Faults:

Water tank started leaking. Had to be replaced along with some pipes and the timing belt. (Timing belt has been replaced twice in the short amount of time I have had it)

Cooling problem needs new radiator. Overheats when driven for long periods of time.

Something going on with the tappets possibly? Car "ticks" when hot and when accelerating up hills.

Car now has trouble starting in the cooler weather in the mornings. Takes a while for the engine to pick up.

Paint wearing on front bonnet and spoiler (That could be because I live near the beach though)

General Comments:

Nice to drive though doesn't feel reliable. When I drive it I feel like something is going to go wrong even though I drive it very carefully.

If I had the money to fix all the problems I would, but it just seems like a lot of hassle for it's age.

I wouldn't recommend buying something like this if you don't have money to spare and you don't know much about mechanics. I have spent around $1,000 on getting things fixed in the 6 months I have owned it.

It's very cheap on fuel. I'll give it that. Very nice inside. Looks nice on the outside too.

Faults:

After routine service one of the hoses wasn't replaced properly and car was spewing out coolant. Quickly remedied by dealer.

Problem with heating system ducting - spent 2 weeks at dealer due to the mass of wiring with dashboard out.

General Comments:

This late version of the 2.8i had the widened wheel arches and imperative standard Lotus suspension. It cornered like it was on rails and was a real head turner.

168Bhp isn't very much by todays standards, but it still reportedly managed 0-60 in 8.6 seconds and crack over 130mph.

Steering wheel was very boring for such a cool car.

Plenty of buttons to press to keep the men happy!

Auto + O/D also Power & Normal options to control the gear change and economy.

Digital dashboard very cool at the time.

Standard car had very high spec level.

It had bags of character and I miss it very much and

Faults:

My air con burnt out.

Head cylinder had to be replaced.

Radiator replaced.

Fan switch replaced.

Oil leak from the head gasket.

Speedometer not working properly.

Temperature gauge stopped working.

General Comments:

This is a great car for a young driver.

A person gets a lot of power and a sporty car for little money.

It's a great car to drive and handles very well.

It's quite economical if you haven't got a heavy foot - mine used to burn around 10L.

I'd recommend it to anyone, but please be cautious, because there are plenty of trashed Celica's (like mine obviously was).

My car spent more time in the garage than on the road, because all of the things that went wrong with it were very costly.

It was a much loved and desired car, so all drivers I'm advising you to be careful before you chose a car and listen to your brain rather than your heart.

Faults:

I had broken front springs, but that was manufacturer's fault so I got new ones for free.

My water pump blew up, so I got a new one which wasn't very cheap, but its understandable for a 1986 model which had done about 240km at the time.

Air-conditioning compressor didn't work properly, so I got it fixed for few hundred dollars and it was really cold- really necessary in these tropical Australian climates...

General Comments:

Great car, I wish I never sold it. Really reliable and mechanically was A1. It had few problems here and there, but every car is expected to come across problems when its that old.

It was a really quick machine, even though it wasn't twin cam.

Very comortable seats, especially in the front due to the amount of leg and head room.