1983 Toyota Corolla DX Buzzy Bee 146

2
January 21st, 2010 by NZPC

If the paint doesn't do it for you, the 500hp+ 13B rotating under the bonnet just might...

Choosing the colour that is to grace the canvas of your pride and joy has got to be one of the most important decisions in a build. If the colour suits then endless praise will come your way, leaving you utterly satisfied and grinning from ear to ear. Choose the wrong colour and your car will blend in with the sea of imports rotating rubber on our roads. Even worse, you can stand out from the crowd for the reason that your car looks like what hangs between fidos hind legs. Fortunately for Kieren, the owner of this smooth 83 KE70 Corolla DX sedan, there is no doubt that he chose the right hue for the old Toyota. The in-your-face shade captures the essence of the car and, thanks to Lees Autobodies, the paint has been applied flawlessly to every panel. Apparently, yellow has been associated with such things as extreme energy and happiness, and tends to make you feel hungry. I cant vouch for that but I can tell you that this particular Corolla would easily be able to serve up most vehicles on our roads on a silver platter. Before Kieren got his hands on the DX, it was sitting in a mates garage in a less intense tone of grey with a naturally aspirated Mazda 13B twin rotor under the bonnet. Although the owner had good intentions it wasnt getting the attention it deserved, so a deal was struck and soon the car was at Kierens home with sinister plans of forced induction milling in its new owners cerebrum. The N/A engine was promptly ditched in favour of a 13B from an S8 'Spirit R FD3S RX-7, which in standard form remains the most powerful production engine from the Mazda stable. The block was treated to a half-inch stud kit and 20B stationary gears, and now runs FC3S S4 rotors mated with 3mm genuine Mazda apex seals for the desired compression. A custom port job was undertaken by the boys at Lawton Rotorsport, and they also fabricated the 2.5-inch piping connected to the polished intercooler that sits valiantly at the front of the Corolla. Hidden behind that is a KW fourcore alloy radiator combined with a single 12-inch fan to keep engine temperatures as low as possible, and an oil cooler snatched from an FC3S RX7 is in charge of keeping the oil crisp in hot situations. Even at first glance the partially deloomed engine bay looks stunning, but it can only truly appreciated when you take a closer look. Simple but effective modifications such as braided oil and fuel lines, relocated battery, and one of those 'you can eat off it polish jobs by Bay of Plenty Polishers accentuate the simple yet effective layout. The most noticeable piece of hardware in the bay is, of course, the giant Garrett T04Z huffer that is mated to another Lawton creation, a custom

stainless steel manifold. Boost is regulated by a large 50mm Turbonetics external wastegate and excess air is discharged by a Turbosmart blow-off valve. Anyone who knows rotaries will attest that these engines have a binge drinking problem. Kieren was not going to let his DX become parched, so fuel is directed to the housings courtesy of a Holley Blue lift pump and Bosch Motorsport 044 fuel pump. It is then passed through 3/8-inch fuel lines and a Turbosmart adjustable fuel pressure regulator before its sent to its final resting place of 550cc primary injectors and hefty 1680cc secondaries. Bosch coils and 10mm leads get spark to the NGK plugs. All of this is overseen and ordered by the brains of the operation a Microtech LT10S engine management system. The boys at Lawton Rotorsport were also given the task of fabricating the 3-inch exhaust in charge of expelling burnt emissions. The journey starts from just aft of the turbo and extends behind the firewall, then past the five-puck clutch and 8lb flywheel that resides inside the bell housing of the S5 FC3S RX-7 gearbox. It then runs adjacent with the modified FC3S driveshaft that connects to a Hilux differential that has been shortened to fit the underbody of the DX, running a 4.3:1 ratio. The gases make their way over the axle housings and finally pass through a 3.5-inch dumpy to greet anyone within range with the very stout bark of this angry 13B. Only those things that aid the driving experience have made their way to the DXs interior. The ICE in this old school sedan is therefore the sweet sound of a ported rotary mixed with a dash of open wastegate. Kieren places his gluteus maximus on a fixed-back Bride seat (theres one for the passenger, too), and is assisted by a Sportsline steering wheel, Redline boost gauge and an AutoGauge tacho, accompanied by water temp and oil pressure dials of the same brand. Kieren has chosen to roll on a set of rims made for anything sporting a rotational device between the strut towers: Lenso RS5s in black with a polished lip. These have then been wrapped in quality Dunlop Direzza 205/40R17 rubber up front and Toyos of the same size at the rear. Sitting behind the open five-spoke alloys are Mazda anchors all round, which were originally found on an FD3S RX-7. In Kierens mind there was never meant to be any gap in between the Lensos and the gaurds of the DX, so this was combatted with a custom Native-RE shock setup and compressed King springs at all four corners, and for extra ridgity the ass end was stiffened up by using a custom rear sway bar. Kieren has always stated that the car was just for a bit of fun, but he has plans to fit a roll cage in the near future. Fair enough too; with a Speedtech Motorsport-tuned 420hp at the rear wheels on just 16psi, its a bit of a demon. The DX has potential for a lot more power but that will come once Kieren gets around to putting it back on the dyno. Even on the current tune the Corolla has been known to leave a few of its owners mates with twitching sphincters. There is no doubt that if you were to see this neat, old school sedan on the road it would be pretty much impossible to miss. Whether thats because of the savage 13B spinning away between the towers or the flawless bright yellow paint, there is no question that this DX will leave you hungry for more.

1983 Toyota Corolla DX Specifications

Engine: Mazda S8 13B-REW twin-rotor, S4 FC3S rotors, 3mm apex seals, 0.5-inch stud kit, 20B stationary gears, balanced assembly, custom Lawton Rotorsport porting, Garrett T04Z turbo, custom Lawton exhaust manifold, Turbosmart 50mm external wastegate, Turbosmart blow-off valve, air-to-air intercooler, Lawton custom intercooler piping, Lawton custom 3-inch exhaust system, Holley Blue lift pump, Bosch Motorsport 044 fuel pump, 2-litre stainless surge tank, 3/8inch fuel lines, Turbosmart adjustable fuel pressure regulator, 550cc primary injectors, 1680cc secondary injectors, Bosch coils, 10mm leads, Microtech LT10-S engine management system, KW alloy radiator, S4 FC3S oil cooler, Gilmore drive pulley Driveline: Mazda S5 FC3S 5-speed gearbox, 5-puck clutch, 8lb flywheel, S5 FC3S driveshaft, Hilux 4.3:1 LSD Suspension/Brakes: Custom-built Native-RE shocks, King springs, S7 FD3S RX-7 rotors/callipers front/rear Wheels/Tyres: 177-inch Lenso RS5 alloys, Dunlop Direzza DZ101 205/40R17 tyres front, Toyo

Proxes 205/40R17 tyres rear Exterior: De-bumpered, custom yellow respray Interior: Bride fixed-back front seats, Sportsline steering wheel, AutoGauge meters, AutoGauge tachometer Performance: Dyno Power 420hp @ wheels (16psi boost, pump gas)