Track and Field has for a long time been a popular part of the Summer Olympics. After seeing today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Celica however, the Olympic committee might just want to change that to All-Trac. That is of course, if its price isn't too far afield.
Remarkably, there was not much love for yesterday's 327-powered Chevy LUV. Most of the derision was focused on the modifications- the very elements the seller probably thought would engender ardor. In the end not even a fake ID sporting the name Mc-LUV-in would have been able to buy it some respect, and it went down in a solid 85% Crack Pipe loss.
Okay, so no love for the LUV, but today we're going to see how a kind of beat up 1988 All-Trac tracks.
The Celica All-Trac married Toyota's 190-bhp turbo four (shared with the MR2) with an all-wheel drive system, and pop-up headlamps for a trifecta of awesomeness. Yeah, it's not a Ford 460-powered beast, but what it lacks in non-streetability it more than makes up for in minor dings and dents.
It's sort of sad seeing a cool old car that has suffered the scars of age just like something of less import. This ST165 started out life as a white knight of the Celica lineup and now bears the scars of age, neglect, and inconsiderate parking lot neighbors. Looking rode hard and put away wet, it's kind of like the Lindsay Lohan of All-Tracs.
The ad claims the car has 190,000 miles on the clock. It also avers that Toyotas can do twice that standing on their heads. That claim is made in a somewhat incongruous manner, as I can't quite figure out what the sentence starting This beast because it's a Toyota. . . even means.
That's pretty much it for description in the ad. There at least are a number of exterior pictures that give a pretty good idea of the amount of body work this car needs. They also expose the two gaping holes in the front valance where a pair of driving lights - one of the All-Trac's unique styling attributes - used to reside. Now, with those missing, it possesses the countenance of a grinning hillbilly. Y'all-Trac now, ya hear?
There aren't any interior shots so there remains some mystery surrounding the car, and hopefully when viewed it'll prove to be in better shape than the outsides. There does seem to be an A-pillar mounted gauge pack visible through the windshield - in my opinion, the unequivocal dry hump of interior mods.
Like the similar Mazda 323GTX, the All-Trac is a cool car that hasn't always been given its just due. This one is beat up, but by appearances seems solid enough to make a good foundation for either bringing back to original form, or making into some sort of Mad Max Deathrace street machine used to frighten old ladies and vex the local constabulary.
Of course to do so one would need to be able to come up with the price of admission, which in this All-Trac's case is $2,500. Considering its provenance and condition, do you think it's worth that? Or, does that make this a Celica you wouldn't Buy-ica?
You decide!
Los Angeles Craigslist or go here if the ad disappears.
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