Australia with all by possessions and the air con on flat out, listening to Queen albums. Fantastic highway cruiser way back in the day where you were ignored cruising at 120kph in the outback. The five speed box was a gem, engine had sufficient power to be brisk but it was more GT than sports car.
I’d snap that up IF it (as it seems) to have no concerning rust. Every one I saw in the day had rust in the liftback window lower corners and the leading edge of the bonnet in the panel folds.
Sirocco has a few flags and, while gorgeous, is FWD.
Scirocco! Whoa, this was so easy- that Vdub is so gorgeous and awesome…that would be a blast to drive! I would buy it right now if I could. I also like the Celica but never liked that body style as much as the later ones. Obviously, they are both a ripoff but the Celica even more so for what you get. The Scirocco is an example of the handful of cars that I would make an exception for…only because if I like a car so much, want it, and have to have it…then I will give in and overpay: but will try to get it down as much as possible by finding every minute flaw. At the same time, that still doesn’t not make me a fool for paying absurd over-valued prices, ha ha (“Ya big dummy! -Fred Sanford). What I would do is just plan to keep it basically forever. Sell a car? What’s that? Even though I’ve had a ton of shitboxes, from now on I’m keeping my daily for a long, long time and want to just accrue cars…yes, I actually want to be a car “hoarder” since I’ve never had that and am jealous! I think of it as an amazing dream: acquire a totally awesome field of rusty, junky classics and fix them up myself. I would do the opposite of so called “hoarding” though and just have a ton of cars that I keep fixing up and keep running/driving, etc. Maybe even a step beyond that is a “living” car museum where everything gets driven- of course all of this takes a ton of $, but remember; this is all an imaginary exercise!
That might be my least favorite generation of Celica, definitely of the RWD models at least. Still a tough choice today, but I’m going with the Scirroco for lightness and wedge-tastic ’80s lines.
I always hated that gen Celica. Or is it a Supra? That’s a question you’ll have to answer all the time if you own that thing. Scirocco is cooler, I love that bodystyle and the color is fun
Yeah, IIRC it was the first CALTY (Toyota’s California design studio) design. They ended up designing a Toyota Chevy Monza. The worst part is the beltline dipping down from the cowl. Yikes.
I really liked the first generation Sciroccos when they came out and felt the second gen lost some of what made them look cool. The same thing with the Golf. But I hate the color chosen for the respray.
The Celica will probably run forever, so that’s my choice today. I wish it had fabric seats, but I guess there are covers that will make getting in a bit less scalding on a hot sunny day.
Tough choice at those prices. The Scirocco is a damn fine color, but I think I just like the Celica more.
I owned a 77 Celica and much preferred that style to the next gen as the next gen just looked fat. 20R’s were pretty bomb proof also. I would go with the Scirocco though, much lighter car and way better looking. That green is a bit much. Berthoud is just down the road from and I need a manual for my kid.
Worked with someone who owned that Celica, rode in it a few times. Damn fine car. Yes, please.
I wanted to vote for the Scirocco initially,but that Celica is just too good to pass up. I remember those quirky 70’s Toyota steering wheels as well,good stuff.
RWD wins today for me.
Tough call. On condition alone the Celica might win, but these are fairly terrible to drive. The VW is way more fun, and also way lighter. Unfortunately, this respray is weird (not a VW green) color and could be hiding some bigger issue, like an accident or corrosion repair. Which could also explain the alignment issue. $7,500 for a clean 16V with mechanical needs seems okay, but for this base model it’s a bit much.
The Scirocco is better looking and would be more fun to drive, and broken AC beats no AC. But the recent cheap re-spray is just too big of a red flag.
Neither or either? 79 Toyota probably the smarter choice so that. But that on a Scirocco. Scirocco probably drives a little better. But I try to say out of the 80s with German cars. It’s also sort of funny they are both in non sketchy places and show it. Is it now non sketchy suburbia Friday.
Disclaimer: the fact that both of these cars are selling for almost twice what they would have sold for five years ago is not lost on me.
Normally, I avoid old VWs because I’ve had a bunch of them and don’t feel a need to relive that part of my life car-wise. However, the first two cars I ever owned were the Supra versions of this Celica and though I liked them, IMO this gen is one of the less attractive Celica/Supra ones. And again: I don’t have a hankering to pretend I’m 19 again.
So, I’m going with the Scirocco with the 16V wheels despite my experience and the non-factory color.
Scirocco. It would be the more fun weekender. This Celica run was my least favorite style and time hasn’t softened my stance.
I went with the Celica, and I gotta say, I know I’m in the minority here… but I kinda like that off-white vanilla. I dunno, there’s something kinda cute about it. I bet it’s hell to keep clean, but what the hey, I drive a white car now, I’m used to it.
Despite my dislike of VW, I’ve always liked the Sciroccos and that color is fantastic. Still, I’d leave it for someone who’s a real VW lover, plus it’s got the weaker engine. Yeah, the Celica isn’t any more powerful, but it’s the higher level available at the time.
While I can’t say I love them, I haven’t so much as seen one of those Celicas in probably a couple decades and I do love the interior color. Price seems high, but I don’t think I’d have too much trouble getting it back when selling considering the local rarity, Toyota fanboys, popularity of the era (though it’s a bit on the older side), and cheap running costs. That’s a concern when I have a feeling I would find it sits in a disappointing middle ground between previous cars I’ve owned—not as good to drive as an S30 Z and not as carefree durable as an EA81 Subaru GL. Then again, were the Subarus around today, I suppose I wouldn’t feel so carefree anymore, either, due to the rarity and lack of part availability.
I miss my 82 Scirocco, What a fun car. I would be very tempted to have another.
Tough one today. I had to go with the Celica. They do go for crazy money these days. Both cars are nice. Same color and and I wouldn’t have considered the VW but that green is really nice. I need to get a green car soon. As I recall, the Celica came in a really nice green color.