what motor to put in my celica
hey I have a 1990 Celica gt and trying to figure out what motor to put in it
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1990 Toyota Celica Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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In 1990, Toyota released the fifth generation of the Celica. The new car was markedly different in styling, featuring a very rounded appearance. The engines were also revised across the board. Anti-lock breaks were standard in the 1990 Celica, and the high-end All Trac was available with even more options.
The ST coupe's engine was downgraded to a 1.6-liter, with 103 horsepower. However, the GT and GT-S coupe and hatchback's engine was increased to 2.2 liter, and the 2.0-liter engine on the All-Trac was increased to 200 horsepower. Fuel efficiency was about 19 to 32 mpg. The convertible was not produced this year.
The 1990 Celica was criticized for being too curvy, which was not a common look among cars of that era. However, drivers today love the car's appearance because it is not outdated. Drivers also appreciate the car's superior cornering ability and typical Toyota longevity. Many drivers of the 1990 Celica have had to service the air conditioner, and owners complain that the back seat is very small.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1990 Toyota Celica
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by Anonymous
Sep 22, 2023
my Grey 1990GT has not missed a beat until recently in 2023. with79k orig. miles on her. Showroom perfect Body still !!! but parts and labor costs NOW prohibits me to get her up and running as I have done over the 32 years I have had her. Sep 22, 2023
by Anonymous
Feb 03, 2015
The car was the first that I bought and I loved it! One problem was that the 2.2L engine sat at an angle, so the valve cover gasket was leaking, the power steering line was leaking, and there were various other oil leaks that come with age, the car was 14 by the time I got it. The driver door seal leaked also. But it was worth the time and attention! Feb 03, 2015
by Anonymous
May 15, 2014
Been a dream car of mine since I was a child and this is my second so cant be much wrong with it, I've got another car for every day use but I prefer this over it even though the other car gets more attention :)May 15, 2014
User rating:
by Anonymous
Sep 22, 2023
my Grey 1990GT has not missed a beat until recently in 2023. with79k orig. miles on her. Showroom perfect Body still !!! but parts and labor costs NOW prohibits me to get her up and running as I have done over the 32 years I have had her. Sep 22, 2023
by Anonymous
Feb 03, 2015
The car was the first that I bought and I loved it! One problem was that the 2.2L engine sat at an angle, so the valve cover gasket was leaking, the power steering line was leaking, and there were various other oil leaks that come with age, the car was 14 by the time I got it. The driver door seal leaked also. But it was worth the time and attention! Feb 03, 2015
by Anonymous
May 15, 2014
Been a dream car of mine since I was a child and this is my second so cant be much wrong with it, I've got another car for every day use but I prefer this over it even though the other car gets more attention :)May 15, 2014
by Anonymous
Feb 16, 2012
I like that you can modify this car to make it very fast, but you cant use it off road and its very small and light. The trunk isnt the best in the world. I like the front seats, but the back is small and not spacy. You should put speakers in the back.Feb 16, 2012
by Brad W
Dec 19, 2011
Great in the snow. good acceleration. Pretty rare car so you don't see too many around. This car was so ahead of its time that it failed. This car was the predecessor to the WRX and evolution except with two doors. Great in the snow, comfortable but supportive seats, good handling. Overall a very fun car. Dec 19, 2011
by Anthony S
Feb 05, 2011
FWD, 2.2 Liter Inline4, 140 HP/140 Lbs. of Torque. Nice Acceleration and overtake. Built solid for being 20 years old, engine is still very strong, needs some work. Exterior has minor scratches and dents, paint faded. 30 mpg solid, no maintenance costs yet, will be worked on soon. Very fun car, handles well, lots of grip for front wheel drive. Braking is honestly really good for a 20 year old vehicle, ABS feels brand spanking new. Heavy car, nice engine sound. Interior is quite modern for a 1990 car, backseat is small, some minor interior inconveniences.
Current Mileage 102,500Feb 05, 2011
by Blake K
May 08, 2010
Fast fun loads of torgue loads of grip leaves most modern car's standing ;-)
easy to work on at times but A nightmare at others!!
Parts are easy to obtain even from main dealer!! The build quality is fantastic even
after 21 years :-) May 08, 2010
by James H
Mar 30, 2010
Excellent car for mountain drives
Great car to drive
Very comfortable
Great cornering car
Engine could use with slightly more power
Good heating and air conditioning
Parts are not too hard to find
Parts are not too expensive
Practically no back seatMar 30, 2010
by So L
Mar 20, 2010
This car is very reliable and still runs even after skying off the bypass offramp with me in it and it got hit by a full size pick up truck. Love the pop up headlights... The only issue is it has electrical problems :(Mar 20, 2010
by Dave S
Jan 07, 2010
good braking, good offf the line, and tough little car, great gas mileage like 30 to the gallon outside needs a little work but inside is clean 105 000 miles and a freakin blast to drive. easy to maintain and not to exspensiveJan 07, 2010
by Matt L
Nov 14, 2009
Accelerates slow as hell. But handles like a dream.
Normal wear and tear from daily driving.
Great shape and very immaculate for a 20 year old car.
Good mileage, about 24 mpg. Recently changed alternator.
This car is one of the most fun FWD cars I know. With a bit stiffer suspension, this car might be track worthy.Nov 14, 2009
by Donnie X
Sep 24, 2009
The car has a fresh gunmetal grey paint job, with O-Z 16" rims, AWD with 260hp and 225ft/lbs, handles very well and turns heads because of the RHD =). Great car for winter driving or summer cruising! A Perfect Ride IMO.Sep 24, 2009
by Julie W
Sep 12, 2009
She is 19 years old and runs hard and strong. She is an old girl but the best running car you could ever own. She starts every time. She loves to go. For an inanamate object she is my girl. Sep 12, 2009
by Garrett V
Sep 11, 2009
Performance - A little week, but with proper mods could be
made great
Build Quality - Had 160000 miles on it and not one problem
Appearance - very good curves for such a decade of square
cars
Cost of Ownership - No maintenance and awesome gas
mileage
Fun Factor - very fun zippy car to drive aroundSep 11, 2009
by Dustin I
Sep 02, 2009
over 300k miles, starting to wear out
both front wheel bearings need replaced
window seals are breaking
gets good mpg for age
its fun to race people even though you will lose
fantastic breaking
had to replace transmission
interior is a little boringSep 02, 2009
by Caleb J
Sep 01, 2009
Acceleration is about 0-60 in 11.3 sec.
Great reliability. Runs great.
I enjoy the appearence, but it definitely needs some upgrades.
About 28 MPG Not much maitenence.
Its a great car if you want some great reliability, along with the fun of shifting and handling.Sep 01, 2009
by Anonymous
Jun 06, 2009
This is my first car 1990 celica gt-s and i got it for 3 k, it preforms very well it's super quick but when it is in just an idle in park it tends to stall, i put a new rotor and distributor cap on it and it seemed to help a little bit, it has 112000 km's on it and is in overall great shape just needs a little rust removal on the lip under the door. I also put new plugs in it and i think the low idle is because of the throttle or idle sensor now. Otherwise a beautiful comfy car, back seats are tiny but i don't ride back there so i could care less, girlfriend loves it and it'll waste anyone off the line and it is decent on gas too. Great 2.2L 4cyl engine in it! Jun 06, 2009
by Yvonne B
May 16, 2009
Excellent performance, looks great, is fast, is fun, long lasting, quality build, nice twin exhaust, really super comfy bucket seats, all electrics for its age is brilliant, excellently economical with fuel - not at all petrol consuming, massive boot and an excellent family car too!May 16, 2009
by Bryan D
Mar 03, 2009
Wonderfully reliable, not the fastest but superb gas millage. I rebuilt the engine and it got 50ish miles to the gallon. i bent the frame when i lost control going around a sharp corner. My friend and i were unhurt. Most other vehicles would have killed the occupants.Mar 03, 2009
by Andrew S
Jan 12, 2009
performance i lke it could do with that lil bit more top speed but the off the line is gd
build quality body work perfect no complaints engin not in best of nick
apearence i love the look of it the sahpe and the old school lift up lights just to it for me
cost of ownership to run not bad compaired to what ive heard from other people and there cars if ur buying 1 spend that lil extra for a gd condishion 1 but running very very good considering wot it is
fun factor thru the roof hell of a car to drive can flick out the tail and its so easy to drive 1s u get the hang of it Jan 12, 2009
by Kurtis J
Dec 19, 2008
1990 Toyota Celica GT
engine: 2.2L, 4cyl, 116hp,
0-60: 5.0sec
Trans: 5spd manual (with clutch glide)
brakes: 4whl disc
Stereo: Sony, full flip screen with remote. 12inch sub
special features: custom interior lighting (blue L.E.D.), custom sub box and speaker installation Dec 19, 2008
by Gareth S
Sep 21, 2008
brilliant - i bought this car very cheap in march 2007 and have never regretted doing so. many times i have looked at mr2's and other cars with intent of getting one, just can't bring myself to get rid of the celica though. easily the most enjoyable, most reliable car i've ever owned -- bulletproof springs to mind!!Sep 21, 2008
by Matt P
Sep 19, 2008
For a first car... this is the best car i could have hoped for! its turboed and awd. a good combo. i got it for 4k a great deal! its alright with the gas. but the turbo sucks a bit more, so a boost control would be nice. but over all the car is solid! Sep 19, 2008
by Adrian F
Sep 07, 2008
In 1990 WRC rules stated that in order for a manufacturer to run a car in the WRC rallies, it had to be based on a production model currently on sale. Thus the celica alltrac was born. With its 3sgte motor popularized in the MR2, and awd. the thing was frankenstein.
I love this car, have owned it for going on six years, and despite the fact that somethings always breaking, it needs a new paintjob, some interior fixes, some major oil leaks that need fixin, i cant seem to get rid of it. it just has something special about its character.
Performance comes from a 2.0 Litre turbocharged 4 Cylinder, from the factory it produces 200BHP, Acceleration is spirited at low revs, however the stock turbo tends to run out of puff higher up on the RPM band. allot of enthusiasts have took to replacing the stock turbo for this reason.
Appearance wise the vehicle was ahead of its time, people still dont believe me when i tell them its a 1990.
Cost of ownership: hahahahahaha. this is not a cheap car to own by any stretch of the imagination.
Fun Factor: Through the roof, with its awd and turbo motor its just too much fun to throw this thing around the bends. Sep 07, 2008
by Phil G
Aug 07, 2008
I love my GT-4 and am sad that im selling it.
Great Fun, Handles like a Dream. Plenty of Power and a lot more potential. Its 70Litre Tank still makes around 600k's. The style is great, a nice sleak coupe look. Electric Drivers seat is great for its year in comparison to cars of today.Aug 07, 2008
by Garret S
May 19, 2008
The Toyota Celica ST is a very nice car to own, I have only had it for a year but the lack of problems and high gas mileage seems to leave more money in my wallet. I managed to snag this one for $700 but for a good condition Celica it will normally run about $2200.May 19, 2008
by Tyler A
Apr 29, 2008
This car is a great performer, I have had for about 3 weeks and it just keeps getting better and better. Off the line this car will light up the tires in heart beat, "ITS FRONT WHEEL DRIVE!", this one of the few front wheel drive cars that can actually smoke the tires. It handling is amazing zooming through the corners. Apr 29, 2008
by Joshua N
Mar 12, 2008
It very nice in white and drive very good. There is no power steering and that's inproves the handeling of the car. Mar 12, 2008
by Christer O
Jan 10, 2008
Very good handling and quick as hell at that timeJan 10, 2008
by Tomasz N
Jan 06, 2008
I actually only once had a chance to drive Marcin's Celica, but I was greatly impressed with it. While I hate manual transmission, this one wasn't much of a problem. The car handled beautifully, and Marcin still owns it, having very little technical problems with it. Therefore I must say, I recommend this little beauty.Jan 06, 2008
by Anonymous
Jan 06, 2008
has way to much rust. im surprised its not in pieces. its pretty slow. this car doesnt need the size of tires it came stock with. they are way to big and expensiveJan 06, 2008
by Ben E
Dec 28, 2007
this was a fun little car, but like most toyotas, UNDERPOWERED. but it was great on gas, handled great, but if it was loaded down with luggage highway driving was a nightmare. try passing cars when you only have 100 horses under he hood and a couple passengers and a trunk full of bikes n crap. i would still like to own it, but it would be my 'slightly sporty winer beater' haha.Dec 28, 2007
by Luke H
Dec 26, 2007
its an awsome car, nice looking, a little hard to driveut that come with practiceDec 26, 2007
by Anonymous
Aug 11, 2007
Has been a great car, great milage, low maintenance, but has had some small anoying problems. Door mecinisms,one doesn't work. Headlights don't work 2/3rds of the time. But car has held up and still gets great 40+ on the road milage.Aug 11, 2007
by Anonymous
May 18, 2007
I have almost 250,000 miles on my Celica and it is still running fine.May 18, 2007
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Top Comparisons
Have you driven a 1990 Toyota Celica?Compare this car
1990 Toyota Celica Pricing
Original MSRP
$12,268 to $21,008Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Airbags
Driver side front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Convenience Features
Steering wheel: tilt-only
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Airbags
Driver side front airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: power · Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Driver side front airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: power · Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Convenience Features
Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Airbags
Driver side front airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: power · Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Airbags
Driver side front airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: power · Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy