My AE86 Project... This is rough...

So I picked up a 1984 Corolla SR5 the other day. Here's a bit about it.

-1984 SR5

-5 Speed

-225xxxkm

-Hatchback

-4A-C

-Body is rough

-Frame/Floor is good

-Purchased for $600

-Missing sunroof

-Front struts blown

-Battery is done



So I took a few pictures of the car in my garage, not great pictures as space is tight, but you'll get the idea. Basically I want to work on this car and make it a track car. Not a highpower monster or anything. As long as it drives, and has enough power to slide arount the corners. This is a strictly DIY project car with a very limited budget.. Here are some pics!



Exterior







Missing sunroof



Driver's side rear Quarter



Passenger side fender





Interior







Back seat













Engine Bay

Reply 1 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

that there is a SR5 with a GTS interior lol



nice car man, you planning on a engine swap? if you wanna slide it i suggest you pick up a GTS rear end and a LSD, unless it already has one

Reply 2 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

Well then... Glad I posted pics. I had no idea!! I thought it was just a normal sr5.. OOOOH THE HIDDEN GEMS! hahah. Unfortunately the drivers seat is ripped to pieces. And I'll be tossing in some cheap "racing" seats I picked up for 165$.



I plan on swapping the only problem is I've seen alot of threads saying how difficult it is to swap. I've never done an engine swap before so I'd be looking for an engine that will give me enough power to slide, but at the same time be a somewhat simple swap.



Not sure if the car has LSD or a GT-S rear but for some reason I'd doubt it.. Is it possible to weld the diff to get a similar effect?

Reply 3 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

if you have rear disc brakes its a GTS rear end... you could weld the rear diff, but if you plan to daily drive this car at all its gunna make it more diffcult

Reply 4 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

GT-S rear end is a no. Just drums in the back. The previous owner was also telling me that the handbrake locks up the front ? And the foot brake will lock the rear tires?

Reply 5 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

um no... the ebrake cables go to the back...i seriously doubt that, but you can easily tell, why you would want the brakes to work like that is beyond me

Reply 6 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

Yeah I didn't understand. I've never heard of an e-brake going to the front. But that's what he told me. And because the car has 0 brakes and no suspension, I haven't been able to drive it or test.

Just out of curiosity, for me to do a swap, what motor would you recommend?

Reply 7 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

probably the simplest thing to do is to grab 16v 4age and slap some carbs on it... if you go on Club4ag you can find out how to do it... its alot easier than putting in a harness and ECU in my opinion

Reply 8 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4agetercel if you have rear disc brakes its a GTS rear end... you could weld the rear diff, but if you plan to daily drive this car at all its gunna make it more diffcult

I feel this much more an opinion than fact when considering daily driving a with a welded diff.

Will it make noise and cause the tires to slip, hop, and wear faster? Yes.

Will it cause you to lose control? Only if you don't know how to drive in the first place.

Is it for everyone? No.



I've heard from someone else that you can get a spool or mini-spool for the SR5 rear end, which will do the exact same thing as welding, but is much more reversible.



Upgrading to a GTS or Supra rear is a must if you ever plan on putting down more power than what the stock 4AC can do.



Good luck with it!

Reply 9 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel_86 I feel this much more an opinion than fact when considering daily driving a with a welded diff. Will it make noise and cause the tires to slip, hop, and wear faster? Yes. Will it cause you to lose control? Only if you don't know how to drive in the first place. Is it for everyone? No.

i never said it would cause him to loose control



you forgot to mention the diff breaking and axles breaking too... welding diffs is ghetto as hell and i will never recommend it for a daily

Reply 10 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4agetercel i never said it would cause him to loose control you forgot to mention the diff breaking and axles breaking too... welding diffs is ghetto as hell and i will never recommend it for a daily

I've only seen a diff break as a result of a bad job done welding it. I've not seen or heard from anyone I know about breaking an axle because of their welded diff.



But the SR5 rear is notoriously weaker than a GTS rear, and I don't know anyone that is actually driving on a SR5 rear with a spool or welded diff, so that might change in the next year.



Yes, welding a diff is kind of ghetto, but it's cheap, when done properly it will last, and for some people, it just makes more sense and is more useful than an actual LSD.



I'll agree to disagree with you about using it for a daily and leave it at that.

Reply 11 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

there was a guy on another forum that broke an axle with his welded diff...

Reply 12 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

Breaking an axle while the car's diff was welded doesn't mean the axle broke because the diff was welded.



Other circumstances probably came into play and the axle broke because it ended up being the weakest point. It could've played out differently if the car had an open diff, factory LSD, or aftermarket LSD.

Reply 13 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

What you have there is the rare Toyota Corolla Sport SR5 Sport Package. Before the GTS arrived in 85 you had an opportunity to get the "GTS" interior in a sport package offered by Toyota. The sport packages stayed as an option through out the the AE86's run. Besides the interior you also got in the package the alloy wheels, different door cards then a standard sr5 and two tone paint. Though you could get a standard SR5 without the package but with the two tone paint. Its rare to see a two tone without the package.

Reply 14 : My AE86 Project... This is rough...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel_86 Breaking an axle while the car's diff was welded doesn't mean the axle broke because the diff was welded. Other circumstances probably came into play and the axle broke because it ended up being the weakest point. It could've played out differently if the car had an open diff, factory LSD, or aftermarket LSD.

you do have a point, but going around turns would put stress on then, whereas a proper lsd wouldnt



also there was not a huge mount of power being put down, it was a stock bluetop