21-Years-Owned 1987 Toyota Corolla GT-S 5-Speed Race Car

Sold for USD $8,000 on 6/21/25
This 1987 Toyota Corolla GT-S coupe was built as a race car under previous ownership and competed in SCCA events before being purchased by the seller in 2004. It was subsequently repainted yellow and fitted with a built 1.8-liter inline-four that incorporates a 7A-FE engine block with a 4A-GE 16-valve large-port cylinder head. The T50 five-speed manual transmission was rebuilt in 2024, and the car rides on 15″ Panasport-style wheels with adjustable coilovers, front and rear sway bars, and MR2-spec manual steering. The race-prepped cabin is protected by a roll cage and houses a Kirkey seat joined by a G-Force harness, a Nardi-Personal steering wheel, AutoMeter Sport-Comp instrumentation, and a fire-suppression system. The car was used in various SCCA track events by the seller through June 2024, winning in ITB at Sebring in 2023. This AE86 race car is now offered with a clean Florida title in the name of the seller’s spouse.



The car was refinished in yellow following its acquisition by the seller in 2004, and rust repair was performed on the rear body panel behind the trunk lid. The pop-up headlights and motors were removed along with door windows and regulators, and further modifications include rear LED lighting, a front tow hook, a rear tow strap, and front-bumper brake ducts. The seller states that the paint has been touched up over the years, most recently in 2023. The Carfax report lists an accident in 1989 that resulted in damage to the right side of the vehicle.

Panasport-style 15″x6″ wheels are mounted with ZR-rated 205/50 Hoosier R7 tires, with T3 spacers and extended studs installed on the front wheels. The power steering system was removed and replaced with an MR2 manual steering rack, and braking is handled by four-wheel discs with remanufactured Toyota calipers, Hawk pads, an Aisin master cylinder, and Techna-Fit flexible brake lines that were installed in 2024.

 

The suspension has been modified with front Koni coilovers, rear KYB coilovers with Eibach springs, T3 adjustable 4-links with bushings on rear axle end, front and rear sway bars, an adjustable panhard bar, a Cusco front strut tower brace, adjustable camber plates, and front roll center adjusters. Work in 2024 included replacing the lower control arms and the sway bar bushings.



The cabin is protected by a roll cage and houses a Kirkey 45-Series aluminum racing seat that is mounted to Buddy Club Racing seat platform and equipped with an additional head restraint as well as a G-Force five-point harness that was installed in 2024. Additional equipment includes a TRD short shifter, a Tilton adjustable rear-brake proportioning valve, an electrical cutoff switch, a fire-suppression system, and a Moroso control panel with fused switches for the ignition, fuel pump, cooling fan, wipers, and starter.



The Nardi-Personal steering wheel is mounted to a quick-release hub and fronts AutoMeter Sport-Comp instrumentation consisting of an 8k-rpm tachometer and gauges for oil pressure, coolant temperature, and voltage. A programmable Cartek sequential shift light is mounted to the dash above the gauges. The car is not equipped with an odometer, and total mileage is unknown.

Fuel is delivered from the 12-gallon ATL fuel cell by way of an MSD high-pressure pump and a surge tank. A fuel-sample port is located near the Aeromotive adjustable fuel regulator, which is equipped with a pressure gauge. The fuel cell foam was replaced in 2023.

 

The 1.8-liter “7A-GE” inline-four combines a 7A-FE engine block with a 4A-GE 16-valve large-port cylinder head and was built in 2005. Work included boring the cylinders .020″ over, honing the intake manifold runners, installing Wiseco +5.9cc pistons, adding a cylinder head oil return line to the oil pan, venting the valve cover to a VMS oil separator, and replacing the T-VIS system with a T3 big-port adapter. Additional components installed during the build include the following:

• HKS 272-degree camshafts with matching valve springs
• Fidanza Performance adjustable cam gears
• Pauter billet chrome-moly connecting rods
• MRP crank sprocket
• MRP timing belt stabilizer
• MRP baffled racing sump oil pan
• Cusco motor mounts
• TRD four-into-one exhaust header
• Koyo radiator with a Mishimoto dual-fan cooling shroud
• Oil cooler

The engine was refreshed in 2017 with replacement piston rings, crankshaft and connecting rod bearings, gaskets, valves, guides, and spring retainers. A BHJ harmonic crankshaft damper was installed in 2019, and the timing belt was replaced in 2024. The seller states that maintaining elevated RPMs with the throttle pedal for several minutes is necessary after a cold start to stabilize the idle.



Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Toyota T50 five-speed manual transmission that was rebuilt in February 2024 with new bearings, synchronizers, gaskets, and seals. An ACT heavy-duty pressure plate, an ACT four-puck clutch disc, and replacement pilot and clutch-release bearings were also installed at that time.



The limited-slip differential was rebuilt in 2011 with replacement 4.77:1 gears and a Weir Performance solid pinion spacer kit. A one-piece aluminum driveshaft was installed in 2018.