Finding the perfect project car isn't just about finding rare barn finds. Sometimes it's just a matter of attitude and elbow grease. Watch; I can attest to that. Richard “Riko” Gutierrez built this stunning and terrifying his 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 Widebody His Racer from the bones of a $400 parts car. Anyway, who super rare does he need a JDM barn find?
Are old Toyota Corolla good?
They sure can be hell! "Rico" saw potential in his very rough 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 sitting outside somewhere outside of California's Santa Cruz Mountains. The Corolla had been there for over eight years when he got it for his $400. 80's Corollas are generally not very rare, but the SR5 model stands out from the rest.
Riko says he originally purchased a Toyota Corolla SR5 as a part to finish another Corolla he was working on. He took the best parts out of it and hid the shell in the side for several years. If this Corolla seems like an odd build choice, take a quick look at the other Corollas to clear up any confusion. Rico's matching gold car stables include the S13, S30, and his RWB-equipped Porsche. These cars, along with his 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5, got the full treatment.
What did it take to build such a cool 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5?
Like his other cars, Rico's Corolla is heavily modified. Rico went to Matt for this car, according to MotorTrend. Before being given a flashy gold paint job, the Corolla chassis was mounted on a spinning rig and stripped clean into a birthday suit. The frame was stitch welded.
The chassis and frame prep work was extensive, but not as extensive as the paint job. Gold paint contains metal flakes and even diamond dust. Before painting, he enlarged the car to give it more surface to paint. With the help of a translator and a lot of persuasion, he had his garage SPEED build a widebody widebody his fenders and his N3 aero kit in Japan. It's no exaggeration to say that the wide body kit is a big part of what makes this Corolla so special. His original SR5 Corolla was a fairly slim little vehicle. These massive arches pose like coiled rattlesnakes.
The suspension is a work of art in itself. MotorTrend points out that the Corolla is now in nearly every catalog of his Techno Toy Tuning suspension his bits. And thankfully, instead of the all-too-common trend of cramming a 10 trillion horsepower engine into this tiny frame, Riko has a hobby of leaning towards cars that actually need to be good at driving to go fast. We made a good choice. Rico tastefully used a 3SGE with a 20V individual throttle body and a custom header and exhaust system built by Marcus Fly Racing.
A car like this needs a plan
Riko explains that this wasn't a "we might do this because we're here" build. A car like this needs a plan. He adds: He wanted to bring to this car the same level of quality found in professional race cars and show people that the same principles can be applied to these old Japanese cars. "
The work covered almost everything. "I like old cars, but I don't like looking for old wiring and classic parts and suspension," he says. "I think it's more reliable to redo everything and keep the car's soul up-to-date."
The result is a classic Japanese racer built to very high quality standards. Riko's 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 proves that build matters more than model. Forget looking for something rare. Find cool stuff and make it rare.
