Top 10 Things To Know About The Toyota AE86 Before Buying

The Toyota AE86 was launched back in 1983 and remained in production till 1987. For a short production run of only four years, the car managed to become popular beyond its usual markets across the globe. Moreover, given the cult following that the car enjoys at present, it was a successful one in motorsports back in its day. The scintillating handling and the perfect weight distribution of the AE86 still make it a hot favorite among drifters and car customizers. The car was offered in two styles, a liftback, and a coupe. During the mid-80s, Keiichi Tsuchiya also known as The Drift King played an important role in making the AE86 so popular. The AE86 was his choice and he drifted with the car through the touch mountain passes of Japan as well.

10. Watch out for rust

Rusting is a big but common issue with Japanese cars from the mid-80s. Even though their reliability precedes their reputation, rusting is something that comes with hunting. While getting a used AE86, look closely for any rusting on the exterior body panels as well as on the underbody and the chassis as well.

9. Check the engine thoroughly

The Toyota AE86 in its stock form is hard to find at present. However, even if you do, there are chances you’ll end up finding an example with some modifications done to the motor. While the 1.6-liter twin-cam motor is a reliable machine, do check out for improperly done modifications and scrutinize the service history of the motor as well.

8. Check the customizations done

After checking the motor for any customizations, check the other areas of the car for any custom jobs. There are chances, a modified example will have some parts of its body panels cut out or reshaped to accommodate the add-on cosmetic upgrades. Moreover, check for suspension upgrades, because you don’t wanna end up scraping the car’s belly while leaving for your home.

7. You need not worry about spares

Being a Toyota, the availability of spares isn’t gonna give you sleepless nights. Despite the AE86 belonging to the mid-80s and its production stopping way back in 1987, spare parts for the car are still available.

6. Excellent handling, always

While making the Toyota AE86, the brand focused on making it an affordable hot hatch. As such, the AE86 got a perfect 50:50 weight distribution along with excellent handling. Moreover, the RWD layout made it a hit among drift lovers, which went well with the equal weight distribution of the car.

5. Look hard for the GTS

While your chances of finding a stock AE86 are pretty slim, do try and look for the GT-S AE86. The stock motor of the SR5 model was underpowered and boring at the least. However, the GT-S’s motor, while still slow, has a spark of excitement lurking. You would need to work a bit less to bring out the best in a GT-S than an SR5.

4. The AE86 became more popular by its codename

Till now, we’ve been addressing the car as AE86 and the whole world loves it by this name only. Despite that, the car originally belonged to the fifth-generation Corolla, please don’t cuss, and the name “AE86” was given to it internally during its development phase.

3. Laid out the inspiration for the GT86

The Toyota GT86 is a fantastic machine by today’s standards. And is known for its impeccable handling as well. The AE86 was used as an inspiration behind the GT86 and the brand gave the latter a similar set of characteristics along with a similar naming style as well.

2. Initial D

Another major reason behind the AE86’s success was the comic Initial D. While the comics focused on a young street racer, his car was the AE86. The character did spawn plenty of movies, animated series, and even live-action adaptations, but the AE86 remained the center of attraction.

1. Has the necessary safety features

For a car that came out in the mid-80s, the Toyota AE86 packed in the necessary safety features. The car came with a driver’s side airbag, anti-lock braking system, ISOFIX child seats, and three-point seat belts. However, while going with a stock or a modified example now, do check the functionality of the safety features.