The builder of this next car appears to have gotten the cart slightly ahead of the horse, or the intercooler ahead of the hood, as they say. There is nothing wrong with swapping in a 4AGZE from an MR2 into a front-engine rear-drive Corolla chassis, but you might find out that the hood won’t close […]
The modern day Lotus Elise is (was…I believe Lotus stopped selling it in the US market a few years ago) a great combination of British handling/looks and Japanese powerplant. It took a while for Lotus to realize that putting French engines into their sports cars was not an upgrade over British iron. Regardless, the builder of this next car decided to put a late model fuel injected twin-cam Toyota engine into the engine bay in an Europa (a Europa…?) and made something very special. Find this 1972 Lotus Europa twin-cam offered for $20,000 in Ft Collins, CO via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The first generation Toyota MR2 (1984-1987) was not the first affordable mid-engine sports car for the people, but it was the first to come from a Japanese manufacturer. It used the Toyota Corolla platform for most of its components, and was available with a basic 1.6 liter DOHC 4A-GE good for 112 HP or a supercharged version that bumped power up to 145 HP. However, today’s MR2 comes with a silvertop swap, which means the 4A-GE engine is a 4th generation (’91-’95) JDM-only version with 20 valves and 153 HP without the need for forced induction. Find this 1987 Toyota MR2 offered for $5,800 in Middleton, ID via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
The Toyota Starlet KP61 generation was the first and only Starlet sold in the US Market and in 1985 it was replaced by the Toyota Corolla FX-16. It is a shame because the Starlet was setup with proper rear wheel drive and the FX was front wheel drive. It probably didn’t matter because both cars […]
The first generation Toyota MR2 was an game changer of an automobile. It introduced the world an affordable mid-engine car that wouldn’t rust into the earth or break down weekly (ahem…Fiat X1/9…cough) and it was fabulous. Find this 1985 Toyota MR2 offered for $3,300 in Phoenix, AZ via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck. The first generation […]
This next car is a seller submission from Scott who writes: There’s a little group of people out there interested in Toyota 4AGE cars (MR2s, FX16s), right? Well here’s a rare bird. A ’92 Geo Prizm GSI. Is it awesome or is it a lame-o Corolla? I think it’s awesome. It’s mine, which might bias […]
The predecessor to Ford of Europe’s super cool Escort (not to be confused with the abysmal US based front-drive CE14 based Escort) was called the Anglia — a patriotic name chosen a few months after the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in 1939. Production continued after the war and the Anglia was slowly morphed […]
The 4th generation Toyota Tercel was a budget economy car with a reputation for being plasticy, slow, and not very fun…but at the same time they are reliable and able to absorb constant abuse. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a beater, but what if you could find one where somebody turned up the heat? […]
The car you’re looking at is the best kept secret in the used car market. If you scrolled past this post without clicking, you have proven my point. Actually, if you scrolled past this, you’re no longer with us and I can say without fear of repercussion that your mother is a woman of ill […]
The E90 (sixth) generation Corolla (1988-1992) will be forever remembered as the start of the inevitable decline of fun from Toyota’s entry level compact, starting with its unforgivable switch from rear to front wheel drive (a pox on your children’s children!!)…except that it is a better car in virtually every way compared to its predecessor. […]