To get this log up I'll try to re-cap my build so far.........

a few have likely seen this in one of a few different forums

Surreptitious is the name I gave my little Corolla when I began the build last year. If you look in the dictionary Surreptitious means 1)Marked by quiet...secrecy, 3) Conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods.....

Or.....as I'd define her..... my little hotrod.






When I got her she looked like this....

remember this picture \/... you will be seeing it again









When I got her, she was not only underpowered, but UNpowered. She came with no engine, just a tangle of wires and hoses





sorry for the dark pic...... AND, warning in advance, many of my pictures are only fair

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I found this wonderful body guy last year.... his name is David, and he works out of Beaverton, Or. I'll post up his pic in a bit.

Anyway, the car gets towed out to Beaverton to begin her transformation.........




the front end "look" is built around angles/edges. Part of which are vintage correct (20 year old?) Hella driving lamps, DE2000.

I had a good pair, until the body guy dropped one



if you look carefully the lamp on the right is broken.




Where to find vintage Hella driving lamps?? The Netherlands of course?????? I found this set in a google search of a multi country (Europe) auction site



I've now have 3 good ones, and parts from the broken one(4th) if I should have a need.

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When new, this car came with a 4AC engine, the single cam brother of the twin cam 4AGE. This fact made swapping in a proper powerplant MUCH simpler then most folks with E7(and earlier) Corollas have if they want a power transplant.

Here is the powerplant as now mounted





The specifics: 1606cc, 10.75 to 1, 264 type cams, sequential injection, KBD header, w 2.25" exhaust from header to exit.

Here are a few of the build photos




head after I removed the valve shrouding, and equalized the camber volume




Being in Portland, I chose Loynings Engine Service to assist with the build, here is Arnie Loyning, and the components that will be my engine



The rods, and crank after they got dressed, balanced and shotpeened







The only custom internal bits I got were lighter wrist pins........







....and had the piston skirts coated for lower friction

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The special bit I paid Loynings for... Their 4AG expereince in porting - the next 3 photos....

intake port...



exhaust port...



....and exhaust leaving the head




add a pair of Web camshaft, grind 577





Dial them in just right......





Add advance engine management, I chose FJO Racing...







...... and her early #s tuning on a dyno, measured @ the wheels

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The body gets Toyota 051 paint, Diamond White Pearl.




All the trim is re-blacked






Now to find a set of wheels to go along with her new, slightly more aggressive, image. I find a set of Drag 902 wheels, in rwd offset... on Yahoo Japan.





Remember that photo from earlier...... the front end shot???

Drum roll, please....................






I promised you a photo of David(my body guy) earlier too....





@ a recent little car show




and a few short video clips....

1st one is a very early dyno run - http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j143/ ... V00077.flv

2nd video is a start up, rev it a few times, let her idle, and shut her down - http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j143/ ... peview.mp4

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Since this is my hotrod, and it is somewhat custom, there are some custom features that are incorporated into my car that are not in an original.


The first one would be a 9000 rpm tach fitted into the original cluster that only had an 8000 rpm tach. The Toyota FX16 is the only 4AGE powered car that came with a 9000 rpm tach. The entire FX16 tach was modified to fit the AE71 cluster(NOT an easy task). Why the switch??? Because my little motor is capable to rev out to 8400 rpm, and an 8k tach just wouldn't cut it

Here is the original cluster, note the mismatched indicator needles - some orange(small ones), some white(larger ones)




Here are the original and the modified one with the FX16 tach - note all the needles are now similarly orange





Continuing on with the custom work.... Look again @ the original front end... and the new front end... besides a slimmer bumper(I'll describe that more in a bit), the new front end is missing some original lamps........



The upper amber lamps out at the body's edge were parking lamps. The inner shielded amber lamps were the directional signals. To get the look I wanted I had to make the outer lamps BOTH parking lamps, AND directional signals!


This is how I did that........

1st I took a look @ the parking lamps and looked for a place to add an extra bulb... there ISN'T a great deal of room for more bulbs



Finding a place, I then began to think of what kind of lamp I could add there.... What first came to mind was a LED - (easy, self contained) but NOT bright enough! I then went on a hunt for a small incandecent(bright enough) lamp and socket that would fit in the available space. I go on a hunt to find a small socket/bulb assembly when I stumble over this in my junk box





Its the right size.....





and the light it produces....





Now a 4 panel explained....



the micro bulb is now the parking lamp(#2 from left to right), and the bulb that was originally the parking lamp(094 bulb type) is now the directional signal(#3 from left)


There is a significant safety advantage to this newer design.... NOW, the signal is in an area that can be seen by drivers to the side.... where as before it was impossible due to its location

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Further custom work......

As mentioned the front bumper is custom. With my desire to add the FOHA chin spoiler(I'll add a post about this too), and the requirement of an oil cooler, and my desire to incorporate the DE2000 driving lamps, David built a custom bumper made from 1" DOM tubing

The bumper began life as a stock bumper, Jesse helped me one day and drilled out the original spot welds holding the behemoth bumper on to the brackets, and then David built the bumper based on the stock bumper brackets!











Not only is the front bumper custom based on the original behemoth it once was, but so is the rear bumper!!! The rear bumper began life a bit more original then the front... this time David removed all of the rubber parts and just left the steel inner reinforcement. He then skinned it, added a filet to make it the right size...........

MASSIVE original rear bumper....




Trimmed by about 35#s, and 6"....

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One of the problems with old cars is old wiring... another problem is getting access to odd, or expensive relays.

Both can be solved with a COMPLETE re-wire. This task was well beyond my capabilities, I found this person who is decent, but is difficult during the best of times to deal with.... meet Mark




Even though Mark wired her, I did come upon a brainstorm for mounting electrical componenets.... use a cutting board as you mounting board!






Cut to the shape needed, hole drilled for mounting, relay board mounted securely.....



I purchased a EZ Wiring wiring kit to go along with the new relays(note... all are cheap Bosch type relays)

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One of my favorite photos so far.... crappy camera phone, but the look is so aggressive....





The photo above shows both FOHA spoilers. FOHA is a division of a global company(originally based in Austria) that makes/made aero parts for many different cars throughout the years. My car is equipped with a fiberglass copy up front(painted white) and an original rear duckbill spoiler on the deck lid.

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more custom bits......

As already mentioned this car is equipped with an oil cooler, but not an ordinary oil cooler... but a curved oil cooler originally designed for large bore motorcycles. I had to use this because the location is ideal for a cooler, if only corretly sized. When I ordered it, the representative @ Earl's did have a concern... but when I sent a photo of its location, he had no further concerns aboput its ability to cool a 4AGE of 1606cc



The curved cooler fits the location perfectly once custom fabricated braces were built.


Part of this cool custom part (imho) was the method used to isolate and seal the pass through for the oil cooler lines(far right in pic). The hole was there, an elongated oval hole about 2 1/2" x 1 1/4". I took a sway bar bushing (frame mount) and split it, then cut a recess in the back side so once fitted they would remain together unless pulled out.

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More custom work... in progress this time


The original interior color is blue. a medium and light blue.





The dash was absolute crap with 4 deep cracks... that has been fiberglassed(again by David)... and I'll finish(not yet) the dash with a flocked coating - flocking is a powdered material you glue in place, think of felt, or suede to the touch.

Along with a new dash, and the modified cluster, the interior is getting subtle updates as well. The interior color will remain..............



........the seats will be changed to a set of almost perfectly matched Recaros !




This is the drivers side bottom.... almost no wear

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a wee bit more custom work.......


The E7 chassis is VERY similar to the AE86, and is part of the reason I decided to build the AE71. BUT... not all the specs are the same! The dimensions on the lower crossmember are the same, BUT the upper strut mounts on an AE71 are WIDER than the AE86 by 12mm! Now that in itself isn't a big deal.... until you learn that *IF* you want to run vented front rotors... you need to use the AE86 strut case... and because of the upper strut mount difference, using the stock AE86/AE71 lower control arms mean you have POSITIVE camber... 6mm per side!!!!

The easiest method of fixing this is getting your DD buddies(Blake... ty) to build you extended lower control arms!



The only problem with this method is if there is a bit of difference in the lower control arm length ... AND a difference in the chassis may cause unequal, and unadjustable camber differences.....

How to cure this dilemma....

1) Get an adjustable upper strut mounts - (heard you again Jeff....) my issue with these are that they can't be quiet and they transmit excess vibration.



2) Puurchase fancy new adjustable lower control arms to give myself the adjustability...



problem here is although they will transmit less vibration then an adjustable upper strut mount will, the hard mount will still transmit vibration...

3) design my own solution....



above is a cobbled together photo... but you should get the overall idea. The kit is a lower control arm adjustable kit, very similar to the complete lower control arms in #2 above, but I'll be using a bushed end, instead of the hard point mount. I spoke to the builder of the control arms, and the kit(same company) and although I would have loved to use the completely new lower control arms he has built, they are too long to fit a bushed end on and not be too long even before adjustment, so I have the kit coming to build adjustables... and from a different source, I have threaded bushed ends(w zerxs fitting) coming.

Now I just need a DD to weld it together for me.... without overheating it, fucking up the threads on the inside of the mounting block



The parts have arrived, and will be welded together (been nearly 4 months, but I've been told they should be ready before X-mas

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hmmmmmmmmm, seems like I forgot to post 1/4 mile times

Let's see I brought her out to the evening drag races @ Portland International Raceway... Surreptitious's first runs ever, my first runs in over 25 years!


We did all of 3 passes....





see, the #'s match 826G




If you look @ those slips you'll note I'm VERY slow off the line, but an 89mph trap speed while running a 3.9 final drive is pretty good. With a good driver I believe she can make passes close to 15 flat




Her tune has come a LOOOONG way, and although I have no dyno sheet to show, I can assure you she is now above the 145 whp she planted 11 months back. How do I know this without a dyno?? Simple really... only 2 settings have changed; I've added 5 degrees more timing from 6k-9k, and the redline is now 7850 instead of 7500.

But there is far more to a tune then just running on a dyno, and that is what I've been doing since February. What I'm referring to is intown, or driving tuning. In my town of Portland Oregon, there are some "village" type sections of the town, one of these is called Sellwood. Sellwood is mostly older residences laid out in a grid, but there are no speeds in excess of 30mph (48kph), and most streets are 25(40) or less. Surreptitious can tool around Sellwood in 2nd gear at a tick above 1700 rpm and be happy And just as easily I can accelerate from a dead stop in 2nd gear and, without upshifting, reach 68 mph(109kph)

So... with the tune coming along very nicely, I have time to think of working on the interior. I had thought I had gotten an older MOMO wheel, just to find out I lost it... well, good things come to those that wait



above is a 37cm nearly flat Nardi :9~

and some more interior news....

A custom recovered dash pad


disregard the 3 spoke its just there till I get the nardi in my hands. Btw, that 9k tach is sweet in there


Along with the wheel, and the recovered dashpad, the recaros I got should fit in nicely

and while I've been waiting to build the bases, I've modified the Recaros, by adding lumbar support!!




AND........ the interior plastic bits....



are being restored as I write this, and I should be getting them back in the next week or so


obviously more to come.....

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Nice work.

That how you build a Corolla! i love the work done to the bumpers!!

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That monochrome scheme is hot. I'd drive it.

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-Cam
1980 Toyota Celica
1984 Porsche 911
1988 Mazda RX7

thanks for the kind words.......

I grew up with muscle cars and pony cars(I had a 68 GTO, a 66, and a 67 Shelby Mustang, and a 1970 428SCJ Mach1). The problem (as I see it) with all of those cars is they are very inefficient, and requires them to be heavy to be fast (V8 power).

My overall goals were to make her feel like a small block pony car(mid 60s 289 Mustang, or 327 Camaro), while being VERY clean, and achieving over 30mpg. My 1/4 mile is very similar to a small block pony cars time... especially if I learn how to drive @ the track. I've managed to get 30.5 mpg on one relatively short highway trip (about 122 highway miles)... and as for clean.....

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Loving your Thread and car!!! Your'e right, information is power thanks!

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1980 Toyota Celica GT
1985 Toyota Celica
1987 Toyota Supra Turbo
1987 Toyota Camry
2005 Toyota Corolla

1992 Mazda 929
(Dont Judge Me)

Wow,that's an amazing build..alot of attention in detailing

Notice... if you will, that in the photo showing all the interior bits.... the large "C" pillar trim is missing, well, I finally removed those, and sent them over to Color Glo... I HOPE to have a reconditioned photo of all the trim within a week or two.....





For over a year now I've been trying to find an extra "GT" emblem. There is the grill mounted one



and I've been trying to find something close so that I can add it to the back of the car....



From many searches there aren't many "GT" emblems, especially in red. What I usually end up finding are either Skyline GT-R emblems, or old Mustang type "GT" emblems.... or more recently the 370 GT emblems, none of them are even close enough to consider.

Well, while doing some chrismas shopping I come across a GT emblem from an Elantra - it cost all of $14.00 shipped



Its close... a bit of a lean, and the G and T are attached.


Part of that I can "fix"




Here is the "new" emblem and the original



It's not perfect, but mounted in the back(away from the one up front) few if any will actually see the difference........


So now to decide where on the back of the car to fit it. The small ledge directly under the taillamps are just tall enough to fit the emblem without overhang, another thought was to mount it to the spoiler face - off to one side or the other (it doesn't fit over the lock cylinder)

Anyone have any ideas? My initial idea was on the spoiler face directly over the right rear back-up lens... but I'm open to suggestions

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