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Location:
Blue Mountains, NSW
Registered:
May 2003
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 Moral dilemma with rare corolla...
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Thu, 26 June 2003 05:52
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Hey all! As my user name suggests, I have a TE35 corolla.
A rare, JDM only coupe. 
Externally identical to a KE35/KE55 coupe, except for the tail lights, which are the same as a TE37 Levin. It used to have a bonnet like a Levin's too, but now has a KE 35 bonnet with early diamond shaped mesh grill. Mechanically, it came with a 1407cc T-U engine (now has 2T-GEU), an A40 auto (now T50) and an S292 diff (Borg Warner in now as temporary solution).
The problem is it has had a hard life: ie rust in floor, gutters, sills, rear wheel arches, boot and elsewhere, has been written off twice before I bought it (rear passenger quarter meets Army Landrover, and involved in pile-up on M4  ).
It has been straightened out okay though. I have a panel beater lined up to fix the rust, but I keep on thinking that for the money being spent (approx $1500 for now, then paint, then rego and other mods along the way), I may be able to get a nice granny-pack rolla and transfer all the good bits over and let the TE35 RIP (rust in pieces)
So what is the general concensus? Do I restore a piece of Japanese motoring history (albiet with TE71 Levin running gear), or do I transfer all the good bits onto a granny car?
Though, I love having mechanics ask me if I have an engineers certificate, and I point to the firewall and say "see the "T" there? That means I can have this engine in here." And then they run off to take triplicate copies of my rego papers to cover their own arses. Hehe. 
Let me know what you all think...
Jon.
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