Toyota Corolla 1969 - Nathan Bautista

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Toyota Corolla 1969

Nathan Bautista

Instagram: @1MainGarage

Photographer: @Mr2mivin

My name is Nathan I was born and raised here in Carson California. I currently work at Howmet Aerospace manufacturing aircraft parts. In my free time, I love to do a lot of things like riding dirt bikes, air-softing, surfing skating and my number one hobby is working on cars.

Growing up I always had a talent or an obsession with wrenching things. My dad was always in the garage working on something and I was always there as usual helping and of course holding the flashlight. Here and there my dad would take me out in his Porsche to supercar meets and cruise with a bunch of nice cars. On top of that and probably the biggest reason why people get into cars is because of top gear and the fast and furious series.

They always have me itching to want to build something of my own. But it was not only that I tend to watch a lot of YouTube and in doing so I ran into these two creators named Tj Hunt and Adam LZ. I always loved watching them work on their cars and it is crazy to see how far they had come. They are both literally living my dream life. One day I hope to reach the same level they worked so hard to be at. 

For how we got this Corolla it was actually pretty funny. My uncle has an auto shop over in Torrance and one day my dad said “ let’s go borrow it” That is exactly what we did. It wasn’t running at the time so we had to learn all about the car see what it needs what needs repairing or replacing and eventually we got it running. The time we spent on the repairing we, of course, bought the car. My first impression of the car was just like wow it’s old but cool but old. But having for a couple of days made me realize its true value and all the amazing things we can do to it. This car was previously a drag car and I believe it was running 9 second quarter miles but don’t quote me on that.

When we first got the car it was just all gutted and only had seats, an engine and wheels. It was a great starting point to bring this girl back to life. Of course, our first intentions with a gutted interior were to give it interior and that is what we did. Everything you see on the car was handmade by my dad and me. We learned a lot with this car especially when I had very little knowledge of cars and only what the internet gave me.

To be able to drive this car is unreal. It’s like I drove a fast and furious car right out of the cinema and now it’s mine. These cars are very rare to come by especially when they look like a cow so it does get a lot of attention. They always ask what is this or is this a Datsun which is quite funny but understandable since you never see much of these. But I’d say the greatest feeling is when they are amazed at the work we put into the whole sound system, engine bay, and interior especially the little details like the Toyota symbol in the rear firewall.

If I was asked what makes my car unique I’d say that I’ve never seen an old Corolla like mine that had been modernized. These cars have always been stock or Oem plus when I see them but never like this. It’s like a 7-year-olds imagination comes to life. The car just screams fun. For me, I love having fun I mean who doesn’t the way we made the car kinda just defines fun. It may not be the best work but with the resources, time and effort we had this is what we came up with.

If you enjoyed this car story why not read this ONE HERE

Spec List

Engine

• 2TG TRD Toyota Engine
• 14.1 Compression
• 250 whp 
• 114 Octane
• Dual 48mm Weber Carburetor
• T50 transmission with 1st and 2nd TRD short ratio gearing
• HPV-1 Ignition (Distributor Less)
• ADCO Drag Race Radiator
• Custom Headers
• Custom Exhaust

What do you think?

Please leave your comments in the comments section at the bottom of the page

Exterior

• TE27 Corolla front and rear fender flares
• Custom Wrap 

Interior

• Custom Paneling
• 8.1 Digital Cinema Sound System (Alpine and JL Audio)
• 12 inch JL Audio Subwoofer
• Dual Odyssey Batteries
• Old School Recaro Seats
• Nardi Steering Wheel
• Custom Center Console
• Sparco Racing Harness
• ZEX Nitrous Assist

Wheels

• 13inch Compomotive Wheels

Suspension and Brakes

• Eibach Coilovers
• KP61 Starlet Front Suspension including steering column
• AE86 10 Bolt rear diff with Hi-Torque axles and LSD
• Front Brake Lock Up
• Steel Braided Lines

Because this is our first real project car we had much to learn. We managed to do everything ourselves without having it sent to a shop. This project could not have been completed if it wasn’t for all the friends and family we made on the way. Our good friends Joel Tan, Patrick De Leon, Angelo Angeles, Julian Angeles, Dennis Dasalla, Russ Capulong, Briwurm de Mesa, Albert Gatchalian, Allan Marasigan and many more. They had all helped us along the way whether it was passing down knowledge or giving us a helpful hand. Most importantly none of this would have ever been possible if it wasn’t for my dad. He was always there to guide me through and teach me everything I need to know and I plan to do the same for others.

Future Plans

As of right now, we do not have any future mods for the car but as always there are upgrades that can be done to clean it up and perform better. With all the memories and friends we made with this car it would be very hard for us to sell. I guess you can say it’s priceless. But like they say “everything has a price.”

Advice/Tips

For the people who look forward to getting these 50-year-old cars, I say good luck. The market for these cars is tough. It’s just so old that parts are hard to find. Tons of people tend to hoard them as they are very rare. It’s always best to network and connect with others so you can get a helping hand sourcing parts and work on them. There are many Facebook groups out there that can help you with just that and I think it’s great we have a community we can communicate through. Makes it easier for us to get our projects up and running.

Looking for a new club? Have a look at the ones featured on our site HERE

Shout Outs

I would like to shout out to Lumang Oto Old Car Junkies, Old Japanese Car Meet, Hoolugan Boys and Main Street Mechanics.

Getting into the car scene I made tons of friends. Some I may even call my family. I’d say that’s the best part about getting into the car scene. You get to meet all the wonderful people out there. The community is just amazing. It just gets better from there. 

Dream Car

It’s hard to pick a dream car for me. I don’t really have a car that’s my number one but I do have 3 cars that I would like to own one day. The first car which I have already purchased was my 1985 Toyota Corolla AE86. It is currently in the works right now an

Please leave your comments in the comments section at the bottom of the page

'The future is bright as long as we can still Smell the Fumes'

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