Automobiles Meet the AWDROLA: Toyota Corolla GT-S Safari BuildThis 1989 Toyota Corolla GT-S went from render to reality to become a real deal dirt-eating AE92 Corolla.

Words Gray Van Dyke
Images Garrett Spicer

If it’s not out of a pandemic-induced wanderlust, it must be something in the water, because “Safari builds” (as Porsche enthusiasts term them) are seemingly everywhere these days — at least on social media in the form of digital dream creations. And they’re not limited to 911s; lift the suspension, swap in a set of knobby tires, and add some fog lights, and you’ve cashed a check for instant badassery.

The thing is, though, only a select few of the digital renders actually manage to make the jump to the physical world. Admittedly, most of what you find is utterly ludicrous (looking at you, Chiron rally car) and would require an impossible amount of money and skill to bring to life. However, there are plenty of other, much more viable transformations that are just waiting for the right builder to materialize them in the metal.

Like this 1989 Toyota Corolla GT-S, for instance.

It started out as an AE86 off-road concept — dubbed the “Pandemic vehicle” — that originally appeared on Instagram. Wrapped in an Ivan Steward tribute livery and wearing a roof rack, a spare, and some beefy BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires, it made for a unique take on Toyota’s Corolla classic.

One look at the thing was all it took for Randy Wimenta (a marketing activation manager at KC) to know that it’s what his 1989 GT-S was destined to become. He recalls, “It was my daily and I didn’t really have any plans for it until I was tagged on the social media post.”

Accordingly, Randy, his cousin Will, and his coworker Alberto set about sourcing a Corolla All-Trac Wagon in order to cannibalize the car’s running gear. They eventually found the right donor candidate in Washington, at which point they had it shipped down to KC’s LA location.

Initially, the conversion seemed like it wouldn’t be much of a commitment — one month, tops. If we’ve learned anything over the past few years, though, it’s that things rarely go as planned.

(3) The original Instagram concept render that inspired the AWDROLA, by @stevo.form.

(4) Another view of the original Instagram concept render that inspired the AWDROLA, by @stevo.form.

(5) The original Instagram concept render that inspired the AWDROLA, by @stevo.form.

Initially, the conversion seemed like it wouldn’t be much of a commitment — one month, tops. If we’ve learned anything over the past few years, though, it’s that things rarely go as planned.

With mounting global supply chain issues, one month became two, and two months became four. Even then, however, it would take a further six months for all of the necessary wheel and tire components to come in, and still another year for the roll cage, subframe, 4-links, and suspension to arrive.

And the struggles didn’t stop there; Wimenta also explains that “events were mostly closed in 2020, our ultimate goal was the first shakedown run at Gambler. We targeted 2021, but we were still reeling from supply chain issues. From there, we pushed on and prepared for Gambler 2022.”

Despite the delays, the team managed to rope in expert off-road builders Chuck Dempsey and Jon Rood. With their help, Randy, Will, and Alberto were able to make the rally-ready Corolla — the AWDROLA — you see before you a reality.

Under the hood, it sports a rebuilt 4AGE engine with a 4AFE bottom housing. In order to marry the block to its new AWD accouterments – the front transaxle, the transfer case, and the rear axle from the All-Trac — the team had a custom clutch and flywheel fabbed up by F/S Clutch. As if that wasn’t enough, they also worked with Dana and Barnes4WD to design some custom front CV axles along with a custom four-link to the rear.

Suspension-wise, the AWDROLA now rides on Eibach dual-springs — a marked improvement over the stock setup. At the front, the team fitted the car with a set of custom Streetwise/Bilstein struts. At the rear, they opted for some Bilstein 8125 coilovers. Put another way — this Corolla conversion isn’t just for looks; it’s a real deal dirt-eating AE92.

Elsewhere, you’ll find further evidence of the build’s off-road-ready chops. In addition to some tubular front and rear bumpers, it also features a custom roll cage, a custom sub-frame, as well as a custom roof rack and tire carrier by Dempsey Fabrication. Naturally, the car is packed to the gills with lighting provisions, including a Gravity Pro Pro6 light bar, a FLEX ERA 4 system, and some Cyclone rock lights, chase lights, and dome lights.

Put another way — this Corolla conversion isn’t just for looks; it’s a real deal dirt-eating AE92.

Rolling on a set of 16″ Raceline wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich KO2 tires, it’s made only better by the addition of an Axon 55-S winch, a Deadman off-road recovery anchor, and a Rugged Radios intercom system. The interior rounds out the build with a set of custom PRP seats and a stinger off-road display unit.

He describes the experience of driving the build as “a rough and tough Mad Max rally build. Meaning it’s loud, but it is fun to drive. The only issue currently, it’s sluggish once we hit an incline. We engaged the AWD, leave it in first gear and it slowly goes up the hill. We’re going to double-check, but we think it’s fuel delivery. Or we might just have to supercharge it. Supercharging is definitely an upgrade in the future.”

If you want to see the AWDROLA for yourself, you’re in luck. Randy and the rest of the KC team aim to trailer it around the country for public showings. They’ve already hit up SEMA, and have plans for the Dirt Expo, King Of The Hammers, the Mint 400, Overland Expo West, NORRA, and other events.