In this post, I want to describe what I think are the five best simple, clean, and [mostly] inexpensive modifications you can do to your 7th Gen (2000-2005) Toyota Celica. This list is not about performance upgrades or how to do these mods, it is a guide on how to make your car appear cleaner than factory without going over the top. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
5. S2000 Antenna (~$30)
As the name suggests, the Honda S2000 antenna is a replacement for the stock “lightning rod” antenna that comes factory on the 7th gen Toyota Celica. There are other alternatives out there based on your own tastes, but the Honda S2000 antenna is a great choice for those who want an antenna that functions as it was designed to, is built by an OEM, and looks very good. For the cost of about $30 at the time of writing this article and about 5 minutes of your time, you can replace the factory antenna for a much sleeker one. If you’re looking for a suggestion on where to find one, here is a link to one.
4. Window Tint (~$200)
Window tint is a very understated modification for any car, and it brings a number of benefits to the user: keeping your car’s interior from fading, helping with solar heat rejection, privacy/security, etc. If you’re reading this article, it’s likely that you’re very aware of all the benefits. What does it typically cost? Around $200 last time I had my car tinted. Your best bet is to call a few installers in your area and make sure to ask about the quality of the film they plan to use and what kind of warranties (materials and/or labor) are available in order to get the best deal.
3. LED Bulbs Exterior (~$10 – $100)
Let’s face it. When Toyota began making the 7th gen, LEDs weren’t really an option for production vehicles based on the cost of the technology at the time. However, we now have the ability to replace just about any bulb on the vehicle with high efficiency, extra-bright LED bulbs. To test this, I went out and replaced every external (dim and aging) bulb on my car with LED’s and the results were amazing. If you’re on a budget and you want to start replacing the bulbs, I HIGHLY recommend starting with the running lights/markers/license plate bulbs. The ones I’ve linked below come in a 10-pack (which is enough for the Celica plus a few spares) and only cost $10. First, some pictures I took of the process:
Next, here is a list of [affiliate] links to the products that I purchased, installed, and confirmed the fit for the 7th gen Celica:
| Position | Cost | Link |
| Markers, License Plate, Running Lights | $10 | https://amzn.to/3FJINo9 |
| Front Turn Signals* | $17 | https://amzn.to/3Ljddyu |
| Reverse Lights | $22 | https://amzn.to/37ORuAY |
| Brake Lights | $19 | https://amzn.to/3lf1lDf |
| Rear Turn Signals* | $18 | https://amzn.to/3sAm1JX |
| LED Flasher Relay | $11 | https://amzn.to/3wf3SUk |
2. JDM Side Markers (~$90)
If you ever meet a serious road cyclist, you’ll know that one of the first things they do when they buy a race bike is to strip the bike of its wheel reflectors that are installed from the factory. I assume they are installed due to some legal obligation that requires them. This is the exact same feeling I get when I look at the factory front side markers. Looking at the 7th gen Celica, you can tell a lot of energy went into making the sweeping design and overall styling of the car. However, when you look at the side markers, it really feels like they checked the box. Thankfully for us, they reused the design from the MKIV Supra side markers and produced a much better version.
Here are some pictures of the differences:
Here are the part numbers to order from Toyota, or you can look them up on eBay as there are sellers who are selling new OEM sets of these (the route I took):
1. Tsunami Scoop (~$200+)
IF you can find it (or I get my consumer 3D-scanner to finish my project), I honestly think this is the best (semi-affordable) option for a simple and clean modification to the Celica. The Tsunami (Sports-M) style hood scoop only sits slightly higher than the factory one but is not as in-your-face as the C-One style scoop. If you need help finding rare parts for your car, check out this article which talks about how to find parts.
Keep tuning into this site to see how my progress is coming along for reproducing this extremely rare part. If you didn’t know I was working on reproducing it, check out my post from a few weeks ago describing where I’m at!