macca
02-19-2009, 08:26 PM
Well, I thought I'd post this up as when looking through my photos yesterday I realised I had quite a lot from when I had the old girl and I miss her, she was so much fun.
Despite what others say, I still vouch that this is the best of the GT-Fours :pah:
Well, I bought her completely standard from an old and slightly eccentric engineer with huge bushy eyebrows in Billingshurst in 2003 (I think).
The GT-Four was the first homologated WRC car that Toyota made. It was based on the ST162 Celica GT chassis and was first released in Japan in 1986. It was released to the US under the guise of Celica All-trac and to the UK as the Celica 4wd Turbo.
The GT-Four had the first generation of the Toyota 3S-GTE engine, reportedly derived from and very similar to the legendary 503E race engine.
It's a 1998cc 16v inline-4 cast iron block and ally head. In addition to the features of the 3S-GE engine (normally aspirated version) it aquired a lower compression ratio and oil squirters to the skirts of the pistons to aid lubrication and piston cooling, especially important on a turbocharged engine.
The engine received the Toyota CT26 turbo, also used in the Mk3 Supra Turbo and 4.2TD Landcruiser! To cool the intake temperature a small chargecooler was mounted on top of the engine.
In standard form, it made a whopping 185bhp (it was 1986) and 185lbft. Power was delivered through a 5-speed gearbox, with a viscous coupling centre diff and torsen rear diff for the rear wheels.
These cars have notoriously awful brakes. The GT-Four weighs in around 1400Kg with driver and has 254mm front vented discs and 265mm rear solid disks. Bizarre, and scary!
Enough of the history lesson anyway...
Ohhhh, forgot to mention. She was in need of some TLC when she was picked up, the tin worm had been having a field day :D
These are some pictures from the previous owner before she'd been left for a while -
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio1.jpg
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio2.jpg
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio3.jpg
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio4.jpg
I know these 'retro' looking cars aren't to everybody's taste, but I think there's something very cool about them. Some seriously nice/fast/fun cars for very little money.
I think I paid £400 for her back then, knowing she needed MOT work and welding. I never spent a lot on her and had a whole lot of car really. Budgets were tight!
Despite what others say, I still vouch that this is the best of the GT-Fours :pah:
Well, I bought her completely standard from an old and slightly eccentric engineer with huge bushy eyebrows in Billingshurst in 2003 (I think).
The GT-Four was the first homologated WRC car that Toyota made. It was based on the ST162 Celica GT chassis and was first released in Japan in 1986. It was released to the US under the guise of Celica All-trac and to the UK as the Celica 4wd Turbo.
The GT-Four had the first generation of the Toyota 3S-GTE engine, reportedly derived from and very similar to the legendary 503E race engine.
It's a 1998cc 16v inline-4 cast iron block and ally head. In addition to the features of the 3S-GE engine (normally aspirated version) it aquired a lower compression ratio and oil squirters to the skirts of the pistons to aid lubrication and piston cooling, especially important on a turbocharged engine.
The engine received the Toyota CT26 turbo, also used in the Mk3 Supra Turbo and 4.2TD Landcruiser! To cool the intake temperature a small chargecooler was mounted on top of the engine.
In standard form, it made a whopping 185bhp (it was 1986) and 185lbft. Power was delivered through a 5-speed gearbox, with a viscous coupling centre diff and torsen rear diff for the rear wheels.
These cars have notoriously awful brakes. The GT-Four weighs in around 1400Kg with driver and has 254mm front vented discs and 265mm rear solid disks. Bizarre, and scary!
Enough of the history lesson anyway...
Ohhhh, forgot to mention. She was in need of some TLC when she was picked up, the tin worm had been having a field day :D
These are some pictures from the previous owner before she'd been left for a while -
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio1.jpg
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio2.jpg
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio3.jpg
http://www.i-macca.co.uk/stuff/st165/st165bio4.jpg
I know these 'retro' looking cars aren't to everybody's taste, but I think there's something very cool about them. Some seriously nice/fast/fun cars for very little money.
I think I paid £400 for her back then, knowing she needed MOT work and welding. I never spent a lot on her and had a whole lot of car really. Budgets were tight!