1988 Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo - SOLD
Features:
208,000 miles... and counting.
Full-time All-Wheel-Drive.
Two-liter, four cylinder, turbo-charged engine, 3S-GTE. Intercooled, 4-valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams, aluminum head, iron block
Five speed manual transmission.
Power steering.
Power windows.
Power locks.
Power adjustable lumbar support.
Power sunroof.
Automatic climate control.
Power adjustable side mirrors.
The Good:
Dependable:
In the 13+ years I've owned it, I've been stuck exactly once, high-centered in deep snow, all four well worn performance/all-season tires spinning freely.
Stranded exactly once. I replaced the alternator and forgot to plug it in. My fault entirely.
Respectable fuel economy, typically gets 22/27 city/highway (capable of ~24 city, ~31 highway, depending on driving style, traffic etc...)
Engine overhaul at 135,710 miles.
New head gasket and head work at 186,986 miles.
Mostly stock. A stock appearance was maintained for most of the few mods there are.
Happily runs 85 octane, in hot weather, and in boost up to the point the computer cuts fuel (10 to 12 psi roughly) without detonation. (Don't try that at home kids, without the proper engine modifications.)
Easily passed Colorado emissions test, when we still had them.
Comes with Green Diamond Icelander tires for impressive grip on slippery roads. 185/70/14.
New alternator.
New windshield.
New upper strut mounts, all four.
Loves cold weather.
Great in the snow.
The Bad:
No AC: I removed the compressor when the clutch seized up while I was moving to a new house. I didn't have time to fix it, so I just removed the compressor and put on a shorter belt. The AC worked up to that point.
Power antenna quit working about eight years ago. It's stuck in the up position. It's a little bent now, but the radio works fine.
The passenger-side power window switch is a little messed up. It works from the passenger side, but not from the driver side. I have a used one, included with the car.
Drips several drops of oil everywhere it's parked. I have not investigated the source of the leak.
Left quarter window lower molding is removed. It was about to fall off so I removed it so I wouldn't lose it. It's now slightly bent from a radiator falling on it.
Some play in the steering components (with +200k miles it's doing pretty good.) I have not investigated to see where the majority of the problem is. It's much less noticeable with the Icelander tires on it. [Update: The play is much improved since replacing the strut mounts.]
Clicking noise from a CV-Joint in the right front when making tight turns. Not sure how much life is left in it, but I recommend replacing it soon. [Update: the noise has gone away after replacing the strut mounts.]
The Ugly:
Rust: This is the fundamental reason I'm selling the car. If I didn't have another rust-free All-Trac, I wouldn't be selling this one.
The paint on the hood is chipped. This is a common problem in Colorado, where insane amounts of coarse “sand” is used on the roads at the slightest hint of slippery conditions.
Dent in the left quarter panel, at the front part of the wheel well. A victim of a parking lot hit and run.
The Mods:
Upgraded CT26 turbo, 50-trim compressor.
Gutted primary cat, but as noted above, it easily passed Colorado emissions testing.
Original head cracked and was replaced with a JDM head from a non-turbo 3S-G engine. This required removal of the EGR system.
Remnants of a water injection experiment. A cold start injector is mounted on the intercooler and supplied washer fluid via the rear window washer pump. Manually controlled. A Peak & Hold injector driver circuit is mounted to the side of the washer fluid reservoir. It keeps the injector solenoid from getting too hot. The experiment confirmed that water injection would stop detonation, but I was running out of washer fluid too quickly for that to be a good option.
Engine mods to allow running cheaper 85 octane fuel without detonation and without water injection.
Compression raised from 8.5:1 to between 8.8 and 8.9 to 1 (slight variation between chamber volumes.)
ARP head studs.
ARP rod bolts.
Cometic MLS head gasket, 1mm.
ECU modified to run a little leaner in closed-loop operation.
Throttle body heater/coolant bypassed. Ran through a Colorado winter with no problems. Couldn't tell the difference with or without.
DIY boost controller not included. I removed it, so it's limited to wastegate controlled boost levels (~4 psi.)
SuperPro poly bushings installed at 152,821 miles.
Starter Relay Mod (most recent mod.)
I should point out a few things to look for in the pictures below.:
The paint is not original, it had been repainted before I bought it.
Some of the decals are in the wrong location, as a result of the repaint I assume.
There are a few small dents on the hood that I wasn't able to capture in still photos. Some from hail, another from the neighbor kids bouncing a football off it (I assume.)
Something like glue is spilled on the passenger seat. I'm not sure exactly what it is, it was there when I bought the car. Nothing I've tried has had any effect on removing it.
There is some vinyl patch work on the back of the passenger seat. I only notice it when I'm cleaning the car.
Paint is pealing from the passenger door moulding.
The trunk area cover is included, I just had it out when I took the pics.