If money were no object, I would build a collection of homologation specials like the 1988 Toyota Celica Alltrac Turbo. The competition-grade version was built to compete in the World Rally Championship, and per the rules of the WRC, manufacturers had to build road-going versions of the same cars. This Celica featured a turbocharged powerplant, four-wheel drive, and aggressive styling, and today the GT-4s are in short supply. Find this one here on craigslist with a $4,200 asking price.
The rear of the car featured the integrated spoiler and bumper skirt, along with a snorty dual exhaust. I’d forgotten just how mean these sounded from the factory until I watched the classic Motorweek review on YouTube. This fourth-generation Celica marked the first rendition of the GT-4, otherwise known by its internal code of ST165. No matter what you call it, they are exceedingly hard to come by today and have practically disappeared from roads in snowbelt and rustbelt states.
That’s why it’s no surprise this one is in Los Angeles. But do you want to know what makes this Celica even more desirable? It’s one of just 77 cars sold in 1988, sold at each Toyota dealership in California that year. The white paint is one clue, along with the subtle “IMSA GTO Champion” sticker on the door molding. You can barely see it in the top photo, but it’s there and ups the desirability factor just a tad if you’re hunting for a genuine ST165.
The seller notes the 2.0L 3S-GTE drivetrain is running well at the moment. He bought it as a non-runner and chased an overheating issue, eventually addressed with a rebuilt engine. The car still seems to have a wonky temperature sensor but is otherwise said to run well. The interior, which featured deeply bolstered sport seats, presents well and un-messed with. If you’ve been searching for one of these elusive Celicas, this one may be worth a look. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Miguel for the find.
I’d like to have that!
But really, the seller does not even know how to read the (tampered with?) odometer. All problems aside, the car has potential to be fun.
$4K is a reasonable ask for a good running All Trac. I had an 86 GTS coupe in college. It was a great car — a good performer and pretty good looking at a reasonable price. I would have loved the turbo and the 4wd though. Drove a lot through the mountains of PA in those days and FWD only gets you so far in a foot of snow.
Reliability of that 3S-G(T)E series engine was hit or miss. Not many are still on the road. Oil leaks and head gaskets would eat you alive. By the time I ditched mine I was adding a quart of oil a week. Still ran great, just leaked like a seive. Every seal needed replacing at only 125K. Not great for a Toyota but I still loved it.
A Celica fan on the west coast should pick this one up and give it some love for Thanksgiving. It’s a rare bird (see what I did there?). ;-)
There are so many decent desirable cars out there for a reasonable price.
It would be nice to see more of these kinds of cars rather than the rusted out junk cars that people ask a ton of money for.
Although I’m not a fan of FWD Toyota Celicas, I do love the1986 – 1989 Celica. It’s a shame that they didn’t keep the All Trac on the market for very long. I think AWD has a place on the market, particularly if you live in areas where there’s snow and ice. I think AWD is way better than front-wheel drive.
The very best of the ST165 cars. BTW those 77 cars were in 1987 for the 1988 model year. Then the All-Trac was available in other colors in 1988, also for the 1988 model year.
Another one of those “Text Only” sellers.
As a seller do you really THINK a buyer will only communicate with you to spend that much money to purchase a car without talking to you?
I don’t think so!
The ad is still up so maybe just maybe other interested parties may think the same thing!
Not my cup of tea. Give me a Z or a RX7
Back in 1989 a Toyota dealer owner and friend of mine decided to upgrade from his ’86 MR2 SSC race car to an All-Trac racing in SSA.
While fast it was heavy, with 80’s era turbo lag and it was the MOST complicated street based race car of the era. It had 8 cv joints plus 4 u-joints for the drive shafts. It had two LSD’s PLUS the center diff which was torque sensing in some way. Then it had the electronic that tried to control the engine, boost, plus the driveline, etc.
Add in the poor brakes we used in that era and it was a wild ride indeed. Super cool cars, always nice to see one survive. Seems like cheap fun to me at $4500.