Overview
The Toyota KE70 Corolla (1979-1983) is the fourth-generation Corolla, offered in Australia with the 3K-C 1.2-litre and 4K-C 1.3-litre pushrod engines. Specifications below cover Australian-delivered models. Japanese and other export-market specifications may differ in engine options, trim levels, and equipment.
Key Specifications
| Spec |
Value |
| Production Years |
1979-1983 (Australia: 1981-1985) |
| Manufacturer |
Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Assembly |
Takaoka Plant, Toyota City, Japan |
| Body Styles |
4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, 5-door wagon |
| Layout |
Front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Platform |
E70 |
| Wheelbase |
2,400 mm |
| Overall Length |
4,130 mm (sedan), 4,100 mm (coupe), 4,265 mm (wagon) |
| Overall Width |
1,610 mm |
| Overall Height |
1,385 mm (sedan), 1,370 mm (coupe), 1,400 mm (wagon) |
| Kerb Weight |
830-920 kg (variant dependent) |
| Fuel Tank Capacity |
45 L |
| Drag Coefficient |
0.40 (approximate) |
Engine Specifications
3K-C, 1.2L OHV Inline-4
| Spec |
Value |
| Configuration |
Inline 4, OHV (pushrod), 8-valve |
| Displacement |
1,166 cc |
| Bore x Stroke |
75.0 mm x 66.0 mm |
| Compression Ratio |
9.0:1 |
| Power |
40 kW (54 PS) @ 5,600 rpm |
| Torque |
88 Nm (9.0 kgf-m) @ 3,600 rpm |
| Fuel System |
Single-barrel carburettor (Aisan) |
| Ignition |
Points/condenser (early), electronic (late) |
| Valvetrain Drive |
Timing chain (single-row) |
| Valve Adjustment |
Screw and locknut (rocker arm) |
| Cylinder Head |
Cast iron |
| Cylinder Block |
Cast iron |
| Oil Capacity |
3.3 L (with filter) |
| Recommended Oil |
10W-30 or 20W-50 |
| Redline |
6,200 rpm |
| Fuel Requirement |
91 RON |
4K-C, 1.3L OHV Inline-4
| Spec |
Value |
| Configuration |
Inline 4, OHV (pushrod), 8-valve |
| Displacement |
1,290 cc |
| Bore x Stroke |
75.0 mm x 73.0 mm |
| Compression Ratio |
9.0:1 |
| Power |
45 kW (61 PS) @ 5,600 rpm |
| Torque |
95 Nm (9.7 kgf-m) @ 3,600 rpm |
| Fuel System |
Single-barrel carburettor (Aisan) |
| Ignition |
Points/condenser (early), electronic (late) |
| Valvetrain Drive |
Timing chain (single-row) |
| Valve Adjustment |
Screw and locknut (rocker arm) |
| Cylinder Head |
Cast iron |
| Cylinder Block |
Cast iron |
| Oil Capacity |
3.5 L (with filter) |
| Recommended Oil |
10W-30 or 20W-50 |
| Redline |
6,200 rpm |
| Fuel Requirement |
91 RON |
4K-E, 1.3L OHV Inline-4 (EFI)
| Spec |
Value |
| Configuration |
Inline 4, OHV (pushrod), 8-valve |
| Displacement |
1,290 cc |
| Bore x Stroke |
75.0 mm x 73.0 mm |
| Compression Ratio |
9.0:1 |
| Power |
47 kW (64 PS) @ 5,600 rpm |
| Torque |
100 Nm (10.2 kgf-m) @ 3,800 rpm |
| Fuel System |
Electronic fuel injection (EFI) |
| Ignition |
Electronic |
| Valvetrain Drive |
Timing chain (single-row) |
| Oil Capacity |
3.5 L (with filter) |
| Recommended Oil |
10W-30 or 20W-50 |
| Redline |
6,200 rpm |
| Fuel Requirement |
91 RON |
Transmission
| Spec |
Value |
| Type |
Manual (standard), automatic (optional) |
| Manual Gears |
4-speed (base) or 5-speed (CS/CSX) |
| Manual Model |
T40 (4-speed), T50 (5-speed) |
| Automatic Gears |
3-speed |
| Automatic Model |
A40 |
| Synchromesh |
All forward gears (manual) |
Gear Ratios (T50 5-Speed)
| Gear |
Ratio |
| 1st |
3.587 |
| 2nd |
2.022 |
| 3rd |
1.384 |
| 4th |
1.000 |
| 5th |
0.861 |
| Reverse |
3.484 |
Gear Ratios (T40 4-Speed)
| Gear |
Ratio |
| 1st |
3.587 |
| 2nd |
2.189 |
| 3rd |
1.397 |
| 4th |
1.000 |
| Reverse |
3.484 |
Final Drive
| Spec |
Value |
| Type |
Live rear axle, hypoid gear |
| Ratio |
4.100:1 (5-speed) or 4.300:1 (4-speed) |
| LSD |
Not standard (open differential) |
Suspension
| Component |
Front |
Rear |
| Type |
Independent, MacPherson strut |
Live axle, four-link with lateral rod (Panhard) |
| Springs |
Coil |
Coil |
| Dampers |
Hydraulic telescopic |
Hydraulic telescopic |
| Anti-roll Bar |
Yes (some variants) |
No |
Brakes
| Component |
Front |
Rear |
| Type |
Solid disc |
Drum |
| Disc Diameter (front) |
226 mm |
- |
| Drum Diameter (rear) |
- |
200 mm |
| ABS |
No |
|
| Booster |
Vacuum-assisted |
|
Steering
| Spec |
Value |
| Type |
Rack and pinion |
| Power Assist |
No (standard), optional on CS/CSX |
| Turns Lock-to-Lock |
3.5 |
| Turning Circle |
9.4 m |
Wheels and Tyres
| Spec |
Value |
| Standard Wheel Size |
13" x 5.0" (steel) |
| Optional Wheel Size |
13" x 5.5" (alloy, CSX) |
| Bolt Pattern |
4 x 114.3 |
| Centre Bore |
60.1 mm |
| Standard Tyre Size |
155SR13 (base), 175/70R13 (CS/CSX) |
Performance (Approximate, 4K-C)
| Metric |
Value |
| 0-100 km/h |
14.5-16.0 seconds |
| 0-400 m (quarter mile) |
19.5-20.5 seconds |
| Top Speed |
150 km/h |
Fuel Economy (Approximate, 4K-C)
| Condition |
L/100 km |
| Urban |
8-10 |
| Highway |
6-7 |
| Combined |
7-9 |
Electrical
| Spec |
Value |
| Battery |
12V, 36 Ah |
| Alternator |
40A (base), 55A (CS/CSX) |
| Headlights |
Sealed beam, rectangular |
| Ignition |
Points/condenser (early), electronic (late) |
Dimensions Detail
| Measurement |
Value |
| Front Track |
1,365 mm |
| Rear Track |
1,345 mm |
| Ground Clearance |
160 mm |
| Boot Capacity |
340 L (sedan), 280 L (coupe) |
| Cargo Capacity (wagon) |
510 L (seats up), 1,100 L (seats folded) |
Kerb Weight by Variant
| Variant |
Approximate Weight |
| Sedan, base (manual, no A/C) |
830 kg |
| Sedan, CS (manual, no A/C) |
860 kg |
| Sedan, CSX (manual, A/C, P/S) |
900 kg |
| Coupe, base (manual) |
820 kg |
| Coupe, CS (manual) |
850 kg |
| Wagon, CS (manual) |
900 kg |
| Wagon, CSX (manual, A/C) |
920 kg |
| Add for automatic transmission |
+20 kg |
Service Intervals
| Service Item |
Interval |
| Engine oil and filter |
5,000 km or 6 months |
| Timing chain |
Inspect every 40,000 km, replace if noisy |
| Spark plugs |
15,000-20,000 km |
| Points and condenser (if equipped) |
15,000 km |
| Valve clearance check |
20,000 km |
| Coolant |
24 months |
| Brake fluid |
24 months |
| Differential oil |
40,000 km |
| Gearbox oil |
40,000 km |
| Carburettor service/rebuild |
40,000 km or as needed |
| Air filter |
20,000 km |
| Fuel filter |
20,000 km |
Model Variants (Australian Market)
Standard (Base)
| Spec |
Value |
| Engine |
4K-C 1.3L OHV |
| Gearbox |
4-speed manual (T40) |
| Steering |
Manual rack and pinion |
| Air Conditioning |
No |
| Interior |
Vinyl seats, rubber floor mats |
| Radio |
No |
CS
| Spec |
Value |
| Engine |
4K-C 1.3L OHV |
| Gearbox |
5-speed manual (T50) or 3-speed automatic (A40) |
| Steering |
Manual or power-assisted (optional) |
| Air Conditioning |
Optional |
| Interior |
Cloth seats, carpet, door trims |
| Radio |
AM radio (standard) |
CSX
| Spec |
Value |
| Engine |
4K-C 1.3L OHV or 3T-C 1.8L OHC |
| Gearbox |
5-speed manual (T50) or 3-speed automatic (A40) |
| Steering |
Power-assisted |
| Air Conditioning |
Standard |
| Interior |
Velour or cloth seats, full trim, carpet |
| Radio |
AM/FM radio |
Common Engine Swap Specifications
4A-GE 16V (AE86)
| Spec |
Value |
| Configuration |
Inline 4, DOHC, 16-valve |
| Displacement |
1,587 cc |
| Power |
91 kW (124 PS) @ 6,600 rpm |
| Torque |
149 Nm @ 5,200 rpm |
| Fuel System |
Electronic fuel injection (EFI) |
| Induction |
T-VIS |
| Redline |
7,600 rpm |
| Weight change |
+15-20 kg over 4K-C |
4A-GE 20V Blacktop (AE111)
| Spec |
Value |
| Configuration |
Inline 4, DOHC, 20-valve |
| Displacement |
1,587 cc |
| Compression Ratio |
11.0:1 |
| Power |
120 kW (165 PS) @ 7,800 rpm |
| Torque |
162 Nm @ 5,600 rpm |
| Fuel System |
Individual throttle bodies (ITBs) |
| VVT |
Intake cam |
| Redline |
8,200 rpm |
3T-GTE (CT160 Celica)
| Spec |
Value |
| Configuration |
Inline 4, SOHC, 8-valve, turbocharged |
| Displacement |
1,770 cc |
| Power |
119 kW (160 PS) @ 5,600 rpm |
| Torque |
206 Nm @ 3,600 rpm |
| Fuel System |
Electronic fuel injection (EFI) |
| Boost |
0.55 bar (factory) |
Beams 3S-GE (SXE10 Altezza)
| Spec |
Value |
| Configuration |
Inline 4, DOHC, 16-valve |
| Displacement |
1,998 cc |
| Compression Ratio |
11.5:1 |
| Power |
154 kW (210 PS) @ 7,600 rpm |
| Torque |
216 Nm @ 6,400 rpm |
| Fuel System |
Individual throttle bodies (ITBs) |
| VVT |
Dual VVT-i (intake and exhaust) |
| Redline |
8,200 rpm |