When I arrived in Belgium, I was told I had an opportunity to shoot a brand new AE86 that has been sitting in a basement for 25 years. I figured it would be all rotted and rusted out. Boy was I wrong.
At first glance it looks like an AE85 Corolla Levin SR right? Looks can be deceiving.
But why does it say twin cam 16 if its an AE85? It even says GT in the back too? I decided to investigate more.
The interior was pristine. The factory plastic was kept on everything from the seats to the sun visors. It was even left hand drive.
Behold! 48 original kilometers. The owner would have killed me if I reset the trip meter by accident.
Apparently the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, drove this hachi-roku from the dealership to his house and left it in his basement for the past 25 years.
It was very weird to me to see everything in this condition.
The glove box did not have any gum wrappers or lint in it.
I could not believe thse keys have only been used once. I don’t have this kind of patience and If I had this car I would have driven it already.
After all these years this car still had the new car smell. It smelled like Japan from the eighties.
Even the seats in the rear were wrapped in plastic.
I spent a moment alone in the relic from the past just to enjoy the newness of it.
After 30 minutes, the rest of the Speedhunters kicked me out.
The trunk revealed a spare that still has air in it.
Popping the hood revealed a 4A-GE blue top, confirming this is a mint 100% pure AE86.
The owner drained all the fuel from the gas tank so the fuel lines would not get all gummed up.
130ps of raw Japanese power.
Every now and then he turns the motor over with a wrench just to keep everything nice and oiled.
He removed the battery too.
The tires are original of course. They still had the tire mold prickly’s on them too.
It turns out this is a European model Corolla Sport Coupe GT.
The fixed headlights, the deleted spoiler and the unpainted bumpers make it look like a Japanese AE85.
These mud guards are clean enough to eat off of. The owner had no idea we were coming. This car is always this clean.
Notice the sticker? This car has an OEM clutch type LSD that you could get as an option in the USA. I am guessing the rear end is a 4:3:1 ratio just like our GTS versions too.
Original window sticker from the dealership.
The manuals are still crisp. Even these would sell quickly on ebay.
This car has never been washed and it still shines like the day it left the factory. Every now and then the owner blows the dust off with his breath. I never had the pleasure of seeing a car like this brand new because I was only one year old when the car hit showroom floors. I am very honored to be able to experience a car like this. This really was a time capsule from the eighties. Hopefully one day this car will end up in a Toyota museum, so all the AE86 owners in the world can witness it’s glory.
Larry
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
so epic,so much love showed by the owner for this hachi roku...thats priceless!
This is so weird. Why did he decide to keep it like this?
"A car that's not driven is like a meal that's not eaten"- It''s a shame and a waste to see a car like this.
Well, a New, old car :O
Epic! What's the story from the owner? Like Jono said: Why did he decide to keep it like this?
looking at this car is like looking at history
it is for us the younger generation to appreciate and enjoy its beauty..
does this guy have a time machine? how did he know this car would become a cult classic when it came out to preserve it? or did he just feel like buying a brand new car and storing it for 25 years
That guy should receive a trophy for keeping that car brand new. It's almost impossible to believe!!!
the dude is probably a serial killer.
It's too weird to buy a car like this and not drive it
He must have known this car would be so idolised and wanted to keep it pristine, that's all I can think of! Why else would someone do this. I'm so amazed by this!
This one is exactly like mine Euro spec 86 gt coupe.....so much love...i imagine he has one that he drives...otherwise he missed out some serious shit!!
If possible, should do a follow-up article if the other is willing to give backstory. Lol.
Happy Hachi-Rocku day to the mintest Corolla on the planet! And in Belgium (not Japan!) of all places, no surprises the Toyota faithful there are some of the most passionate in the world. To those that say "this car was wasted" you've got no idea *It has been preserved*. Many people view Corolla's as disposable, he was smart enough to realise its significance the day he bought it. I've seen too many AE86's destroyed by wannabe Takumi's in recent years. It warms my heart to see a full restoration by Carland86 or other enthusiasts. But this European spec time capsule is like the unearthing the treasure of Tutankhamun's tomb.
i want i want
That's pretty unreal, I'm so glad it's a coupe. But the brakes and ebrake wont work on it probably.
wow dis car is very clean and pretty,i have an 87 ae86 for about 14 years now and i cant wait to get it done!
With so many destroyed Hachis lurking all over the world its good to see one in this condition. He should contact Toyota They'd probably be happy to help him maintain it. So... I assume he has/had another one that he drove during some of that time?
he must have one as a daily or track car. you see this in north america with corvettes, pony cars, and national grand prix but the first i seen with japanese love.
Amazing... Now I know how a new hachiroku looks.
Time Machine.. .Doc!
i wonder if you have his contact: i wanna buy that AE86 no matter how cost!!
This is retarded.
unbelievable
Wow
i dont know how the owner is not driving it,
awsome investment though
but who would have known back then?
i wanna buy it...at any cost
the owner probably had flash future Epiphany seeing the 86 will become a legend, so he keep it under wraps to release to the world some day
!! Crazy, but why ?
Yeah, you can't just show all those pictures and not give an explanation of why the hell it was never driven! I've always wanted to see cars from the 80s and 90s and earlier brand new as they were when they rolled into the dealership. Now I have an idea of what it would be like.
A few years ago I saw a guy selling a brand new 1990ish toyota supra on ebay. It had only been driven one time by his father when he bought it from the dealer brand new and drove it home and parked it in his garage. He said it was too fast and never drove it again, eventually leaving it to his son when he died who then sold it on ebay. What a terrible person to sell such a thing.
You can guarantee that every maintenance item on this car would have to be replaced. And you'd be concerned with rust within the bores and alot of other internal engine parts. I reckon you could fully restore an old ae86 for less money than it would to properly turn this car into a drivable thing.
Purely amazing, Would have ALMoST preferred to have seen at least a couple of thousand km's on it so that at least someone has enjoyed it a bit!
speechless
Oh my.. And this goddess sits somewhere is Belgium?! Who would have thought that. That's where I live..
OMFG no words only i read this post 3rd times and add to favorits
Woooow! Ever since I bought my ae86 I've dreamed of what it would be like to have one that's brand new.. I wonder how much the Initial D tax is on this beauty.
A car does not have to be driven to be thoroughly enjoyed. Some enthusiasts drive, some wrench and some collect. Some even do all three.
I enjoyed seeing it. There are plenty of other AE86s out there that are being driven and modified. I hope that the owner only sells it or donates it to a Toyota/Japanese auto maker Museum.
If money was no object, given my love of this car, I would pay whatever he asked for it.
I'm curious, why did the owner decide to keep it like this? To see it in this condition is too surreal!!
WOW! That´s amazin´ ! Wanna have it! It´s a Very nice car.
This is amazing!
Incredible . . but why did he keep it in his garage for so long ?
Is this part of a larger collection of pristine cars or has the owner just randomly decided to keep an AE86 in this condition?
Throw some coilovers on it and do some wall taps already!
It's a brand new old car lol
WOW thumbs up for this guy!
Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
ps. to those that ask "how did he know the AE86 would become an icon?" quite simply the AE86 was already an icon in the mid 1980's! Long before a fictional cartoon about tofu delivering teenager, or the drift scene spreading around the world from the winding roads in the hills of Japan in the late 90's.
Firsty it was the final generation of the RWD Corolla platform* and was engineered for a "spirited" drive - basically a fun little sports coupe for a modest price. Secondly it was homologated for Group A racing, proving itself around the world on circuits and rally stages, The 16 Valve 4AGE dominated its class in the Australian, British, Japanese and European Touring Car Championships between 1985-1987**. Suffice to say if the owner of this pristine late model example (note bumpers, lights, dash and trim) bought it new in 1987 he would have been well aware of its credentials and the legend he was getting.
* Similarly the 993 was the last of the air-cooled Porsches, hence it holds a special place amongst enthusiasts. This may just be a Corolla to some, but was still the last of a breed.
** Later the R32 Skyline GTR dominated Group A, if you bought a GTR new in 1992 and stored it similarly, would you be as surprised by its status/worth in future?
..as almost if the owner knew back then he would have something gold in his hands, and decided to keep it!
now if anyone of u guys hve brains, do the same this as this fella did when the ft-86 comes out nxt year.. this is huge investment for ur grand kids lol
that is the mother f-ing holy grail right there !!!!!!!!!!
what would make the owner only drove it for 48 kms ?
Fever105 said it exactly.
"looks like an ae85"?? you're kidding me right? 86's and 85's look the same, because they are the same bodies. just because it's a coupe, and Levin front, doesn't mean it's ae85.
ae86's came in both Levin and Trueno, and both coupe and hatch. spoilers were only option on GT-V and GT-Apex.
well done to the man that bought this and stashed it. dumb luck, or insane foresight...either way, sweet moves!
Wow... You gotta respect this... I mean... I bought my AE86 with only 103 or 106.000 km's on it and I was happy as can be. But what about only 48 km's. OMG that just breaks my skull in half.
WOW!
I remember there was a story about a 3rd Gen Camaro that had a similar fate. I believe it was an IROC-Z. Amazing "barn find," nonetheless.
I hope those 48 km's were the owner fleeing from the police, and he parked it in fear of getting spotted again
iam speechless!
it would be nice if speedhunters would make an interview with the owner .
ask him why he bought a brand new car and don´t drive it ! i mean
maybe he bought 2 cars ?
What a waste.....poor car....I wonder how all the rubber seals and hoses work after sitting for so long.....
facelift front but early back lights?unreal,would be a shame 2 use it now
Has it been parked up because he couldn't get it to start?
Wow. His basement is a time capsule! Do you think he knew the legendary status this car would achieve when he bought and stashed it in his basement? That's some impressive insight.
mint 86 very happy to see this 86 in pristine condition
Awsomeness!
How about higher res images, and even those you didn't decide to release?
Is there a price that could buy this car? I want!
serial killer for sure
holy crap
speechless
is his wife also still a virgin?
is he planning to drive this car into the afterlife?
@JMayhew and why is that? You mad bro?
I wanna wash my car after reading this. Great article Larry!
This is great!!!!!! It's good that some people can keep a car like this for so many years. This way, younger generations can see how things were and it's a perfect pristine example!!!!... This car should be displayed so that everyone can admire such a simple, clean and fun car that is a legend... I would have two hachis. one like this and one with a 20v or 3sge engine... Congrats to the owner!!!
It is cool that you found this car, but I believe you missed out on what pretty much all of us really want to know. What is the story behind this car; why did he keep it like this, why did he not drive it? Cool car but the story would of made this post A LOT better. Just my .02 cents.
zenki taillights, kouki gauge cluster .. fender trim is either an add-on 3M sticky back stuff, or factory kouki trim..
somethings weird..
No ephipany or so, it is very possible he has another car that he drives from 80s, and then after year owning or so he probably decided to buy another one and preserve it to have it for his retirement days to evoke memories from the past. Very wealthy person btw.
But dont understand why is the author of this article wondering about whether its sr5 or not or if its have lsd and 4,3final. Its basiclaly the same car as JDM GTcoupe, so sport version without any luxuries equivalent to GTV hatchback. GTV was in europe called GTi, but yes there were also sr5 model imported, but only zenki hatchback,
The sold SR5 against GT aspect was like 1:5 or even more like 1:8. It was sold in Austria and Switzerland. They probably stopped to import it with kouki models because of lack of interest from possible buyers
For exact numbers you need to ask someone who has insider info, this is only my personal observation
had only one zenki euro sr5 hatch in the past otherwise only about 10 GT or GTi and now this fatty Us sr5 newer ending resto.
Anyway would like to visit that garage and take dezailed look at that car and speak withe the owner.
There are many nice car in Benelux also some well preserved low under 100t km pieces but this tops it all. Its insane, i would not able to do that (unless really rich and have other ae86 to play with)
All Stock! I love it
whats the point.. go out and drive the thing, thats what it was made for, this is just a waste of a great car.
Nice Kouki cluster in a Zenki car :-\ Why??
Nice bent VIN tag under the hood :-/
Nice coupe :-p
That's incredible. Absolutely amazing, I hope it stays this way for decades for future generations can be this amazed too.
that is incredible! blast from the past
i already love oldschool cars kept in mint condition but this is something else... pristine!
why?
**speechless** I want to experience that too! I can really relate to that 80's smell of a brand new car...
the man is rich and has a wide variety of cars to choose from. nuff said
DUDEMAN, sell this car for $1,000,000!
I can't believe the condition it's in. And the fact that this guy had the vision to realize that this car would one day be a cult classic is quite amazing.
OMG!! If only i own a basement!
i should buy a car now and keep it
a car produced now that can be a legend car 30 years later
and i will keep it and maintain the new car smell
what car should i choose...
This is a great car, and i really give a big thanks to the owner for letting us see, how these cars were when they came out of the factory, and letting the guys from Speedhunters smell the new car.
I cant really understand these people saying it is a whaste. Think about this. If this car wouldnt be like it is new, nobody could ever see, smell how it was again. It should be in a museum so everybody could see this.
what a waste thinking of the +100thkm you could have done with this thing
Rad! I'm feelin this!
I Love the fact that such an iconic car is kept at this great shape. but who the hell buys a brand new car and then never uses it for 25 years??!!
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!! SAW THE FACTORY FOR THE FIRST TIME, LUV HOW THEY DID IT BACK IN THE DAYS! shame that no one make this kinda affordable sport cars anymore... *sadface*
belgians are idiots
Hahah
Jojo, Pandaroo & LozZz +1
@ worker bee, actually no, Toyota wont help him keep the car pristine, several Toyota dealerships have kept old models in their windows only to be told by Toyota HQ to toss them off at the scrapyard so they can promote new models.
impressive & awesome... for a legendary car that was bought that year & still intact in JDM is really impressive... kudos to the owner...
wow this man is a pure genious i hope this car would go to a toyota museum for young people my age to appreciate what a real car looks like !
all i can say is "wow"
Lots of comment here ... I've to say something , even in Japan ... the Corolla Levin GT is indeed looks like a AE85 , I've both Zenki & Gouki catalog to confirm it !
gay. its not even a hatchback.
what a waste
I hope he has an other one, the one he drives... other wise it's anonizm.
Wow, an AE86 that hasn't been molested by some spic or weeaboo or some loser in his midlife crisis. Keep it right where it is.
very interesting story, not sure i fully believe it tho' - such a mint example for obvious reasons. i'm not sure its going to go up in price much more. its probably worth more to the owner than most fanatics would pay.. even the really fanatical ones! question is back then what made him/her think "i'll store this potentially iconic car for the future??" it's a car when all said and done, such a shame not to enjoy it for its original purpose. - love it tho' - classic - Thanks
That is true preservation.
can some one from europe confirm that this is a standard orginal spec? its a full kouki spec levin (interior, dash, headlights/corner lights) built on a zenki chassis? everything is right except the tail lights? really strange as these arent interchangeable on a coupe.
This is so unreal !
Cool, now that I've seen it, i just wanna go out and drive the f#ck out of it.
that true RDS....i'm sick of people say my ae86 is an ae85 just because it came with unpainted bumper..
why why why???? Please just tell us why! I am going nuts not knowing why he did this. Please tell use. pleeeeaaaaassseee.
Something, rare and beautiful !
damn i just came in my pants
Here we call it in Brunei, Toyota Corolla Twin CAM 16 valve GTI
this is cool and all but it seems like it defeats the purpose of having a hachi. if he has another hachi that he drives along with this pristine beauty I can understand why he did what he did
At least there is one out there that will never be raped by idiots who can't avoid walls while driving sideways.
Why you purchase a car brand new, drive it from the dealership and store it on your basement?
At least my thought is that cars in general are means of transportation. I know I know: some of them are pieces of automotive history or art icons but something beautiful does not have to demerite the main purpose and joy of driving. Or at least that is the way I see cars in my twisted mind...
Please Toyota buy this little, lovely ae-86 so it can be driven on special occasions and shown to promote the hopefully awesome ft-86. There would be no better car to show the world cars you and enthusiasts are proud of. Please. Also there would be no better company to look after it in a nice Toyota museum or office somewhere.
Ooooooh!
Just by keeping it like it was delivered is awesome...... do I have to say more? ( bowing down )
Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.
Fritzl-car
This is standard EUspec kouki GT, not sure where you all living, on moon?
The EU kouki models came with zenki rear lights so the coupe has also the zenki panel.
Car looks like the SR5 so doo the JDM GT/GTV models. But as far as i know there were no kouki SR5 imported. The GT outnumbered the SR5 on german market completely so they probably did not bother to homologate and import it with kouki model. Why the Euro spec has zenki rear is some mystery also for me.
So get the facts before and dont bother with speculating if its been put together from diferent cars.
To tell that this car become classic was not problem in late 80s for some insiders, ae86 was well known and widely used in motorsport here, won the touring car championchip in the 1600 class couple years in row.
But was also sucesfull in endurance races untill the civic vti came in 1990.
But who would be so crazy to keep one in storage for so long, my guess that guy really had another ae86s probably raced them too.
The thing is nobody pays for that car what the owner might want. So i dont think he is making serious money on this car if he decides to sell, also the costs needed to get it driveable need to be considered(depends on how good the storage was). The price of the new was around 21000 mark so maybe now with inflation the same in euros. So as said before it has sentimenal value for him. We can only speculate till the author gives some explanation.
it's all about initial d that people are amazed on this. years before an 86 is sold for 30K but because of initial D the prize went up to 300K
No radio or speakers??? what that just strange!!! its nice to see a mint one let alone brand new!!!
I'll agree that the owner must have raced lived and breathed these cars.
He didn't have to pay the "drift tax" buying this 86.
gave me goosebumps just glancing at the pictures... to the owner, you're a god!
Serial killer? No bros you got it wrong. Dude got framed for murder the day he bought this car, and just got released from his 25 year prison sentence. He plans to strip it, put konig rewinds and a replica j-blood kit on it and wall tap it till there's nothing left.
HOLY JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone know what that red car next to it is??
@ vroom vroom
It's a Radical SR3.
Hello,
I'm from Belgium.
Do you want to tell which region this person was from?
OMFG...
It's really cool to see an example like this in such mint condition but come on...who buys a car and then puts it in their basement? Most asinine thing I ever heard.
In europe we never had the kouki rear lights, so this one is real. dont ask me why they didnt get them....
Is that Ferrari 333SP in the background of the photo with the bonnet up?
#O rly, Cakes, Dimitri and others questioning zenki/kouki legitimacy - Sekiguchi & DJexor are spot on.
The early (zenki) tailights were retained due to the requirements being different for TÜV approval compared to JDM or other markets (brake light configuration and reflector placement, also the number-plate lights in bumper due to plate sizes). But this car benefits from later facelift (kouki) bumpers, headlights, gauges (LHD/EUDM up to 240km!) plush interior and exterior trims and rare front lip spoiler, Not optioned with radio or A/C being GT but has LSD which were additional cost options.
This is a perfect example of standard EUDM AE86 which was only available in 2-door coupe form. Depending on specific market the AE86 models were different to JDM. UK and ADM received only Levin based 3-door hatch with specific trim and engine specs, while USDM only had Trueno body in SR-5 or GT-S.
Also I guess the owner is an accomplished driver/racer in competition and still does track days as there is a Radical SR3 (among other machines sharing the garage space). I suspect he was one of the many Belgian drivers that raced the little Corolla GT in the mid 1980's Group A of the European Touring Car Championship ETCC at circuits including Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Pierre Fermine, Serge de Liedekerke & Renaud Verreydt to name abut a few who took Division 1. honors in the AE86 Corolla GT at Spa 24 hours in 1986.
This is artifact, it's right desicion to keep the car as it is
Karl, as usual you have all the answers..
Karl, as usual you have all the answers..
The owner used to be professional tuner for AE86 rally and circuit cars I believe (the FINA-car somewhere on this site).
It might have been purchased to build a racer or as spare....
your mission is complited
pretty ugly car, the hatch is way nicer, and it seems so base model.. i say drive that piece of shit til it dies
then try to find a mint honda crx
I am so envious of this guy! The AE86 is such an amazing cult classic and to have the vision of getting one to keep without driving it obviously took great self-restraint and the finances to do it as well. To those that want to buy it to drive, think about it, there is probably not another one that has not been driven. Any "value" this car has, in monitory or emotional form goes out the window as soon as you start it up. It would instantly become relatively worthless. This would sell for 6 figures I would imagine in the right market within the next few years. I would imagine the car is in a decently climate controlled atmosphere, so the rubber and seals are probably not as bad as one might think, but, this car was most likely kept for a toy in his/her collection. You see the occasional documented almost zero mile car in Barrett Jackson auctions, and in Hemmings motor news and they have a hefty selling price. Same thing will happen with this AE86 should the owner offer it for sale. Hemmings motor news listed the AE86 several years ago as a collectible car, I forget their exact phrase. If I had the funds, I would probably buy 2 of something I really liked and preserve one of them, but I do not have the funds needed to do that or maintain the storage of it. I definitely do not have the self control to not drive a car like that when new. I would, however, have the willpower to not drive it now, since it has been stored for all these years, that would be the easy part, because to drive it at all now would ruin its place in history. I also would like some insight on the owner's background/experience and their reason(s) for not ever driving this car. I would also think that if they were trying to have a low mileage (Km) version that they would have had it brought home on a roll back instead of ever driving it.
In Part 1 I showed you guys my picks for the most visually appealing photos from the past year. Now, on to my most impactful and best story-telling photos of the year.
With so much hype around the new Toyota 86/Scion FR-S, it seemed fitting for me to pay a visit to an
probably if scientists need to test out air quality of Japan in the 80's they can try use the air in the tyre..
most probably germs/bacterias from 80s still in the tyre :p
Wow, German manual. How much you want for it?
I wanted to say, that copying the URL and try to share it on Facebook will share the wrong Article. For this Article it shares http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/06/frs-dream-drive/
The "Share on facebook" button though works.
I would do anything to see this car in person, and it would be cool if You Speedhunters would do an update on this story.
<3 <3
@HafizZainal You are so right, I am totally agree with you.
@HafizZainal You are so right, I am totally agree with you.
@HafizZainal You are so right, I am totally agree with you.
@HafizZainal You are so right, I am totally agree with you.