Corolla GTS/SR5 for a first car?

[Dat_Hot_AC]

Hi! Before I go on to say anything, I'd like to say thank you to the people who read this post and take the time to reply to me. I've read the forums for a while but just signed up, and I wanna say thank you for using precious minutes to simply read this!

First, let me introduce myself, I'm a 16 year old guy living in the Miami area of FL, and I wanted to ask the smart guys here on Club4AG if they could give me some advice on a question I have.

Pretty soon I'll be able to get my license, and when that time comes I would honestly want to buy a car I feel like I'd have fun in: A Toyota Corolla GTS or SR5. No, I wouldn't want to take it drifting or anything (While I do admit I enjoy Initial D). No, I wouldn't want to put on custom rims or anything ridiculous. And no, I wouldn't want to floor it on highways or any other roads. I'd honestly just want that kind of car because I feel it's amazing. I love the design, the popup headlights, and the engine. It's a car I've drooled over long before knowing of Initial D... which did increase my affection for it...

Anyways, I wanted to ask the people here on the forums if that's a good idea for a first car. I know they're hard to come by, but honestly I'd really prefer this over any other car. My parents wouldn't let me get a Miata, saying it's too small. And, after driving in an FF, I honestly want a modest car with an FR setup and not too much horsepower (or too sporty, since I aint rich ). Unless there's another FR car that's pretty fun and cheap to find, would an AE88 be a good choice?

Thank you again for reading this, I do appreciate the time people will spend to help a fool like me!

P.S. I also understand that rust can be a bit of a problem, any solutions to removing that if possible? Eheheheheh....

[zem]

Almost any 86 you'll find will be beat to **** and rusted out. it'll also smell, be uncomfortable and slow. And most importantly it'll be very expensive. If you can afford it and know how to work on engines and rust sure get one. But i recommend getting something made this century and then getting an 86 down the road when you have the skills and the funds to keep up with it. Also if you crash it you'll probably die.

[der3wuste3fuchs]

If you want the same car experience and like pop ups, get a first gen Miata. They are cheap, easy to work on, very good at handling (better than a stock or mildly modified 86), and the convertible top is actually really enjoyable. Plus the community is great and they will walk you through everything you need to know.

If not, there isn't many other pop light cars that are reliable in my opinion. MR2 AW11s are cheap and can be found in good shape but also old like zem said.

Another good first car is the BG series Protege's; the ones with twin cam engines (same as Miata) that were offered on the "LX" trim. They also had a model "323" which came AWD. They are very good first cars and very good daily drivers with a very nice engine sound.

If you really want an AE8 series, I would recommend getting an SR5. They are usually in much better shape and daily driveable. GTS variants just have too much TOFU DORIFTO tax and are beat to sh**.

Lastly, a 240sx S13 coupe is a very nice daily driver. It has a lot of the same square type body lines as the Corolla, and the pop-ups look very nice. You can sometimes find good deals on S13s, and in good shape. They either have the SOHC engine or the ATX, but these can be easily swapped out later down the road.

like zem said though, these cars are getting very old. My corolla is registered as an antique. Any Initial D car you see sans an is300, NB Miata, and a couple others will need either some serious refreshing or lots of $$$.

[der3wuste3fuchs]

Remember that because these cars are so old, you will want to buy yourself a good daily driver, and then buy an AE88 that needs fixing up.

If I was you, I would buy a mid-90's corolla (AE101 variant) as a daily driver, as they are very comfortable, good dailys, parts galore at junkyards/auto stores/craigslist, and you can buy all kinds of cool accessories and upgrades. Lots of guys turbo the stock engine, or swap out a blacktop 4AG. The possibilities are endless, but it is FF.

After getting a good daily, I would then find a project car once you are settled and probably have your own place.

This guy has been getting desperate and will let it go for cheap: https://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/cto/5940434105.html

[Dat_Hot_AC]

Almost any 86 you'll find will be beat to **** and rusted out. it'll also smell, be uncomfortable and slow. And most importantly it'll be very expensive. If you can afford it and know how to work on engines and rust sure get one. But i recommend getting something made this century and then getting an 86 down the road when you have the skills and the funds to keep up with it. Also if you crash it you'll probably die.

Alright, thank you for your advice! I appreciate your time Zem!

[Dat_Hot_AC]

If you want the same car experience and like pop ups, get a first gen Miata. They are cheap, easy to work on, very good at handling (better than a stock or mildly modified 86), and the convertible top is actually really enjoyable. Plus the community is great and they will walk you through everything you need to know.

If not, there isn't many other pop light cars that are reliable in my opinion. MR2 AW11s are cheap and can be found in good shape but also old like zem said.

Another good first car is the BG series Protege's; the ones with twin cam engines (same as Miata) that were offered on the "LX" trim. They also had a model "323" which came AWD. They are very good first cars and very good daily drivers with a very nice engine sound.

If you really want an AE8 series, I would recommend getting an SR5. They are usually in much better shape and daily driveable. GTS variants just have too much TOFU DORIFTO tax and are beat to sh**.

Lastly, a 240sx S13 coupe is a very nice daily driver. It has a lot of the same square type body lines as the Corolla, and the pop-ups look very nice. You can sometimes find good deals on S13s, and in good shape. They either have the SOHC engine or the ATX, but these can be easily swapped out later down the road.

like zem said though, these cars are getting very old. My corolla is registered as an antique. Any Initial D car you see sans an is300, NB Miata, and a couple others will need either some serious refreshing or lots of $$$.

Wow man, thank you! I'd love to get a Miata, but my parents are pretty strict about safety. The Protege actually sounds like a cool car, as well as a 240sx/S13. Sorry in advance if what i'm doing is tacky, kinda new to uploading stuff on forums... xD'

but once more, thank you for your advice! Out of curiousity, what price range would I be looking at for any of these cars (excluding the GTS)?

[Dat_Hot_AC]

Remember that because these cars are so old, you will want to buy yourself a good daily driver, and then buy an AE88 that needs fixing up.

If I was you, I would buy a mid-90's corolla (AE101 variant) as a daily driver, as they are very comfortable, good dailys, parts galore at junkyards/auto stores/craigslist, and you can buy all kinds of cool accessories and upgrades. Lots of guys turbo the stock engine, or swap out a blacktop 4AG. The possibilities are endless, but it is FF.

After getting a good daily, I would then find a project car once you are settled and probably have your own place.

This guy has been getting desperate and will let it go for cheap: https://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/cto/5940434105.html

I do like that idea, of getting a project car once I get a home and a good daily driver. Once more, many thanks!

[zem]

AE86 are weaker than Miatas. There's literally nothing in an 86 to keep you from dying in a crash. Don't tell that to your parents.

[Dat_Hot_AC]

AE86 are weaker than Miatas. There's literally nothing in an 86 to keep you from dying in a crash. Don't tell that to your parents.

I kinda figured that out after looking up some of the specs on it... Lol
Probably gonna try for a 240sx or a Protege, I've found some for decent prices.

Thank you again man for your help!

[Jeonsah]

I personally disagree with a lot of these guys. Get the car your heart really wants... in this case an AE86. The fact that you want one so bad will force you to keep a job to pay for repairs and will also force you to possibly look into getting an education/career to pay for even more. It sounds silly but if you are passionate about the car, you will make adjustments in your life. If you dont have any direction with your life yet, then hold off on the car and get something reliable. A lot of guys on here dont want to see another clean AE86 get ruined.

General things to note about the AE86.

1. I recommend having at least $6,000 to spend on a clean one. This will help you hit the ground running. The car will be more reliable than a 65th owner car.

2. Realize that parts are expensive for these cars.

3. The car will require a lot of maintenance. So start small by doing bushing kit, brakes, fluids, etc. This will get you further in the long run.

4. Knowledge is power. So read read read! That way you are able to repair things that break.

Since you live in Florida, you dont have to worry about snow. So a RWD car is perfectly fine. You will hate yourself for not getting the car you want. Save up some money and get what you want.

- I have had my car for 7 years now. I bought it for $700 as a sr5 to gts swapped non running stripped shell. Most people would have given up on something like that a long time ago. So I personally feel real strongly about getting a good base. I bought a clean well maintained GTS and it just works like it should.

[cameron.jp]

Hey man, I'm the same age as you and I own an AE86! Mine happens to be an '85 SR5. Pretty much everything these guys have said is true, you will more than likely die if you get in a serious accident, and they can be lots of work, but to me that's just a part of the fun! I daily drive my AE86 in the Idaho winter as well and it handles just fine.
I also agree with the fact that you should get the car your heart wants, that's what I did, and here I am:)

[CloudStrife]

Woah mates, not saying he shouldn't get a car he doesn't want, I'm just saying you should first try and get a strictly Daily Driver, then get yourself a 30-year old Toyota if your heart truly desires it. I completely agree you should get what you want.

I think most of us were exactly where the OP was when we were 16/17/18/19; we were very passionate about cars and lept into things fast. But I think as we get older we realize there are ways to be a car enthusiast, but be a little responsible and dependable.

Getting an 86 is fine, but I just think you should get a daily that is reliable, more recent, easier to find parts for, cheaper to work on, and won't risk getting stolen.

And it is true the 86 does not have safety features, but that depends on what you do with the car. Lots of people take out the front and rear smash support beams for "weight reduction" or MAD TYTE YO JDM BUMPERS ZOMG DORIFTO DELIVER THE TOFU. Which is cool and all, but you have to realize how much energy these crash supports absorb; just because it isn't on par with standard and current crash safety rated cars, doesn't mean something is worse than nothing.

Also, there are ways to make your car safer. You can weld in the drift type bash bars, which weigh much less and offer you protection with the added bonus of fitting cooler looking bumpers.

And lastly, you can get a Cusco or whatever type of roll cage which will greatly improve your safety standards on the 86. They aren't that much and finding someone to weld it in is not hard (unless your in shitty FL :p).

Anyway, it's not that we are saying you can't buy what you want, it's just you have to realize how old these cars are and how much work/$$ they will need, meaning it would not be good for a daily driver. Could it daily drive? sure, but when things start breaking and you become unreliable as a person you job/family/friends will get annoyed.

I dunno, I sound like an ass on the forums lol. I've just.. been there done that. So many cars, so much money, so many times I wish I listened to people. Whatever you do, this is probably one of the best communities I've been with, they really are a great bunch of guys.

[frostvectron]

AE86 and 240sx are subject to pretty steep drift tax... pretty tough for a young guy to get into as a first car. Not to mention the rarity of parts.

If you want something cool, 80s, JDM, and RWD... see if there are any 1st generation 300zx's near you. The non-turbos are dirt cheap, easy to find, and the parts are cheap. The car is pretty bulletproof as well... just watch for rust.

[-zenki-]

No, I wouldn't want to put on custom rims or anything ridiculous. And no, I wouldn't want to floor it on highways or any other roads. I'd honestly just want that kind of car because I feel it's amazing.

I'm daily driving mine. Not garage kept, driven year round including winters and their salty roads. Mine has been very reliable, only left me standing once due to a bad starter. Oil + filter change every 4k miles , once a year i change gearbox and lsd oil. That's about it in terms of maintenance.

You might want to rethink the way you will be driving an ae86. Too keep up with modern day traffic you'll be flooring it pretty often. Mine sees 7,8k rpm everyday.

And you'll be changing those skinny oem wheels pretty fast for wheels that'll take better tires.

[xslowpokex]

By the looks of it i dont think OP got an 86 lol...yea reliability and safety is not something these 30yr old cars excel at haha...honestly, a reliable 86 means a well cared for 86, and a well cared for 86 translates to 10-13k+ , for 6-10k you can get much more faster, reliable and safer cars like an s2000, impreza, g35/350z, s14, is300, even an frs/brz under the right conditions....like many of us have been saying "been there done that", but if you wanna walk through the fire for yourself go ahead, what i do recommend is getting a descent tool set, because it will become your best friend if you plan to daily drive an 86 and if you dont have any mechanical know how or deep pockets, forget it stay away lol

[CloudStrife]

Can't believe this thread still goin', I bet OP got Ford Focus LOL.

I'd say get a 1st/2nd gen Miata for a fun/track car, and get a B-series extended cab Mazda for daily. Both are cheap and crazy stupid to find parts and last long.

Or do what I did and have a Tacoma/Corolla

[xslowpokex]

My first car of my own was a 69 toyota corona 4door toyoglide automatic 3rc engine...man i loved that car way more reliable that any 86 ive owned lol...bought it with 150k drove it to around 320k when the head gasket blew...surprisingly it keep up with traffic way better than an 86 and has way better highway gear...feels like a little cadillac ride is super smooth for an old import