Ariel's Story - A tale of a Utah Corolla by ariel_86

7 minute(s) of a 89 minute read

 Um, yeah. Screw going anywhere today.

3-3-2013

Nothing to update about my car but I do have an update to my life.

I finally have a job! I'm working at a local O'Reilly Auto Parts store. It's only part time right now, but it's better then sitting around doing nothing. Once I get more settled into this job, I might look for another part time job before going back to school.

Also, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the Corolla and the direction I'd like to take it. I hope to one day make it a pure track car, maybe door-to-door NASA racing or time attack, but the current drivetrain won't really take much more abuse then the daily driving and spirited driving I've been subjecting it too. I'm starting to think about moving from a 4AG power plant to the Honda S2000 swap. I'm also considering a custom built Chevy 10-bolt like a friend has, but both the rear & the S2000 swap are a long ways off. I definitely need more seat time & coilovers on the car. A fresh set of wheels & tires would be nice too.

To get the Corolla off of DD-duties and back to being the often neglected project that it normally is, I've been looking around for a suitable DD. I'm torn between something FWD & fuel efficient but fun (Civic, Integra, Sentra, G20), or RWD, sorta fuel efficient & fun (S13, mkIII Supra, Z31, FB or FC RX7), or getting a 2WD 70's-95 Toyota xtra cab pickup and making it into something of a shakotan DD and eventually doing a 1UZ and airbag setup on it. 

Whatever I end up going with, I hope to get it for $3K or less by June. The sooner, the better, but that kinda depends on me getting my finances back in order and whether or not I can find a second job soon.

3-20-2013

poorutron wrote:

inspiring story of a "little engine that could" but hum I'd said civic since they're dime a dozen in most places so maintenance aint too bad

I've thought about a Civic too, but I'm a little particular about what kind of Civic I'd want. Right now it looks like I'll be getting a cheap Hyundai Excel that needs some work from a friend, so I'll do that so I can take it easy on the Corolla.

March 20, 2013 – Employed & IDrift

So at the end of February I finally got a job at an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store in Syracuse. It’s nice to be working again and I’m really enjoying it! Now I can afford gas to drive and hang out with friends!

First I fixed my fog light mounting. One of the lights wasn’t mounted very securely, so I re-drilled the hole in my bumper support and used longer bolts. Now the lights stay in place.

March 16 was going to be the first drift event of the season put on by Innovative Garage and D-Spare Drift Team at Miller Motorsports Park. I volunteered to help run the event because I didn’t have the money to drift, but Jason of Innovative said he’d let me take a few runs in my car if I wanted to. I couldn’t say no.

First, I prepped my car the best I know how.

more colors.

more stickers.

I worked the course during the morning, fixing cones and barriers, etc. Also, a Mustang there broke the U-joints on his drive shaft while drifting. 

The afternoon was my turn to drive. I didn’t do very well, but considering I haven’t really drifted in about 1.5-2 years, I don’t feel too bad about it. Here I am in the staging line with Derrick Lopez riding shotgun as an instructor. He drifts a 2004 STi that he’s converted to RWD himself. He’s a fantastic fabricator and driver.

I had a great time drifting and hanging out with friends. It was so fun to get back behind the wheel and kill some tires without worrying about cops or wrecking. I really need some coilovers though, the body roll is terrible. I do have some video footage that I will try to edit and post later today.

Also, during my free time, I’ve been helping a buddy tear into a 98 GTI and try to get that running. The original motor in the car disintegrated a rod, so we’re hoping a simple engine swap will get the car running again. As I dismantled the old engine, I took rod & piston no.3 as a trophy since I lost my rubber ducky sometime last week.

GTI piston

4-13-2013