Looking at an 86...

[Shark_Bait]

Hey guys, how's it going? I'm new here and posting this in hopes of getting some useful information and input. I just moved out to Illinois, from Arizona, for a new job that pays decently well. This means I can pick up a project car!! I want to get something to start drifting with (either an 86 or an s-chassis). Talking with some guys on a local Chicago forum, one guy messaged me about his '87 he is going to be selling soon. It sounds like it will be in my budget (trying to build a decently driftable car for about $5k), but I wanted to get some input form you all on what to look for and be aware of.

Here is his description of the car:

"1987 toyota corolla has a 4age 5 speed body is **** interior is **** new clutch master cylinder new alternater new battery oil change every 2.5k miles ( I changed it sooner then later because I wanted to maintain the engine good since I wasnt sure how it was treated before hand) valve cover gasket was replaced also but mite need the little gromets that go on the spark plug holes. Spark plugs also were changed but I would give it a little time before doing it again. I bought the car off some guy that bought it in Wisconsin he only biught it to make money off of it since it had a fair amount of aftermarket parts on it he took them off replaced with oem spec and sold the car to me I wanted it for a cheap daily beater that I wasnt gonna take much car of but I started falling for it little by little lol ended up not wanting to mess it up more. Then I became unemployed had no funds comeing in for a few months and it needed new tires so its been sitting for 5-6 months in my garage. Now I will not sell it to you till I get a chance to go out there and make sure everything is running good and be sure that you can drive it out of here so as soon as its ready I can let you know. Also price I was looking for is 1300"

I will post pics when he sends them later today. Thanks, guys!

*Update* Found these pics of it on the same forum (from the FS post of the guy he bought it off). Car was apparently restored to stock before he bought it though, so it may look a little different now.

[rumsawatti]

Take a looksee or ask the seller and see if its an original GTS. It will have AE88 in the vin. If it is, and it runs good. I would pick it up in a heartbeat at that price despite what it may look like outside. If it says AE86 in the vin it is an sr5 with a swap. From there, Ill leave it for someone else to cover.

[rumsawatti]

On another note, in that picture that car actually doesnt really have much aftermarket done to it at all. Other than the wheels and the rain visors which are legit. The sideskirts are rigged up from an ae92 and the flares look kind of ghetto-made too, ebay steering wheel, not sure if thats a carbon fiber hood(dont think so) but other than those 4 or 5 things, there wasnt really anything else aftermarket on it.

[Shark_Bait]

It's an SR5 w/ a 4age swap, and the aftermarket wheels were replaced with GT-S snowflakes

[rumsawatti]

I see, well, now you have to determine if the swap was done right or if it was all rigged up. Id buy it though, I dont know about you, but where I live, thats dirt cheap for a running car with a 4age that seems to be all together for the most part. With that budget and that car, to me it seems you have plenty of ability to turn it into your drift project.

[Shark_Bait]

Yeah, I was gonna wait and see how it runs. If the 4age runs well enough, I think it would be worthwhile. Especially with how GT-S's get overpriced now. At $1300, I could spend the money and time to swap a GT-S rear end (although I've heard it's a headache) and still spend less than I'd likely spend on a running GT-S. I've also read in a couple places that you can swap a Celica-Supra rear end into an SR5; anyone have experience with this?

[rumsawatti]

Yeah, the mounts in the supra need to be modified a bit, you can only use the 79-81 supras(Celica-Supra) I think a company makes a kit that makes it easier. Maybe someone can post a link?
The GTS rear end swap isnt really that big of a headache. The biggest difference is you will be going from drums to disks. Other then that its pretty much drop the old rear and bolt in the GTS.

[Nick94tt]

The biggest questions I have are-

Track only?
What's you're mechanical / electrical ability?
Do you do your own body work? (Capable welder / air tools)
What's the end goal? Rattle-canned track slut / presentable driver with full interior

Expect to double or quadruple whatever you think it'll cost or the time it'll take.

Biggest drawback is shared with all older modified vehicles - you can make educated guesses, but there's really no way to tell who did what until you're in the middle of taking the car apart.

Best advice - Picture what you want out of the car "finished", and start writing/typing it up down to the last detail. Make sure to add the usual maintenance parts (bearings/bushings/brakes/wiring or sensor issues/potentially radiator/hoses/belts/plugs/wires/etc) as well as the performance toys you'd eventually like. Get all the former out of the way first and you'll have a much better base to go from. Good preparation cuts down on the track days / events where you show up 6hrs away, make one pass, the car breaks, and you go home. It also gives you an honest idea of what the car will cost.

Not trying to be pessimistic, just somewhere to go from based on the experiences of others. Cheap cars can wind up costing a fortune.

Hope it's helpful.

[Shark_Bait]

Pretty much a track only car. I DD a '98 Rav4, until the diesel Canyon comes out in 2015 that is haha
My mechanical ability is decent/electrical is a bit less. (planning on this car being a bit of a learning experience for both driving and building)
Don't have a welder or any air tools. (Hoping to make some friends with those out here lol)
Since it's my first drift car, and this one is in a little bit of rough shape already, it's gonna be a rattle-canned track slut. Once I get better I will find a legit GT-S in decent shape to build. This is pretty much just a starter car to get into drifting with.

I figure at the price he's asking, I'm paying for a decently running 4age on a chassis that will work to whip around the track.

[Nick94tt]

Pretty much a track only car. I DD a '98 Rav4, until the diesel Canyon comes out in 2015 that is haha
My mechanical ability is decent/electrical is a bit less. (planning on this car being a bit of a learning experience for both driving and building)
Don't have a welder or any air tools. (Hoping to make some friends with those out here lol)
Since it's my first drift car, and this one is in a little bit of rough shape already, it's gonna be a rattle-canned track slut. Once I get better I will find a legit GT-S in decent shape to build. This is pretty much just a starter car to get into drifting with.

I figure at the price he's asking, I'm paying for a decently running 4age on a chassis that will work to whip around the track.

$1300 is a solid entry point into the car. Even if you wind up parting out/scrapping the sr-5 chassis you'll still have the 4a driveline. Plan on a solid $500-$1000 in parts to bring it up to "reliable", and move on from there. Plan on all new bushings, it'll probably need shocks depending on how it was lowered, and set aside rear end money. I'd say avoid the temptation of dropping your load on a truck full of shiny aftermarket parts/wheels/body until you get a feel for driving/sliding it around as it is. That way if a serious issue pops up you're not left holding the bag and losing money selling off a parts collection.

Since you don't weld, pay close attention to the rust. It's not cheap to fix when you're paying for labor. That said, you don't need to have a $4000 Miller to patch panels. No reason you can't roll on epoxy or etching primer with a foam roller either. It held up just fine for me outdoors for 5+ years. Not as pretty, but the topcoat wet sanded and polished fair enough for a 15' paint job.

Getting the car up and running right and safely first is the difference between having a starting point, and every other "project car" that hasn't moved in 4 years.

The Rav would likely tow it on a small trailer as well if you don't want to register it. Nice safety net to have regardless.

If you do decide to pull the trigger, keep us in the loop. Budget buildups are fun to watch when things are done right.