New possible owner of an 87GTS need some info

[blufbdy]

Ok so my uncles got an 87 GTS, i need some info on the car and their bad habbits... Its not running currently and has been up and down for the past few years, my cousin beat the piss out of it and now its running "sluggish" he said he had to ride the clutch to get it up the driveway, i havent seen this thing running for a few years but i just got back from the Army

Im probably gonna pick this thing up of his hands for 500 if i can get the problems fixed, my third gen camaro isnt gonna handle the snow very well this year and id rather not chance it..

So he said its got a big power loss, and he saw a puff of smoke come from his distributor. My uncle has torn down the block and everything, rebuilt it, ran great then the alternator went out, it sat for a while and now it runs like crap, im looking for problematic areas to begin looking in and also checking the basics, air/fuel/spark can anyone offer any info on this?

The motor is transverse and its FWD i believe, and its forced induction, my cousin claimed it to be a turbo but i believe these came with a supercharger correct? making it an AE92?

annnnd just for curiosities sake is there a RWD conversion for these? just for later on down the road lol

Thanks in advance! any info would be greatly appreciated

[ariel_86]

pics of the car?

None of the USDM Corollas came factory equipped with a s/c or turbo powerplant. If it is boosted, I'd bet is a s/c swap from a supercharged MR2 or a motor imported from Japan.

If the motor is transverse, than it is FWD. There are no RWD conversions that don't include more work than the car is worth. If you want a RWD Corolla, consider finding a AE86 ('84-87 SR5, '85-87 GTS) or older chassis.

It's a 20+ yr old commuter car that has been abused, so be ready for anything. If your time, experience, and wallet allow, get it, fix it, and enjoy it!

[EJ86]

From your description, it seems like it just needs a tune up.

[Levin_]

see what the oils like clean/ slugish?
if its quite bad it could be possible that the tvis oil gallery ( oil ports that open tvis) is blocked from bad oil

[Donald]

Originally Posted by Levin_

see what the oils like clean/ slugish?
if its quite bad it could be possible that the tvis oil gallery ( oil ports that open tvis) is blocked from bad oil

TVIS operates on vacuum, not oil.

If the car is an '87 GT-S with FWD, it would be an FX16 GT-S, AE82. (hatch back)
If it is an '87 RWD, it is an AE86. (coupe or fast back)

If it is an '88 GT-S it is an AE92. (coupe)