If you grew up watching Japan’s 90s hottest car Anime, Initial D (1995-2013), then you understand it’s not what’s under the hood that’s important when racing down the hill passes, but who’s seated behind the wheel. If you are crazy about JDM cars and grew up watching this show, all props go to the Takumi Fujiwara character (Tofu delivery boy), who took out each of his opponents down the hill passes of Akina, earning the name - 'White Ghost of Akina.'
The Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex, a.k.a AE86, wouldn’t have accumulated its cultic following, OG status, and a rebirth as the GT86 if not for this captivating Anime series' hill pass theatrics.
Neil Sheehan of Juiceboxforyou YouTube Channel recently featured a rare Japanese underdog, a 1982 AE70 Corolla/Sprinter Sedan in Ireland.
“Obviously, you guys know that Irish people love Corollas. We love rear-wheel-drive Corollas, like eighty-sixes and that. And we definitely love KEs,” Neil said, introducing the feature Corolla AE70.
You are probably wondering about the connection between the legendary AE86 and this classic family-hauler sedan. Besides the apparent reason they are cousins, this docile-looking Corolla/Sprinter packs the legendary 4AGE powerplant.
The 4A-GE engine might not hold enough ponies to convince a bunch of torque-hungry petrolheads it dons the title ‘Legend.’ But the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 128 hp (130 ps) retails for about $3,000. Neat versions of the AE86 classic go for between $16,000 and $35,000 on sites like Bring a Trailer.
Neil’s feature car is a 1982 Toyota Corolla Sprinter AE70. In its base model form, it’s nothing more than you’d expect from any efficient family-friendly Corolla. The only difference is this one packs a blacktop 4A-GE 20-valve engine gutted out from an FWD Toyota Levin and a 5-speed manual T50 gearbox with a disc brake upgrade at the rear.
Considering its impeccable condition, especially for a model that didn’t survive much of the 80s and 90s, this Toyota AE70 Sprinter, in its configuration, is as rare as the legendary AE86.
According to the owner, it was imported in 2017 from Japan into Ireland and had two previous owners. He got it fully rebuilt three months ago and included the signature purple trumpets to top it off.
To remind you, the AE86 and AE70 Corolla models also share the same floor plan – everything bolts in, and many parts are interchangeable.
Besides the powerplant swap, Neil’s feature car has quite a rare trim from what he’s seen in Ireland. The entire backend (C Pillar and rare quarter panel) has a different groove to it. He believes it could be the only version imported into Ireland.
“I don’t even think they made a large number of these because I’ve never seen another one in real life, even when we were in Japan, I’d never seen another one of these shapes,” Neil confessed about the rare KE70 Corolla.
We recommend watching the video below to catch a glimpse of this rare classic JDM gem.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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