I've had an idea.

"G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3" (gbodyman) 02/05/2016 at 13:49 • Filed to: None

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42

Take one pre-facelift Toyota Echo

Add:

-Aftermarket electric tach

-Gen 1 xB Raceland Coilovers

-Gen 1 xB TRD short shifter

-15" aluminum alloy wheels with Dunlop Direzza ZIIs

-Gen 1 xB DC Sports Front Strut Tower Brace

-Progress 22mm Gen 1 xB rear sway bar

-Base model rear seat brace (deletes folding seatbacks)

-Megan Racing 4-1 stainless header

-Hi-flow cat

-Custom mandrel-bent stainless catback exhaust

-OEM exhaust with butterfly valve delete

Then you’d have an awesome little sport compact for less than $4k including the cost of the car. It would get 40 MPG highway, and carve up corners pretty well. What says Oppo?

EL_ULY > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 13:51

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Eco-BRAAAPs are the best BRAAAPs!

CalzoneGolem > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 13:52

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I looked at Echos awhile back. The manual is weird.

not for canada - australian in disguise > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 13:52

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Alternatively, take the Echo RS hatchback, and do the same mods to make it worthy of it’s badge and looks.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > not for canada - australian in disguise 02/05/2016 at 13:54

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An RS hatch would be ideal, but America didn’t get them, and they’re pricier than the pre-facelift coupes in Canada.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > CalzoneGolem 02/05/2016 at 13:54

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How so?

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 13:56

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You’d have your own version of the Toyota Vitz Cup Car in Gran Turismo 3.

I’d try to find an echo hatch tho to make it even more authentic.

for Michigan > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 13:58

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All those xB parts fit the Echo?

CalzoneGolem > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 13:59

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It was really long and heavy in the ones I drove.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:01

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I know someone who got one of these for almost nothing and a set of used Spec Miata hoosiers and wheels for like $25, cut the springs, and brought it as-is to the GRM $2014 challenge and spanked in a few classes because it cost about $300 total and had gobs of grip. I almost saw the thing flip once at autocross. That was when he lost the hoosiers. Apparently there is such a thing as too much grip...

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > CalzoneGolem 02/05/2016 at 14:04

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An Axxion short shifter would probably be the best solution for that. Shorter throws than the TRD quickshifter, but it’s more effort because it changes the pivot point on the shift linkage.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > for Michigan 02/05/2016 at 14:04

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A ton of Gen 1 xB parts fit Echos. They’re almost identical underneath.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 02/05/2016 at 14:05

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Yeah, he traded a bicycle for it, IIRC. That was damn cool. I’ve been following his Tercel build on the GRM forums. The ITBs look really cool.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > for Michigan 02/05/2016 at 14:05

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That’s what I was wondering. If so I’d consider doing this myself as well.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 02/05/2016 at 14:05

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Yeah.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > EL_ULY 02/05/2016 at 14:07

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Ours had a Walker muffler with a butterfly valve delete, and that thing sounded reasonably beefy without being obnoxious.

vicali > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 02/05/2016 at 14:11

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I remember around 2000 when my friends with relatives in Jp were excited about the three door selling in Canada.. There were a ton of modified racing Vitz’s back there.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > vicali 02/05/2016 at 14:13

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They’re neat little cars.

vicali > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:18

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A co-worker of mine had one with low offset wheels and a center exhaust.. it was like stance-lite..

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > CalzoneGolem 02/05/2016 at 14:27

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I drove one of those. It was really weird. It’s a very upright driving position. And the clutch is like a little button on the floor.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:28

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I want to see this thing.

for Michigan > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 02/05/2016 at 14:28

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Yeah, it might be time to hunt for an Echo...

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:28

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I always wanted to rally one of these. For the silliness.

A slushbox can be fun, too! > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:28

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Seconded. Perfect little sleeper

RallyWrench > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:37

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This is a great idea.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/05/2016 at 14:38

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I agree.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/05/2016 at 14:41

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https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-pr…

Your wish has been granted.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > RallyWrench 02/05/2016 at 14:43

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Now I need another Echo.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > vicali 02/05/2016 at 14:52

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I’ve seen a blue one with a center exhaust. It looked kinda neat.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/05/2016 at 14:53

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Yeah. No clutch feel, upright driving position, but I find it to be oddly fun.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:54

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They don’t even look that silly in hatch form.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > for Michigan 02/05/2016 at 14:54

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The only thing that won’t fit on Echos are xB exhausts from the axle back, just because the Echo has a bigger overhang.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/05/2016 at 14:55

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The only way to get a Hatch model in the US is to import one from Canada.

vicali > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 14:57

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SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 15:01

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Haha, yep! Forgot about the bicycle bit. The bike bit gets even better though. The car wasn’t working and the guy needed to get to work. Traded the bike for the car, found the vacuum leak in five minutes, and drove it home. Even had A/C. Those shots of it up on three wheels are from my local.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/05/2016 at 15:02

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It’s awesome. He’s getting pretty quick, too. He’s got the thing tripoding beautifully in the corners.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > vicali 02/05/2016 at 15:14

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That looks sweet.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 02/05/2016 at 15:18

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Nice! We used to cram all five of us in our Echo and go on road trips, typically between 1-3 hours each way. That car was surprisingly fun, and better suspension would have made it even better.

DrJohannVegas > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 15:34

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Those ignition coils are clever, but weird.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > DrJohannVegas 02/05/2016 at 15:47

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Yeah, I noticed that. The wires also seem super thin, but that’s probably just me.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/05/2016 at 16:29

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Sadly. I think nobody liked the Echo because it’s so weird and ugly in coupe/sedan form. A hatch looks totally normal.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/05/2016 at 16:35

1

Yeah. But the upshot of this is that coupes are slightly lighter than the hatch, stiffer than the hatch, and ludicrously cheap.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/06/2016 at 01:54

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Indeed.