Toyota Corolla AE86 Daily Driver Transforms Into Legendary Demo Car

The old adage about a car owner seeking out a simple, reliable daily driver, only to modify it so much that it becomes a full-blown project, which in turn requires finding yet another car to serve daily duty, is more common than not. This picture perfect 1984 Toyota Corolla fell victim to the vicious serial build scenario. Rather than being packed with boxes and leftover drive-thru containers, it stood proudly in the Cusco booth of SEMA 2021 and helped generate parts for the U.S. AE86 community.

Try to find a mid-'80s Corolla in the sort of condition that won't have you emptying your bank account just to bring it up to mildly acceptable standards and you're met with heartbreaking prices. Takashi Ohira, who serves as co-owner of Mastermind, a brand that imports high quality automotive goods from Japan, and who also owns Willway-USA, the exclusive distributor of Spirit Rei and Exarts exhaust components and exporting of U.S.-spec vehicles to Japan, learned quickly that current pricing doesn't favor the buyer.

After losing his GS-R Integra to an accident, he began searching for a replacement and wanted something with 3-doors again, like a Nissan Silvia S-chassis or fifth-generation Honda Civic to stuff it full of parts boxes coming from and going to Japan. Outside of the utilitarian needs, Takashi wanted a manual transmission and around 200 horsepower on tap. "We get a lot of requests and questions from left hand drive car owners on the U.S. side that want to know if certain JDM parts will work on their car," he says. "Cars like the Honda EG, EK, and DC, and Nissan 180SX already have vast compatibility and data on what will fit."

One request that popped up during his vehicle search involved whether or not a TEC-ART'S exhaust manifold would fit a left-hand drive layout and if an A/C kit was available and compatible. Takashi reached out to TEC-ART'S Mr. Kamata who assured him that the parts could be developed for the U.S. model, but he'd need an actual car in their garage to make it happen. Takashi states, "So, I began looking for an AE86 hatchback and it was very difficult to find a decent Corolla at a reasonable price. Since it was going to be used for research and development, damage and rust would have to be at a minimum."

Not experiencing much luck in his search, Takashi finally got a solid lead from a neighbor that sent him to Lance Freeman, who had this Corolla ready to sell. Rough and in need of attention, Takashi went through the car and found it had solid bones and a relatively straight chassis. After a few months of waiting for the title to be issued, the 86 left Long Beach and headed for TEC-ART'S Japan.

"Initially, I thought perhaps the car would come back with a refreshed 4AG and A/C kit, and TEC-ART'S body kit," says Takashi. What he didn't know was that Mr. Kamata had reached out to multiple AE86-related shops and brands about a development car, including Cusco, who requested that upon completion, the car display in their 2021 SEMA booth. From that point, parts began pouring in to support the project and any thoughts of a daily driver and parts hauler quickly dissolved.

After the car was torn down, new front and rear fenders from Restoreparts.com were installed along with the brand's back panel, front bumper, and headlight brackets. The classic two-tone exterior treatment is a bit deceiving in this instance, in that the Impulse dry carbon fiber hood and headlight covers flow with the car's lower half but there's quite a bit more carbon involved. Now covered in paint, the hatch, the doors, and the entire roof are also produced in the lightweight composite material.

Typically, Watanabe are the wheel of choice but this more modern version of the original 86 uses Work Meister CR01 in 15x8 +3 with 195/50 Toyo R1Rs. KW Suspension coilovers replaced the archaic stock set up, and if you get a look underneath, you'll find Cusco pillow tensions rods and a series of adjustable arms and links.

Under that lightweight hood now rests a 20-valve 7AG sporting 12.8:1 compression and TEC-ART'S rods, crank, and cams. A WeldSpeed billet aluminum ITB plenum is fed by a short-ram HKS filter, a combination that takes up most of the space on the passenger side of the bay, while the driver's side is home to a Fujitsubo header that leads to a Sard high-flow cat. The ignition has been upgraded to a coil-on-plug set up for modernization along with MoTeC's M130 management wired in, and rather than a throttle cable, a drive-by-wire system is used to actuate the throttles.

The engine bay's look is immaculate, with touches of gold anodizing set against a black valve cover and TEC-ART'S radiator, as well as purple engine mounts to bring together a very cohesive and purposeful look. Beyond the appearance, the thorough massaging of the power plant applied by TEC-ART'S is top notch and power isn't lost in translation as it's sent through a Toda clutch and TRD 2-way limited slip.

That attention to detail is also exploited with the Corolla's reworked interior. Cusco issue Bride Stradia III seats are the focal point and supported with matching Bride upholstery used for the door cards, rear side panels, and rear seats, with that pattern spilling into the cargo area as well. The dash, a TEC-ART'S leather version that uses red baseball stitching to match the seats, was based on a factory dash donated to the project by friend Jacob Gioffrre. Sport pedals and a TRD shifter and horn button-equipped Momo steering wheel finish off a pristine cabin.

Beyond working on projects at TEC-ART'S, Mr. Kamata also serves as an event organizer and judge for the AE86 Drift Championship of Japan, but somehow found enough time to complete this massive makeover in just six months. The car made its way back to U.S. soil before heading out to Las Vegas for SEMA and is brought to various events to highlight the left-hand-drive compatible parts that were developed during its build up.

Takashi tells us that with the drive-by-wire and MoTeC tuning, the car is remarkably easy to drive. "Usually people think that a car built by a tuning shop will be hard to drive and difficult to operate, but in this case, it doesn't have to be. Even a beginning driver can feel how easy this is to drive." Of course, it's fully capable of being put to task by a skilled wheelman, and just before the car left Japan for its return to the U.S., the Drift King himself, Tsuchiya-san jumped behind the wheel for some "spirited testing."

An incredible series of events that transpired after a customer's inquiry, but as luck would have it, Takashi is right back to square one, adding, "I don't daily this car…therefore I still do not have a daily."

1984 Toyota Corolla SR-5

Owner Takashi Ohira

Instagram @mastermind_north_america

Engine 7AG 20 valve head; forged pistons 12.8:1; TEC-ART'S 7AG-specific rods, crankshaft, cams, copper 3-row radiator, Type NA fuel pump, WeldSpeed intake manifold; coil-on-plug ignition, Type L Fujitsubo exhaust manifold, Sard sports catalytic converter; Toda valve springs; 1.2mm metal head gasket; HKS 15 row oil cooler, air filter; electric water pump; 400cc injectors; Bosch electronic drive; MoTeC M130 management; Motul 300V oil; Cusco oil catch can

Drivetrain Toda clutch; TRD 2-way LSD

Suspension KW Suspensions coil overs; Cusco pillow tension rod, lower arm, control arm N1 link, lateral rod

Braking Endless MX72 brake pads; TEC-ART'S super slit rotor, mesh hose; Motul brake fluid

Wheels & Tires Work Meister CR01 15x8 +3; Toyo Proxes R1R 195/50

Exterior Impulse dry carbon hood, doors, roof, hatch, headlight covers; Restoreparts.com front bumper, front/rear fenders, back panel, headlight bracket; OEM front lip; Cruise LED head lights; Coolverre infrared/UV cut glass

Interior Cusco x Bride Stradia III front seats; Bride seat material floor mats, door cards, rear seats, rear cargo mat; TEC-ART'S leather dash panel