Buying TIPS
ENGINE 1587CC/4-CYL/DOHC POWER 120BHP@6600RPM TORQUE 103LB FT@5000RPM MAXIMUM SPEED 120MPH 0-60MPH 8.7SEC FUEL CONSUMPTION 26-47 MPG GEARBOX FWD, FIVE-SPEED MANUAL ENGINE OIL CASTROL MAGNATEC 10W40 A3/B4 3.7 LITRES GEARBOX OIL CASTROL SYNTRAX UNIVERSAL 1.7 LITRES
RUST 1 TO DUST
Corrosion and crash damage were the biggest killers of AE82 Corolla GTs – and that remains the same today. Buy the car with the best bodywork that you can afford; check the wings, arches, sunroof aperture, tailgate and rear damper turrets thoroughly. Any serious rot will have to be chopped out and parts fabricated – body-related spares for these cars are scarce.
2 all About DeTail
Availability (or lack thereof) is also true of Corolla GT-specific arch extensions and bumper trims, along with trim and interior parts; forums were complaining about this in 2005! Find the most original car you can and haggle hard if the interior isn’t complete or has been cut about to accommodate later stereo equipment.
3 Pushed TOO Far
The Corolla GT’s 4A-GE engine is non-interference and generally reliable, but neglect and high mileage can cause problems. Make sure, at the very least, that the timing belt has been changed every 60,000 miles and that fluids have been regularly changed; cylinder head gasket failure isn’t uncommon. Oil pumps can give out on very high-mileage engines, starving the high-revving motor of crucial oil pressure. Those similarly high-mileage cars can also lose fifth gear in rare circumstances.
4 Ripe For Improvement
Having a shared engine heritage with the AW11 and AE86 means that a wealth of tuning options are available – and later generations of 4A-GE, including the 20-valve ‘silver top’ and ‘black top’ engines from AE101 and AE111 Sprinters and Levins, will slot in. Brake and suspension upgrades are also easily purchased; if you’re planning on heading trackside, avoid oil-starvation by adding a baffled sump and stronger oil pump internals.