Help me decide 88 Alltrac turbo or 91 GT - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Bigshoguns · 10-12-2004, 12:36 PM

1988 Alltrac Turbo 5spd manual with 160k miles on it 3k obo

1991 Gt 5spd 115k 3k obo

They both appear to be in great shape. both garage kept and adult owned. And they all have highway miles.

What do u guys think. should i consider this car or smack myself and look @ newer celicas.

Pineapple · 10-12-2004, 12:48 PM

The All Trac is really good price.
I like the 91 style more but the GT is not my choice. A GTS maybe but not a GT.

Bigshoguns · 10-12-2004, 12:57 PM

is the mileage to high on the alltrac or will it still last another 50 or 60k?

Also u think the turbo's in good condition...

lcarocha · 10-12-2004, 01:04 PM

Depends on what you like most:

Performance = ST165 GT4
Looks = ST182 GT

Unfortunatly due to the options at hand having both is imposible. If you want the performance of the 165 with the looks of the 182 then you should ne looking for a 185.

BTW if anyone from England is interested I friend is selling his ST205 GT4. Details:

1994 ST205 GT4

Silver
Std (extra's can be included if wanted)
Very good condition, very small marks along top of rear hatch wear
the toyota sunblock spoiler type thing sits, £50 to make as new.

Rolling roaded in standard condition at 268.5 hp
Mot - 11 months
Tax - will need replacing Dec 04
65,000 miles
Clutch changed 1 month ago for RPS stage 1 6 puk and Fidanza
flywheel.
WRC spoiler blocks (can be removed)
Blitz grade 8 plugs
Oil/filter changed every 3k
Good runner, never let me down once.

some other toys (the good stuff) are available.

£6999 or p/ex supra/rx7, mr2 turbo, skyline or sports bike n cash

Bigshoguns · 10-12-2004, 01:07 PM

i want to know which one would last me for about 1 or 2 mor years. and that could be turned into a project car for sunday driving

Deep · 10-12-2004, 01:20 PM

In that case, the Alltrac. The only problem is that they tend to be money pits, they're very complex cars, which means that there are more parts to wear/break/maintain. If you do buy it, I'd have an extra g or so lying around in case any repairs come up. Doing a clutch on an Alltrac is... well I'm never doing that again.

It is a great car though, for what it is, its pretty lightweight, a 2nd or 3rd gen 3SGTE is a drop in and done with 'clean' and 'subtle' in mind, they look slick.

Bigshoguns · 10-12-2004, 01:27 PM

So maintainece is pricey along with repairs? or just repairs?

and is 160k miles too much or good for now, but be on the look out for a engine swap??

Thanks for all your feedback im really greatful..

Deep · 10-12-2004, 01:46 PM

Maintenence is pretty much the same as any turbo AWD car, you've gotta inspect everything often and things like ignition/fuel parts should be watched closely. The AWD system needs to be maintained, as in swapping fluids.

With 160k I'd want to know what has been done, ie turbo rebuild, timing belt, plugs, cap, rotors, oil changes, clutch, etc. Personally, I wouldn't be worried about the engine, shortblocks are pretty cheap (but thats me.) I would be worried about a bad tranny or leaking diff.

The 3SGTE is stout, but it needs to be maintained. Most of the blown 3SGTE's I've seen were a result of spun bearings or detonation because of poor tuning.

Bigshoguns · 10-12-2004, 02:45 PM

ok so when i go see this car and inspect the engine bay anything particular i should look @?

i will ask for all the stuff u mentioned. and i will try to get it on a lift @ my friend garage and look @ it.

TRDcelicaGTFOUR · 10-12-2004, 02:57 PM

Take the alltrac. a) allwheel drive, b) turbo, c) very light

This is a car that you wil regret buying later. Have a compression test done on the motor, as well as lift it up and check for any leaks, rust etc. Listen to the motor for any ticking, knocking, or any other weird sounds(Dont mind the whining of the turbo, this is something most people wish they heard). But make sure you have a mechanic have a good look at it, and you should be fine. If there seems to be problems with it, then sadly turn it down, but if everything is good, then my advice would be to take it before someone else decides to scoop it up. Also, you mentioned it was adult driven, which probably means that they let the turbo spool up and down on startups/shutoffs. Just ask them to take you for a ride, and see if this is how they start it up and shut it off. Good luck.

Bigshoguns · 10-12-2004, 03:11 PM

i will take both of your advice trdcelica and deep

Zrain · 10-12-2004, 05:43 PM

GET THE ALLTRACK.. this is coming from a Gen 5 Owner. i own a 5th gen 91 Celica GT, and trust me, the Alltrack is Faster and cooler.. but... the 5th gen looks a hell of alot better. (no afence to any of u 4th gene's)

altho i will say this.. the 91 will be more reliable. (turbo cars tend to get beat on, and the Alltracks are a limited run for Toyota so parts arent cheep.

Bigshoguns · 10-12-2004, 10:14 PM

good point zrain

EggBeater59 · 10-14-2004, 04:50 AM

my suggestion: don't get the all trac as your single daily driven car. it makes a good second, though.

pog0 · 10-14-2004, 03:03 PM

Why wouldnt an all-trac be a good daily driver? I drive mine every day.

Get the 165. It may have high mileage but the 3SGTE motor is very strong. There is a guy on the MR2 board with a stock unopened motor with more than 200k miles on it running 11s.

As I said earlier, get the 165. You will need to dump more money into it for maintenance, it is VERY expensive, but what would you rather drive... a slow ass NA or a turbo car that just needs an exhaust and a little more boost to be in the 14s. Plus you got an A/W intercooler, just upgrade that shitty little stock heat exchanger for a nice big one, I am pretty sure that will keep you happy for a long time.