Lets turn a 84 SR5 Corolla into something!

When great ideas have zero dollars and no time, fun can be had by all! Hello all, I've been a lurker for YEARS but now its time I add to the pool of awesome cars by dropping in this .... wonderful dream machine I have always wanted! Meet my new to me vehicle Rusty (new cleverer name to come when it happens).  

Body has tones of surface rust which will be addressed but is actually pretty straight. No obvious signs of damage anywhere.

Interior is almost all there but pretty sun damaged.

Its not currently running due to

1. No battery 2 (easy fix)

2.No brake booster installed along with everything that goes with brake redo

3. Pretty sure the starter is no longer working

Other than the three listed and probably another 50 things wrong with it, it will be on the road in no time! 

It currently has the 4AC which I manually turned over and it spins free. I have checked all liquids and other than needing a oil change its all there. I've been slowly going around to severely rusted items, sanding them, then painting them with a random gloss black rustoleum rattle can I found. Such as the radiator bracket, battery hold down and 1 windshield wiper, along with other bits and bobs. 

There is one area of concern that should be addressed soon, its right above the rear license plate and it is rusted through. I am curious as to why this is the only area so far that has rust this severe but I am certain it is not the only spot like this. 

Pulling the weather strip back reveals how bad it truly is. I don't know what to do here but I am sure it will be fun!

Next steps: pull carpet out to see if there is any rust and stop it! Get a battery to test to see if it starts/runs...... and then go from there. 

I do have great big plans for this car. No drift machine here but an honest to goodness daily driver fun machine with a transplant in the far future!

Rishme said:

I do have great big plans for this car. No drift machine here but an honest to goodness daily driver fun machine with a transplant in the far future!

Awesome; sounds like fun! I've owned at least one (if not more) AE86 Corolla since 1998, and they make great daily drivers/motor sports cars! Since the early-to-mid 2000s I've dealt with folks claiming it was a "waste" to drive it to work, on twisty backroads, and in autocross/trackdays/rallycross/drift events, instead of only drifting it, which just boggles the mind. More recently, I've met people incapable of any understanding that an AE86 could be used for anything but drifting, which is also frustrating. These cars are tons of fun to slide around in, and they are great learning tools for enhancing your skill set as a driver (inexperienced or expert.)  My bitterness certainly also has to do with the fact that the drifters are a huge driving force behind the collectibility of these cars/parts (and the corresponding price increases) but also always seem to be first to bitch about how expensive it is!

Sorry to get grumpy! Keep on and gave fun with it, wherever the project may lead!

That dash is amazingly terrible. I thought that it was surely a desert car, but the rust has me greatly confused. Regardless, I am eager to see future updates!

Awesome! So good to see another one around here. I have an 85 GT-S thats running a 4agze and is soon to be turbo. If you have questions on suspension and the like feel free to PM me.

I love the love here! I got the car in Central Texas (Austin area) and I know its been around here for a while. I do not know its previous life though so the rust could have come from anywhere but the dash for sure got the Texas sun. 

I pulled the starter today to see if it was still good. 

Starter spins and solenoid pushes so that is excellent news. I like how the solenoid is almost as big as the starter motor itself. Pretty sure that my non-start problem is the car battery itself then. I took out my car battery out of my DD and put it Rusty but I don't think that it has good juice to work... but that is a little confusing since it starts my DD no problem. It just clicks then all power goes out, no blown fuses. I disconnect the battery and the door buzzer comes back to life with all dash. I will get a dedicated battery soon to confirm the troubles. Hopefully its just the battery and nothing else. 

I think you might want to check your ground wire and the positive battery cable. If those are loose or corroded they would cause the issues you are experiencing. 

I will for sure check them out. Thank you for the suggestion! 

I wonder how far along the Hachi boys are in making an aftermarket replacement dashboard- I know most of them are in equally as bad of shape.

Good to see more classic toyota. You likely have a T50 manual box, and most things up until the year ~2000 will bolt to it. Maybe try a 1UZ-FE swap? Their alloy blocks aren't too heavy and they can be cheaper than a 4A.

I like the way you think! The 1UZ has crossed my mind but I have a different plan that I want to head in.  

That dash though. I would have thought that someone would have made a reproduction of it due to the popularity of the car. I am going to leave it like that, even though it drives me bonkers because I don’t want it to melt in the sun if I take the foam off. I have seen some wrapped in foam backed suede that look really well done, I will probably do that. 

An upholstery shop might be able to help. They likely won't be able to kite it together any better, but they could probably get it into one piece and get some kind of cover over it.

If you do a 1UZ, just remember that their valve angle is super high and their stock exhaust is terribly restrictive, since the exhaust cam is driven via the intake cam. Aftermarket cams exist, but they are expensive. They can also take the Eaton M90 and M112 superchargers easily for boost, though 330+ hosepower in a hachi is likely too much.

This was my dream car when I was 16. Unfortunately, none were left back then. Props to you for saving this one. 

Upholstery shop might be the ticket. Ive never been to one so should be a fun adventure. 

Rocambolesque, I not only saved it but I hope to make it awesome! ..... well that's the dream any ways :P
 

Santa-parts came!!!! Hurray!!! He brought me the missing side mirrors! A break booster with master cylinder! and a Battery!!!!!! Hurray! Santa-parts is the best! 

I actually received the parts Sunday evening. No problem I will just start installing them after work on Monday! I actually get off work early for once! Grinning the whole way home, I step into my house, and GRMrs ..... VERY VERY important!!!! Never and I mean Never downplay SWMBO's birthday..... like ever! Needless to say I get to wait another day or two to work on the car. You would think that after 8 years of happy marriage would have taught me never to do that, but racecar! Its ok, gives me time to learn how to start a carburated engine that's been non running for a long time and is super duper cold outside. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Finally a minute to try a thing or two on the car! Installed battery, battery dead. But now I can use my emergency jumper, apparently it will not work unless it detects a battery. It turns over, but no life. I use starting spray, it wants to start but no good. I will check on ignition next to see if there is any spark. In the mean time new air filter, ground cable, windshield wiper blades installed. Also received a new oil filter and new fluids to be installed very soon. Slowly it is coming back from the dead and that makes me happy :)

In reply to Rishme :

I always thought the 82 liftback  Corolla  sr5 wagon  2 door was cool, great dash

The 82's are pretty cool. I like them lowered to taste but thats just me, :) and yea that dash is something else!

Spark is good! Hurray! The fuel is bad, confirmed. Knowing is half the battle I suppose. Getting the bad out and good in is going to be tricky I think. I don't suppose I can just fill it with new fresh gas and that would magically do it? Man I wish this had an electric fuel pump, that would make this so much easier. So off comes the tank (hurray) in the future. Owning a 30 year old car is interesting. Especially one that is popular. Engine swap?! Kit available. New suspension?! Absolutely! Pick your flavor. New dash?! ha! Tail lights for a SR5 coupe?! Good luck! Mirrors?! $250 +shipping eBay. : /  

Speaking of mirrors

mirrors put on! I feel it is so much more complete with mirrors, but they are broken. The frame on the passenger side is cracked pretty bad. Im going to epoxy it but I don't think its going to look that great. The internals on the driver side are caput, lets just shove some paper towels in there to hold it at the right angle. That will work..... for the PO. Fun! 

And I made a lot of sawdust! Woot! It might not seem exciting but I got a commission job to make some kitchen things. The kitchen things will pay for parts for Rusty so thats great news! Too bad the sun is going down so early, I don't have enough time to make the kitchen things to pay for the parts to put on the car to make it run. I just have to keep reminding myself this is an endurance race not a sprint. Slow and steady and no burnout is key here for me. I know I can, I know I can..... 

If anyone knows of a source of tail lights and mirrors that would be soooo very helpful. I probably will pull the eBay plug on the side mirrors but tbh thats going to be a hard sell to SWMBO.  

In reply to Rishme :

Those mirriors actually look similar to the ones on the AW11 MR2. I'll get some pics soon.

That’s great thinking! I’ll look too!

Here's the mirror on my MR2. How's it look?

Hey, @rishme, shoot me and email if you don’t mind. I just got a 1986 Corolla SR5 and I have more than enough questions for you. 

My email: benland1992@gmail.com 

Do they not make the cheap ebay tail lights for the coupe? I know the drift guys run those on the hatchback so it's not so financially painful to replace when they tap the wall. 

Congrats on the new fun car! I have a ae stripped and beams swapped that is a never ending project. Having so much aftermarket support can be a good thing or a rabbit hole! I may have odds and ends laying around but probably nothing useful. Also have disassembled 4a that needs a crank but has a webber carb. 

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Is life the rollercoaster or what! After a crazy winter break I can finally post again! All rejoice! I have done some work but havent had time to keep yall updated so this will be lots of pictures.

I bought a cheap fuel pump! 

I needed to empty the fuel tank and wanted to do it in a nice controlled manner. There is a drain plug on the bottom but I did not want it just going everywhere trying to get it in a container. I found the fuel line under the hood and blim blam boom!

I have it emptying into an old gas can for my weed-eater.  I hooked up a 12v battery and 

That is some pretty gas..... pretty disgusting. It smelled aweful too, not anything like it should. Looked like tea.... or other things. 

I left the gas tank open hopeing that whatever was left would evaporate and I also blew out the line with compressed air to help too. (I honestly dont know if that helped at all) 

Next came a new brake master cylinder! Compliments to my super duper friend! I started by removing the old one and stripping it of the reservoir that I need to transfer over to the new one. The old one was full of gunk. 

Cleaning the parts that are moving. 

and then bench bleeding the completed new cylinder. 

I did have a panic moment when the "secondary" valve ( I guess thats what its called) would not pump but I kept at and then fluid started to flow perfectly. I did at this point dance a good dance. 

Installed in its new home. Feeling really good about myself at this point so I do the next logical thing and start to bleed it. 

One man bleed brake jobs are the best! And yes I know it looks like I am working on an old tractor :D but I am too excited and do not care. 

Rear passenger 

And I thought the gas was gross. I dont know if this is what it looks like normally or if its rust or burned but yea... It did however make it easy to know when new fluid was in!

Now that side was done on to the rear driver...... and then disaster struck!

The bleed screw broke off with hardly any force..... I was crushed. I sat back, thought it over. Well a complete new rear brake job isn't the WORST thing in the world. So parts ordered. 

After new parts arrived I started working on getting rid of the old. Both drums were terrible to get off but it was wierd, they were not really worn that much. The shoes have a lot of wear still left on them and the drums had no valleys or anything. I dont know but you can see my marks I left on the hub by the bolts I was using to get them off. I accidently ordered shoes without the metal arms for the self adjusting mechanizm so I had to reuse them. They looked bad but moved very freely so I just put them on the new ones. 

All new springs though. I have to say I have done a drum brake job before..... 5 times on the same car in 2 years. ( I hate my daily ) This was by far the EASIEST drum replacement/ repair/ redo I have ever done. 10min each side. I was actually having fun. I almost felt ashamed. :D

New internals

And no more old tractor look! 

And no more in the air! (ugh blurry photo will fix later)

I got a gallon of gas and some Seafoam, a new battery! and I actually had a day to tinker. I mixed some Seafoam with the gas, and used my cheap fuel pump to prime the system. I also got a new fuel filter for obvious reasons. I dont know what it goes to but its larger and I can see through it which is nice. After some fiddling and cranking it over. He came to life! Super rough at first but I let him idle for a bit and he calmed down to a nice idle. I could not resist and got it went back and fourth in my driveway. Once I felt that the brakes would work ok enough I took him for my first spin around the block. I must have looked funny, I was braking every 5 seconds to a slow roll then accelerating then braking just testing things out. So far one lap but not anywhere done :). More to come for sure!

Girthquake : those mirrors are spot on and now I can look at ebay or junk yards for them! thank you so much!

Rodknock : The coupe has different tail lights and I was very frustrated but more searching I came upon the terms Zenki and Kouki. (they mean what generation a car is or something close) but using Zenki 84 ae86 tail lights proves to be most helpful :)

dogodell: I for sure want to do a engine swap very badly but I might have to tinker with the 4ac for a bit. Does the Webber help at all? 

You can get an imported 4AGE Beams with a 5(6?) speed out of Houston for like $1500 last time I checked. 

I want to plant one in something. 

What part of Austin are you in? I have a 280zx with a similarly effected dash. (For the same reason.) If I keep it long enough I want to try making an aluminum shell approximating the original and wrap it in leather. 

Yep, and 3S-GE BEAMS swaps are documented by us MR2 guys. You don't need much, and if you want to do some REALLY wacky crap (like stealing the ITBs off of a blacktop 4A and slapping them on...) the LINK series of ECUs can drive their VVT now.

Good to see you posting again! I hope to see more classic toyotas around here.

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

Right, 3S-GE. I must be getting old.