3k: WRCheap: 1988 Toyota Celica All Trac GT-Four
Homologation specials are those brilliant rays of light that break through the dismally overcast automotive landscape. This Celica is as pure of a homologation special as a Lancia Delta HF, for much less. Plus, 1988 was the first and only year this ST165 generation was offered in the U.S. Find this 1988 Toyota Celica All Trac for $2,800 in San Antonio, TX. Original content by DT commenter & contributor slowcarSLOW-MPGlol.
Known throughout the world as the GT-Four, the All Trac features a 2.0L iron block four with an alloy head, and aluminum alloy pistons with an 8.5:1 static compression ratio. This generation uses T-VIS, with two intake runners per cylinder, one operating with a solenoid valve and one with a vacuum-actuated butterfly valve. This allows for low-end push to offset the waiting period while the bronze-floating-ring-bearing turbo reaches boost threshhold. When that happens, you get 185 horsepower at 10.2 psi. In 1988, that was good for a 15.6 second quarter mile and a 135 MPH top speed. Grip is pedestrian by today’s standards, at 0.82g, even with 14×6 alloy wheels with 205mm-wide tires. The culprit is weight, the arch enemy of automotive performance. See, power-adjustable leather seats, cruise control, a power sunroof, Viscous LSD, ABS, fog lights, and of course turbo piping and all-wheel drive add up, and Toyota’s performance edition soon became a real porker. This All Trac weighs 3,270 lbs.
That’s 815 lbs more than the lightest iteration, a 2,455-lb stripper model with front-wheel drive, 13-inch steel wheels and manual seats, windows, and door locks. It makes a decent 115 horsepower and 124 lb-ft of torque from a naturally aspirated 2.0L, essentially the All Trac’s engine sans turbo. But that’s not a homologation special, is it?
This one didn’t have the optional leather seats and it shows some cosmetic issues. However, it’s far more rare (and 50 lbs lighter) than the next-gen ST185 All Trac. A stock, unmodified, rust-free one just might be worth the low asking price. Just watch your words when it asks if this dress makes it look fat.
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Thanks to slowcarSLOW-MPGlol for another great feature.
I have owned a couple of these (albeit for short periods) and a few Mazda 323GTX's as well. The weight certainly is a real factor but even the 400 cc less, I would take the Mazda over this one for a homologation rally special. These Toyotas can be a bit of a bear to work on so be sure this one does not need a clutch or major work on the engine. These can rust as bad as the Mazda so look but at least a TX car may have some hope on that front.