Celica Values????

[clouder]

Hi,
of late I have been looking at early Celicas , such as the TA22 and RA28.
What I am confused over is the values appear to be all over the place, i.e. between what the magazines say and what you see advertised!
For example, the classic mags lump all the early models together in one line, valuing them from £300 to £3000, yet when you try to find one, (admittedly on the net) an absolute basket case seems to be £700+?
Is it a case that suddenly, after all these years, early Celicas have all but disappeared and any that come on the market are chased by many - pushing the values to
great heights? Or am I looking in the wrong places? I would have thought the impossibility of getting replacement panels, trim and interiors would push the price down, not up!
So, what do you consider the value of a TA22 ST or GT is worth now in mint condition? or even an RA28GT??
One thing I have spotted over the last month or so, on the dreaded Ebay, is there appears to be more fake GT's out there than originals!!! and the basket case replica goes for £1250+!!!!!

I've written this cos it's peeing down with rain and I'm bored!!

Any thoughts or comments?

Cloudder

[71ta22]

Clouder,

I guess basket case Celica values are starting to catch up with basket case MG values. Supply and demand at work.

Basket case GT replicas are actually a cheap (in both money and time) way of getting those GT specific parts. Try and get them any other way and you will wait a long time.

[harvey]

Good TA22's have been making healthy cash for the last 2 years probably around £2500-£3000 for the better examples and exceptional ones making a bit more.They still represent good value for money, and when you draw comparisons with other 70's classics that are advertised they are no more expensive than the celicas rivals in the 70's

[Brae]

I've got to agree with Harvey. The most recent mint [/b]ta22 sold on ebay for £2800, very nice it was to. When you consider for example a triumph stag(which I used to want until I saw a ra28) £3000 buys you a complete dog that probably needs the same spent on it again just to get it on the road. So I would say that Celicas are great value for money for the styling and practicality you get from them.If you can afford around £3000 for a mint example then you can treat it as an investment because the value has surely got to increase with more and more people appreciating the looks of these great cars.

[clouder]

Hi,
I have been thinking some more- and talking with some mates at work and you are probably right?
One of them showed me a copy of Classic F**d and MK1 Mexicos and RS2000s are going for £6000 to £10000!!!! and they are mechanically inferior to the 2T-G Twim cam of the Celica.
Therefore a mint 1600GT or 2000GT for £3000 has to be good value- the problem is tracking one down?!
I imagine most will will have had rust in them somewhere at sometime, and if panels are tricky to come by, there could have been poorly repaired- or is the lack of panels a recent thing?

About 15 years ago, I rebuilt a Triumph TR6 that was imported from the US. The body was mint, it was just everything else that needed rebuilding, but at least all the panels and gaps were as factory.
Unfortunately, it appears the Celicas in the US are totally different cars- even though badged as GT's, they didn't have any of the good stuff, such as twin cams, LSD's or even smilley bumpers. So it ain't worth looking there.

Where do you look now for a good one? Autotrader ain't going to be any good.

Anyway it sunny now, and I'm happier!


Cloudder

[dinger]

Cloudder makes an interesting point on early Celica values - should the difficulty in getting body and trim bits not push values down? Perhaps, for cars needing work, but all the more reason to inflate the value of a really good, unrestored, original car, if there are any left, (I can think of two TA 22 ST's), or one restored with the right bits when they were avaiable in the early nineties. I would see £3000 as cheap, especially for an excellent unrestored, for cars in these categories. And up to double this for a TA22GT, in excellent original, or restored to original trim. Fake GT's! One or two give aways. For a TA22GT in UK spec, only imported by TGB in Copper or White. The former should be Colour 338 from the Chassis plate - the ST the brighter 339. The rev counter red sector starts at 6500 r.p.m on a ST and on at 7000 on a GT.

[Alan Duncan]

22 to 28s sell for far more April to may.
Average Celicas with tax and a long M.O.T.
TA 22 ST £2,500 to £3,000 or more for showroom condition

TA22 GT £3,500 to £5,000 or a lot more for showroom cond
TA 22 Flatlight ST £3,500 or more than twice that for a showroom one like Harveys

TA22 GT Flatlight not sold in the UK would think more than £10,000 to import one.

RA25 Early not in UK £10,000 or more.
RA25 late told one went to Ireland for £7,000 few years back.

TA 23 and RA28 STs £2,000 to £3,000.
TA23 GT £3,500 to £4,500.
RA28 GT £4,000 to £5,500.
Fake GTs go for about the same as a ST,More if its a Good Fake.


Note this is just my opinion,other members could value the cars more,or a bit less.
Big Al

[sidta23]

i am restoring 1976 TA23 from the ground up, so far have spent almost €10,000 euro with a few more to go, expect to spend €3,000 more, going on 3 years now i have the car 5 years but i will know what i have when its finished, it hasnt broke the bank cos its taking so long, i try to buy new parts whenever they come up on ebay, classic-celica.com & celica.nl, keeping this car so i dont really mind its a good hobby & keeps you out of the pub.

[Alan Duncan]

It did not keep me out the pub SIDTA23, i was in there last night having a pint. Came back out and had a ring o chaps round the car.

[sidta23]

Thats a fine celica, is it a flatlight? my mate sold his 22 last year in Ireland for £5000gbp, they seem to make bigger money here mostly UK registered or aussie imports, my car was first registered in Ireland & still has the old style brown book logbook, i havent come across another one as of yet, anyone out there know of Irish reg TA23s?

[Debs]

Alan she is looking well ;D ;D Yes its a flatlight
see you on sunday Alan The sunchaser came out of its bed today its looking abit dull but I know with a good polish it will be looking good again.

[Alan Duncan]

Would love a RA 25 like this one

[Alan Duncan]

Last years TEC show a 28 and is it a 22 or 23 side it

[Alan Duncan]

This is a lovely TA23

[Alan Duncan]

More 20s Celicas for you all to drool over