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This is my 1985 Toyota Corolla. I bought the car in August 2022 with help from my dad. When I bought the car, it had 200,000 miles, a bad master cylinder, a bad alternator, no radio wiring, a weak battery, and bald tires. The trunk would not stay open, it could not go over 60 mph, and it had a bad carburetor. The inside and exterior were also caked in dirt and grime. I got the car because it looked cool and was at a good price, but I did not realize how much work it needed.

I already had experience fixing cars from working on a Nissan 240SX the previous year. My dad wanted to turn the Corolla into a rally car, but I convinced him to keep it as a street car. I started working on it right away.

The first thing I did was replace the alternator and master cylinder so it could run smoother and have working brakes. Then I put on new tires as the old ones were worn down to the cords. I installed a cheap radio and speakers, and later upgraded it to a touchscreen with CarPlay and installed a subwoofer. I also put in a new carburetor, spark plugs, and spark plug wires. I added coilovers, fender mirrors, LED lights, a new steering wheel, and a new shifter assembly.

After this, unfortunately, a truck carrying dye for wood chips spilled its contents on the highway, and I drove over it, staining the underside, paint, tires, and more. With hard work and lots of soap, I was able to get the stains out before they became permanent.

At the start of 2024, I pulled the car into the garage to rebuild the engine. I replaced the top-end seals, all the fluids, and the ground wires because they were corroded. I added fog lights, gas struts for the trunk, a tachometer, an HKS muffler, and a heat shroud for the carburetor intake, then changed the steering wheel to match the shift boot.

In 2025, I competed in the High School Challenge at the Portland Roadster Show and won my class. Since then, I have gotten new tires, a new CB radio, a new steering wheel, and rebuilt the carburetor.

My favorite thing about my car is its original upholstery. I love how it handles, how light it feels, and how it sounds, as well as its great gas mileage.

Some of the things I want to do in the future include finishing my engine swap of a 4AFE from a 1992 Toyota Corolla, as well as converting it to EFI. Next, I will repaint it the original color, Toyota 147 "Silver Metallic." I will also replace all the bushings and suspension components, along with adding bucket seats, new rims, a full exhaust system, and a carbon-fiber or fiberglass hood. I will also swap out the rear drum brakes for disc brakes from a Toyota FX16 and find a matching instrument cluster. Finally, I will replace the front and rear bumpers with ones from a Toyota FX16 and its matching side skirts.

I love working on this car and have gone many places with it. I am excited to keep improving it, especially as I continue my college education in aviation maintenance technology.