The Corolla Is Stock - Corolland: the Toyota Corolla Forums

white'00corolla

Hey, this is my first time here, so hi. Now that that's out of the way... My mom owns a 2000 Corolla LE Automatic, and the thing is stock. I am looking for things to do to it, (not asking you guys, i will read other posts before asking questions) and my mom said I could do anything I want to it that is legal. I love Toyota (my mom works for them) and I love tuning cars, so I figured that the Corolla would be a great car to do that with. Everything I do is legal, and I'm not some street racing punk. I respect the laws and only do things within that limit. One last thing... Toyota FTW!

well the 1ssfe mated to an automatic transmission is about as exciting as the car looks, so not very. best bet is to eithe snag an XRS or an older 4age based corolla.

or turbo the mirage/swap in a 4g63T.

Hey, this is my first time here, so hi. Now that that's out of the way... My mom owns a 2000 Corolla LE Automatic, and the thing is stock. I am looking for things to do to it, (not asking you guys, i will read other posts before asking questions) and my mom said I could do anything I want to it that is legal. I love Toyota (my mom works for them) and I love tuning cars, so I figured that the Corolla would be a great car to do that with. Everything I do is legal, and I'm not some street racing punk. I respect the laws and only do things within that limit. One last thing... Toyota FTW!

I dunno, its hard to say what you can do. Especially in commu-fornia. Some of the things I've done is space the extension pipe from the muffler about a quarter of an inch for the exhaust note. Relieves some back pressure and imho the best sounding low-cost 1.8 I've ever heard. And imho it pretty much sounds like an honest racing exhaust system so I give it a 10 out of 10 for the sound. It's not as loud as I thought it would be, only at high revs does it get loud. I've put 16" mini's on my car, here are some pics:

https://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/twi...la/S5000145.jpg

https://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/twi...la/S5000143.jpg

https://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/twi...la/S5000144.jpg

https://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/twi...la/S5000049.jpg

https://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/twi...la/S5000050.jpg

I also have a CAI from EL Prototypes but so far that is about it. An XRS would be good. I just don't like the way the 03-07 looks. They look too eggy and jelly bean like - absolutely hate it. I've noticed how damn soft the suspension is so tightening them up would be good. If yours is an automatic, switch to manual if you can, more peppy and better launch.

In NSW the only things you can legally do are related to suspension, wheels, bodykit, and electrics. Don't know what regs are in CA but here everything else requires an engineering certificate which is $$$

I would consider a tasteful body kit (less is defenitely more), lowered, maybe some 17 inch wheels, stiffer springs and swaybars. You might get away with some extractors. You could always put in a new sound system to boot. I dressed up the interior a bit; I painted some parts silver and changed the interior door handles for chrome jobs, it all came together quite nicely. Just thinking, you've got the LE which I assume is a luxury model - what sort of luxury gadgets could you put in?

It is great to see a young male who respects the laws, and appears to be a relatively safe driver. Laws are (usually) there for a reason; many young males think laws don't apply to them, not only legal laws but physical laws.

Depends on the regs in your area - it also depends on what you consider a worthy mod - going for "show" or going for "go".

That said - some of the first mods that people do to the car are to replace the OEM tires and/or wheels. Upgrading to better tires will greatly influence traction and stability - as you can tailor the tire characterists to the driving conditions at hand. The 8th generation Corolla also responds very well to suspension and brake mods. Don't have to go super extreme - performance struts with a medium sport spring will have a mild drop in ride height, retain the OEM ride quailty in most instances, but car will feel totally different otherwise.

Engine mods generally return the least amount back to you - like Bitter mentioned, the engine is already pretty optimized from the manufacturer from the start. You'd have to invest quite a bit to get a sizeable gain in power - most are "not" legal in most areas.

white'00corolla

well the 1ssfe mated to an automatic transmission is about as exciting as the car looks, so not very. best bet is to eithe snag an XRS or an older 4age based corolla.
or turbo the mirage/swap in a 4g63T.

I have want to swap a 4g63T into my Mirage, but I don't have enough money to do that right now. What I want is the '86 Corolla GT-S, but that is a looooong way away from happening.

Thanks to everyone else for the info. I might fab. an intake if I can find the tools, and time. Suspenssion will be the first thing I do to the Corolla. Thanks again default_smile

Bikeman982

Why not get your own car and not mod your moms?

Most performance mods for the 1ZZ-FE Corollas are a waste of time, like TRD exhaust, CAI, headers, etc. Fish is right on the mark; the 1ZZ is as optimized as possible. Aside from changing ride quality, there isn't much you can do for a Corolla under $1000. You could also do a tranny swap for manual over automatic. It will make your Corolla a little faster, but don't expect much more (0-60 might go down to 9 seconds instead of 10 secs). If you are really dedicated to tuning your mom's corolla, no matter the cost, go forced induction. My suggestion for that option would be to go for a s/c over turbo. Most turbo kits take up alot of room, thus requiring significant modifications. A supercharger, in most cases, is a bolt on deal unless you run a huge boost.

Of course, the final option is the royal flush; an engine swap. Nothing beats more power by putting in a more powerful engine. An XRS engine is a straight drop (almost) into our 8th gen Corollas. The beauty about an XRS engine is that you don't have to worry about overheating like you do with forced induction. Also, the XRS gets pretty good fuel economy around town when you aren't hitting lift.

Bikeman982

If you are itchin' to work on a car, I suggest you get a project vehicle and have at it.

You can find all kinds of used ones on e-Bay that are ready to modify.

white'00corolla

If you are itchin' to work on a car, I suggest you get a project vehicle and have at it.You can find all kinds of used ones on e-Bay that are ready to modify.

I have been working on my 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage 1.8L auto. So I guess you could call that my project car. It's my dd, so I can't do to much yet, and the Corolla is my mom's dd, but since she works for Toyota that give me a little more flexibility and that's why I was going to work on my mom's car. I also have a 1990 Ford Escort LX Hatch with a 1.9L engine and an auto tranny. It doesn't run, so I might just put all my time and money into that POS. Hopefully I can make the Escort a dd for either my mom or myself and have one of the newer cars to mod out.

Bikeman982

If you are itchin' to work on a car, I suggest you get a project vehicle and have at it.You can find all kinds of used ones on e-Bay that are ready to modify.
I have been working on my 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage 1.8L auto. So I guess you could call that my project car. It's my dd, so I can't do to much yet, and the Corolla is my mom's dd, but since she works for Toyota that give me a little more flexibility and that's why I was going to work on my mom's car. I also have a 1990 Ford Escort LX Hatch with a 1.9L engine and an auto tranny. It doesn't run, so I might just put all my time and money into that POS. Hopefully I can make the Escort a dd for either my mom or myself and have one of the newer cars to mod out.

Do you think your mom or dad would trade their cars for an Escort?

Do you think your mom or dad would trade their cars for an Escort?

LOL default_ohmy

Leave the corolla stock. Fine a proper 5sp with good aftermarket support to play with. Find a older v6/v8 mustang, 240, mx5. Anything. Just get something that is worth putting money in to. Domestic or import. Do it right, or don't do it.

Bikeman982

Get a Mitsubishi Mirage.

Get a Mitsubishi Mirage.

You can find a 1G DSM with a turbo already in it for pretty cheap. vfaq.com has tons of info with pics on how to keep it up. Big thing is t-belt, and ECU caps. Possible balance shaft removal depending on miles. I got one years ago that ran for 1300 and I know a guy who got one for 500.

Just keep a corolla for backup. default_wink You WILL need it.