Remembering Japanese cars from the past

Tag: Carina GT-R (Page 9 of 11)

My Carina: the Toyota Carina GT-R AA63 cluster

I just realized I did not post any pictures of the cluster I bought from Revolver Drift!
Carina GT-R AA63 cluster
Carina GT-R AA63 cluster

After his Carina coupe got stolen he did not have any use for the cluster anymore. Of course I was interested in the cluster since the European TA60 does not have a tachometer nor an oil pressure meter! We agreed upon the price and he sent the cluster to me.

Even though he packaged the cluster with the most wrapping materials I ever saw on a parcel it arrived with a broken trip-odometer-reset button. I have no idea how this could have happened while it was packaged that carefully… Maybe the parcel service played some hoops with it??

Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, zoom in speedo and odometer
Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, zoom in speedo- and odometer

Different than the LHD cluster the temperature-, speedo- and odometer are on the left side of the cluster. I probably need to convert the input speedocable to fit on the left side instead of the right side to make it work. Also the odometer has a double trip meter. At first I was only been able to reset one, but later on found out you can pull the reset switch and select left or right. Then push the switch and it resets either the left or the right trip meter! Cleaver!

You can also see it has a digital clock instead of the analogue clock on the European models. Great 80s nostalgia!

Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, zoom in tachometer
Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, zoom in tachometer

Fuel meter is on the spot of the temperature meter (swapped over).

Oil pressure meter is on the spot where I normally find my econometer. Normally I can play a game of pong with the econometer by tapping the gas. Hopefully I won’t be able to do that with the oil pressure meter. ;)

Tachometer goes a bit further than my 2T is capable of. Honestly I have no idea what the maximum amount of revs are of my 2T, but judging from the sound it must be somewhere near the 5k when the auto gearbox shifts into second.

On the right all important warning lights and on the bottom there is the high beam warning light.

Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, extreme closeup of redline
Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, extreme closeup of redline

Redline of 7800 rpm! Just like the kouki AE86! (???)

Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, warning lights
Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, warning lights

On the European cluster I have three warning lights: door, handbrake and highbeam. I think the Japanese characters say “catalytic converter” and I presume the CHG light with a battery next to it means the charging of the battery fails… ?(‘?`?)?

Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, back wiring
Carina GT-R AA63 cluster, back wiring

The back wiring of the cluster. From what I read in the 1982 European Carina/Celica A6 body repair manual I own the connections on the back side are very different than the AA63 wiring. So this is a bit of a puzzle since the European repair manual does not have anything about the Celica AA63: it did not exist yet when that book was written! ?(???;)

Thanks again to Revolver Drift for the cluster!

Carina Sightings: Another Toyota Carina GT-R AA63 on Speedhunters

Mike Garrett came across another Toyota Carina AA63 in a drift competition. This time he saw it at the HKS Premium day on the Fuji Speedway:
Carina GT-R AA63 at HKS premium day drift event
Carina GT-R AA63 at HKS premium day drift event

Compare it to the Carina AA63 he spotted before on Tsukuba circuit:
Black Carina GT-R AA63 on Tsukuba circuit drifting
Black Carina GT-R AA63 on Tsukuba circuit drifting

As you can see the Tsukuba Carina is a much more low budget drifter than the Fuji Speedway Carina: less bodyparts, no airdam, bend hood, single wiper, missing headlight and the Fuji Speedway Carina has way less stickers. Personally I like the Tsukuba Carina more eventhough it looks less pretty: it is more beaten up which makes it more charming IMO. On the other hand the Fuji Speedway Carina drifts a much smoother line…

Fun stuff: 80s Carina GT-R AA63 digidash Quartz clock

I found this great 80s period time piece on Auctions.yahoo.co.jp but unfortunately the auction has already ended…

80s Carina GT-R AA63 digital dashboard quartz clock
80s Carina GT-R AA63 digital dashboard quartz clock

What is it? Well it is the digital dashboard of the Carina GT-R AA63 (and GT-TR TA63) but then with a quartz clock in it to hang on your wall! ;)

The thing is, of course, horrendous and so ugly I would not dare to put in anywhere on my wall. But it intrigues me why anyone would create such a thing in the first place and, of course, it should be preserved for future generations! :P

Zoom in on the 80s Carina GT-R AA63 digital dashboard quartz clock
Zoom in on the 80s Carina GT-R AA63 digital dashboard quartz clock

The only thing that strikes me is why they put the quartz clock at the place of the speedo and not on the place of the quartz clock… It looks a bit double now… But who knows, perhaps it would have looked less like a clock then. ;)

Imports: Corolla Levin AE86 versus Carina GT-R E-AA63

I was just wondering since I was browsing http://auctions.yahoo.co.jp for Carina E-AA63 parts and I came across two very nice Carinas for sale. A coupe for 198000 yen (1650 euro):
Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Coupe on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Coupe on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

Interior of the Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Coupe on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Interior of the Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Coupe on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

This car drove 165000km and looks like new!

And a sedan for 200000 yen (1700 euro):
Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Sedan on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Front Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Sedan on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Sedan on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Rear Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Sedan on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

Interior of the Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Sedan on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Interior of the Toyota Carina GT-R E-AA63 Sedan on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

This car drove 235000km but still looks like new. As admin of AEU86.org I’ve already seen hachis with more kilometers (350000 was the highest!) on the odo meter than this car without a rebuild so that should not be a problem. ;)

Now if I compare that with the average Corolla Levin AE86 in the same state you will pay about twice as much. Most Corolla Levins are already modified and trashed by boy-racers and in much worse state! I did find this trashed Corolla Levin AE86 for 150000 yen (1250 euro):
Trashed Toyota Corolla AE86 on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Trashed Toyota Levin E-AE86 hatchback on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

Trashed Toyota Corolla AE86 on auctions.yahoo.co.jp
Trashed Toyota Levin E-AE86 on auctions.yahoo.co.jp

As you can see the hood, lights and grille are bent, an ugly bodykit has been installed, the sidelights, seats and taillights are all kouki so I suspect the car has seen a lot of action in its life!

So, then the big questioin arises: why import an AE86 over an AA63? Is it the weight? The Carina AA63 sedan only weights 115kg more than the Levin hatchback and there is more to save weight upon with the Carina… Is it the weight distribution? Should be almost the same as with the Carina Coupe… Is it the handling? Carina should have better handling with the independent rear suspension… Is it the aftermarket parts? Carina should have a large aftermarket parts shared with the Celica… Is it the ease of modifications you can do on the hachi? Carina should even have more space for big engines than the AE86…

Only good reason I can come up with is that the AE86 is a notorious and famous car which earned its credits in the past while the Carina is the unknown raw gem you can find…

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