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James' Legendary 1985 Satellite Silver Corolla Ae86 Gt-s Hatchback W/coilovers on 2040-cars

Year:1985 Mileage:283562
Location:

Fletcher, North Carolina, United States

Fletcher, North Carolina, United States
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Welcome; please have a seat and make yourself comfortable.  Before I begin the story about this vehicle I would like to say that this is the most important ebay listing I've ever written.  I've owned 40+ cars in my short life and 31 of those were Toyotas.  And yes this is more important than when I sold my landcruiser whose doors still hang on my wall.  That being said I have to give credit to my friend James whom I'm selling this legend for.  Without James all of our lives would be a little less special, I've known him since 1st grade.  Aside from this girl I met in Florida who is no longer my friend due to social convention James is my oldest known friend.  He is like a wraith, appearing and disappearing for months if not years at a time.  But much like that voodoo chick from pirates of the caribbean, would you love him if he was any less than that?  Some of  the best memories I have he was part of, as most of my friends can also say, and some of the best he wasn't there but I know he would have loved the moment.  I can't name a person that doesn't love him, in fact when Obama was up for election in 08 (the only time I voted) James got 3 write in votes on the ballot.  From 3 separate people that didn't mention it to each other before hand.  We all just new the US would have been a better place with him at the helm.  And I'm dead serious, his parents insurance rates went down when he got his license at 14.   

So this one goes out to you James, wherever you are.  You were born to do something great and we cannot fight on the digital frontier without you.  Were all waiting, for as long as it takes.  Either you'll find the path or the path will find you, take your time, once you make that last right past the willow tree you'll see us geared up and waiting. 


This car is the last piece of a time gone, a time that no one wants to admit they miss, a time where the most exciting thing was picking up a pizza on the way over to your friends house to play video games until your eyes died.  A time when 4 people piled into a lowered compact high RPM vehicle to go to a party in the middle of nowhere.  A time when running from the cops was an option. 

James owned this car for 11 years.  I should preface that by saying we were Freshmen in high school when Paul Walker first came to us on the screen in Fast & Furious.  No one likes to admit it but that movie blew street racing and imports into a thing so much bigger than it ever was before.  I've owned 12 Supras (no I can't afford MK4's) since and I know every detail, every piece of history, on almost every Toyota ever made.  I went to college for the Toyota T-Ten program because of this (and BMW).  Shortly after F&F a little something called Initial-D became popular in the US.  Long gone now, it started as a manga then an Anime, then a video game in the mall with a card to save your progress.  The AE86 Corolla GT-S Hatchback was the star of the show.

But I digress.  James owned this car for 11 years.  First I tried to get him to buy a celica All-Trac but it needed a starter (big whoop) and he turned it down for a Z31 300ZX T-Top.  Life was great, and that car was part of the greatest street race I've ever seen.  Then he flipped it.  I went with him to buy this car from a retired Toyota Mechanic of 30 years in a trailer park.  It was so mint, mint didn't describe mint.  It was Green, like super green (5 points if you get that movie reference).  I would have sterilized needles with the firewall of the engine bay it was that clean.  James took care of this car much better than I've seen people take care of their children.  But alas it never spent a day in a garage.  In 11 years the only work it has needed were maintenance items, not a damn thing has broken on this car and it is a true testament to what Toyota used to be (don't be fooled by the new crap they are forced to make by laws).  This car is a legend for a reason, this one in particular was owned by a legend.  One time it outran a SR20DET swapped 240sx....on the highway....running from the cops....simply because JDM ECU's have a 140km/h speed limit (roughly 110mph) and this US sold corolla did not.  But don't think it was hooned around like this on the regular, that was like me drinking, only at weddings and funerals.  It has lived 11 years with no wrecks (few drifting related bumper scrapes), no mechanical failures, and the best AE86 owner on the planet. 

Mechanical:  Mechanically the car is near perfect.  It needs an alignment.... that is about all I could find wrong with it for our style.  I would wager to bet this 4A-GE makes more power than they were advertised to make from the factory.  All of the vacuum hoses are in good shape, it fires up faster than my 2014 Tundra.  Touch the key over and it immediately fires up in under 1 revolution, every time, freezing cold or burning summer.  The TVIS still works and sounds great, it builds stronger oil pressure at every RPM than any other 4AGE I've ever seen, never touches half way on the temp gauge, no noise from the valves or rods, smooth and quiet in the engine bay as can be.  I personally put a new timing belt on it at 250k after the original from 1985 finally snapped (don't believe the hype on replacement intervals with non-interference engines) and timed the ignition / re-sealed the valve covers at that point.  Aside from some paint discoloration on the valve covers the engine bay looks mint.  All of the original wiring, clips, plastic bits etc... are near perfect.  May I mention that this engine/transmission/rear diff have never been gone into.  Power steering pump belt is removed for more power, you can hook it back up if you want.  Nothing has ever been rebuilt nothing has ever been replaced major component wise.  The engine does leak oil from a few spots, nothing major but it is a few drips over night, all toyotas are self lubricating at this age.  It is a built in feature that keeps the chassis lubed and the undercarriage rust free as you drive.  Here is a list of everything that has been done to it over the course of James' ownership.

  • James bought it (most important part)
  • James drove it (2nd most important part)
  • It is an all original legit 4AGE GT-S w/LSD never been swapped or gone into seriously
  • GT-S had rear disc brakes
  • New Drilled rotors front and rear with EBC pads
  • GT-S had a larger 6.7" ring gear axle, and this one has a tight LSD (some factory LSD's are weak, clutch packs not that tight, this one chirps its so tight after 283k)
  • Mobil 1 synthetic diff oil w/LSD additive
  • Pennzoil synchromesh Trans fluid in the T-50 trans (shifts beautifully, no grinds or popping out of gear period)
  • 2 New exedy Stage 1.5 clutches over the course of his ownership
  • New clutch master cylinder
  • New clutch slave cylinder
  • RL Coilovers w/adjustable dampening and camber plates (high quality from Australia and discontinued $1,400 have the tools)
  • 3" Strike intake to a 4" Strike filter
  • 2.5" exhaust to a stock looking high flow muffler, Catalytic convertor is still in place and not clogged
  • No rust on the frame or anything crtical
  • Factory header/manifold is high flowing enough to not need replacement (has small exhaust leak under the car somewhere)
  • Factory EGR and all emissions stuff still hooked up and working fine
  • No check engine light or any warnings of any sort on the dash
  • Brake pedal feel is tight
  • Needs alignment, toe and go.
  • Tires have 6/32nd tread all match and have no vibrations, all the wheels are true and straight.
  • Has celica supra wheels on it now, also HAVE the original GT-S wheels w/center caps w/tires.
  • New timing belt
  • Resealed valve covers
  • New Denso OEM spark plug wires recently replaced
  • 4 sets of NGK-R spark plugs, latest done last week just to freshen up for new owner
  • New distributor cap
  • New distributor rotor
  • New blower motor
  • New drivers window regulator
  • Cruise control still works!
  • New front wheel bearings
  • Front strut tower bar installed correctly
  • SS braided clutch line included but not installed
  • SS braided brake lines (I think) 
  • Slide on command

Interior:  The interior on this car was cleaned on a regular basis, and thanks to being an east coast car the dash has ZERO cracks or imperfections.  The only real flaw is the original floormats are missing and the center of the seats need to be shampoo'd or steamed in the front.  The back seats are of course perfect.  The whole hatch area is also perfect, rear carpet / trim pieces etc.  The original spare and tools are there, the hatch trim itself is gone because it was replaced due to rust.  Everything works like new including the power mirrors, it has the air pump lumbar support which is just cool as $hit.  As you can see it has a high a$$ redline because this is a legit GT-S.  Nobody ever said these cars were the fastest, or the best at anything really (except being near 50/50 weight balance), but they are just fun as hell to drive.  This was the Miata before they existed, except they're not owned by girls.  Has a CD player, the A/C belt was taken off for more power but all the HVAC functions work good, heat etc..  All the switches work great, every now and then you have to tap the headlight switch, just a quirk the car has always had that would be an easy fix, but its so easy not to fix it.  E-brake is tight (I adjusted it), drivers side bolster has a tear that can be sewn back other than that the whole interior is clean as balls. 

  • Factory Cruise Control which is rare as balls

Exterior:  Like I said its never been garaged.  But held up surprisingly well only being protected by supreme ownership aura.  A few small dings that you can't even see.  The paint is faded on the top/hood but is all original never been painted as far as I can tell (I'm I-Car platinum).  The hatch was replaced because the original rusted out, just needs to be painted if you don't like the black.  It does have some rust spots in the rear quarters, but they are small and easily fixable at this point you just can't always convert awesomeness into money.  The bumpers have a couple scrapes from mad tight drifting accidents but the car has never been wrecked, every panel is straight as can be.  A paint job and it would look brand new.  Still has the original GT-S twin cam 16 decals on the doors!  And these are the awesome 84-85 versions not the dumbed down who cares it might be a GT-S 86-87 versions.  Needs new windshield wipers, that's about it.  All the lights work including the tag lights.  As I stated above the original GT-S clover wheels are included and are in ok shape just need to be cleaned, it currently has Celica Supra wheels on it.  The paint color code is the rare satellite silver and it is still in great shape on the sides of the vehicle, can be waxed/buffed to a nice shine.  This car has seen more excitement than most people will see in their whole lives but it was guarded by all of us every inch of the way.  And that's why the headlights pop right up.


Let me close this saying if we lived in a world where money as worthless and you traded goats or chickens for gasoline you would have to pry this car from our cold dead hands.  It will forever be known as James' corolla no matter who owns it.  We'd love to keep in touch with the future owners to follow its path through the world and some day buy it back when we are rich and famous (James will only be famous as money is of no use to him).  This car will be written about in the history books for children to learn of decades from now, and you can sum the entire story up with one word...................................................james. 

If you have any questions feel free to give me a call/text at 704-576-5004 or shoot me a question on here, thanks for looking, if you read the whole thing let me know if I should write a book some day, and good luck bidding to own the greatest AE86 corolla ever made here or in any country period end of story.  If you'd like to hear more about it's travels I'd be glad to tell you. 

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This year is when the entry-level plug-in crossover market really starts to heat up. Both Ford and Toyota have new models in the 2020 Ford Escape and the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime. They join the segment veteran Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which has been available in the U.S. since the 2018 model year. And of course that means it's time to look at how the numbers add up while we wait for our chance to drive the new competitors. You can find a chart with all the details immediately below, followed by more detailed analysis. Powertrain One of the key factors for any hybrid, particularly plug-in models, is how little fuel they use. Overall, the Ford Escape is the winner with 100 mpg-e, the fuel economy equivalency for the vehicle when assessing it with a full battery. The Toyota is close behind with 94 mpg-e. We're expecting the Escape to also be a bit more efficient when running only on gas, as it reportedly gets 41 mpg. The RAV4 will likely get 40 mpg, or possibly slightly less, since the non-plug-in RAV4 Hybrid achieves 40 mpg combined. Running solely on electric power, though, the RAV4 edges out the Escape with 42 miles of range versus 37. Behind both of them is the Mitsubishi with just 22 miles of range, 25 mpg on gasoline only, and 74 mpg-e with a full battery. One unique feature the Mitsubishi claims is DC fast charging capability, meaning 80% of its electric range can be restored in just 25 minutes, possibly allowing for more electric use depending on where you're driving it. While fuel economy is a priority for hybrids, customers won't want to compromise on other features. The Toyota is easily the least compromising, as it returns impressive range and efficiency while also providing a whopping 302 horsepower and all-wheel drive. The Mitsubishi also has all-wheel drive, but a comparatively paltry 190 horsepower. The Ford produces slightly more power at 200, but is front-wheel-drive only. While low in comparison to the RAV4 Prime, the Mitsubishi and Ford have very competitive output to many comparably-sized conventional crossovers with base engines, such as the Honda CR-V, Chevy Equinox and others. Size and space Naturally one of the reasons for buying a crossover is for its practical shape for comfortable hauling of people and stuff. In this regard, all three crossovers are very close. The Escape wins out with legroom, the Toyota with shoulder room. Headroom is split between the Toyota and Mitsubishi.

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Affected models include: Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius V, Rav4, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Tundra and Venza. Scroll down for the relevant model years for each.
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