Lola The '55

[Kid-Ae]

Lola.

 

Got her for a song.

 

4k

Trimatic

Original 149xxxkm

Nice amount of rust, typical for this model.

 

To do list:

 

Brakes and exhaust getting done Friday. 2" pipe through to single muffler, should be loud enough. Will get extractors after rego.

Organize RWC

Rust being welded up within the next week

Up idle to get rid of stutter at idle. Thinking of setting idle at 950rpm.

Replace stock wheels with 13" mags.

Rego.

 

Plans:

 

Lower, kingies up front and lowering blocks on the rear.

Bigger cam

Tacho, but moulded into instrument cluster.

ke30 bars

ke30 tail lights

Modify an AE92 centre console to hide handbrake and mould up cupholders.

Generally keep it tidy but have some fun in it. Not chasing big hp but something that will still turn heads.

 

[Ben-89]

Nice pick up Sam, saw this on ebay which was owned by a mature owner. Didnt the purple ke30 have extractors and an exhaust? Possible manual conversion from the ke30? Like the rear louvre too :y:

[Kid-Ae]

Sold the '30 last week to a bloke who was chasing parts for his '35, It was set up with basically a ke70 drivetrain.

 

Not to worry, will be chatting to Ryan (SLO-030) about freighting me some custom extractors in the coming months.

 

Nah, happy to keep it auto. Actually going to hold onto this project, so auto will be the only way it survives. If I want a manual one, i'll buy one that was factory manual, saves all the bs with converting because I'm just too slack to change a pedalbox

 

Ideas are already circulating around my head of putting a 186 Holden engine in her, all it'd need would be custom mounts, bellhousing and bigger brakes. Will just be working the 4k for now.

 

Want that louvre? Just took it off, managed to keep all the mounting clips in tact too so it can go to a better home.

 

It's funny, you buy a Corolla and leave it on the street for two days and already had a few positive comments about it

[Chillin]

55 update love :yes:

[Kid-Ae]

Deleted the rear Corolla badge today, just need to clean it up and you wont even notice it was even there in the first place.

 

Will be doing a wreckers run sometime this week to source a new drivers seat, this one has NO spring left in it.

[Ben-89]

While the auto is nice for now, you'll change your mind. :wink: I had an ae71 traumatic and while the motor had punch it was really handicapped with the auto. Once it was manual different story. Maybe a hot 5k, auto and low diff ratio for improved cruising but enough spice for around town?

 

Thanks for the louvre offer, I'm sure someone on here would snap it up :y:

 

Good to hear your recieving positive comments, its a sign people care about your car and will hopefully keep an eye on it :) :y:

[Kid-Ae]

That's an idea. Build a monster 5k. Hmm yes I could do that. Buy one in good nick, drop $800 into it for a lot of goodies plus tuning time and slot it in in an afternoon.

 

Even for now, would a 3k head do much for poke around town?

[Ben-89]

That's an idea. Build a monster 5k. Hmm yes I could do that. Buy one in good nick, drop $800 into it for a lot of goodies plus tuning time and slot it in in an afternoon.

 

Even for now, would a 3k head do much for poke around town?

 

You could put a 3k head on it preferrably a big port unit with a little shaved off the surface along with a cam, carb(s) extractors and exhaust. EvanG at he moment is warming up his 4k so he may be handy to ask a few questions to :y: . Depending who you go to for the work and how much you can disassemble and reassemble it may cost as much as a standard 5k motor anyway. Then you'll think well maybe I should start off with a 5k as its slightly more powerfull base and warm it from there.... Just take your time with deciding and have fun with the current engine thats in it :)

[Kid-Ae]

I'm leaning towards doing simple things to this for now, cam carb and extractors are top of the list, then a custom intake to help suck some fresh air into the carb

[Kid-Ae]

Weather today has been stupid so all that got done was picking up the steel for fixing the speedholes.

[Kid-Ae]

[Kid-Ae]

[Kid-Ae]

 

Enjoy

[Ben-89]

Good photos, will definetley look nice when its all done. I hope your not going to change the bumpers and lights to the earlier stuff are you? Its such an original and clean base to start with so it will be a winner. You should've asked the old owner if they could have given you the number plate frame from the dealer for that old school touch :wink: I could tell it had one from the outline on the back panel.

 

So have you sorted someone to do the body repairs?

[Kid-Ae]

I'm undecided on the bars, kinda like this chrome. Tail lights are disgusting.. Anything TE I can go?

 

Previous elderly couple got rid of them when they handed in the plates, don't ask me why..

 

Yep, Dad's mate said for a slab it's done. Waiting on a call from him tomorrow about it. If I have some time during the day i'll keep attacking the rust and cutting away at it. Almost never ends

 

S'all good, in the glovebox was the LeMans Toyota booklet with all the sales stuff for the vehicle .

 

Pumped for Friday, brakes will be done so car will be much safer to drive. Front pads are so thin that I may as well be braking with my feet against the road.

 

Quick question.. In terms of a roadworthy (has to go through initial rego) does surface rust give them the right to fail me?