Photo: BaT User: whiteae86hh
We dare you to try and explain how the North American Toyota Corolla SR5 technically is and isn't the same as the AE86 Trueno from the Initial D anime without making the person on the other end fall asleep or politely gesture to switch topics. Even so, a Corolla SR5 can be a fantastic platform to turn into a restomod. As it turns out, one of the best ways to make this happen is to take inspiration from Toyota's rivals at Honda.
In the North American Domestic Market, the Corolla SR5 of mid-1980s vintage left the factory sporting a carbureted 1.6-liter, single-overhead cam four-cylinder engine and chunkier front and rear bumpers to comply with more stringent safety regulations in the United States in particular. In contrast to the AE86 Levin and Trueno's dual-overhead cam four-pot engine with its larger 130 horsepower output, it's clear why petrolheads go gaga over JDM spec AE86 Corollas but often don't even give a passing glance to North American-spec variants despite similar appearances.
In any case, the 2.2-liter F22C naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine under the hood of this restomod makes the old powertrain look like it came from the stone age. The engine's notorious for its use in the face-melting Honda S2000 drop-top sports car, a vehicle known for pounding its 9000 RPM redline with all the brutality of a stampeding group of tigers. With roughly 240 horsepower to work with, a car with a 2,700 lbs and change curb weight like the Corolla SR5 transforms from a well-sorted but slow sports car into a cut-throat and well-capable speed machine when the old drivetrain is removed and replaced with 2200 cc of pure VTEC deliciousness.
But don't be fooled; this isn't another one of those restomods that's all about the engine but pays no mind to the rest of a sports car's vital components. All this engine's power is sent through an S2000's manual transmission, where a custom driveshaft sends it to an awaiting General Motors ten-bold rear end with an Eaton Truetrac limited-slip differential for the best possible handling experience in tight, tricky corners. The custom rig's front suspension is partly derived from a Nissan S13's control arms with inner tie rods from an MA70-spec Toyota Supra with Tien Flex Z front shocks and springs from Swift Performance.
At the rear, BC Racing springs, KYB AGX rear shocks, and four-wheel disk brakes make for a remarkably varied but no-less sensible suspension arrangement at all four corners. Add on a wicked set of 16-inch XXR wheels, and you have a custom car on your hands that can turn heads whether they're Initial D fans or just fans of properly-sorted custom cars. It's just one set of decals away from being the perfect tofu delivery vehicle.
In any case, the 2.2-liter F22C naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine under the hood of this restomod makes the old powertrain look like it came from the stone age. The engine's notorious for its use in the face-melting Honda S2000 drop-top sports car, a vehicle known for pounding its 9000 RPM redline with all the brutality of a stampeding group of tigers. With roughly 240 horsepower to work with, a car with a 2,700 lbs and change curb weight like the Corolla SR5 transforms from a well-sorted but slow sports car into a cut-throat and well-capable speed machine when the old drivetrain is removed and replaced with 2200 cc of pure VTEC deliciousness.
But don't be fooled; this isn't another one of those restomods that's all about the engine but pays no mind to the rest of a sports car's vital components. All this engine's power is sent through an S2000's manual transmission, where a custom driveshaft sends it to an awaiting General Motors ten-bold rear end with an Eaton Truetrac limited-slip differential for the best possible handling experience in tight, tricky corners. The custom rig's front suspension is partly derived from a Nissan S13's control arms with inner tie rods from an MA70-spec Toyota Supra with Tien Flex Z front shocks and springs from Swift Performance.
At the rear, BC Racing springs, KYB AGX rear shocks, and four-wheel disk brakes make for a remarkably varied but no-less sensible suspension arrangement at all four corners. Add on a wicked set of 16-inch XXR wheels, and you have a custom car on your hands that can turn heads whether they're Initial D fans or just fans of properly-sorted custom cars. It's just one set of decals away from being the perfect tofu delivery vehicle.
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