Toyota Engineer Built a Lexus V8-Powered Celica

Proper Celica

Back in its prime, the Toyota Celica was a popular, sporty little model, even after it made the switch to front-wheel-drive. But to us, Toyota somewhat missed the mark by not offering a rear-wheel-drive, V8 option on the later Celicas, which were pretty good looking cars. But there's at least one such machine running around, and we found it recently over at Facebook Marketplace.

Photos: Facebook Marketplace

Double the Power

The ad proclaims that this Celica was built by a Toyota engineer, which makes it rather legit. And that describes what's under the hood, too - a A 4.3-liter 3UZ V8 that produces a claimed 320 horsepower. That's exactly double what the most powerful Celica from this generation offered at the time it was new. And obviously, you could make much more if you wanted to.

Photos: Facebook Marketplace

>>Join the conversation about this V8 swapped Celica right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Righting the Wrongs

Even better, all of those ponies go straight to the rear wheels. Other than the bulging hood (required to make clearance for the larger engine), you'd be hard-pressed to tell what's really going on here from the outside. Otherwise, this just looks like a clean and well-sorted Celica. But in reality, it rights all the wrongs this poor car came with from the factory.

Photos: Facebook Marketplace

>>Join the conversation about this V8 swapped Celica right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Functioning Properly

Even better, the ad states that everything actually works properly. There are no check engine lights, and the car will reportedly pass emissions with no problem. It's even nice on the inside, where you'll find a cozy black leather interior and an aftermarket touchscreen radio that helps bring this older Celica up to modern standards.

Photos: Facebook Marketplace

>>Join the conversation about this V8 swapped Celica right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Proper Suspension

The seller also did some work on the suspension to help it cope with the extra power and weight of the new drivetrain. Goodies there include a set of coilovers and adjustable control arms, along with other bits and the brakes from a Supra TT. Out back, you'll find a Helical limited-slip differential loaded with 4.10 gears to help this thing launch off the line.

Photos: Facebook Marketplace

>>Join the conversation about this V8 swapped Celica right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Fun Combo

Wrapping up this build is an electronic cut-out exhaust, 18" Lexus F-Sport wheels, and somewhat sadly, an automatic transmission (though a manual is also available). It all adds up to a still svelte 3,025-pound curb weight, which should make this Celica a pretty fun little car to drive around town.

Photos: Facebook Marketplace

>>Join the conversation about this V8 swapped Celica right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Model Saver

It's really a shame that Toyota never built a Celica in this sort of configuration because it would have definitely been more appealing to enthusiasts. And we'd bet that it would have also helped save the long-running model from the great scrapyard in the sky, too.

Photos: Facebook Marketplace

>>Join the conversation about this V8 swapped Celica right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

For help with service of your car, check out the how to section of ClubLexus.com