AE86 booter project

[Myles1970]

Okay, work commitments, demanding kids etc lead me to sell my Hyabusa and use the proceeds to fund a project. Hence, I am now the proud owner of an AE86. You either understand, or you don't, what would make someone give up the exhilarating acceleration of one of the fastest road-legal bikes in the world for a 35 year old rusty shell, but what can I say? I've had 3 of these cars when they were only considered underpowered and quirky. Now they're underpowered and overpriced, but after having owned v8s, twinturbos and straight sixes, they're still the car that I hark back to. What follows is a photographic account of the restoration of said shell, in the hope that one day I'll find out if nostalgia is what it used to be or if it's true that you can never go back. Enjoy

 

[Myles1970]

Pics above: 1. The arrival. My ex missus was good enough to let me park it in her garage for a night or so after the hassles of picking it up halfway across the country.
2. ...it may have belonged to Fred Flintstone at one stage?!? Don't you wish sometimes people would leave things alone rather than bodge?
3. Leading edge of off side inner wing missing...
4. My version of a bodge.... The shell came with the remains of a front clip, some of which I have made use of. I drew the line at drilling out the osf strut tower when the steel from the leading edge of the inner wing back was all good. Interesting how many smaller panels go into the construction of a car...

 

[Parm]

Have you got the rest of the car?

 

[bricol]

Pics above: 1. The arrival. My ex missus was good enough to let me park it in her garage for a night or so after the hassles of picking it up halfway across the country.
2. ...it may have belonged to Fred Flintstone at one stage?!? Don't you wish sometimes people would leave things alone rather than bodge?
3. Leading edge of off side inner wing missing...
4. My version of a bodge.... The shell came with the remains of a front clip, some of which I have made use of. I drew the line at drilling out the osf strut tower when the steel from the leading edge of the inner wing back was all good. Interesting how many smaller panels go into the construction of a car...

Once peered though the windows of a door at M-Sport where they were assembling Focus panels around a roll cage - lots and lots of panels!

 

[Myles1970]

Have you got the rest of the car?

I've got some bits... Interior minus driver/passenger seats, axle, gbox, subframe, front coilovers, driveshaft, rear bumper, doors, glass, bootlid.... Need front bumper, bonnet, front lights, diff & halfshafts, calipers, engine ....

 

[Myles1970]

Wheelarch bodge;

 

[Ruffian]

It's a booted one also. (Always prefered that shape) the ae86 was such a jap classic.

What's the plans for it? Resto-mod or just a play car so to speak.

Always reminds me of "initial-d" movie

 

[atomant48]

Awesome. Lots of fun to be had there. I had a corolla gti with the little 1.6 twin cam engine. Is that the type of thing you’re thinking ? Looking forward to watching this.

 

[choco]

I sold mine a few years back and regret it every day., I through in a 20v blacktop and a tomei 2 way. It transformed the car. If I had the money id pick another one up in a heart beat. But they are crazy money now. Good luck with the project , keep the pics coming

 

[Myles1970]

What's the plans for it? Resto-mod or just a play car so to speak.

The plan is to repair/replace as much of the rusted metal as possible and to improve chassis rigidity through adding gussets and strengthening panels. I've got front height and camber adjustable struts, 8×16 rims with stretched rubber (jap style). Rear end will be either standard ae86, or ke70 axle with drums & welded diff for drifting. Undecided about a cage tho.... depends which rear end becomes available first as I imagine drifting requires one.
Bucket seats and I'll see what I can salvage of the interior. Flared arches and Jack rabbit rear spoiler.
All above is subject to change

 

[Myles1970]

Awesome. Lots of fun to be had there. I had a corolla gti with the little 1.6 twin cam engine. Is that the type of thing you’re thinking ? Looking forward to watching this.

Yep, always loved the 4age engine... But I'll see what's available when I get to that point

 

[Ruffian]

The plan is to repair/replace as much of the rusted metal as possible and to improve chassis rigidity through adding gussets and strengthening panels. I've got front height and camber adjustable struts, 8×16 rims with stretched rubber (jap style). Rear end will be either standard ae86, or ke70 axle with drums & welded diff for drifting. Undecided about a cage tho.... depends which rear end becomes available first as I imagine drifting requires one.
Bucket seats and I'll see what I can salvage of the interior. Flared arches and Jack rabbit rear spoiler.
All above is subject to change

Yep, always loved the 4age engine... But I'll see what's available when I get to that point

Please please only put sensibly stretched rubber on it. I just think that some people take it far too far,

What about going the other way with the supercharged vvti engine from the Corolla/exige?

 

[Myles1970]

Please please only put sensibly stretched rubber on it. I just think that some people take it far too far,


- yes, if you agree that 195 tyres on 8" rims is sensible . That's what's in them now (2nd hand tho so'll need replacing)

What about going the other way with the supercharged vvti engine from the Corolla/exige?


- would love to, but I'm all about bang for buck, so it'll most likely be something that's readily available. Not too keen on high power bands, the last ae86 I installed a 4agze.... Considering na at the moment, 4age or beams

 

[Bullet2012]

For us not so clever peeps, what car is/was it ?

 

[Ruffian]

Toyota ae86, (think it was an early Corolla) but cant be sure.

They did the hatch and the booted versions,
Sometimes called the Levin.

 

[Myles1970]

For us not so clever peeps, what car is/was it ?

It was/is a Toyota Corolla Levin. We didn't get them, we got the GT Coupe - 3 door lift back.
...and no, I'm not that clever

 

[Myles1970]

.... sorry for lack of updates, the lockdown has slowed up supplies so I've been concentrating on the rotisserie. A few more hours should have it finished so I can try out my new mig gas, it's hobbyweld 5 so apparently it's more suited to thin sheet metal

 

[Michael7788]

I sold mine a few years back and regret it every day., I through in a 20v blacktop and a tomei 2 way. It transformed the car. If I had the money id pick another one up in a heart beat. But they are crazy money now. Good luck with the project , keep the pics coming

Blacktop is a great engine

 

[Myles1970]

well, got the rotisserie finished, surprising how much the tube warped with the heat....stuck castors on so it's much steadier

....got my young lad to spray the back one and ran out of paint , I think he enjoyed participating



Patch fitted from another firewall, donor part wasn't brilliant and my patch needed a patch as it was pitted and holy.... My fit-up was far from perfect



.....removed previous restorers patch on the floor as I wasn't happy with it, Flintstone style now

Also found an outrigger missing on the offside when it was up on the rotisserie...
Which was among the boxes of bits, cleaned it up but it was very thin in places. .... Could have used it as was, but decided to use it to make up a template for a new one..



....might need to weld on a tab for joining to the sill, I missed it as the old one didn't have it, possibly cut off by those who were here before...

Lastly, got to building a form for the patch on the floor:

 

[Myles1970]

.....added missing tab to the outrigger....

....test fit of front panel. I'm thinking maybe I should fit this before stitch welding the seams in and around the engine bay...

Patches on the front panel.... This was originally blue, so I suspect it's off a supercharged ae86 that lived down the country a few years ago. The holes would have been to route intercooler pipes...



And finally fab'd a patch for the driver side footwell. There'll be a bit of jiggery-pokery getting it fitted.