History of my Corolla FX16 GTS - The Complete Story

[@snark_]

He has returned

[@crd-nz_001]

Don't be scared of cams! Get the one in the 280 advertised/ 230@0.050in range. It will feel "stock" under 3000 - above that... hang on as an extra 10-13hp heads to the wheels. (That's an extra 8-10%) Don't go too much over 9k, Blacktop rods are not very thick. Best talk to Barry at MRP about a rod upgrade if this is to be a future goal. Second, revisit the exhaust header, but do a 4-2-1 system,1 ¾ diameter, 16in between each merge.(32in total) It will help a lot through the rev range and not "all up top". She will need a tune afterwards. Lastly, get a lighter aftermarket flywheel when the gearbox is off. This helps with throttle response making the car feel more torquey. There is NO downside, besides being easier to stall from stand still. I have this with my AE101. I still retain the stock ECU. Best ¼ mile time was 15.2@92mph on that set-up.

[@boxenjoyerkona]

This. Mild cams provide a big boost up top with no loss down low, and VVT can be retained.

[@H4KD11]

Blacktop is more streetable with an intake came that retains vvt

[@touavlogs]

bro....we got the same story bro. My mom had the same corolla and when she passed away, I promise myself that one day I will go buy one like her's and restore it. Made me tear up hearing this.

[@tommybrett1977]

my mom drove such a 87 corolla, only the one with 75 hp but despite its low performance, it was a fun car, thanks to the low weight. a few months after gaining my drivers license, as a novice driver, I wanted to buy a used corolla GT (that's the European name for the FX16). that led to endless discussions at home with my parents: “you'll kill yourself in that car” and "if you buy that car, you can move out straight away" :) that was 1997, now, almost 30 years later, I'd be delighted to also fulfill my childhood dream. unfortunately, the AE82 corollas with 1.6l 4AGE engine and 121hp are really hard to find. And with the whole e-mobility craze in Europe... without words. Anyway, I really enjoy your videos and I'm happy for you that you were able to fulfill your childhood dream. keep up the good work, thanks and greetings from Germany

[@joshuagamer4567]

He returned when the world needed the most.

[@willwastaken]

Been watching for years, just can't get enough of those ITBs haha. Hopefully I can afford to put ITBs on my NB Miata someday :)

[@frasermcleod2486]

Much the same . Altho I want itbs on my bmw E30 haha 👌 . I have a m42b18 . Which is dohc 1.8 . Hopefully you get them on your Miata one day 😊

[@epp9122]

Motorcycle itbs, speeduino, some silicone adapters and wiring and youre there. 500$~ plus a tune if you dont tune it yourself

[@shamil808]

Great story. We're fortunate to have an example set by someone so passionate.

[@renz1013]

I like these kinds of builds. It has the same vibe as videos of DK paying attention to small details on his ae86. Something about those videos captivate me.

[@marrerowski]

Love the build! 20v was the right choice for this chasis.

[@ZedNinetySix_]

Misha would love to drive this around the Nürburgring, all the emotion~

[@TitillatedGoat]

As someone who copied your build but with a ae91 fxgt, there perfect. Absolutely amazing to drive. You nailed it about high hp cars, the nimbleness and the roar of itbs is a perfect combo. Also half the price of a ae86 😜❤️

[@iosh4G]

Love The Backstory

[@ArmTheCreative]

I wanted this car as a young adult. 1992

[@Snappy-ut4bj]

My family and I got to drive an FX 16 as a rental in Ketchikan Alaska. As you can imagine there were lots of gravel roads around there. Goooood fun!

[@darionherbert8449]

Love this, I got a 1987 nissan sentra b12 that I'm gonna fully restore and mostlikely keep forever

[@sushpants]

Those were sooo good too!

[@StreetzOneNine]

Dude!! Your FX16 history sounds very similar to my 87 Celica GTS. I have to agree, Tweak'd was amazing. He did flawless work for my Redtop BEAMS 3S swap.

[@minkodima]

Thanks for that story, Дякую!

[@FloridaManMason]

been sending your videos to my sister, my friend was selling his and i was gonna buy it, figured i would bring my sister along to see if she would like something like it as her first car (shes 15) i ended up letting her drive it and she fell in love with it, and bought it out from underneath me. I asked her multiple times if this is the one she wanted, told her that shes gonna have to learn to work on it, didnt care, so Ive been teaching her how to work on it, and i am a very proud brother. btw its a 88 with a 4a and its a automatic.

[@Hemiorasoundy14]

Thank you for your content, as an AE92 FXGT owner this 82 has been a massive inspiration for my vision of creating a togue toy. Please, keep the content coming.

[@sushpants]

Ae92 is a great touge chassis.

[@edmund111]

Yeahhh fellow FX gt owner here, I've been slowly turning mine into a touge toy bc of sushpants, so far done suspension, bushes, wheels and tyres and small engine mods

[@teamphashash]

Yeah we got these in South Africa but the front was slightly different. Actually the front looked like the sedan you show at about @0:50. They were badged Conquest GLi twin can (affectionately called the chisel shape corolla. With the 4AGE motor. Not sure if these wre also called RSi also or if that was for the later 95 models. 180RSi with the 1.8 16v motor.(sadly our bottle green 95 180RSi model was stolen) Car can take all sorts of abuse😂.

[@richman751030]

awesome mate! I have a AE92 SX hatch. It is so fun to drive

[@ShaiyanHossain]

one of my favorite builds ever on the internet! So cool to hear your backstory on this. Corollas have always been important where I'm from (Bangladesh) as they're the most common import, and its common to see many e80-e110 on the road still. Glad to hear your journey with this and always look forward to seeing more!

[@biglou36010]

Love your story we need more car guys like you

[@edomoralessilva5511]

Man, this video makes me wanna finish my 3rd gen honda civic, i have a similar story, i fall in love with that boxy 3rd gen Si and now that i am an adult i'm restoring one, I'm building it with a dohc D16 engine and I really hope that it will give me a great experience

[@skyhigh5747]

I remember when I first came across the channel, I was a freshman in high school and I immediately wanted one after. Still the best sounding car I've ever heard.

[@rodricksmalling7835]

Hey bro I really sorry to hear the passing of your mom..my daughter passed away last year from cancer and it turned my life upside down, I wish I could do something like this…I appreciate you taking the time to talk about everything.. God bless you my brother…

[@user-sonnet]

Alex, this video made me feel your history and passion with the FX16. You are also a great friend to me. I think the FX is a really great car.

[@VADproductions]

Been following you since Highschool bro♥️

[@sushpants]

Love seeing that you’re still around. You always take the time to comment on my videos. I appreciate it very much 🙏🏻.

[@VADproductions]

@ 🤲🏼🤲🏼

[@tomchick123]

I watch your itb sounds vdo everynight i cant sleep, sounds so good and comforting

[@MrMpm3001]

I had an ‘87 Fox-16 that ran flawlessly EXCEPT that it smoked like a freight train due to worn rings. Bought it from my Next door neighbor(he was a mechanic too) for 90 dollars back in 2002. Ran it for a year until the timing belt broke. Was a broke college student so I left it on the side of the road.

[@prarider1]

Thanks for the come back 4age 20v !!!!!!!❤

[@jonahbrady744]

I've been a sub for about 8 years, never realised the car had such a special meaning to you. I hope one day my kids will want to build up one the cars they remember from when they were young too.

[@joshingwithyahaha]

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO!!

[@STRMPP]

my dad drives a 4 door one that ur mom used to drive but it's a Japanese one! He swapped a 4afe in it becz the old carb one was done(and was slow) and 4 age's are relly hard to find where we live. Whenever i drive that car the feeling you get driving it is just AMAZING. it's still pretty fast becz of how light it is and sounds really good for some reason with stock exhaust. It's bone stock besides the engine. I relly appreciate ur build! one of the best!

[@MilpertOG]

love seeing the progress on your ae82, cant wait to see what happens with the imported one!

[@c_d_rock]

The GOAT. Inspiring car though out the past years. Pure simple vehicle, best vehicle,

[@LolaKorolla]

Ayy man, I am in love with your fx16. This car has made me change so many things on my ae93. I just bought some rims like your old rays and man I can’t wait to install them. Your mum would be so proud of how far you’ve come. Keep it up G - from down under 🤙

[@VampyrMygg]

I remember seeing these around in Norway a lot when I was younger, the hatchback, the kombi, the wagon, and the sedan, I just remember them as AE82.

[@KevinWilken-o8m]

Stumbling across one of your videos trying to figure out what to do with the junk AE92 I got for free is what sent me into a spiral of restoration and deeper into the 80s Corolla rabbit hole. Even though all I've really done aside from body and interior restoration is a C52 manual swap and I'm still running a 350k mile 4A-FE, I totally resonate with what you said about this type of car at the end of the video, and after 4 years, I really am starting to love this car myself. For now, buying another Corolla is probably out of the question (would LOVE an FX16 as well considering how good the AE92 is already), but I still sometimes dream of getting a 20V and attaining that incredible experience. Thank you for building this car, and especially showing me that someone's inspired enough to do it as a fellow California resident.

[@UndisputedFrost]

I love it!! I miss my fx16 soooo much. I want to get another bad but don’t have the funds to be able to have 3 cars with no garage. Keep making videos and treat that car well.

[@reneneron2971]

I think you love❤that car. Great mods and video. The wheels are great!

[@frasermcleod2486]

My friends had ae101 fx gts . Always showed them your videos . Also had a friend that had one of these . Such cool cars I'm in new Zealand. I ended up with bmw e30s . But would love to own a fxgt one day . Had the opportunity to drive my friends ae101 fxgt around the hills a lot . Such a blast

[@barrymoylan7585]

I have a 4 door hatch back the same as your car it has passed through 3 generation of my family .I have it 24 years it was my first car on the road . I have resprayed it big brakes koni suspension all bushings replaced like your car fully seam welded and has the 3sge engine fitted it is fast . They are Such great cars

[@Malice_doll]

I feel like all 80’s 4age powered cars were something special. I love driving my aw11’s. The only thing I need is now a 20v BT. The fx16’s are truly the underdogs though. They are overshadowed by the 86 and the mr2’s. I’ve seen a few around $4k complete in decent shape which is honestly cheap for running japanese cars of that era on marketplace

[@tjcben1]

It's a really cool car. I miss mine and wished I could keep it. The mods you have were basically what I wanted as well. It's just special.

[@dcabinet]

I was fortunate to have a new 1988 FX .. I really wanted the FX16 or FX16 GTS but I was just a kid and those were way out of my reach. I really appreciated your video.. brought back a lot of memories.

[@VisionCityMayor]

I’ve always been subtly tracking this build over the years because your vids would show up whenever I’m on a binge for AE86/4age content in general, but knowing that the hatchback also lives up to the reputation to the coupe that I want to eventually own one day is a good thing to know

[@WasstschoBasstscho]

Absolutely LOVE your car! My grandparents used to drive a 4Door Version of the Hatch with the 2E engine when I was a kid in Germany. I really do miss it. I now currently daily a 2000 G6 Corolla with the C162 and 3ZZ, will probably never sell it!

[@crysisbai]

great story man, been following your channel for a while now, always lusting over the 20v induction noises. Having my own 20v levin 86 landed in 2 weeks. Can't wait to join the exclusive bay area 20v club!

[@crysisbai]

I would say give race factory in campbell a call, last time I talked to Evan, it seems they can tune 20v 4a

[@kidawhi85]

Dam i remember my bros gtfx...was a nifty thing...pulled out all the springs and slamed it on bumper stoppers

[@PDRIFT86]

I love these cars! I had a ae92 Corolla gts and i had a Corolla fx with the 4ac and auto. I always wanted to 4age swap the fx but it was totalled by a drunk driver. I also planned on getting the gts side skirts, bumpers, and spoiler. Sadly these cars are so rare now.

[@sushpants]

An fx16 is rare enough but a complete GTS is even harder to find.

[@TheSteveTM]

Hey man, I just wanted to thank you for your videos. I have a 89 Corolla GT-S with a Silvertop engine and those videos with the ITB trumpets inspired me to remove the airbox and put the trumpets on there. She sounds so amazing. Now I just need to put in some more quality time with the tacho video to try and get that working with the CoPs lol.

[@stanislavpretetsky9534]

walked in on AlexB watching this, then could not resist - watched the whole thing... impressive! I didn't realized you had so much done to it!

[@sushpants]

Thanks, Stan!

[@nicolasbenoit6753]

I think you built this car very well! And I've used many of your findings building my 20v BT-swapped AE92 GT-S. I'd agree that finding a tuner comfortable with your engine and ECU is key to developping power. My mildly tuned 20V pushed out 152whp @ 8,100 rpm using a megasquirt 2 ECU set up by a very well-recommended tuner

[@juangraniello7626]

Great Video, I still think is the fastest Corolla, Track performance is incredible, the chassis is balance and wide.

[@fairandbalanzed3702]

Production quality is off the charts keep it up dude

[@jarman365]

That was my first car, the non GTS model. Bought it for $400 in 1995. It had a water leak coming from somewhere from the engine block. It turned out to be a metal hose that ran behind the block. I put the spoiler on it was a great car. It was a Civic killer in high school. Sold it for $1500 in 2008. I dream about that car more than my first girlfriend... Truly my first love!

[@Kevanoe]

I love finding people online with a similar build because I can finally relate 😭. I have a 7age silvertop setup in an AT200 celica with the stock c52 and it’s been a mission. Your video about converting the tach to take ecu output saved my ass as I went coil on plug with a link monsoonx and was stuck as to what to do. I will say I have about the same issue with finding a tuner but thankfully I found someone local who was willing to give it a shot. I just (after about 2 years of work) got everything tied up and base tuned and out of my personal, and somewhat limited, drive time that low end power is seemingly a tad low with the tomei poncams I put in. Definitely take that with a grain of salt as it’s still just a base tune although I can certainly tell it loves 2.5k+ rpm but is a bit reluctant below that so far. Additionally, I do have it running on 7 psi off of the cheapest universal turbo money can buy and went a bit ambitious with the largest throttle body Barry would throw on his plenum (72mm) but it’s impossible not to smile driving it. However, I am wondering if you run vacuum assisted brakes or have a manual brake setup. For whatever reason my setup refuses to pull a half decent vacuum and my vacuum assist is completely limp. Kinda terrifying trying to pull up to a red light and you have to be ready for half of the pedal to be slop or for it to be a brick wall immediately with piss poor braking performance either way. Regardless, I love the informative content and the backroads drives are my go to whenever showing a buddy the symphony of the 4age. Keep it up man 🙏

[@davidzeb888]

Its a beautiful car, good job!

[@DjordyDonopawiro]

I love this channel. I think you demonstrate very well how builds should be really done!

[@rollyae82]

That was really enjoyable, to learn more about the build, your motivations and your own life, thanks for sharing 🙏❤

[@toyosuba]

I started watching you when I found your pov touge videos. Your FX16 sounds absolutely amazing, you’ve set it up really nice. Makes me want a car with a 4A in it. Also, nice to know the backstory on it and that you have a genuine connection to it from your mother. Cheers from Australia

[@calcium1_639]

Truely inspiring, I’ve been able to own a few blacktop cars and other cars but keep being drawn back to 4age powered cars, one thing to consider I hope you don’t have stock blacktop rods cause yeah they’re alright for na but not for reving high (like 9k rpm.) mrp rods or even balanced silvertop rods would be something to consider but otherwise looks like a nicely balanced car I wish I could own one one day.

[@Lightningsball]

Great story Alex! Very inspiring! Hope to see you on Feb. 22, 2025 for the Nostalgic 2 days in Yokohama Japan. My ticket is already booked. 😊 -Sid

[@Sat_tyre]

I love your videos sushpants! Such a wholesome and humble person, all the best my friend!

[@clutchcat]

Beautiful video man, thanks for sharing your story.

[@kenerd4267]

This makes me miss my fx16 even more, i sold it to buy a 2000 civic si and its been a great car (faster too) but it doesnt handle as good as the fx, the fx feels as a more nimble car and was better for driving on backroads I may buy another someday, i miss it

[@dreamon220]

These were dime a dozen in nz back in the 90s I had one with supercharged motor put in it and it was rapid ltr I bought the mr2 supercharged both great vehicles oh how I wish I kept them. Great video i have been following for a long time.

[@ChrisRoss-l5r]

I relate to everything you have said. I had a similar story where I had a 05 civic with a single jingle making barely 100hp. Once I swapped it out with a powertrain from a Type R.... holy shit did it completely transform the personality. Nothing compares to having a lightweight vehicle and all the rpm. Its what makes us better drivers IMO. 😅

[@igvtec]

Love the car. Love the build.

[@sHOT0207]

Спасибо! ) Get 4-2-1 header, shave head up to 11:1 CR add Kelford b cams - you wont lost bottom end )

[@rootbeerking2892]

I’m a young guy in Texas who’s looking for his first car, I’ve somehow stumbled upon a 88 FX. And I’m gonna be honest it’s extremely tempting to go for it, I know it’s not as cool as the FX 16, the main lack of horsepower and lack of manual transmission mainly. But I want to turn it into my daily/ mess around car. It’ll be my first car, I’ll keep you guys updated if I do decide to go for it. Thanks for the wonderful work that you’ve given me inspiration from!

[@sushpants]

It can still be cool. Slap some nice wheels on it and lower it a bit. It’ll be sweet.

[@rootbeerking2892]

@@sushpants no doubt about it that it’s cool, it’s just sad that a bunch of my family members think of it as a piece of shit that won’t run for long. I mean, of course I’m gonna go look at it and see if it’s worth it or not, but they just completely write it off as soon as they see how old it is and what the mileage is. (round 198k on the clock)

[@ashleeorwin3442]

​@@rootbeerking2892198,000 kms not bad, toyota can last forever if you service them alot ect

[@gabzor4716]

Man I used to always stumble upon your sound clip videos and last video I saw was a vlog of you in Japan I believe.. but this was great!

[@alexhise968]

The best thing you could do to protect the engine is get a standalone ecu for these old cars plus intake, exhaust, and injectors. They can offer more protection and better efficiency.

[@Yuki_404]

It's a fantastic build and it's been so much fun watching you put it together over the years. I'm still trying to figure out how to modify my Del Sol without making things worse. The restoration part is done, but considering everything in regards of handling is a whole other story. I try to take inspiration from you, because every decision you've made has transformed your Corolla into the best version it could've been.

[@sushpants]

Thank you! I’m sure your Del Sol will come out great if you’re putting this much thought into it.

[@leyogets]

Awesome car and I love it 👍👍One of the hot hatches I wanted when I was a young adult. If I wasn't a Nissan guy, I think this FX16 would be my car now. Saw your rhd FX during Tokyo Calling 2, but didn't see you. I guess you were busy recording. Appreciate the shout out of the GTiR on your video btw 😀🤙

[@sushpants]

Your GTiR is so cool! It was one of my favorites from that event.

[@KaldekBoch]

Regarding cams, I have a set of Kelford cams sitting on my floor, ready to go in my car since 2022. 😬 The car is already 500hp on E85 (Mitsubishi Legnum VR4) and I do worry the cams will mess it up. It's even worse that I've had them waiting to install for so long, because after such a wait, if that happens, it's just gonna hurt more!

[@dunzhijialuo736]

what a special car ! great video !

[@JosèPabloSanchèz2004]

Do my eyes deceive me?? A new sushipants vid?? My lucky day!!

[@kenxiong6830]

My aunt had one when I was growing up. I remember her giving me rides in it. Back then it was just a car. I wished I had the foresight to buy it from her. It was such a cool little hatch. My cousin also had a Turbo Starlet. That thing was fun too. Btw the 4AG you built looks amazing

[@noah-jm1eh]

such a great video man. love the car, you built it beautifully

[@sushpants]

Thank you 😊

[@Snapsteer]

Just sayin' hey. Love seeing all your FX content.

[@kirol124]

Man your car is like ae86 but fwd and hatch, i love both

[@samwolfe9774]

Man what a cool car, awesome job dude.

[@touavlogs]

very cool man.

[@toyotanerd2269]

Im with you i lost my mom to cancer as well. Back on July, 26 of 24

[@Kapil-Patel]

I miss my Levin 😥 great video 👍🏽

[@stifanchostreams]

you are a legend

[@nicholaspatino2427]

awesome video, i find myself wanting an FX16 randomly

[@sushpants]

Is it random? Or is it fate?

[@felixalonso6828]

Awesome video and awesome content! Thank you for sharing. Can you please share more info details on the braking upgrades? Thanks in advance. Regards

[@tunedcentral]

Love the passion man and you're not alone, my AE86 shares the same build date as myself.

[@essb00]

Great story man...

[@SM360YT]

highly recommend installing an LSD, I have one in my built small port AE92 C56, cornering is much better. Accelerating pulls the car around corners rather than pushing it out and understeering

[@quattroclub]

dope video, i wanna do this treatment to my ae101 trueno

[@purifier4445]

I love your vids and I love your car man! I know I wouldn't change a thing about it! Keep up the awesome work, Cheers!

[@Legotruck82]

Is your shirt a reference to early 2000's dance track by The Ones? I miss my AW11 with stroked 20v. Not the quickest thing, but just so much character, and the sound, heaven. Now substituted for an inline 4 motorcycle, which also sounds amazing.

[@sushpants]

Take another look at the shirt 😂 and you will see the irony.

[@hammychan1]

Good choice of the c60 transmission. Found a Matrix XRS with 2zz-ge and c60 6speed. Now i need to make it last, it feels like my last chance to own a 'good' car.

[@mettemiemortensen4173]

You Are happy so its right for you

[@Bob-Loblaw13]

🙌🏽🙌🏽 appreciate the video! Are you on the AE92 fb page by chance? I picked up a 89 Ae92 gts last year and I absolutely fell in love with it. I discovered your channel shortly after I bought the car and I fell in even more love with the 4A-GE. Now your videos are inspiring me to do a 20v swap with ITBs 😂 I even thought about doing a ITB conversion on my 16v but for minimal gains, idk if it’ll be worth it. But I just need to hear the sweet symphony of ITBs screaming It’s a shame tho, that parts for these cars are so hard to come by now. Little to no aftermarket support and little nothing on OEM equivalent parts. I’m scared to tear my car apart only for me to break something and not have readily available parts 😅

[@sushpants]

That’s a legitimate fear. Things get brittle with time and Toyota has no respect for its heritage 😢.

[@ArlenSheehan]

Love the video!!!