Your Automotive Moby Dick

"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair) 08/12/2013 at 16:23 • Filed to: None

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Every true car enthusiast has their great white whale. That ultra rare beast they're always on the lookout for that they simply must own someday. It may not be the best car out there, but something about it calls to you. Some of us have even owned our Moby Dick at one time or another, hell some people are so obsessed they collect them. But regardless of our situation we all have that one, often rare, often specific car that defies all logic. Yet for some reason, we must have it.

This is mine.

1988-1989 Toyota Celica All-Trac.

As I hinted at earlier, I've actually owned a Celica All-Trac, which greatly contributes to my lust for this vehicle. In fact, it was my first car. As a result, I've got many amazing memories of my 1988 Celica All-trac. At the same time, the car suffered greatly at my hands, as any first vehicle does (should?) It was eventually sold shortly before I left the country for a year.

But my love of all-tracs goes deeper than simply wanting to re-aquire my first car. I love what the car represents historically. I love it's place in the automotive mosiac of the past century. It represents the height of 80's technology. It represents homologation rules that have given us many of the best streetcars to ever be built. It represents a time when Japan could do no wrong. And it represents the greatest form of motorsport ever created.

At the same time it was both a harbinger of the future and a spectacular sales flop. It was a WRX long before the U.S. knew it wanted a WRX.

With only about 1500 ever imported to the U.S. it is a rare beast. Whenever I see one it brightens my day. But I know, like a serial killer, that fantasy eventually won't be enough. I've gotta have one. It's my great white whale.

dogisbadob > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:26

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The 91 Isuzu Impulse turbo, or the Lotus Elan M100

Meatcoma > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:26

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Great White Buffalo!

feather-throttle-not-hair > dogisbadob 08/12/2013 at 16:29

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Ohhhh Impulse Turbo are up there for me as well, AWD, turbocharged and if memory serves, lotus tuned suspension.

Forgetful > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:30

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trynthink > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:31

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Mine is the 4th Gen. Toyota Supra Turbo.

Popularized by the Fast and Furious series, it is extremely difficult to find one that hasn't been ruined by stupid mods and isn't an automatic. Even GISing the car yields hundreds of pictures of cars modded to within an inch of their lives and probably driven by bros who think they've created a masterpiece.

I always thought it was infinitely better looking, inside and out, than most of its contemporaries, and it was one of Toyota's few halo cars. I've wanted one since I was a little kid and sat in one at the dealership. I checked out the back seat before trying to convince my parents to buy one instead of the Camry they had their eye on (they still have that Camry today).

I want it. I want it even though prices for what is a 20 year old car are well north of $30k, and even though there are cars that are better, faster, and possibly cheaper as well.

feather-throttle-not-hair > trynthink 08/12/2013 at 16:35

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Ahhh, excellent choice. Beatiful car. It's a spoiler delete and a set of rims away from looking just about perfect. Unfortunately, as you noted, rims and spoiler delete are often accompanied by "body kit" and "a turbo so big the car is nearly undrivable"

Josh Welton > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:41

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Dodge Spirit R/T

http://dempseybowling.com/sheldodg/sheld…

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:42

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If I can get enough money, it would have to be the Lancia 037.

If I don't get as much money, it would have to be the Lancia Delta Integrale Evo 2.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:43

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This , but RHD and with a 3.0l V6.

It's so nearly exactly what I'd do to one of these gorgeous little machines.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Josh Welton 08/12/2013 at 16:44

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lol, so awesome.

As fast as my 350Z in a straight line.

DocWalt > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:47

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I'd love to own an Evo VII. I had to settle for owning an Evo X for a year, but one day I'll have my moby dick.

daender > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 16:50

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Did you have one as pictured or was that yours? That's an even-rarer Celica, the IMSA-edition Celica GT-Four, legit AWD and turbo for America! They only made 77 of those for dealerships!

Decay buys too many beaters > Forgetful 08/12/2013 at 16:50

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This. Getting harder to find ones that do not have mods or idiotic body kits.

Or really any RX-7 for that matter. Pretty sure an FB is going to be my next purchase.

Takuro Spirit > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 17:02

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It will be mine (again). Oh yes, it will be mine (some day).

Sparf > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 17:05

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Isn't the pictured car the '87-only IMSA GTO Champion edition or w/e? Not that it matters all that much, but still.

I kinda stumbled across my ST165 and thought to myself "shit, this is a rare car in nice condition! I'm going to spend my whole life regretting it if I don't buy this!" So far that decision hasn't come back to bite me in the ass, and I'm pleased. Unlike you, however, I'm trying to keep myself from doing any hooning in my ST165 until I can one day afford to swap out the engine, gearbox and all the weak-ish differentials for either those found in the ST185 Carlos Sainz or those in the ST205 WRC. Right now I'm scared shitless that I'm going to break something the moment I do anything even resembling a tarmac launch.

Also:

I love what the car represents historically. I love it's place in the automotive mosiac of the past century. It represents the height of 80's technology. It represents homologation rules that have given us many of the best streetcars to ever be built. It represents a time when Japan could do no wrong. And it represents the greatest form of motorsport ever created.

Remove the bit about rally and you have why I love almost every Japanese sports/sporty car from the 80s and 90s.

I guess my automotive Moby Dick would be the Nissan Z31, since I'm fairly sure the number of still-running examples in Europe is in the triple or lower four digits...

GhostZ > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 17:07

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I bet you'd expect a bright white Series 1 1970 Datsun 240z in original condition.

You'd be wrong.

This is my Moby dick:

It's not a matter of them being super rare... but a matter of needing a fortune to find one that isn't full of holes. Some day I'd like to find a slant-6 model that some old grandmother had taken care of, and give it a heart transplant with an RB (no not THAT RB...) engine. Like a de-stroked 440 with competition valves, FI, tuned ITBs and a redline somewhere north of 8500rpm...

I can't take credit for the dream though. Gasoline runs in my blood, and this is the exact kind of car (to the tune of 850HP) my father had as a young adult.

Spiderman, Non-Italian Imposter of Italian Spiderman. > Sparf 08/12/2013 at 17:09

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Have you always had a Celica? Or is this a development that happened in my absence?

Sparf > Spiderman, Non-Italian Imposter of Italian Spiderman. 08/12/2013 at 17:15

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How long have you been absent? My car hunt ended about a month ago with me finding a near-rust-free black '88 Toyota Celica GT-Four. See here and here .

Spiderman, Non-Italian Imposter of Italian Spiderman. > Sparf 08/12/2013 at 17:18

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Yup. About a month and a half away from daily activity to get my move all sorted. I'm glad you found something! Did you ever make a thread about it?

Forgetful > Decay buys too many beaters 08/12/2013 at 17:20

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Dat's a Esprit.

dogisbadob > Forgetful 08/12/2013 at 17:21

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I love the S4s!

Forgetful > dogisbadob 08/12/2013 at 17:22

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Must have the deep dish rears.

dogisbadob > trynthink 08/12/2013 at 17:24

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Great choice.

Toyota's entire mid-90s lineup are halo cars. All are segment killers. The Supra, the Camry (greatest car of all time), the Corolla and Tercel are excellent reliable economy cars with the same high quality as an LS400, and their tough trucks too.

Anon > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 17:24

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A 458 italia or a california. Now let me explain! The 458, yes I love it because it's an amazing car! Now the california is my automotive "Guilty Crown" like guilty crown it's not the best and there are much better cars out there, but I like it. I can't explain why I like it. I just like it.

Decay buys too many beaters > Forgetful 08/12/2013 at 17:27

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Damn, I meant to reply to the article itself and recommend your post. I'm also a huge fan of the Esprit ever since it was in NFS2.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 17:28

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I've already owned 2 of mine

fhrblig > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 17:29

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I really would love a Chevy Sprint turbo. I owned 2 NA 5-door Sprints and adored them. Just imagine what I could do with those 22 extra horses.

highmodulus > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 17:29

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2002 BMW M Coupe- the S54 powered beast, very low production/import numbers, fewer "good" ones left surviving, now being horded by collectors and speculators.

BMW 1M Coupe in Valencia Orange- another one being horded as a collectors car.

Sparf > Spiderman, Non-Italian Imposter of Italian Spiderman. 08/12/2013 at 17:29

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No I haven't really been able to take any satisfactory pictures of it I'm afraid, since all I have is my iPhone 4S and while the pics I take with it look fine on its screen, they look too blurry when viewed on a computer screen...

I might be getting a proper camera by winter though so I can start practicing automotive photography (and I'll be able to take nice pictures of my car then). I need to be at least decent at it before Le Mans next year since I might be getting a press pass (meaning I'll have access to all the sweet spots along the track for photographing).

Forgetful > Decay buys too many beaters 08/12/2013 at 17:36

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lol, I kinda suspected something was up there. I was sure you were better than that.

I mean, sure, they're both pop-light equipped and have the same taste in spoilers, and in this case are both red, but damn, it's not like they're super rare.

feather-throttle-not-hair > highmodulus 08/12/2013 at 17:46

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There's an orange 1M coupe that I see every now and then in my neighborhood. Amazing how much more aggressive it looks with those fender flares.

feather-throttle-not-hair > daender 08/12/2013 at 17:48

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The car pictured is not my car. It was just the nicest ST165 I could find and it happened to be white. I was a little worried people would get confused by the "greatest form of motorsports ever created" part, but i figured few enough people would catch that it was a IMSA for it to not be ambiguous. Good eye though!

feather-throttle-not-hair > fhrblig 08/12/2013 at 17:49

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Learn something new every day. I had no idea this existed.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Sparf 08/12/2013 at 17:51

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Yup that's an IMSA edition. It was the nicest ST165 google image search came up with on the first page or so.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS 08/12/2013 at 17:53

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If only we had the Integrale in the U.S.

It might have ended up my dream car instead of the Celica.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Takuro Spirit 08/12/2013 at 17:54

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Beautiful.

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 18:05

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I want to import one as soon as it's legal. Or whenever I have the money after that point.

delete-me-please123 > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 18:33

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Great question.
My girl is the XK-120. I see one about once a year.

"Thar she blows!"

Makoyouidiot > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/12/2013 at 18:45

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Another Alfa Romeo 164S...I miss mine every day and couldn't even really explain why. But I want another. Properly restored and beautiful.

DConsorti > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/13/2013 at 10:39

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Easy for me... this:

I even have a Tattoo os it in blue in my arm!

Wonk Unit > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/13/2013 at 11:19

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Mine is a mostly stock, not beat to hell, red, targa, 6 speed, tan interior, turbo one of these. I know it will cost too much, but i know i'll regret it if i never get one.

I hoon, therefore I am > trynthink 08/13/2013 at 15:45

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Guy down the street from me has an Mk4. It's completely unmolested — not even aftermarket exhaust! — which practically grants it unicorn status. I stop everything and run outside like a child whenever the guys drives it by.

911e46z06 > feather-throttle-not-hair 08/14/2013 at 03:42

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Zonda. Any Zonda. I would pay dumb amounts of money even for one of the bad ones from the late 90s. I will own one some day.

911e46z06 > Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS 08/14/2013 at 03:44

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I'm with you man. I'm counting the days until the Deltas are legal to import. I have nightmares about what it would cost to maintain one over here though.

trynthink > I hoon, therefore I am 08/14/2013 at 18:31

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That's awesome. Is it manual? Every time I see one on eBay or craigslist that is even close to stock, it's always autotragic.

I hoon, therefore I am > trynthink 08/14/2013 at 18:33

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You know, I don't know. If I ever see the guy I'll strike up a conversation and ask.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Takuro Spirit 08/20/2013 at 02:36

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Know that feel, bro.