The first swap that I have recorded on the Phoenix Tuning website is Hellish Mantis, which was a '98 Corolla owned by a guy named Jerry. That was an intese swap that required a lot of custom work. Now, I'm working on this 2001 Corolla, which is also owned by a guy named Jerry. And again, there is some serious work ahead for this Corolla! What is it with these Jerry guys and their Corollas? :D Well I'm just glad that I've gotten a chance to be a part of it. This very clean 2001 Corolla is about to get a set of nice supporting modifications in preparation for a custom turbo system in a few months.

First, we'll do the auto/manual conversion. We actually used a manual ECU (not always needed) in this case, which required that I repin every single pin on the ECU plugs. Fun! :)

Installing the clutch master cylinder and the clutch pedal

Dropping the automatic tranny out

Lightweight flywheel installed:


TRD Short Shifter:

Changed out the boring stock wheel and airbag with one from a Corolla S (Same as the Celica GTS)

Battery relocation

 

Custom Cold Air Intake before the air bypass valve was installed. Also note the grounding kit.

Finally, a custom stainless-steel mandrel-bent exhaust is built for the car...

We also ported the exhaust manifold to allow for better flow. Before:

After:

Here's a dyno sheet of the car after the modifications. Two pulls were made, one in 3rd gear and one in 4th. Max power is 112hp (3rd gear) and 109hp (4th gear).

We also did a rear disc conversion on the car:

That sums up this phase of the project. Now look for part 2 where we build a custom turbo system for the car that REALLY boosts the power!