A Little Taste of Perfection: Mike's TE27 Corolla
Back in the summer of 2018 I lived in Las Vegas, so a quick jaunt to the Petersen Museum for a casual Super Street meet was a no brainer. I loaded up into my CRX with my best buddy Ben and we scurried across the Mojave to one of my friends’ houses in Simi Valley. At the time the Petersen Museum was running an exhibit that exclusively featured some of the best Japanese cars that they could source. My expectations for a Super Street meet that coincided with this exhibit were very high, to say the least.
Not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded in spades, but it wasn’t until the event was long over that I was greeted with the sight of Mike Muniz’s “llmango”. The month prior I had attended Toyotafest, which put me head over heels for early Toyota and “kyusha” cars in general. So getting to see one of Mike’s many pristine TE27 Corollas, filled me with joy. If you know anything about Mike it should be that he’s an expert when it comes to TE27s and it shows throughout llmango. The authentic, period correct tosco wheels, the untarnished brightwork, flawless interior, badges, and essentially any part on the chassis all were a product of Mike’s near encyclopedic knowledge of the chassis and dedication to crafting such a high caliber of car.
The humble, economy car beginnings makes it an easy thing to overlook, yet Mike’s unwavering passion for preserving, restoring, and modifying TE27s make it a standout. It shows that even the things we don’t think are deserving of attention can become memorable if given the proper respect. In its time the TE27 Corolla wasn’t much, at least if the in-period reviews I’ve read are to be believed, but due to the dedication of Mike and others like him we’re able to experience one at its best.
