Elizabeth Smitheram, wife of David (Fishy Dave)
2001 Toyota Celica TRD Sports M
"Various new but boring hatchbacks, borrowing parents' MX-5, a BMW 330D and sharing our Caterham Supersport."
Elizabeth also considered an Integra
"I sold my 330D due to a combination of cost of the replacement parts and I fancied a change. My husband also commented that I'd become lazy driving a torquey diesel and because of this I wasn't driving the Caterham properly! It was agreed I would look for something a bit sporty that would make the change of jumping from my car into our high revving Caterham less of a shock! I've always liked the look of Celicas, my husband had owned a 190VVTi a few years ago and the TRD Sports M looked the part and fell into our price range. We needed something that would be reliable for me to use every day when commuting, could fit a bail or two of hay in the back for my guinea pigs and would tow the Caterham. Yes, my poor car tows the Seven!
"They made 1,200 for the Japanese market (ours was imported in 2003), and were only available in blue and white. They have a stiffened bodyshell, limited-slip diff, TRD suspension, 200hp from the 1.8 engine, rear strut brace, different bodykit, rear spoiler and interior details. Lots and lots of changes! It's a close rival to the Honda Integra Type R (we considered one of these too). My car is standard except for the HID headlights, later rear lights and induction kit, all of which were on the car when I bought it."
The car in front actually IS a Toyota
"I wish I had known how hard the ride is on our local country roads and what a pain it was the first year ringing for insurance quotes from 'import specialists' only to hear on several occasions 'Is it a T Sport?' or 'Is it a 190?' and after several minutes of questions the outcome was they didn't know what the car was and therefore couldn't insure it. The Superstrut front suspension works well but is starting to need parts replacing which is pricey, most other bits are thankfully similar to UK Celicas. I was initially worried about the indicators and wipers being on opposite sides but after a couple of initial accidental window wipes it soon becomes automatic when getting in the Celica from other cars.
Things I love:
"Her looks and rarity, I like the 'lift' from just over 6,000rpm and the way the engine screams up to 8,400rpm but is just as happy around town at 2,000rpm: I can see why Lotus used the same basic engine in the Elise. You wouldn't think so but it tows really very well without having to rev the engine. It is a cliché but our Toyota has so far proved reliable (and has had no recalls)!"
Engine is a real screamer and full of character
"Lack of sound proofing can get a bit annoying on long drives. The insurance is more than a UK T Sport or GT at around £600 including business use (I'm 32 and an IT trainer) and my husbands nine points! Blue paintwork is hard to keep clean and scratch free but does look great when polished. Main beam bulbs are a bit of a fiddle to change and we have considered changing to standard UK headlights to see if they improve lighting performance."
Costs:
"We paid £4,000 for our car two years ago and it was the cheapest Sports M we have seen, probably because of the mileage. Relatively cheap to fuel at around 34mpg on average when commuting and 10,000-mile service intervals. It seems very happy to run on standard petrol, only using super unleaded if towing and on track. We buy parts from www.cheaptoyotaparts.co.uk and my husband and I do the servicing ourselves. So far reliability has been exceptional especially for a car of her age and around 120,000 miles. Thankfully the worn wheel bearing noise from the rear of the car turned out to be 'sawtooth' misworn tyres and a pair of Goodyear Eagles has sorted that. The battery became tired and was replaced last year and we fitted the removable Toyota towbar and electrics at around £400."
Dulled by a diesel high-revving Celica was answer
"Various Lotus Seven Club meets, all over the country with work and visiting family, towing our Caterham to trackdays, race meetings and The Supercar Event -
video here
. I have taken the Celica out for a couple of sessions at different circuits and it's pretty quick and good fun."
What next?
"We have often talked about changing my Celica as I have never kept a car for more than two years, but we are finding it increasingly difficult to think of a replacement which can tick as many boxes. I keep looking at Boxsters, which clearly won't tow, so at least I will get to keep the car to myself!"
