96 Corolla needs a little work

[forever_toyota]

Hey,

I have a 1996 1.8 Toyota Corolla that runs great but needs a little work underneath. The brake line is broken and I think the gas line needs to be changed also. The car is has a little rust and needs a little love but only has 220000 kms and I'd like to keep it. What should I do?

[Danny289]

I think you know where to start. The brake will be your priority because if you can not stop your car when you need , it is useless anything you have done to your car !

then fuel lines because you don't want to be in fire! and go on ..
this is the order you have to consider (IMO)

1- safety
2- performance
3-comfort

[zythr]

Do both fuel and brake lines at the same time, then work on the rust. Welcome by the way.

[Yodadex]

I have the same year 1.8 with 158K miles or 255885 km and I just replaced the following:

Distributor cap, & rotor
NGK wires and plugs
Timing belt + idler
AC & Alt belt
Air filter
Flushed and replaced Coolant + Transmission fluid
degreased most of the engine and repainted the valve cover

I need to replace all 4 strut shocks, inner cv boot, get an alignment, and clean the idle air control valve . I have my eye on the KYB Gr2. On ebay they are going for $302 shipped. I feel like I am driving a new car.

[REN69]

What you should do is fix it, drive it and enjoy good gas mileage... other than that, you won't get a performance car unless you're willing to spend some mad cash.

[Danny289]

Originally Posted by REN69

What you should do is fix it, drive it and enjoy good gas mileage... other than that, you won't get a performance car unless you're willing to spend some mad cash.

Maybe! you are right and I won't encourage anybody looking for performance in this little car. But believe or not these series of engines have a good power ratio to their size( do your own research). Hope I can have some video of my car and post that later. Not any modification has done on my car( but home made cold intake!!, which gaurantee my engine never starves for air) with 210k miles. I washed her couple hours ago after 2 years . highest speed I dared to drive: 108 miles. I learned later my tires are safe to 112 miles ( probably mine is less than tht they are 3 years old). Waiting to have 5.5~ 6 psi boost (which I think I can stay with stock ECU and just need to cut speed limitation and haveing high pressure fuel pump and injectors. thats my hope!!! ) .
I don't know what is factory specifications but i can talk about my car:When I am in (highway)race mode( or probably someone call it "abuse mode")!!!
highest speed: 108 miles ( certainaly I could go more but shocks were in terible shape at the time and so windy, scared to go faster)
0-60 ; ? I don't know hopefully find it tomorow
time& speed in quater mile : no idea hope find it tomorrow
1th gear 35 miles , limit!!! rpm dropped and fuel cut !!!( I don't have rpm gauge in my car no idea about what rpm I am driving but I think <6000 is red zone)
2th gear 65 miles limit rpm drop and fuel cut
3th gear 85 miles , I've not seen rpm drop or fuel cut maybe it happen in higher rpm(speed) usually I change the gear around this speed.
4th gear 108 miles , no idea about rpm drop and fuel cut,
5th gear : stupied!!!!! I have no idea about this gear, rpm drop after high speed and usually i am on 70~80miles but not on racing mode lol.
I don't know what you call it buddy.but I call it a little performance
love it look at my mirror and see many "high performance" cars behind me trying to catch up with the car that in some case it cost 1/100 price of the car they are driving . Also I forgoto say the engine is 1.6 l

[REN69]

Do some research? lol... I've owned AE corollas for over 10yrs, I think I've done enough research to tell you that you need some mad cash to spend, lol.

[Danny289]

Originally Posted by REN69

Do some research? lol... I've owned AE corollas for over 10yrs, I think I've done enough research to tell you that you need some mad cash to spend, lol.

I posted a new thread brother. I think a little misunderstanding between us. Take a lookto that post and give your opinion . For high performance upgrades you can spend whatever you want probably easiely can break 20K if somebody wants go that far it depends what you want from your car. for example for me "removing speed limiter and fuel cut" limitation" and adding max 20 hp if I needd!!!! maybe after removing the limiters I do not need extera hp honestly i can not think driving my car over 135 miles. . And I will do almost all the job myself. I am sure you can tell how much will cost the first step. For me 5 bucks . and the second step if I need more power that means adding turbo or supercharger am I right? 3-4 psi .... I am sure you know that. I say probably < $400 total .I am saying that becuase I am beyond the research and I am in the middle of the project. .

Ive done some maintances such shock and struts, motormounts , slave cluch syl and.... which I think I should do that anyway.

[MirrorEyes]

Originally Posted by REN69

Do some research? lol... I've owned AE corollas for over 10yrs, I think I've done enough research to tell you that you need some mad cash to spend, lol.

True that man. These cars were never really meant to go fast. If I wanted something already fast I'd get an Imprezza or something (when the time comes). But I still have mad respect for people like Pedro who have dropped tonnes of cash in to make them go fast, or people, like a lot of the users on here, who have just dropped quite a bit of cash just to make them better.

Also, Welcome! to forever_toyota, and as mentioned, I'd fix what needs to be fixed first. Then move onto the rust, and anything else that needs to be fixed.