Shakotan Spooky: Austin’s Widebody AE86
What you’re looking at is a car that is as old as I am; and much like myself, this car has gotten wider as the years have gone by. Unlike myself, however, Austin intended for the car to be wide. I did not want to be wide. Let’s talk more about Austin Fenn’s Corolla.
We’ll get to the flares in a minute, so settle down. Austin plucked this car from a perpetual project state, and built it into what you see here. And he did a fair amount of that work in his garage. He’s touched every aspect of this car, like the suspension. Megan Racing supplies a set of Track series coilovers, roll center adjusters, and their adjustable four links. Up front is an MR2 steering rack (because it fits and is also manual), extended lower control arms, and T3 modified steering knuckles.
The shock and coil perches in the rear have been modified to allow for additional droppage, and there are hand made traction brackets as well. There’s also a T3 panhard bar for good measure. There is Motul 600 brake fluid coursing through braided brake lines on all four corners. The OEM calipers grab onto slotted rotors. All of that is tucked behind a set of Basset steel wheels, 14×8 in the front, and 15×10 (-52 offset!) in the rear. The front wheels are currently wearing a pair of Yokohama S.drive tires, and the rears are sporting Falkens.
The rear bumper has been ditched, and a pair of boso pipes are sticking out the back. The US spec front bumper has been cut up and tucked, and the body (underneath the custom livery that Austin designed, and Hero Prints turned into printable files) is some satin black paint and Chrysler Crystal Metallic Graphite.
He’s fitted a set of Jblood sideskirts, and popped on some sideskirt extensions he snagged off of eBay. Now let’s get to the thing you’ve been waiting for:
The flares are truly one-offs. They aren’t some super rare Yahoo Japan finds, or something he found at a swap meet. No, these are flares that he designed, AND MADE HIMSELF. You won’t be able to get a set of them unless you A) rip them off Austin’s car, a move which is highly un-advisable for a litany of reasons or B) beg him to make a set for you, which will probably result in an answer in the negative. They’re N2 inspired, but all Austin’s design.
Turning our attention under the hood, we find a 20 valve 4AGE! And no A/C or power steering! He has a newer xB, which has at least one of those things. There’s a big Mishimoto radiator, and matching fans, along with a Setrab oil cooler and a thermostatic oil plate.
The 20v inhales through a set of individual throttle bodies, topped with 75mm T3 velocity stacks. It exhales through a very good looking header that I can’t remember the name of, nor the reason that he chose this header. But damn is it good looking. If there’s a bad looking, aftermarket header for the 4AGE, I haven’t seen it. And I don’t want to. Oh, and the head has been ported and polished. And the whole shebang is being orchestrated by a Sprint 500 standalone ECU.
There is no carpet inside Austin’s Corolla, only custom floor mats. The rear of the car doesn’t even get the luxury of floor mats, it just has the relocated battery, sitting inside of a stainless steel box. There’s a Veilside OG fixed back seat, which necessitated the recovering of the OEM passenger seat and door cards. You know, so they match the Veilside bucket. The steering wheel is a Vertex (by Vertex) wheel, and doesn’t have a horn button. It is very colorful though. Oh, and that stuff sitting on the driver’s seat?
A sweet pair of Shirts Tucked In driving gloves.
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