Menacing High Roof Wagon
I was lucky enough to shoot this beauty while it was still in one piece. To this day, this is still the most badass E series wagon I have ever encountered. The dark metallic black paint, smoked out rear windows combined with chunky black steelies give this car a very Mad Max-esque look.
I watched this build come together slowly through random imagery on facebook and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. This van started its life as an E70 Irish high roof wagon. The high roof models are actually pretty rare and this is one of the only surviving examples in Ireland. Sandy originally bought this as a cream Diesel van from the guys at Retro Autos.
His plan was to build a menacing wagon and I think he created a masterpiece with this Corolla Van. It slips through the cracks of any current trends of the moment and looks like it fell out of the late seventies or early eighties. It really reminds me of the red Holden Sandman in the first Mad Max film. If that car and the iconic Falcon XB towards the end of the film had a child together this would be the result. 
That movie kick-started my taste for small deep dish wheels, tough looking cars, chin spoilers and everything in between, I’m a sucker for that resembles that style. 
When Sandy sent me snaps via social media, I instantly fell in love and tried to schedule a shoot as soon as we could. This car had it all, he had taken a somewhat mundane eighties machine and created a car that looked incredibly menacing and had and angry heart to match.
I’m usually not a fan of the slant front on these but this car gives an old Aussie vibe to me and the slant front just looks at home here. These cars are usually kitted out with chrome bumpers, window trim, grill etc and Sandy muted the car by loosing as much chrome as possible. If Mad Max was made in the early eighties in Japan, this car would have been his family wagon.
The original diesel engine is long gone, instead, a fully built SR20 fits snug in the bay, built up with Wossner pistons, an uprated turbo. The engine is putting out about 360HP to a Modception Pajero rear axle and leaf springs! Things get pretty interesting once it breaks traction.
Looking into the bay you would be fooled into thinking this is some sort of classic Nissan.
On the streets, its sounds menacing with the help of a Tial external wastegate and screamer pipe, it leaves the average standard confused and somewhat baffled as they turn around only to see this unusual looking black rectangle growling towards them. It’s a very anti-social wagon and I love it.
Inside things are very well thought out. Sandy went for an original Bride Zeta with a faded orange centre. It compliments the aged interior perfectly.
For steering, a very subtle TRD wheel was chosen. You can see the custom instrument panel behind the wheel which he made out of an old carbon bonnet.
He completely re-trimmed the interior to match the looks. Custom black door cards and died carpet, replacing the old cream and keeping the dark theme flowing throughout the car.
Some raw old Razo Pedals look at home in the footwell.
A closer look at the RSM fitted into the snug carbon panel. I love the muted theme of the cockpit. Its this attention to detail that really makes this a great car.
Outback a simple shotgun plays the note of and pissed off SR20.
We brought the car for a quick lap of Arklow and stopped by on this old road to grab a few more photos. It was a fantastic evening, as the sun set, it cast a lovely reflection on the freshly finished wagon. You can just about make out the intercooler behind the front panel.
Sandy told me he thinks the car looks a bit strange, it doesn’t really look Japanese and definitely doesn’t look Irish. He has somehow created something that lives in its own category, its a nod to the old eighties stock car style in America and at the very same time looks like some Australian mad max style builds from a similar era.
This is the modern-day hot rod. Its made up of all sorts of parts from a variety of cars. You’ll find some Ford parts, some Mazda parts and bits from a Nissan oh and Toyota.
Being an original Irish wagon, this thing had endured the usual Irish weather and was pretty rusty before being restored. Sandy had to weld in huge patches of metal on the floor and roof area. He then had to build the custom arches to fit these Mega 10-inch American racing steelies.
That high roof is ever so subtle but you know its there. Toyota nailed it with the look of these things back in the day, I don’t think anyone who purchased one of these brand new would have ever imagined these cars would be modified in this manner twenty years down the road.
I also love this car’s stance. It’s ever so slightly sloping to the front and reminds me of an old muscle car. Those meaty 10J rear steels look like they mean business.
They just about squeeze in under the custom arch work.
I’ve posted more than usual with this photo set, mainly because it was a perfect evening and I couldn’t get enough of this thing.
Sandy took me for a spin up the road and I’m raging I didn’t make a proper video of the madness, the car had a hard time going in a straight line.
We shot this right before we the vlog series started this would have made a great episode. A quick touch of the throttle and it instantly snapped sideways. Sandy laughed numerous times as we cruised around and kept telling me “its a lot of fun” The leaf spring setup made for some interesting handling characteristics. The perfect Japanese eighties hot rod mashup, and an absolute blast to drive.
Behind those steels are a set of FC3s RX7 brakes paired with Mini Cooper discs, the stopping power is much needed.
Id love to know what the original designer of these cars would think if he saw how people have interpreted this chassis thirty years down the road. There are so many ways to go about styling an E70 Corolla, each of them have their own personality.
If this car was a human, I bet it would be an absolute handful, getting drunk on nights out and causing fights! It’s hard not to get in trouble when driving something like this around, the throttle invites you to press harder every time you step on it, inviting you to break the law and cause some mischief.
Sometimes these builds are too good for this world. Shortly after we shot this Sandy decided to break the car for parts and the shell has been sold on to be rebuilt again. That’s the thing about car builds, sometimes they stick around for a long time and others are around for less than a minute. I’m happy I got to shoot this monster while it was still in this configuration. Its totally impractical and some would say its complete lunacy, but hey that’s what makes the car community and interesting place, right?
Engine:
Fully built sr20det by TDP
Wossner pistons
Mapped by TDP on Nistune ECUecu
Tial external wastegate with screamer pipe
Ihi turbo fully rebuilt on top mount cast mani
Nismo fuel pressure reg
550cc Denso injectors
Z32 airflow meter with plug
Ford pre-fuel pump filter
Bmw m3 after pump filter
Bosch 044 external fuel pump
Greddy front mount intercooler
Is200 Japspeed alloy radiator
Odyssey dry cell battery and clamp
Apexi RSM
2.5″ full stainless exhaust system with 2 high flow silencers
New Drift culture paddle clutch
Custom alloy fuel tank built by stone motorsport
Suspension & Handling:
Hydraulic handbrake
Pajero rear axle with welded diff
Ae86 rear brake callipers and discs
Mk2 escort rear axle anti tramp bars from group4fab
Ae86 front custom coilovers
Roll centre adjusters
New KYB front shock inserts from ae92 Corolla short stroke
Mazda FC front brake callipers with adapter plates
Mini Cooper s front discs
Ae86 front subframe
Ae86 manual rack and grp4 bush
Ae86 steering column
Front braided brake lines
Ae86 corner firewall cut
Custom braided lines
Exterior:
Painted in 205 metallic black
Custom arches by retro autos
De-chromed trim and bumpers
New front bumper
Rear – de bumpered.
Chin spoiler
Interior
Bride Zeta 1 driver seat on custom bride rail
Omori water temp gauge
Apexi boost gauge
Hks turbo timer
Wheels
American racing steel wheels powder coated black 15″ x8.5 front. 15″x10 rear
New Achilles 123s front tyres
New Toyo t1rs rear tyres
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