"Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:03 pm

Installed my coilovers this past weekend. and remember my previous post about how I decided to buy all new Pads, Rotors, Wheel bearings, etc.? I spent about 250$ for all of that stuff ... and I didn't use ANY of it Lol. When changing the suspension, noticed the pads were pretty much brand new, took the hubs off and noticed it had fresh grease, even the cotter pin was new haha.

I guess I have spare parts now?

I wrote a little review of the whole setup here:
http://www.club4ag.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21044

Turns out I maybe somewhat jumped the gun on buying new coilovers too! LOL :mrgreen: :oops: I should have taken the time to see what I actually had on there. TRD blue rear struts and potential TRD springs? I couldn't find any markings on the springs, but that dark blue color looks like TRD. Not sure about the fronts though besides the cusco camber plates.
oh well ... more spare parts

The old setup.
Image
Image
Image

I also never realized how off-center the rear axle was due to the lateral bar until I lowered it in the rear. Of course I didn't have a big enough wrench to adjust it, and then the one I bought was too small. I believe the nut is a 29mm, but of course thats not a common size. Ended up getting a 1-3/16 to fit. It was also seized up pretty bad, but nothing a good dose of PB Blaster couldn't handle.

Here is the car in its current state. Need to adjust the height some more, but its functional. Definitely not a fan of the "raked" look, but I think thats mainly due to the rear tires being larger than the front.
Image
Image

Now I just need an alignment, and then roll the fenders for the new wheels :D
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

my86mystory
Club4AG Enthusiast
Posts: 193
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 12:01 pm
Location: Socal

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby my86mystory » Tue Jun 13, 2017 11:18 pm

Love the car man! Low key jealous about the car and the experience of RHD, but not jealous of the what it takes to get one lol. Please make as frequent updates about the coilovers as possible. Im on whats possibly my last 86 and Ive always had greddys, but seeing as theyre discontinued i need to look elsewhere. Looking forward to all future updates!

CloudStrife
Club4AG Pro
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2016 2:23 pm
Location: Middle of Hell, Florida

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby CloudStrife » Wed Jun 14, 2017 11:04 am

Lol dude, not to put you down but your old setup is awesome. Are the shocks even bad?

Are those Cusco camber plates height adjustable or not?

Either way you can make good money back on selling either one. It is always good to have 2 setups though in case you need to rebuild.. or want a track setup and DD setup.
Success guardian... Successsssssss..

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:29 pm

my86mystory wrote:Love the car man! Low key jealous about the car and the experience of RHD, but not jealous of the what it takes to get one lol. Please make as frequent updates about the coilovers as possible. Im on whats possibly my last 86 and Ive always had greddys, but seeing as theyre discontinued i need to look elsewhere. Looking forward to all future updates!


Haha thanks man! and yeahhhhh ... draining your entire savings account for a 30 year old Toyota, sight unseen and on the opposite side of the globe, isn't the brightest idea Lol. Once I get the car aligned and tackle some back-roads I'll be sure to update the review thread.

CloudStrife wrote:Lol dude, not to put you down but your old setup is awesome. Are the shocks even bad?

Are those Cusco camber plates height adjustable or not?

Either way you can make good money back on selling either one. It is always good to have 2 setups though in case you need to rebuild.. or want a track setup and DD setup.


Oh dude its all good man. Total mistake on my part. They're not bad at all! I just wanted something new and to be able to adjust the rear height. Don't think the camber plates are height adjustable though.

My thought process was just like ... well, idk whats on it, they look old, I like my buddy's Lexus (he has FA on his IS300), and FA makes a set for the AE86 so ... why not? Lol

No joke as soon as I pulled off the rears and saw the Toyota part number I was like "Sh*t ........." haha

I will say this ... its odd, even though the FAs are significantly stiffer, the overall ride quality is better! The old stuff was good, but kind of bouncy. You'd think it would be the opposite.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

CloudStrife
Club4AG Pro
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2016 2:23 pm
Location: Middle of Hell, Florida

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby CloudStrife » Wed Jun 14, 2017 2:50 pm

Lol, next time just buy rear adjustable perches:
https://shop.battlegarage-rs.com/collec ... lover-type
*priced with springs.

Just remember that those shocks are probably old as hell and can account for the "bouncy feel". You can look up how to test shocks on the internetz ;)

I just say this because coming from Japan, you probably have a dope list of quality parts on there, and you'll be paying out the ass for new stuff.

Also, I've talked to many smart dudes about rear adjustability, and the consesus is it's not really neccesary for anything non-track. But I also never see N2 with em' on so who knows.

Christ, I think you even have authentic TRD RCAs LOL.

Btw, Cusco height adjustable camber plates are hard to find; Project Mu (not going to find the micro greek symbol) is easier to come accross.

Either way FA/ BC or custom is the best way to go so you're doing fine either way!
Success guardian... Successsssssss..

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Jun 14, 2017 8:48 pm

I saw those on their website! haha I almost bought them but was unsure on how much lower I could go in the rear. Thats when I saw the Fortune Autos for sale on their website and later found that review from a few years ago.

Also another thing I should add, I'm kind of weird when it comes to organization. I like things to "match" Lol. So when it comes to cars, mismatched parts and/or uneven ride heights is a big no-go for me haha.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

CloudStrife
Club4AG Pro
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2016 2:23 pm
Location: Middle of Hell, Florida

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby CloudStrife » Thu Jun 15, 2017 10:41 am

No worries man, I'm a Cusco slut so that's what I buy. Even if there is no evidence that using the same company for everything creates a better car, I still like using the same line.

I even color match lol.

I might have to pick your brain about the JDM automatic climate control. I bought one because I like the gauge face better, but I doubt the USDM Corollas come from the factory with the plugs for this...
Success guardian... Successsssssss..

EvoSolley
Club4AG Enthusiast
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 4:50 am

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby EvoSolley » Fri Jun 16, 2017 5:00 am

Just had a chance to look at this update. Car sits perfect and those new coils look soooo clean! also, not to shabby of a "spare" setup too hahaha. Also thanks for the write up and I'm looking forward to another review later on down the road. Keep p the progress!

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Thu Jun 22, 2017 4:47 pm

CloudStrife wrote:I might have to pick your brain about the JDM automatic climate control. I bought one because I like the gauge face better, but I doubt the USDM Corollas come from the factory with the plugs for this...


I'll be working on the 86 this weekend so I'll try and snap some pics while I'm at it.

EvoSolley wrote:Just had a chance to look at this update. Car sits perfect and those new coils look soooo clean! also, not to shabby of a "spare" setup too hahaha. Also thanks for the write up and I'm looking forward to another review later on down the road. Keep p the progress!


Thanks homie!





a little side note. These came in the mail today ...

Image
Image
Image

Brand new. Fresh off the boat.
RS-Watanabe B Type
14x7.5 +1.5

I also bought tires.
195/60r14 Falken Azenis RT-615K

Lets hope I can get them mounted and the car aligned this weekend!
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Mon Jun 26, 2017 6:20 am

So ... Tried to get it aligned this past weekend and turns out my inner tie rods are worn and need to be replaced. Unfortunately it took 3 different trips to 2 different shops for this to be confirmed. Whats even more unfortunate is I am no longer bringing my vehicles to my own workplace and letting them touch the car(s).

On a different note, I got the wheels and tires mounted.
Image


And then tried to put them on the car Saturday. The goal was to roll the fenders and have them on for this little car show / drift event on Sunday but I ran out of time. The fitment is exactly what I was shooting for, but I under-estimated how much I needed to modify the fenders. I think I could have made it work with 185/60r14 tires but these 195/60 Falkens are meaty. I ended up putting the gold wheels back on


"dayum gurl, you thick af"
Image
Image


I need to roll / pull the fronts more, cut off the bumper tabs, and grind the rears some more. My fender roller is too tall to roll the rears. Plus the upper inner layer was starting to rot due to rust so even if I did roll them it would crumble. When I run into cases like this I just take a flapper wheel grinder and take layers off little by little until there's enough room, while rounding off the edges so it doesn't cut the tires. Tape off the outside quarter panels and then spray paint the inside of the lip to somewhat cover the exposed metal.

Gonna give it all another shot this week so we'll see what happens.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

KYHachi
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:43 am
Location: Kentucky/Tokyo

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby KYHachi » Tue Jun 27, 2017 7:58 pm

That is a gorgeous Levin, man; great find! I'm living in Tokyo at the moment and there's one near my apt I see 2 or 3 times a month that looks almost exactly like yours...pretty jealous ;)

Anyway, always awesome to see another addition to the KY community...mine's been off the road since 2012, so the Lexington "chapter" is a bit diminished hahaha
1986 MR2 - Restoration Project
1987 MR2 - DD/20V Project
1986 Corolla GT-S - GZE/AutoX/Just-for-fun Project
1997 Starlet Glanza V - Tokyo DD Project

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:42 am

KYHachi wrote:That is a gorgeous Levin, man; great find! I'm living in Tokyo at the moment and there's one near my apt I see 2 or 3 times a month that looks almost exactly like yours...pretty jealous ;)

Anyway, always awesome to see another addition to the KY community...mine's been off the road since 2012, so the Lexington "chapter" is a bit diminished hahaha



Thanks dude! But hey now, you're in the motherland! That is something to be jealous of haha.

I'm currently co-oping/interning at Toyota Boshoku and there's a few Japanese guys here that are into cars. One of them has an ae86 back in japan and races it regularly. Safe to say I want to go there really bad Lol.

How long are you in Tokyo? I live in Lexington so it would be cool beef up the "chapter" when/if you come back haha
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

KYHachi
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:43 am
Location: Kentucky/Tokyo

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby KYHachi » Wed Jun 28, 2017 7:34 am

There's certainly good and bad to being here hahaha But it's absolutely worth a few days to come visit the Toyota Heritage Garage.

I'm here for at least another 18 months or so, mostly because of my apartment contract haha. But I do try to come back once or twice a year. If you don't yet, you should absolutely join the Central KY region SCCA autocrosses. Hands down the most fun I ever had with my 86.

So are you planning to keep it stock-ish going forward?
1986 MR2 - Restoration Project
1987 MR2 - DD/20V Project
1986 Corolla GT-S - GZE/AutoX/Just-for-fun Project
1997 Starlet Glanza V - Tokyo DD Project

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Jun 28, 2017 8:57 am

KYHachi wrote:There's certainly good and bad to being here hahaha But it's absolutely worth a few days to come visit the Toyota Heritage Garage.

I'm here for at least another 18 months or so, mostly because of my apartment contract haha. But I do try to come back once or twice a year. If you don't yet, you should absolutely join the Central KY region SCCA autocrosses. Hands down the most fun I ever had with my 86.

So are you planning to keep it stock-ish going forward?



Man, I would love to join all the SCCA festivities but to be honest I don't really know anyone involved so I don't know where to start. And I'm an EE major at UK. So between work and school I don't have very much free time.

As for the 86, I don't really know Lol. My only goal for the past few years was to get a clean rhd 86, and then lower it on Watanabe wheels. I definitely took advantage of this internship and working full-time to do so. Now that I got those things, I'm at a good stopping point since my funds will be severely limited here soon when I go back to school haha. I don't plan on ever getting rid of this car so I don't mind not having a plan. I guess for now I'll start fixing little things here and there. The whining gears and noisy rear end are up on the list but the car drives fine, for now, so I'm not too worried about it.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

KYHachi
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:43 am
Location: Kentucky/Tokyo

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby KYHachi » Mon Jul 03, 2017 11:09 pm

Check out the CKRSCCA website! They've always got the full events schedule up and should have links for registration, etc. Totally worth your Sunday and $25 ;)

Hahaha, hey man, fair enough! The best thing you can do about the gear whine and stuff are probably switch to Redline gear oil and then add some extra dynamat to the interior. The T50 tends to be a rather noisy trans... But hey, you found one that is basically rust-free and that's the real kicker!
1986 MR2 - Restoration Project
1987 MR2 - DD/20V Project
1986 Corolla GT-S - GZE/AutoX/Just-for-fun Project
1997 Starlet Glanza V - Tokyo DD Project

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:00 am

KYHachi wrote:Check out the CKRSCCA website! They've always got the full events schedule up and should have links for registration, etc. Totally worth your Sunday and $25 ;)



I'll have to check that out! Thanks!
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Mon Jul 10, 2017 5:41 am

No major update. just some eye candy.

Still gotta find some time to work on the fenders some more so I can run the Watanabes

Image
Image
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:59 am

After a busy few weeks I finally found some time to finish these fenders and put the wheels on!
Took it for a nice long test drive around town to make sure there's no rubbing, and we're all good.

I rolled and pulled the fronts, and took a flapper wheel grinder to the rears. My fender roller was too tall for the rears, and the inside lip was rusty anyways. I just kept taking off layers and rounding off the edges until there was enough room. Now I just gotta paint over the metal on the inside, no biggie.

Beyond ecstatic with the final product. Its exactly how I had imagined it.

RS Watanabe
14x7.5 +1.5 (Type B)
Falken Azenis
195/60r14

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

I'm super anal about ride height, wheel sizes, and offsets. My main goal wass to find the perfect balance between aesthetics and function. Get the wheels as flush as possible to the fenders to look good, without it rubbing.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

aukword1
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 485
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:03 pm

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby aukword1 » Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:59 pm

looks very clean and came out nice. good choice on the wheel color too.

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:52 pm

aukword1 wrote:looks very clean and came out nice. good choice on the wheel color too.


Thank you!

I feel like this wheel/color combo is the equivalent to cookies and milk. It just works.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

KYHachi
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:43 am
Location: Kentucky/Tokyo

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby KYHachi » Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:26 pm

Man, that is a perfect looking car on those wheels. Although I actually really liked the old meshies.

Keep that thing safely indoors for Lexington winters ;) LFUCG needs to justify how many salt trucks we have...
1986 MR2 - Restoration Project
1987 MR2 - DD/20V Project
1986 Corolla GT-S - GZE/AutoX/Just-for-fun Project
1997 Starlet Glanza V - Tokyo DD Project

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Sat Aug 19, 2017 4:43 am

KYHachi wrote:Man, that is a perfect looking car on those wheels. Although I actually really liked the old meshies.

Keep that thing safely indoors for Lexington winters ;) LFUCG needs to justify how many salt trucks we have...



Thanks dude! And yeah they definitely grew on me. I still have them, and I would like to re-barrel them to 14x8 or something like that, but thats later on down the road.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Sat Aug 26, 2017 9:23 am

So ... school has started back up again which means its almost time to put this thing into hibernation.

In a perfect world, I will now focus on fixing all the little things to get it 100%. This post is more for me to get my thoughts in one place so I stay on track.

Laundry list:
1) trouble shoot and repair digital dash. It works only like, 30% of the time. The speed works, but I have no rpms, water temp, or fuel. Those come and go as they please. When everything is on it functions correctly so I think I have a bad ground or some corrosion somewhere. I'm putting the dash #1 priority because my water pump has a bad gasket. It seeps a little coolant but the car doesn't overheat. So ... the temp gauge is pretty important for me right now :lol:

2) "100k service". Replace the waterpump, drive belts, timing belt, and spark plugs. The timing cover says the timing belt was changed at 50k miles roughly 15 years ago, it has plenty of life left but looks old. This is perfect timing though since I have the bad gasket as mentioned before. and I'm right at like, 90,000 miles so its getting close enough. I'd like to check the valve clearances too. It has a slight sewing machine tick to it.
2.5) Upgrade the pulleys via T3 or NST. Might as well do it since I'll have to take this stuff off anyways. I figured it will be a convenient way to free up a little bit of power.

3) troubleshoot steering components. The steering return isn't that great, and the steering wheel is off center. I noticed it was like that when I first got the car, and its still off center even after its most recent alignment. It has to be something in the steering column or the gear in the rack. I don't think its anything tie rod related because those are all new, and the alignment is within spec. I fiddled with the height in the front a little bit, but I doubt that will affect the steering return.

4) continue to work on the fenders. I tackled a few corners last night and noticed the rubbing was pretty bad up front when turning. I think they just need to be pulled out more towards the top of the fender. The rears still rub occasionally too if I hit a bump hard enough. This is only rough driving though, its not a problem cruising around town. Im finding this to be challenging because I'm trying to roll/pull the fenders while retaining the stock body lines. I'm not a fan of fenders that look like bacon. :mrgreen:

5) troubleshoot A/C system. Everything is there, might as well see if it will work. Having AC is nice here in KY where it gets really hot and humid. Plus I mean, how many AE86s have working AC anyways?!

6) start saving up $$$ and sourcing parts for a transmission and rear diff rebuild. Both are noisy as sh*t!!! whining gears mean dying gears, right? (not a big priority atm though)

I think this a realistic/achievable list for a college student Lol. I'm actually super pumped because this will be the first time ever having a separate vehicle I can toy around with while having another car to drive everyday. I'm just hoping these EE classes don't eat me alive. I kind of screwed myself over by taking all my easy classes first :lol: :oops:

Image

dream stuff:
1) ae101 throttle body conversion
2) port/polished head
3) Toda Racing 264 cams with valve/shim kit and adjustable cam gears
4) Toda Racing flywheel
5) Toda Racing 4-2-1 exhaust
6) custom over-axle Greddy DD style exhaust (Greddy DD is only under-axle)
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

KYHachi
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:43 am
Location: Kentucky/Tokyo

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby KYHachi » Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:02 am

Sounds like a solid plan! BTW, I would definitely recommend at least swapping your crank pulley for a T3 or NST one...4AGE's have a bad habit of wearing out the keyway that centers and locks the pulley onto the front of the crank. Seen it happen so many times in various AW11s...

Also, on the off chance you don't use it yet, RockAuto.com is an absolutely amazing source for all your OEM-spec needs. Everything that rebuilt my MR2's engine(s) came from there.

And if you feel like getting as deep into it as actually taking the top end of the engine apart, the port and polish is something you can totally do yourself. It probably won't be as good as having an actual pro do it, but personally, it was a great learning experience.
1986 MR2 - Restoration Project
1987 MR2 - DD/20V Project
1986 Corolla GT-S - GZE/AutoX/Just-for-fun Project
1997 Starlet Glanza V - Tokyo DD Project

EvoSolley
Club4AG Enthusiast
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 4:50 am

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby EvoSolley » Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:19 am

lookin good man, glad to see progress on this thing! If you haven't tried already, go to your local parts store and get a small bottle of Mothers, Back to black. That stuff is amazing on trim and bringsback that deep factory black on plastic and and trim pieces. It should clean up the oxidation on the front bumper pretty well. Make sure to try it in a small section to how it reacts. you might have to do a couple coats but that stuff always makes my trim pieces look brand new. I know thats a very small, minor issue just figured I would suggest it as I have been there too. Car is looking great man, keep it up!

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:59 pm

KYHachi wrote:Sounds like a solid plan! BTW, I would definitely recommend at least swapping your crank pulley for a T3 or NST one...4AGE's have a bad habit of wearing out the keyway that centers and locks the pulley onto the front of the crank. Seen it happen so many times in various AW11s...

Also, on the off chance you don't use it yet, RockAuto.com is an absolutely amazing source for all your OEM-spec needs. Everything that rebuilt my MR2's engine(s) came from there.

And if you feel like getting as deep into it as actually taking the top end of the engine apart, the port and polish is something you can totally do yourself. It probably won't be as good as having an actual pro do it, but personally, it was a great learning experience.


Yeah thats a definite upgrade for me. T3 specifically mentions the keyway issue too and claims theirs are reinforced which is nice.

But dude, RockAuto is soooo sick. It kills me sometimes, the prices are so cheap that I feel sketched out when I shop on there, but on the flip side I haven't had any issues with them or any of the parts I've ordered.

And who knows, I might get bored over xmas break and decide to play with it! Idk if I'll try the porting/polishing myself, but I do have the TRD bible book which has the N2 specs for porting the 16v.


EvoSolley wrote:lookin good man, glad to see progress on this thing! If you haven't tried already, go to your local parts store and get a small bottle of Mothers, Back to black. That stuff is amazing on trim and bringsback that deep factory black on plastic and and trim pieces. It should clean up the oxidation on the front bumper pretty well. Make sure to try it in a small section to how it reacts. you might have to do a couple coats but that stuff always makes my trim pieces look brand new. I know thats a very small, minor issue just figured I would suggest it as I have been there too. Car is looking great man, keep it up!


Ironically a fellow 86 owner I am friends with on facebook recommended the same product! I am definitely going to try it now that you recommend it too ;) You know more about body work than I do! Lol
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

EvoSolley
Club4AG Enthusiast
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 4:50 am

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby EvoSolley » Tue Aug 29, 2017 5:14 am

Jayrdee wrote: Ironically a fellow 86 owner I am friends with on facebook recommended the same product! I am definitely going to try it now that you recommend it too ;) You know more about body work than I do! Lol


Is it Matt Moore? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Tue Aug 29, 2017 2:47 pm

EvoSolley wrote:Is it Matt Moore? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Haha I wish he was on this forum.

You know whats funny, I remember seeing his old 86 around Lexington back before I even got my drivers license. its like a local legend :lol: :lol:
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin

KYHachi
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:43 am
Location: Kentucky/Tokyo

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby KYHachi » Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:57 am

It actually kind of amazes me he's not on here hahahaha Man, that car has evolved so much since when I first met him at Parkette back in like 2009
1986 MR2 - Restoration Project
1987 MR2 - DD/20V Project
1986 Corolla GT-S - GZE/AutoX/Just-for-fun Project
1997 Starlet Glanza V - Tokyo DD Project

User avatar
Jayrdee
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:25 am
Location: Lexington KY

Re: "Kentucky AE86: A Levin Story"

Postby Jayrdee » Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:12 pm

KYHachi wrote:It actually kind of amazes me he's not on here hahahaha Man, that car has evolved so much since when I first met him at Parkette back in like 2009



I was a freshman / sophomore in highschool in 09 Lol.
I only know the car. Even then, I've only seen it a handful of times. I've never met the dude!

Anytime I drive my 86 around lexington, there's always at least one person that rolls their window down and is like: "I love your car man! Do you know Matt Moore?"

Apparently EvoSolley gets the same thing in Louisville!
Last edited by Jayrdee on Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[I have no idea what I'm doing]
_____________________
instagram: @dacobjurbin