My 93' Corolla from New Zealand

[Full-Throttle]

Hi All!

I'm Scott from New Zealand.

I own a 1993 Toyota Corolla SE Limited (JDM AE100 4-door sedan). I've owned it for 2-years so far. I bought it when it was completely stock and have gradually added things to it to make it different and unique.

Here's a list of current mods and some photos:

* Replaced engine with 60,000km (37,000 mile) 5A-FE.

* Lowered on 40mm Jamex springs.

* Full 2" exhaust with Dynomax muffler and 2x resonators.

* BMW M3 trunk lip spoiler.

* Aftermarket fibreglass sideskirts.

* Rolled rear guards.

* Optional OEM 3-point strut brace.

* Monroe GT Reflex gas shocks.

* 17" alloy wheels with Hankook 205/40/17 tyres.

* Pod filter with with custom 3" CAI (cold air intake).

* Custom exhaust manifold and front pipe (4-2-1).

* Removed the catalytic converter.

* Resurfaced front disc brakes.

* Sony Xplod head-unit, Sony 6.5" 4-way front speakers, Sony 444w amp.

* Toyota Sprinter GT seats (folding rear seats).

* Painted valve cover red.

* Chrome Simota oil cap.

* Front/rear bumper lips painted.

[Lawz]

hell yeah that looks good mate. Get a lip off ebay or FX GT front bar like Hiro Protagonist on here :)

[Full-Throttle]

hell yeah that looks good mate. Get a lip off ebay or FX GT front bar like Hiro Protagonist on here :)

Thanks man. I'm trying to hunt down an OEM Corolla GT front lip. The FX-GT bumpers are plentiful here, but I prefer the look of the original bumper better (not so keen of the wide 'mouth' on the FX-GT bumper, lol). If I can't find an original GT lip then I'll probably just chuck a BZ Touring wagon front lip on instead :). Thanks again for the comment :D

[Hiro]

The FX-GT bumpers are plentiful here, but I prefer the look of the original bumper better (not so keen of the wide 'mouth' on the FX-GT bumper, lol)

Reckon you could track down some foglights for me then? :P

Did those rear seats come from a GT sedan or from a Sprinter? I've got the Levin fronts but fairly sure the Levin/Sprinter/FX rear seats don't fit the sedans (wings are different).

[Full-Throttle]

The FX-GT bumpers are plentiful here, but I prefer the look of the original bumper better (not so keen of the wide 'mouth' on the FX-GT bumper, lol)

Reckon you could track down some foglights for me then? :P

Did those rear seats come from a GT sedan or from a Sprinter? I've got the Levin fronts but fairly sure the Levin/Sprinter/FX rear seats don't fit the sedans (wings are different).

Yeah that shouldn't be a problem :). The cheapest would be to get them off someone wrecking an FX-GT privately, otherwise I'd have to go to a wreckers yard which would charge quite a bit more. I'll have a look and let you know what sort of prices you're looking at.

The seats came from a 1993 Sprinter GT sedan. They're the exact same seats as in the Corolla GT sedan. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw one sitting in the junkyard. They're very rare to see on the roads, let alone in a pick-a-part. Managed to get all of the seats and door cards for $45 NZD. They're the same pattern as the Levin seats, but the fabric goes all the way around, unlike the black backing that the Levins have. The front seats also poke out slightly further than the Levins too. I've also got the door cards, but because my Corolla's interior is a plum colour, I can't just chuck the grey door cards on unfortunately, so will have to get the fabric transferred at an upholsterer. Oh, and yeah you're right, the hatchback seats won't fit. Your best bet is to find a GT model or just go with seat-covers B)

EDIT: I should also mention that the standard rear seats in my Corolla were the fixed type (non-foldable). I had to drill holes to mount the brackets etc a couple of weeks ago to fit the rear folding seats. Was worth it though as they have come in handy quite a few times so far and it's good to have them all matching :)

Here's some comparison photos between the old seats and new ones:

Edited August 3, 2010 by Kiwi-Corolla

[Hiro]

Yeah I'd love a set of GT rear seats, anything GT sedan-related though is uber-rare though. Our ADM rear-seats are 60-40 split fold already so there wouldn't be any cutting/shutting, I have considered getting Levin or Sprinter liftback (much easier to find) rear seats and then using them to re-trim the standard back-rests (base should swap over). Ideally I want to turn mine into a GT-sedan replica (with twin exhausts, interior except for the FXGT Momo wheel, 20v engine albeit with a 7A block) but with the FXGT front end instead.

[Full-Throttle]

Yeah I'd love a set of GT rear seats, anything GT sedan-related though is uber-rare though. Our ADM rear-seats are 60-40 split fold already so there wouldn't be any cutting/shutting, I have considered getting Levin or Sprinter liftback (much easier to find) rear seats and then using them to re-trim the standard back-rests (base should swap over). Ideally I want to turn mine into a GT-sedan replica (with twin exhausts, interior except for the FXGT Momo wheel, 20v engine albeit with a 7A block) but with the FXGT front end instead.

Awesome, that would make things a lot easier having all of the brackets there already. The funny thing is that every other Corolla over here has factory folding rear seats, except for my one. The weird part is that mine is an SE Limited, which is the top model you can get (aside from the GT) so I'm not sure why they decided to install fixed rear seats all of a sudden . Good idea to get the seats reupholstered using the fabric, that is a great alternative. Turning yours into a GT replica would be awesome B). Did you ever hear about the ULTRA rare TRD 2000 Corolla that came with the factory 3S-GE engine? I've got some pics of the sales brochure if you wanna see it ;)

[Hiro]

Yeah I'd love a set of GT rear seats, anything GT sedan-related though is uber-rare though. Our ADM rear-seats are 60-40 split fold already so there wouldn't be any cutting/shutting, I have considered getting Levin or Sprinter liftback (much easier to find) rear seats and then using them to re-trim the standard back-rests (base should swap over). Ideally I want to turn mine into a GT-sedan replica (with twin exhausts, interior except for the FXGT Momo wheel, 20v engine albeit with a 7A block) but with the FXGT front end instead.

Awesome, that would make things a lot easier having all of the brackets there already. The funny thing is that every other Corolla over here has factory folding rear seats, except for my one. The weird part is that mine is an SE Limited, which is the top model you can get (aside from the GT) so I'm not sure why they decided to install fixed rear seats all of a sudden . Good idea to get the seats reupholstered using the fabric, that is a great alternative. Turning yours into a GT replica would be awesome B). Did you ever hear about the ULTRA rare TRD 2000 Corolla that came with the factory 3S-GE engine? I've got some pics of the sales brochure if you wanna see it ;)

Yeah I've seen the TRD2000 stuff, pity they used a GenIII 3SGE and not a BEAMS, the BEAMS is my other main option for engine apart from the 7AGE 20V and in some ways easier, in some ways a lot harder though.

[GTL05T]

mean car bro.. CHURRR!

[Full-Throttle]

Yeah I've seen the TRD2000 stuff, pity they used a GenIII 3SGE and not a BEAMS, the BEAMS is my other main option for engine apart from the 7AGE 20V and in some ways easier, in some ways a lot harder though.

Yeah, or a 3S-GTE B). A few people have done the 3S-GTE conversion overseas, but I would imagine it'd be hard to get any traction. If I won Lotto I'd get a 4WD drivetrain from a diesel 7th Gen and do a full 4WD 3S-GTE swap :D

mean car bro.. CHURRR!

Thanks man! Glad you like it

[Full-Throttle]

Update: I went to the junkyard today and randomly came across a Levin that had a very rare OEM Momo leather steering wheel and boss kit. They were only available as a factory option on the AE101 FX-GTs, and came standard on BZ-R Levins. The Levin I got it off had only just come into the yard moments before I arrived. It also had a 98,000km (60,000 mile) 4A-GE Silvertop engine which was quite tempting.

The best part is that the boss kit fits straight onto my Corolla and you can choose to have the horn-pad either on or off, depending on the look you want. It only cost me a measly $15 NZD ($12 AUD,$10 USD, £6) :D

Here's some photos, first of all with the horn-pad cover on:

Horn-pad off:

Fitted to car:

It's a definite improvement over the stock SE Limited steering wheel as it's much easier to grip due to it being thicker. Another bonus is that it's the same diameter as the stock wheel, so none of the numbers get obscured on the instrument cluster. The best $15 I've ever spent :)

[Hiro]

'Bout time you replaced that wheel :P Sucks that you got one for $15 when mine ended up being about $150 from Japan (only about $30 actual sale price but when you factor in commission and air mail, it adds up).

Our cars are becoming twins more and more by the day, I've been planning on getting my window frames painted black to match the seals/rubbers as the white just stands out too much.

[Full-Throttle]

'Bout time you replaced that wheel :P Sucks that you got one for $15 when mine ended up being about $150 from Japan (only about $30 actual sale price but when you factor in commission and air mail, it adds up).

Our cars are becoming twins more and more by the day, I've been planning on getting my window frames painted black to match the seals/rubbers as the white just stands out too much.

Haha yeah they are indeed . I didn't even know those steering wheels existed until a few days ago when I saw the one you posted in your thread. I probably wouldn't have looked twice at the junkyard otherwise. As soon as I saw it I knew what it was so immediately started taking it off. So thanks!! :D. The funny thing is that I posted those shots on another forum too and someone said that they're got one of those wheels but didn't even know that's what it looked like underneath the hornpad! . Apparently they're going to pull it out of storage tomorrow and have a look. Yeah it was so cheap. I held the steering wheel face first towards the person at the junkyard's counter so that they couldn't charge me extra for the boss kit, lol.

Oh yeah, I noticed how your window frames are white!! I've never seen another one like that, at least over here anyway. All of the ones here have black window frames. Are they all like that in Australia? Or did someone paint them in the past? Would definitely look better black. You need some wind/rain deflectors too :P

P.S. Still waiting for this guy to get back to me in regards to the FX-GT fog lights. I'll contact him in a minute and see if he's taken the front bumper off yet.

[Hiro]

Oh yeah, I noticed how your window frames are white!! I've never seen another one like that, at least over here anyway. All of the ones here have black window frames. Are they all like that in Australia? Or did someone paint them in the past? Would definitely look better black. You need some wind/rain deflectors too :P

All our window frames are body-coloured except for CSX and RV models I think, definitely majority though. Our rear view mirrors are different to yours too (yours are the Jap-spec with the narrower neck and electric fold, would love a set of those). Got some weather-shields tucked away awaiting the day that the frames get painted, not going to bother putting them on yet as they'll just have to come off again and the black of the shields would stand out against the white of the frames.

P.S. Still waiting for this guy to get back to me in regards to the FX-GT fog lights. I'll contact him in a minute and see if he's taken the front bumper off yet.

Thanks, does he have the indicators as well? I still need to track some down, 90% sure that Holden Nova ones fit but in case they don't (or I don't find any) it would be good to have a back-up plan.

[Full-Throttle]

All our window frames are body-coloured except for CSX and RV models I think, definitely majority though. Our rear view mirrors are different to yours too (yours are the Jap-spec with the narrower neck and electric fold, would love a set of those). Got some weather-shields tucked away awaiting the day that the frames get painted, not going to bother putting them on yet as they'll just have to come off again and the black of the shields would stand out against the white of the frames.

Oh ok cool, good to know. Yeah the power folding mirrors are so handy. I use them every night when I put my car covers on. I've got a spare set in the garage as mine have a few chips on the triangular piece that bolts to the car (I'm a real fussy bugger, lol). Would be easy to fix but I'm just going to get the other ones sprayed as they're a different colour. Let me know if you're keen to buy the original ones. I've got a spare switch for it too.

Thanks, does he have the indicators as well? I still need to track some down, 90% sure that Holden Nova ones fit but in case they don't (or I don't find any) it would be good to have a back-up plan.

Are you after the indicator/parklights next to the headlights? Or the actual orange bumper indicators?

[Hiro]

All our window frames are body-coloured except for CSX and RV models I think, definitely majority though. Our rear view mirrors are different to yours too (yours are the Jap-spec with the narrower neck and electric fold, would love a set of those). Got some weather-shields tucked away awaiting the day that the frames get painted, not going to bother putting them on yet as they'll just have to come off again and the black of the shields would stand out against the white of the frames.

Oh ok cool, good to know. Yeah the power folding mirrors are so handy. I use them every night when I put my car covers on. I've got a spare set in the garage as mine have a few chips on the triangular piece that bolts to the car (I'm a real fussy bugger, lol). Would be easy to fix but I'm just going to get the other ones sprayed as they're a different colour. Let me know if you're keen to buy the original ones. I've got a spare switch for it too.

Thanks, I'll keep that option open. Seems like Aus really lucked out with our speck compared to NZ and Japan

Thanks, does he have the indicators as well? I still need to track some down, 90% sure that Holden Nova ones fit but in case they don't (or I don't find any) it would be good to have a back-up plan.

Are you after the indicator/parklights next to the headlights? Or the actual orange bumper indicators?

The bumper ones, ADM models don't have the combined parker/indicators as our side repeaters are on the guard behind the front wheel

[Full-Throttle]

Thanks, I'll keep that option open. Seems like Aus really lucked out with our speck compared to NZ and Japan

Yeah. Most of the Corollas here are Japanese imports. The majority of actual NZ spec Corollas are all base models, with wind up windows, manual mirrors, black garnish between tail lights etc. Some of them have black bumpers too.

The bumper ones, ADM models don't have the combined parker/indicators as our side repeaters are on the guard behind the front wheel

Oh wow, I just looked at the pics of your car again and they are indeed. Didn't even notice them there. I'll ask him for the bumper indicators when I hear back from him about the fog lights :)

[Full-Throttle]

I installed some alloy foot pedals today. They are OEM pedals that came on the Toyota Altezza RS200/RS300 and the Lexus IS200/IS300. Since they're OEM pedals, they don't just get held in by bolts on the back like most aftermarket ones, bit instead they slip over the metal pedal arm just like the OEM rubber ones we get on our Corollas. The accelerator pedal was the most difficult to install as you have to remove the whole pedal arm in order to take out the split pin on the back and install the alloy pedal in it's place. A little bit of modification had to be made to fit the accelerator pedal, but the brake and clutch pedals slipped over smoothly with the aid of a little soapy water. I could have just saved my time and bought some aftermarket pedals, but they tend to come loose after a while which causes them to rattle and fall off, plus these ones looked classier since they're a genuine Toyota/Lexus part.

Here's some photos:

[Hiro]

Very nice, did you take any photos in the disassembly/fitting stage? The lower-right corner of my brake pedal cops a lot of abuse from heel-toeing, so a new set of pedals would be a worthy investment.

[Full-Throttle]

Very nice, did you take any photos in the disassembly/fitting stage? The lower-right corner of my brake pedal cops a lot of abuse from heel-toeing, so a new set of pedals would be a worthy investment.

Unfortunately not, but I've got a spare complete accelerator pedal in the garage so I could knock the pin out of that and take photos if you like. I can explain the whole process too. The brake and clutch pedal are very easy if you use Vaseline on the pedal arm. Just start by putting the top corners on, then the sides, and then the bottom corners. It takes a bit of force but they'll slip straight on (there's no way in hell that they're coming off by themselves either ). Using a small screwdriver to pry up the edges helps too.

As for the accelerator pedal, there are two 10mm bolts holding it to the firewall. Undo those, and then look up under the dash a bit (you may need a torch) and you'll see the accelerator cable going into a hook at the top of the pedal arm. The best way to get up there without becoming a contortionist is to remove the lower plastic panel of the dashboard, which is held in by a push-type clip at the bottom on the left and a few screws. Once you have enough space to easily work in, you'll see a small plastic clip which clicks into the opening of the hook where the accelerator cable is, so just squeeze each side of the clip and it will pop out. Then you just pull the cable towards you a bit to give it some slack and pull it to one side so that it comes out of the opening in the hook.

Once you've got the accelerator arm out, there will be metal pin on the back with a small locking washer on one side. Simply flick the washer out with a small flat-head screwdriver (being careful not to lose it) and then you'll be ready to remove the metal pin that holds the pedal to the pedal arm. I removed the pin by grinding the head off of a nail that was the same diameter as the pin. You could also use a hole punch if you have the correct size. Give it a whack with the hammer until the pin pops out (again, being careful not to lose it). Once the pin is out, grab your new accelerator pedal and see how it lines up with the hole on your pedal arm. The chances are that the hole is not going to line up - So you'll have to grind down the end of the pedal arm a bit. This is so the arm doesn't touch against the new pedal which allows the hole to line up. Once you've done that, grab a medium sized drill piece and make the plastic holes on the new pedal slightly larger so that your Corolla's pin can fit through (the Altezza pin is a bit smaller). Be careful not to go too big, so keep checking as you drill, it should only take one pass through with the drill piece. The Corolla pin is also quite a bit longer than the Altezza pin, so put a mark on the Corolla pin just so it's long enough not to poke out the other side and be visible, and grind the excess off with a bench grinder (or cut it with a hacksaw).

Once everything is done, slide the pin through the pedal and pedal arm, reinstall the locking washer and make sure it doesn't move easily. There's a spring down the bottom of your Corolla's factory pedal but you can disregard that. Take the pedal arm to your car, slide the accelerator cable through one side of the hook, push the plastic clip back into the hole and reinstall the two 10mm bolts that hold the arm to the firewall.

It sounds like a lot to do but they're all small things which only take a few minutes for each one. It would be a lot easier if the accelerator pedal slipped on like the clutch and brake pedal, but that's life I suppose . Let me know if you have any questions. I'd be more than happy to help. I've got to install some on my brother's Toyota Caldina GT-T next week so that'll be something to look forward to

[Chrono Trigger]

I was trying to get my ones on, and after 30mins failed miserably....

i got blisters all over my fingertips... >_<"

did you put vaseline/soapy water on the thing that the pedals slip over? [i'm talking about the brake and clutch here]

it's a pain, but the pictures do make it seem worthwhile....

btw, where's your sports footrest?

[Full-Throttle]

I was trying to get my ones on, and after 30mins failed miserably....

i got blisters all over my fingertips... >_<"

did you put vaseline/soapy water on the thing that the pedals slip over? [i'm talking about the brake and clutch here]

it's a pain, but the pictures do make it seem worthwhile....

btw, where's your sports footrest?

Lol, when I first tried to do it I didn't use any Vaseline and almost fractured my thumb trying to push the brake pedal on . I put the Vaseline on the actual metal pedal arm and I couldn't believe how easy it was to slip over. I tried soapy water before that and it made more of a mess than anything. I also tried soaking the pedals in hot water to make the rubber more pliable but it didn't make a difference.

I've got the sports footrest plate too but it overhangs slightly on my Corolla's footrest. Looks a little silly like that. I'm either going to cut a little bit off the plate so it's the same size as my footrest, try and install the whole Altezza footrest (even though I assume the mounting holes are a lot different) or just leave it the way it is.

Here's a pic of a guy who installed the footrest plate on his Corolla. You can see what I mean by the overhang:

[Full-Throttle]

Here's some photos of the pedal arm that I took earlier:

[cruzer]

this car is cool man :)

[whitestivo]

What a tastefully modded corolla

If only we could have more cars like this and not the crap we get of oh wow, i got a sticker, or look at my cannon

very nice

whitestivo