It’s amazing how the human mind works. While riding to lunch the other day, our driver ducked down a side street to avoid a clogged left turn arrow. As we rolled down this residential bypass, I spotted this car and immediately thought “Celica Sunchaser!”
I must pat myself on the back- Recalling that name after thirty years fully validates my car geek credentials. Had anyone in the car asked me about that odd looking Celica parked at the curb, I could have told them that back in the early eighties it represented a “halo” car for select Toyota showrooms, and was modified by an specialty manufacturer working in the same vein as Hans Prechter’s American Sunroof Corporation (but to clarify, it was not built by ASC). The cars were shipped from the Toyota factory to a Griffith Company facility where the roof was cut off, body reinforced, and new fiberglass components installed to provide a removable roof (The fiberglass also covered the rough sawn sheet metal edges).
I also recalled that the B-Pillar on these cars read “Sunchaser,” but while a nameplate indentation remains, the plate itself had fallen off both sides of the car. A careful study of this photograph also reveals that the composite cover over the B-pillar isn’t holding up much better than the missing nameplates. The edge trim has separated (perhaps because the fiberglass is disintegrating), and the face of the cover appears to be delaminating due to exposure.
So how did I recall the name “Sunchaser?” Simple- In their February 1980 issue, Motor Trend declared the Sunchaser as the next big thing. They placed the car on the cover, and devoted a full 6 pages to a review of the car. The article also included an extensive sidebar showing cars being modified at the vendor. At the time, this model topped the Celica price range, adding $2,995 to the MSRP. In 1980 this represented about half the cost of a base Celica, forcing the car into a higher price bracket where it competed with European nameplates carrying greater cachet than the budget minded Toyota nameplate. That helps explain why the Sunchaser only lasted three years.
This car looks nothing like the cars in the Motor Trend article (linked here). The fawning writer went into great detail regarding the superior engineering of the Griffith components, but may have been mislead by the glossy brochures. These pictures indicate that the basic Toyota trim parts have held up well (setting aside paint finish), but the Sunchaser pieces do not match Toyota quality. Short of a new tail light assembly, the Celica part of this car looks ready for another ten or twenty years, while the Griffith top pieces appear ready to expire today.
This close up of the forward edge iof the roof emphasizes my point. To match the Targa top insert (and cover up chop saw marks), Griffith covered the roof metal with black vinyl. It appears the vinyl has degraded, and trapped moisture against the sheet metal, leading to accelerated corrosion.
I should note that my criticism of this car could include the overall maintenance. A glance inside indicates that the current and previous owners have not strived to mantain the vehicle in a like new condition. That full ashtray also points to an owner who’s efforts are in opposition to good maintenance practices. However, I do find it amusing that someone took the time to remount the driver’s arm rest without the door panel in place. Certainly an approach that values functionality over form.
As I gaze on this Sunchaser, I’m once again struck by the contrast between the shiny new models once gracing the pages of Motor Trend, and this curbside reality from today. Inspired by this physical manifestation of a youthful memory, I dug further into the internet. No surprise, I found conflicting data and no real hard production numbers. In addition to multipe hits showing variations of this notchback targa topped Celica, there were also two black and white photographs of additional Griffith models. First up, this Targa version of the Celica fastback, called the TX22 Sport:
Followed by this Supra based version called the Legato:
Beyond these brochure images, I only found one current picture of a actual TX22 Sport (in rough shape and riding on a trailer), and no recent pictures of a Legato. I’m thinking if these cars still exisit, they’re far rarer than the Standard Sunchaser. However, the most exciting thing I found during my internet research was….
This lovely beauty-
I present to you the AMC Eagle SunDANCER! Perhaps looking to leverage that Toyota magic, AMC also teamed up with the Griffith Company and developed a targa convertible, based on their long lived subcompact (AMC’s only remaining platform). While this picture (from the website Bring a Trailer) shows an all wheel drive Eagle version, you could also get the Sundancer in the rear wheel drive Concord. Just like that, this unique conversion has leaped to the top of my CC photo want list. I’ll be keeping my eye out for one- Call me if you see one in your town.
Great article. It’s funny because when I think Celica Sunchaser I picture a car that looks like the top picture. They looked so bad so soon that the “corroded look” is the image I associate with the car. The AMC looks like the Nissan Crosscabriolet, a look that just doesn’t work with a CUV
The front clip on this generation of Celica always reminded of a Delorean front end.
These Celicas aged quite well… the Supra pics still look great… but look at how dated the models and their fashions look. And the baroque settings. Shows how old these are. This Celica is well worth restoration. Love these.
“look at how dated the models and their fashions look”
Hey, back then we were either on our way to play tennis or the opera, that’s what we did
Looks like it got too close to a solar flare.
Note: There is no such thing as a RWD Eagle. They were all 4×4 (after ’81, selectable). A 2WD Eagle is a Concord. Same platform, yes, but no flares, different grill, and obviously no factory “lift kit”. I remember seeing that car for sale though; what a beauty! The holy grail of AMC Eagles, for sure. That poor Celica has certainly seen better days, but I am sure it is still providing reliable service, albeit not weatherproof…..
You correct- I offer you my AMC geek credentials, as I don’t need them so much out here in California.
Text updated to better reflect AMC’s early eighties lineup.
The alloy wheels on this Celica seemed to be the template for those cheap ABS wheel covers that sprung up everywhere, shortly thereafter. The $20 Sears Auto Centre way to bring the look of a Pinto into the 1980s.
Good catch – your car geek credentials are hereby renewed for another four years. Please pay at the window.
I had forgotten that these ever existed. Someone mentioned the AMC version on an Eagle thread recently, but even then I never thought of this car. In this condition, it is amazing that it is still with us.
One of my co-workers at KVEA, a Venezuelan, bought one of these used in 1985. It suited his personality perfectly, and it was certainly suited to LA weather. Since only about 2000 of these Sunchasers were built, they were none too common back then.
The Eagle version I’ve never seen, and that goes for those weird TX 22s. I think there’s a reason Toyota didn’t keep their arrangement with Griffith for very long, and went with ASC for the next gen of Celica convertible.
World’s most depressing car? Or maybe that was the 1978 Maverick from last week.
Interesting idea for a CC article, but I’m sure those living in the rust belt see far more depressing vehicles than this one.
Kind of reminiscent of the CAL-1, which, of course, should have been made.
Pic:
Not having any joy with the pic, so y’all can have a link instead!
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3222/3133173649_75a2e9fa43.jpg
http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/concept/1977_Toyota_CAL-1_Concept_02.jpg
Now that is an unexpected variant!
That is part ridiculous, part awesome! I’m sure I’ve seen a similar seat concept, with the name being a play on the term rumble seat (Ramble seat??) The timber rear deck prompts me to think of the same thing built on a Rolls-Royce Phantom coupe/convertible which is probably the only contemporary car with a timber deck like this.
I’ve seen convertible versions of the previous generation to this Celica, but they won’t have been factory-sanctioned and most likely are one-off conversions of second-hand cars.
ramble seat:
http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2009/11/01/hmn_feature7.html
This car reminds me of a washed up musician and/or famous person who’s glory days were in the 1980s and everything has been shitty ever since. The license plate is from the early 1990s by the way.
It must really blow to fork over the big bucks for a compromised roll-bar/cabriolet/targa top hatchet-job like this, expecting that this is as close to an open-air version as will ever be made of this particular model… only to find dealers start offering a real convertible a couple of years later. Same thing happened with the Jaguar XJS.
Or how about the reverse – missing out on the early BMW 2002 ‘full’ convertibles and having to settle for the targa-like version (Baur?)
Although some folks, like me, would love a full convertible (especially an XJS!), but from a structural integrity and rollover-safety point-of-view I’d buy the targa/cabrio every day! Yeah, I know, I should learn to live dangerously… 😉
Mercedes makes convertibles with retractable roll-bars. Up or down, driver’s choice. But if you have the bar down and you start to go into a roll, it’ll pop up automatically in under a second. The perfect solution to having nothing impeding your wind-in-your-hair experience and your unobstructed view of the sky… while keeping your brains inside your skull should you happen to have an oopsie at speed.
Wonder if we’ll ever see this M-B retractable roll-bar tech filter down to lesser marques. It would be really nice to have a safe, full convertible that doesn’t cost in the six figures.
Seems like Convertibles are heavy enough without adding a placebo bar and that getting struck by lightning has about as much likelyhood of happening as rolling over a low slung convertible. But I live dangerously so what do I know…
Those pop-up roll bars look pretty cool in action on YouTube! They still don’t reduce my irrational fear that a full convertible’s windscreen frame will lie down flat in a roll-over – but maybe I’ve seen too many pictures of upside-down Triumph Herald convertibles lol!
My friend in High School had one of these as his first car. His dad bought it new, stored it, then in 1993-94 or so gave it to my friend. It was absolutely mint and a fun little car. I’ve never seen one before or since . I thought maybe I’d imagined it lol.
A couple of observations:
* I never before noticed how much the rear end of that generation Celica (A50?) resembles the T130 Corona. I know the A60 Celica was also sold as the Corona Coupe, so I guess this A50 has some T130 bones too?
* I presume the TX22/Legato was meant to compete with the T-Top Datsun Fairlady/280ZX. The Datto certainly looked much better as a T-Top (I’d buy one!)
I remember the various cars ASC has done over the years, but Sunchaser is a new one on me. Very interesting find!
I hadn’t heard of the A60 Celica being sold as a Corona Coupe, and it’s surprising because there was a two-door coupe version of the T140 Corona in Japan, an odd-looking “hardtop” that didn’t look like a Celica. I don’t know if it was exported.
In answer to your other question, yes, the Celica was related to the Corona and also the Carina. All three shared the same platform, they had basically the same suspension, and they offered many of the same engines.
Is the Griffith Company mentioned in the article have any connection with Jack Griffith the Ford dealer in Long Island NY who made the TVR based Griffith cars?
Yes, I believe so. The Griffith Company was based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on North Ocean Boulevard.
Yes- A search for “Celica Sunchaser” confirms the Griffith Compnay belonged to Jack, but I chose not to include the biographical information. D/S
I lucked into a 1980 Sunchaser GT 5 spd last April Triple black loaded with all options including a/c. 98,000 miles at purchase and 105,000 now. We LOVE it. We live in the mountains of N.E. Georgia and this car is a blast in the twisties. No it doesn’t hug like a TR6 or Porsche but is an all around great car.
Take the targa out and leave the back part of the top up. With windows up the HVAC will keep you warm down to about 35 degrees and cool at temps up to about 90 on cloudy days and about 85 on sunny days.
Plenty of trunk space, good gas mileage, nice ride, comfortable seats and it feels substantial on the road. It’s as big as what passes for a mid size car today even though considered a compact in it’s day.
Mine has the great, era popular, cloth plaid inserts in black/grey/orange on black seats. It literally screams the 80’s…which can be a good or bad thing. Kinda like a robins egg blue or coral 55 chevy. Not colors for today but they bring back memories of their era.
I bought a blue one last august 71k and all original, fully loaded, special order paint, ext trim, int, Blue basket handle and blue convertible top(replaced) Fun as all get out tooling around Id.
Dave, there are still some finds out there to be preserved for future owners. This one found me last year (I have been posting a wanted ad on craigslist for about 8 years) and was able to purchase this nice one owner TX22 from the owners nephew.
I am currently restoring it while driving (more driving than restoring at the moment). I am still looking to find a Legato, and that would complete my collection as I have a Sunchaser as well. I’d love to have the trifecta of Griffiths one day. It would probably be the only collection of its kind in existance. 😀
So if anyone knows of one or has one for sale, (a Legato) please contact me thru my website. www,luvblonz.webstore.com
This is so funny ! The car pictured is my neighbors car and he still drives it every day.
By “Trifecta”, what are U asking? I was Ofc Mgr a few yrs at the Irvine/Santa Ana shop where we also converted Nissan & Toyota trucks before they started manufacturing their own….
“Next was the Trailblazer, built by the Griffith Company, which had headquarters in Santa Ana, California, and Jacksonville, Florida. A defining feature of the Trailblazer seems to be two overhead spotlights mounted above the cab.
PS, and, the Owner was a Lying, Scheming, Sexually Assaulting POS, so, please, do NOT give this Griffith Company lowlife Any Credit doing Anything Positive in this world.
Brenda, the trifecta I am looking for is strictly the Celica Conversions.
I have a Sunchaser and a T22 Sport, so all I need is the Legato (Supra) and I would have all 3….
Griffith did do a lot of other conversions, AMC, TVR, etc…. I just have a fondness for the Celica versions.
Playmate Tracy Vaccaro had one….
The only high-maintenance Toyota.