1984-1987 Toyota Corolla GT-S
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| 1985 toyota corolla gt s |
The star of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla lineup was the GT-S model. A lightweight coupe with a high-strung twin-cam engine and 5-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels, the Corolla GT-S was the last of its breed.
We first began seeing the Corolla GT-S in North America in 1984 and production continued until early 1987. The car was available in two body styles; a three-door hatchback (liftback) and a two-door coupe. With pop-up headlights and a wedge-shaped body design, the corolla epitomized the car design of the era. One of the nicest features of the Corolla was that the entire package only weighed around 2300 pounds which is really quite light, especially by today’s standards.
Power for the GT-S came from a 16 valve 1587cc 4 cylinder engine dubbed the 4A-GEC. With multiport fuel injection, the twin-cam motor was smooth and free-revving. It was capable of producing roughly 112 horsepower at 6,600 rpm. With a strong transmission and rear-end, this was a very well packaged drive train. The suspension for the GT-S was independent coil-sprung in the front, and live axle coil-sprung in the rear. Although not the cutting edge of suspension design it proved very fun and tossable.
With a large cult following and a huge aftermarket, it is possible to really transform the car. It is possible to get gobs of power out of the 4A-G and the Corolla can be made to stick to the road like glue. But like any car with a big following, it makes finding a nice unabused car that much more difficult. They are still out there, however. A quick search on Craigslist will reveal cars ranging from $1500 for a total basket case all the way up to $7,000 for a heavily modified and nicely done example.