If you were to only give this old Toyota Corolla a quick glance, you might come away thinking the worst of it. True, it probably hasn’t been washed in years decades. Yes, its paint is shot.
It may not be a looker, but its appearance isn’t important. Its ability to drift is, so the owner of this creation has concentrated on its sideways prowess, no matter what changes had to be made. The interior has been gutted and fitted with a custom roll cage. The brake and clutch master cylinders have been moved into the cabin. What once were steel panels on the rear sides of the exterior were cut out to make room for acrylic sheets. Even the gauges have been yanked out. They’ve been replaced with a Bluetooth-connected engine management system that spits important underhood data into a windshield-mounted smartphone.
That information comes from an un-Corolla-esque 1UZ-FE that’s hooked up to a 5-speed manual and an SUV-grade rear axle. When that puts the 4.0-liter V8’s power to the ground, the tires smoke, and this boxy beater transforms into what you could call a Dragon Wagon. To see the full gallery of pics of it, hit the Speedhunters link below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
