What Does The AE86 Mean To Me?

My name is Chaydon Ford and I have a problem.

My problem, and it’s not a bad one to have, is that for as long as I can remember I’ve been what most would consider an ’86-head’. Everyone for whom the AE86 has managed to get under the skin of will have their own story of how they became involved with Toyota’s amicable and now legendary Corolla.

In fact, mine may not be that different from others. I hope by giving you some insight, you’ll be able to either relate, or comprehend why I’ve spent nearly a third of my life so deeply vested in Toyota’s flagship econobox from the ’80s.

AE86 ENTHUSIAST SPEEDHUNTERS ©CHAYDON FORD-050

I’m what you would call a serial relapser. I’m currently in possession of my fifth AE86, having worked my way through each variety of body and model (Trueno, Levin, hatchback, coupe). Each car that I’ve owned and built has been unique in its own way, from a one-owner-from-new Trueno two door that was pretty much bone-stock, to an N2-kitted car from Garage Shapple in Japan, to a supercharged hatchback that was rather lively.

Chaydon-Ford-AE86-UK-Desk-1

In fact, the N2 was in the spotlight on Speedhunters some seven years ago when Bryn shot it as the first ever #FEATURETHIS story.

AE86 ENTHUSIAST SPEEDHUNTERS ©CHAYDON FORD-052

The AE86 appeal first started from watching grainy rally and touring car videos involving Corollas. Then I learnt about drifting and seeing the underpowered AE86s take on cars with, at times, triple the power was awe inspiring.

I’ve always favoured lower-powered cars, with the ability to be enjoyable at speeds lower than the limits. By that point, my mind was made up and I absolutely had to own one.

AE86 ENTHUSIAST SPEEDHUNTERS ©CHAYDON FORD-019

Fast forward a few years and countless bloody knuckles from working on the cars, I took over what at the time was a small blog called The Corolla Brotherhood from a friend, who at the time decided to pursue his interest in music.

Along with this, I began to organise an annual meet which has grown to become the Annual Retro Toyota Gathering.

Compared to Ireland, America and Australia, there are very few cars within the UK and no real opportunity to meet and share the struggles of owning an older Toyota. This is what The Corolla Brotherhood embodies, the whole experience (both ups and downs) of owning an AE86 and other retro Toyotas.

The cars offer a great driving experience, being relatively lightweight, with a live axle and revvy four-cylinder engine with all contact points (steering wheel, seat and pedals) offering great feedback, and are relatively inexpensive to run.

AE86 ENTHUSIAST SPEEDHUNTERS ©CHAYDON FORD-039

However, the best part is the community. I’ve made life-long friends through owning these cars and continue to do so. I’ve even flown across the world and placed my faith in someone I’ve never met, hoping they would be there waiting to pick me up from the airport, give me a bed for the week, and not harvest my organs, all because of a shared interest in a specific model of car.

AE86 ENTHUSIAST SPEEDHUNTERS ©CHAYDON FORD-045

Over the years I’ve made many trips over to Ireland to put faces to names and most recently, a trip to Japan, which was quite simply the holiday of a lifetime, and something every retro Toyota owner has to do at some point or another.

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See, AE86s are a universal language the world over and I was fortunate enough to meet some very welcoming owners who, without any hesitation, offered me lifts, gifts and translated. My inability to speak Japanese was poorly assisted by Google Translate outside of these times but we still managed to discuss the shared passion for these cars.

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It’s a combination of the above that keeps me organising the annual event and this brings us to the 9th event this year. While numbers have steadily increased, 20-30 cars is considered a good turnout.

There is zero financial gain for organising the events, but I do it purely for the love of the cars, to keep the scene alive and give the owners a chance to meet one another and to see how the builds have progressed over the last year. I

t appeals to far more than AE86 owners too, and has become an all-encompassing gathering for anyone with anything cool and Toyota (was and sometimes other marques too!).

While I would love nothing more than to have three figure turnouts, having smaller events means we can host the gathering at places like Caffeine & Machine; a picturesque setting in the British countryside, with a great atmosphere, plenty of parking and delicious food – what more could you want?

The more compact, intimate vibe also means that you pretty much get to chat to everyone during the course of the day. There are no strangers here.

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An eclectic mix of cars filled the car park throughout the day, with a constant stream of cars mixing it up with the Toyotas. And dogs. Because dogs make every car event better.

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We as owners buy the cars to experience the hype, and for most of us, it lives up to that. They aren’t easy cars to live with but for those that persevere, the reward is a community which is tight knit, welcoming and always ready to lend a hand.

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With next year being the 10th year, I don’t foresee much changing in how it’s run. These humble cars have taken me this far, it would be a shame to stop now.

The cars are what bring us together in the first place, but the people are what keeps us coming back.

Chaydon Ford
Instagram: corolla_brotherhood
Facebook: The Corolla Brotherhood

How To join the IATS program: We have always welcomed readers to contact us with examples of their work and believe that the best Speedhunter is always the person closest to the culture itself, right there on the street or local parking lot. If you think you have what it takes and would like to share your work with us then you should apply to become part of the IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER program.
Read how to get involved here.

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1
thathellastockusdm3rdgenyaris@instagram

NO SLEEP CREW:

lovely article.

<3

-Tofu

2

I miss my MR2's :( And now I want a Supra, that black one looks ace.

3

Oh Man that mkiii Supra is absolutely beautiful, feature??

4

Good write up dude! If you haven't owned one, its difficult to understand why they're so addictive, but this write up gives those people an idea.
Good to see my white wing made it on :D seems to be becoming 'a thing' that wing now haha

5

love it! need to find (or create) a similar gathering in my area. that Supra is STUNNING! and to think i was in danger of selling mine!

6

where do you buy a corolla brotherhood rev counter from?

Author7

I bought it through Speedhut in the USA.. they makes completely customisable gauges.. you can choose colours, fonts, needle, backlight and logo designs. I spent hours upon hours trying their configurator!

8

Thanks Chaydon

9

How does one find one of these in the US? I have wanted one of these for years(that or a Datsun 510) and so far I haven't really found any. That is of course because I do not know where to look.

Anyway, great article. Love the photos. Awesome job.

10

I'm selling one right now! @OutRun86 on instagram

Author11

Facebook marketplace/owners groups, craigslist, forums, local papers.. they do come up for sale quite a lot! But as with most cars from that era, a lot have succumbed to rust so prices are always on the up..

12

I just love the 86
It's what made Speedhunters

13

Funny how this article popped up on the same day I decided to sell my 86. Thanks for making my decision that much harder Chaydon! Lol

14

What I Like most about the ae86 is that most of us enthusiast can relate to it. It can feel like you will have a sentra, a civic SiR but with a big Plus. The Iconic rwd fun to drive car. and for a lot like me, it will just be a dream on owning one. Specially the prices here in the PH.

15
raymond koledoye

TOYOTA Family Crew

16
Antonio Alvendia

HELL YES Chay!!!!! I've made lifelong friends ALL OVER THE WORLD just because we shared a passion for old rear wheel drive Corollas. From San Francisco to Los Angeles to Toronto to Miami to Tokyo to El Salvador to Australia to Greece to Madrid to the UK to Ireland.... 86LIFE!!!!

17

Great article. I'll do my best to attend one of your meets in future, Chaydon, to keep the Corolla brotherhood going.

From the builder & owner of one very well known AE86 and another lesser-known, but even higher spec. one here in Japan.

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