1981 Toyota Corolla - Whole Shot - Drag Car

The really interesting stuff, though, is in the rear. The rear suspension and final drive is now an amalgam of original Corolla parts and components from a 1974 Datsun pickup. Most importantly, the rear end now incorporates the stronger solid truck axle and final drive, which receives input from a custom PSI driveshaft. The six-lug Datsun hubs were converted to four-lug pattern, and Corolla spring perches were welded to the rear truck assembly so the factory Corolla coil springs could be retained. Braking is handled by stock Corolla discs up front and disc conversions, using assemblies taken from a 200SX, in the rear. Beefy Mickey Thompson slicks, sized 26x8.5x15, are stuffed under the rear fender lips. Up front, 135-R15 Nakang skinnies minimize rolling resistance, and make steering difficult. The wheels are pretty polished Holeshot custom alloys, sized 15x4 inches in front and 15x8 in the rear.

The final insight into this Corolla's true nature is the eight-point chrome-moly roll cage visible through the window glass. The rest of the cockpit is vintage '81 Corolla, complete with seats, carpet and splendidly cheesy early-'80s plastic dash. A few select additions should be noted, such as the five-point M&R harnesses and wood-grained Sportline steering wheel. A quartet of Autometer gauges dwell on the passenger side dash to keep the driver abreast of engine activity: 10,000-rpm tach, oil pressure, boost pressure, and coolant temperature.

After its initial runs on the drag strip, Alvarez popped the hood and began rooting around to see if he could knock loose any extra power. He found the faulty stock distributor was causing ignition misfires on one of the cylinders. He replaced it and the turbo compressor housing, which he felt was too large for this particular application, causing undue lag when he got on the throttle. Then he drove to Florida's Moroso Raceway Park and ran 10.25 seconds at 132 mph with boost levels similar to those in Houston.

OK, so it's not exactly a sleeper. If you miss the slicks, the roll bar and the big-ass intercooler, you're the one that might be asleep. But these days, anything without a 10-foot wing that hasn't been puked on by the vinyl monster is a sleeper in our book.