TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

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TNR
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Posts: 161
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Stomping Ground: Auckland
Prime Mover: AW11
First name: TNR

TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by TNR »

Alright so its been a few months since my introduction thread in the general section. I finally managed to sell my other car and find the kind of AW11 I was after.

Here are the specs:
- 1985
- Red paint
- 177k Km
- Sunroof
- Auto

Oh no Auto... I know these cars need to be manual to properly enjoy them but I was after a clean rust free car and liked this one and the previous owners seemed to have looked after it alright.
My plan is to use it as is (as a secondary car), and when the auto box dies I'll do a manual swap.
Other than this I'll probably keep it close to stock.

here are some pics as I was driving it home.

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Oh by the way, if you were the person who waved to me in a beige/gold AW11 in Hamilton sorry I didn't wave back. I didn't notice till you were almost beside me and then I was like wow another AW11 and didn't have time to wave back.
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mickeyduck
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by mickeyduck »

Don't wait until the auto box dies before doing a manual swap (could be a while...)

My first AW11 was n.a. auto. No guts from a standing start, dodgy if doing a right hand turn from a side street. Unlike a SC auto.

But with a manual box and a few revs an n.a. can go well.

Even with an auto box, a ton of fun on a twisty back-road. :twisted:

Being pre '87 (well, pre 90 really) be sure to look very closely for any rust from time to time (see my rusty 2 in the gallery). Keep it garaged and out of the wet.

More than anything, enjoy driving it...!!! :mrgreen:
#8^) Charlie the certified Westie
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TNR
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by TNR »

Yeah to be honest the waiting for it to die part was also supposed to let my bank account recover a little lol. But yeah, an auto (especially such an old auto) on a not so powerful engine is less than ideal.
I'm going to be doing a bit of reading regarding AW11 manual swaps and transmission etc. I know that some people say its better to use a newer box from a Toyota levin? maybe, and just drill a new hole for the selector shaft? The only thing with that is the oil seal for the newly drilled hole seems a bit sketchy to me. Anyway this isn't happening just now.

I drove it up from Palmerston North and there were a few twisty sections (I was trying to stick to SH1). It feels great on those, the manual steering is great it really does make it feel like a big go kart or something, the way it loads up in corners and gives feedback.

Yeah I will check more thoroughly for rust since I know that it seems to be the biggest curse of these cars. Luckily I can provide it a full time garage space.

Thanks.
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*84vvt
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by *84vvt »

Bolt a super charger on
win every tragic light derby :-)
might help with speeding up the death of the auto as well
Super clean car nice find.
Boosted cars are like hot women.
A little edgy, every guy wants one,
some guys can't handle them,
and if you throw a little alcohol in them they'll rock your world.

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Swampy
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by Swampy »

Did you buy the one Mr Shiny said had a bad respray? It still looks good compared to mine and I am grinning ear to ear for you I'm that happy. I've always fantasised about 4AGEs, so let it rev!! I love the wheels and you've got the rear window Toyota thing which is badass. Lovely pictures and looking forward to this one.
In the shed: 91 MR2 G-Limited, 95 Subaru Impreza WRX
In the front of the shed: 95 Corolla
In the driveway: 00 Subaru Legacy Lancaster
In the rear view: 87 Honda Prelude, 94 Nissan Serena, 04 Swift
~ 4 Runs ~
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TNR
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by TNR »

Thank you. It would probably be a lot more fun with a supercharger, but I don't know. I have a thing for certain engines like the 4AGE being NA, not much power in NA form but just enjoy that sound and simplicity.

Anyway took some more pics this morning:

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TNR
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by TNR »

Swampy wrote:Did you buy the one Mr Shiny said had a bad respray? It still looks good compared to mine and I am grinning ear to ear for you I'm that happy. I've always fantasised about 4AGEs, so let it rev!! I love the wheels and you've got the rear window Toyota thing which is badass. Lovely pictures and looking forward to this one.
Hey thanks for that, yeah I am very happy with this one. With the sunroof opened and revving that 4age behind your back is just perfect, so cool having a mid engine car.
No this isn't that one that was on TradeMe. This one is still listed on autotrader I think. Don't worry I didn't pay anything close to the price advertised since that was some dealer who listed it. Bought it off the owner.
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Statek
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by Statek »

Wow that is super clean! Even I would feel guilty about modifying it :wink:
Good luck with it!
1986 Toyota MR2 AW11 20v ST - SOLD
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TNR
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by TNR »

Statek wrote:Wow that is super clean! Even I would feel guilty about modifying it :wink:
Good luck with it!
Haha yeah almost feels like a responsibility to keep it original. I haven't bought this as an investment though, I'll probably do some minor and easily reversible mods.
For example wheels, Momo steering wheel, perhaps painting the skirts, spoiler and bumper trims to match the colour of the car. Of course I'd keep the original parts.
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flying_wedge
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by flying_wedge »

Wow that is super clean and tidy!! Nice find 8)
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Alsw20
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by Alsw20 »

That steering wheel is worth moonbeams. Very highly sought after in good nick like that.

Very tidy machine.
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Millhouse1
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by Millhouse1 »

Yes it's nice mate, well done. They are getting harder and harder to find now, especially in good condition like yours.
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TNR
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by TNR »

Alright guys, so while most of the car is really great there is one thing I noticed driving it back up to Auckland.
When driving slowly there is a knocking sound front the front suspension. Initially I thought: Oh, the lower ball joints probably need replacement. However, after jacking the car up and inspecting it closely they seem very tight. It also has new brake lines, sway bar end links, and is generally pretty tidy looking.

I also ruled out the top mounts as I don't see any kind of play in them. The sound seemed to be coming from the strut insert itself.

So I proceeded to remove the drivers side strut, and disassemble it after compressing the spring.

Here is what I found:



This is kind of surprising because I can tell they have been changed not too long ago, and the strut inserts have a "Made in USA" stamp so shouldn't be of very bad quality.

Either way I'm glad it wasn't one of those hard to diagnose mysteries and everything came apart easily. Kind of enjoyable and pleasant to work on compared to my BMW which has a similar strut insert deisign, however, everything was monstrously tight and heavy.


So now I would really appreciate if anyone could recommend some good strut inserts for me. I will be keeping the OEM springs. Preferably something OEM like in terms of ride and quality.
At this point in time I'm not going to be replacing the entire suspension so only want OEM type inserts.

Also I may replace the top mounts if anyone knows if Toyota still make them (3 hole type).

Thanks.
Last edited by TNR on Fri Dec 18, 2015 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dell'orto
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by Dell'orto »

Stunner
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mknz
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Re: TNR's AW11 (Finally!)

Post by mknz »

Warranty? OR Become a club member, go to either Wairau Alignment Centre, Toyota, BNT and get a discount on the parts OR come to me (Auto One Manukau) and I'll look after you
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