The Celica is my first car and even tho I've driven all of the wheel configurations mentioned in the thread's topic I don't have that much experience except with FWD obviously.
Ultimately I want a fast car, that sticks well into corners and responds very well to your steering actions. And gets decent millage.
Why I want and don't want RWD in a Celica. It's fun. That seems like the only benefit. It's expensive, time consuming and from my knowledge not the best for cornering since when you push the throttle the back of the car will slide.
Why I want and don't want AWD in a Celica. Great launch. That seems to be the only benefit in my eyes. We don't have much snow in my town and I don't have problem with it anyway to want a vehicle with better traction. I plan on a 3S-GTE and AWD, from my understands, will be a bit slower compared to FWD. And the millage will be worse.
FWD- With that setup the wheels just pull the car out of the corner. I won't spend money with a RWD or AWD conversion. All the speed will be there up front on the wheels on the highway.

What's your opinion?

Over-steer is better than under-steer. As far as I know outside of a V8 swap in a 5th gen, no one has done a RWD conversion. GT-Four conversion is possible, but being you live where you can actually just buy a GT-Four I don't see why you'd bother. Just depends, but some cars the AWD model isn't much worse than the FWD model in terms of fuel economy.

That all being said FWD layouts can be good at cornering, just look at the Integra Type-R. With a good set of springs&struts or coil-overs the Celica is quite capable. Main thing is to remember to use the throttle sparingly, if it all, during hard cornering.

If you're wanting a faster car you could swap, but being you have the ST that makes things more difficult than what it could be. Unless you want to go with a 4A-GE swap anyhow versus the BEAMS or 3S-GTE. I say find a SS-III or GT-Four since they're available to you. When it's all said and done it'll probably be cheaper, and it'll sure as Hell be less of a headache.

There is a RWD conversion in the Projects forum. It's slow progress but some seriously cool stuff in there. While FWD isn't terrible for cornering, RWD is generally considered to be the best driver's setup. As far as a GT-Four, it may be marginally slower to 60 due to drivetrain loss but it will certainly make up for it in corners when it continues to grip long after a FWD variant had understeered off the track. High HP to the front wheels is terrible for cornering. The front wheels can only do so much.

AWD would be faster to 60 than FWD, no wheel hop and spin for the win. I say keep the car as is, or replace it. That or if you have the money for two cars, then just pick up something else. With FWD you're really asking the front wheels to do too much, it originally was developed as a more economical way of making a car that gave consumers more interior space in a smaller car. There have been some performance FWD cars, but all serious sports cars have been RWD or AWD. You're already doing a good job of making your car look good, and I know over in Europe fuel costs are fairly high. Won't get too much better than the ST 5-speed unless you get a total slug.

ok im going to get grained for this.

this car is fun in fwd. Beams is a good engine, your best option in your neck of the woods, since you are able to get parts, more than we do. I dont know if you have easy access to v6 parts, so you can swap a v 6.

A RWD is doable. It is more expensive. yes you have to cut firewall and all that jazz, ive seen it done before in other cars. but it requires a lot of expertise.

if you want awd just get a gt4. or you can get a gt4,and convert into rwd. would also mean to cut firewall.

stick with FWD. swap if you need more power.

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not true, some guy(s) from finland did a RWD conversion with a supra engine (2JZ), this video was posted a few months back on 6gc... we can all imagine this was not a simple "swap"

That's why I said as far as I know, so my statement is true.

Buy a Miata! Someone had to say it.

I plan on a 3S-GTE and AWD, from my understands, will be a bit slower compared to FWD. And the millage will be worse.
FWD- With that setup the wheels just pull the car out of the corner. I won't spend money with a RWD or AWD conversion. All the speed will be there up front on the wheels on the highway.


I can't see under what circumstance 3SGTE and AWD will be slower than FWD. Launching will be better and you can hold speed better through the corners. FWD the wheels pull the car out of the corner? Well yes...but it's when you push it with FWD that you realise that the wheels that steer the car aren't the best to be pulling you out of the corner - as someone said above - in other words - under steer.

So i'm going to toss this out there.....

It depends on what you want to do.....but either way rule out RWD its just not practical.
AWD is becoming easier and easier to do in this community and several people have done it successfully.

there is a red 5sgte RWD celica.....and i think he might have created a profile on here.
http://www.6gc.net/celicas/1998-gt-hatchback-7148





And generally it goes like this
AWD > RWD > FWD
or
RWD > AWD > FWD

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^^^

You think he had to roll the fenders?

NOPE....


tub'ed the rear end

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Had to finish that off for everyone.

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I WAS TOTALLY GOING TO ADD THAT EXACT LINE LAST NIGHT!!! Buuuut I couldn't be bothered editing it again