AE86 info please!!!

[moomin]

Hey guys - im taking the trip over here from SXOC - hopefully some of you can give me some good advice!!!
I sold my S15 spec R earlier this year as funds where getting low, and decided i would buy an old S13, which, i have decided, as its also my daily driver, is just not practical as it likes to drink its fuel amongst other things!
So....I was looking at buying a AE86, or Trueno, or Levin, or whatever they are called!!?? i dont know how many different model variations there are? but its the little hatchback one im after!!
I believe they are 1.6?? are they all twin-cam? and are they "relatively" cheap to run?? (compared to a 2.0 or 1.8 turbo)
what should i look for when buying - apart from the obligitoury rust spots, where can i find them!!!???? and what kind of money can i pick up a average one for? I have seen some restored ones for £10k upwards! i dont want to be spending anywhere near that kind of money, im looking at no more than about 4k, if i can do it for that money that is!!!
Any help or advice would be really appreciated!!!
Thanks Guys

[lozza]

I'm not too clued up on Corolla's either, but heres a site which i found quite handy when it comes to the models etc...

Corolla History

I've seen good state Corolla's, that need a little tlc going for 3k so you should be alright with 4k good luck.

[jamespa28]

Yo! I sold my S15 and went to an AE86 so should be able to give you some pretty comparable info!

There are two types of import - Levin (fixed lights) and Trueno (pop-ups), either available as two door coupe or three door hatch! They both have the same 122hp 1.6 twin-cam called a 4AGE. The UK model also looks similar to a Levin also has a 4AGE 16v twin-cam engine, whether the power is the same I'm unsure?

I find mine a lot cheaper to run than my Silvia. Fuel consumption is negligible, I usually average 30 or so mpg. Parts are pretty cheap from what I've bought so far - body panels I hear are not so cheap (lets hope I don't need any of those)!

It's pretty hard taking the power drop but you will have just as much fun in one, providing you use it as a slag and not just a pretty road car that is! You have to have your fun with it! It's always on the limit and screaming!

There's not exactly much to go wrong with it, it's a simple 1.6, not too many electrics etc!

Insurance is frick all, mine is less than a third of the Silvia!

You might want to get one imported through Japanese Used Cars or Powervehichles. JUC got hold of my one (I didn't import it personally) and it's a great car, I believe it cost around £4500 to get in the country from the docs I have and is a lot of car and very tidy - absolutely no rust whatsoever! Came with LSD, roll-bars etc.

Hope that helps!

This is what £5000 on the road bought me...

[moomin]

Thats really nice!!! i like it!
Advice is really helpfull!!! thanks!, even better knowing you were a fellow 15 owner too.
Im not too bothered about the power to be honest either, i would much prefer a car i can enjoy, the low cost (compared to the 15 & 13) is another reason im thinking about switching to Toyota. (and the missus keeps nagging!!!!)
I will check out some import companies, i got my old 15 through Torque GT, but i have never seen a Levin/Trueno on there site as yet.
Thanks Very Much-O!!!!

[iamben]

Fuel wise, i used to drive a 1.2 clio before buying my levin, i used to put 20 a week in the clio and that was nailing it around and just for a comparasion i put 20 into my levin and that lasted aslong as the clio. however that was sticking to all speed limits and never using over 5000rpm.

Now i use about 30 odd quid a week and have as much fun as i can.

First time you blast through the gears taking it all the way up to nearly 8000rpm and that little pissy 1.6 is singing its lungs out, you'll be hooked

By no means assume that a hachi will make you a drifting god though, it requires alotta guts and more talent than i've got at the moment to keep it sideways. but frick that, buy one, you'll never look back.

FYI on the cheap parts front, i went into toyota for a handbrake cable last weekend, for the 3 cables, one from the lever to the junction, and the two from the junction box to each disc, £117!! plus vat!!

However i went to CAS (central auto supplies) and could get the same for £70. VAT included. So shop around.

[Jamesh]

Awesome cars thats for sure but i wouldnt say they were cheap to run at all. Petrol is ok but parts depending on which parts can be pricey and arent getting cheaper. If your worried about your missus nagging now you wait til she nags about why youve bought a 23 year old car for 4k lol. Definitly worth it though wouldnt get rid of mine for anything.

[Nismo]

If you look there's a very tidy Panda Truneo for sale at the car for sale section for the money you are looking to spend

[Chris@LK]

Originally Posted by Nismo

If you look there's a very tidy Panda Truneo for sale at the car for sale section for the money you are looking to spend

I think that's the car I bought a few weeks back & it's one of the best purchases I've made !


I started skiddin' with an S13, then a S14 & currently have an S15 (the blue one in my sig) & now the Trueno too and I love the AE86 (so much so that the 15's going to be up for sale soon).

It's a tough one to explain but for me it's the feel, the sound & ultimately fun factor that makes the '86 such a great car


Chris

[eight-six]

The AE86 is a Marmite car, you either love it or hate it. Lots of people love the idea of owning an AE86, not everyone likes the reality.

Ultimatley its an underpowered (by todays standards) engine, in a dated chassis with minimal creature comforts (Thats before you tear the interior out and fit things like roll cages, bucket seats and hard suspension).

However for all the trouble mines given me, I love it.

[moomin]

See, thats what I like about what everyone of you guys has said - its not modern, its a pain in the arse at times, its not fast, but.......you love it, i just dont get that from my S13, i kind of got it from my old 15, but i think that was more down to the fact it was a
£10K car, and i felt like a posh sod!
As i said earlier (i think) ive grown out of that "speed speed speed" time of my life, dont get me wrong, i like a fast car, but its not the be all and end all, and im more than happy to get my hands dirty when things go wrong (if im being honest, i quite enjoy when things DO go wrong coz i like a car i can fix - weird!!! - im sure most of you would agree though!!)
Its just trying to find a cheap (ish) daily drive that is RWD, something that i can take to the track 3-4 times a year, and is only going to set me back about 3-4K. What else is there for that money!?? i cant think of much!!!!
Cheers for all the responses and advice so far chaps!!!

[jap-si]

they are crap.








be prepared for those 3-4 times that you want to take it to track, it will find a way to completely wank itself to bits only hours before you wanna leave also sometimes you do get bored of the slowness. but they are great fun.

[NayAE86]

I loved mine to pieces,

it was weird driving a 125bhp rwd corolla compared to my 300bhp scooby import but it was sooooooooo much fun.

The noise, the fun factor, the sillyness of it, I loved every minute of owning it and would have another any day of the week

[leighman]

I now own his corolla and it aint lies its amazing fun.

[Phil]

I love my 86, and I've only driven it twice before garaging it to do good things to it.. It shouldn't be to long now, and I can't wait .
I'm a bit of a chicken shit when it comes to safety and old cars, so I'm fitting a cage despite it being a daily driver.

[jamespa28]

Originally Posted by moomin

ive grown out of that "speed speed speed" time of my life, dont get me wrong, i like a fast car, but its not the be all and end all

I agree with that, losing my big powerful car I used to have has had its benefits, I haven't had knobheads trting to race me, haven't got anything to prove, run naway from police cars etc! I loved the performance but I still have just as much fun with the 86, i's better to throw around!

I don't know if you ever drifted your Silvia but it's a very diffrent experience. The silvia was a piece of piss to slide, you could use the accelerator to initiate, hold, transition - the works (when it came to simple drifting anyway)

I don't find the 86 as hard to drift as everyone makes it out to be, and I don't mean to sound cocky, I was a bit worried when I bought it, I just figured if I didn't agree with it I'd get my money back but as it happens it's great! There's a lot of technique to learn, fortunately, Mike, Justin, Crash etc all tought me some really useful tips when I bought the car and in all seriousness I wouldn't be where I am now without their help!

It's a bastard to perfect and has it's weak spots where he silvia had the power to pull out of those situations! But overall if you drive it hard and put the effort in, you WILL get the rewards!

[iamben]

pass the tips on!