Shingijutsu Jidai Wa Toyota: 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 AE86 Hatchback

I've got to admit that I don't know why Toyota  two different cars with the AE86 platform in Japan, first the Corolla Levin that was sold at the Toyota Corolla Store  and then Sprinter Trueno that was sold at Toyota Auto Store...this setup is literally foreign to me...so I'll just start across the Pacific where Toyota dealers sold something called the Toyota Corolla DX, SR5, and GT-S...which was equally at home on a daily commute or doing Initial D style drifting. Find this 1984 Toyota Corolla AE86 Hatchback offered for $6000 in South Bay Los Angeles, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Hachi-Go: 1987 Toyota Corolla SR5

The AE85/86 generation Toyota Corolla built from 1983 to 1987 was the last truly great economy car to come from the biggest auto maker in the world.  No one will ever buy a Prius years from now for its driving experience or consider picking up a modified RAV4 to turn back to stock, but the 30 year old Corolla is a different animal at its core.  Find this 1987 Toyota Corolla SR5 offered for $4000 in Denver, CO via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Mid Week Match-Up: Pi Day Special

Happy Pi Day to all math nerds out on the web. That's affirmative, today is Pi Day -- 3.14 -- a nicely rounded version of the irrational number that was closely approximated with polygons by the Greek mathematician Archimedes around 250 BC. We are going to celebrate Pi Day with a special edition of the Mid Week Match-Up...where we look for the best car for a nerd.

Venom: 1961 Morris Mini Cooper with Toyota AE86 SWAP

Spider Man is an interesting hero, but he is mostly clueless and his biggest assets are his perky persona and agile reflexes...sorta like a classic Mini. But imagine, for a minute, if you poured some of the awesome power of someone like the vampire hunter Blade into Peter Parker's suit and spider-abilities...now you'd have a bitchin' superhero like this 1961 Classic Mini Cooper with Toyota AE86 SWAP offered for $10,000 in Santa Cruz, CA via craigslist.

Sorry Low Mile AE86: 1985 Toyota Corolla SR5

The E80 generation Toyota Corolla isn't a car that gets your motor revving, except maybe AE86 3-door hatchback version that kept rear wheel drive setup (the 4-door version went to a fun-killing transverse engine front-drive layout in 1983) from the previous generation.  This next Corolla might have the fun-killing automatic transmission, but it has an eye opening 6,686 miles on the odometer.  Find this 1985 Toyota Corolla SR5 offered for $11,995 CAD ($9,266 USD) at a dealer in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tip from John.

14k Miles: 1987 Toyota Corolla GT-S AE86

Would you ever consider dropping nineteen large on a used Toyota Corolla?  Yeah, me neither...but what if that Corolla was one of the classic rear-drive AE86 generation equipped with the legendary GT-S TwinCam motor and had only 14,500 miles? Find this 1987 Toyota Corolla GTS AE86 offered here on eBay for $19,000 buy-it-now or make-offer, located in Waxhaw, NC.  Tip from Abraham.

5k: Zenki Hachi-Roku: 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S AE86

 The AE86 generation Toyota Corolla built from 1983 to 1987 was the last truly great economy car to come from the biggest auto maker in the world.  No one will ever buy a Prius years from now for its driving experience, but the 30 year old Corolla is a different animal at its core.  Find this 1985 Toyota Corolla GTS AE86 offered here on craigslist for $6,000 in Cincinnati, OH.  Tip from FuelTruck.

17k: Ready for Tofu and Touge: 1986 Toyota Corolla GT-S, Honda F20C swap

Tofu comes from breaking down soybeans and fortifying them with water and a firming coagulant before being pressed into cubes. On its own, it's a bland protein substitute that only takes on a flavor when other spices are added. Likewise, this AE86 Corolla was completely gutted, rebuilt, and marinated with stronger pieces – Honda's infamous inline-four with just 3,000 miles – resulting in a nearly quadrilateral figure that takes on the manic nature of the 9,000-rpm screamer under the hood. Find this 1986 Toyota Corolla GT-S with F20C powertrain in Mountain View, CA for $16,500 via craigslist. 

5k: Japanese Twins: 1984 Datsun 200SX vs 1984 Toyota Corolla

People joke about modern cars all looking and driving the same -- which wouldn't be bad if they were cheap and fun to drive.  Typically, the conversation meanders to how it was much better in the glory days...but it wasn't better back then, in fact the 1980s had some of the worst examples of automotive doppelgängers, including the Dodge Omni/VW Rabbit and Datsun 200SX/Toyota AE86 Corolla - the latter being the subject of today's comparison.  Which bronze bomber would you want?  This 1984 Datsun 200SX offered for $5700 in Anaheim, CA or a 1984 Toyota Corolla AE86 located in Kirkland, WA for $6,500?  (Datsun is a great tip from Abraham D.)