AE71 drift car

[Takumi Wannabe]

Alright, about a month ago I bought an old 1983 AE71 from my friend for a hundred bucks. That's right, AE71, Corolla LE with four doors. But it's got it where it counts. Since it's and '83 its got an FR layout and it's 5spd and it has almost 50/50 weight balance (i'm talking 51/49, not bad for a sedan.) Anyway, I had to repair some minor break problems(one of the rear drums was real torn up and the break cylinders were starting to go, that's why I got it so cheap) but it's on it's way to being fixed. I was just wondering what the community at large though about trying to drift this type of car. I really plan on trying to learn how to drift in this car but i was wondering what other people thought. Sadly since it's the LE version of the Corolla the engine is a 4AC, I do believe, and there's no power steering, though i see these as only minor obstacles. If anyone could give me their input about what they thought about trying to drift this car and if there was anything i should try to do to make it a better drift car. I'm kinda strapped for cash and I was considering cutting the springs to drop the car and i was wondering if this was a good idea. Any input would be great. Thanks.

[MrodDrft]

I think its a great idea and good luck ! Cheap price too hehe. You got pix of it ?

[Takumi Wannabe]

I don't have any pictures at the moment but I'll try to get some by the end of the week. It's not the prettiest car out there but it's perfect for what i want to do with it. Check back at the end of the week if you wanna see some pics.

[MrodDrft]

i bet its old school cool

[Takumi Wannabe]

I wanted to ask another question. Right now the car has drum breaks in the rear. I know disc breaks are better than drum breaks and i'm aware that in a true drift you don't pull the
e-brake but is it really going to make a difference having drum breaks in the rear while i'm learning and most likely pulling the
e-brake. Should i consider converting the rear to disc breaks? Also, is it really gonna matter if the car doesn't have power steering. I really don't think it will but i just wanted to hear what other people thought.

[MrodDrft]

No power steeering shudnt b that much of an obstacle, about the brakes im no expert but u shud b fine for now i would think, once u get cash and get better, rear discs are defiently a must.

[Takumi Wannabe]

Much thanks MrodDrft. I'll have some pictures up hopefully by the end of the week if you want to see my sweet ride.

[raging panda]

what i would suggest about the engine is get a 4age, since you have a 4ac, it should theoretically bolt in, just needs some wiring done.

as for the brakes, swap in a ae86 rear end, the whole thing with brakes and all, but it might need a custom mounting point for the lateral bar from what ive heard, but ive never seen this swap done, just some ideas.

[Takumi Wannabe]

Thanks for the input raging panda. In a perfect world i would have bought an AE86, but sadly there aren't many to be found in Raleigh, NC. Though, i have been looking into getting a 4age offline, but that'll have to wait till i get some more money. For now i think the 4AC should be ok. I was wondering about my suspension though. I've looked and looked but no one makes springs for an '83 corolla le. Do you think it would be wise to cut my springs or should i just keep em the way they are?

[raging panda]

ask around club4ag or other corolla/toyota clubs. You might have similar enough suspension to the ae86 that things like springs and shocks will fit, for some reason i think that your chassis shares some similarities. The 4ac is alright, but what i said about the rear end is something you should consider. Then you could surely use at least ae86 rear springs. Check out the front struts on someone elses ae86 and compare them to your car and see if they are at all compatible. Being able to use ae86 parts would make it a hell of a lot easier to mod. Cutting your springs is something I would never recomend but others insist that you can do it and i dont have experience in it so i cant really back up my argument (except on s13, do not ever cut your springs, i had a friend do it, very bad idea for any 240.)

seriously, check out someones ae86 suspension and compare it to your own, you may find that some parts will transfer over, and the ae86 has a huge following.

[RallyGT]

my cousin had one just like that...but it was automatic. it was good for doin donuts in, he had it a long time ago so i didnt even know about drifting...i was like 9

[AlexPfeiffer]

Do me a favor and take a pic of the car and the engine compartment. From what your saying, its all wrong. If you have a RWD 4 door corolla 83, then it should ether have a 3tc with steering box or its a 84 with a 4ac and a rack but didnt think that 4ac model came as a 4 door sedan but your in a much different side of the country. Does it have 4 round headlights?

Also if it is the rwd one, mostly everything from the ae86 will work.

[Takumi Wannabe]

I'll try to have some pictures by thursday evening. I said in my original post that i wasn't exactly sure about the engine code but i thought it was a 4AC, though alex you may be right, i'll do some research. As for the headlights it has two of em and they're square(with some smaller yellow lights under the bumper.) Pictures on thurs, and i'll do some more research about the engine code and until then everyone will have to wait in suspense.

[AlexPfeiffer]

there should be a tag under the hood and if you look it will say wether its a 1.6 or 1.8. Never saw a rwd corolla with 4 doors and 2 square headlights? I'm really interested to see some pics.

[Takumi Wannabe]

Alright, I'm having problems with my digital camera so that means no pictuers. I'm sorry for keeping everyone in suspense about what my car looks like but you'll have to wait till i get the stupid camera working. Moving on, about the engine, it is a 4AC, i know this for a fact, there's a big sticker on the head that says 4AC(you'll see it in the pictuers when i get them working) along with the engine code being mentioned in other places around the car. In reply to Alex's last post the car doesn't have a steering box, it's all muscle power using rack & pinion. I'll have pictuers up as soon as i can.