Thinking about a Corolla.

[Spac]

Originally Posted by Ben Wilson

They include the engine code in the redbook listings.

Yeah, but there's enough of them with obviously incorrect engine vs power output figures, that I don't trust it.
Eg: 66kW 4AGE.

[global]

Originally Posted by tortfeaser

I'm thinking about building a rally car

Options - Charade, Swift Gti, Pug 205Gti, Corolla or Excel. I want replacement panels etc to be cheaply available and I want performance bits to be both available and not too costy. I knocked back the Charade and Swift for no good reason, and the Excel is still to expensive for the initial purchase. Performance bits for the three either aren't available or are too expensive.
.

Back to the orginal list....Its interesting to look at 7 years on

Charade - had one - great cars... Build a group N engine + a group A box and lighten it - Best package for a charade

Swift - Have not had one, seam a great car, but have rear wheel bearing issues

PUG 205 - Building one now. Seems ok. Don't need expensive parts... 4.4 ratio was cheap second hand (came with a whole car for $500) Light cars. Bilsteins where under a grand. LSD was $1050.00

Corolla - Excels seem to have shown them up in low build costs

Excel - Proven one make series

[vkdude]

The ae82 was lighter again the liftback weighing just under the tonne and the hatch about 20-30 kilos lighter but hard to find one without rust. Was running a hatch in khana's and getting closer to the front till it not so gently carressed a tree at Hampton last year.
4age also came with rear disc's and I have power steer in my hatch and liftback. very easy to drive on the dirt.

[Damo]

Originally Posted by Spac

Thread from the dead - again!

Is a 4AGE PRC-legal in a 4-door sedan AE92 (or AE90 or whatever they're called)?
Interestingly, redbook suggests that the sedan is about 30 or 40kg lighter than a 4-door hatch of the same basic spec (manual sedans average out at 1000kg, while manual hatches average out at 1040kg).
Car Prices - Search Car Prices & Values - Red Book

Also, are all AE92-shaped Secas fitted with the 4AGE? Or are some still 4AFE?

Spac - if you are looking, my brother in law is looking to get rid of my old AE92 SX.....can do good deal!!

[Spac]

Not really looking - have been offered a manual AE90 with front end damage, and it had the brain ticking over.

At worst, I'm sure it would be a great khana car...

[DaveTrees]

Just out of interest, what (if any) alternative engines can be legally put in an 1985 AE80 sedan ?

I have one that is straight & rust free, and literally "driven by a little old lady" (my mum ). Engine is a tired/smoky 1300 (2AC?).

It's on loan to a friend as temporary transport at the moment, but in a couple of months I plan to get rid of it .... probably for $250-$500, if I can get it.

[vkdude]

I reckon my old ae90(?) with a 1400 ( i think) was a better m/khana - khana car than the ae82 I have/had which has a 4AGE in it. pulled much better in the lower revs. Also its getting very hard to find a decent gearbox for the 4age unless you pay the $$$ asked for late model imports. Synchros tend to wear in 2nd gear and dont like to change into 2nd above 4000 rpm. just were the 4age starts to work.

If you weren't so far away my old twin cam might of been of some use to you.

[DaveTrees]

Originally Posted by vkdude

If you weren't so far away my old twin cam might of been of some use to you.

I don't want to keep the car .... was just thinking out loud !

[vkdude]

Originally Posted by DaveTrees

I don't want to keep the car .... was just thinking out loud !

Sorry Dave I was actually thinking of Spac. But the motor is coming out next sub 35 degree day I have off ( If I'm not tinkering with the rally car) as the car I use to get to work has been running on 3 big end bearings for a little too long now.

that makes 4 (or is it 5) 4age's I've killed now. I Will still have the running gear .

[Graham Wallis]

Originally Posted by tortfeaser

I'm thinking about building a rally car, having given up on the idea of a Mini a while ago.

I'm a bit fixated on the idea of a FWD thing - I understand the love of the Datsun, but I'm a bit of a FWD rev happy sicko.

Options - Charade, Swift Gti, Pug 205Gti, Corolla or Excel. I want replacement panels etc to be cheaply available and I want performance bits to be both available and not too costy. I knocked back the Charade and Swift for no good reason, and the Excel is still to expensive for the initial purchase. Performance bits for the three either aren't available or are too expensive.

So, I'm left with the Pug which I like a whole lot, but Peugeot Sport bits are way costy and panels would be expensive. Then we're left with the Corolla. The 4AGE motor is A Good Thing. Available in 86kW versions in the AE82 and 100kW in the AE92. 4AGE equipped cars came with 4 wheel disks and have the same panels as the millions of other Corollas around. Panels should be available in plenty and pretty cheap.

Questions:

1. Should I get the AE82 or AE92? AE82 is lighter & cheaper but came with less powerful motor. I don't know if I can put the 100kW motor CAMS legally into the AE82.

2. Should I get the shopping trolley version of either, then buy a 4AGE from a Jap wrecker and fit it, or buy the 4AGE version first up?

3. Do the throttle bodies on the 20V version of the 4AGE fit the 16v 100kW one with no mods?

4. Did anything with the FWD gearbox come with a LSD? Can I fit the stronger gearbox and stronger driveshafts off the 4AGZE onto the 4AGE in a AE82/92 with no trouble?

5. What suspension is available? What big brakes can I fit?

6. Did the 4AGE Corollas only come with 5 doors? What is the homologation story for the Corolla?

7. What haven't I thought of?

I know there's merit in buying a built rally car, but we need a second car and I thought running around in a Corolla while putting a motor, gearbox and megasquirt in wouldn't be a bad idea for maybe a couple of years.

A bit more on the Peugeot.
205 panels not expensive, don't forget the Si has the same shell and plenty of these being disposed of at the moment.
Plenty of competiton parts available from the UK.
Main problem is that the 8 valve engine is notoriously difficult to extract power from. The 16 valve is great with plenty of knowledge around but you would then need to run in the new all comers class.
I am building a 405, there are heaps of these going for a song.
Graham

[corollaart]

Theres a ae92 gt ,two door jap import on ebay at the minute.

Has a cage fitted but wouldnt think it meet cams specs .

rob

[sjb]

Wow this is an old rethread revisited..

My original GTFX is in WA, never been rallied since we sold it.

I still have a full TRD 4AGE with 190hp in a crate at my workshop as well as gearbox. I still have the original bolt in rollcage out the back of the shed in Coonawarra!

The complete car was just on 1000kg with the big brakes, back in those days we didn't have alot of experience in race-prep so it wasn't anywhere near as light as it could have been.

I found some old footage and posted on youtube a while back

YouTube- Sam Brand - Group A Corolla GTFX rallycar

YouTube- Sam Brand - Group A Corolla GTFX rallycar

Very fun car.

[Damo]

Originally Posted by sjb

Wow this is an old rethread revisited..

My original GTFX is in WA, never been rallied since we sold it.

I still have a full TRD 4AGE with 190hp in a crate at my workshop as well as gearbox. I still have the original bolt in rollcage out the back of the shed in Coonawarra!

The complete car was just on 1000kg with the big brakes, back in those days we didn't have alot of experience in race-prep so it wasn't anywhere near as light as it could have been.

I found some old footage and posted on youtube a while back YouTube- Sam Brand - Group A Corolla GTFX rallycar

Very fun car.

Great video! Makes a Corolla definiltey worth thinking about...

[rowdytoot]

nice videos Sam, I remember the car from back in the day in SA. Was always worth watching, sounded awesome too

[takai]

To confirm Sams stuff the Hatch is definately lighter than the Sedan. My 4AGZE hatch with a sound system weighed in at 1020kg on the Mugga Lane weighbridge.

Ive considered building another 4AGZE AE92 for motorkhanas and hillclimbs, they are a whole bunch of fun with very little to go wrong.