The Legend of James' AE86 Continues

"Battery Tender Unnecessary" (carac) 01/05/2014 at 09:45 • Filed to: None

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Wish granted, for both parties.

First, a little back-story. In the early '00s, I went to college. I wasn't big into sports, I wasn't really all that into partying, but I was REALLY into cars. Saw a flyer one day walking across the grounds at UVA about a un-official UVA car club (UVA didn't want people thinking they endorsed a car club at the time so we had to call ourselves CAV for Cavalier Association of Vehicles). Met my current best friend there. He was living in the Japanese Language House. Initial D had a cult following there. I watched it and like many, I was seduced by the "alure" of the AE86. I moved on to the flesh and blood of Best Motoring and ended up saying "some day" to the idea of owning one.

Fast forward a decade and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! pointed me to an ebay listing. I read the listing and followed it with my ebay app. I occasionally checked to see where the bidding stood but once it got over $4k I stopped following as closely. The auction ended and I checked to see what it finally went for. To my surprise, three bids were retracted and it went for under $4k. To my greater surprise, I found out the car was two hours away in NC and a few minutes from some family in Asheville. Knowing how often eBay car auctions fall through, I texted the seller and said if the buyer backs out that I'm two hours away and would love to come by and take a look. Sure enough, the bidder wasn't serious and I found myself test driving an AE86 on New Year's day.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Come to find out the original owner was a Toyota service tech that ordered it with all the goodies like LSD and cruise control. It then ended up being taken care of by James and his friend, who also just happened to end up being a service tech. Needless to say, it's one of the best running AE86's I've ever seen. It cold starts on the first turn in 18 degree weather. Unfortunately, the brake booster decided to give up the ghost the day of my test drive and manual brakes had to suffice. Being a tech and an awesome guy to boot, the seller offered to hunt down a booster and install it by the afternoon (New Year's Day). I told him "no rush, I'll take the car and be back over the weekend to pick it up". He replaced the booster, master cylinder, flushed the system, and put new fluid in...on the house (it helps that a OEM master cylinder is $30). He went over everything he thought might need attention later (wheel bearing, alignment, etc). He even made me aware of a very slight leak on the oil cooler, told me what to get to fix it, and how to fix it. He also threw in the original rims. Told me to call anytime I needed help with it and offered to buy it back if I got tired of it someday. I told him she's in good hands.

Drove the two hours home, checked it out and the only issue is the weeping around the hose on the cooler he told me how to fix.

First order of business is replacing the oil cooler lines. Once the weather gets better I'll cut out, weld, grind, and polish the small rust areas visible at the back of the rear fenders. Find a GT-S hatch to replace the SR5 that's on it and probably leave it at that for a while. Maybe pickup some JDM bumpers, who knows? Maybe help bring Bosozoku to the states (kidding).

I'd love some feedback/suggestions. The new project begins.

TyFc3s-A car hating millennial > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 00:28

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I cant wait to hear more about this, great story! love the car!

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 00:34

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Why is there a SR5 hatch on it? Just a replacement? At some point in my life I want to own a clean AE86, its on the bucket list. Initial D is the thing that really got me into cars so an AE86 and an RX7 have always been dream cars of mine.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 01/05/2014 at 00:44

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Original hatch had rust so they replaced it a while back.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 10:19

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And the award for best Japanese alloy wheels for the 1980's goes to....

ridered777 > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 10:41

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Awesome snag, man. I learned to slide on one of these after buying one while I lived in Florida, and unlike the e30 I've driven, It was not a case of "hero's not meeting expectations".

This car is the reason I bought the BRZ. This car is the reason I love drifting. And this car is a tank. A great toy, have fun with it. I miss mine. One day when I have money again I plan on picking one up and giving it a supercharger. Only thing is I want a coupe, one I owned in Florida was a hatch.

Tom McParland > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 10:45

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Called it! Glad you picked it up, can't wait to read more updates!

TheRallyStache > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 11:10

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Congratulations! That's a beautiful specimen. I definitely would have snatched it up myself for under $4K.

MoparOrNoCar (Okay, maybe a Mazda?) > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 01/05/2014 at 11:40

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I'd give it to the Starion, oddly.

It has the same design, but in a 5-spoke-style design. It's a personal thing, but I prefer 5 spoke wheels.

For a 4-spoke design, that's really nice though.

Have Jeep, will travel. > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 11:48

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Nice! Congrats on a new car and project!

kyoo > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 11:59

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definitely f20c swap!

LastScene86 > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 12:01

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Hey this is James. I'm very happy it went to someone deserving, and with ties to Asheville to boot! Your story sounds much like my own coming around to cars and the "one day" lust for an AE86. My 31 mangas of Initial D and especially old Hot Version, Best Motoring on VHS helped really cement my love for all things Corolla. You sound like you really care for this car and that's all I really wanted. Thanks to Patrick and the Jalop community for making its sendoff so special!

I consider myself lucky to have owned it and I hope it brings you as much joy as it did to me. Please keep everyone here updated on the project! Sorry I couldn't find the spoiler. Come back by to the mountains sometime and I'll buy a fellow Jalop a beer.

Best wishes (and motoring)!

aracona > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 12:12

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It's weird. I drove a car like this in college. It was about 1991 and it wasn't my car but a Japanese roommate who had gone back home for the summer had left his keys with a fellow roommate who loaned the car to me several times during the period he was gone. The car was several years old and had no rep at the time. It seemed like everyone was interested in Supras, and Conquests, 5.0 Mustangs, Z-28 Camaros, or RX-7s. The car I drove was just a Celica with a pop-up headlight that had jammed.

I don't know what the model code was, but I do know that it looked like the car in these photos.

All I knew was that if I dropped the clutch like I didn't care, it would peel out like crazy! I loved it. I went of several dates with a hot babe in the car and she always squealed erotically when I would spin the back wheels in a parking lot.

There was one epic trip when I drove with a buddy from Columbia, MO to Kansas City for the first Lollapalooza concert in that car. We saw Jane's Addiction, Souxsie and the Banshees, Ice T, Henry Rollins, In Living Color, Butthole Surfers (and likely a couple other bands that I can't remember now). On the way there, at one point I do recall taking the car up to 120+ MPH on highway 40, while eating pizza!

It was a really sweet ride. The engine pulled like a horse. I had assumed it was a straight six like the Supra, during a visit home I was surprised when my old man looked at it and told me it was just a four-banger. We failed to knock the stuck headlight loose with a hammer, but at least we gave it a try.

Honestly, it was probably the fastest car I've ever driven. But I know it was just a mid-80s four-cylinder Celica. I don't think anyone gave them much respect at the time. I have to confess that I didn't either. Few people seem to remember it now.

Isn't the answer to ever question on this site, "Miata" or M3-E30"?

I dunno. But THIS is the car that defined my adolescence. Glad somebody else remembers how awesome it was. I dunno what "Initial D" is.

Wave Motion Gun > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 01/05/2014 at 12:23

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The Mitsubishi Starion? ;)

nb2abarth > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 12:30

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great choice hope u enjoy it. i really like the sitting position and it was natural to learn heel toe in it. had a silver coupe 6 yrs ago used as a daily driver.

TeeJayHoward > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 12:30

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Suggestions:

It looks like there's some clear coat damage. I'd recommend polishing the paint and putting a good layer of wax over it. Clean the engine bay of any dirt or grime, as I'm sure has accumulated over the years. Rent an extractor and clean the heck out of the interior. Once it's in as good a shape as it could possibly be without purchasing new parts, drive the SNOT out of it.

RonMaxx > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 12:31

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Here in Brazil, we never had this generation of the Corolla, starting with the E100 being imported and the late E110 being made locally (with 7A-FE engines). So, i've never had seen one of those until i've played NFSUG2 (but i always, ALWAYS, chose the Civic, yeah, no love for Miatas), and found funny that pink strange car that looked like a old Passat and had low specs even for a starter car.

Then, since last year i've started watching animes, and so i decided to look into Initial D. "Man, that AE86 was a blast" i thought, so, since on i am kind of a fan of the series and the car. I started playing racing games with this car, from GT4 to NFSUG2, and it really, even in simplest games it was great (ok, before you think that's strange, i think that isn't any AE86s here on Brazil, and the only cars that have quite a fandom are Opalas, VW APs engine powered cars and V-TEC Hondas, so no way of me finding someone who drives this car here).

Since last year, this car completed 30 years since start of production, so it was elligible to be imported (serious, if you think that USA's 25-year ban bad, know that here we don't even have a Show or Display policy, so no EB110s for us, but you can always go illegal), although here we have some others imports from the time they were sold, so there are even some R-chassis legalized here, but no AE80s. It even appeared on Jalopnik BR (RIP) list to "be imported cars", it was good to know that i wasn't the only one wanting one of theses cars.

Then i started to simulate a importation of one US$ 6,000 coupe from Cali, it turned to, in the best of situation, not cost more than R$ 40,000~46,000 or US$ 16,800~19,300, without costs for transportation, just taxes. With this amount i can buy a used 2008 AWD Subaru or a 1st gen Miata, however new i could barely buy a VW Gol.

It turned to be quite impossible to buy one of these through importation, but however i'm still interessed to have one, maybe i need to live in another country (i think that's legal and not expensive to have one on Chile or Ecuador). I think that maybe i can put a 4/7A-FE on a Chevette hatch and put a panda livery on it anyways...

I really wish luck to you and your project, and that this car gives you many hours of fun driving it.

Kaufmania: Mark Webber's Stunt Double > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 12:37

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Definitely lots of LSD in Ashville, NC. If I was still in Raleigh I would bought that baby in a heart beat.

DudeDoYouEvenPeanutButter > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 12:39

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You should probably just put ITB's on it ASAP.

Party-vi > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 13:02

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It's always nice to see a Jalop get what he's yearned for! Congrats! What's going to see more mileage, the SLS or the AE86? :P

AJ_Lethal > aracona 01/05/2014 at 13:08

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Initial D is what should have been "in" instead of the FnF franchise.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Party-vi 01/05/2014 at 13:09

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Lol, with 283k on the Toyota's clock, the SLS has some catching up to do. We'll see once spring arrives but it's safe to say both will see a good deal of road. I've got a 2200 mile road trip planned for the SLS in April. I'll probably keep my driving in the AE86 local until I get everything sorted and feel confident I won't be stranded...but the big plus of the Corolla is that there's a good chance a replacement part is just an autozone away, unlike the E30 where it might be weeks before a OEM part can be shipped from Germany.

Desu-San-Desu > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 13:19

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Ok man, you gotta tell us how it drives. I live fairly near Asheville and I know the roads up that was are awesome- that entire region is driving heaven, really.

Party-vi > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 13:20

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Speaking of, what is your daily driver? You've got the SLS, E30 and now the AE86.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Party-vi 01/05/2014 at 13:22

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Right now, during the winter a Range Sport. It's in the "temp/rotating" spot in the garage. Everything else is a "keeper." With the purchase of the AE86, I'm out of garage space. Going to need to find a dedicated garage/shop/hangout soon.

Party-vi > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 13:24

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Damn. See this is why I should have stayed in school haha.

Hydro7 > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 01/05/2014 at 14:00

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I've always loved the RX7. Its the only Mazda I'd ever own. All the other models, majority are recent, give off a feminine design appeal to me. The RX7 does not. Beautiful Car.

bravelittletoaster > Wave Motion Gun 01/05/2014 at 14:02

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Dems some old celica wheels, sir. Starion/conquest wheels were five lug and five spoke.. But very similar.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > bravelittletoaster 01/05/2014 at 14:08

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I'm a big fan of 4-lugs that say it loud, say it proud.

Wave Motion Gun > bravelittletoaster 01/05/2014 at 14:37

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I know that - I just think the award should go to the Starion/Conquest wheels. They are boss.

Kylemaro > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 15:00

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suggestions? sure

i'm not saying go full on tofu with it (decals) but can you honestly say you've seen a better looking color combo for an 86?

TheBaron2112 > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 15:50

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Dude. This is awesome. I don't know what else to say other than that. Awesome get.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 16:19

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The answer to the E30 vs AE86 debate has been answered.

Although I can't say that I'd take a Hachi Roku over an E30 M3 ... but you get the point. You have a great combo of cars, covering all three categories:

-Incredibly drool-worthy supercar? Check.
-Super collectible and fun classic sports car with racing heritage? Check.
-Legendary hoon-mobile that is a car that only a car guy (or girl) gets really excited over and is incredibly fun to drive while being inexpensive and easy to fix? Check. (Do they not have a medal for this achievement?)

Congrats, BTW! The AE86 is an excellent car that is, from what I hear, a blast to drive. Prepare to be bombarded by offers from every person who drifts or read Initial D. A clean AE86 is harder to come by than almost anything else, and the value and uniqueness of them only rises as more and more of them meet their doom. I'd love to hear how it is!

Battery Tender Unnecessary > LastScene86 01/05/2014 at 16:55

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Thanks for taking such good care of it, I'll do my best to do so also. Patrick asked to have a go in it once the weather turns good and I plan on posting updates as time goes on. If you want to get a hold of me, I've got a Jalop specific email address at ImolaSLS@gmail.com.

Dunnik > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/05/2014 at 19:09

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Really pleased this excellent example of the AE86 has found a good new home. Grats, and enjoy!

If funds allow one day, that 1980s paint isn't looking so hot. Go red.

tsmit > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/06/2014 at 01:45

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paint it white :D

You had fordboy357 at "meat tornado" > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/06/2014 at 07:32

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Panda + RS Watanabes = utter win.

Siman > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/06/2014 at 07:59

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if you need help with parts or suggestions on parts give me a ring or message ive been slowly restoring my 86 for a few years its almost done with a full trueno conversion.

Acidboogie > Kylemaro 01/06/2014 at 08:24

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The white/black is nice, it's likely my favorite factory color option even, but I think the factory red/black is an incredibly close second and I'd actually recommend it even if just to divorce the tofu association.

I've nothing against Initial D personally but it's the type of thing where with the panda colors the first thing people think is "oh look at that anime fan" but with any other color combo it's "hey look at that classic Toyota fan." That's not to say that you should care what other people think of you or your car but unless you're a big Initial D fan and you're picking that color combo purposely or you just like the color you'll be getting some associations that you may or may not actually want.

PICKLEBOY > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/06/2014 at 09:21

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I'm so jelous right now lol. I'm in college and have no extra cash and had it been a couple years earlier or years after today I would have jumped all over this car :P

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > Wave Motion Gun 01/06/2014 at 11:59

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The Starion wheels and the Celica-Supra/AE86GTS wheels are just 4-spoke and 5-spoke of similar design.

Zaxxon > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/06/2014 at 17:04

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Annnnnnd now I have the InitialD soundtrack playing in my head.

Kylemaro > Acidboogie 01/06/2014 at 17:33

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initial D isnt a huge thing stateside though, even then its more car guys then the kind of people who'd be sitting around watching inuyasha lol