First off, I didn't pay anywhere near the list price shown. You should easily be able to acquire this set at less than $1200 and, with just a little digging and patience, around $800 should be possible (dealer price is close to mid $700 range). Most important though is that these coilovers are worth every penny I paid for them (and $800 doesn't come easy to me). If you're looking for improved handling with some drop and some adjustability, this is for you. I had planned for a long time on getting the TRD shocks/struts set (I prefer a TRD product since I know it is for my car, it is from quality manufacturers, and it is covered under warranty), but when I got the opportunity to get these coilovers (which are designated for the Celica with recommended ride heights) at a price only two to three hundred dollars more than the shocks/springs set, I jumped on it. Now, I have to mention that I had always had some trepidation when it came to lowering my car and changing my Celi's ride. My car already rode well, but I always felt that something was missing with both performance and looks. I wanted to change, but I was also afraid I might be making a big mistake. My Celica is a daily and primary driver that I expect a lot out of all the way around, so it was going to take a lot to please me and put my fears to rest. I knew I had to do it but I was primed to look for any little detrimental aspect. Bottom line...it was going to be easier to disappoint me than it was to impress me. I had a professional shop (Van Cleef Racing) install them (which I would recommend, all things considered) and the drop was visibly notable as soon as I walked in to pick up my car. The gap between wheel well and tire is now even all the way around, but I kept the car with the slight rake back (tail high) that makes it look so good. It can be lowered, front and back, more than this, but this setting fit exactly what I was looking for.
Next was taking it for a shakedown ride, and I hit the road for the next four hours. The ride is a bit stiffer in the straights, and I've noticed a few more internal squeaks as a result. The stiffening is not detrimental to the ride quality and even seems to make some of my regular road bumps less drastic. The car still sits up enough to straddle most of the road kill and debris, but, when I straddled a couple of pieces of thrown tread from a semi, I felt them hit underbody (definitely bouncing off the lowest part of the TRD exhaust). On the curvy sections...WOW! What fun! The TRD coilovers in conjunction with the TRD anti-sway bars (the best mod for the money in my experience) take a car that already handles great into the next level, a region where superb is the byword most used. The car feels like its on a rail, and after every curve you just know its begging for "more, more, please feed me more!" It is the proverbial hot knife through butter. Twistees that used to make you feel like you were driving at your limit now show up in your rear view mirror with you musing "wasn't there a curve there before?" I was thoroughly pleased.
In summation, I present the following conclusions about my TRD coilover experience. You can feel that the center of gravity, your Celica's entire handling aspect has changed. You can see that your car now looks the way it was supposed to look. You can be sure that your prospects for a fun ride every time have opened up, expanded beyond what they were. And most comforting is that you can know your hard earned dollars were well spent. Hope this helps and feel free to PM me if you have any questions. |
