Toyota Corolla TE27 Levin
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 5
Corolla Levin / Sprinter Trueno
When the twin-cam Corolla first hit the market, there was little to differentiate it from the bog-standard model The package was devoid of the usual bright metals and go-faster stripes popular in the early 1970s. Keener eyes would have been able to detect that the car sat rather low and squatted on oversize radials, and that the wings had add-on plastic flares. Keen eyes may have noticed a small badge on the boot which read, for the Corolla,
Levin, and for its twin sister the Sprinter,
Trueno. Levin is lightning as your dictionary tells it, and Trueno means thunder in Spanish.
Toyota did not throw a usual gala premiere to launch the mildly worked Corolla to global markets. Back then such a car was aimed at a small fraction of enthusiasts. The first twin-cam was actually a clever hybrid of a Corolla coupe shell, its basic running gear and type 2T-G engine and transmission from the senior Celica/Carina GT. The result was an Escort Mexico-eater, offered at a very competitive price. It ran roughly A$600 more than a Corolla 1200SL coupe – very reasonable for the fabulous performance (for the time) package you got.
The Type 2T-G Engine
Under the bonnet the first thing you would have noticed was a pretty crackle-finished one-piece cam-cover that proclaimed DOHC, along with huge Mikuni-Solex 40PHH twin-choke horizontal carburetors. The type 2T-G engine was a development of the T-series pushrod hemi-head five-main four, which came in two sizes, 1.4 and 1.6 litres. They were available in single and twin carb forms, and shared by the Celica/Carina and the Corolla/Sprinter. For the top dog in the Celica, Toyota dropped a DOHC head on the 1600 block, and called it the GT. The Carina also borrowed this engine for its own GT two-door sedan.
Twin overhead camshafts were driven by two-stage duplex roller chains in a typically Toyota DOHC fashion. Two valves per cylinder were employed, and their sizes were 43 mm for intake and 37 mm for exhaust. They were inclined at an included angle of 66 degrees in a hemispherical combustion chamber with single central sparking plug. Two 40PHH's were fed by a mechanical pump. A pair of cast iron two-into-one manifolds let out exhaust gases, which were collected into a two-stage silencing system. The 2T-G was rated at 115 bhp at 6400 rpm, and its maximum torque was fat 14.5 kg-m (96 lb.ft.) at 5200 rpm. If you wanted to save a little money, you could also option a low compression version - 8.8 to 1 as compared with the 115 bhp version's 9.8 to 1, which robbed about 5 bhp.
Skyline and Rotary Killer
The type 2T-G engine was a fire breathing racing unit, somewhat temperamental and happier at higher rpm. And it could be tuned to such a competition power unit. Thus equipped, the works racing Celica GT could beat such formidable rivals as Datsun's DOHC 24-valve fuel injection Skyline GTR Six and Mazda's Savanna Rotary on local Japanese tracks. But the normal 2T-G was a surprisingly docile engine, pulling as low as 1500 rpm in fourth gear. You had to exert more pressure to push in the clutch, but it was not excessive. The engine was cooled by a conventional belt-driven four blade plastic fan and an oversized radiator.
Celica Transmission
The transmission was also from the Celica; a 190 mm (7.5 in.) heavy duty single dry-plate diaphragm spring clutch and a five-speed all-syncro gearbox. Internal ratios were the same as the five-speed Celica gearbox, and they were combined with a final ratio of 4.300 to 1. A limited slip differential could be ordered at extra cost. The rear axle was a sturdy Corona 1600 unit. The twin-cam Corolla was the first Japanese car to specify 70 profile radials. They were either Bridgestone RD102 175/70HR13 or Dunlop SP 175/70HR13 on 5J pressed steel disc wheels. At the time, this was a very generous combination for a Japanese small car.
Suspension Tune
Suspension followed the established Corolla practice in that MacPherson struts located by transverse arms and diagonal struts were used at the front, and a live axle on semi-elliptics was used at the rear. Spring rates and damper settings were altered to handle markedly improved performance. Front anti-roll bar diameter was increased from the original 19 mm to 21 mm (0.75 — 0.83 in.). Steering was by a recirculating ball system, which had a quicker ratio - a 16.1 to 1 which called for 2.8 turns of the wheel from lock to lock. Brakes were front disc and rear drum, with dual hydraulic circuits and rear pressure limiting valve. There was no provision of vacuum servo assistance.
On The Inside
The interior of the Corolla was finished in black. The instrumentation was basically that of a sporting Corolla with two large dials for the 200 km/h (125 mph) speedo and rev counter (8000 rpm) flanking a smaller water-temp and fuel combination gauge. Three individual gauges indicating oil pressure, temperature and amps were added in the centre of the fascia. Strangely, the first models of the twin-cam version had an uncharacteristic, leastwise for a Japanese built car, list of optional extras. For example, unlike normal Japanese practice, the heater and radio were extra-cost items in the twin-cam Corolla.
At the time Toyota’s best engineers were located in “Section Seven” – this team having developed a blown 5-litre quad-cam V8 Group Seven car. Speculation had it that these same engineers had a hand in the development of the Corolla Levin/Sprinter Trueno. Competition influence was most evident in the proper location of all major controls. Pedals were well situated for quick heel-and-toe operations, and Toyota went so far as to provide sturdy foot support that would brace the driver on tighter corners. The passenger could also have the benefit of twin foot supports, (at extra cost of course.) The front seats looked as though they came straight out of the fabulous (and very rare) Toyota 2000 GT two-seater coupe – and that meant squab and lumber support were extremely good.
Behind The Wheel
The Corolla twin-cam achieved 30, 53 and 80 mph for the lower three gears, and fourth would pull comfortably to 100 mph. Remember, there was still another cog left, which made cruising at 100mph relatively easy if such a road existed. Toyota claimed a top speed of 119 mph. The twin cam five-main four would rev smoothly under a heavy right foot. Most motoring journalists agreed that this engine was the best DOHC Toyota four made to that time. As mentioned above, the gearbox was the same as fitted to the Celica 1600ST. It was precise with strong syncro on all forward gears, and change patterns were well defined.
The Suspension tuning was remarkable, endorsing the expertise of the responsible engineering team. On highways and byways, it was pleasantly firm without becoming harsh. Still, straightline stability was very good. Wider tracks (2in. at the rear) were no doubt helping in this respect, as well as in improved cornering characteristics. And the steering was OK too, even if it wasn’t rack-and-pinion. As fitted to the twin-cam, it called for 2.8 turns of the wheel from lock to lock, a decrease of half a turn from the normal Corolla. It was reasonably accurate and precise. The Corolla would understeer much less than the original model, and had enough poke to swing the tail out in the lower gears. All in all, Toyota’s first “performance” Corolla was a well balanced, reasonably priced and extremely versatile sporting package which held great promise on the track.
