Mechanical Sympathy

If you're looking to bomb up a second motor rather than the one in the car, get yourself a 5K or 7K as a base. Even a stock 5K will give you at least a 20% increase in usable power & torque - i.e. a very noticeable improvement, plus maybe that again by the time you fit extractors and 1 3/4" exhaust, skim the head, grind a cam and improve carburetion. A stock 7K has nearly 50% more power than a stock 4K. Build it on an engine stand, budget for a bit over 2 grand, drive your car in the meantime and then slip it in over a long weekend. It'll buzz like a rotary and do static one-wheel skids on dry bitumen. Good times! And for the record, my dream engine conversion (weighing up cost/power/potential) would be a 2.7litre Hilux 3RZ and W56 combo. Naturally aspirated would be a kick-arse street car. Turboed and tubbed I'd go racing the X275 boys.

I think the thing to consider here is - car companies spend millions, even billions of dollars developing and engineering cars. Whereas you're proposing to build a roadworthy and engineered car based on a thirty year old chassis comparable in size, specs and performance to something like say, a BMW 135i - and expect change out of 20 grand. I'm not saying it isn't achievable. But there are a thousand things you have to do and pay for to get there. I'd go a warm cam and extractors on the 4k and have some fun doing what makes old corollas popular, before locking myself into 3 years of sleepless nights.

You'll need a gearbox that bolts to a rotary. Narrowed Hilux duffs seem to be a popular conversion but you might also consider the RX7 diff from the car you'l no doubtl be acquiring the engine and gearbox from. In which case get the tailshaft too! If I had a Sprinter with a T50 I'd go for a 2TG!

Aha!

You will however require the 5 speed shifter (and possibly clutch fork?) so worth checking you have it (them).

Probably at least two or three grand by the time you source a good engine, convert an FWD engine to RWD, buy gearbox, clutch, machine flywheel, fabricate or buy engine mounts, radiator to suit (I'm not sure if 4ag outlets are the same side?), extractors, exhaust, computer or carbs, graft in the 4AG wiring loom, cut/modify tailshaft, hydraulic clutch master and pedal box conversion etc. IMO for half that and half the time you could have a period-correct, stump-pulling 7K. I'm pretty keen to put one in my KE55 XX with a set of Pacemakers and Sprinter twin carbs, maybe with a head skim, warm cam and a lightened 4K flywheel for shits and giggles.

Stripper will take it all off to the metal. If it's flaking off easy try a plastic scraper/spatula I'd give thinners or even metho and a bit of elbow grease a try but you'll run through a lot of rags if it's laid on thick. If that doesn't work go with sanding. Experiment with the grit but 120 will leave you with scratches and hit the metal on corners, whereas 400 is going to be gentler but a lot of work.

For trivia's sake - and assuming your vehicle's paint code is AZ - the colour of your yellow wagon is actually called "Buff". I have a KE55 collection of two - a silver XX coupe (when I get it towed down from T'bar) and a buff KE55 sedan. I didn't like buff at first but it's growing on me! Really like the idea of a hi-stall 4k

Welcome. I'm new too. Show us some photos of your low km gem! http://www.rarespares.net.au/rarespares/ProductPage.aspx?product=COR16 Rare Spares have the door rubber items you're looking for. http://bit.ly/149S95K http://bit.ly/14Uozx9 Manuals can be found on eBay fairly cheaply. The earlier manual is relevant to the KE30 but the later one has the information on removing the heater that you desire.

The wrecker (or breaker!) who pulls the gearbox out of the car throws away the shifter with the leftovers for scrap. Nek minnit someone buys the gearbox sans shifter, thinking his 4 speed shifter will do. Before long, the only shifters that exist are in running cars fitted with them. None spare. Everyone looking! Q.E.D. Sucks though.

Why are you looking for one?... And therein lies your answer!

Similarly, I've found Gregory's colour codes to be unreliable once you've left the main loom!

What colour are they? Are any of them white or black/white? The Gregory's manual says its a switch that bridges a white wire from the starter relay to a black/white lead on the ignition switch. Or trace it back to the engine bay like step 10 in the above link. In the Celica photo shown in that link it's a black/white. Note option 2: run some extra wire into the ashtray and fit a kill switch.

That's just the reverse light switch. You need to bridge (read connect) the wires that inhibit the car from starting in drive. Either that or you've just connected them to the reverse light switch. I haven't owned an auto Corolla so I'm not sure if they're on the gearbox or the PRND21 selector but you must have two wires left over somewhere. edit: even better with pictures - follow that link ^ And being a 3k I'm guessing you have an earlier model so your wires are a different colour. If you tell us the model/year I can look up my Gregory's for you.

Further to the suggestions already posted, have you tried adjusting the E-clip for the cable - situated at the firewall?

Before you throw those 8 spoke Toyota alloys to the tip, please would you remove and sell and post me the 4 centre caps? I'd come get them but centra coast is like, Coffs Harbour? I'm in Brisbane..

It's a big, big job. Expect to dismantle your KE70 entirely and graft an entire other cars' worth of driveline, suspension and brake components and wiring into it. Expect to do large amounts of custom fabrication, cutting and welding and repositioning and re-welding. Expect to spend, 10, 15, 20 thousand dollars and 1 or 2 years on the project. Expect to never drive it on the street. I've rarely seen a KE70 sell for more than a couple of thousand dollars. It's not worth it. Buy a car with that engine already. Alternatively, if you're new to this - try a 5K or 7K conversion. Fit it with extractors, improve the carburetion. If you're real keen - pop the head off, get it shaved and ported and throw in a reground cam. Keep it real!

Does anyone know how to convert my overrated green auto ke70 to manuél with a hydrolic clutch?

Does one of them change "hydraulic" to "hydrolic"? /test

I just feel sorry for the guy with the overrated green Ke50

Aha that's actually esoterically funny! Thanks for clearing that up.

Hello, I'm new here so I hope I don't ruffle any feathers. After a long time away from tinkering on old corollas (I was on the Oldcorollas yahoo mailing list back in the day), I decided to jump back in again. I have a couple of projects on the go - a KE55 CS sedan and a KE55 XX coupe - so I've been reading (lurking?) Rollaclub in earnest recently. Some of you guys are doing some amazing builds. Things have come a long way with SR20's and the like, from when I last slotted a 5k into a '35 ten years ago. One thing I've noticed on here a lot though - a lot of cars or parts are described as being in "overrated" condition? To me "overrated" means to overestimate the merits of, or to rate too highly ie: "Do you like that car?" "Nah it's full of bog, I think it's an overrated POS!" If I bought something from eBay that was in overrated condtion I'd be PO'ed and would leave negative feedback. Does "overrated" have a different meaning in automotive discussions?

I received a set of the fibreglass TE37 replica flares from Megat in Malaysia this morning (thread linked above). A quick overlay on the guards before work suggested they'll be an excellent fit.

I'm interested in putting one of these into my KE55 XX also so I'd be keen to hear how yours goes. Although I'm looking to use twin Aisans on a Sprinter manifold. While no expert on the matter I understand that being an undersquare engine, lift is more important than duration. I'll be considering something around 25-65 270 degrees duration, 0.398" lift. I'll look to skim the head for around 9.5 to 9.8:1 compression, port it with larger valves if possible and lighten the flywheel to give it a herby idle.

Wouldn't it just require a connection to a continuous power circuit? i.e. not key actuated, for example hazard light switch, headlight switch, brake light switch etc.