I bought this car a few years ago, because I'd never seen one before. It's a 1981 Toyota Starlet. They were only produced for the US market for 3 years, because for some reason they never caught on.
It originally came with a 1.3 liter gasoline engine (I've owned motorcycles with bigger engines) that, brand new, got in the neighborhood of 50 miles per gallon.
This car has been off the road since 2011. I bought it from some guy who'd intended to build a drag car out of it and lost interest.
I keep changing my mind on this project. I kind of just let my mind wonder on all the possibilties. While I am a professional mechanic, I'm also teaching myself welding, metal fabrication, and painting. This car is going to be my muse, if you'd like to follow along.
I've got a lot of work to do.
I've got a long way to go. There are almost no out of the box parts still available in the US for these cars, so most of what I have to do will be custom built, and often me learning/teaching myself a new skill.
I hope you enjoy the build.