Daily?

[Ae86xp]

Hey guys I'm a long time fan of 86's and I think I'm keen to finally go shopping for one this year. What I wanted to know, seeing as I don't know anyone that owns one personally, is how are they as a daily driver? I mean logically, am I looking at a lot of heartache, time and money spent just keeping it on the road? Or will it be fairly easy getting needed parts and repair due to the large fan base? Any advice on this issue or even how to go about buying an 86 and what to look for would be greatly appreciated.Cheers. XP

[86coupe]

I find them great as a daily driver, but do expect some down time when things wear out and you're waiting on parts. I have a backup car for that, or when I need to carry 4 passengers without cutting their legs off. Parts are easy enough to get, but whether its a suitable daily driver depends on what you do it - they can be a perfectly comfortable sporty car, or a bone jarring, stinking hot tin can that can corner like a blowfly with ADHD. I keep mine somewhere in between - track car suspension, but with a/c and all the mod cons inside. I don't have to commute to work in heavy traffic, but if I did, some softer springs and a quieter exhaust and it would be fine.

[Stain]

If you want a 86 for daily driving, you don't really want a 86.

[Vance]

quoted for truth

[86coupe]

I do. Makes boring trips not boring.

Makes long trips hell.

[ae8zn6]

In the end they are an old corolla, old cars can be unreliable if they haven't been properly maintained during their life so far. Having said that they are also fairly simple, when I had two potentially unreliable cars I would pick the 86 when I definitely needed to make it somewhere because I was more likely going to be able to bush mechanic my way out of a situation in the 86 than in something more complex.

I wouldn't buy one if you have no mechanical ability, or at least a willingness to learn some skills, but I have certainly daily driven an 86 for a long time in the past with no real problems. To be fair I haven't ended up with the bonnet up on the side of the road unless I have fiddled with something I shouldn't have more than once or twice.

But there are ultimately more comfortable and more reliable cars to use as a daily, unless your just trying to give yourself an excuse to have something for a bit of sneaky track work on the side too.

[johl]

an unmodified 86 with a 4ac will be fine. but one with an engine conversion, 9 times out of 10 you are buying someone elses problem. i used to daily a 4agze ke70. it was fine, although there were periods when i had to use my back up car due to snapped axels, gearbox breakages, general bugs. never more than 2 weeks off the road though. but as above, try to have some sort of back up transport

[Ae86xp]

Wow great advice guys, cheers, so I've got an issue with having a backup car cause I can only have one car in my current situation. I have no issue with driving comfort so all good there, and I'd want to take her to the track so some 'sneaky track work' would be a defs. As for my mechanical ability I'm a bit of a newb eager to learn, in saying that though I have a few mech mates that would be keen to help us out. Why wouldn't you want to daily an 86?? It's clearly a chick magnet.

[Gear-head]

I'm in the same boat as you mate so this is how I go about if you buy a 86 keep mind what mod's you doing. It not fun driving in rush hours traffic with a heavy duty clutch Trust me on that. And try and plan a head on parts. have parts sitting around at home so if you do break down at least you got the parts there waiting for you. I'm with johl on the motor swaps so be careful on what you buy I got lucky with my 86 just got some panel damage and wheel bearing problems that's needs new bearings if you going to use it for A-B then you be fine but as you said it going to see some track work well it won't be cheap man just use the 86 for daily

[focus_7]

My AE86 is 425000km old, and every week takes me 500km on a tank without fail. All I need to do is get the aircon regassed for summer and i'm set, Top daily.