Picked up a 45-year-old Corolla on a remote island. Didn’t expect what came next. Episode 1 of the Shitbox Safari begins now.
Working on the KE70 again… I don’t know why I do this to myself, but here we are. Enjoy the chaos.
Tearing into the KE70 and finding a few surprises inside… interior out, wiring chaos, vents confusion, and a bit more progress on the build.
I finally found my dream 180SX… one of the last surviving 326 Power / Car Planner Zone demo cars from the mid-2000s Japanese drift era. And now I have to save it.
Thought I was finally making progress on the KE70… turns out the engine’s toast and I’ve got a lot more work ahead. At least there’s one good surprise in the middle of the chaos.
I spent seven years building my 86 to perfection… now I’m about to mess around with this KE70 DIY style.
So I bought a Toyota KE70 Corolla project, imported from Bangkok, Thailand, but why?
This is the story of Ireland’s top 40 + famous cars from the Forgotten JDM Car Boom. We deep dive into why so many famous Japanese icons ended up in Ireland and what happened to them.
We strike Gold at Tsukuba and witness one of the most incredible classic track days in Japan.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to make it to last year’s AE86 festival. A close friend was getting married, and there was no way out. Instead, our friend Adam Osborne was there to capture the day with Flip and Josh on the video camera. I wish I could’ve been, as it’s probably one of the best days out, and that’s not being biased toward my favourite chassis; it’s just a decent day filled with a very high percentage of good machines. I’ll let Adams Photo Gallery do much of the talking here, as there are plenty of really nice photos for the eyes. We are fortunate to have such a vibrant AE86 scene here in Ireland.
Check out this photo set from our recent video featuring a rare AE70 Sprinter, a variation of the popular Corolla chassis commonly referred to as the ke70 in most parts of the world. This car is so rare that the owner wasn’t even aware of its uniqueness, with its redesigned B and C pillar, different rear end, and different front end.
On a lovely, rare sunny evening, we met up with Liam after work to get a closer look at this car, which Liam had just finished. The modifications made to this rare example of the E70 platform are spot-on. The simple SSR MK 2 wheels require no arch flair, and the tire and ride height combination is perfect. The interior has been left mostly stock, with a few choice modifications such as a steering wheel, an Omori rev gauge, and a shift knob. The Sprinter blue with optional mats are fantastic, and the eighties interior is in excellent condition, especially considering this car has less than 70k on the clock, which is remarkable for a car from 1982.
A close look at a rare 4A-GE KE70/AE70 Corolla Sprinter Sedan
Our video on Paddy’s shed went down a treat a couple of weeks ago, I could have spent an entire day going through the collection, but time was against us, so much so that we had to call back for a second look after work as the evening light quickly vanishing.
This shed is incredible, a man and his friends saving Irish Toyotas from the scrapper. The look and feel of this place are like something from an old Optiojn DVD feature when they call out to someone’s rural shed packed with old gems. I’m sure most of you have seen the video by now, so ill let the photos do the talking.
We find a famous AE86 and the perfect KE70 Corolla hidden in the Irish countryside.
Hide Nagashima is a legend, he builds some of the most impressive cars, and the backdrop to his shop is hilarious, literally in the middle of nowhere surrounded by rice fields.