86 Corolla GTS; Tough to Keep it Running?

[Okinawa Drifter]

Hey guys,
I was thinking about getting an 86 corolla GTS for my drift car. And I hear that paying for engine swap, turbo, and all the stuff i need ta keep it running would be a b*tch.
I'm not worried about how good it drifts or not, just wondering is it really tough to keep it running?

[vigvoodoo]

Well I dont know if all AE86's are the same but I've already invested $2,500 in mine and it's still not up to factory specs let alone drift specs, and it's in pretty good condition look at the pics

[240sxDrift3r]

Yo, wassup man. I personally do not think that for a beginner car it will be bad for you....yes it is slower than any stock s13 but that doesnt really matter. For a first car that you plan on drifting with, you cant expect to come out and have the best. It is just one of those things that you have to work on over time with the cashflow that you are getting. You will have some problems with any car that have to be worked out. As for me, im sure ill run into some of my own too.............

[Okinawa Drifter]

Vig,
everyone has been telling me that the corolla is a HORRIBLE car to start out with!!! WTH man, is this true, it seems you have one and your are proud of it eh?

So you think I should get it?

[æ86]

keeping it runnnin isnt hard at all they are tuff as nails.the engine dosnt die the tranny is good the only thing u have to worry about is just stuff getting old like fuel pumps and sh*t but the corolla is just as easy to keep running as a 240 if u take care or it.most people that say its a terrible car to start off with are 99% of the time 240 drivers. if u are a hands on person and have the time for it its great. anything u drift and daily drive is goin to break. turbo and engine swaps are allso way cheaper than on a 240 or rx-7 and with a swapped engine u really shoudnt have any problem keeping anything running.if u buy a nice good condition car it will run good if u buy a crappy one it will run crappy.u get what u pay for.and why not get what u want just b/c some one says its harder than just grabbing a 240 like everyone else???

[uchi_san_saikos]

hey man its just like any other car, you gotta find one that is in good condition and take care of it, as long as you do that, your not gonna have any problems, the reason some 86's are said to be hard to take care of is because those people push their cars way too hard and then dont do the needed maitenence, as long as you take care of the car, itll take care of you

[spooln7]

Yea, every car will have it's pros and cons. Just take care of it and it will take care of you.

[Ghost of Duluth]

I was thinking about getting an 86 corolla GTS for my drift car. And I hear that paying for engine swap, turbo, and all the stuff i need ta keep it running would be a b*tch.


I'm not worried about how good it drifts or not, just wondering is it really tough to keep it running?

This is kind of a waste of time. First off, you don't really need an engine swap in the GTS or a Turbo, also if you don't care how it Drifts then why are you thinking about it as a Drift car? Also,m why in the world would you need a Turbo to keep it running? This whole thread makes no sense to me.

[pork_poney]

i agree with ghost; i plan on getting an s14 soon, i hope, but i have no money, so i may never get one. I really don't plan on doing much of anything to it at all to start with. If i can afford it i might go just some shocks and springs and a used lsd. After that i'm done for a while. Until i know i can drift and will not be wasting my money, i'm going to spend it on other things. I suggest you get the 86 and just play with it, get to know it and learn it's idiosyncracies. just drive it and listen, it will tell you what you need to do next.

[Okinawa Drifter]

No when I said I don't care how it drifts, I meant that I've heard to much of people's opinions about, and I already understand it.

And when I buy my 86, it'll prolly have a lot of miles on it, so I was thinking about swapping it.

But yeah, I'll definetly take care of it, and I'm sick of hearing people tell me to just drop it and get a 240!

[allblackS14]

whats with ur name? r u in okinawa or the US?

[Okinawa Drifter]

I'm in US, just that I'd love to visit Okinawa some day... Beautiful place.

[bluballz]

as with any old car you must expect things to break. but ae86 are preaty tough cars as long as you take care of them... stock 4ags can take a preaty good beating.... as for being a good drift car it may not be the easiest, but who said the easiest way is the best....

[disruptiveDrift]

Yeah, that sounds about right

[rakeron]

Just make sure you get a GTS and not a SR5. The SR5 is also an AE86 (dunno why because it seems more like an AE85), but it doesn't have the 4:3 final gear ratio, LSD, rear disc brakes, nor the vital 4ag engine. The SR5 can be converted to GTS specs, but its easier to get a GTS. Just keep an eye out for body rust under the car. And as for turbos and engine swaps: only time you'll actually swap the engine is if the 4ag is dead or you actually get better and decide to convert over to either the 4agz supercharged engine or the 20valve VVT 4ag. As for turbo, wait till you get better and decide whether you want to keep going with the 86 before performing a turbo upgrade.

(I looked into getting an AE86 before I bought my Duster. They're just over priced like all hell due to the Initial D fanatics wanting one.)