engine conversion

[tonkpils]

i have recently purchased a 1980 corolla. i am goin to use it as a projet car. i want to preform an engine conversion and was wonderin if n e 1 had n e ideas or or recomendations. it is still in plannin stage so n e everything is welcome. i was thinkin a rotory engine or a 2L turbo other than the SR20DET

[icedragon121]

i wold not recomend a rotery a friend of mine had one and it litery spent 253 days in the shop all year!what kind of moter is in right now and is it fwd or rwd?

[tonkpils]

at the minute it is a rwd 2 litre engine....i no for sure it isnt the orginal engine but im not sure what type it is or where its from. what was the main hassle for the rotoray that ur mate found?

[Oz]

Rotary and SR20DET are both illegal converdsions for your car anywhere in Australia. Where do you live? And remember - you're looking at about $10k worth of suspension, brake and chassis upgrades to make it safe/driveable. Do you really want to have a shitbox 1980 rolla as your BIG money hole?

[tonkpils]

the car is purely a project car, not an everyday driver. i was just wondering if it is possible to do n e thing with it. the car was given to me and i thought i would try sum thing different. i no it would b a lot of money to do n e thing with this thats y i am getin different opinions on it. if it doesnt work it doesnt work but i am still goin threw the thought process

[Oz]

It won't be legal to drive on the road with anything you have thus far mentioned, so factor in a flat bed truck or towing.

[Honoturtle]

Old thread, but I say keep the 3TC! Those suckers really pull!

[Toyrolla]

Originally Posted by tonkpils

the car is purely a project car, not an everyday driver. i was just wondering if it is possible to do n e thing with it. the car was given to me and i thought i would try sum thing different. i no it would b a lot of money to do n e thing with this thats y i am getin different opinions on it. if it doesnt work it doesnt work but i am still goin threw the thought process

I do not recall any 1980 Corolla, regardless of where you live, that came with a 2.0L engine. It's to my understanding that the TE7x Corolla actually came with a 1.6 2TG engine; whereas the North America TE versions came with the 1.8 3TC.

Common engine swaps are the 3T-GTE and also the 4A-G, but I know that the 3T-GTE is an older engine that doesn't have the aftermarket support that the 4A-G has. Therefore, you might fare better going with a 4A-G. If it's not enough power to your liking, you can always turbocharge it.

1980 Corolla a "shitbox"? I don't think so....

I'm surprised as a moderator that you would make such a statement, Oz.

The TE7x Corolla might not have the popularity of the AE86, but they do maintain a strong following all over, even in Japan.

Also keep in mind that if it wasn't for that so-called "shitbox", the AE86 would not be in existence in the first place. The TE7x Corolla was the proven predecessor that eventually led to the creation of the AE86. Although the body designs are different, the chassis are still the same.

The AE86 chassis is more improved, but the original design is the same as the TE7x model. This is why TE7x owners can interchange with newer AE86 aftermarket parts.

[unspoken_te72]

Yo, let him know buddy, I'm tirescorcher03 from AIM. Point8s til I die.

[danbennett2u]

I have a 1980 Corolla with a 3tc engine, got the whole car for 100 bucks non running.. just had to put a new fuel pump on it. The sucker has had an obvious lack of maintanence for quite a while, but it starts right up and pulls pretty good with a 4 speed. Engine smokes just a little, but it has 278,000 miles on it, and is running 5w30 oil when the manual calls for a thicker 20w50. Also probably has some fuel in the oil from bad fuel pump. I have seen people get LOTS of power out of a 2tc or 3tc (over 300 hp with turbos), and they are dirt cheap.. I dont know what engine was installed in the car.. but if no major mods were done to the mounts than one of those would be cheap and very upgradable for the price (not to mention durable). These are pushrod engines with a HEMI head by the way.

[Toyrolla]

Originally Posted by danbennett2u

I have a 1980 Corolla with a 3tc engine, got the whole car for 100 bucks non running.. just had to put a new fuel pump on it. The sucker has had an obvious lack of maintanence for quite a while, but it starts right up and pulls pretty good with a 4 speed. Engine smokes just a little, but it has 278,000 miles on it, and is running 5w30 oil when the manual calls for a thicker 20w50. Also probably has some fuel in the oil from bad fuel pump. I have seen people get LOTS of power out of a 2tc or 3tc (over 300 hp with turbos), and they are dirt cheap.. I dont know what engine was installed in the car.. but if no major mods were done to the mounts than one of those would be cheap and very upgradable for the price (not to mention durable). These are pushrod engines with a HEMI head by the way.

The 3TC came with the 80-82 Corolla. I have 2 of them; a 82 4-door & a 82 wagon. I converted my wagon from auto to 5-speed.

The wagon has a Mitsubishi TD06-20G turbocharging the 3TC and the 4-door will soon get a 3S-GTE engine swap.

You might want to try to get your hands on a 5-speed tranny to take advantage of the extra gear. The model of that tranny is a T-50. There are 2 versions of the tranny, with the later version going to the AE86.

If you can get your hands on one, then good. If you find the later version, even better...

Funny you should mention about the 3TC being a hemi, because technically it is. Reminds me of that Dodge Hemi commercial when the guy pulls up and asks, "Got A Hemi???"

You can say, "Why....YES IT DOES!"