Part of acquiring any prospective asset is negotiation. Cook up good intention with adamant will and you will see some results. In this case, the prospect was an underrated legendary car from 1990, a 5th generation Toyota Celica. There is more to it as this particular example is an All-Trac Turbo with chassis number ST185-0000151.
To read about the successful mission of seeking out this car last year, check out our previous article in the following link.
In Search of a GT-Four - ST185 part 1
Taal Volcano near my hometown of Tagaytay erupted just weeks prior to arranging a meet-up with the owner at the time, Mr. Lito. During one of our phone calls, I told him that all-wheel drive (AWD) would be perfect for the ash-covered roads in my hometown. We both laughed it off as it would be an ironic way to baptise a low-mileage collectible rally car.
Being handed over the keys resonated the value in earning and saving up the cash for a rare machine. Nearly 8 months after seeing this Celica ST185 for the first time, it was time to drive it home.
After making the drive home, mileage clocked in at about 18,580 miles. After some short drives around my hometown, pictured here is the odometer at 18,590 miles.
A special icing is the interior of red on red. In the US, the All-Trac Turbo is the top-of-the-line variant of the 5th generation Toyota Celica. It gets its own branding on the steering wheel. In Japan, it is equivalent to the GT-Four.
Do not let the endless curved contours of its design fool you into thinking that this top-of-the-line variant is a mellow machine. Under the hood lies a proven power plant.
The original US version second generation 3S-GTE turbocharged engine makes around 200 hp.
Days like these make one grateful for a cousin like Joshua for being the second driver in the purchase trip. We had a fun drive home in these rally-bred AWD cars!
To set the record, this is officially my first car. Its engine mechanicals and electrical components will be kept faithful to their original specs. Thanks to Mr. Lito for passing on to me this heritage that I value as a pamana. This Celica will live on!
Welcome home, I greet this mint ST185.
Should I hide it or should I drive it?
- Kal
Instagram @celikal.185