I have a dilemma, Toyota content (Troll if you must, post good stuff with it)

[concealer404]

As most of you know... i currently own a 1992 Celica GT hatch with a fairly worked suspension.

I also have an ST205 Celica GT4 (94-99) transmission and transfer case.
And a 3sgte with spun bearings that i was/still am going to make a stroker motor out of. (3sgte is alphabet soup for Toyota's answer to the Mitsu 4g63T)

I will need a Solara V6 trans to make that setup drop in and work with my car.


I was just offered this for $300.

Don't get too excited. It's a shell at this point. Has all glass, body is straight and rust free. Is definitely missing entire suspension assembly. Trying to figure out what it has in terms of interior/wiring. Does not have hood. (Doesn't matter, i hate that hood anyways)

It will cost me $250 to get it home, but it is a REAL AllTrac.


What i was hoping was that all my suspension/hubs would swap from my GT over to the AllTrac, and i'd strip the GT, crush it, and get to work on alltrac using the ST205 drivetrain stuff i already have.

Problem: Only the front stuff swaps over.

I would definitely be able to use the custom bracing i made for the GT on the AllTrac. Everything that will work from GT on AllTrac:

1) Front suspension (all of it. Currently has Cusco underbody brace, megan racing track-spec coilovers, whiteline sway bar)
2) Hood
3) Hatch
4) Would keep my GTS front fenders as backup
5) Carlos Sainz bumper (though i think the AllTrac already has one)
6) Any and all interior stuff i happen to have left.
7) Engine and trans mounts


But really... swapping over just the front coilovers doesn't make sense. So at the least, i'd be sourcing coilovers, rear subframe, rear diff, driveshaft, all rear control arms, rear hubs, rear brakes.



Pros for GT: Lighter, already have it, i know the history of the car, already together.
Cons for GT: FWD, doesn't have rear widebody flares

Pros for AllTrac: It's an AllTrac. Pretty much starting from body-in-white. Already modified to fit 305/30-18 tires.
Cons for AllTrac: Heavier, looks like a bit of work to even get it to rolling chassis form at this point.





I'm not sure what to do at this point. Bear in mind that i will not just ADD the AllTrac to the stable. If i get AllTrac, the GT gets stripped and crushed. The GT is the immediate "easy button," the AllTrac is the eventual "awesome button," but i also think for the work to get it going, i could easily convert the GT to AWD, though i'd still have to sort out figuring out how to get lots of tire in the back. GT will always be lighter.

I'm wondering if it's just the above picture that's making it hard to decide.

Input? Double facepalms are ok (i'm looking at you, Picklz), just please give some input either way. Also: Ignore my other projects. This is purely a choice between the two cars.


Here's the GT:

 

[mndsm]

Tough dilemma. There's something about having a REAL alltrac that no matter how badass you make the GT- it will never be real. Starting from a body-in-white isn't bad if you're building an all out badass-mobile either. As I stated elsewhere, no suspension arms to cut off. It's already ready to go. I like the idea of the Alltrac, personally. Not to mention, you worry about just swapping front CO's, you're gonna have to do that to the GT if it goes to AWD mode anyhow. And you're right back to sourcing subframes and all that. I'd say if you were gonna do that kind of work, have a legit Alltrac, at least.

Alternatively, you already have the GT, and in theory you are halfway home. I don't like the idea of an AWD swap, simply because unless you do some sort of magical voodoo welding and brace it to death, it's never going to be as strong as a real AWD car. Sacrifice weight to make strength as it were. But, you have the car, the CO's, the motor, etc etc etc. A solara trans should be easy enough to source. Granted it would be FWD until you made the conversion, but... it'd be ready to rock.

On both sides- It'd take about the same time to get either car to the goal.

 

[concealer404]

The bracing isn't an issue. There's no additional bracing on AllTrac that isn't present on the GT. For that matter, with what i have on the GT, it's already stiffer than any AllTrac anyways.

The rear suspension swap issues stems from the subframe being different because gas tank to clear diff. Obviously, the FWD gas tank will interfere with rear diff, but that's nothing a fuel cell can't fix. I don't believe there's issues getting the AWD stuff in with the FWD suspension otherwise.

 

[AJ]

AllTrac

 

[JohnnyT]

What are you looking to do with the All Trac that you can't do with a GT? Take the AWD out of the equation - if you want it that bad get the AT, even though it looks like shit compared to your GT (because AT). Yes, that was a compliment. For $300 it's too stupid not to, even taking all the work into account. You were gonna do it anyway...

 

[concealer404]

What are you looking to do with the All Trac that you can't do with a GT? Take the AWD out of the equation - if you want it that bad get the AT, even though it looks like shit compared to your GT (because AT). Yes, that was a compliment. For $300 it's too stupid not to, even taking all the work into account. You were gonna do it anyway...

I think that's the key here. There's really nothing end result that i can do with the AllTrac that i can't do with the GT, besides tell bitches i have an AllTrac.

In a rare moment of rational clarity, i'm passing on the AllTrac.