toyota powered vette!?!?

one of my friends and I are picking up an 88 corolla GTS this week for $300. He's taking the wheels and I'm getting the engine and all the wiring(with HKS cam gears) I found a T50 tranny on craigslist for $150 and I'm going to swap the 4age into my 84 chevette. I was on here a while back trying to decide just what to do with this car and finally decided that I couldn't really afford to do any of the things I wanted to do. ecotec and 3400 swap were doing to cost way to much. I had never concidered a 4age but the price is right and it won't be the first toyota powered GM. I'll try to get a built thread started soon but it will probably be a slow process sense there are going to be a few expensive parts that have to be made. Any suggestions or info would be great because I'm new to toyotas.

Yeah, sell me the rear view mirror.

Weren't there some British Vauxhall Chevette-type racers back in the day? There might be period info about suspension stuff you could use.

yeah, spax still makes adjustable shocks for vauxhall chevettes, summit has sway bars, I'll probably just find lots of different springs and experiment.

I love the idea!

Stealthtercel wrote: Weren't there some British Vauxhall Chevette-type racers back in the day? ...

Yes. See below. Lots of Vauxhall Chevette rally cars too.

basically a Toyota Starlet with a 4age, good idea

basically a Toyota Starlet with a 4age, good idea

My main concern is: What are you plans for the front brakes?

Ohhhh... THAT 'Vette.

There's a C3 Corvette with a JDM/Aussie Toyota aluminum Hemi V8 in Victoria, Texas.

alex wrote: Ohhhh... THAT 'Vette.

My thoughts exactly. Changes the whole thing.

Feedyurhed wrote:

alex wrote: Ohhhh... THAT 'Vette.

My thoughts exactly. Changes the whole thing.

yeah...beat me to it too!. At first, i though "BLASPHEMY!!", but now Im really intrigued, Definitely keep us posted!!!

Front brake upgrade: brackets, calipers, and rotors from a 84-87 Fiero. Still small and non-vented, but bigger than stock and cheap.

bummer, I was hoping to find a 2jz Cx

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

Sort of what I was expecting to hear. Or some S-10 gear.

Glad to hear it, and make a build thread!

xci_ed6 wrote: bummer, I was hoping to find a 2jz Cx

ya know I've thought about a 2jzgte powered late C3 or C4 vette just to piss off the purist. good idea on the 4ag chevette btw

I should be going to pick up the corolla thursday.

As for brakes, I founf some caliper brackets that will let me use wilwood calipers on chevette spindels, fiero breaks would be cheaper though. I know theres a corvette master cylinder that bolts to a chevette break booster but I need to learn a little more about break systems before I get to deep into that. The rear end will also be a issue once I start making real power.

mrdontplay wrote: one of my friends and I are picking up an 88 corolla GTS this week for $300. He's taking the wheels and I'm getting the engine and all the wiring(with HKS cam gears) I found a T50 tranny on craigslist for $150 and I'm going to swap the 4age into my 84 chevette. I was on here a while back trying to decide just what to do with this car and finally decided that I couldn't really afford to do any of the things I wanted to do. ecotec and 3400 swap were doing to cost way to much. I had never concidered a 4age but the price is right and it won't be the first toyota powered GM. I'll try to get a built thread started soon but it will probably be a slow process sense there are going to be a few expensive parts that have to be made. Any suggestions or info would be great because I'm new to toyotas.

I think it's a good thing. It might cost as much as your original plan (didn't you consider turboing the 4-cyl before you started thinking about the V6?), but it should be very cool once you're done with it.

Did you consider staying in the family and dropping in a SBC? Not much on the twisties, but once you get her pointed in the right direction, hang on.

lewbud wrote: Did you consider staying in the family and dropping in a SBC? Not much on the twisties, but once you get her pointed in the right direction, hang on.

You know I expect this from my local car forum. No not this one, that's the plan for my next chevette. I want something that's different.

In reply to mrdontplay:

...and even then, I'd personally stick a 5.0 in for fitment reasons...and the fact that a 350 has been put into everything.

Anyways, keep posting Dontplay. Need build thread!

is the vauxhall chevette the same as ours? I know ours were all hatchbacks, but they had wagons and sedans too

In reply to mad_machine:

The chassis is the same T-Body.

It was also used as a Holden/Isuzu down in Austrailia. And it got the "Opel Kadett" look down in South America where it was still branded as a Chevy Chevette.

They all had different engines though of course. No one else got the wheezy, 300lb lead weight North America got...well...maybe South America? Possibly?