History
My first 2 cars were too short lived, this one was mine for about 3 years from 1991 to 1994 and I really loved it.
It's a KE55 Corolla XX Coupe.
The XX model had velour cloth interior, AIR Conditioning !! and a 5 speed manual transmission.
Occasionally I look at Old Toyotas for sale and dream about splashing out on a project car - another XX coupe would be awesome, this time with at least a 4AGE engine though :)
Modifications
This car came to me with a pop top sunroof which I would remove and when combined with the pillarless doors, and no B pillar at all, it was like driving a convertible.
Engine was the original 4K (1.3L) but I suspect it had a cam. It also had a Uni Filter "stack" air filter on top of the weber carby, possibly a redline rotary adapter plate to the manifold, extractors, exhaust and a silly trumpet shaped tail pipe :)
A GT40 coil that I replaced myself and some 8mm leads. Gee the memories on this car keep flooding back as I type this.
The wheels were 13x7 hotwires on Yokohama rubber with disc brakes up front and a Celica diff with 9" brakes on the back instead of the normal 8" drums.
As per the photo there was a chin spoiler and "COROLLA XX" decals down the sides.
I can't remember if there was a boot spoiler and I wish I had more photos of it to remind me of that detail.
Memories
This car was awesome fun, donuts in the dirt fields, long drives and never missing a beat. Took it from Sydney to Tamworth for a Hockey festival - that's the main photo - and it drove better than my friends brand new Hyundai Excel :)
I bought it for $3,000 and 3 years later my uncle bought it from me for $1500.
I learned my first mechanic skills - replacing a coil and then my buddy and I tore down, cleaned up and replaced the weber carby - damn it ran fine after that, so much more power & economy. It was with this car that my passion for cars and modifications was ignited, going to car shows and joining car clubs until this day.
