Toyota Corolla Transformed with High-Powered Rotary Swap for Classic Vibe

Powerful Performance: Lightweight Chassis for High Horsepower Results

The 1974 Toyota Corolla is about to receive a rejuvenation with an unexpected engine transplant. While we have witnessed more radical Corolla builds featuring engine swaps in the past, this one stands out as it will be fitted with a rotary engine – more precisely, a 13B REW from an FD Mazda RX-7.

Wyatt, the proprietor, is determined to extract a maximum of 700 horsepower from his Corolla project. He will be depending on the five-speed manual transmission from the RX-7 to handle the remarkable power output. The build of the car has reached approximately 90% completion, with just a few missing components remaining to finish the task. After these final additions, it will be put through an arduous road trip lasting a week, serving as a rigorous trial for the vehicle’s capabilities.

Introducing Wyatt's New 1974 ROTARY Swapped Corolla!

Regarding the motor itself, the beloved Toyota Corolla features a top-notch Rotary Elite intake that has been tweaked to enhance the engine’s performance in supplying fuel to the peripheral ports. Additionally, it boasts a 92mm drive-by-wire throttle body, reminiscent of those found on LS engines, along with a quartet of beefy 2,200cc fuel injectors positioned on the intake manifold and two hefty 1,600cc injectors located on the primary rail.

Opting for a drive-by-wire system offers the advantage of incorporating advanced technology, such as anti-lag and traction control. This project follows closely in the footsteps of another rotary-powered Corolla, but with the aim of creating a practical street vehicle.

The Corolla, which has been equipped with a rotary engine, features a specially-made fuel container containing an Aeromotive fuel pump capable of delivering 3.5 gallons per minute. According to Wyatt, this modification was made with the goal of future-proofing the car for potential increases in power. In addition to this, the vehicle also boasts an Iron Man single disc clutch and flywheel to effectively transmit the increased power to the rear wheels.

The Corolla remains a rolling chassis with an operational engine, but has not yet been equipped with its braking system, drive shaft, cooling system, and charge pipes for its single-turbo configuration. Wyatt has not disclosed the ultimate goal of the project, other than to make it suitable for street use. A vintage Corolla transformed into a dragster is always an impressive spectacle, but we can speculate that this could also be a highly dynamic drift car.

Wyatt removed the interior components in order to thoroughly sanitize them, but intends to restore them to their original factory condition. He may also consider equipping the Corolla with aftermarket seats. In addition, he has replaced all of the door seals and weather stripping as a precautionary measure against potential water infiltration.

The Corolla with a rotary engine swap maintains a mostly original appearance (for the time being), except for its VMS wheels which are currently fixed but subject to alteration in the future by Wyatt.

Even though the build is not fully finished, the OEM design coupled with impressive performance under the hood makes this vehicle a true sleeper, which we admire.