Tricks & Mods for a Toyota Corolla
by Justin MitchellThe Corolla is a popular line of compact cars manufactured by Toyota, a Japanese car manufacture. It has been the best selling car in Japan all but two years since 1969. It is also wildly popular throughout the world, being sold in over 140 countries. The Corolla is the best selling car of all time. Many modifications are possible to personalize your Toyota Corolla both aesthetically and functionality. If you are a Toyota Corolla owner looking to spice up you car, learning a few of these projects is a good place to start.
Indexing Spark Plugs
Indexing your Corolla's plugs can help to increase the overall engine output. When you finish hand-tightening the spark plugs, you simply tighten it a little more with a ratchet, so that the end of the plug faces the intake side of the cylinder head. This can add as much as a unit of horsepower.
Fuel Line Insulation
The cooler your fuel is kept as it runs through your Corolla's engine, the better the mixture in your engine will be. You can use air conditioning or refrigerator insulation to protect your fuel lines from excessive engine heat.
Moving IAT Sensor
The IAT sensor is a standard part of most fuel injection systems. You can move it in order to fool your vehicle's computer into thinking that incoming air is a little cooler than it is. This will cause more fuel flow and therefore higher engine performance.
Racing Cap
A racing cap provides a sleeker, sexier look to your vehicle and a popular modification among Corolla users is to replace the factory-issued cap with a racing cap. This modification involves jacking up the car, removing a tire and replacing the fuel cap. It's relatively easy, but it is very important not to smoke or carry lighted tobacco or open flame of any sort while performing this modification.
Floating Hood
A floating hood is a standard Corolla hood outfitted with regular door hinged that allows you to open the hood to a wide variety of different positions. This can show off the internal engine parts. All this project requires is removing the factory bolts on the hood and placing a hinge in its place.
Reverse Hood
A reverse hood opens in the opposite way that a hood normally does. This style of hood is famous for being included on the Corvette. If you want to give your Corolla a little hint of that flash, you can easily modify its hood. Remove the hood and the hood's hinges. Then, re-attach the hinges on the front of the car. The most difficult part of this modification is measuring where to place the hood's hinges at the front.
References
Writer Bio
Justin Mitchell has been a writer since 2009. In 2002, he received a B.A. in theater and writing from the University of Northern Colorado. Mitchell worked as an ESL teacher in Europe and Asia before earning a master's degree in journalism from the City University of New York. He has written for the "New York Daily News" and WNYC.org, among other outlets.
