corollaTE27Fan Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 I have recently acquired a 1974 Corolla KE20 Coupe and plan to do a replica J street mod to it (along the lines of the twin cam TE27 Levin). I have read posts on here about similar mods but could do with some tech help regarding the lowering and wheel size. As far as the lowering is concerned i'll be keeping the existing rear cart springs lowering by usng 'lowering' blocks but not sure how far to go. At the front I am going to use lowering springs that give a drop of 1.5 to 2 inches so should I go for similar lowering blocks as the car as it is seems to sit level. Body work wise I am going to add some arch flares as the TE27 Levin has which gives about an extra 2 inch in width all round. For wheels I am going to go with period Ford fitment deep dish type alloys as my 4 x 110 pcd and offset is similar to a Mk1 Escort with 4 x 108 though I will need to use some 'wobbly' wheel bolts and spigot rings. I am keeping existing hubs and brakes for the time being, just need to work out how wide to go on the wheels so would appreciate any tips here on optimum width so as to not put too much stress on the little steering box. I would also be interested to here where the J Retro ride guys get their parts from as I can only seem to find sources in the States, Japan and Australia/New Zealand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrot Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 I responded to your JNC post which presumably you read. It's too easy to get the exact parts you need from around the world these days to do some dodgy make it fit job. Do it properly and get your rear springs reset and wheels that fit. Think seriously about your suspension plans, as if you elect to change strut's & brakes after, your pcd will almost certainly change too. The reality is that TE27 parts differ substantially from KE20 bits, and they were only seen in any quantities in Japan or the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corollaTE27Fan Posted September 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 Hi Pete Yes I did read your response. I have done so much reading on the net over the past couple of weeks I am suffering from information overload at present! I am really looking to give my car a bit of street cred whilst I decide how to upgrade it with the proposed engine swap. Hence my looking at lowering it and putting some nice wheels on it. I take your point about getting the right stuff, trouble is its so hard to find stuff in the UK. I did see some Hayashi Street wheels in Spain in the correct fitting but just missed them as they were a steel at around £600 for a set plus shipping to the UK. I like the TE27 Levin look but appreciate that the real thing would be hard to replicate properly in a lesser model. I have also read that some people who race KE20's in Australia use stock suspension which lead me to wonder if I really need to start swapping out struts and suspension components. Appreciate your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrot Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 (edited) The guy in Spain does have some great stuff but his prices are eye watering. Do bear in mind he is active on yahoo Japan as a parts source though he clearly has other sources in Japan as well. I have often seen things sell on yahoo only to end up on his eBay site with huge markup. But he outlays the money to import things so he can charge what he likes. It would be easy enough to put some lower front springs and get your rear springs redone (reverse eyes etc) as discussed elsewhere here. You may find some old Mazda wheels in the UK. Series 1 RX7 wheels are an option. Then drive and enjoy what looks like a lovely car. In the meantime start stockpiling parts for your conversion. The driveline at least will be relatively easy for you to locate in your neck of the woods with local AE86 GT's. Go the ae86 front strut route, convert a T series rear end to leaf spring, and you will then have a wider range of wheels to consider in 114.3. Stock suspension is too limited in damper and brake options, and if you end up going 4age as planned, you will want better brakes anyway. And in the UK, AE86 based parts is a no brainer Edited September 6, 2015 by parrot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrot Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 And by the way. I got my users mixed up in the JNC thread. This is the thread for the conversion kits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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